JOHOR BARU: THE month-long IM klik photography competition 2014 with the theme “Liveable City of Iskandar Malaysia” received more than 1,000 entries. The competition started on Sept 22.
Organised by Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB), the competition gave photographers an opportunity to showcase their talents and encouraged students to take up photography as a hobby.
Participants had the privilege of learning the finer points of photography in a workshop conducted by the Nikonian Beyond Photography Academy, with renowned photographer Andrew Boey and his team to equip them with skills to create better shots.
The panel of judges, comprising teams from IIB led by president and CEO Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim, and the Nikonian Beyond Photography Academy headed by Andrew Boey, had a challenging time to review and shortlist entries before they could select the winners.
The competition received overwhelming support not only from local shutterbugs but also participants from other states.
Even though some participants submitted multiple entries, they usually had one favourite shot that they knew would catch the attention of the judges.
“These photographers have given a fresh breath of life to Iskandar Malaysia,” said Syed Mohamed as he thanked the participants for supporting the inaugural IM klik photography competition, adding that the camera was like a sketchbook where photographers “painted” pictures of Iskandar Malaysia.
“The way faces, emotions and expressions of Iskandar Malaysia have been captured and celebrated by the residents themselves are a testament to the transformation of Iskandar Malaysia into a liveable city.”
The photographs captured a wide range of sights and scenes of Iskandar Malaysia including local landscapes and portraits of people. While many entries featured scenes of Kota Iskandar and sites in Nusajaya like Legoland Malaysia Resort, Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia and Puteri Harbour, there were also shots of the iconic Sultan Ibrahim building, Danga Bay, Dataran Johor, Dataran MBJB and places of worship like Masjid Sultan Abu Bakar.
Photographers had free rein to submit a wide variety of shots that depicted new and old views of a transforming metropolis.
Top prize winner, Mohd Nazri Sulaiman, who hails from Batu Pahat, is a full-time photographer who submitted five entries but he had a gut-feeling that his photograph entitled, Kota Iskandar – Kota cinta hatiku, would have a high score.
He said that the haze that prevailed over the Iskandar region at the time deterred him from photographing landscapes so he decided to feature his daughter, Naisha Amani Mohd Nazri, 5, in a composition captured in Laman Jauhar, Kota Iskandar.
The child playing with soap bubbles against the backdrop of the Moorish architecture had a unique emotional appeal that rewarded him with the top prize and merchandise vouchers worth RM4,000.
First runner-up, Francis Pay Ah Khee, whose hobby is photography, said his friends nicknamed him the marathon photographer because he often stayed at a particular scene for several hours to survey the angles and wait for the right light.
His winning entry, entitled Harmony at Iskandar Region, featured a view of the Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple with buildings in Jalan Trus in the background which captured the eve of Deepavali about 7.15pm with a fish-eye lens.
Pay, a father of two daughters, said he took a long time to select from his multiple shots and it was his 17-year-old daughter who helped to pick the photograph that became his winning entry.
The magnificent architecture here at sunset was an inspiration for second runner-up, Sun Kong Wei. His work in bridal photography helped him to pick his winning entry.
With 15 years experience, first as a graphic designer and then as a bridal photographer, Sun has vast exposure to photography at internationally renowned sites in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
Although his composition, entitled Sunset in Kota Iskandar, was a familiar scene, he was thrilled to win.
“I hope IIB will allow participants to have more time to find the best images that truly reflect Iskandar Malaysia will when it organises the next competition,” said guest-of- honour Johor Baru member of Parliament, Tan Sri Shahrir Abd Samad.
“IM klik need not be just a competition of still photography, but in future, may include videos, shorties or short movies, and even computer-graphics,” he added, clearly hoping that this will be a platform to launch the next level of the competition.
Some of the winning entries captured the essence of living in Iskandar Malaysia and reflected the vibrancy of the region through the eyes of the photographers.
Winners of the 50 consolation prizes received RM400 each and their photographs will be compiled in a coffee-table book as a valuable resource of images of Iskandar Malaysia.
At the close of the event, a new logo symbolising the discovery of new talents was unveiled by Shahrir and Syed Mohamed for the IM klik Photography Competition next year.