WASHINGTON D.C., June 13 — A photo capturing a snow-covered, fishing village in Greenland at dusk and a small family spotlighted by overhead streetlights has been named the grand prize winner of National Geographic’s 2019 Travel Photo Contest.
Of the thousands of entries submitted this year, Weimin Chu’s photo “Winter in Greenland,” depicting the village of Upernavik in northwestern Greenland, stood out for the panel of expert photographer judges and NatGeo staff.
For the photo, Chu camped out on a slope near the airport on a “balmy” -30°C March evening, capturing the colorful homes below.
Historically, Greenlandic buildings were painted different colors to help locals distinguish storefronts (red) and fishermen’s homes (blue) when the landscape was covered in snow.
Chu’s photo captures the relic of Upernavik’s past.
“It felt so harmonious. The whole land was covered by white, cold snow, and the blue tint at dusk made it even cooler. But the light from the windows, street lights and the family of three made the world warm again,” said Chu in a statement.
“I love the contrast and mood of this scene. I was busy taking continuous pictures at that time, trying to capture the best moment.”
It’s not the first time Chu has received a nod from NatGeo. In 2012, his submission was given the editor’s choice award, inspiring Chu to drop his engineering career and pursue professional photography full-time.
The austere and snowy landscape of Greenland is a favorite photo subject for Chu, who has been visiting the country for years.
Chu wins US$7,500 (RM31,280) for his photo.
Check out the winning photos here. — AFP-Relaxnews
