SHARJAH – A prize-winning entry from Myanmar, a tropical nation in the heartland of Southeast Asia, has brought into focus the global reach and stature of the Xposure International Photography Festival’s highly anticipated weekly #HomeCaptured contest as it reached a brilliant finale in its sixth and concluding week.
Don Ferdinand Tabbun, a Filipino expatriate from Abu Dhabi took home the coveted first prize of US$ 1,000 for ‘Sungka Game’, an impactful image with a unique perspective that captures a scene shot from an unusual angle.
Swe Tun, from the picturesque city of Hpa An, 270 km east of Myanmar’s capital, claimed the runner-up position, winning US$ 750 for his mastery of the use of symmetry in composing an image.
Depicting Sungka, a Philippine mancala game whose roots can be traced back to the 17th century, Don Tabbun’s prize-winning entry featured a magnificent shot of his son learning to play the traditional indoor board game as the family stays safe indoors during the global pandemic.
Don Ferdinand Tabbun, Sungka Game’s Photo
Commenting on the image, the jury said: “We were struck by both the content and concept of this image where the small child has been captured from an unusual perspective while exploring the game of Sungka.”
“The narrow aperture provides a good depth of field supported by excellent dynamic range and shadow details,” they added.
Swe Tun’s fascination for symmetry photography led him to compose a creative, unique image that instantly grabs attention and holds the interest of the viewer. According to the judges, this photograph is an excellent example of “a technical capture with a harmonic fusion of vertical symmetry and horizontal asymmetry supported by a robust contrast and pleasing, yet conservative tonal variation.”
Over the course of six weeks, #HomeCaptured had invited shutterbugs worldwide to use their artistic skills to capture the beauty of everyday moments at home or window views of the outside world.
A jury of experts evaluated all entries received each week in this free and easy-to-enter global competition and scored them independently on a five-score system to assess their composition, technical quality, lighting, and creativity. All prize-winning images can be viewed on Xposure’s StayHome website as well as on its social media platforms.
#HomeCaptured is an initiative of Xposure International Photography Festival and Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) to help keep people occupied and assist in the development of photography skills during the #StayHome period being observed in the UAE and globally to combat COVID-19.
