The contests organized as part of the Makkah Youth Forum were held at the King Fahd Coastal City.
Hasan Ahmad Al-Baz of Makkah won the first prize for photography in the secondary schools’ section. Another Makkah boy, Bandar Al-Zubaidi, won in the contest for intermediate schools. Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal launched the youth forum with the aim of developing youths’ abilities and investing in their energies, talents and achievements in various fields.
In the girls’ contests conducted at King Abdul Aziz University, secondary student Arwa Shafa was first while second spot went to Maria Al-Sulami of Al-Jamoum and third to Arjuwan Al-Shahri of Taif.Saja Al-Ghamdi of Jeddah won in the intermediary schools category while Reneem Al-Hujaili of Makkah was second.
The winning girls told Arab News that it was their hard work that enabled them to win top prizes in the contest. Leena Omar, head of the three-member judges’ panel for women, said the contests showed the remarkable talent possessed by girls in photography. The judges checked the light, picture clarity, light and theme of each submission, she said.
“In spite of their young age, the girls used advanced cameras and displayed good sense of angle and use of light with meticulous care for other technical details,” she said.
The judges checked factors such as adherence to the rules of the contest, theme selection, location and clarity of the picture and proper use of light apart from the technical rules of the contest, Basim Felamban, head of the judges’ panel for boys, said.
He added the objective of the contest was not just winning a prize but to encourage young people to participate in social activities and generate interest in developing skills and creativity.
