HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 4 October 2021 -Hong Kong Photo Contest 2021 officially kicks off. The Contest invites both enthusiasts and novices aged 16 and above to discover and capture the special moments of Hong Kong's unseen sides to deliver a positive message to the public.

The Hong Kong Photo Contest has been organized by National Geographic Magazine (Traditional Chinese Edition) and presented by Wheelock Properties since 2017.

The Hong Kong Photo Contest has been organized by National Geographic Magazine (Traditional Chinese Edition) and presented by Wheelock Properties since 2017. As the filming of short videos become even more popular and accessible, this year's Contest will introduce the brand-new SHORT VIDEO category, which will be added to the five current categories: CITY, PEOPLE, MOBILE, LANDSCAPE, and WILDLIFE.

We hope to enable cultural exchange through photography and bring Hong Kong photographers' skills to the next level, on a par with international standards. To do this, we are aspired to create an educational and interactive platform, where photography workshops and talks led by renowned industry experts will be organized to help photography lovers to learn new skills and share ideas.

"This year marks the fifth-year milestone for the Hong Kong Photo Contest. In the past four years, we have witnessed an increase in both the quality and quantity of the submitted entries, with a number of winning photographs, such as Wong Kai-Lok's Drying Salted Fish and Joan Pabona's Sacrifice garnering extensive media and public attention both at home and abroad. More recently, the students and staff of South Island School were inspired to use some of last year's entries to create poems, effectively taking the visual storytelling of Hong Kong into the poetic realm," says Ivan Tsoi, the Chief Operating Officer of Boulder Media Inc, which is the licensee for National Geographic Magazine (Traditional Chinese Edition).

According to Tsoi, this year's Contest will build on past successes and would like to encourage our contestants to experiment with documenting the stories of Hong Kong in this medium. "Hong Kong Photo Contest is the ideal platform for photographers," Tsoi adds. "It is the perfect place to showcase their talents and achieve their dreams."

Managing Director of Wheelock Properties Ricky Wong said, "Hong Kong's reputation of The Oriental Pearl is not without reason; whether in our manifest nature and adventurous outdoors, colorful metropolis city living or affectionate people and their Hong Kong spirit. We're honored to have co-operated with National Geographic Magazine (Traditional Chinese Edition) for the fifth year in the 'Hong Kong Photo Contest'. As a revered industry event in the city, we hope to help talented photographers realize their dreams through this photo contest and to reveal spectacular images and stories to our audiences. We hope this Contest can span internationally so people around the world can learn of Hong Kong's authentic beauty. Through the Contest our hope is also for the public to pay more attention to the city we love so dearly, to be able to find a moment or two in their daily grinds to appreciate all the things we are blessed with – in our places, people, and happenings."

Hong Kong Photo Contest 2021 is now accepting entries from 16-year-old and above photography enthusiasts. The Contest is divided into six categories: "Landscape," "Wildlife," "City," "People," "Mobile Photography," and "Video." From now until December 3rd, 2021, contestants can upload their works onto www.hkphotocontest.com. The winners will receive prizes worth up to HKD100,000. In addition, works by first, second, and third place from each category will have a chance to be featured in the National Geographic Magazine (Traditional Chinese Edition,) which is distributed to more than 100,000 readers in five markets including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Categories and Prizes:

1.    Landscape: Capture the beautiful scenes and precious moments of Hong Kong's countryside.

2.    Wildlife: Explore Hong Kong's natural beauties and wildlife wonders.

3.    City: Cityscapes, images depicting underlying potential and pulses of city lives, and photos that capture the charms of the metropolitan Hong Kong city.

4.    People: Portraits, everyday encounters, photos with stories, and Hong Kong spirit.

5.    Mobile Photography: Photographs taken by mobile phone on the above themes.

6.    Short Video: Within 120-sec short video on the above categories.

For more information about "Hong Kong Photo Contest," please visit www.hkphotocontest.com

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