Photo exhibition captures ‘essence of Amman’

AMMAN — Six photographers portrayed the beauty of Amman from their own perspective in the fifth annual Image Festival photography competition.

Organised by Darat Al Tasweer and Institute Français in Jordan, the competition invited photographers to submit a variety of images that showcase Amman through their lens.

From the 22 submissions received by the competition, six finalists were chosen: Husam Manasrah, Diana Eftaiha, Alyette Tritsch, Rad Mamon, Ghazal Sahabi and Alaaeddin Jaber.

Graphic designer Jaber was the winner and received a Fujifilm X 100S camera, while the runner-up, Tritsch, also won a camera.

The award ceremony took place at Fann wa Chai café last Wednesday in the presence of French Ambassador to Jordan Caroline Dumas.

The jury — which was made up of Darat Al Tasweer founder Linda Khoury, Institut Français Director Stéphane Delaporte, and renowned Jordanian photographer Zohrab Markarian — was impressed by Jaber’s “multiple exposure” technique.

“The idea lies in the technique. The camera takes more than one shot of the same scene just like our eyes blink when we look somewhere. I wanted to showcase Amman’s aesthetic in a new way, I wanted to show how beautiful Amman is,” the 31-year-old said.

Jaber took up photography in 2010 and has since participated in a number of exhibitions in Amman and Amsterdam.

“I’m very happy that I won and I’m planning on working on street photography, so my new Fujifilm camera will definitely come in handy,” he noted.

Dumas expressed her admiration of the photographs and the specific theme of the competition.

“I found the works absolutely beautiful, both technically and professionally, but also beyond that; each of them has their specialty and show the spirit of Amman. They all captured the city’s essence, its history and the bright future it is heading towards in terms of population, structure and architecture,” she said.

Dumas also underlined how such activities and competitions create reciprocity between Jordan and France, and give new platforms for Jordanian talent to be displayed.

“Competitions like these are meant to open opportunities for local artists to showcase their work both locally and internationally. We want to promote Jordanian artists not only here in the Jordanian scene but also abroad,” she told The Jordan Times.

Khoury said she was delighted with the talent and ambition that was conveyed in each participant’s work, and urged photographers to be engaged in as many photography activities as possible.

“The best way for photographers to develop their skills is for them to be active in terms of attending such exhibitions and competitions, and to take part in challenges in order for them to hear others’ criticism and take them into consideration in their next works,” she said.