BMW Photo Cup offers an Adventure of a Lifetime.

Media Information

23 September 2015

BMW Photo Cup offers an Adventure of a Lifetime.

• BMW Asia partners Leica Camera Asia Pacific to host inaugural regional photo contest.
• Two Singapore National Round winners qualify for Finals hosted in Namibia.
• Internationally acclaimed photojournalist endorses BMW Photo Cup and shares tips on photo-taking in Namibia.

Singapore. BMW Asia and Leica Camera Asia Pacific – an internationally operating, premium segment German manufacturer of cameras and sport optics products – have jointly organised the first-ever BMW Photo Cup presented by Leica Camera. The two winners of the Singapore National Rounds have emerged to be Mr. Andrew Bi (49 years old) and Mr. Djohni Chandra (50 years old) with 2,852 votes and 2,242 votes respectively as of the closing date.

Hosted across five countries, Singapore (2 winners), Indonesia (1 winner), Vietnam (2 winners), Philippines (1 winner) and Myanmar (1 winner), contestants are provided with a Leica T Camera System over a one-day period to take part in the photo contest. During which, the contestants are brought to various interesting sites; including a fully operational hangar at the Singapore Changi Airport against the backdrop of a Singapore Airlines A380, the Voc Galangan - an atmospheric café in Jakarta that occupies the premises of a beautifully restored warehouse that dates back to 1628, as well as the majestic Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon for photo opportunities. Limited to submitting only one photo each, the submitted photos are subsequently posted onto the official website for public voting over the period of seven days after each National round is completed. The contestant(s) with the most online votes emerges as winner(s) of the National round. He/she will then become a finalist representing his/her country to square off against other regional finalists in the Finals hosted in Namibia from 6 to 13 October 2015.

In Namibia, all finalists will be put through a spectacular adventure as they drive and explore a highly varied terrain comprising gravel and sand tracks, dunes, canyons, dried river deltas as well as steep mountain passes and beautiful coastal roads. The drive adventure will also be punctuated by stopovers like a boat trip in search of dolphins, stays at ranches and farms with high-class facilities - far out in South-West Africa. The finalists will be driving a BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle, which will be their perfect companion over the eight-day period.

A principle IT engineer with a passion for driving and photography, Mr. Andrew Bi expressed his excitement be one of the finalists representing Singapore in the Finals in Namibia. Mr. Bi said: “I am thrilled with this rare opportunity. The inspiration behind my winning photo in the National round came from the thought of combining the excellent driving performance of a BMW car and the stylish yet excellent optical from a Leica camera. I’m looking forward to the trip already and can’t wait to capture the beauty of Namibia with my camera as I drive on the varied terrains on a BMW X5.”

The other winner from Singapore is Mr. Djohni Chandra who is an Executive Director, and has been taking photos as a hobby for over 20 years. He said: “Not only is this a once-in-a-lifetime chance to go to Namibia, I also get to represent Singapore while doing something that I’ve always been passionate about. This is simply too good to be true.”

“The BMW Photo Cup presented by Leica Camera represents the partnership between BMW Asia and Leica Camera, and our aim to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience that money cannot buy. People want to capture beautiful and memorable moments with a camera to share them with their loved ones. Through a regional contest like the BMW Photo Cup, we’ve successfully created such a platform by combining a unique BMW experience like a Multiday tour of driving in Namibia and the chance to capture those beautiful moments with a Leica camera. The partnership is indeed a dream come true for those who are passionate about photography,” said Ms. Sonja Piontek, Marketing Director of BMW Asia.

“It was a fantastic experience to join hands with BMW Asia to create the first BMW Photo Cup and to offer a dedicated Leica T –Camera System to each participant to capture their moments that remain unforgettable,” said Mr. Sunil Kaul, Managing Director of Leica Camera Asia Pacific. “Pictures speak louder than words, for over 100 years famous photographers from around the world have been capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments with their Leica cameras. For many it was the first time to experience a Leica camera with a Leica Akademie instructor who ensured that the joy of photography was the key objective. The joy came from the overall experience provided and using the Leica T – Camera System as the philosophy of this product is ‘easy to use hard to forget’. Through this partnership we made new friends of the brands along the way.”

The BMW Photo Cup is supported by Mr. Mathias Heng, a highly experienced photojournalist who had spent time travelling to countries experiencing conflict, war and natural disasters. Mr. Heng’s works have appeared internationally in The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Australian, The Age and newspapers throughout Asia and Europe. Besides mainstream media, his images have also appeared in books and magazines worldwide.

