Samar Yahya

Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH — National Geographic Abu Dhabi is giving you the opportunity to showcase your country’s rich heritage, art, culture, tradition, architecture, food among others through “Photomentaries 2013 photo contest.”



The contest, which will continue till April 30, invites participants from all over the Middle East.



The winner of the contest will be announced on May 20. His/her work will be featured in the National Geographic Al Arabiya Magazine and will also be eligible for an all-expense-paid National Geographic Photography Expedition To The Galapagos Islands.



Joe McNally, author and National Geographic’s photographer for 25 years, is judging the entries for the ongoing contest.



According to McNally, the photos will be judged based on the following criterion — What is the emotional core of the photo? Does it speak to his heart and his head? Does it carry good information, or open a door to a question? Does it explain something to him about an area or topic he doesn’t know much about? Essentially, what kind of conversation can he have with that image? Does it entertain and enliven his eyes?



Secondarily, is it a sound photo from a technical aspect?



McNally said photography is a wonderful intersection of arts and craft, which is why Photomentaries is such a worthy effort. “The whole impetus of the contest is to showcase Middle Eastern photography, not only for its messages, and artistry, but also for its excellence of craft.”



Photography is an inherent talent but it also can be learnt, he said. “You have to have an eye. You have to be able to ‘see’ a photo. But there are techniques involved as well, and these can be studied and learned.”



The Middle East is an area steeped in cultural traditions that dating back centuries. “I think it is wonderful and natural to celebrate that history and its contemporary aspects,” he said. 



“It has terrific logic and power because the Middle East has been such an incredibly significant area of the world in so many ways,” McNally said, adding that the topography is so different from what he experiences back home.



“I have often been drawn to the desert area as a backdrop for portraiture to show some of the cultural aspects of the Middle East, such as dance. I also have been really fascinated by growth,” said the photographer who has won many photo honors and prizes.



McNally, who has visited 60 countries, sees interesting stories everywhere. “I’m not much of a landscape photographer, or still life shooter. I enjoy photographing people in all ways and activities.”



“I think the wonderful thing about photography is the universality of the image making process. Literally, as I write this, there are millions of photos being taken.



“Each in its own way seeks to explain the world, whether that is a private piece of the world, or a very public one. The photographer is saying ‘This is my work, my world, and the way I see it.’ There will be as many points of view on the world,” said the creator of the book “The Faces of Ground Zero,” which helped raise approximately $2 million for 911 relief efforts.