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Mobile photography at world awards

Regina Pazvakavambwa
By Regina Pazvakavambwa, ITWeb portals journalist.
Johannesburg, 30 Jan 2015
The award will be given to an individual who shows originality, unique or insightful perspectives, says the World Photography Organisation.
The award will be given to an individual who shows originality, unique or insightful perspectives, says the World Photography Organisation.

The World Photography Organisation (WPO) has introduced a new award dedicated to mobile photography at the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards.

The Sony World Photography Awards is open to photographers of all ages and skill levels. The awards are dedicated to supporting and cultivating photographic culture, recognising the best in contemporary photography annually.

The mobile phone category at the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards recognises the creative freedom and how mobile photography has helped redefine the way photographers approach their art, says WPO in a statement.

Astrid Merget, creative director for WPO, says the giant surge in mobile phones and the technical quality and ability of cameras inside mobile devices is brilliant and allows anyone to document their life and surroundings.

Adding a category that allows this medium of photography to be shared and awarded is a natural reaction to consumer habits, he says.

The award will be given to an individual who shows originality, unique or insightful perspectives, good composition and images that make a lasting impression, the WPO says.

"The theme for the photographs is: You get out of life what you put in. Push past the obvious and see the inspiration all around you. Discover the extraordinary by using your mobile phone to view the world through a different lens," says Merget, adding the photographs are judged as a single shot, not a series of work.

Merget believes mobile phones are allowing people to take pictures at just about any moment in the day. "We are constantly recording our own histories with these devices. For professionals, it also allows access to some situations that with anything larger than a phone may not be possible."

Twenty photos will be shortlisted by a panel of judges, before being posted online between10 and 17 March, so the public can vote for the winner.

The overall winner will receive a bundle of Sony Mobile products, including an Xperia smartphone and tablet, as well as attend the Sony Photography Awards gala ceremony in London.

Anyone can enter up to three photos before 27 February.

Selfie mania

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics SA has joined forces with Guinness World Records to attempt the record for the most contributions to an online album of self-portrait photographs (selfies) in 24 hours.

The attempt will take place at Sandton City in Johannesburg and the Canal Walk in Cape Town, on 31 January.

"The art of taking selfies is not just about contributing to the creation of good content but importantly, it's a form of heightening self-confidence. Whether one's head is tilted to the side, pouting or smiling, the selfie has brought a whole new meaning to the act of taking a self-portrait," says Justin Hume, director of product marketing, integrated mobility at Samsung SA.

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