We’re very excited to announce the winners and highly commended photographers of the YEARBOOK 2021 awards!

BenQ YEARBOOK AWARD 2021

Selected by the UK BenQ team, the winner will receive a BenQ SW270C professional monitor.

Winner: Susan Borowitz

Highly commended: Kate Carpenter

“We chose “Marooned” by Susan Borowitz because we were intrigued by the story behind it. How did this person end up in this situation? The look on the subject’s face suggests they’ve been there for hours waiting to be rescued, and they are entirely sick of the situation they’re in. It almost evokes a sense of comic as well, bringing a smile to our faces. A strong, emotional image!”

BenQ Corporation is a world-leading human technology and solutions provider aiming to elevate and enrich every aspect of consumers lives. Set apart by the unique philosophy of ‘Because it matters’, BenQ is committed to empowering people to live better, increase efficiency, feel healthier and enhance learning through people-driven, innovation-fuelled products. For photographers, filmmakers and graphic designers, they build and develop professional monitors focusing on colour reproduction and technology, eye health and efficiency. The monitors allow you to work with ease, knowing that what you see is true to life, and your work output is of the highest quality.

Marooned © Susan Borowitz

Genesis Imaging YEARBOOK AWARD 2021

Selected by Gabrielle Brooks from Genesis Imaging, the winner will receive a £1,000 bursary to use with Genesis Imaging, redeemable against print and/or finishing services, plus a mentorship with Genesis Imaging’s Mark Foxwell.

Winner: Hannah Norton

Highly commended: Christian Jago

“There is an ambiguity in Hannah Norton’s work which draws the viewer in through colour-coded dots, thoughtfully scattered through the image. The image serves as a thoughtful meditation on the everyday, a subject that has had new scrutiny during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Genesis Imaging’s extensive printing and finishing services combine the latest technology with a team that has over 20 years of experience at the forefront of exhibition production. The prints, mounts and frames they produce have graced the walls of leading museums and galleries from London’s Tate Modern to The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

They thrive on working with photographers, artists, interior designers, architects, and individuals on wide-ranging projects – from national and international exhibitions in galleries, museums and institutions to interior design and personal work.

In The Supermarket © Hannah Norton

The Griffin Museum of Photography YEARBOOK AWARD 2021 – Selected by Paula Tognarelli from the Griffin Museum of Photography, the winner will receive a seat in the online version of their Photography Atelier Class in either March or September 2022, culminating with a class exhibition.

Winner: Rakesh Sikder

Highly commended: Fiona Steel

“I chose The Divide by Rakesh Sikder because of the meditative and seemingly simplistic narrative of the photograph. It appears as if two golden fish are floating around each other under a midnight sky. The dark background and reflected trees, contrast with the orange flesh. The imagined tails seem to be guiding direction, albeit slowly and sumptuously. What my mind sees as fish though are really orange botanicals, their petals tucked under water. The imagination transforms this image into something more than just suspended lilies. The title The Divide may suggest tiny vessels of migration, on their way to a better life. Perhaps the title is apocalyptic or a reference to inequality such as in wealth.

The Griffin Museum of Photography is a nonprofit organisation dedicated solely to the art of photography. Through our many exhibitions, programs and lectures, we strive to encourage a broader understanding and appreciation of the visual, emotional and social impact of photographic art. As an institution, we are committed to insuring that our mindset, our practice, our outreach, our programming and our exhibitions set a framework with priorities for building programs and exhibitions that consider diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion through our mission that is centred around the photograph.

The Divide © Rakesh Sikder

Metro Imaging YEARBOOK AWARD 2021 – Selected by Professor Steve Macleod from Metro Imaging, the winner will receive a twelve month mentorship, including producing a working portfolio.

Winner: Grant Simon Rogers

Highly commended: Caroline Fraser

“The quality of work was incredibly high this year, making the decision even more difficult – we often wonder why judges select one artist over another – it’s not that one is better or more experienced, it often comes down to how images resonate and stick in the mind of the viewer. We are absolutely delighted to announce that after several rounds of deliberation, Steve has selected Grant Simon Rogers for the award – his work displays the majesty, yet wafer thin fragility of nature. His work resounds around a well-trodden and often overlooked path and yet he manages to pick out the most beautifully poignant images. We very much look forward to sharing his journey and collaborating with him over the next twelve months.”

