Worshippers and Wayfarers: The People of Varanasi

• Prize
  Silver in People/Culture
• Photographer
  Mohammad Kamal

The ascetics who live at the ghats and crematoriums of Varanasi have been extensively photographed, and are often misrepresented in cliched portraiture. This photo series attempts to see past the mystical stereotypes and capture the personalities of city’s residents through a lens of realism, whether during spiritual practice and meditation, or in moments of interaction with the rest of the world.

Mo Kamal is a landscape and portraiture photographer based in Dubai. His work has featured in international exhibitions including the Xposure Photography Festival in Sharjah, UAE, as well as a solo exhibition at The Empty Quarter Fine Art Photography Gallery in Dubai. His work has won winning placements in the Prix de la Photographie de Paris (PX3) contest, the Epson Pano Awards, and featured in the final rounds of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum International Photography Awards.