Kuwaiti Faisal Hamada to 'Al-Siyasah': I Dedicate the Victory to My Family

He placed second in the sports photography category at the “Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid International Award”

Kuwaiti photographer Faisal Hamada told “Al-Siyasa” that the image which earned him second place in the “Sports Photography” category of the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photographic Award (HiP) was not his first choice. The image he had relied on was rejected by the competition’s website due to its file size, so he submitted an alternative image, which ended up winning.

Hamada said, “This image held a secret for me; it was not my first choice but my second. The first image was not accepted by the website because of its size, so the second one was accepted.”

“Everyone aspires to first place”

Regarding his second-place finish, he said, “Praise be to God. Each of us aspires to first place, but winning in this competition, which in my view is the largest and strongest in the world, with more than 1.5 million images and half a million participants, is enough to have my name recorded among the winners.” He added that, in his estimation, he is approximately the tenth Kuwaiti photographer to win the award.

He noted that he has participated in HiP more than once, and that his record exceeds 250 awards won both in Kuwait and abroad, alongside his participation in several exhibitions. He clarified that his goal in photography is “to develop myself and continue creating in the field.”

The award is for his family

Hamada dedicated his win to his family, saying, “The joy I feel is spiritual, but I dedicate the award, in its value, to my family, because they stood by me and did not fall short. My photography takes place entirely outside Kuwait, requiring time and travel. This time, I told them: The award is yours, and the prize money is yours, for you are the true winners, not me.”

Specialization boosts creativity

Regarding the secret behind his specialization in sports photography, he said, “I specialized in this field to focus. Every photographer should focus on their area, their goals, and their creativity, and give their full energy. If they shoot in multiple categories and fields, they will become scattered; but if they specialize in one field, it is natural that their creativity will rise.”

Faisal Hamada concluded his remarks by saying, “Praise be to God. We have presented this victory to Kuwait and raised its name, and all of this is by the grace of the Lord of the worlds.”