Storyteller of the Year 2018-19

Inspired by CoL&CPS member Susi Luard winning in the Monochrome section of the RPS Documentary Photographer of the Year 2017, we introduced this new internal competition in summer 2018. Members were challenged to produce a titled, 5-image, documentary photo-essay, in colour or black and white, on a subject of their choosing, to be judged by Mark Phillips  -Chair of the RPS Documentary Group. In the period leading up to the submission deadline in January 2019, guest speakers Ben Cherry and Mark Phillips helped us better understand the art of storytelling through images. Then Mark Phillips came back to to judge the stories submitted by 13 members on 19 February 2019.

Steve Duncombe was placed first with his story "I Predict a Riot". Steve has given permission for us to publish the opening image of this black & white sequence here. As with all of the images on this page, click on it to enlarge.
 


The other 3 stories placed by the judge are:

2nd place: An Oyster Life by Paul Shelley

3rd place: From Quarry to Slab - processing Italian marble in Custonacci by Alan Larsen

4th place: Escape from Alcatraz by Greg Lambert

---

Below in alphabetical order by title are the 8 other entries we have permission to show in full. We also have permission to show one image from the other unplaced story -by Colin Page- which the judge singled out for praise.

Deptford on the Verge of Gentrification by Susi Luard

Dia de Muertos - ALTAR for Irma's sister by Natalie Robinson

Kids Weekend Rugby by Richard Eyers

Spiritual - Gospel Music on the Old Kent Road by Robert Wilkinson

The People's Vote March, London, 20 October 2018 by Ellen Whittle

Vathia - Death of a Village by Chris Box

When Malawi came to Walthamstow as part of the Lake of Stars Festival by Jean Jameson

Following on from this competition, our 5th November 2019 meeting was a chance for members to share their experiences of it. Read the blogpost about that meeting here.

Members can also read a comprehensive report of the whole Storyteller of the Year process here.