Unusual Everyday

This competition has now closed.

Winners

1st
Fancy Football Paris
Jamila Walker
2nd
Always Together
Alecsandra Raluca Dragoi
3rd
Mozambique Street Lamp
Matt Daw

Commended

Can you find a new perspective on an everyday sight? Have you photographed anyone doing something everyday in an extraordinary or unusual way?

We challenge you to find the unusual in what might seem everyday situations. If you need inspiration why not consider submitting everyday objects or places taken from unusual angles or perspectives. Maybe you can photograph some unusual uses of everyday objects or everyday objects shot in unusual places.

When we go about our daily lives it is often easy to tune out and not notice what is happening around us. For this challenge try to open your eyes and be more aware of what is going on around you as you go about your daily business. Can you find examples of everyday activities done in an unusual way? Or even unusual activities taking place in everyday locations. With this competition we are asking you to capture something unusual that you might not see every day.

Competition Judge

Julian Lass

Julian Lass is a photographer, writer, editor, and lecturer. He received an MA in English Literature with First Class Honours from Edinburgh University and an MA in Photography with Distinction from the London College of Communication/ University of the Arts London. He is a lecturer in Photography at the Arts University College, Bournemouth.
He has worked as a Picture Editor at both Taschen and the Telegraph Magazine.
As a photographer he has been featured in publications such as Geographical Magazine, Telegraph Magazine and the Times Magazine
His writing has been published in the Telegraph Magazine, British Journal of Photography, Photo District News, Duckrabbit, DSLR Photography and he has worked as Technical Editor on Photography Monthly. We’re very pleased to have Julian on board for this competition.

View Archive

Fancy Football Paris

Jamila Walker

First Prize

'Fancy Football Paris' – Is the mystery man a street performer? The 'mis-framing' of the shot – intentional or not – suggests an everyday 'snapshot', but the unusual pose gives it a surreal edge. Breaks all the 'rules' of composition, and works.

Always Together

Alecsandra Raluca Dragoi

Second Prize

'Always Together' – while photos of street sleepers were much submitted, non questioned the ethics of what is okay to photograph and what isn't without permission of the subject. This one differed: it's unusual in showing a touching bond between man and dog that presents a different way of looking at a social problem we could otherwise overlook.

Mozambique Street Lamp

Matt Daw

Third Prize

'Mozambique street lamp' – Tightly composed, this looks at something we take for granted everyday: the street lamp, which is given a new and unusual context from the plastic bottle that protects it from the elements. What's also interesting is that it takes time to work out what the photo is showing.

Whatever you say but my car is bigger

Victor Treguboy

Commended

'Whatever you say but my car is bigger' – differing scale between the tyre and a human figure turns an everyday object (a tyre) into something else.

Spotlight

Jenna

Commended

'Spotlight' – A cat seeking out the warmth in the kitchen. Not so unusual, but the cat's solemn delight catches the attention.

Untitled

Somnath Chatterjee

Commended

'Untitled' – The boy's joy is evident, running into the dunes; his joy makes it unusual.

Raincloud Alley

Kristin Arnsenault

Commended

'Raincloud Alley' – Whether this is found graffiti or Kristin drew the raindrops, it's a great way of turning the everyday into the unusual.

Horsehead On Treebark bu Kristin Arnsenault

Commended

'Horsehead On Treebark' – I selected this because the unusual tree formation looks like a horse's head.