EU reveals winners of 2017 annual amateur photography competition

We were impressed by many outstanding photos, giving us opportunity to choose best among them, say jury members

Spreading another image of Egypt, where nature's mesmerising beauty and entertainment destinations overcome the spreading impression of terrorism, death, and political turmoil is the main goal of the European Union Delegation to Egypt's annual amateur photography competition.
The delegation announced the first three winners of its 10th Annual Photography Competition for amateur photographers.
Under the theme "Favourite Destinations in Egypt", more than 140 emerging photographers submitted over 400 portraits of Egypt's most enjoyable, beautiful spots.
Ivan Surkoš, head of the EU's Delegation to Egypt, stated in a press release that the EU focuses on organising the competition annually in order to "reach out to Egyptians from various backgrounds and in different cities."
"This year's photos show the beauty and diversity of Egypt. We hope that tourists would visit the country and enjoy its marvels," Surkoš added.
The first award went to Farid Mahmoud Abdeen for his photo "The Island". Abdeen captured his portrait in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, where he spotted a small, abandoned island with only one house built on it. Surronded by water, Abdeen spotted a child, who seemed to be living there, on his journey home carrying supplies.
The second award was given to Ahmed Badr for his photo "Balloon", which he took of a hot air balloon. The portrait featured bright colours of the balloon while flying over the vicious, yellow desert. It was taken in Luxor, where constant trips are organised in the winter season.
As for the third place, emerging photographer Mustafa Bashar won it, for his picture "Aswan Boat", which captures two young men offering cruise passengers pharaonic textiles.
The first three winners will receive valuable awards from the delegation, while the best 12 photos will be featured in the EU Delegation's 2018 desk calendar.
The delegation will also organise an exhibition for the best 30 photos that will take place early next year.
Members of the jury commended the quality of the photos presented, which reveals the progress level of amateur photographers in Egypt. "The work presented this year reflects the professionalism and understanding of the theme of the competition. We were impressed by many outstanding photos, which gave us the opportunity to choose the best among them," said jury members.
The jury consists of Ashraf Talaat, who is a professional photographer working for National Geographic magazine. He also won several photography awards, including Photographer of the Year at the Venice International Photo Contest 2005.
Shaimaa Alaa, another jury member, is a professional artist and photographer that participated in several competitions and exhibitions and won various awards, including the Grand Prize in a 2014 photography contest in Al Sharjah.
As for Ahmed Mustafa, he is a professional photographer who was awarded Photographer of the Year by InFocus Photography Club in 2014.