Ramadan Mubarak

So it's that time of year again...that is to say, the time of year which keeps shifting up 11 days each year. Ramadan, the month where we all, Muslims, who are able abstain from food, drink, sexual relations, smoking from sunrise to sunset. (Remember when iftaar was at 5:30 PM?)

I've been loving how the online Muslim community has been growing each year with respect to Ramadan. There are many note-worthy sites and blogs dedicated to this holy month (30mosques and Ramadaning, just to name a couple).

This year, though, there's something for the photography community!

Capture the Spirit of Ramadan: International Professional Photography Competition 2011

This is an amazing competition where pictures are uploaded daily to the competition's facebook page. That's where all the action happens. 'Like' their page and you can check out the photos from this first week of Ramadan. At the end of the month, the organizers will take the top 100 most 'liked' photos and put them up for judging by a panel of international photography experts to be announced in the last week of Ramadan.

According to the website,

Photos will be judged on the following criteria: Impact and Message, Creativity, Photographic Quality, Technical Expertise

The First Place winner will be awarded U.S. $2,000.
The Second Place winner will be awarded U.S. $1,500.
The Third Place winner will each be awarded U.S. $1,000.

For more information about rules and regulations, you can go here.