Close To Home - Photography Competition for RPS Women in Photography group members

The RPS Women in Photography group partnered with ORWO Film for an exciting project that invited photographers to explore their creativity on the subject of Close to Home with the choice of using colour black and white film. The project was deliberately broad in its scope, allowing for a wide range of personal interpretations of the subject. This open approach encouraged each participant to infuse their own vision and style, making it a deeply individual and expressive endeavour.

Photographers were free to use any film stock, whether colour or black and white, that they had available, offering flexibility in how they captured their unique perspectives.

The winners from both categories, B/W and Colour film, were selected by our esteemed judge, Ellen Rogers. Ellen, an accomplished analogue photographer, senior lecturer, and trade unionist, brought a wealth of experience and insight to the judging process, for which we were incredibly grateful.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the RPS Women in Photography members who took part in this project and submitted such beautiful photography, captured on film. Their contributions were truly inspiring and showcased the diverse and creative talent within our community.

The winning entries and two runners-up from each category will receive the following prizes which were kindly donated by ORWO:

B&W Category
Winner: Pack of 10 x Wolfen UN54 B&W Film
Runners-up: Pack of 5 x Wolfen NP100 B&W Film

Colour Category
Winner: Pack of 10 x Wolfen NC400 Colour Film
Runners-up: Pack of 5 x Colour NC500 Film

All entries will feature on the RPS and ORWO websites, as well as across social media platforms, with links to the photographers’ work, providing an opportunity for wider visibility and recognition.

Angelas Crosti The Moment You Were Gone 04 — **CREDIT:** Angelas Crosti

Angela Crosti

1st Place - The Moment You Were Gone

Medium Format film - Ilford

Adolescence is a period of self-exploration, of setting boundaries, of asking without giving. It is a moment of bursting emotions and constant battlegrounds. This project speaks about these moments, the transition in becoming a young adult. These are all fleeting instants, playful, poetic and unpredictable. My attention focuses on my first daughter, who is grasping her space and demanding independence. I’m trying to frame the present, to slow its passage down while her life is turning to a different direction and is no longer revolving around us. Photography is helping me to capture these instants; when a moment is just about to erupt and end. @angelacrosti_photography

Judge, Ellen Rogers comment: I immediately stopped scrolling when I saw this image. The backlit downy fur of the plant gave it a hyperreal quality. Rain or window glaze introduced a sense of separation, reinforced by the title. A bold composition with a delicate subject.

Paula Rae Gibson

Runner-up - This Is How I Feel

35 tmax

This is an image of myself, a self portrait, but a portrait of feelings, how I was feeling, something internal. @paularaegibson__

Judge, Ellen Rogers comment: Truth be told, I liked the single letter in this image. It serves as a bold anchor to such a fragile apparition.

Emma Drabble

Runner-up - 1974 Borderland Dukes Table

HP5/ Photogravure Print

I explored the pre 1974 borderland between England and Wales. I walked the boundary line to understand the experiential relationship with place in the year that marks the 50th anniversary of a change in the border. I collected found objects, took analogue photographs using technology from the 1970s and created a physical artistic response to the borderland space. @drabbleandco

Judge, Ellen Rogers comment: I appreciated how this image was hand-printed. I liked its intentional edges and the belief in the medium format to hold its own history. It felt like a trompe-l’œil, a modern window into the canon of Photo-Secession.

Jan Beesley

1st Place - Past Sell By Date

Agfacolour HDC 200 expired 05/2000

Past Sell-by date. These images were taken on an expired film and with an old camera, unused for many years. The subjects are ancient oak trees near my home, distinguished by their thick trunks and rugged bark. Their age enhances their strength and beauty. Initially, I was disappointed by the 'imperfect' results of this film, but now I see a slightly odd beauty in them. As we age, our bodies and thought processes change, often making us feel past our 'sell-by date.' However, by embracing our imperfections and the wisdom we gain, a new beauty emerges. These imperfect images metaphorically illustrate how our perception evolves as we age learning to embrace imperfection and chance. @jan.beesley

Judge, Ellen Rogers comment: This image felt honest and unpretentious. It gave me the impression that the photographer aimed solely to convey atmosphere, using whatever means necessary. The strange glow, the ISO, and the pull of magenta and green.

Isobella Perks

Runner-up, 22 Weeks

Portra 400 120

A self portrait at 22 weeks pregnant with my second child, the final project of my degree and the first image in my new documentation of motherhood. @tallulahtaittinger

Judge, Ellen Rogers comment: This image stood out to me for its strength. It is beautifully composed, with a composition that draws from the eye to the belly. The saturation is low and cool, yet a warmth emerges from the grade of her warm skin against the cold bathroom's blue tone.

5105098 Eli Pementel The Cauldron — **CREDIT:** Eli Pimentel

Eli Pimentel

Runner up - The Cauldron

2024 Washi X 100, colour positive film, Leica M-A

Steam bubbles near Grindavik, now a ghost town/ With all its familiar places – playgrounds, schools, cafes and homes - abandoned in November 2023 due to volcanic activity. @elimpimentel

Judge, Ellen Rogers comment: I was drawn into this image, it had the apocalyptic quality of a John Martin painting. The fire tones lead into a warm cloud at the side, and everything felt right, nothing out of place.