And The Winner Of The Fstoppers Gulf Photo Plus Contest Is...

And The Winner Of The Fstoppers Gulf Photo Plus Contest Is...

Last night we chose one random commenter from Facebook and one from Fstoppers and we put both names in a hat. We drew one name out to determine the winner, and the winner is...

Congratulations Jayce Giddens! Jayce is both a professional photographer and a full-time high school photography teacher in Corvallis, OR. We will be meeting Jayce in-person in Dubai on February 10-17 for Photo Week at Gulf Photo Plus, and if you're attending this year as well, we look forward to seeing you there, too. 

This will be our second time attending GPP, and below you can check out an inspirational video we produced during our first trip that shows just how much there is to learn from the instructors.

Lee Morris's picture

Lee Morris is a professional photographer based in Charleston SC, and is the co-owner of Fstoppers.com

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151 Comments

I soooo wanna go!! Im your huckleberry:)

Dream City! Dream trip!

Would love an opportunity like this!

What and awesome opportunity not just to go to Dubai, but to attend GPP. Cheers and thanks Fstoppers

I would be so appreciative to have this amazing opportunity and learn from such great talent!

oooooo ooooo ooooooo oooooo oooooo ooooooo pick me please!!!!! oooooo oooooo ooooooo oooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's many workshops and seminars...which would you be attending more or less so i may book to meet you guys!

We will be in and out of all of the classes. We are filming another promo video for them.

This would be the perfect trip, seeing the world and learning more about photography all whilst over coming my anxiety about travelling. what a start to 2017 it would be!

I've been to Dubai twice - but only saw the inside of the airport. I'd love to go and actually see the city someday. Oh - and I'm actually a photographer.

Sounds like a great place to learn some amazing skills from some pretty talented photographers :)

Nice! What an opportunity!

It's an amazing opportunity to learn and grow with the help of fellow photographers and who knows it might bring a change in other societies as well.

hey hey! Just want to go back to Dubai :)

As someone who has never done photography in a professional setting, it's often hard to find time to really focus on it as a hobby and getting better-- what a great opportunity this would be!

Not having traveled outside North America since I was a child and doing it surrounded by so many amazing photographers would be a dream come true.

Aside from those amazing workshops, would love to see the Shootout in person.

It would be amazing to take part in a workshop with Elia Locardi. Also I would love meeting the two of you, since the only way to get to know you (since I am from Germany) so far have been the BTS-videos on youtube, which are quite cool!

I would like to win the free trip to Dubai because it would be a great step in my photography career. I would like to win to take the opportunity to meet world class photographers and pick their brains as much as possible to help develop my style and perfectionate my skills. Also I would like to be an inspiration for the people in my city, to show them that anyone, regardless of socio-economic status, can succeed if they follow their dreams.

This opportunity would be such a learning experience to actually attend in this very location and moment but then also leave with so much knowledge and confidence as a photographer, My late father who also was a photographer would be very happy if I had such an opportunity following in his footsteps I wouldn't let him down!

Would love the chance to attend some of those awesome workshops and experience Dubai. Also the annual shootout!

I'm in!

Would be an amazing, fantastic, wonderful dream trip for a photographer. Period.

Would love to learn more about flash and portrait photography, and what better location and set of teachers then Dubai and the GPP

There is so much I want to learn not only from the techniques of these incredible teachers, but the business aspect as well.

I can't describe what this would mean for me in a simple comment, but god dammit it would change my life.

What a way to learn more!

This would be the best christmas present ever! :-)

Winning this trip would mean the world to me.
Over the last few years, I worked in different office jobs, but in fact I wanted to become a freelance photographer.

This year, many things changed. I lost my job from one day to another, started freelancing and went to Norway, where I found my true love to the mountains and to nature. Also, while working as a tour guide and during my hikes, I learned how good it is to travel a lot. And even travelling alone all by yourself can be so great. When you are alone, you make more friends and have big stories to tell. That does not happen when you travel with other people from the very beginning.

I also discovered my passion for speaking in public, so after my return from Norway, I gave a presentation about my travels with the purpose of inspiring other people to find out what they love and travel a lot for that. It opened my mind and heart. Now it's time for me to share it with the public. I learned that everything in life works out, if you want something just strongly enough and are committed to it. Now I work as a high-end picture retoucher - self-taught, I studied geography. It shows that you can do with your life what you want.

That's why getting this opportunity will contribute to inspiring stories I want to share with others. I want to contribute to make the world a better one, starting on the small scale of telling travel stories.

Furthermore, I had an interview with Flickr and I am featured on their website now. All of that just happened because I did what I love, I went to Norway, went on hikes and created pictures. I really want to make a living from photography. I know that my content is good, but I have no idea of how to find clients and how to really get started. That's why it would mean the world to me, to meet successful professional photographers. Getting their advices will be gold for me. Having the opportunity to talk to those people in person, will endlessly inspire me.

I want to go to Dubai!

Participate in Photo Week in Dubai, Absolutely, Yes, Please! Excellent idea! To be able to participate in this trip would be a life altering event for any photography artist. To be able to win this trip would make this life altering event possible for this lesser known artist. I would love to glean much needed skills and techniques from masters. In a city, country or ancient ruins setting, I love to soak in the uniqueness of each location and try to capture the people and places in a positive, yet realistic light. What an exhilarating and humbling experience this will be! Thank you for generously providing a way where it otherwise would have been impossible to make happen.

I wanna go and learn from the instructors

I'd love to improve my career by learning from the best, and doing it in Dubai is definitely a bonus.

I love travel, and I'd love to go to Dubai, just for the chance at time lapse movies and incredible vantage points from the tall buildings.

1st reason would be meeting you guys ( asslicker I know hahaha )
2nd would be... for the love of photography!
3rd awesome place to photograph
4th need a break from work, the past 10 days have been frenzy, I only get to see my house for 5 hours of sleep and then it's all day & night work :(

Is this US only or I can win from Italy too?

Positively, absolutely, definitely want to be there.

GPP & Dubai <3

It´s realy cold in my town, so please take me to Dubai, because it will be warmer

I would be honored to receive this award.

On my bucket list!

Would love the opportunity to meet so many famous folks and watch them work in one place!

Amazing people in amazing place. What's an amazing opportunity be there. :)

Oh my God... I would like to be side by side with my teachers from who I learned a lot since 2005, shake their hands and tell them: thank you so much! :)
I've never been in a place like this one. I can't imagine what I can feel with this experience... and probably I'll never have :(

I would like to go to expand what i have already learn in a different environment. I teach as well so it would give me material to bring back to the students i teach. The other reasons are really selfish in the sense of getting away, meeting new people and seeing the world at another expense. Would i be excited, absolutely!

A week in Dubai, that would be great!

I'm not attending (due to work sched)... But can I meet you Lee and Patrick and have a selfie? LOL! I live here in Dubai!

this is would be so awesome. **crosses fingers and toes**

As Peter, Pau,l and Mary used to sing: "Al my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, I'm standing here beside the door...." I have never had a chance to visit a Photo tradeshow but would love to join you and expand my knowledge into the Photography world.

Who wouldn't want to attend? Dave Hobby, Zack Arias, Elia Locardi, Sara Lando...Yes, please.

cause GPP is a heaven for all photographers, to participate at workshops with all the big names It´s a dream of every guy with camera, i never win something. we have to keep the dreams. :-) I would like to go, it s really nice trip.

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