BRITISH LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS: PORTFOLIO 1:

These wonderful award-winning contemporary images speak louder than words about our society today, from cream teas in Sussex to the seedy back streets of London. The purpose of the awards is not just to showcase emerging talent but also to revive the documentary aspects of photography, to promote its relevance in raising awareness on social issues, and to motivate young people to take up photography in a serious way. A judging panel of 10 leading photographers chose David Yeo as overall winner with his image of a small caravan parked in front of a huge flowering chestnut tree, encapsulating the optimism of a yearning for nature. The Young Photographer's award went to Ella Turville's close-up of her brother on Brighton beach, with the sun behind his head illuminating grains of sand on his skin. The relationship between people, land and coast is memorably captured by Jim Donahue's study of early morning rowers in a misty golden dawn at Henley, while a contrasting image by the same photographer depicts Pangbourne Historical Society, a large group of individual characters sitting round a table in a church, with a Gothic doorway and wall monuments in the background. Roy Riley's spectacular "Climbing the Roaches" catches the climber hanging off the side of a rock. Chrissie Westgate perfectly nails the WI myth with a hatted member playing the piano under a portrait of the late Queen. From the section on Urban Life, a photo of the Shard in winter is an ethereal image with clouds cutting across the iconic building, while the distinctive bobbly surface of Birmingham Selfridges reflects a blazing sunrise. Janine Wiedel's photo of Flanagan's Pub foregrounds a Welsh Cob pony drinking at the bar with the regulars. Street life and portraiture sections showcase some fascinating characters, from Bristol nuns to the emotional crowning of Miss Teen Zimbabwe. 160pp, magnificent photos on every page.
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