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In Papua New Guinea, boys jump from trees into Lake Murray on a...
Reportage by Getty Images TumblrIn Papua New Guinea, boys jump from trees into Lake Murray on a late-afternoon family outing. Time for one more turn before the sun sets.
Reportage photographer Brent Stirton received 2nd prize in the “Happiness” category of this year’s Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA), for an image of boys leaping into a lake in Papua New Guinea.
The photo was taken on Lake Murray, a very remote and pristine “area that was under tremendous threat from Malaysian loggers,” says Brent. After a decade-long battle, the local population chased out the loggers.
“So when you see these kids jumping out of this tree, these are the children from the families who fought against these loggers and have reclaimed this pristine area for themselves,” added Brent. “And now they practice very sustainable logging, only when it’s required. They don’t do anything for mass profit. They believe in living in complete harmony with the environment. They never take more from the forest than they need. I think it’s quite a remarkable lesson. This picture always reminds me of what’s possible when we don’t let greed triumph over what we actually need.”
The HIPA competition, founded by the Crown Price of Dubai, is one of the richest purses in photography, with a total of $400,000 across 5 categories. See all the winners, including the $120,000 grand-prize winner, on the HIPA website.
