Competitions
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Is there any location in theworld that you’d like to seemore photos of? Probably Europe, including the UK. We see so many exotic locations, that it would be nice to see something closer to home, although in 2012 Craig Easton did win the Cutty Sark Award for his shots of Paris and Scotland. The Middle East would also be good; Australian photographer Jason Edwards’ images of camel racing in Oman in TPOTY 2013 were fantastic. We get to see just how ingenious people can be; for example, no matter how financially deprived a community might be, the children will create something to play with; something that might put to shame some of the more privileged children of the developed world. We’ve also seen some fascinating things such as James Morgan’s image of the five- year-old boy swimming with the pet shark that lived under his (stilt) house – and somany different festivals and celebrations. For me, personally, the image that stays with me (literally, as I have the exhibition print at home!) is Mark Edward Harris’s extraordinary photograph of children in Vietnam marching to their first day at school. He is a remarkable photographer, and the atmosphere he has created in that black & white shot is simply stunning. Wewill always get some entrants who look at what won the previous year and try to emulate that, which isn’t a good idea What are some of themore unusual sights you’ve seen through the competition? How do you see the competition changing and developing in the future? We are working on setting up a programme of touring exhibitions. TPOTY at the RGS is such a popular event that there is demand for it elsewhere, and not just in the UK, of course. That would give incredible exposure to our winning photographers in the near future. We’re approaching the deadline for entries for 2014 TPOTY. What are your trend predictions? I really couldn’t call it and I hope the photographers surprise us. Often, unsurprisingly but not exclusively, the locations reflect the current travel trends. We will always get some entrants who look at what won the previous year and try to emulate that, which isn’t a good idea. Some years ago we said we’d had too many Buddhist monk images and that has now slowed down, but, who knows, this could be the year they make a return! One of the strengths and exciting things about TPOTY is that the style and subject of the winning images are hard to predict. What’s the best piece of advice you could give to those fancying their chances in TPOTY? Read the brief. Then read it again. Enter your best pictures, not your favourite ones. Ask a friend before you send in your entry and listen to their advice on your choice of pictures!
ABOVE TOP A shot from Cat Vinton’s 2013 portfolio. RIGHT Darwin Wiggett’s icy winning photo from 2008. LEFT Mark Edward Harris’s shot of Vietnamese children marching to school. ABOVE LEFT James Morgan captures a five-year-old boy swimming with his pet shark.
The closing date of 1 October isn’t far off now, but there’s still chance to get your entry in. There are ten categories to choose from, including portfolio, single image and a video category, and all entries can be submitted online or by post. If your entry has made the shortlist, you’ll be asked to supply prints by 20 November if you haven’t already. The website has a really comprehensive guide to entry and an extensive FAQ section, making entering a painless process. Enter thecompetition
π To find out more about the competition, go to www.tpoty.com.
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Issue 12 | Photography News
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