(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The second edition of the Doha Photography Festival, organised by the Qatar Photography Center, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, kicked off Tuesday evening. This festival affirms the importance of photography as an effective means of expressing Qatari identity and heritage.
The festival continues until November 9th, opposite Darb Al Saai in the Umm Salal area, with the participation of eight international companies specialising in cameras.
On this occasion, Dr Ghanem bin Mubarak al-Ali, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, stated that the second edition of the Doha Photography Festival is witnessing a significant expansion in local and international participation, along with a diverse range of accompanying events targeting all segments of society.
He emphasised that this edition is distinguished by the crowning of the winners of the inaugural Doha Photography Award, with the winners in six main competitive categories to be announced Thursday.
He explained that one of the festival's primary objectives is to support and encourage Qatari photographers, dedicating a special category in the award to local photographers, in addition to another category specifically for children and youth.
Dr Ghanem al-Ali added that the festival is not limited to exhibitions but also includes a variety of accompanying events, such as specialised workshops and interactive areas designed specifically for children and families, with the aim of engaging all members of the community in the festival's activities.
He revealed the festival's intention to expand its scope in future editions to include a greater focus on video photography. This trend was evident in the special exhibition organised as part of the current festival, titled“Space Festival,” a rare event featuring two Qatari photographers who participated in Nasa events. This highlights the international level the festival aspires to achieve.
On the sidelines of the exhibition, Jassim Ahmed al-Buainain, director of the Qatar Photography Center, spoke to Gulf Times and said that:“We found a great turnout of photography enthusiasts and photographers at this opening, and everyone is eager for this big event that we are witnessing today. The Ministry of Culture, through the Doha Photography Festival, seeks to provide an ideal platform for showcasing artistic works, giving local photographers the opportunity to connect effectively and directly with the public and exchange experiences with their counterparts from around the world.
He noted the participation of leading international companies such as Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and Insta360, in addition to Qatar 4Cam and iBrand Connect. He explained that this broad participation of international companies and local photography equipment retailers will enrich the experience of participants and visitors, allowing them to explore the latest technologies and products in the world of photography.
The programme features a large number of exhibitions, including 24 solo exhibitions and one group exhibition. The festival will also host an exhibition dedicated to the Doha Photography Award, another exhibition focused on astrophotography. There will be exhibitions of antique photographs and cameras, as well as a film exhibition area. The festival features a main stage hosting lectures, seminars and workshops by international photographers.
The first day's events featured a lecture titled“Narrative in Photography” presented by Issa Ibrahim, and a workshop titled“Attachment in Seconds: The Art of Creating Attention-Giving Videos” presented by James Arletta Photography Festival Qatar Photography Center

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