Metro Imaging has a reputation for supporting education and in 2005 established its mentorship programme. Over the years the company has supported hundreds of artists from both academic and non-academic pathways and we are delighted to be able to partner with Shutter Hub by offering a twelve month bespoke mentorship where we will develop the individual’s next career move.

Life in a Berlin Snow Globe © Grant Simon Rogers

The Modern House YEARBOOK AWARD 2021 – Selected by Albert Hill from The Modern House, the winner will receive a mentorship session with Albert Hill and Elliot Sheppard, The Modern House’s Lead Photographer, including going on a shoot.

Winner: Chloe Milos Azzopardi

Highly commended:  Susanne Hakuba

“This amazing picture was a clear winner for me. Not only did it stand out immediately – thanks to the stark, simple composition and shimmering, silvery colour of the snake – but repeated inspections only seem to increase my fascination with the image.

The disembodied hands seem to be sensibly keeping a dangerous reptile at arm’s length yet there is a real intimacy and softness about the way these open palms are so close and bound together by the sinuous curves of the snake.

The snake, of course, is a deeply symbolic creature so by placing one so centrally, the image loses its innocence immediately. It makes us think, for instance, about Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden and this link with such grand narratives makes us wonder what the story is about this particular snake and those particular hands.

Hands, of course, are all we have in this image to tell us about the identity of the people in the picture and they tell us both a lot and a little. The black void that occupies so much of the picture only serves to intensify the life we see at the heart of the image. I love, too, the sparseness of the greenery and the subtle texture of the cream-coloured wall. There is so much to enjoy about this image!

Lastly, I like the fact that the photograph seems to hover somewhere between a documentary snapshot and a staged, editorial image. It seems too arbitrary as a moment (especially with the awkward composition of the hands) to be something that’s been carefully preconceived and yet there are elements (the seductive texture and colours) that make it look like a fashion shoot.”

The Modern House is an estate agency that helps people live in more thoughtful and beautiful ways. We believe in design as a powerful force for good. Inspired by the principles of modernism, we represent design-led homes across the UK which celebrate light, space and a truth to materials. Esquire credits The Modern House with “rewriting the rulebook on estate agency” and GQ voted us “one of the best things in the world”.

Untitled 03 © C.M Azzopardi

Newspaper Club YEARBOOK AWARD 2021 – Selected by Sarah Belfort from Newspaper Club, the winner will receive a £150 printing voucher for Newspaper Club.

Winner: Dana Stirling

Highly commended: Ana Blumenkron

“There’s a wonderful harmony of colours in Dana’s image — from the complementary reds and greens to the interaction of different shades of orange on the reflectors. That electricity pole could be a sculpture!”

Newspaper Club helps everyone print their own newspapers. There’s no minimum order, 24/7 online ordering and fast delivery anywhere in the world.

Founded in 2010, Newspaper Club has printed over 21 million newspapers for some of the world’s most creative people and brands. All of their papers are either 100% recycled or sourced from sustainably grown forests and their printing press is powered by solar energy.

Outgrown, Weedsport New York, 2020 © Dana Stirling

Photographic Resource Center YEARBOOK AWARD 2021 – Selected by Jessica Burko from the Photographic Resource Center, the winner will receive a one-year membership to the Photographic Resource Center.

Winner: Elizabeth Woodger

Highly commended: Jack Haughton

“In viewing Diagenesis 1 by Elizabeth Woodger I found myself experiencing the image in stages. At first glance my eye was drawn to color alone, then the overall scenery came into view, and all at once legs, hands, and the paper’s edge. Blending figure into landscape with landscape as cloak accentuates the fraught relationship between humanity and nature while also commenting on the photographer as mediator of visual experience. A powerful statement utilizing unexpected means.”

Founded in 1976, the Photographic Resource Center (PRC) is an independent forum for the exploration and interpretation of new work, concepts, and methods in photography and related media. Emphasizing fresh ideas and trends in contemporary photography, the PRC inspires our members and the broader community with thought-provoking exhibits, educational programs, wide-ranging resources, and unique special events that support the advancement of the photographic arts. Led by regional and national photography luminaries, regular PRC education programs include lectures and portfolio reviews, as well as PRC-led tours of the exhibitions for school and community groups. The PRC is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Diagenesis 1 © Elizabeth Woodger

Photolucida YEARBOOK AWARD 2021 – Selected by Audra Osborne from Photolucida, the winner will receive a virtual portfolio review and entry to Critical Mass 2022.

