Taipei, March 19 (CNA) Two Taiwanese photographers were among the winners of the Ocean Power Watersports Photography Awards (WPA), marking the first time that anyone from Taiwan has received an honor in the international competition.
The winners of the contest were announced on March 8 in the Spanish city of Cartagena.
Wang Chien-yu (王茜瑜) topped the Best Rowing Photography category with a photograph she took in 2018 at a dragon boat race in Hungary when she accompanied Taiwan’s national dragon boat team to train in the European country in the lead-up to the 2018 Asian Games.
Wang said the piece features bright colors and captures the excitement of the dragon boat race.
“I submitted this photo because it encapsulates power and grace,” she told CNA on Wednesday.
Having run a blog documenting dragon boat racing in Taiwan for 10 years, Wang said that although the athletes in her winning photo were not Taiwanese, she was happy it helped the sport gain some international exposure.
Furthermore, Wang said she was honored to have represented Taiwan against photographers from around the world, and that she was moved to see the national flag displayed alongside those of other countries on the event’s social media pages.
“Taiwan is a small country, but we can compete alongside countries like the United Kingdom, France and the United States,” she said.
Meanwhile, Wang Wei-chih (王威智) topped the WPA Best Photography for Ecology category with a photo he took in 2022 of a diver swimming against a backdrop of undersea rock formations, with red coral in the foreground.
Wang Wei-chih, who works as a free diving coach, said he knows of many exclusive beaches around Taiwan, including the spot where he took his winning photo.
The location in waters off the Hengchun Peninsula in Pingtung County is populated by coral known as “sea fans,” which usually grow in areas with strong currents, Wang Wei-chih told CNA.
One has to traverse woodland and a swathe of raised coral reefs to get there and it is practically unknown except to some anglers, he said.
Wang Wei-chih said that triumphing in a category that raises awareness about the preservation of the ecology has provided him with much food for thought.
“People often visit beaches when they go abroad to see corals or sea creatures, but they can find an abundance of this natural bounty in Taiwan,” he said.
He said that he has discovered in his dives that manmade waste such as plastics and trash have posed increasing threats to marine ecology.
He hopes that his work will remind people of the beauty of Taiwan’s beaches and motivate them to be more environmentally conscious, Wang Wei-chih said.
The WPAs, now in their fourth edition, are an initiative by the Water Sports Plastic Free Foundation, an organization that works to promote sports, culture, and environmental awareness around the sea, according to a news release by event organizers.
The international contest not only recognizes excellence in water sports photography but also promotes a message of respect and protection for the oceans, fostering connections between art, sports, and the environment, the release said.
The latest edition comprised 17 categories and attracted more than 500 submissions from 27 countries worldwide, according to event organizers.
