HUAWEI XMAGE Awards Celebrate Photographers from the Middle East and Africa @HuaweiZA

Hi Guys, 

Huawei announced the 57 winners of the XMAGE Awards 2023. The competition, which spotlights photos taken with Huawei devices, named three Grand Prize winners, 17 Best-in-Category winners, 34 Runner-up winners, and three Honorable Mentions.

This year’s winners were selected from more than 600,000 entries received between April 7 and August 15 from participants from nearly 100 countries. After China, the five countries with the highest number of entries were Malaysia, Türkiye, Poland, the Philippines, and the UAE. The most popular phone models used were the HUAWEI P60 Pro, HUAWEI P40 Pro, and HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro.

Egyptian Photographer Wins in Outdoor Category

Out of the 17 Best-in-Category winners in the Global XMAGE Awards, one hails from Egypt. Sadek Khafagy won the award in the Outdoor category for his work titled “Reflection.” His image captures the striking beauty of the unique rock formations of The Wave in Arizona After a rainy day, water pools in this area reflect the oranges and yellows of the layered rock walls and bright blue sky. Khafagy’s photograph masterfully depicts this vista in perfect symmetry.

Regional Talents Honoured with MEA XMAGE Special Awards 2023

A number of photographers from the MEA region have won special awards from the Huawei community. The UAE, being one of the countries with the most submissions, bagged 10 out of the 15 MEA XMAGE Awards dolled out in 2023. Their images told rich visual stories from breathtaking landscapes, glistening architecture, and the diverse culture of the UAE. Talented photographers from Saudi Arabia and South Africa also earned Special Awards. The special awards had gold, silver and bronze winners in several categories ranging from Portraits and Art&Fashion to Hello Life and Outdoor.

Gold Winners: In the Art&Fashion category, the image “Art-Chitecture” captures a unique architectural design with excellent composition that almost makes it look like a flower. The portrait “Drying Up” is a monochrome shot of a man drying hotel towels, full of a sense of story. And “Water Drop” in the Hello Life category was a creatively inverted macro shot of a water droplet against a surreally colourful background.

Silver Winners: In Hello Life, “Golden Summertime” encapsulated the radiance of summer in a vivid splash of golden sunset colours. The portrait “Behind the Mask” shows an Emirati girl with her eyes conveying deep emotion behind her traditional face mask, a poetic image that celebrates cultural heritage. The joyful “Best Buddies” image depicts the silhouette of children at the beach against the colourful hues of the evening sky, representing the innocence and sincerity of childhood friendship.

The expressive portrait “Innocent Beauty” masterfully uses chiaroscuro lighting to accentuate the doe-eyed gaze of a young girl. In the Outdoor category, the “Skyscrapers” features tiny window cleaners rappelling down the gleaming facade of a soaring skyscraper. This photo contrasts immense architecture with small human figures.

Bronze Winners: The serene “The Kite Runner” captures a solitary young boy silhouetted against a misty dawn sky as he tries to fly his kite. The cinematic “Life Sun” depicts the blazing sun casting dramatic rays through the immense desert landscape of Al-Ula. Another spectacular shot titled “Kyrgyzstan Postcard View” documents the culmination of a rewarding 9-hour mountain trek, showcasing the cascading valleys and jagged peaks revealing themselves in a breathtaking panorama.

The “The Last Light” is an atmospheric landscape taken at dusk, the fading sun casting the mountainous terrain in an ethereal glow. The “Night Under the Galaxy’s Lights” places an SUV in the middle, framed by the dazzling sweep of the Milky Way and some light-painting trickery. The image titled “There is No Love Like Snail Love” playfully highlights nature’s wonder through two spiralled gastropods tenderly exploring each other’s shells. And the portrait of a farmer carrying a woven basket on his head demonstrates excellent cultural storytelling.

Through unique perspectives, artistry, and storytelling, these 15 photographers from the Middle East and Africa have proven themselves at the forefront of their field.

