Agence France-Presse has launched a photography contest to honour Shah Marai, chief photographer of its Kabul Bureau, who was killed in a suicide attack last April.
The award is open to Afghan photographers living in Afghanistan or overseas, or naturalised citizens of Afghan origin. (Participating photographers must be able to provide a valid ID.) The theme of the contest is “My Afghanistan” and entrants are required to submit a series of 7-15 photos arranged on a single theme that tells a story in pictures, with a text description (1200 characters max.). The images should display the other side to Afghanistan, a country full of warmth and humanity, which is rarely reported on. The judges will be looking for series of pictures to tell stories that show the reality of daily life; culture, social issues, environment, features and offer insights that can only be discovered by people who’ve been there, telling the story of their Afghanistan.
Entries will open on the Marai Photo Award website on February 5, 2019. The submission deadline is on March 3, 2019 (23:59 Afghan Time). Winners will be announced in April 2019 and winners will be invited to attend the award ceremony in Paris, in May 2019. The winner and two runners-up will receive prizes of photo equipment and a certificate. The winner will also receive a trophy.
