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The kingdom’s shutterbugs recently unveiled the beauty of Bahrain through their eyes in a bid to snap up a variety of prizes in Batelco’s annual photography competition.
The Bahrain Eye3 contest, run in partnership with the Capital Governorate and Seef Properties, attracted more than 1,500 entries, of which 200 of the best images went on display for a week at Seef Mall, Muharraq for shoppers and art lovers to enjoy.
According to a spokesman from the telecom giant, the competition has been well received by Bahrain’s photography community over the past couple of years and continues to grow. It was originally launched to support young talent in Bahrain and to help them hone their skills.
The captivating collection was judged and critiqued by a group of professional Bahraini photographers including Isa Ebrahim, Fadhel Almutaghawi, Saeed Dhahi, Ahmed Zaman, Ali Al Marzooq and Jaan Al Balooshi. They chose the winning images based on a variety of factors including quality, concept, lighting and colouring.
The competition was open to photographers of all ages and the pictures were entered into five categories: Places in Bahrain, People in Bahrain, Nature and Wildlife in Bahrain, Tawasel (Communication) and simply an image capturing the true essence of Bahrain National Day.
The winners in each category walked away with cash prizes of BD250 from Batelco while second place received BD150 and third got Lenovo devices.
Ahmed Ali Hammad, 26, may spend his days working as a financial advisor in the legal department of a collection company, but his weekends are dedicated to his passion for photography. Every Friday, he and his friends head down to Manama to stroll through the souq in search of the prefect picture. His monochrome snap of a couple of long-time friends laughing and whispering in the souq won him first place in the Tawasel category.
Hammad, from Muharraq, said: “This was my first time entering Batelco’s competition and it feels fantastic to win. To achieve first place in my first competition is great.”
Photography had started off as a hobby for Hammad. He used to take pictures with his smartphone but in June 2013 he purchased a professional Canon camera and started on his photographic path. He and his friends enjoy taking pictures of landscapes, street photography and portraiture.
He said: “I was lucky with this shot. It was perfect timing. My friend and I saw the old men selling goods in the souq. It looked like they were friends for a long time. We spoke to them and asked them if we could take their pictures. We also asked them to pretend like we were not there. We wanted natural shots of them talking and being themselves. At one point, one of the men, holding his friend’s hand, began to speak quietly as though he was whispering a secret to him and he didn’t want us to hear. That’s when I took the picture and it won. I’m looking forward to participating in more such competitions.”
Hani Bader’s underwater photography has been featured in the National Geographic and won him various accolades in the US and UK. Now, his nautical exploration is making waves with viewers in Bahrain. The 40-year-old, from Muharraq, who works for the directorate of fisheries, managed to catch a hungry cormorant bird in the act as it was gobbling up jelly fish near the west coast of Bahrain. His picture wowed the judges, securing him the title for the best Nature and Wildlife in Bahrain picture.
Bader, who is an avid diver, said: “I love taking underwater pictures and I noticed that there aren’t any underwater photographers. I learned on my own using my Nikon camera by reading books and watching videos online. I have taken underwater pictures during my trips to Indonesia, Oman and Egypt but taking pictures of Bahrain is something special that I cannot explain. Maybe I feel more for it because it’s home and I want to show others how beautiful my country is.” His images can be seen on Instagram @hanibader.
Hassan Alhaddad, 23, from Saar, took first prize in the People in Bahrain category using his Canon camera. The quality technician captured the judges’ hearts with a pretty little girl gently holding a rooster. Alhaddad said: “I wanted to show how innocent children are and how they treat animals. It’s a unique picture of a three-year-old girl. She is my friend’s daughter. I am really happy to have won. I like to capture people as they are in real life.”
Alhaddad is no stranger to success as he received around 21 awards in photography competitions in Bahrain and abroad.
Deepak Sudhakaran, from Manama, who secured second prize in last year’s Nature section, made a grand return by claiming first in the Places in Bahrain category using a Nikon. The 36-year-old senior sales executive at HARK Halwachi, said: “This is a good opportunity for photographers. We have so many great photographers in Bahrain and it’s a great competition to be a part of and to see the talent we have. I am excited about winning, especially as I was placed second last year.
“My picture of Bahrain cityscape, with the spotlight on the iconic World Trade Centre, was taken early morning before sunrise on a cloudy day. It was the most beautiful sunrise I had ever witnessed.” His wife Divya and six-year-old son Dhruv attended the prize distribution ceremony with him.
The Bahrain National Day category was won by Sanaullah Mohamed, 24, from Isa Town, who also won two years ago in the communication category.