The three Grand Prize-winning photographs that captured the judges’ hearts

“Dragon Clouds” by Domcar Calinawan Lagto from the Philippines, “Airshow” by Piotr Cebula from Poland, and “Fearless Eagle” by Dou Chuanli from China were awarded the Grand Prizes. Each Grand Prize winner will receive 10,000 USD (before tax) from the XMAGE creation fund, to support their photography and to encourage them to continue using Huawei devices in the future.

The 17 Best-in-Category winners and the 34 Runner-up winners were selected from each category, and will each receive 1500 USD and 1000 USD, respectively.

XMAGE Awards showcase the professional imaging capabilities of XMAGE

The HUAWEI XMAGE Awards showcase how the XMAGE brand has inspired users’ creativity in mobile photography. Mobile imaging is a powerful lens for capturing life’s precious moments and as a tool for stimulating visual ideas. The HUAWEI XMAGE Awards has come a long way since its launch in 2017. The contest has inspired individuals to create magnificent photographs with their phones. It has also become a platform for showcasing wonderful images that provide glimpses into photographers’ perspectives on the world and their daily lives. Today, the XMAGE Awards has emerged as a prominent global photography event, igniting a wave of enthusiasm among individuals to express their emotions, exude confidence, and unleash their creativity through mobile photography.

The full list of award winners is available here: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/campaign/xmage

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
Thanks! Cheers!!!
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#TheLifesWayCaptures - @GlobalVillageAE #GlobalVillage #Dubai IV #PhotoReviews

Hi Friends, 

Global Village is something which can't be completed in 2-3 posts so the series will continue for some time and I bring to you Asia special in this post where I have tried to showcase some of the countries from the East of the world. 

China is one of the biggest countries and runs itself like a warrior and is not afraid of any other country. Chinese manufactured products are sold worldwide and you will have one in your hands too. I have plenty of stuff that's from there because the value it brings to the table is immense. 

Japan is another country that is really a world leader in terms of electronics and stationery items for school kids and offices alike. This is one place I would really want to go and check out in person as I really want to see Mt. Fuji, Tokyo and Osaka and other cities. 

Thailand needs no introduction and the most air traffic from India will be from any Indian city to Bangkok and adjoining islands. From temples, monks, street food, beaches, nightlife to shopping the city offers everything. 

Vietnam if not famous for anything else Rambo in his movies made it known globally as American movies are focussed around defeating the soldiers from the war times. If you see western media will showcase all action movies will have something related to the Vietnam War which is now more focussed towards the middle east. The Philippines is known for its beaches and great fruits and is worth a visit. 

Japan is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. I am a big fan of this country and in my lifetime I would want to visit the same.  

India is always known for its street food called Chaat in the Hindi language. My life revolves around Chaat as I am a big fan of this kind of food. In my day to day living, I make any veggies, any snack into some kind of Chaat with my special masalas that I carry in my car every day which means even blended pizza and pasta. 

In the end, Global Village will bring back memories from wherever you are in the world and there will be something new to learn or to revisit what you love about a particular country. Go check it out and carry some cash too as many shops don't do digital payments! 

Namaste!!!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel related photo posts. Namaste!

Margo Fargo Heads to #MissEarth to Fly The SA Flag @MissEarth_SA @TsogoSun

Hi Friends,

Environmental activist group and educational campaign; the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership Programme hosted a farewell for their South African delegate for the 2018 international Miss Earth event to take place in Manila, Philippines on the 3rd of November.

26-year-old Bloemfontein born, Margo Fargo has been selected to represent the organization and the country at the international competition. Margo graduated with her Honours in BSC Consumer Sciences in Sustainability at the University of the Free State. Margo took part in the Miss Earth South Africa leadership programme in 2014 and has been an incredible ambassador, for the Free State and for the programme over the past five years.

Marho Fargo in national costume by Mr Sonwabile Ndamase of Vukani Fashion

Executive Director of the Miss Earth programme Catherine Constantinides shared that, “Our organization prides itself in the long-term relationships built with finalists and ambassadors and the impact they go on to have within their communities and across our country because of the leadership skills and community-based approach of our programme. This has been an exciting decision, our office has a long-standing relationship with this Free State Ambassador, we are proud to create an opportunity for Margo to represent our nation and to shine her light abroad. Additionally, we are so pleased to have Margo take our environmental, climate, waste and water projects and initiatives to share with this global platform. As a leadership programme for women, we pride ourselves on the impact we have on our communities and on the lives of the amazing women who share a journey with us each year” stated Constantinides.

