Dubai photographer snaps up place among the greats

Dubai photographer snaps up place among the greats Many of the world's greatest photographers have had their work displayed in National Geographic magazine since it was founded in 1888. The Life in Motion contest was run by the National Geographic Abu Dhabi TV channel in partnership with National Geographic Al Arabiya magazine, which is owned by Abu Dhabi Media, the company that owns and publishes The National. It's not about the prize, it's about the prestige. Mr Arfianto's prize includes photographic equipment worth US$5,000 (Dh18,366). The winning photo, City Light, shows the Metro Red Line track where it crosses the road running alongside Terminal Three at Dubai International Airport. Their photographs will also be featured on National Geographic Abu Dhabi, and they received equipment worth up to $2,500. This isn't the first contest Mr Arfianto has won. "I've been doing this as a hobby for a great many years, though I've become more serious about it in the past four years and it could be my next career," Mr Arfianto said. "Photography is my passion. "Amri Arfianto's entry did exactly that. Firos Syed of Qatar won second prize with a photo of a man riding a bicycle through a puddle, leaving ripples in his wake. "I always wanted my work to be published in National Geographic. His success has prompted him to take into account making photography more than just a pastime. "I mostly do landscapes and cityscapes, though now I am learning minimalist black-and-white photography," he said. "For cityscape photography, I feel the HDR approach is beneficial, I can get the light as I wish. "When I take a good photo - I mean, with the correct exposure and good composition - I need around 1/2 an hour to do the editing. "The golden colour of the sky is so beautiful and we can see the city has been built with a touch of art. Mr Arfianto used a digital editing process called high dynamic range (HDR) imaging, where a number of shots of the same scene are merged to improve the impact or achieve other effects. "I took the picture from the car park at my office, the Emirates headquarters," he said. Another panel member, the National Geographic photographer George Steinmetz, said: "To be a successful photographer takes more than the ability to click a button. Dubai photographer snaps up place among the greats Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 03/06/2012