TODAY

A total of 1143 photos by 160 contestants took part in Beauty of Myanmar Photo Contest, held in October 2013, in commemoration of 20th Anniversary of TODAY Group of Companies. First Prize (Kyats 1,000,000) was awarded to U Yar Zar, Second Prize (Kyats 700,000) U Aung Win (Cherry Win), Third Prize (Kyats 300,000) U Win Thura Kyaing, and Consolation Prizes of Kyats 100,000 to (1) U Kyaw Zaw Lay, (2) U Ye Tun, (3) U Kyaw Win Hlaing, (4) U Kyaw Kyaw Win and (5) Daw Nu Nu San (Thamada). Here are excerpts from judges of the contest, including their advice and words from winners.

Ko Yar Zar

I took this photo while I was visiting Inle Lake, Nyaung Shwe District, during the time of Dazaungdine festival. With the intention to get a different view, I put the brass neck coils of Kayan tribes in front of my camera lens and captured the image of two Kayan women weaving their traditional costumes. I made the mode of Lighting as Available.

First Prize

Ko Aung Win (Cherry Win)

I took this photo at an alms-offering ceremony in a Shan village, Sint Gaing Township. I climbed up a tree to shoot the rows of donors coming along. My intention is to show the nature of the countryside and village tradition of going in rows along the roads between fields of crops which is a rare view in the city. Lighting is Natural.

Second Prize

Ko Win Thura Kyaing

While I was visiting Yedagun (Waterfall) Hill near Mandalay around 7am in the morning, I just happened to take this photo to be able to   show sunrise scene and Myanmar culture with the help of two harvesting girls. Lighting is Available.

Third Prize

Ko Kyaw Zaw Lay

I took this photo while being in Kyine Tone with the help from two ethnic Ahka girls. I let them hold iPads to demonstrate that even ethnic girls were not behind the times. I climbed up the bridge to surround rocks and stream also. Lighting is Top Light. It’s like shooting photos while visiting a rocky location and I like that scene.

Consolation Prize 1

Ko Ye Tun

This was captured while I was visiting Kyauk Taw Gyi Pagoda Compound in Mandalay with my friends. As it was the time of Thingyan water festival, both young and old people are throwing water, nearby a bullock-cart. The intention is to show the tradition of Myanmars in accordance with Myanmar culture.

Consolation Prize 2

Ko Kyaw Win Hlaing (YUC)

The setting was at Barkayar Monastery in Mandalay Region, to emphasize  the beauty of rock pillars. These are straight normally, but this is just putting lens’ effects to get a different view of curved pillars.

Consolation Prize 3

Ko Kyaw Kyaw Win

This was at Sat Dan Cave in Kayin State while I was there in last January. Mainly to show the natural beauty of stalactite and religion. Additional lighting is given as there is some darkness inside.

Consolation Prize 4

U Htin Lin (Golden Arrow)

The prizes were not awarded by conventional  photo contest rules from Myanmar Photogra-phers Association. Each judge selected 25 photos, then the best 10, and the best 5. The last remaining ones were scored according to the marking scheme 3-5-7, finally getting First, Second and Third step by step. So top three winners might not be the most favourites of every judge. But it’s sure to be selected by the majority. I like the First Prize photo in the way the photo-grapher arranged Foreground, Workmanship setting, Lighting, Angle, Direction, all these might seem to be easy, but the idea is great.

The Second Prize winner looks good to take a High Angle from photography point of view. But the presentation emphasizes the view of paddy fields, which is a surrounding subject, rather than that of bullock-carts, which is the main subject. If you look at it, your eyes are attracted to the side rather than the main subject. That’s the difference with the First Prize photo which presented the main subject directly with the supporting material.

But the photographer might pain-stakingly need to find in adv-ance a high-angle location to shoot like this. When it comes to a moving picture like this, the skill of the photographer is very important. Lighting is also favourable with Side Lighting.

The Third Prize Winner can be enhanced to get better Composition. For example, the viewer can be directly attracted to the main subject if there were 3 more people, an additional layer of Foreground and Persuasives. It’s best for photographers to prepare from all aspects if he aims for making better composition. You should vision your idea in detail until it becomes reality.

U Pe Myint Oo
(Dynamic Photography Training)

The First Prize photo of Kayan girls weaving their traditional costumes is normally seen while visiting around Inle Lake. But this one has a different idea from the photographer. He made it unusual by putting a brass neck coil from the girls in front of camera lens. In terms of composition, the brass rings made images of Kayan girls more apparent.

The Second Prize winner is seemingly taking the power of lines. The side-light image under the sun and a dusty view is the Subject judges tend to like. In terms of composition, this is in the centre of the image. I think it’ll be more success-ful if some portions on the right were cut.

The Third Prize Winner showing shea-ves of paddy is distinct in that it’s against the background of sunlight and endless field of straws. The art of a photographer is to paint with light which is the feature of this photo. With two ladies with sheaves of straws in front, that’s one of my favourites. Not many scores were given to some photos similar to previous winners. Even if the idea is the same, you should make it better, I guess. So I prefer an innovation like the First Prize Winner to repeated ordinary photos.

U Moe Min (Cosmic Rays)

The First Prize photo took a composition of Foreground by brass neck coils from Kayan tribes which made clear his presentation. Lighting was applied by natural brightness so the models and nature of the photo became more obvious. The Second Prize winner emphasized Myanmar culture. Donors, children from ear-boring and novitiation ceremonies, village belles and whole offertories all of which comprise a complete picture of a Myanmar traditional alms-giving ceremony. Movements of subjects in the photo were captured with an exact Location, Subject and Lighting. More powerful with S’curve/Diagonal in Composition. The photo would be more successful if the background of white skyline was cut and shot more closely. The Third Prize Winner is cool with colours and movements of two harvesting ladies as a subject. Light yellow colours of sheaves of paddy and those of early morning brightness and clothes they’re wearing matched with the subject, and made the background distinct and the photo clearer.

U Saw Yan Naing
(Board of Directors, TODAY Group of Companies)

We want to bring out natural scenes, cultural tradition and social structures of Myanmar. The objective to organize Beauty of Myanmar contest is to show the standard of Myanmar photographers. It’s not the first time, but TODAY Group of Companies also organized Beauty of Myanmar contests in the past. More than that, TODAY Foundation will also continue activities on education and social support. Asian Geo-graphic is a well-accepted Magazine both locally and internationally. Their Publisher is a Myanmar, to our pride, and its 100th anniversary was last October issue. The magazine annually organizes Asia Without Borders Photo Contest.  Chairman of TODAY Group Dr Tha Tun Oo and Mr John Thet of Asian Geograp-hic have agreed in Singapore that TODAY Group  would be in charge of send-ing Myanmar photos to that contest. There might be some photographers who would par-ticipate on their own. We aim to expose Myanmar beauty and Myanmar photographers to the world. We’ll continue to cooperate with Asian Geographic in the future.