From time to time I submit my work to photography contests around the world. There are many sub-par money-grab competitions out there, so it’s important to be selective when choosing where to submit. HIPA of course is beyond such a doubt, running the world’s highest priced global photography competition, for instance. Their World’s Coolest Winter campaign doesn’t quite reach the same prestige (and price money) but it was still a competition of amazing images from all around the United Arab Emirates.

All the more exciting is it to be among the winners, and I managed to claim a 1st price this year with the five images below. Some of them happen to be among my favorite photographs ever, not only from the UAE, but in general, so I’m glad they’ve been recognized.

On this note, a shoutout to my friend Neelima Azad, who won the second price. She’s one of my favorite photographers in the UAE, so I’m very happy we’re sharing the stage on this one! Funnily enough it’s not the first time, as we also both had images featured at the RAK Fine Art Festival last year, and they happened to be exhibited next to each other.

If any of you feel like one of the photos would make your home a nicer place (or someone else’s - good gifts!), the works from this competition are available as signed prints with certificates. Just contact me and we will figure out which options work best. If prints on the wall are not your thing, some of these images are going to be part of my upcoming photo book “Wonders of the Globe” - more on that soon!

Here is each of the photos with its story for your viewing pleasure:

The Girl & the Galaxy

The human quest to explore the universe is reflected in this photo, combining earthly nature, humans, and the celestial in a single image as the Andromeda Galaxy sets over the Hajar mountains in the UAE.

The Gazelle and the Giant

The contrast and conflict of human development and natural beauty is evident in this photograph, requiring many visits to the location to finally find and document the conditions visualized here, as a group of gazelle graze peacefully in the soft rolling warm dunes, while the busy and loud cityscape with its sharp shapes and cold colors rise in the background.

Shadows in the Sand

Two people enjoying an afternoon walk on Saadiyat Beach, while I flew my drone to catch some of the beautiful waves on that day. The two women weren’t aware I was flying above them, and just played with their abayas and arms to create shadow figures in the sand, giving me an opportunity to capture this photo.

City in the Clouds

A panoramic view of Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, and the Sheikh Zayed Road skyline, as the beautiful blue hues of the morning light slowly turn orange and yellow from the rising sun in the east, illuminating the world's tallest building while thick fog rolling in from the desert covers the ground, creating the illusion of a city in the clouds.

The Confrontation

A journey of patience led me to this image, as it took many scouting trips to identify this spot, and even more visits to the location to finally find clear skies adorned by clouds, while a pair of oryx was engaging in their territorial rivalry. The resulting photograph is meant to represent both the confrontation of the animals, but also the contrast of harsh urban shapes of Dubai, with the natural soft outlines of the dunes of the UAE desert.

The Smithsonian & the Nature of Viral Posts

A few weeks earlier, I heard from the Smithsonian Magazine, which selected one of my submissions as a Finalist in the Drone category. “Suburban Dystopia” is a photograph I also took in the UAE, scouting the location on Google and Apple Maps, as I often do. Once it was published on the Smithsonian’s website, it quickly went viral on Facebook and Reddit with ten thousands of likes and comments. Sadly - as it often goes on social media and the wider internet - it’s mainly controversy that drives engagement. A bland suburban robotic copy-paste housing complex in a place like Dubai (which as a city itself is always a well-loved subject for online debate) seems to attract a lot of people feeling the need to voice their often less-than-qualified opinion, and this is seemingly what it takes for the algorithms to surface content high up in the feeds.

This villa complex is in Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, and one of the many master planned gated communities in the city, built to quickly and effectively counter the housing shortages resulting from the growing population.

Happy Days - HIPA Winner & Smithsonian Finalist 🥳