The “Haag-Streit Slit Lamp Imaging Competition” has now been successfully running for four consecutive years. In 2022, participants from 20 countries submitted 168 outstanding entries. One of the judges, Jesús Conejero, commented: “This year’s competition saw images of very high quality, making it difficult to choose one winner, however, Utpal Sarkar’s image is stunning and truly captivating. Its execution is perfect, and the aesthetic result is impressive.”
The winner
As metioned by Conejero, it was Utpal Sarkar from Disha Eye Hospitals Barrackpore in Kolkata, India, who wowed the judges. His winning image, taken with a Haag-Streit BX 900 slit lamp imaging system, shows a case of Spherophakia and convinced on all three winning criteria, image quality, technical execution, and disease interest. Jurors have been especially impressed by the ciliary zonule being fully in focus over nearly the entire 360 degrees of the eye.
As part of the winning package, Sarkar will be featured in an ophthalmic journal and will receive a Sony Alpha 7 IV photography kit.
Second place
Rob Hancock from Wirral University Teaching Hospitals in the UK was the competition’s runner up. His image, also taken on a Haag-Streit BX 900 slit lamp, displays a patient with ocular albinism and has been captured with iris transillumination technique. The image has been selected by the jury for being crisp, detail-rich and showing a high level of contrast.
Third place
Kathleen Warren from Duke Eye Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA, also got a spot on the podium. Her winning image displays a case of epithelial ingrowth, taken with a Haag-Streit BX 900 slit lamp. Taken with large magnification, the image is not only detail rich and fully in focus, but it has also been chosen for its artistic qualities.
All the winning entries ranked one to 10 can be viewed here.
The jury included:
Marc Curchod, ophthalmic photographer, Switzerland
Jesús Conejero, ophthalmologist, Spain
Frank Wenger, Head Product Management General Diagnostics, Haag-Streit, Switzerland
Wenger commented: “My fellow jurors and I have been amazed by this year’s submissions. We have found the images of incomparable quality. As Haag-Streit, we are also very proud to see that many of the best images have been captured by our BX 900 slit lamp, which has been especially designed for ophthalmic photographers.”