With a firm focus on waste, the organization has been running a personal call to action campaign called #WasteStopsWithME which has been driving the waste agenda for the past four years. Outside of the awareness, education and community projects, the organization continues to drive water education, greening projects, food security with a special focus on climate and justice. All of these will be highlighted and shared by Margo as she embarks on a four-week trip across the Philippines.

Lisa Sukdev, Nondyebo Dzingwa (former Miss Earth South Africa), Catherine Constantinides, Miss Earth South Africa international ambassador Margo Fargo, Ella Bella and Candy Tothill

Having a heart for sustainable change and challenging the status quo, Margo has been living her passion and constantly pursuing an impactful change in beauty and in leadership. Her story has always been unique, special and impressionable. Margo has made it her mission to make a difference as a young woman from the developing community of Heidedal, Bloemfontein. She has taken part in the Miss Free State, Miss Mamelodi Sundown’s and the Miss SA.

Margo had the following to say; “Having grown up in a developing community, with difficult circumstances, my life is a true testimony of what one can achieve with the correct mindset and always challenging yourself to become a better version of yourself.

This passion is fuelled by being an example to those who face similar obstacles. Education, a heart for leadership and sustainable change is my driving force in everything I do. I believe that circumstance is not a defining element but a gateway to moving on to a better lifestyle.

Loving to learn and learning to love is a key practice on a daily basis in my life. Miss Earth South Africa has been an opportunity for me to be empowered and to share my knowledge with others. Irrespective of circumstance, the choice of moving forward is entirely up to the individual.”

Candy Tothill, Tsogo Sun’s GM of Corporate Affairs, wished Margo Fargo well during the Miss Earth SA official press conference held at The Palazzo Montecasino. “We are proud of Margo’s work furthering environmental education matters in the community, and we’re confident that she will represent South Africa with excellence at an international level at the Miss Earth 2018. She has proven herself to be an achiever with a passion for flying the flag for South Africa – an ethos that Tsogo Sun is pleased to support. The group has been a proud partner of the Miss Earth SA programme since 2012, supporting the organization in its efforts to build South African heroes and role models and to encourage citizens to contribute towards building an environmentally responsible country. We send our best wishes with Margo for an exciting and fulfilling journey of nation-building, representing Miss Earth SA and South Africa as a whole.”

She went on to also add; “The very fact that I will be representing my country is an absolute honour and dream come true. When people see me, they will see our country. I believe in implementing small changes in my life and the lives of the people I come into contact with.”

Miss Earth South Africa international delegate, Margo Fargo, dressed by Casper Bosman

This gorgeous and vibrant young woman will be competing in a National Costume, designed and made by, award-winning; Sonwabile Ndamase, of Vukani Fashions. “Mr. Ndamase sews and creates the Miss Earth South Africa National Costume with a golden thread. This has seen us win gold in this category for five consecutive years,” said Constantinides.

Margo’s evening wear has been designed by internationally acclaimed South African Couture designer, Casper Bosman, showcasing strongly individual driven looks in a collection that is dominated by bold, powerful design and luxuriant fabrics. There is no doubt Margo will be the shining star of the night as she graces the international stage in his designs. For her swimwear collection, Margo will be competing in original South African, Shweshwekini swimwear. We are also very excited to have Margo wear Adidas Parlay running shoes. In 2015, Adidas announced a partnership with Parley for the Oceans, an organization that raises awareness about the beauty and fragility of the oceans. Our young ambassador travels in style with her Samsonite luggage and her couture garments. Having planted trees to counteract Margo’s travel schedule, this young woman is ready to take centre stage.

Follow her journey on the official @missearth_sa on Instagram and Twitter and via Facebook at Miss Earth South Africa.

 

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your campaigns. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!