(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Raynald C Rivera / The Peninsula
The inaugural edition of the Katara Photography Festival, which opened on Wednesday, is a feast to eye and intellect featuring an exhibition of stunning images by five known photographers in Doha and around the world who will conduct a series of photography workshops.
Visitors to the photo exhibition being held at Katara Building 19 will witness a wide variety of innovative styles and unique perspectives that can be gleaned from the rich body of works of photographers from Germany, Lebanon, Qatar and the Philippines.
From the exemplary work by German photographer Jordis Schloesser taken during her trips around the world to Filipina photographer Andrea Buenafe's perspective of Doha to Lebanese lensman Tony Hage's innovative work as well as pieces by the popular Qatari brothers, Nasser and Hassan Al-Emadi, the pictures displayed reflect unique style and creativity. 'It is an honour to be part of the festival in its first edition and to be one of the photographers chosen to be featured in this exhibition, said Buenafe, a self-taught photographer who has taken a career in the media industry in Qatar.
With a keen interest in architecture and landscape photography, Buenafe said the key to taking beautiful photos is to appreciate the surroundings and this is evident in around 20 photos she is showcasing she took mostly in Qatar in addition to a couple of images taken in Thailand and Hong Kong. 'The theme for the exhibition is ‘Excitement' so I based my selection of photos based on how I felt while taking them. I take photos to show people how beautiful life is, she added.
'I think it's a great start for the festival and I'm very honoured that I can take part in it. I have been a photographer for 30 years and I have exhibited my photos a lot, but not yet in the Middle East and in Qatar that's why I'm very happy to be here, said Schloesser.
Though this is the first time her photos are showcased in Qatar, Schloesser is not new to Doha. She was invited by the Goethe Institut to conduct a workshop in February as part of Qatar Germany Year of Culture and did a reportage for Al Jazeera 16 years ago.
'What interests me is to tell stories about people and social reality and to look for emotions that we are all share because I think through these moments of strong emotions, we can get access to other worlds which are normally unfamiliar or even alien to all of us, she explained.
Katara General Manager Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti said: 'Katara is a valley of cultures and is an authentic platform that displays culture and art under one hub. The first edition of the Photography Festival is one of the prominent events that we eagerly hope that amateur and professional photographers consider an essential platform in building their career path. Through the launch of this festival we seek to enhance the joint-cooperation and the knowledge exchange amongst the distinctive community of photographers. The photographers conduct workshops for photography enthusiasts on the weekends throughout the festival including ‘An introduction to street photography' by Schloesser, ‘Art of Reportage Photography' by El hage, ‘Basics of Digital Photography' by Buenafe and ‘Basics of Studio Lighting' by Hassan Al-Emadi.
A photography competition was launched online on October 1, the winners of which will be displayed in a gallery on October 20.
Katara Deputy General Manager, Eng. Ahmad A. Rahman Al Sayed officially inaugurated the festival at a VIP opening ceremony attended by ambassadors, officials and VIP guests.
The exhibition, which also displays old cameras and photography equipment, is open to the public until October 30, from 10am to 10pm.
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