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Best Photograph - 2022
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Maher Attar
(Co-Winner)
Maher Attar
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Star Burst, Lomography, printed on Cold Press Epson paper. |
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On a cold day, waist-deep in fresh snow to reach his destination on top of a hill on the slopes of Kfardebian, Maher Attar took a snapshot of a beam of sun bursting through wisps of cloud and bare branches. “It’s a deliberate process. You need to work and wait for your shot. It’s really an investment,” he says. Carrying his heavy equipment, he made it in time for the elusive winter sunset. The image was the last shot of his project, and captured that moment at the end of the day.
White on Black
‘Star Burst’ is part of this project called White on Black. The series plays diligently with contrasting tones, and is entirely grayscale. The photos are shot in backlight, meaning that the source of light is situated behind the subject. “Lomography work is based on backlight, and this scene in particular spoke to me,” he explains. “To be a good photographer, you need to know how to read the light and how to use the tools. You’re the master and have to bend these elements to your will…light becomes your subordinate,” he says.
Old School Flaws
Lomography is a technique that operates on an old-fashioned, analogue camera with a special lens and film. Contrary to digital cameras that quickly produce high definition images in a matter of seconds, lomography photos need to be developed traditionally in the lab. The resulting soft focus images are recognizable by their ‘flaws’ that are lacking in modern methods such as poor exposure and inaccurate colors. “The film is manually advanced, frame by frame, and opens the doors to experimental possibilities beyond the scope of current cameras,” he explains. The effect is painterly and soft, recalling the hazy, dream-like images of faded memories.
Great Outdoors
The ray of light appears to be escaping the confines of the clouds and the prison-like branches of the trees. In both process and outcome, the image is an antithesis to imprisonment. Attar explains that: “the photo was taken during the winter 2021 confinement. I wasn’t doing anything else and I was worried that I would lose my touch from lack of practice. At the same time I wanted to try something new and special. In a way I was forced to do it because I was stuck. Nature was the only place I could go to and escape the feeling of being trapped.” The photo is a direct documentation from this period. It shows an alternative narrative amid waves of indoor confinement photos.
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