Following another amazing photograph competition, Wikipedia selected its favorite photos of special sites in Israel. You can see the winning photos here.
The winning pictures will be presented at a festive exhibition at Mikveh Israel, over Channukah and will give monetary prizes for the winning images! Exhibition opening Wednesday, December 13, 2017 | Hanukkah holiday, Mikve Israel
Dan Sayda came first place in the competition, with a photograph he took at Nahal Zvitan with a prize of 4,000 NIS.
First Place: Nahal Zavitan by Dan Sayda
Erez Ashkenazi took second place with a picture taken in the hexagonal pool and a NIS 3,000 prize. Other photos taken by Ashkenazi at other conservation sites also reached the fourth and eighth places in the competition.
Second Place : Meshushim Pool by Erez Ashkenazi
In third place is a picture of the Afek Tower in a red sunset, taken by Gilad Topaz, and it credits him with a 1,500 NIS prize.
Third Place: Afek tower in red sky by Gilad Topaz
This year 5357 pictures were entered to the competition! Ten of the best pictures were chosen and will be exhibited at Mikve Israel and will then be sent to represent Israel in the international competition. The award ceremony for the winners and the opening of the exhibition will take place on 12.12.17 and the next day the exhibition will open to the public.
Additional winners are in the category of ‘heritage sites in the north of Israel’ and the winner of a 1,000 shekel prize – Nimrod Fortress, a picture taken by Carmel Horowitz, and a category of heritage sites in the south of Israel. Hanan Epstein. Additional photos that reached the top ten were taken at Mount Tabor, in the port of Acre, on the Habonim beach, in Baram National Park and in St. Peter’s Church in Tel Aviv.
The competition took place in Israel for the sixth year, and in the world for the eighth time. In the framework of the competition, professional and amateur photographers were asked to go out and tour the heritage sites throughout the country, take beautiful and creative pictures, and upload their photos to the ‘Wikimedia Commons’ collection – one of the most popular sites in Israel and the world. Together with the Council for the Preservation of Sites and Photography Instructors of the Galitz School of Photography, there were fascinating guided tours during the holidays of Tishrei during which the guides gave tips on taking successful pictures.
The top ten photos from Israel were sent to the international competition where an international jury will select the best pictures from all the participating countries and award additional prizes. The first prize in the international competition is the Canon DSLR camera EOS 5D MARK IV and the Canon 50mm f / 1.2L USM lens, in addition to which the winner will receive a printed copy of the photograph signed by Placido Domingo, President of the European Cultural Heritage Federation. The prize is approximately 20,000 NIS.
According to the organizers, this year more photos came from professional photographers than in previous years. The photographers were invited to go out and travel to capture spectacular and creative images that document the sites for conservation, thus contributing greatly to the purpose of the competition – to expand the photo collection in Wikimedia Commons (including 41 million pictures today) and to expand the visual database of free-use content. The importance of the project in raising the awareness, involvement and exposure of nature and the environment in Israel to the local and international population, a project that is unique in terms of its production, which is fully carried out by volunteers for the benefit of society and the state. The competition is held in Israel by Wikimedia Israel, which supports Wikipedia activities in Israel, under the auspices of the Council for the Preservation of Israeli Heritage Sites and the Galitz School of Photography.
The winning pictures can be seen in an exhibition at the Mikve Israel Visitor Center, until January 12, 2018. Admission is free, by appointment by phone at 03-5030489.