The fifth edition of globally renowned Xposure International Photography Festival will connect experts in the field of photography and visual culture with audiences in Sharjah and the UAE through a four-day exhibition programme that includes inspiring talks and panel discussions, interactive workshops, portfolio reviews, an awards ceremony, and more.

Hosted by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) at Expo Centre Sharjah from February 10 to 13, Xposure 2021 will open dialogues and enrich perspectives as award-winning visual storytellers, photojournalists, and emerging photographers will share insights into their techniques and styles and narrate the moving stories behind their impactful images through 21 panel discussions and artist talks.

HE Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of Sharjah Government Media Bureau, said, “For amateurs, professionals and photography enthusiasts in the region, Xposure 2021 will serve as a one-of-a-kind platform to connect with the most celebrated photographers, and through their narratives, acquire knowledge, discover new opportunities, and shape one’s understanding of the creative process. The discussions and talks are an integral component of the annual festival’s programming and offers the audience an inside view of how and why these visual storytellers create the work they do.”

Illuminating discussions

On February 10, Russian photographers Sergey Ponomarev and Dmitry Beliakov will share their experiences of covering the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and detail why working in a region where they are seen by both sides as a potential enemy adds another layer of complexity to their work. The session titled, ‘Where Do You Draw the Line’, will be moderated by Ray Wells, Picture Editor of The Sunday Times.

In the session titled, ‘Elevating the Voices of Women in Photography’, scheduled for February 11, American photojournalist Paula Bronstein, British-American freelance photojournalist Emma Francis, and Welsh photographer Claire Thomas will explore how female photographers play an important role in photojournalism as they debate the need to elevate female voices in the industry. The session is moderated by Lars Boering.

Inspiring talks

What story lies behind an awe-inspiring photograph? What aesthetic, social, humanitarian, or other factors have shaped its making?  Celebrated photographers of all genres will share their experiences of capturing ambitious and life-changing images across the four-day event.

February 10, Wednesday

On the opening day, environmental photojournalist Aaron Gekoski will illustrate his talk titled ‘Animosity: Documenting Human-Animal Conflict’ through powerful photographs from the frontlines of conservation, as he delves into the mental, physical and creative challenges involved in documenting hard-hitting stories of conflict and conservation.

‘Under the Bonnet of Automotive Photography’ takes a very real and honest look into the life of automotive photographer Seagram Pearce; in ‘The Birth of Ideas’; Palani Mohan will detail how doubts, skepticism, and uncertainty have shaped his work; and Robin Hammond, whose works amplify narratives of marginalised groups, will deliver a talk titled ‘Condemned: Mental Health in Countries in Crisis’.

February 11, Thursday

In ‘Making Moments in Time’, Elia Locardi will discuss how the project for photographing the world to record images for posteritycame to be; António Bernardino Coelho will shine a light on the environmental issues associated with plastic through simple conceptual images in ‘Plastic: An Enemy?’; and Italian photojournalist Francesco Zizola will explore ‘The visual narration between document and poetry’.

In ‘Embracing Adversity’, Jody MacDonald, who has travelled to over 100 countries in search of the unknown, will share stories about why embracing adversity is essential to her career as an adventure photographer.

February 12, Friday

On the third day, Daniel Kordan’s‘Indigenous Cultures in the Modern World’ will showcase the beautiful side of people who choose to stand the ground of their traditional heritage; Ron B. Wilson will recount the events of September 11th and discuss his images from that day in ‘Resilience’; while Chris de Bode will explore his visual search for connection in ‘Never the Less’.

‘From Wales to War: A Journey into Frontline Photography’ will present a snapshot of the personal journey of Claire Thomas from a small village in Wales to the frontline in Iraq, and some of the compelling human stories behind the images she has captured along the way.

Samy Al Olabi will take the audience on a conceptual journey through the deserts, mountains and valleys of the UAE to the north and south of Egypt in ‘A Journey through Space & Time’ while British photographer SohailKarmani will explore ‘The Ethics of Capturing the Suffering of Others’ in a thought-provoking talk.

February 13, Saturday

The concluding day of Xposure 2021 will commence with a talk titled ‘Arab and Emirati Photographers: In the World of National Geographic Alarabiya’ where AlsaadAlmenhaly will highlight how the creativity of Arab photographers has enriched the content of the popular magazine.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Muhammed Muheisen, who has been highlighting the refugee crisis around the world, gives a moving personal account of his search for untold stories in ‘My Journey’; while in ‘Documenting Turmoil from Afghanistan to USA’, Paula Bronstein will discuss her award-winning book, Afghanistan Between Hope and Fear, and of her passion for focusing on the humanitarian side.

Brent Stirton’s talk, ‘Falconry and the Arab Influence’will illustrate the resurgence of falcons and modern falconry through the pioneering efforts of the Arabian world, while Giles Duley takes listeners on his powerful journey – from fashion photographer to documenting conflicts, to how he himself became the story after being injured in Afghanistan, in ‘The Power of a Story’.

A detailed list of the events is available at  https://xposure.ae/events/