Pocket Photography

This competition has now closed.

Winners

1st
Dream of Metamorphosis
Romana Říhová
2nd
Going in squares
Chin Yong
3rd
Sandra
Erik Svec

Commended

When Instagram first came onto the photography scene back in 2010 it was quickly hailed as the new Polaroid. Certainly, the dominant square format of Instagram, the filters that the app uses and the act of sharing are all reminiscent of what Polaroid was best known for.

Polaroid was used to document ephemeral moments in everyday life; casual snapshots of family time, social gatherings, holidays, and any other moments that are worthy of documentation. But as Polaroid cameras used film, which was quite expensive, each image taken was carefully considered to make sure it counted.

But the technology afforded by smart phones means that these casual snapshots have taken on a new direction. In the social media age, apps like Instagram, whilst replicating the Polaroid aesthetic, are even more focused on sharing. What used to be casual snapshots have become increasingly curated and styled images designed to look like everyday life but actually representing a more beautiful, more perfect existence created to gain approval from a social following.

Competition Judge

Paul Chapman

Paul is a keen amateur photographer from the UK, and sees the creative aspects of photography as a welcome break from his day job as an Engineering Consultant in the Oil Industry.
Interested in photography since he was a teenager, Paul has been shooting more seriously for about 15 years and has featured in a number of our exhibitions over the years including; No Britain Is An Island, A Splash of Colour, Four Elements and Creativity.
He enjoys photographing a wide range of subjects but his location in Surrey lends itself in particular to nature and wildlife. In addition Paul enjoys architectural photography and also being creative in a more abstract way with photography apps and post-processing.
Paul is an active member on Flickr and Instagram, posting frequently on both platforms, he writes a regular blog and curates “Photography Snapshots”, an on-line magazine on Flipboard that has over 2.6 million page flips to date.

View Archive

Dream of Metamorphosis

Romana Říhová

First Prize

This image really jumped out at me when I first saw it and it’s one I kept coming back to over and over again. At first glance it may just appear as an innocuous tree in a field but you very quickly see the beautiful light that has been captured – on the leaves and on the ground – reminiscent of a Rembrandt painting. The sky is also wonderfully dynamic with hints of orange and pink among the blues and greys. A classic vignette, just as you’d get in an old polaroid image, helps to focus on the tree – half still in leaf and half bare as the wind turns autumn into winter.

Going in squares

Chin Yong

Second Prize

This is an image that you can look at a dozen times and see something different every time. You are initially drawn to the vibrant colours and silhouetted architecture of the building, the symmetry, lines and levels working well to break up the square format into smaller and smaller boxes of colour and light. Then you spot a child on the middle level, then what look like birds in the bottom left, then more creatures further up. It’s a wonderful and intriguing image.

Sandra

Erik Svec

Third Prize

A really haunting image that works so well in black and white. Portraits aren’t usually suited to square format, but the clever use of the hood frames the face on a more traditional way, while the background foliage elements give context and lead your eyes back to those of the subject with that cold, bleak stare – such a contrast to the warm cosy-looking woollen clothing.

Boy with the stripped hat

Bergina Leka

Commended

Really wish I could have a top 4 because this image is right up my street (figuratively, not literally). A classic piece of street photography capturing the subject perfectly in the shaft of light, but the light against dark doesn’t stop there – the hat mimics the strong vertical lines of the background, the paving stones – some light some dark, even the subject’s shoes, one white one dark. Very well observed.

Red-eye

Jason Freeman

Commended

This is a fun image with fantastic contrasting colours of red and green and a lovely soft background that really makes the head stand out in such great detail.

Dance

Chin Yong

Commended

Another example of a frame within a frame. This time a clever reflection, perhaps looking back on a bygone era. Great expressions and lots of interest throughout the picture.

A pose for you

Udayan Sankar Pal

Commended

Another great use of colour here, combined with the cheeky grin on the young boy. A well balanced and composed image.