Photography competition 2018

Once again, we were delighted that photographer Bella West was able to judge our competition.

“It is always refreshing to be a judge on photography competition such as this, when I judge a professional photography competition, there are a lot of elements that have to be assessed -image quality, composition, light, etc - whereas when I look through all the images submitted in this competition, the overwhelming importance is very much on the storytelling in both of the categories.  At the end of the day, that is the message that has to be told - the day to day life of a carer, the quiet moments and the struggles. It’s really important to record these parts of life.

Photography has the power to invite and educate the world without the need for words, often the most simplistic of photographs can be the most powerful. I always suggest not to overcomplicate a portrait or photograph - just say it as it is!

The decision of shortlisting the winners was incredibly difficult and I went over and over them!

There are some photographs that are hugely creative and some just full of emotion - some with both those elements. The category ‘Life outside of caring’ was a particularly powerful and an important one - there are clearly some very talented hobbyist photographers out there - what a great way to spend your time - photographing wildlife, street scenes and landscapes.

Keep recording your lives, this is the most powerful way of telling your story and bringing awareness to the world about the highs and lows of caring for a loved one."