The Royal Photographic Society Documentary Photographer of the Year is an international competition attracting exceptional visual storytellers from across the world. Documentary photography is a unique medium that communicates the human condition seen through a moment in time. Documentary Group Chair, Mark Phillips, said “This year’s competition aimed to be much more inclusive to expand its reach, thus increasing its relevance. With over 3500 images from across the world and an international panel of judges, I think we’ve achieved that.”
While the Covid 19-Pandemic is seen as the paramount issue of the era, it is also important that other stories are told. The competition recognises and celebrates the work of photographers who have used a distinctive personal approach to documenting social, medical, political and environmental issues affecting communities and individuals.
Judge Roy Mehta commented " The first thing that struck me was the level of commitment displayed by each of the winning artists... David Collyer offers us campaigning photojournalism from the front line of the NHS during the first wave of Covid."
©DAVID COLLYER
"...Debsuddah Banerjee’s work, made in India, explores the psychological struggle of his elderly unmarried aunts, who lead a socially isolated life being discriminated due to their skin colour."
©DEBSUDDH BANERJEE
For her work ‘Ka Dingiei’, Aishwarya Arumbakkan becomes the first winner of the Student Category, which was launched this year to encourage the next generation of photographers.
©AISHWARYA ARUMBAKKAN
The touring exhibition showing a selection of work from the winning entrants and runners-up can be seen here at Oriel Colwyn from Tuesday 14th June to Tuesday 12th July.
As usual, the exhibition is free to view.
OPENING EVENT
SATURDAY 18th JUNE - (6pm-9.30pm)
To compliment the exhibition and documentary photography work in general, we held two special events – one in the exhibition opening week and one in the closing week.
SATURDAY 18th JUNE
We were pleased to host an evening of exhibition viewing with a varied selection of both the winters and commended photographers speaking about their work. Each photographer spoke for 10 minutes, followed by a 10 min Q&A
- Introduction by Harry Hall (RPS Documentary Group)
- Speaker 1 - David Collyer (in person) - 6.00pm - 6.20pm
- Speaker 2 - Debsuddha Banerjee (live zoom from India) - 6.20pm - 6.40pm
- Speaker 3 - Hari Katragadda (live zoom from India) - 6.40pm - 7pm
- Exhibition viewing/socialising - 7pm - 7.30pm
- Speaker 4 - Alexander Komenda (live zoom from Finland) - 7.30pm - 7.50pm
- Speaker 5 - Stefano Sbrulli (zoom or in person -TBC) - 7.50pm - 8.10pm
- Speaker 6 - Neil Johansson - (in person) - 8.10pm - 8.30pm
- Speaker 7 - Gareth Jenkins - (in person) - 8.30pm - 8.50pm
- Exhibition Viewing/socialising - 8.50pm - 9.30pm
- Event End 9.30pm.