Photographer Salem Sarhan has been announced as the winner of National Geographic Abu Dhabi’s annual Moments photography competition for 2020, making him the first Emirati to receive the prize in its 10-year history.
The winning image is an aerial shot of a family performing the Al Asr prayer at home. The theme of the 2020 Moments competition was "a year lived differently", which asked photographers to consider the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly how families and communities adapted to social distancing rules and stay-at-home guidelines.
Take a look through the gallery above to see the winning and shortlisted images of the 2020 Moments competition.
Sarhan presented a snapshot of what many families have been doing since the pandemic started; praying together at home, particularly during the closures of mosques and other places of worship.
Thephotographer, 27, captured the moment at his home in Al Ain. It was the composition of his image, with its symmetry and the intricate elements of the prayer rugs, that gave him the edge among the 27,000 entries for the competition.
"I spend a lot of time getting the right composition. Sometimes I wait a few hours just to get the perfect moment," Sarhan tells The National. He adds that the key to a good photograph is "to capture a moment that has an emotional impact, be it nature or with people".
He began taking photographs in 2015. On a trip to Oman, Sarhan found a camera in his friend’s car and began capturing the sights they visited.
"My friend commented that my photos were very good and encouraged me to pursue [photography] further," he says.
Over the years, his body of work has included documentary and nature photography. "I started by documenting the world around me, the street life, then it evolved to portraits and conceptual photos. Today, I am focusing on the beauty of nature," he explains. He particularly likes to photograph across the UAE and Oman, he adds.
His pristine photographs are carefully constructed, as seen in the series taken in his home during the pandemic. Similar to his winning photo, Work from Home features a bird's-eye view of family members gathering on top of an ornate carpet.
His photographs in nature include the night sky in Oman, where a lone Ghaf tree stands in the desert with stars and sweeping clouds overhead.
In another image, he captures lightning as it flashes over the top of Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. "I waited four hours, from 10pm to 2am, to get the right photo," he says.
As the winner, Sarhan will receive $10,000 worth of photography equipment and his work will be featured in National Geographic Al Arabiya magazine. His hopes now are to present an exhibition of his photographs in the future.
Established in 2010, the Moments competition recognises rising talent in the Middle East and North Africa, accepting entries through a themed open call. In 2014, Almarai joined as a partner to the initiative, changing the name to the National Geographic Abu Dhabi and Almarai Moments photography competition.
Throughout its decade-long existence, Moments has reviewed 275,000 entries from photographers across the region. Judges include two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and National Geographic photographer Muhammed Muheisen, whose body of work includes documentation of the refugee crisis around the world.
This year, judges awarded second place to Jordanian photographer Ahmed Alazzam. His image features Mohamed Hendy, a seasoned calligrapher whose practices stretches back to the 1950s.
In third place is a street photograph by Samar Abu Elouf, who has documented a barber named Sameh who offers his services outdoors after the Covid-19 lockdowns forced his shop to close.
National Geographic Abu Dhabi has also announced the shortlist for the competition, which includes images from Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Palestine.
For 2021, National Geographic Abu Dhabi will feature a new category specifically aimed at a younger photographs aged 13 to 17.
