Photo Expo 3.0

To try and decode the hidden meaning that lies behind the beautiful yet enigma filled displayed photos taken through the lens of the photographers, UTAR has recently opened up their third photo exhibition that was held from 24 to 25 July 2017 at the Multi-purpose Hall, UTAR Sungai Long Campus.

An overview of the Photo Expo 3.0

Organised by the Department of Student Affairs (DSA), Professional Photographers Asia Community (PPPA) and UTAR Sungai Long’s Photography Society, this annual photography expo aims to not only promote the passion and invoke interest of wannabe photographers to turn their photos into beautiful masterpieces, but rather, encourage photographers to showcase their ability to generate a story by pressing a button on a camera.

The closer you are, the less you actually see. In order to understand, you would need to get the bigger picture

“Photography itself is not just about capturing the smiles of people or just taking a picture on its own. It is more about exploring your creative ability to express that hidden meaning to others by translating that creativity into a story; a story that captures the nostalgia and will evoke the viewers a sense of emotion by just showcasing stories in a simple form of a photo instead of reading about it,” said the President of Photography Society Emylee Tan Wei Ling.

Among the photos featured was a pair of butterflies taken, captioned: “A closer look on the courtship of butterflies. Yes, they have a better love life than me.”

One of the members of the Photography Society, Kit Chi Yi said, “You don’t generally need to be knowledgeable or be an expert when it comes to operating camera technicalities, nor get expensive camera equipment, or even chase after pretty subjects just so to achieve the perfect photo. After all, pretty subjects don’t necessarily translate to good quality photos. A photo that captures what that subject does for a living in his or her everyday life for example, is already enough to create a fine masterpiece. All that lies in creating a successful photo relies on your ability to be able to creatively translate that story to your audience.”

Among the photos featured at the Photo Expo 3.0, this photographer has perfectly summarized the story behind it using only 3 words: LIFE IS HARD

This exhibition also served as an on-going photography competition, where UTAR students and staff members were given the opportunity to showcase their creative photography skill in a competition judged by a multi award-winning photographer Jeff Voon and International Awards Winner Professional Photographer Zac Lim. Announced on the last day on 25 July, the winners are as below:

a)      DSLR category:

Sub-category	First Prize	Second Prize	Third Prize
Portrait	Low Hoong Chun	Chin Guan Wai	Nathan Chek Ren Yi
Landscape	Tan Lit Wei	Daniel Boey Mun Weng	Lee Jun Hong
Documentary	Tan Yong Jie	Lee Joon Lin	Wong Hai Juan

b)     Smartphone category:

Sub-category	First Prize	Second Prize	Third Prize
Portrait	Lam Shao Chien	Yap Li Ji	Surenteran A/L Ramesh
Landscape	Chia Kim Fung	Tan Yong Jie	Tan Yong Jie
Documentary	Candy Lee Kai Nie	Chin Guan Wai	Chin Guan Wai

  From left, fourth onwards: Voon, Lim, DSA Norazilah Binti Adnan, Tan and Photography Society Advisor King Yeong Jin with the winning participants