The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has concluded assessments for its seventh season of competition titled ‘The Moment’. The eight judges presided over submissions in the competition’s four main categories, namely, ‘The Moment’, ‘General’, ‘Portfolio’ and ‘Time-lapse: Video’.

HIPA also hosted two photography workshops by members of the seventh season judge’s panel at its headquarters in Downtown Dubai. Palestinian photographer and HIPA judge Khalil Hamra delivered a lecture titled ‘War Photography’, while American wildlife photographer and HIPA judge Ami Vitale gave a lecture titled ‘Search for Truth’.

The workshops were preceded by two others  on ‘Intellectual property in the UAE’ and ‘Photography and Humanitarian Work’, presented by Dr Abdulrahman Al Muaini and Kuwaiti photographer Majed Sultan Al Zaabi, respectively.

The judges were: Ami Vitale, who hails from the United States and has lived in mud huts and war zones, contracted malaria, and donned a panda suit — all in keeping with her philosophy of “living the story”.

David Alan Harvey, also from the United States, is someone who has shot over forty essays for National Geographic magazine. He has covered stories around the world, including projects on French teenagers, the Berlin Wall, Maya culture, Vietnam, Native Americans, Mexico and Naples, and a recent feature on Nairobi.

Ed Kashi (United States) has covered topics as diverse as the impact of the oil industry in Nigeria, the Protestant community in Northern Ireland, the lives of Jewish settlers in the West Bank, the impact of early onset Alzheimer’s, climate change, the plight of Syrian refugees, and the relationship between sugar cane and Chronic Kidney Disease in Nicaragua.

Gunther Wegner of Germany is a time-lapse, nature, landscape and wildlife photographer. He is the founder and developer of the market-leading solution for time lapse photography, LRTimelapse.

Jean-François Leroy’s (France) career has included stints at Photo-Reporter, Le Photographe, Photo-Revue, Photo Magazine and the Sipa-press agency. In 1989, he completed a project in collaboration with famous French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand titled ‘3 Days in France’, which looked at France’s history in the 150 years since the advent of photography.

Hamra is an award winning Palestinian photojournalist who has been working for the Associated Press news agency since 2002. He has received over 20 international photography awards and accolades throughout his career, mostly for his work inside conflict zones and revolutions.

In 2009, he was recognised by the Overseas Press Club of America with its Robert Capa Gold Medal for his series covering the war in Gaza the same year. He also received several awards for his coverage of the Egyptian revolution and its aftermath, Jan. 2011 - May 2014. In 2013, he won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news, for his work in covering the Syrian civil war in 2012.

Peter Bill’s (United States) award winning paint and video landscapes have been shown in various locations around the world, including The Kitchen (New York), the Henry Art Gallery (Seattle), FILE Festival (São Paulo, Brazil), and other international venues.

Randy Olson (United States) is a documentary photographer who has had feature articles published in LIFE, GEO, Smithsonian and other magazines, but has primarily worked on projects for the National Geographic Society.

HIPA has also launched the ‘For You’ (‘Lakum’) initiative in partnership with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the Emirates Red Crescent, Emirates Post Group and Dubai Media Incorporated.

It will see thousands of small boxes distributed to UAE school children who will fill them up with stationery and other school supplies of their choice, which will then be delivered to school children in different parts of the world. The boxes will serve as letters of care and love between school children in the United Arab Emirates and their counterparts in other parts of the world.

HIPA Secretary General Ali bin Thalith said: “As per the directives of His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai and Patron of HIPA, we have worked tirelessly over the past few months to prepare for this initiative to be HIPA’s participation in the ‘Year of Zayed’. It was certainly a challenge to come up with an innovative concept which can teach school children in the UAE the value of giving and helping out those less fortunate. By giving the children the chance to pick their own gifts to send to children in other countries, HIPA has become a bridge of love and charity between the UAE and the rest of the world.