Photo competition awards prizes

Budding Belizean photographers got their shot to be in front of the camera this morning as official ceremonies were held at the House of Culture for an amateur competition. Organized by the National Institute of Culture and History, the shutterbugs focussed on images of Belize?s land, sea and people. Ten photographers participated in the event but in the end, judges Norris Hall, Richard Holder and Jeremy Spooner, were left with the challenge of selecting the top three. According to two of the winners, pictures develop right before your eyes, if you only want to see them.

Russel Gonzalez, 1st Place Winner

?Since I have a photo studio, I always have my camera with me. So, that day I was just taking pictures of some people inside. Then I saw that this little girl was playing with her niece or her cousin, but then all of a sudden she went to her father. When I see this portrait, this is the kind of portrait I can take; the father hugging the child. I said to myself this looks like a nice picture. It?s basically about that; about the father hugging the child. It looks like the father is protecting the child. That is what it is actually is portraying; the father is protecting the child?

William Neal, 2nd Place Winner

?When I came home around Christmas, I had gone down to Seine Bight and two kids and I were hanging out. So, an over turned tree uprooted and I just decided to try a little bit of photography with the kids. Because photography is something that I really like and I thought that it would be a good way–not necessarily, just to enter. A lot of things in Belize happen and people don?t really enter because you?re not going to win or you?re not going to this…but I think I did it more for the spirit of participation.?

Third place in the competition was awarded to Silva Leonardo from the Corozal district. The winners all received cash prizes. The brainchild of NICH president Yasser Musa, competition organisers say the event will be an annual affair.