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UAE Students Offered A Chance To "Discover Ireland Through The Viewfinder" With Tourism Ireland’s Photography Competition |
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Tourism Ireland launches competition to celebrate Irish culture as Dublin is named UNESCO City of Literature and the Embassy of Ireland opens in Abu DhabiTourism Ireland is inviting students in Abu Dhabi to learn about the world class education and rich culture on offer on the Emerald Isle through a creative photography competition, supported by the recently opened Embassy of Ireland in Abu Dhabi. The competition, designed to capture the imagination of students in the UAE and encourage them to explore both popular and traditional culture in Ireland, invites budding photographers to draw inspiration from one of three themes highlighting a cherished national treasure - music, dancing, and poetry. The competition launch will be supported by a university guest lecture by a professional Irish photographer who will offer advice and inspiration to budding photographers, and encourage them to combine the art and science of photography to create infinitely better images. Entries will be judged on creativity, composition, and interpretation of the subject, and students can enter photographs inspired by any of the themes, or even one photograph per theme. The competition is open for one month, and the winner will be chosen by a panel of judges including H.E. Ciaran Madden, Ambassador of Ireland to the UAE, award-winning Irish photographer Gerry O’Leary, and a celebrated Emirati artist. The top prize is a trip to Ireland with flights and hotels for the family (up to five people), giving the winner a chance to see all the top Irish attractions through the viewfinder of their camera. Full competition details can be found on the website: www.discoverireland.ae/photo<http://www.discoverireland.ae/photo>. H.E. Ciaran Madden, the Irish Ambassador to the UAE said: "Poetry, literature, music and dancing are the cornerstones of our Celtic heritage, and we know that these cultural expressions resonate with people in the GCC. Initiatives like this which reach out to young people and inspire them to reconnect with their own heritage whilst discovering other cultures play an important role in education all over the world, and brings to life many lessons taught in school, from geography and history, to arts and crafts class. I am excited to be part of the initiative, and look forward to seeing the competition entries." Fellow judge and celebrated photographer, Gerry O’Leary has offered students his top five tips for how to take a good photograph:
2. Direct. Be the movie director - direct and place your subjects rather that taking a straight mug shot. 3. Light. Learn to study the light and how it stikes a face or a accentuates a building. Bad lighting means bad photos. 4. Try different angles. Most people take photos from eye level with a horizontal camera and a central subject. Break that habit and try a new perspective - get high or low, turn the camera on an angle and notice an edge in your pictures. 5. Be critical and edit your creations. Don’t bore your friends with poorly composed or blurry photos. Edit out the bad stuff, and show people quality, not quantity. Aiveen Ryan, GCC Market Manager of Tourism Ireland, said: "Every year thousands of people from the Gulf jet off to Ireland to enjoy our unique culture, but it is still a relatively new destination for this region. With the competition we hope to inspire people to learn more about Ireland, so that they will want to come and experience it for themselves one day. We are very grateful to the Irish ambassador, to all the judges, and to Gerry O’Leary for their support with this competition." Full competition details of how to enter are available at www.discoverireland.ae/photo<http://www.discoverireland.ae/photo>. The competition closing date is 28 November 2010, and shortlisted entrants will be notified by email/phone in the following week. The Irish capital Dublin was recently named a city of literature by the cultural arm of the United Nations, UNESCO, making it the fourth city worldwide to receive the award. Its rich historical literary past and the vibrant contemporary literature scene coupled with the wide range of festivals and attractions the city has to offer is set to boost Ireland’s cultural tourism. For more information about things to see and do in Ireland, please visit www.discoverireland.ae<http://www.discoverireland.ae>
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