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Meet the Finalists for the 39th AOP Photography Awards AND 2024 AOP Emerging Talent Award

20 August 2024

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Meet the Finalists for the 39th AOP Photography Awards AND 2024 AOP Emerging Talent Award

Acclaimed in the photography world, the finalists have now been announced for the 39th AOP Photography Awards, celebrating excellence in the creative photography and image-making industry. Sponsored by MPB, this year’s headline sponsor, the Awards focus on human creativity and professional practice and are an unmissable opportunity to be seen by leading commissioners and names in photography. The Gold and Silver winners will be announced live at the AOP Annual Showcase event in London on 26 September 2024, where, alongside selected finalists, the winning entries will also be exhibited at the Showcase.

“These auspicious Awards have existed for almost 40 years, and each year our Awards finalists challenge and surprise us with their extraordinary & fascinating visual observations of the world around them covering the past year or so. From playful foods and community embraces to gritty environmental messages and still moments, and much much more, our finalists have this year presented what they want us to see, experience and connect with on a human level. In ever challenging times, where human authenticity is increasingly compromised by advances in technology beyond consent, and the cost of living remains high, we are able to champion our community of creative professional photographers with Awards such as these by the acknowledgement of our industry peers and the generosity and support of our partners and sponsors.”

Isabelle Doran, CEO, the AOP

“We are delighted to support the latest celebration of the AOP's photographers' stunning work from the past 12 months. The AOP’s dedication to the protection and guidance of visual storytellers is a cause also shared by MPB, as we look to make photography accessible for all.”

Katie Thompson, Head of Marketing UK & Ireland at MPB

AOP announces 2024 Student Award winners

20 August 2024

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Isabelle Doran, CEO AOP, Matthew Marshall, Best in Show Winner 2024, and Adam Shaw, AOP Accredited Photographer and Chair of Education WG

Examining and reconsidering identity, society, and the environment have been core themes as the Association of Photographers (AOP) announces the winners of its 2024 Student Awards, on show at Free Range, the graduate showcase of creative arts at London’s Truman Brewery from 21 – 23 June 2024, and then online at https://www.aopawards.com/awards/student-awards/. The Awards reflects the AOP’s continuing commitment to shining a light on the next generation of photographers and image makers. 

These annual awards present an array of diverse and vibrant talent from students across the UK, representing a number of different UK photography courses. This year, its 40th, received over 300 submissions divided into three categories – People; Places; Things – of which there are gold and silver winners with one overall winner. The Best in Show overall winner, Matthew Marshall [Arts University Plymouth / BA (Hons) Commercial Photography] receives £5,000 worth of camera equipment and support from Fujifilm UK, and a £500 booking credit from Peerspace for his image, Tinside which was and was selected blind by the full judging panel from all the gold and silver category winners. Tinside received gold in the Places category and Marshall also received silver for another image, Football Casuals, in the People category. All of the gold and silver winners receive a complimentary one-year subscription to Capture One ‘All in One’ and a tailored AOP membership package to support the start of their professional careers.

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MBP - Headline Sponsor for the 39th AOP Photography Awards

Online camera trading platform, MPB, is announced as Headline sponsor for the 2024 Association of Photographers (AOP) Awards.

While judging for the 39th AOP Photography Awards has kicked off with a stellar group of judges – the AOP has announced that MPB, the global online platform for trading in used photographic and video equipment, is the headline sponsor for this year’s 39th annual awards.

The Awards celebrate the very best in professional photography and judging by 30 category judges has already begun across the Award’s 10 categories with results due to be announced at the AOP’s annual showcase event in September 2024.

"As a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to protecting photographers’ and image-makers’ interests, we’re really thrilled to have MPB supporting our 39th AOP Photography Awards as our headline sponsor this year. Its commitment to sustainable business practice and human-creative endeavour comes at a critical time under the contrariety of Gen-AI. Together with a stellar group of judges who all advocate the skill and talent that professional photographers bring, we can’t wait to showcase the very best visual work our photographers have produced over the past year."

Isabelle Doran, CEO - Association of Photographers

"We are delighted to support the latest celebration of the AOP's photographers' stunning work from the past 12 months. The AOP’s dedication to the protection and guidance of visual storytellers is a cause also shared by MPB, as we look to make photography accessible for all."

Katie Thompson, MPB - Head of Marketing UK&I

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37th AOP Photography Awards - Now Open

AOP Photography Awards 2021


Open to all AOP Accredited Photographer and Assisting Photographer members

Entries Open – Noon Tuesday 12 October 2021
Entries Close – midnight Monday 24 January 2022


The AOP Photography Awards are known as the Oscars of the photography world. They celebrate excellence in the creative photography and image making industry.

This year’s Awards will open in October 2021 and close in January 2022 with winners being revealed in February 2022. Gold and Silver winners and selected finalists will be exhibited at the AOP Showcase event in Spring 2022.

This is your chance to be seen by leading commissioners and names within the photographic industry.


As in previous years stills, Moving Image & Innovation can now be entered into each category.

  • You can enter a single or series (2-5) of images
  • You can enter a piece of moving imagery up to 7 minutes in length, demonstrating your understanding and skills within the medium. All entries in this category must reference whether the work is a collaboration with another artist be it a director, editor, colour grader, musician etc. or whether it’s the independent work of the photographer. You may wish to illustrate the creative use of technologies for example AR, VR, CGI or any other technique.
  • You can enter works of innovation with an example of excellence that illustrates the creative use of technologies and innovations in the production of still images. This can be AR, VR, CGI or any other technique
  • You can enter commissioned or personal work in all categories
  • You can win Gold and Silver in each category
 
 

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The Association of Photographers Announces New CEO

The AOP is delighted to announce that Isabelle Doran will be the new Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Photographers from 1 November. 
 
