YEREVAN, Armenia—Professionals they are not. But when using the richness of Armenia’s reality and beauty as a backdrop, the photos of Birthright Armenia alumni can indeed have a professional feel to them.
“Some shots capture a micro-second of a dynamic scene, others touch ancient walls, and yet others leave you with a feeling of wanting to know more about what it is or who it is you are looking at,” said Sevan Kabakian, the country director for the organization in Armenia. “We wanted to give our current and past participants the opportunity to share some of their best work.”
Over the years, Birthright Armenia staff members have seen many quality photos come from the lenses of the volunteers, and “it was time to give them a chance to showcase their work,” said Asqanaz Hambartsoumyan. The “Armenia on the Road” photography exhibition and contest opened for public display on Nov. 28 and showcases a wide array of photos exclusively taken by Birthright Armenia alumni.
Over 100 photos in total were submitted for consideration, and 45 were selected for inclusion in the show. The main criterion was that the photograph must have been taken during a group excursion. Birthright Armenia offers its volunteer participants an exciting, year-round, weekend excursion series that incorporates visits to all regions of Armenia as well as extended four-day journeys to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh). These adventures combine a mix of tourism with off-the-beaten-path segues to corners of Armenia that few people actually get to enjoy. Utilizing experienced tour guides and an all-inclusive package, each volunteer gets to personally feel the aura, culture, architecture, and countryside while spanning centuries of history even within a single excursion.
Attendees of the exhibition will have the chance to vote for their favorite photos, and the top 15 with the most votes will be featured on Facebook, inviting the larger public for a final round of voting. The photos with the most “Likes” will be the winners.
The exhibit runs until Dec. 15 at the Birthright Armenia/”Depi Hayk” office located at 37 Hanrapetutyan St. in Yerevan.
For more information, or to make an online donation, visit www.birthrightarmenia.org.
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