• 10-03-2007, 10:56 AM
    aquadog
    Young South African wins special prize in Commonwealth Photographic Awards
    Young South African wins special prize in Commonwealth Photographic Awards


    28 September 2007

    Masi Losi, a young South African photographer with the community newspaper ‘The Daily Dispatch’ in East London has been awarded The Canberra Times/CPU Young Photographer Prize. Masi will be travelling to Australia to take up a 4-week attachment at The Canberra Times, a daily Sydney newspaper and a country newspaper. Editor of The Canberra Times, Mark Baker says, “The Awards have a proud history of capturing through the lens the many dimensions of life across the Commonwealth – a literal snapshot. Canberra is truly a global city and as its daily newspaper, we welcome the opportunity to promote such photo-journalism in developing nations.”

    Of his win, Masi said: “Winning this award has made me realise that it does not matter where one comes from or how one grew up. What matters is the passion and the determination one has to succeed in their chosen art form. Winning this prize scares me as it will open doors that I never thought I could open. It has also made me realise that by not limiting one’s ability and making sacrifices and also having realistic dreams, one does go far in life.”

    The theme of the 2007 Awards was ‘Achievement’ and the photographs were judged on both interpretation of the theme and technical quality. The Commonwealth Photographic Awards are an open competition for all Commonwealth residents, and include both colour and black and white photographs, from professionals and amateurs alike.

    The Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) is an association whose membership includes over 1,500 newspapers and news agencies. The CPU aims to monitor and oppose any measures or proposals likely to affect the freedom of the press; they work to improve facilities for reporting and transmitting news; and to promote the training of all involved in the Commonwealth’s press.

    The Awards are sponsored by The Canberra Times Australia, Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, The Commonwealth Foundation, Commonwealth Secretariat, The Globe & Mail Canada, The Guardian Foundation and The Royal Commonwealth Society.

    2007 Commonwealth Photographic Awards
    List of Winners


    Overall Winner
    Brenton Edwards (Australia)

    Regional Winners
    Africa: Abel Mwambe Chibu (Zambia)
    Australasia: Brenton Edwards (Australia)
    Europe: Caroline Irby (UK)
    South Asia: Suresh Narayanan (India)
    South East Asia: Lee Ee Cheng (Malaysia)

    Highly Commended
    Africa: Vladimira Bajerovska (South Africa)
    Pius Utomi Ekpei (Nigeria)
    Pillay Vythilingum Kadrewvel (Mauritius)

    Australasia:Lee Griffith (Australia)
    Marie Micallef (Australia)
    Andrew Sole (Australia)

    Caribbean and Canada: Todd VanSickle (British Virgin Islands)

    Europe: John Angerson (UK)
    Simon Renilson (UK)
    Rene Rossignaud (Malta)

    South Asia: Debesh Mukhopadhyay (India)
    Srinivasa Reddy (India)
    Pranabendu Samajpati (India)

    Runners Up


    Africa: Mkhulisi Magongo (Swaziland)
    Michael Nsubuga (Uganda)
    Raymond Preston (South Africa)

    South Asia: Shafayet Hoosain Apollo (Bangladesh)
    D N Baraskar (India)
    Arindam Datta (India)
    Dheeraj Paul (India)
    Sukanta Sinha (India)

    Europe: Brian Harris (UK)
    Allen Markey (UK)
    Louis McCullagh (UK)

    SPECIAL PRIZES
    'The Canberra Times/CPU Young Photographer’ Prize


    Winner: Masi Losi (South Africa)

    Highly Commended: Roxanne van Winsen (South Africa)

    Runner Up: Amit Madheshiya (India)

    'Three Pictures – One Story'

    Winner: Sam Lim Kien Hock (Malaysia)

    Highly Commended: Chetan Soni (India)

    Runners-Up: Richard Human (UK)
    Susan MacCleod (UK)
    Astrid Volzke (Australia)