2010-02-09 14:06:04
WAM Abu Dhabi, 9th Feb. 2010 (WAM) - Under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Abu Dhabi Through Your Eyes Competition has been held by The Office of the Brand of Abu Dhabi (OBAD) for a second year.

The competition came to an official end at an awards ceremony held yesterday at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice Chairman of the Board of Etihad Airways, and several members of the Executive Council, and more than 250 guests including winners and partners of OBAD.

The Abu Dhabi Through Your Eyes (ADTYE) 2009 competition invited citizens and residents to submit unpublished images that capture the spirit of the Emirate. The top ten winners will have their work selected as part of Abu Dhabi's evolving visual identity and will have the honour of their images becoming a part of the overall brand photographic library.

HH Sheikh Khalid presented awards and prizes to the winning photographers of the top ten images at the awards ceremony that featured fusion music and a display of musicians acrobatically suspended from the high ceilings of Emirates Palace The event was followed by a display of the winning images in a special gallery for guests to enjoy.

"We are delighted that the ADTYE competition has grown in its second year almost doubling the number of entries from its first year in 2008. The 2009 competition attracted more than 4,000 entries from individuals of 77 different nationalities showcasing a diverse range of personal perspectives, and individual interpretations, each adding to the ongoing development of the brand of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi." said HE Reem Al Shemari, General Manager of OBAD.

"Abu Dhabi is blessed to be able to have a cosmopolitan society while retaining its cultural Emirati identity. What we see here tonight is a mix of many people who are all positively impacted by what this city has given them," Al Shemari added.

The ten finalists were selected after a thorough judging process involving a panel of experts from the fields of photography, advertising and design. Images were judged on subject relevance, technique, quality and composition. Amateur and professional photographers alike submitted images capturing the essence of the Emirate through their own perspective.

The first place winner, Rodney Shane Greene, from the United Kingdom received a cash award of AED 30,000 for his photo titled �On Golden Sands'. It reflects a fisherman harvesting the sea at dawn in the same way as his forefathers have done for centuries. This image was chosen for its use of light and shadowing and because it reflects the early days of pearl diving to the present day that has been integral to the way of life in the Gulf region, providing sustenance and wealth for centuries.

1st Place: AED 30,000 Rodney Shane Greene United Kingdom 2nd Place: AED 25,000 Michael Green United Kingdom 3rd Place: AED 20,000 Omar Abdulrahman Al Zaabi United Arab Emirates 4th Place: AED 15,000 Mohamed Al Musharfy United Arab Emirates 5th Place: AED 12,000 Hatim Saleh India 6th Place: AED 10,000 Viktoryia Vinnikava Belarus 7th Place: AED 10,000 Moza Saeed Al Romaithi United Arab Emirates 8th Place: AED 10,000 Maitha bint Khalid United Arab Emirates 9th Place: AED 10,000 Tariq Dajani United Kigdom 10th Place: AED 10,000 Sammy Dallal United States of America OBAD also released its popular �Abu Dhabi Through Your Eyes 2009' coffee table book that features the top ten winning images along with a selection of other images from the competition.

"While ten winning images have been chosen, it is also a pleasure to showcase a range of images taken from the competition for others to appreciate and to recognize the other photographers that were involved and their unique and creative work," she said .

"Our Emirate is growing at a remarkable rate and what better way to capture and preserve our wonderful culture and heritage than through the eyes of our community," she added .

WAM/TF