Inquirer Photographer Beats 20,000 Entries, Wins G

First posted 05:23am (Mla time) June 02, 2006
By Ernie Sarmiento (Inquirer)


BEIJING -- Five hundred photojournalists, including those from the United States, Russia and Britain, submitted a total of 20,000 entries to the First Asian Press Photo Contest organized by the Asia News Network and the China Daily.

But only one won the Gold Prize in the General News category -- Rem Zamora of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

What caught the eye of the panel of judges was Zamora’s photograph of smiling children flashing the “peace” sign to US soldiers who took part in a search and rescue operation in the mudslide-stricken village of Guinsaugon, St. Bernard town, Southern Leyte province, in February.

The photograph appeared on the front page of the Inquirer issue of Feb. 24, seven days after a mudslide killed more than 1,000 villagers in Guinsaugon.

Pana Janviroj, head of the panel of judges and president of the National Multimedia Group in Thailand, said Zamora’s photo had a unique angle that made it stand out from among the thousands of entries.

“It tells the scale of the tragedy in a light way, like saying life goes on,” said Pana, who is also executive director of the Asia News Network, an alliance of 14 leading Asian newspapers, including the China Daily and the Inquirer.

The message
“The color, balance and composition creates an artistic image without sacrificing or diminishing the message which was the tragedy that befell the town.”

“Changing Asia” was the theme of the photo contest that sought to showcase the region’s dynamism and colorful cultures through the camera lens.

“The Asian Press Photo Contest is not just about pretty pictures . . . Our mission is to build a bridge between the continent and the rest of the world with compelling photography,” said Wang Yan, chair of Beijing SJFQ Cultural Communication Co. Ltd. that sponsored the contest.

PDI fotogs in book
One hundred sixty-eight photographs were selected from among the 20,000 entries for the “Changing Asia” photo book, a 200-page commemorative publication. Seven of the photos selected were taken by Inquirer photojournalists Edwin Bacasmas, Lyn Rillon and Joan Bondoc.

Aside from Zamora, seven other photographers from among the 500 contestants also won a Gold Prize in other categories.

Spot News -- Qian Cheng, a freelance Chinese photographer, for his photo showing a migrant worker pulling a woman out of the sea during a typhoon.

$1,000 cash prize

Economics, Scientific and Technical News -- G.M.B. Akash of Bangladesh’s New Age newspaper for his series of photographs depicting the harsh working conditions in a Pakistani shipyard.

Portrait -- Abir Abdullah of the European Press Association’s Bangladesh Bureau for his photo showing a bomb victim who lost some of her toes.

Daily Life -- Nguyen Viet Thanh of Viet Nam News for his photo showing children watching television and a man holding a satellite dish in Ha Giang province.

Arts and Entertainment News -- Guo Jianshe, a freelance Chinese photographer, for his “Red China” series of photos showcasing how the red color has become an essential feature of the Chinese way of life.

Sports -- Munehiro Okumura of Japan’s The Daily Yomiuri for his photo showing a sumo event.

Nature and Environment News -- Wanchai Kraisornkhajit of Thailand’s The Nation for his photo showing a young boy playing with smoke as a municipal officer conducts an anti-dengue spraying operation on a Bangkok street.

Each of the Gold Prize winners received US$1,000. All of them were invited to yesterday’s awarding ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.