Every Ramadan I love seeing the photos of Ramadan around the world that pop up all over the web. These images are a source of connection to world wide faith community I am a part of, and yet, each proves how diverse our traditions are in observing the exact same spiritual ritual.
One source of compelling images has come through Capture the Spirit of Ramadan. Now completing its third year, the initiative seeks to celebrate the essence of Ramadan through a photography contest. The photos submitted are simply striking and demonstrate the beautiful diversity of Ramadan traditions around the world. In its first year, Capture the Spirit of Ramadan attracted over 25,000 photographers and photography enthusiasts worldwide with over 1000 photo entries from forty countries. About 120 of the photos were then published in a photography collection book.
This year’s competition is drawing to a close but there is still time to get in the amazing photos you took this month or else to simply peruse through the photos others submitted. Submissions must be from this year’s Ramadan and can be from any professional or aspiring photographer are accepted throughout the month from international participants. Accepted photos are showcased on the competition’s Facebook page and divided into categories–architecture, spirituality and culture. The top 100 photos are then judged based on impact and message, creativity and also photographic technique. Three winners are selected in each category, with cash prizes between $500 to $1500. Viewer’s choice–or the photo with the most likes on Facebook–gets a small cash prize as well.
For more information: http://spiritoframadan.org/irpc-2013-edition/rules-regulations/
Previous winners: spiritoframadan.org/gallery/winners/
To peruse current and past photo submissions: www.facebook.com/RamadanPhotography/photos_albums
