The Royal Photographic Society is delighted to announce the winners of the 2020 Science
Photographer of the Year competition which can be viewed from today in an online exhibition which headlines Manchester Science Festival.
British photographer Simon Brown has been named Science Photographer of the Year in the General Science category for his photo Orthophoto of SS Thistlegorm, an intricate reconstruction of a shipwreck using photogrammetry as his imaging technique.
The Young Science Photographer of the Year is awarded to Katy Appleton (12) for her image Rainbow Shadow Selfie that captures the beauty of a common phenomena.
For 2020/21, the category Climate Change was introduced to reflect this year’s theme of the Manchester Science Festival which is taking place digitally from 12th – 21st February.
Sue Flood FRPS wins Science Photographer of the Year in the Climate Change category for her striking photo North Pole Under Water and the Under 18’s Young Science Photographer of the Year in the Climate Change category goes to Raymond Zhang (11) for his image Apollo’s Emissary, one of the largest solar power stations in western China.
Originally planned to be shown at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, the four winning images will now be displayed alongside 75 selected photographs as part of an online exhibition for Manchester Science Festival, which is produced by the museum.
It will lead the event’s digital line-up, launching on 12 February, and continue running beyond the festival dates, until 2 May. It is the first time an exhibition between the two organisations has been showcased digitally from the city.
The Science Photographer of the Year competition celebrates the remarkable stories behind scientific exploration and application, depicting its impact on our everyday lives and illustrating how photography helps record and explain global issues and scientific events.
The selected images were chosen from over 1,000 entries submitted for free by both amateur and professional photographers.
This year’s selection document our fragile planet, the human cost of global warming and actions being taken by communities around the world such as innovative irrigation methods and solar and turbine energy sources.
They reveal incredible imaging techniques, from microscopic observations, medical examinations, fossil evacuations and kaleidoscopic patterns of refractions, oscillations and crystallisations.
“This year’s Science Photographer of the Year is more relevant than ever before in documenting how science and climate change are impacting all our lives. The selected images are striking and will make us think more about the world around us.”
(Dr Michael Pritchard, Director, Education and Public Affairs at the RPS)
To support young people and schools, the RPS has created educational resources in collaboration with PhotoPedagogy. The Science Photographer of the Year competition was supported by Olympus, who provided camera prizes to both Under 18 winners.
For more information click here.
Visit the online exhibition here. Please note the online exhibition is still being finalised and will be ready to launch to the public when embargo lifts on 12 February 2021.
