A major new addition to the emirates's cultural calendar was established with the arrival of the Xposure International Photography Festival.
Hosted at Expo Centre Sharjah from October 12-15, the inaugural event brimmed with an impressive range of exhibitions, talks and workshops from internationally renowned artists.
And the good news is, after attracting hundreds of enthusiasts and curious minds, organisers have shared plans for the event to return next year.
Among the 2016 highlights were celebrity nature specialist David Yarrow’s Wild Encounters show, Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey’s No Filter, Timothy Allen’s enlightening Travels Around the Human Planet, and veteran photojournalist Tom Stoddart’s Every Picture Tells a Story – all of whom also appeared in person to host talks.
Elsewhere local talent competed on this world stage, with Emirati photographer Nasser Ali Albahrani’s A Journey Through the Emirates, and Dubai-based food photographer Drina Cabral’s Conceptual Food.
The main auditorium hosted a diverse selection of 37 talks over the four days, with highlights including influential photo editor Aidan Sullivan's reflections on three decades in the industry, A Lifetime at F.8, and locally based time-lapse specialist Beno Saradzic's Moments in Time, revealing the journey that led him to create the incredible UAE portrait Beyond – Memoirs In A Time Lapse.
Elsewhere photographers of all levels took part in more than 30 specialist workshops, themed from the absolute beginners’s “Getting off Auto” to increasingly niche subjects.
Packed with inspiring work, entertaining insight and valuable resources, the arrival of Xposure should be celebrated not just by photography enthusiasts, but the culturally curious of all persuasions.
“I strongly believe this festival has achieved a big success, and I am very impressed of the impact it has,” said Ali Albahrani, the only Emirati to exhibit at the festival.
“Xposure is a valuable opportunity for amateurs and professionals to interact with international photographers from around the world, and benefit from the huge experience they have in this industry, while having the chance to see their exhibits and artwork showcased under one roof.”
rgarratt@thenational.ae
