Uga Escapes encourages talented photographers

Saturday, 12 July 2014 00:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Photography challenge finalists complete second round

Organised by Uga Escapes, the photography challenge is a three-stage competition in which 16 participants were shortlisted from over 225 entries submitted through social media. One of the main aims of the competition is to promote responsible tourism through photography. Speaking about the competition, Uga Escapes Marketing Manager Ashan Wijewickrema said: “We felt that young talented photographers have limited opportunity to portray their creativity to the masses and hence we wanted to let the Uga Photography challenge become the platform to assist amateur photographers get the exposure they deserve.” Conducted in partnership with the Photographic Society of Sri Lanka (PSSL), the competition consists of three stages that will culminate with a Photographic exhibition featuring the images taken by 16 photography enthusiasts during a field trip to scenic Ulagalla by Uga Escapes. The 16 photographers were first chosen by evaluating images from participants who submitted a portfolio of images consisting wildlife, nature, portraiture and landscapes. The second stage of the competition was held at Ulagalla Walawwa where the participants were requested to capture the scenic beauty of the surrounding environs. Ulagalla, the location for the field tour is an award winning boutique resort by Uga Escapes which is surrounded by 58 acres of natural woodland, lily ponds, paddy fields and once was an ancestral estate of Anuradhapura nobility. The tank which borders the property is said to be built by King Mahasen and hence the surrounding area is steeped in culture and history which made the location perfect for capturing elements of truly Sri Lankan rural village life in all its simplicity. One participant speaking of the competition said: “It was truly a novel experience and we were able learn new techniques in addition to being exposed to some really beautiful locations. I’m now looking forward to the exhibition.” The final round of the competition will be an exhibition that will be held on 26 July at the Lionel Wendt. “Portraying images from the finalists taken during their field visit, this exhibition will showcase a truly inspiring collection of images,” stated Wijewickrema. “The standards, equipment and the complexity of techniques used by the participants were really encouraging to see and all finalists were willing to learn from each other.”