Winner: Diego Brambilla

Highly commended: Hannah Norton

“I selected Diego Brambilla’s image from his series ‘Off the Mark’ because I was immediately drawn to the mystery of it. What am I looking at? A ghost? A bird? An apparition? After reading more about his work I became intrigued with his process because I felt as though everyone can relate to it after this past year. We are all stuck in the same place, unable to move as freely as we are used to, so we traverse the same paths over and over. Eventually, with time and repetition, we recognize little details that have become important to us. The darkness and ominous nature of his images only adds to the story and makes me want to know more about this place and person who walks here.”

Photolucida is an arts nonprofit based in Portland, Oregon. Our mission is to provide platforms that expand, inspire, educate and connect the regional, national, and international photography community.

Photolucida does two primary things to support and promote the work of emerging and mid-career photographers: Annually, we open Critical Mass – an online call for entry that makes connections within the photography community. Photographers at any level, from anywhere in the world, submit a portfolio of 10 images. Through a pre-screening process, the field is narrowed to a group of 200 finalists who go on to have their work viewed and voted on by over 200 esteemed international photography professionals. Biennially, we host the Photolucida Portfolio Reviews where an international set of photographers and reviewers gather in Portland, Oregon for a five-day celebration of photography that includes lectures, workshops, exhibitions and, of course, intensive portfolio reviews. Reviewers are selected for their experience, involvement, and commitment to advancing the work of emerging and mid-career artists. Both programs are intended to promote the culture of photography locally, nationally, and internationally.

Off the Mark © Diego Brambilla

PhotoShelter YEARBOOK AWARD 2021 – Selected by Caitlyn Edwards from PhotoShelter, the winner will receive a PhotoShelter Pro Account.

Winner: Duncan Elliott

Highly commended: Vivien Stembridge

“Duncan Elliott’s image of a farmer in his hay shed is my selection for YEARBOOK 2021. A somewhat clichéd, potentially banal scene – his hay in the background, a red tractor framing the farmer in the foreground – is countered by this gorgeous portrait of a very bewildered individual. His expression reads as fearful and potentially hopeless, carrying with it an element of exhaustion. We all eat and consume the raw goods produced by farms, and so, his torment is also all of ours.”

PhotoShelter is the leading technology platform that helps photographers and creative teams unlock the power of a moment. Our tools and resources are designed and built for you. We make it easy for you to present, store, sell and share your images so you can focus on what you do best.

Tinkers © Duncan Elliott

Dan Gaba, Photo Editor YEARBOOK AWARD 2021 – Selected by Dan Gaba, Photo Editor at the Wall Street Journal, the winner will receive a portfolio review.

Winner: Deb Leal

Highly commended: Shannon Leith

“I like this pic. I’ve been stuck inside a lot during the pandemic. I’ve been alone a lot. I’ve looked out the same window over and over again…seeing the same view. I moved from London back to NYC and somehow…everything just looked this same. I was not in a car, mobile, in a bright world where two dinosaurs had found one another…but now I know that’s what I wanted to see.”

A Sinclair Story (Lizard on Rock) © Deb Leal

In 2020, with most of the graduate shows cancelled and uncertainty about when events of that size and nature would be able to go ahead, we came up with an idea that could have a positive impact for all photographers, not just for graduates… YEARBOOK.

It was a huge success and we were thrilled to hear the impact that the exhibition, publication and awards had on photographers across the world, so we decided to bring it back this year and invited all photographers who wanted to promote their work to enter YEARBOOK. Yet again we received over 1000 images and we are showing at least one image from everyone who entered in the online exhibition.

If you are an editor, director, curator or someone who commissions, promotes or supports photographers and would like to receive a copy of the YEARBOOK 2021 printed publication, featuring 100 selected photographers, please register your interest by completing this form. YEARBOOK 2021 will be available o pre-order soon for anyone who loves photography and beautiful printed publications, or if you are one of the featured photographers and would like a copy for your portfolio.

The YEARBOOK online exhibition showcases work from over 200 photographers from across the world. YEARBOOK is a group show, promoting the skill and talent of photographers working now. We invite you to explore the gallery and the huge range of styles and subjects from photographers across the world. View the full exhibition here.

YEARBOOK 2021

16 September – 16 October 2021

SHUTTERHUB.ORG.UK/EXHIBITION-YEARBOOK-2021

Got any questions? Email us at info@shutterhub.org.uk

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