Congratulations to photographer Dale Johnson for the image, “Morning Prayers,” Third Prize winner of our Your Best Shot 2021 photo contest. Here is the story behind the photo.
“I was in Delhi, India, on a business trip and had some time over the weekend to get out and explore with my camera. I had done a bit of research on what there was to see, and the Jama Masjid Mosque was high on my list. I arrived there at about 7:00 a.m. and the place was quiet. One man was sweeping the floor in the mosque and then laying out prayer rugs in long rows.
“I wandered around finding different angles to shoot when a man walked in and began his morning prayers. He chose to pray in the single sunbeam that shown into the mosque. I couldn’t have picked a better spot if I had been directing him on where to go. I stayed back at a distance so as not to disturb him and captured this image.
“As this is one of the largest mosques in India, I had been hoping to see hundreds of people all lined up in prayer, but after getting this shot, I was more than happy with the result I go that morning.”
–Dale Johnson
See the Second Prize and First Prize winners, and this slideshow of all of the finalists.
Congratulations Dale Johnson! “Morning Prayers” has the qualities of a master painting.