February Photo Contest: Cities of the World
Beautiful photos by members of the FIUTS community from around the globe.
The monthly FIUTS Photo Contest is an opportunity for members of the FIUTS community to share images from around the world. The theme for this month was "Cities of the World" and we received photos of cities in eleven different countries, taken by photographers from China, France, India, Australia, England, Taiwan, Thailand, and the U.S.
There were so many submissions this month and it was incredibly difficult for the judges to choose just three winners! Thank you so much to everyone for sharing your beautiful pictures.
First Place
Amritsar, India: Photo by Wenhuan Yang
Wenhuan, from China, shares her description of the winning photo: "I took this photo in summer, 2012 when I was backpacking in India. This is Golden Temple in Amritsar, which is a religious center for the Sikh. I took it around 5 in the morning when I sat near the water. The morning fog made the surrounding look like an impressionism painting and the old man who prayed in the water was so devotional with religious music playing around. I suddenly felt so intoxicated by the scene and took this photo. I love it so much and I hope you will like it too."
Second Place
Seville, Spain: Photo by Sara Wong
Sara is from Perth, Australia. She took this photo of "La Plaza de España" when she studied abroad in Seville.
Third Place
Fethiye, Turkey: Photo by Peeyush Kumar
Peeyush, from India, says that this is "A picture I took while traveling in this very glamorous port city of Fethiye, Turkey. I think this picture captures the night street view of this city. There are streets like this all over which convert to open bar sitting areas during the night with smoke from the Hukkas filing up the air."
And here are all of the amazing photos we received (shown in no particular order). Thank you all again for your submissions, which provide a beautiful glimpse into places around the globe.
Djenné, Mali: Photo by Grégoire Lurton
Gregoire, from France, says: "This is Djenné, in Mali. This city has been a very important cultural and economic center in west Africa, and it still has an important role in Mali, and is considered holy. It is famous for it is built in earth and clay and is a UNESCO site. This picture is taken from the roof of the Great Mosque, which is one of the most important earthen building in west Africa. There are some more spectacular pictures of the place, but I like this one because it provides a good sense of the intrication of the city."
Kyrenia, Cyprus: Photo by K.C. Chen
K.C. Chen went to high school in Nicosia, Cyprus, and sent this photo of the port in Kyrenia.
Hong Kong: Photo by Chia-Chen Kuo
Chia-Chen Kuo is from Taiwan. This photo shows Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor.
Seattle, Washington, USA: Photo by Wenjie Li
Wenjie, a University of Washington dentistry student from China, took this photo called "Music and Peace" right here on campus outside of Hansee Hall.
Manhattan, New York: Photo by Tanat Anutrakulchai
Tanat, an economics student from Thailand, took this photo of Manhattan's concrete jungle from the Top of the Rock Observation Deck in New York City on Feb 2nd, 2014.
Toronto, Canada: Photo by Victor Li
Victor, who is from Beijing, China, says: "This is a photo of the city of Toronto, I chose this city because after I left my home in Beijing, China, to search for opportunities in Toronto, I always wanted to go back home, because I feel like Beijing was the home for me, but after all the adversities and achievements I have faced, I realize that.. my home is in Toronto."
Bergen, Norway: Photo by Michael James
Michael is an exchange student from England. He took this photo in 2011 and says, "The view is of the city centre taken by riding a funicula up Mount Fløyen. Interestingly, Bergen is a sister city of Seattle."
Seattle, Washington, USA: Photo by Chas Williams
Chas, from Seattle, says: "Sure, it's cheap to enter a photo of Seattle for a 'Cities of the World' contest based in Seattle. But it's my favorite photo of one of my favorite cities."
Annecy, France: Photo by Elodie Fichet
Elodie says: "I am from France. From the region of Haute Savoie, next to the Swiss border. The picture was taken in Annecy, which is 45min away from my hometown. The city of Annecy is also called the “Caribbean of Haute Savoie” because the water of the lake is so clear, warm and the bottom is white sand. Annecy bid to host the 2018 Olympic Games and luckily got turned down - because the bridge I was standing on would have been destroyed to build a stadium."
Tulum, Mexico: Photo by Xian Gong
Xian, a MPA student at the Evans School of Public Affairs, says: "This photo is taken at Tulum Ruins. No representative buildings in this one; instead, I choose the sea water to capture my feelings at this Mayan city built on the coast. It is elegant, sometimes quiet while sometimes powerful. It leaves the space for imagination and also witnesses the history of change."
Cádiz,Spain: Photo by Jikai Zhu
Jikai is from Shenzhen, China. She says that this photo shows "sunset at the most beautiful beach in Spain."
We are now accepting submissions for the March FIUTS Photo Contest! In honor of World Water Day on March 22, the theme is “Water of the World.” Send a photo you’ve taken of any water (oceans, rivers, lakes, or even just the rain in Seattle!) to Ellen. Please include your name, where you are from, and a description of the photo and where it was taken. Each person may submit one photo, and photos you submit must have been taken by you. The deadline to submit photos is 12 PM on Monday, March 17.