Awards
3 Merit of Excellence entries for AFP in Hong Kong's Press Photographers Association
AFP photographer Philip Fong and freelancer Bertha Wang were awarded "Merit of Excellence" achievements by the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association's annual competition earlier this month.
The Hong Kong-based association was established in 1989, today represents more than 100 photographers working across the city and beyond.
Since 1993, their "Focus at the Frontline" news photography competition has served to highlight the city's best photographers capturing images ranging from breaking news and sports to covering issues like the environment and economy.
Philip Fong, AFP's staff photographer with the Tokyo bureau, was awarded a "Merit Excellence" in "Sports News" for his image of Croatian swimmer Matea Butorac taken during the World Aquatics Champions in Fukuoka, Japan, last year.
In his image, the edge of her face can be seen peeking out of the water's surface -- a brief moment of stillness captured during the women's solo artistic swimming event.
Fong joined AFP in 2018 as a stringer with the Hong Kong bureau, aiding in the coverage of massive democracy protests that kicked off the following year, before becoming a staffer in August 2019.
He said it is an "honour" to have an award from his hometown, especially in the coveted sports category.
Fong was assigned to cover the three-week-long World Aquatics Championships with a full team, which he said gave him time to be creative with his shooting.
One of the tricky parts he encountered was the presence of advertising boards all over the pool.
"As we are the wire photographers, 'no marketing' is a must when doing the sports images," Fong said, adding that he found a small area of the pool where there were no signs.
"So I put the camera with 600mm lens on the floor, with the blue carpet floor merged with the pool water, (and) the athlete looked like she was competing on the floor."
In the same competition, Bertha Wang, a freelancer who works occasionally with AFP's Hong Kong bureau, was also recognised.
For "Nature and environment", the jury gave her a "Merit of Excellence" for her image of a neon sign sitting on the ground after it was removed from a Hong Kong building due to safety concerns.
In "Spot News", she also got another merit for her image of a worker standing next to a whirlpool of muddy water when Hong Kong was flooded by the heaviest rainfall in nearly 140 years.