“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still. You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” Showcasing that very notion, the AIUB Photography Club, in collaboration with Step Footwear, organized the “STEP AIUB Photography Contest 2019”, bringing together the artistic captures of students into a single frame. With numerous online submissions, a 4-day judgment and selection process with professional photographers and enthusiasts ensued. The best 30 submissions were shortlisted to move forward to the product photography stage, where Step provided each contestant with 3 products for them highlight through their photos. The following week, the Top 10 participants made it through to the final round, where they were invited to the Step Footwear showroom, select any product of their choice, and present them in 3 categories of conceptual, fashion, and lifestyle.

Finally, on the 11th of December 2019, the Prize-Giving Ceremony was held on the campus premises, to award the winners in each category of the competition. Mr. Golam Mustafa, the Former Director of Photography at the Bangladesh Television was the chief guest for the occasion, along with Mr. Mazhar Shumon, the Marketing Manager of Anondo Alo at Channel i, Mr. Shamim Kabir, the Managing Director of Step Footwear, and Mr. Prasanna Andaraweera, the Chief Operating Officer of Step Footwear, who also attended the program. Following a welcome note from Dr. Charles C. Villanueva, the Vice President of Academics and the Dean for the Faculty of Business Administration at AIUB, the announcement of the winners was made by Mr. Mustafa and Mr. Mazhar. Mohammad Nihal Nahyan was the winner in the conceptual category, while Sabbir Shikdar Orid won in the fashion category, and Faiaz Ben Reza became the winner in the lifestyle category. Incidentally, all 3 of them are current students in the Faculty of Science & Technology as well as active members of the AIUB Photography Club. The winners were presented with their crests and certificates of achievement, as well as gift vouchers received and a. privilege membership of Step Footwear. The guests were presented with a token of appreciation by Dr. Villanueva on behalf of AIUB, followed by a group photo with the winners and organizers of the event.

The guests expressed their gratitude to the university and its club, as well as all the talented participants for their efforts and contribution towards making the event a success. Each and every capture was a triumph in its own accord, and AIUB has always taken pride in the artistic flair and caliber of its talented students. Such initiatives from corporates, paving the way to create a space where creativity can be applied practically into business, enables the young bright minds of tomorrow to take a step further and make their mark in the future.