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Calling for entries:
The Oman Today photography competition

Oman Today has thrown open the next edition of its annual photography competition. The Oman Today Photography Competition is a great opportunity for the people of Oman as well as visitors to the country to explore the beauty, heritage and culture of the sultanate.

The photography competition originated as a platform for amateurs to explore their talents and for professionals to gauge themselves. Last year’s competition attracted over a thousand entries from locals as well as international photographers. In Oman, photographs were received from Muscat, Sharqiya, Batinah, Dhahra and Dhofar, while internationally they were sent in from the UAE, Lebanon, UK, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Conditions

Participants are welcome to compete under any of the six categories listed here, and can send in multiple entries. The only condition that applies is that all photographs need to have been taken in Oman. Submissions are welcome from both residents of the sultanate and visitors, amateur and professional photographers.

Categories

1. Faces of Oman
2. Wildlife and Nature
3. Heritage and Culture
4. Oman in Action
5. Underwater Oman
6. An open category for children (14 years and under)

The competition is expected to attract around 1,500 entries this year, and will culminate in an awards ceremony honouring the winners of each category. This will be followed by an exhibition that will run for a period of two weeks showing a selection of photographs.

Submit your entries now

Entries accepted till: second week of March 2007
Awards ceremony: April 2007
Exhibition: two weeks after the event
Address: Oman Today Photography Competition, Apex Press and Publishing, PO Box 2616, PC 112, Ruwi, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

Guidelines

Size of prints must be between 20cm x 25cm and 30cm x 40cm. Prints must be on photographic paper, unframed, unmounted and not previously published. Attach a label to the back of your photo stating your name, address and telephone number, plus the category in which your photo is entered. Entrants must collect their own photos within two months of the competition closing. Digital photos will be accepted but must be printed on photographic paper (memory sticks and CDs will not be accepted). Please note that Apex Press and Publishing will not be liable for any inadvertent damage to the photographs submitted. The entries will be used for promotional purposes as well as to promote tourism in Oman.

The main sponsor of the competition is Oman Mobile, with HSBC as the co-sponsor and with the continuing support of Photocentre.

Preview:
Mountains and Wadis of Oman by H E Mohammed al Zubair

The most luxurious book of photographs on Oman has just been released. H E Mohammad al Zubair’s new book, Mountains and Wadis of Oman, has over 160 photographs, many of them aerial. A selection of them are on display at the Bait al Zubair Museum till January 11.

The book has been published in two editions – a luxury edition featuring poetry and an international edition in four languages. The large luxury edition (33.4cm x 47cm) is interlaced with verses by Arab poets from various countries spanning many centuries. The accompanying English poetry has been composed specifically for the book and inspired by the essence of the Arabic poetry.

This is the third in a series of books by the photographer, along with Oman, My Beautiful Country and Landscapes of Dhofar. In Mohammed al Zubair’s words, “My focus for this publication on the mountains and wadis of Oman is to illustrate their significant importance within the sultanate’s diverse landscape, flora and fauna. Mountains and wadis reflect and impact on the lives of the country’s inhabitants, providing the main source of water, and are an important habitat for daily life and farming. In addition, they offer breathtaking beauty and a unique splendour. The light changes constantly, from sunrays under pure blue skies to glittering stars and moonlight transforming the already contrasting landscape with a multitude of colours. The diversity of the terrain and location, vis-à-vis their proximity to the sea, the desert or pools, together with the ever-changing light extends their palette.”

Mohammad al Zubair’s own interest in photography began at the age of eight, when his father gave him his first camera. His first source of income came from photography when he established a small studio in Muscat at the age of fourteen. Today, he uses state of the art digital technology to capture the landscapes of Oman.

Along with his immense archive of over 100,000 photographs documenting the country, Mohammad al Zubair enjoys experimental digital artwork inspired by nature, traditional Omani silver and gold, design, architecture, geometry and colour.