Spaces of Light Photography Award
The "Spaces of Light" Photography Award returns with a new look! In Season eight, the award explores the captivating realms of lights and scenic imagery that add depth and richness to the humanitarian messages the UAE seeks to convey worldwide through the universal language of art, shedding light on the commonalities we share and extending bridges of cross-cultural communication between our seemingly disparate cultures, regardless of our language or wide-ranging ethnicities.
Once again, we set off alongside imagery and Lighting enthusiasts towards new horizons of creativity, utilizing a set of messages and prospectives that harmoniously blend aesthetic elements and refined universal values to produce unique cultural and civilizational content.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre's events have predominantly been governed by supreme human concepts and values, and in season eight of the award, the Centre adopts the slogan "Peace" as a universal concept, complementing its cultural message that underscores the United Arab Emirates' leading role in promoting peace as a way of life and method of coexistence.
"Peace" is a noble human value that photographers and artists express through creating artistic visual content that embodies the essence of peace and consolidates its various facets, setting aside all cultural variances and language differences. Within this context,” Peace” depicts dimensions of spiritual accord that govern how humans relate to the element of space, particularly mosques and masjids, and all associated components.
Main Category
Mosques and Masjids
This category allows you to share pictures of mosques and masjids with us that depict your perception of them from anywhere in the world and any manner of photography you choose. Both professional and amateur photographers within this category can embody the notion of "peace" in its various forms and fields as a supreme value we raise as a slogan from the UAE to the world and a way of life for people to coexist despite their variances.
It also serves as an opportunity to capture the various architectural styles, and aesthetic details characterizing mosques and masjids worldwide that provide environments where peace prevails in a humanistic framework, bringing together people of different cultures, and nationalities, languages.
** Unleash your imagination and bring your creative ideas to life. Capture inspirational images that send messages of peace worldwide, utilizing the universal language of art.
General Categories
The "Technical and General" Photography
The vast landscapes of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa Grand Mosque in Al Ain, and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Fujairah offer an exceptional backdrop for capturing technical and general photography. Photographers can seize this opportunity to showcase their hidden potential by beautifully capturing the timeless charm of these mosques. These architectural wonders feature a harmonious amalgamation of aesthetic elements, whether in vibrant colors or in black and white, with or without the presence of people, thus enhancing the components of technical and general photography. Moreover, photographers can explore the mosques from both inside and outside, utilizing panoramic mode to capture breathtaking angles that emphasize elements such as domes, minarets, intriguing shadows, lighting effects, and even manuscripts found within the mosques.
In addition to the magnificent ornamentations, mosaics, and splendid designs that adorn the floors and walls, Arabic calligraphy is one of the most remarkable aesthetic architectural elements of these mosques. Exploring the option of night photography to capture the mesmerizing effect produced by interior lighting is also worth considering. Besides, one could also seize the opportunity to capture unique images of the ablution areas, corridors, arcades, and marble columns that flank the hallways and entrances, decorated with gold, not to mention the brilliantly ornated doors, gardens, flowers, and fountains surrounding the mosques.
The brilliance of your artistic insight, coupled with the imaginative concepts you conceive, qualifies you to win one of the valuable prizes awaiting you**
Digital Art
This category provides an opportunity to share photos of the mosque including esthetics or people, along with added artistic designs and touches using digital design programs in a distinctive style and innovative manner. Here we provide you with limitless freedom, taking into consideration standards of artistic expressions and creations in depicting the mosque, the worshippers, and the visitors collectively or individually while performing prayers inside or outside the prayer halls or while strolling around the mosque and its internal and external spaces, amidst captivating aesthetics, and adding special artistic touches utilizing a range of photography software programs available to you in a sophisticated and innovative manner.
** Employ your ideas and imagination to create breathtaking, innovative images. By utilizing photography design programs, you have limitless freedom and the luxury of space.
Life At The Mosque
Through this category, you can share photos, videos, or a time-lapse with us depicting people's experiences at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The large turnout of crowds from different countries and cultures of the world at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a significant milestone in tourism, which has played a vital role in promoting this iconic mega structure of Islamic art and architecture.
While since the human element at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque constitutes a valuable addition, this category has been divided into three subcategories, photos, time-lapse, and videos, to provide photographers with a broader scope for creativity allowing them to express themselves by creating feature-rich content refined by noble human values which reflect the mosque's leading role as a meeting point of people of different cultures and beliefs.
Within this category, the participant can choose to trail the worshippers, starting from them arriving at the mosque, performing ablution, to performing prayers and other activities. They can alternatively choose to cover a visitor's story, starting from the time the visitor enters the mosque and later tours the mosque's hallways and arcades.
They may also choose to trail the cleaners , the Worshipper and Visitor Services staff while performing their daily duties, the cultural tours, or any idea or scenario that demonstrates the participant's creativity and skill, while also utilizing artistic techniques and modern software.
Several themes are included within this category:
1. The first theme: "Narratives"
It includes 4 to 8 photos expressing life, stories, themes, behind-the-scenes activity, or a glimpse of a day spent by worshippers or visitors from all walks of life at the mosque.
2. The second theme: "Time Lapse”
This theme includes time-lapse photography of no more than two minutes on any subject the artist deems appropriate, including the mosque and people, such as the flow of worshippers and visitors throughout the mosque, shadows, sunrise, sunset, or behind-the-scenes activity.
3. The third theme: "Video films"
This category includes filming a short clip at the mosque of no more than two minutes on any topic that expresses life or a story at the mosque, or even a glimpse from behind the scenes, worshiper's and visitor's experience, or groups attendings cultural tours led by one of the Centre's cultural tour specialists.
Main Prize
| Category | Prize |
|---|---|
|
Mosques and Masjids
Winner |
AED 100,000 |
General Categories
| Category | Prize |
|---|---|
|
General Technical Photography
First Winner Second Winner Third Winner |
AED 70,000 AED 50,000 AED 30,000 |
|
Digital Art
First Winner Second Winner Third Winner |
AED 70,000 AED 50,000 AED 30,000 |
|
Life At The Mosque (The first theme: "Narratives")
First Winner Second Winner Third Winner |
AED 70,000 AED 50,000 AED 30,000 |
|
Life At The Mosque (The second theme: "Time Lapse")
First Winner Second Winner Third Winner |
AED 70,000 AED 50,000 AED 30,000 |
|
Life At The Mosque (The third theme: "Video films")
First Winner Second Winner Third Winner |
AED 70,000 AED 50,000 AED 30,000 |