KL Photoawards 2010 @ Arteri

KL Photoawards 2010

Posted by admin on Tuesday, 15 December, 2009 at 3:16 PM. Filed under: News

Entries received in the 2009 event saw a variety of excellent portraits, coming from both categories, Professional and Non-Professional. As well as strong compositions and concepts in several series, technical quality was generally high. It was also encouraging to see many finalists continuing to use traditional film medium to capture their portraits and we hope to see this trend continue and the advent of more considered ‘slow photography’ take a resurgence, despite the onslaught from ‘fast-paced’ digital photography.

Portraits are the most photographed genre in photography, often stemming from casual family snaps and progressing to more formal ‘occasion’ events like weddings, birthdays or gatherings. Contemporary portrait photography however may be derived from a wider range of disciplines, from human-interest images like documentary, reportage and editorial fields, to the more staged conceptual images that attempt to stretch our mind’s eye.

As in the previous year, the judges will be seeking to unearth new talent and vision from emerging and established artists alike. For the 2010 event, there will no longer be a distinction between Professional and Non-Professional categories. Instead, entrants may submit portraits either as Individual entries or as a Story.

In the Individual Portrait category, the judges will be looking at overall technical skills, composition and challenging aesthetics in a single, stand alone portrait that rises above the rest.

The Portrait Story category is added to enable photographers to enter portraits in a series, along with accompanying narrative. Identifying strong visual narrative that speaks to the viewer is a criterion the judges will be seeking in this category, as artists that use photography creatively rather than camera operators will be rewarded. We feel that understanding the processes of an artist and his or her ability to bring concept to fruition in a series of pictures exemplifies the creativity in the art.

The KL PHOTOAWARDS 2010 is open to all keen photographers, over 14 years, from full time students, enthusiasts, semi-professional to professional photographers, internationally.

PRIZES

PORTRAITS (OPEN INDIVIDUAL) CATEGORY

• 1st PRIZE USD$ 2,500 & TROPHY

• 2nd PRIZE USD$ 1,250 & TROPHY

• 3rd PRIZE USD$ 700 & TROPHY

PORTRAITS STORIES (OPEN SERIES) CATEGORY

• 1st PRIZE USD$ 2,500 & TROPHY

• 2nd PRIZE USD$ 1,250 & TROPHY

• 3rd PRIZE USD$ 700 & TROPHY

1. PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (PPDP) (New)

To encourage, nurture and develop professional artists in the medium to long term, all Awardees of the KL PHOTOAWARDS will be enrolled in the PPDP. The organisers will be teaming up with its associate gallery owners in the region, to offer guidance to the Prize Winners with the ultimate aim of obtaining representation by these commercial galleries. We plan to hold solo or joint exhibitions of past Awardees on a rolling 2 yearly basis provided the photographer is committed to developing a personal portfolio of new works within the ambit of the PPDP. More details of the PPDP will be available on the website.

2. TROPHY

We are retaining the same trophy, specially commissioned for the awards titled A/D (Analogue /Digital Man) by professional British sculptor Matt Richards, which represents the transition of photography from the traditional film-based practice to modern digital processes. The mask is based on the character of Maria, the half-android in Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent sci-fi movie, Metropolis.

3. TIME OUT KUALA LUMPUR

Time Out KL will be presenting all 6 prizewinners their latest ‘sell-out’ publications Time Out Malaysia For Visitors Annual, and Time Out Malaysia Restaurants, Bars and Clubs Guide.

4. ARTMALAYSIA

Courtesy of ArtMalaysia, all prizewinners will receive a 1-year complimentary subscription to their magazine.

5. A PEOPLE’S CHOICE

The popular People’s Choice voting system will be available again for the public to vote for their favourite image after the judges have announced the finalists, mid April 2010. A special prize will be awarded to the finalist with the highest vote count.

ENTRY & FEES

• Entry Rules will be posted online from 1 December 2009.

• Submissions will only be accepted from 1st to 31st March 2010 via the link from the website. The submission links will go live from the 1st March 2010 and closes midnight GMT, 31st March 2010.

• INDIVIDUAL category entrants may submit up to 8 photographs each at USD$10 per image.

• STORY category entrants must submit a minimum of 5 images, up to a maximum of 8, plus a series title and a 250-word narrative about the series for a fixed fee of USD$ 50

• Portraits entered in the STORY category will also be judged in the INDIVIDUAL category.

JUDGES FOR 2010

Gwen Lee

Gwen Lee is the director of 2902 Gallery and the founder and director of the Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF), a biannual event celebrating the art. She is a practicing photographer and a curator for her gallery.

Stephanie Fong

Stephanie founded FOST Gallery in Singapore, and is the director and curator specialising in contemporary art and photography. The FOST Gallery has played a major part in nurturing and exhibiting new artists, both from Singapore and abroad.

Soraya Yusof Talismail

Soraya Yusof Talismail is one of Malaysia’s foremost fine art photographers, often working in black and white. She has photographed the portraits of many statesmen, international politicians and local celebrities throughout her career. In 2008, she published a tome of portraits of renown Malaysian visual artists titled ‘Imaging Selfs’, which accompanied a public exhibition at the Petronas Gallery, Kuala Lumpur which also travelled to New York in 2009. Often working on medium to long term projects, Soraya continues photographing in film.

Khairul Azril Ismail

Khairul Azril Ismail is both an academician and a practicing photographer with numerous credits to his name. He presently lectures photographic history and practice at University of Technology MARA (UiTM), and previously, at Lim Kok Wing Institute. Recent solo exhibitions include large scale black and white studies inside Pudu Jail, titled ‘Live Animals Inside!’, and ‘Iron Dragons of Malaya’ a photo-documentation of the defunct Malayan railway buildings in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. Khairul also participated in the Singapore International Photography Festival in 2008.

Lim Chee Wah

Lim Chee Wah is the editor for Time Out KL, the local edition of an international title best known for its credible city guides. Within the magazine’s short existence since a much anticipated launch in April 2008, Time Out KL has been very vocal in addressing the many issues facing KL today – from food to art to the oft-criticised public transportation system. He is also the section editor for ‘Consume’ (dedicated to shopping, style, spa, wellness and health) and ‘Travel’. Coming from a travel photojournalism background, Chee Wah believes that travelling keeps his cynicism in check. He often muses over the fact that he is in a professional position to encourage people to find beauty in a world that is turning increasingly ugly. He has been a judge for several photography competitions and has also appeared as a guest host for a travel show on Australia. He thinks KL needs to pay more attention to its architectural heritage, especially those old colonial buildings. Currently, he is fascinated by the graffiti scene that is sweeping across the city.