Sharjah Heritage Days accentuates the seafaring traditions of the UAEOne of the big events of the country that celebrates local and global cultures and food, the Sharjah Heritage Days has been one of the biggest highlights in the region recently.

By introducing UAE residents and visitors of all age groups to the unique historical, cultural, literary, artistic and customary elements, the event has been attracting people from across the globe. And to capture the best of the festival, The Sharjah Institute for Heritage has launched a Dh20,000 photography competition.

Open to professionals and amateurs, the competition has two categories –architectural photography and visitor experiences. The first category, i.e., architectural photography and is open to submissions that highlight the aesthetic elements of the Heart of Sharjah –the creekside venue where the festival is taking place. The photographs can include its traditional wind towers and country pavilions. The second category focuses on the visitor experiences, showing how they interact with the festival’s cultural offerings.

While participants have been excited to showcase their photography skills, they need to keep few rules in mind, which wraps up on Saturday, April 10.

The photographs submitted for the competition should be original and should not have been published or submitted to other competitions. Applicants can participate in both categories, submitting one black and white or colour image for each. While the organisers have allowed post-processing of the photos, the digital modifications must not affect the originality of the image. Another important directive is that the photographs should not have any watermarks, signatures, texts or symbols and not adhering to those can be rejected.

The highlight of the competition is the award money. Winners of the competition will up to cash prizes totalling Dh20,000 that will be distributed among the three winners for each category. The first-place winner will be awarded Dh5,000, while the second and third place winners will receive Dh3,000 and Dh,2000 respectively. If a participant wins in more than one category, they will be awarded a larger prize amount.