Isabelle brings a wealth of industry experience, knowledge and insight to the role and is extremely well-placed to build on the excellent work done by the outgoing CEO, Seamus McGibbon. All at the AOP are excited by the opportunities ahead. With over 20 years’ experience in the Creative Industries including in strategy, sales and leadership, Isabelle is well-suited to taking the AOP forward. The future is bright.

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Focus From The AOP, 30 September

Focus from the AOP

All good things…

This is it, the last introduction from me after more than seven years here at the AOP.

It’s been an amazing time working with such fantastic creative people. It hasn’t been easy at times, when is it ever? But it has been worth every minute.

The AOP has an important role to play in this mad world and has achieved so many amazing things. The last eighteen months highlights the importance of associations like ours in protecting and providing communities for creative professionals to share their knowledge and challenge preconceptions.  

You should all be very proud of what you have achieved with your AOP over the last few years.

My last day as AOP CEO was Friday 17 September, until our new CEO arrives, (more of that later), Nick will be looking after us all in his indomitable way.

Have fun, be good, and more than anything else, be productive. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do, including at times that little voice in your ear. Get out there and do it.

See you around!

Seamus

Images: Lobster © Richard Pullar, Zach + Rio One Year Later © Sophie Mayanne
 

Black Culture In Britain - AOP + Canary Wharf Group Open Project

Read Newsletter in Full here.

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Black Culture In Britain | OPEN PROJECT

The Association of Photographers and Canary Wharf Group announce the winners of:
Black Culture in Britain. 

The Association of Photographers (The AOP) is delighted to announce the winners of the AOP and Canary Wharf Group Black Culture in Britain competition.

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Gold Winner, Leroy Logan by Mark Harrison


Black Culture in Britain is an AOP For All Open Project to celebrate this year’s Black History Month. Together with Canary Wharf Group we will be celebrating black culture both through images and the stories of the photographers who have taken them with Winners and Runners Up featuring in a special month-long exhibition at the Crossrail Place Roof Garden in Canary Wharf throughout October. 

In addition there are prizes of a £700 and £300 Canary Wharf gift card for the Gold and Silver winners respectively, as well as a year’s membership to the AOP. 

“AOP for All Working Group, whose cornerstone is to increase awareness of photographers of colour by making both them and their work more visible within the industry, have selected some amazing images that celebrate the diversity and spirit of Black Culture in Britain. The Group are proud, as is the AOP in general to be working with Canary Wharf Group to celebrate Black Culture in Britain through photography and photographers” Nick Dunmur, acting CEO, AOP.  
  

Almost 200 images were submitted in response to this theme and received from both established and emerging photographers. Presenting a glimpse of the creativity, beauty and strength to be found within the black community in Britain we are delighted to confirm that our Winners are: 
 

Winners 
Gold Winner:  Leroy Logan by Mark Harrison.   
Silver Winner: Shakara by Latoya Okuneye.   
 
Runners Up 
Ben Okri by Marcus Lyon 
Chi by Kulbir Thandi 
A Veterans Road to Recovery by Michael Clement 
Welcome to The Ends by Brunel Johnson
Black Suffolk by John Ferguson
Shakara by Latoya Okuneye 
 

AOP Black Culture In Britain website page 
Please credit each photographer as the copyright holder. 
 
For more information about the AOP Open Projects and the AOP, please contact: 
Suzanne McDougall at 
suzanne@the-aop.org or visit our website www.aopawards.com  

For more information about Canary Wharf Group, please contact: Press office at pressoffice@canarywharf.com or visit www.canarywharf.com 

 

Black Culture in Britain, Photography Exhibition:  Opens Friday 1st Oct – Closes Sunday 31st Oct. 

https://canarywharf.com/open-spaces/crossrail-place-roof-garden/ 

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AOP at Photo London 2021

Hello there and welcome to Photo London week,
Photo London 2021 is finally upon us and we here at AOP HQ are excited and ready for our first in-person event in what seems like a lifetime.

As Photo London will be one of my last events as CEO of the AOP, I wanted to reflect on the impact and vast reservoir of talent within our membership and showcase the amazing work that you do. Impossible to include everyone, but I'm confident the show we have put together will do just that. 

We have peppered this newsletter with additional images by our exhibiting photographers, to see the show you will have to come along or wait until it's over for the big reveal.

Come and say hi if you are attending and meet the full team including new members Chris Macklin and Suzanne McDougall. Not bought your ticket yet? Don't forget the 15% Off Member discount, details below.

Seamus

 

Exhibiting Photographers

          © Philip Haynes, Move and Repeat, Curtis.                                           © Kristina Varaksina, Joanne and her son 
We have a fantastic line-up of work this year from across the AOP membership and they include;
Carol Allen-Storey, Martin Brent, Othello De'Souza-Hartley, Jillian Edlestein, Tim Flach, Philip Haynes, Karyn Louise (RUBYLDN), Sandra Lousada, Sophie Mayanne, Simon Norfolk, Richard Pullar, Richard Seymour and Kristina Varaksina.

Over the last few days across our socials but primarily on Instagram we have been showcasing additional work by each participating photographer and for those unable to attend, we will release our final exhibition selection in full after the show has ended.

 
AOP at Photo London 2021

 

Read in full here.

 

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