This week on the Buzz I speak to Jagath De Almeida, who is working with a team of young and talented people who are making Sri Lanka look pretty from the eyes of a lens. Ceylon Photography Awards is an ongoing competition that is working towards bringing new talent out to the world and giving a platform to every budding photographer out there here’s a chance to shine.

What made you organise this competition?  The EPOCH team and we believe it is time to give something back to the field of Photography and to contribute towards the development of Photography in Sri Lanka. That’s how Ceylon Photography Awards “CPA2021” initiated. Some of the goals of this CPA2021 are to,  

• Encourage photographers by recognising them for their work in Photography.
• Develop an aesthetic appreciation of Photography in the general public.
• Promote Photography at the School level by encouraging students in Photography.
• Recognise people for their dedication and hard work in the “trade” by selecting them for Lifetime Achievement Awards. 

You said this is also promoting Unity, how have you included the island in this? Equality is about ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents. Sri Lanka is going through a transition period after a 30-year long conflict, and as EPOCH – The Ceylon Media Company, we are keen on supporting and promoting equality among Sri Lankans and provide opportunities for talented individuals from around the country. Photography is one of the activities we all love. So competing together, working together and celebrating together will provide a platform to build up relationships and unity among Sri Lankans. A photo will help different groups to understand each and everybody. It’ll bring one’s culture to another one’s doorstep. Even a child will understand multi-culture by looking at a photo. 

What made you take up photography? Having grown up and nurtured in Sri Lanka over the last four decades, I have witnessed this country going through many different phases and working towards a developed nation despite many obstacles and setbacks. I have always upheld and have done my best to contribute to the development of my motherland.
Media plays an important role in reaching out to people and getting people to think differently. This is also a vital stream that could be utilised for the development of the country. We have planned to do social awareness photography and videography campaigns especially in the Covid-19 pandemic, Traffic Rules, Good Practices, emergency decision making etc. While our intention is for a profit-making venture, EPOCH will largely be a company working with society to think positively and that is one of the main reasons behind setting this company for photography and videography.

Tell me about your TEAM.  Our team consists of an experienced group of professionals with a collective experience of over 15 Years. We work towards a common goal of providing the best for our clients. We are committed to working towards achieving goals with a sense of integrity. We pride ourselves in uplifting the area of Photography and Videography in the country. We believe as a team we could achieve more, as per the saying “TEAM” - Together Everyone Achieves More. 

Tell me about the judges?  The jury in charge of judging the entries is made of four renowned and internationally acclaimed professionals namely Mr Henry Rajakaruna, Mr Bandu Gunaratne, Mr Ravindra Ranasinghe and Mr Lakshitha Karunaratne. The panel of judges are well respected in the field of professional photography. 
How can one be a part of this competition?  Anyone who has the skill and the passion for photography could log on to www.theceylonmedia.com to submit entries. This competition is for everyone from a professional photographer to an amateur, for people who may not have the best equipment, but have an eye for something that is unique, they could submit their entries and be a part of this amazing opportunity. 

Tell me about the categories?  There are four sections and the school open category. Open Colour, Open Monochrome, Nature & Wildlife and an annual theme of “Lifestyle” will be the four sections. Each section will have two gold, two silver and two bronze medals and ten merits from the patron renowned photography associations and in addition to the above, 100 acceptances will be selected for the virtual exhibition. Except for these, based on the points achieved, winners for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals will be selected and the winners will be awarded CPA Gold Medal and 50,000 LKR, CPA Silver Medal and 30,000 LKR and CPA Bronze Medal and 20,000 LKR.
The School section is to emerge school talents in photography. The winners of the school section will be awarded CPA Gold Medal and 30,000 LKR, CPA Silver Medal and 20,000 LKR and CPA Bronze Medal and 10,000 LKR. The promising school which collects the most number of points will be awarded the best school with the prize award of 100,000 LKR.