Vibrant And Colourful Image Of Holi Festival Wins HIPA 2014-2015 Photo Contest

HIPA Grand Prize Winner 2014-2015- Anurag Kumar, India

The Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA) winners have been announced at the Dubai International Finance Centre in a special awards ceremony attended by the Crown Prince of Dubai, Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The overall winner of the grand prize of $120,000 is Anurag Kumar, right, from India, with his image shown above. 

Commenting on the winning image, HIPA said: "Each year, India witnesses an unprecedented wave of vibrancy and colour during Holi, the festival of colours, celebrated throughout the country. The photo could have been restricted to a red and yellow affair, had it not been for the man throwing a handful of blue powder which made all the difference. The seated worshippers in the photo, seem to be letting the barrage of colours layer them, which adds to the uniqueness of this photograph."

The number of photographs submitted for the 4th season of HIPA 2014-2015 reached 60,162 with a total of 30,878 participants from 166 different countries around the world. This has increased from last year, where 38,203 photographs were submitted by 26,006 photographers, from 156 countries. 

The theme for the award's 5th season will revolve around the universal search for 'Happiness' after the HIPA team had a 'humbling yet heartwarming experience' carrying out their recent Photography CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) project in Malaysia where they shared their passion for photography with children.

The four categories for the 2015-2016 Hamdan International Photography Award are:

• Happiness
• General
• Wildlife
• Father and Son

The first-place winners of the 2014-2015 categories are shown below:

HIPA Life In Colour - 1st Place - Aruna Bhat - India 

Aruna Bhat, wins 1st Place for his photograph of children taken in Ki Gompa, a monastery of Tibetan Buddhists in the Indian Himalayas. The prize for winning this category is $25,000.

From HIPA: "Every evening, the young monks of the temple are given time off to play in an open area nearby. These young monks, in their richly coloured robes, manifest the true meaning of enthusiasm and cheerfulness, unlike the greyness of the walls behind them."

Night Photography - 1st Place, Peng Li, China, Winner of $15,000

From HIPA: "This photograph was taken of an ancient Chinese ‘Diaojiaolou’ house in the town of Fenghuang, located near the Tuojiang River in Hunan province. Diaojiaolous are often used as hotels or restaurants in Hunan province, due to their great charm and beauty. As the night falls, countless red lanterns provide light inside the Diaojiaolou, giving a priceless and surreal view of past and present in one photograph."

General 1st Place - Harish Chavda, United Kingdom. 

Harish Chavda's photo is the winner of the General category, with the prize of $15,000. From HIPA: "Dwain Chambers (right) was not considered to be one of the favourites at the UK Athletics Olympic trials in Birmingham, he definitely had something up his calves. As Dwain crossed the line, it dawned on him that he as an underdog had ripped through popular expectations. His roar and the twitch of every single muscle on his upper body reflected the triumph within."

Black and White Faces - 1st Place, Rudoi Vladimirovich, Russian Federation

From HIPA: "This photograph was taken inside a photography studio and is of a young girl named Stella-Maria. With her deep stare, Stella-Maria is able to captivate the viewer through her innocence and youth, whilst being presented in classic black and white colours. The shadow covering part of Stella-Maria’s face also adds to the intrigue in this young lady. Her natural face and look is a testament to the beauty of the photograph taken."

For more information, and to enter HIPA 2015-2016, please visit HIPA's website.