Mr. Mathias Heng, who is also the Lead Instructor of Leica Akademie in Asia, shared his insights on how to take better pictures in an exotic venue like Namibia and what to look out for. He said: “Be observant, remember to look around you and don’t just focus on your main subject. Your framing is equally as important as your main subject matter. And to always have your camera switched on in order not to miss a decisive opportunity to shoot.”

BMW X5:

All-Round Sports Activity Vehicle with intelligent BMW xDrive technology.

The new BMW X5 is an all-round Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) that is equipped to meet the most exacting and varied demands. It is equipped with BMW xDrive technology, which is an intelligent all-wheel drive system that is able to distribute driver power between the front and rear axles in a 40:60 ratio under normal circumstances. This figure changes variably when the road surface or overall driving conditions change. Acting virtually instantaneously and a manner so subtle as to be go virtually unnoticed by the vehicle's occupants, BMW xDrive can direct up to 100 percent of drive forces to one axle. Enabling the driver to start up effortlessly even on slippery surfaces or steep hills, xDrive routes all power to the axles with the greatest traction. When parking, the system reacts to the need for high manoeuvrability at low speed by opening the clutch completely so the powertrain functions optimally. At the first sign of understeering, drive power to the front axle is reduced. If oversteering is detected, BMW xDrive directs more power to the front axle. Thanks to this dynamic redistribution of power, vehicle stability returns to normal even before the driver notices anything amiss. Driving on a winding road or taking a fast bend in dynamic style is particularly enjoyable with BMW xDrive: you feel as if your BMW is being guided along the curve.

Leica T Camera System

A camera system that unites the fine art of engineering and hand-crafted excellence with design and handling in an entirely new and innovative concept. From the initial idea through to the development process and in its final assembly, the focus of all disciplines involved was on one single thing – perfection. The outcome was the creation of the Leica T-System, a camera with an exquisite finish ‘made in Germany’ that, together with a portfolio of precise, high-performance lenses, offers exceptional versatility and particularly intuitive handling. Unique in design and pared down to the essential functions, the new Leica T-System offers everything anyone could ever need for pure, creative photography and the best image quality. One of the camera’s outstanding features is its compact and solid body. This is manufactured with innovative precision techniques from a single block of aluminium at the Leica factory. The use of premium materials and their processing in an elaborate manufacturing process are unique in the history of camera construction and lend the Leica T an unmistakable look, feel and solidity. Complementing the purist design of the camera, the operating concept of the Leica T is equally clear, simple and concentrated on relevant functions. At the heart of the concept is the clear design of the touch screen display. Numerous functions in capture and playback mode can be controlled simply by touching the screen.

-Ends-

For media enquiries, please contact:

BMW Group Asia

Corporate Affairs Department

Sethipong Anutarasoti

Tel: +65 6838 9630

Email: Sethipong.anutarasoti@bmwasia.com

Daniel Chan

Tel: +65 6838 9639

Email: daniel.chan@bmwasia.com

Media Website: www.press.bmwgroup.com

Leica Camera Asia Pacific

Senior Marketing and PR Manager

Gracia Yap

Tel: +65 90270572

Email: gracia_.yap@leica-camera.com

The BMW Group

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2014, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.118 million cars and 123,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2014 was approximately € 8.71 billion on revenues amounting to € 80.40 billion. As of 31 December 2014, the BMW Group had a workforce of 116,324 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

www.bmwgroup.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupview

Google+: http://googleplus.bmwgroup.com

Leica Camera

With a long heritage of over 166 years in quality German engineering Leica hand-crafts the world’s finest cameras, the world’s most brilliant lenses and sport optic tools. We capture and preserve memorable moments for the world with customer-orientated, inspirational, premium solutions. Leica helps transform vision into personal creative fulfilment, in many cases nurturing a fervent passion for expression that spans the decades.

Leica Camera has been in the frontline of photojournalism and related activities be it the Oskar Barnack Award for high quality reportage photography or presenting photographs taken by international photographers through its galleries that offer access to life’s hidden stories. In Germany, we build the world’s finest cameras and nurture the true, iconic soul of photography.

Leica Camera Asia Pacific started operations in Singapore in March 2011. Led by Managing Director Sunil Kaul, emerging and developing markets such as Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan contributes to annual sales and growth to the premium German technical luxury brand in Asia Pacific.

www.leica-store.sg

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/leica.store.sg

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/leicastoresingapore