UAE- World famous photographers open Xposure photography festival focusing on conflict and environment

Location: Sharjah-UAE

Language: Arabic

Voice: Natural

Duration: 00:05:22

Source: ENEX

Restrictions: A24 Clients

Dateline: 10-02-2022

Storyline

The sixth edition of the Xposure photography festival, organized by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, kicked off in Sharjah, which will last until February 15, at the Expo Center Sharjah. In the festival, 70 photographers from different parts of the world participated by showcasing more than 1,600 pictures and artwork in 45 individual and group exhibitions. Pictures reflected influential stories from various societies around the world. The aim of the exhibition is to underscore the vital role of photography in influencing the lives of individuals, especially in light of conflicts, and exerted efforts in protecting the environment. The most prominent photographer was Steve McCurry, who presented a picture of a young Afghani girl, Sharbat Gula, accentuating her piercing green eyes. The girl lived in a refugee camp in Pakistan in 1984. She became an icon mirroring the fate of Afghanistan. Moreover, the picture drew public attention and she was able to find refuge in Italy. National Geographic marine biologist, photographer, and author Jennifer Hayes also participated in the exhibition and has presented a research paper on the endangered harp seal population in the Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada, due to significant ice melt. Among the participating photographers is the Morgens Trolle, a Danish who won the award for the world wildlife photographer in 2020. His portraits of primates highlight their facial expressions prompting you to think of them as individuals with feelings, minds, and personalities

Shotlist

SOUNDBITE Steve McCurry, photographer attending Xposure International Photo Festival (English):

’I think without the picture I am not sure what would have happened to her and her family. I know there has been serious medical problems and we have always tried to help her with that, but it is you know there are so many untold stories in Afghanistan and she is just one of millions and she is one of the lucky ones. ’I think the single image can have a huge effect on public opinion, I mean I don’t think pictures can stop a war or end a famine but a strong image can really burn into our memory and actually affect public opinion and people suddenly kind of wake up.’’

-SOUNDBITE, Jennifer Hayes, American photographer:

‘’It’s never great ice any more, sometimes it’s ok ice, sometimes there is very bad or thin ice that breaks up and sometimes there is no ice at all. So, in 2020 I was there it broke up, 2021 couldn’t go because of Covid there was no ice; pregnant seals no place to give birth what do they do? They head out back to the Atlantic, they try to get there they may have to strand or on what they call fast ice that is attached to land and that puts them in proximity to towns, people, kids, snowmobiles, four-wheelers, dogs, coyotes, wolves you name it.’’

-SOUNDBITE, Mogens Trolle, Danish wildlife photographer

‘’With the Primates, there are more than 60% of all the primate species in the world are now in danger because of human activities like habitat destruction and hunting for food, and things like that. I think we still need to preserve photography, to discover the world and the beauty in nature. But I think it’s also very important to remember that there is another side to nature and its under increasing pressure and I think all of us wildlife photographers who have spent a number of years traveling in nature and documenting nature we see how fast it is going now.”

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