Zeinab Khalifeh captured a photo of a Lebanese tailor and his sewing machine in an old souq in the historical city of Sidon, South of Lebanon, and the photo made her win the National Geographic Photography Competition Moments, in the adult’s category, proving that indeed “A Photo is Worth a Thousand Words.”
Zeinab Khalife received her award in a ceremony held at the Youth Hub in Emirates Towers in Dubai. The National Geographic Photography Competition “Moments” was held for its ninth year under the theme “Souks in the Middle East.”
The judging panel that made the selection, included Mr. Hussam R. Abdulqader, CMO of Almarai, and the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner and National Geographic photographer Mohammad Muheisen.
Zeinab Khalife’s winning photo captured an old tailor caught tending to his craft with dedication and passion. Zeinab described the old man in the photo as “Aam Hassan”, which means uncle Hassan.
She explained to Arab News that Aam Hassan was unable to recognize his family members in his final months, but would repeatedly talk about his sewing machine.
By capturing that moment, Zeinab aimed to raise awareness about traditional craftsmanship, as a way to keep this industry alive in the face of more modernized tailoring processes. “My picture portrays one moment in his 40 years in the souq. Forty years of hope and sadness that he shared with his sewing machine,” she said.
The winner in the adult category, Zeinab Khalife will have her photograph printed in the Arabic edition of the National Geographic magazine. She also earned a trip of a lifetime, a 10-day expedition trip worth $10,000, where she will be mentored by National Geographic expert photographers, in addition to $5,000 photography equipment.
Via National Geographic Abu Dhabi
The “Moments’” photography competition is one of the largest photography competitions in the Arab world that is organized by National Geographic Abu Dhabi (NGAD) and Almarai, seeking to nurture the talents of aspiring regional photographers.
The competition received this year over 50,000 submissions and over 250,000 entries since its establishment. The winning ones were selected from a shortlist of 90 photos.
