DUBAI: With an image of Islam’s most sacred site, a Saudi photographer has captured an award for images taken on iPhones.
Talib Al-Marri picked up third place in the travel category with an image titled “The Muslim’s heart.”
He was competing alongside participants from over 140 countries at the independent 2021 iPhone Photography Awards, which showcases the best photos taken using the mobile phone around the world.
“This image is dear to my heart, as it is the reason why I won the award, and at the same time, it is the image of the Great Mosque of Makkah, the Kaaba.”
He added: “The moment the photo was taken, the sanctuary was full of pilgrims circumambulating the Kaaba and I thought about using the slow motion feature to reflect the movements so viewers of the image would feel the crowd around the Kaaba and have the impression of moving within the image.”
Al-Marri said that it was an “indescribably beautiful feeling” to participate in the awards for the first time and win.
“I consider this a great achievement and dedicate it to my country, my family and, of course, myself.”
The talented Saudi photographer said he has been taking pictures of almost everything using an iPhone since 2016. He said that even while owning a professional camera, he still never stopped using his iPhone to take pictures, which he says were of good quality and similar to professional photos.
In the same contest, Al-Marri also won an honorary award for his picture “It’s not time yet,” which includes a young camel called “Al-Hawar” trying to drink milk from his mother’s breast, but the red piece of cloth called “Shamala” prevents him.
Whether they depicted the complicated construction in a mega city, captured the simplicity of a single flower, or exhibited shepherds with animals in the icy wilderness, all of the winning photographs depicted the power of places and people, providing a window into diverse experiences and emotions.
