Daily Times

The third season of Serena Hotels Photography Competition 2019 has concluded in Islamabad. Almost 400 submissions came from far flung areas of the country with the theme this year being ‘People and Culture of Pakistan’.

Irfan Ali from Kurram and DileepParnar from Nagarparkarwere chosen as winner and runner-up respectively after a rigorous jury session with renowned photographers, Wajahat Malik and Syed Mehdi Bukhari, along with Serena Hotels management.

“We received 400 submissions this year and were blown away with the quality of photos. Discover Pakistan Photography Competition is a very good effort on the part of Serena Hotels to highlight and promote the talent of Pakistan,”Wajahat Malik said.

“The submissions this time were mind boggling, as there were so many good photos to choose from. The contestants were from far flung areas of Pakistan this time, including Balochistan, Interior Sindh and Gilgit Baltistan. The winner however was Irfan Ali from Kurram District KP whose work speaks for itself. He was able to capture the stories of people, while keeping his lights, technique and angles in check. The runner-up was DileepParnar from Nagarparkar who really highlighted the unique beauty of his area and people through beautiful photographs,”Mehdi Bukhari said.

The winner and runner-up of the competition will get their dedicated exhibition at Satrang Art Gallery in Islamabad Serena Hotel. Their photographs will be published in the Discover Pakistan Coffee Table Book Volume 3 by Serena. The work will also be promoted through well-known print/digital platforms. In addition, a giftvoucher will be awarded for two nights stay at a designated Serena Hotel’s property.

“I belong to district Kurram. I was tagged in the Facebook competition by a friend and though to give it a try. We are grateful for having this opportunity to showcase our talent and presenting and promoting this side of Pakistan. This appreciation will encourage me to expand my work. Here I would like to thank the respected jury and for rest of the participants, gear up guys. I wish you good luck for the next contest,”Irfan Ali said.

The runner up was DileepParnar who hails from a small city in Tharparkardistrict, at the foot of the Karoonjhar Hills called Nagarparkar. “I started photography with my mobile phone back in 2015. I come from a very underprivileged and undiscovered area, however it is scenic and very beautiful. I have been capturing the beauty of my city through my photos and hope to promote it in mainstream media as a tourist destination in the future,” he said.