Sony National & Regional Photography Awards Announces Its Winners And They’re Pretty Impressive

Kamila J. Gruss, author of "The Moon Girl", spent 10 years in Berlin, and after getting her masters in literature studies, returned to her home in Poland to work for her family business. “Photography is my passion, obsession, way of catching my breath. It is a part of me, which I love to get lost in, be surprised by, a part where I get to create versions of realities that resonate with my sensitivity, most of all. It is precisely when I enter this sphere, that I rest the most. It’s always the photos that I am in the process of creating that are the last thing on my mind just before I fall asleep,” shared the mother of two.

Kamila also revealed that she was struggling with depression and photography was sort of a therapy for her. She was among the 100 winners of 2018 National Geographic’s photo community YOUR SHOT and this year, she won the Sony National & Regional award.

27-year-old Janis Palulis, the winner for the whole of Latvia, told Bored Panda that he participates in Sony National & Regional Awards as he has a great collection of photographs of the country’s nature. Although Janis is a nature and wildlife photographer, he sometimes covers commercial assignments and even weddings. He shared that being among the winners will help him to improve his visual content. “This is for my future inspiration!” declared Janis, who has over 10 years' experience as a freelance photographer.

The Qatar winner Abdulla Al Mushaifri told Bored Panda that it’s tough to describe the category that his photography falls into. He believes that every single shot can be transformed into a piece of art if it’s captured perfectly. Originally from Oman, he resides in Qatar, having started his journey in photography in 2012 when he took a leap away from filming. “I attended a lot of workshops in order to shape my skills and knowledge; however, the real fact is that none of these workshops will help you if you can’t admire the arts around you and the most important thing is how you can translate a vision into reality." Abdulla, who took the winning shot of the Museum Of Islamic Art, pointed out that these contests keep him motivated by showing his love for the art of photography. 

“I still believe that one day, I will reach my dream to be a well-known name in the photography community and my artworks will be interesting subjects to inspire the next generation.”

Barcelona-born self-taught photographer Mireia Vilaplana started experimenting with analog photography and then moved to digital camera. The winner for the UAE entry has lived and worked in Dubai since 2016 with her husband and their 9-year-old twins. She specializes in black and white photography and creative portraiture and mostly works with natural light and creative lenses. “2020 was a challenging year for many people at many different levels. The uncertainties and the new normalities made me feel compelled to explore the symbolism of face masks and the way in which we reveal ourselves to others. My twins collaborated with me and and the photo series ‘Masquerade’ came to life in our very own garden."

Mireia also shared that winning the National Award for Sony World Photography Awards 2021 is a tremendous honor and an encouragement to keep working hard and to keep using the photographic art to express herself and the world around her.