Winners of the Fifth Expats Eye Shenzhen Photo Contest and guests pose for a photo at the awards ceremony by the Dasha River in Nanshan District on Saturday.

Participants of the awards ceremony check out the exhibition of winning works. 

An aerial photo of the venue of the awards ceremony and the exhibition of winning works by the Dasha River. 

Hu Yuhang (R), a student with autism from Xingguang School in Bao'an District, delivers a speech at the awards ceremony.    

Shenzhen's natural environment and urban life have never failed to inspire expats to take out their cameras and snap stunning shots of the city as seen through their lenses.

The awards ceremony for the Fifth Expats Eye Shenzhen Photo Contest and the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition featuring the contest's winning works were held in Nanshan District on Saturday afternoon.

The photo exhibition featuring 171 winning works opened to the public for free near the CAFIEW book bar in Nanshan and will run through Dec. 22. Some of the winning works will also be exhibited at various international blocks in Shenzhen.

The photo contest was divided into humanistic and nature categories. This year's contest, which ran from July 20 to Sept. 15, received over 1,000 photos provided by more than 110 entrants from 33 countries, with 75 entries standing out as prizewinners, including winners of two first prizes, four second prizes, nine third prizes, 20 merit prizes and 40 finalist awards. Many participants have submitted works to the contest for five consecutive years.

The first-prize winner in the humanistic category went to Anton Tsentalovich, a professional photographer from Russia. His photo series "People at Work" focuses on construction workers, a deliveryman working despite the rainstorm, an artist who painted attentively in the studio, and elegant ballet dancers. His photos show Shenzheners' serious attention to work and positive outlook on life.

Ashley Main from the U.K. clinched the first prize in the nature category for his photo series "Their Lives in Shenzhen," which offers close-up shots of the vibrant wildlife he spotted in various parks and mountains.

Main's photos have won prizes in the photo contest's previous editions. According to Main, over the past few years, he has spent a lot of time in the parks, early mornings at Shenzhen Bay, and many nights hiking the mountains in his attempts to capture the images of wildlife. 

"It's been amazing not only to discover and learn about the intricate ecosystems flourishing in the parks, wetlands, and mountains right in the center of Shenzhen, but also to have a small community of like-minded people to share these discoveries with," Main said at the awards ceremony.

Joshua Fernandez, an American entrepreneur who has been living in Shenzhen for 10 years, won a third prize in the humanistic category. "After four years traveling through my photography journey, it is really incredible to be able to receive recognition for the work I have put in. For it is Shenzhen that gave me many interesting subjects to capture through my exploration in photography."

Fernandez's award-winning work is a semi-long exposure photo of One Shenzhen Bay from across the water in Talent Park. The reflection of the brightly-lit skyscraper is projected onto the water surface. A beam of light illuminates the five-star red flag on the lamp post, complementing the night view of the park.

"There is no shortage of incredible architecture and landscapes for anyone who has an interest in photographing the iconic locations of Shenzhen known worldwide. It is equally intriguing to express the stories of the lives of local people through the art of photography," he added, encouraging more photographers and content creators to come to Shenzhen to feel inspired.

His photo "Nanshan Skyline" was selected by the renowned Dutch pianist, composer, and new-generation jazz pioneer Michel Borstlap and his team as the cover of a piano album named after Shenzhen.

"For me, people are what really fascinate me. Their attitudes and the activities that they do every day show me the true Shenzhen that I love," said Jesus Eduardo Campos from Mexico, who won a third prize at the humanistic category for his photo series “World of Mortals.”

It is worth mentioning that Hu Yuhang, a teenager with autism who studies at Xing-guang School in Bao'an District, also held a personal art exhibition showcasing 21 works at the photo exhibition of the photo contest under the organization of Shenzhen Daily.

Hu has been practicing drawing since the age of 4 and has stuck with the hobby for eight years. 

He is skilled at drawing urban architecture, and his works include famous Shenzhen landmarks such as the Diwang Building, Ping An Finance Center, China Resources Headquarters Tower, and China Merchants Bank Tower.

The event was hosted by the Information Office of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, organized by EYESHENZHEN.com, Shenzhen Daily and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shenzhen Municipal Committee (CCPIT Shenzhen). It also received guidance from the municipal foreign affairs office and support from China Resources Land Ltd.