I went to the National Portrait Gallery last Friday night to see the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize. It’s been a few years since my last visit to the Portrait Gallery and this was a good reason to re-visit!
The gallery is open until 9pm on Thursday and Friday evenings which is good for those that work late. On the evening I went, there was a tour that started at 7 which was included in the ticket price. The guide explained that this competition was open to both professional photographers as well as amateurs and students. There were nearly 6000 entries, and the judges picked the winners without knowing the entrants’ names and backgrounds.
The photographers explored different themes, and most of the photographs told a story. The 2010 winner of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize went to a photographer called David Chancellor who photographed a 14 year old American girl on horseback coming back from a hunt in South Africa.
One of my favourite photos was the one of the lady with a scarf. For me, it was reminiscent of the famous National Geographic’s “Afghan girl”. I also liked the mother/daughter photos. Be warned: there are some shocking photographs as well.
If you like contemporary photography or if you are an aspiring photographer (like me!), then this is definitely worth checking out. Admission is £2 and it runs at the National Portrait Gallery until Feb 20.