WIG’s 10th Annual Photography Competition exhibition and competition took place in Vientiane last Friday showcasing over 60 photographs taken by Lao and international photographers and photography enthusiasts.The opening ceremony took place at i:cat gallery in Simeuang village, Sisattanak district, with the exhibition continuing onto the weekend attracting a large number of art lovers and interested members of the public.
On the opening day the prize winners were announced and all photographs were available for purchase via a silent auction in order to raise funds for WIG’s health and education projects in Laos.
The winners were: 1st Prize, Tranquillity in a Rice Paddy by Sebastien Mathey; 2nd Prize, Such Happy Lunch Time by Khamphet Kim; and 3rd Prize, Bikes in Luang Prabang by Ella Cesnik.
The Youth Encouragement Award went to Tranquillity by Jae Ran Kim and the People’s Choice Award was Monks on the Mekong by Jonathan Look.
Meanwhile all the entrants generously donated their photographs at the exhibition to be sold via silent auction as part of the Laos Through the Lens’ initiative.
According to the organising committee, this year’s competition received a record number of 61 entries from photographers of all ages and skill levels across Laos, who all entered images to the theme Laos Through the Lens’.
The awards were presented by the competition judges; professional photographer Mick Shippen; visual artist and photographer Olé Viravong Scovill; and photographer and curator Catherine O’Brien.
Ms O’Brien said the judges had a tough task selecting the winning photographs as the overall level of entries was so high.
With so many wonderful photographs to choose from the winning images were those that not only displayed technical skill and composition but also reflected the theme Laos Through the Lens’, in a unique way, she said.
Finally, the stand-out photographs were those that looked through a lens into the past, present and future and gave us a deeper understanding of the theme.
WIG is a voluntary group based in Vientiane comprised of women and men of all nationalities, who initiate and support charitable activities in the country.
WIG was founded in 1990 and currently has over 100 members.
The winning photographs, and a selection of other competition entries, will appear in the annual WIG Calendar which will be available for purchase at the 2016 WIG Bazaar on Saturday, November 19th. All funds raised from the sale of the calendar go directly to WIG’s health and education projects.
Source: Vientiane Times
