FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND EVENT OFFERS PROFESSIONALS AND AMATEURS IDEAL OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE THEIR WORK BEFORE A GLOBAL AUDIENCE, SAYS CHRIS COLLACOTT, ACE PHOTOGRAPHER AND JURY MEMBER 

SHARJAH/Sharjah Media Centre, September 24, 2016:   Hectic preparations are on for the first Xposure International Photography Festival to be held from 12-15 October, 2016 at Expo Centre Sharjah. Hosted by Sharjah Media Centre in partnership with Canon, the first edition of the International Photography Festival will bring together some of the biggest names in photography, art, media and business, as well as amateurs and photography enthusiasts. 

Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of Sharjah Media Centre, said that Xposure 2016 offers a number of competitions and opportunities for both accomplished professionals and those with a passion for photography to show their talents and skills with the camera.  He indicated that the competitions have already seen a remarkable turnout of more than 2,000 participants from 60 countries, with the UK and UAE leading the way in terms of participation. The last date for submission of all entries is September 30, 2016.  

A jury of globally acclaimed photographers and experts, will judge these contests in accordance with highest international standards and complete objectivity, Allay said. 

Explaining various competitions and the process of evaluation and selection by the jury, Chris Collacott, the award-winning photographer from Canada who is one of the judges, said that Xposure 2016 offers both professionals and amateurs a great opportunity and platform to showcase their work before a global audience. “By hosting these competitions, the organisers of Xposure are not only encouraging new talent, they are also creating awareness about the first-of-its-kind International Photography Festival in the region,” he added. 

Talking about the evaluation criteria, Collacott said that based on his previous experience of judging, he has been trained to consider factors such as Impact (the sense of emotion that an image generates when you see it for the first time), Vision (Is the visual language compelling?), Technical Excellence (Is the image technically strong?) and Composition (Is the composition strong – and possibly innovative?). 

Explaining the process and mechanism of evaluation, Collacott said that scoring is done in rounds. For example, judges would consider artistic merit and overall impact of a work in round one, he added.  

The ace photographer advised contestants who are to submit landscape/cityscape photos to keep them as real as possible, although competition is open in a number of categories. “While I don’t have anything against composites, having impossibly gigantic moons or scenes that are clearly impossible to exist in real life – those will not score well. Keep those horizons realistic,” he said.  

Commenting on the ubiquitous use of highly advanced phone cameras and when asked if a competition for images taken by phone cameras will help spot young talent, he agreed that such a contest would encourage young people to take to photography as a passion and profession.  

“The first Photography Festival in Sharjah offers everyone an opportunity to participate in multiple competitions via an online platform. Xposure 2016 Awards will be given out for best-in-class photographs picked by an expert panel of judges. “You can submit your work online and see it feature in our gallery. Entry to all competitions is free and open to all,” said the Director of SMC.  

The competition categories cover all possible areas of interest and include Photojournalism, Current Affairs, Landscapes, Street Photography, Best of Show and Fine Art, as well as Camera Phone – Junior and Creative Photography – Junior, both for competitors under the age of 14.

Bringing together a wide range of events and activities -- exhibitions, workshops, screenings, photography competitions and a trade show by international companies -- on a single platform, Xposure 2016 is a groundbreaking initiative to celebrate and enrich the field of photography in the UAE and the region. All details about Xposure 2016 and various competitions, trade show and awards are available at the festival site.