We speak to Amy Bateman @Croftfoot our fine art/abstract #photography #competition winner #London #cumbria

Convergence

This photograph was taken on a family outing to a local tarn in Cumbria. It was winter and had been a hard frost. The tarn had frozen in the still shallows, yet, was still unfrozen in the deeper parts. The convergence between ice and water was making a stunning rippled effect and the picture has so much texture from the water, ice and movement that I took a whole series of photographs. These have become some of my favourite shots.

Photography has become a serious hobby since giving up work to look after our children and I have been entering a few competitions on the internet when I stumbled across the London Photo Festival. As a very busy mum of three I’d forgotten I’d even entered. Receiving the email to say I’d won was amazing. I’m delighted that the judge was taken with the shot as much as myself and my twitter followers! I am really looking forward to seeing my photograph exhibited at The Bridge Lounge, a pinnacle of my photographic career to date.

We speak to 1st Runner Up Guy Needham! #photography #London #londonphotofestival

Being based on the other side of the world and only being an occasional visitor to the UK, I jumped at the chance to be able to show some of my work at the London Photo Festival.

The timing was perfect as I had just finished an exhibition about the Hamar tribe of Southern Ethiopia, and it was some of these images that I put forward for the Festival. The main reason I wanted to enter was to get further international exposure and test the appeal of my cultural portraits in a metropolitan marketplace. I wanted to show images designed to be interpreted as cultural crossings, where the space between photographer and photography is more than just physical. On the faces of the portraits I submitted was a mix of suspicion and acceptance, my attempt to personify the deeper issue of tourism versus exploitation.

Having read about the Festival the previous year I knew that it was easy for overseas photographers to get everything organised online. I didn’t really expect to sell any of the work, but when I did the communication was very professional.

Of course, a real highlight was being judged 1st Runner Up, a complete surprise and honour. Sharing that accolade on social media has led to further interest and also boosted those who had previously purchased from the original exhibition, knowing that they had chosen award-winning work.

For me it was certainly worthwhile taking the time to enter the Festival and I’ll be back again next year!

Guy Needham