Gulf shutterbugs vie for best foodie shots

YUMMY: An example of a food portrait, shared by the organisers, that makes mouths water. Right:   Scene from a farm.By Anand HollaBrowse through Instagram and you will see that food photography for the urban foodie is fast becoming as inseparable an activity as tucking into the meal itself. Every dish tasted has to be promptly reported, every arrangement of food has to be elegantly captured; it’s as if there’s no joy in relishing a good meal without telling the world about it.Armed with cell phone cameras, food photographers are everywhere. And then, there’s another league of them, overrunning with pros. However, everybody – from amateurs to experts – can take a shot at the GCC Food Photography Awards 2015, the hunt for the region’s finest in the art of photographing food.Based on the theme Celebrating Good Food, participants are invited to enter their original photographs depicting various forms, styles, preparations and occasions of food. “Our vision is to raise awareness on healthy eating habits, as well as traditional and organic farming, through photography,” say the organisers.The photography competition leading up to GCC Food Photography Awards 2015 – which culminates in a gala event on November 14 – is part of Photo Award ME’s “mission to continue raising awareness” on “the importance of a healthy lifestyle through responsible food habits, evident in the rise in traditional and organic farming.” Qatar is among the six GCC states that the contest aims to reach out to, along with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and the UAE. Organised by Bahrain-based advertising agency MACADAM, in partnership with Creative Eye and The Butterfly Effect, the event is driven by an interesting competition that welcomes both locals and expats of the six countries to participate.The competition consists of three categories – Food from the Farms (features food shots from their natural settings – the farmlands), Market Scenes (invites shots from the bustling environment of a local market), and Food Portraits (comprises a dish or a delicious spread of treats set up with or without the use of props and styling).Participants must be 14 years or older citizen/resident of the GCC. A maximum of nine images (three in each category) can be submitted online. The entry fee is USD 15 per entry form. Registration opened on August 1 and will continue until September 30.After November 2, shortlisted entries will be available online at www.photoawardme.com, while winners will be declared at the grand event in Bahrain on November 14. Apart from being feted as the GCC Food Photographer of the Year 2015, the top prize winner will receive a cash award of USD 1,000 and sponsored gifts. The first place winner in each category will each receive USD333 and gifts.As for the judges of the competition, each of them is an eminent name in the field of food and photography – food photographer Amelia Johnson, Lonely Planet photographer Phil Weymouth, Creative Director for FACT and Ohlala! magazines Paula Leal, and renowned chef and cookbook writer Aaron Maree. The judges will give points based on three criteria – creativity, photographic quality and genuineness/authenticity of the content.A quick look at the rules will tell you that there is a limit of three entries per category, and all photographs must be entered at one time. The same photograph can be entered in more than one category, and all photographs must be in digital format. For more details, you can check out www.photoawardme.comThe event’s title sponsor is PhaseOne, gold sponsors are FACT magazine and Al Ghalia Farms, silver partners are Magic Hues and Greyimage photography and media partner is Weekender. Also supporting the competition is Jamie Magazine, the official publication of celebrity chef and the darling of the global culinary scene, Jamie Oliver. Chief Editor and Managing Director of the magazine Andy Harris will be the guest of honour during the awards ceremony.“The contest is open for both professionals and amateurs and hopes to provide young and aspiring photographers a platform to get noticed, appreciated, and be known,” the organisers say.