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From Our Chair - January 2024
From Our Chair - Mark A Phillips FRPS
Welcome to 2024!
This edition is largely devoted to our Documentary Photography Awards. So, if I may indulge, this “From Our Chair” focuses largely on the processes we used and to provide a little context.
After a successful expansion of our Documentary Photographer of the Year in 2021, we changed the focus a little in 2023 with the desire to move from an overt “competition” to awards that would allow us to recognise and showcase more documentary photography. We also wanted to reflect support and development of documentary photography, and this is shown in the actual awards made.
Our intent was to select nine projects for exhibition, with three projects from each of a Members, Students and Open category. This format enables us to show work from our own RPS members, plus work of upcoming and student photographers, as well as from more seasoned and experienced photographers in the open category. In that respect it is fairly unique.
The submissions closed at the end of July. In total 235 projects, with over 3000 images were entered, spread fairly evenly across the three categories. The entries went through an online process of longlisting, shortlisting, and then final selection. We use the same system the RPS uses for IPE, and BJP uses for Portrait of Britain.
This year, our international panel of selectors included:
Alejandro Chaskielberg, photographer and curator, Buenos Aires
Liz Hingley, photographer, curator and anthropologist, London
Roy Mehta, Photographer and Lecturer, London
Rosy Santella, picture editor, Internazionale, Rome
Roger Tooth, former head of photography, The Guardian
The entire process was blind with the selectors having no information on the photographers, other than the images and the statements (and captions, if provided). Each selector scored independently, and scores were aggregated. Shortlisted images were announced in September and then checked for potential use of generative AI (which we prohibited). Final selection and discussions took place at a meeting in early November and the Awards were formally announced on 30 November at an online event. Making the final selection of just three projects was difficult as we had such strong entries. I am really grateful to all our selectors for giving up their time and for their diligence.
The selected projects are diverse, ranging from the impact of conflict, migration, reflections on history and memory, performance, ageing, mental health, and childhood. They provide an insight into the range of what documentary can do and how it can be used to tell stories.
The 2023 Awards are as follows:
Student Category
Julián Cabral Lito (Argentina) Bursary
Sefa Eyol The Costs of Freedom (Turkey / China) RPS Membership
Tamsyn Warde On These Magic Shores (UK) Support
Members Category
Michael Knapstein Midwest Memoir (USA) RPS Membership
Ruth Toda-Nation Love is a Life Story (UK) Support
Brian Morgan ARPS No Safety Net (UK) MPF Membership
Open Category
Byron Smith Testament ‘22 (USA) Bursary
Alisa Martynova Nowhere Near (Italy) Support
Gerard Saitner Portraits of artists of condition-related art (Austria) RPS Membership
Consistent with the aim of developing the photographers and their practice, some photographers will receive one-to-one support as follows: Open (Mimi Mollica), Student (Laura Pannack) and Members (Liz Hingley). The support can be used to help develop their project or their practice; that is up to them.
We will have a short news item on the Awards in the next RPS Journal and aim for a more in-depth article on one or more of the selected photographers in a later edition. A future edition of The Decisive Moment will feature work from other shortlisted photographers.
A key activity in 2024 is our touring exhibition. So far, we have confirmed:
May - The Nunnery Gallery, Bow, London
June - Eden Court, Inverness
July - Stables Gallery, Stirling
August - Oriel Colwyn, North Wales
September - Arts Centre, Newcastle
October - St. John’s College, Oxford
November (tbc)- RPS House, Bristol
A huge amount of work goes on in the background to secure these venues, so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Harry Hall and the regional groups who have helped organise this.
Along with the exhibition we plan to hold several in-person talks with the successful photographers or selectors, and other events, at selected venues in conjunction with the relevant regions and regional groups. In other news it has been good to see members run more local activities including the exhibitions and online YouTube events in East Anglia, exhibitions in South East and a documentary/ contemporary collaboration in Central, with a new photobook as output.
If you have ideas for other activities or collaborations, please get in contact.
Finally, to help better promote and publicise events we have agreed that Documentary and Contemporary group events will be copromoted to each group as many of these events are of interest to both groups.
