Festival of lensmen opens doors to enthusiasts in UAE

Organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), the four-day event has curated 1,112 works by 357 photographers worldwide under four distinct themes.

sharjah - The fourth edition of the international photography festival Xposure 2019 was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, on Thursday.

Organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), the four-day event has curated 1,112 works by 357 photographers worldwide under four distinct themes - adventure, emotions, art and life.

Sheikh Sultan toured the indoor exhibitions, taking a closer look at the works of the guest photographers. He also viewed the winning works of the Timothy Allen Photography Scholarship Award (TAPSA), which was launched four years ago to realise his vision to nurture amateur and professional photographers and provide them the opportunity to achieve success in their chosen fields.

The show runs at the Expo Centre Sharjah until Sunday 10pm, and offers amateurs, professionals and hobbyists in the UAE an opportunity to hear from 53 leading names in the industry, who have flown into Sharjah with their finest works and inspiring experiences.

"Pictures are the most powerful medium today. In our digital era, a picture's impact is stronger and more far-reaching than we can imagine. People require strong proof to believe in something, and pictures do that. This means, what we shoot and share with the world must come from a place of responsibility, knowing what we put out there will shape people's opinions," said Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, chairman of the Sharjah Media Council (SMC).

"Art, in any form, has always conveyed messages of beauty, love and cooperation. It should not be anything else. At Xposure, we carry the message of nobility, humanity and goodness in our hands, with the ambition to pass it to our future generations," he added.