Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2009

Having a keen interest in photography and indeed undertaking my first professional portrait shoot next month, I was keen to visit the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery as a matter of “study”.

I like the NPG - it has an atmosphere to it that other galleries some how do not.  I put this down to the gallery appealing to a wide variety of interests and artistic taste.

Earlier this year I visited the BP Portrait Award for painted portraits.  It was interesting to compare and contrast the styles - and actually, in terms of composition they are very, very similar. I could have done with a little more technical information as to how the picture was produced - but I guess the magic of photography is working it out for oneself.

The 60 works were whittled down from 6300 images submitted by 2400 photographers.  Many, many of them are from professional photographers, most have degrees in photography of some sort.

I did not like the deadpan emotions in many of the compositions, for me it was too staged to look neutral - to let the situation and surroundings talk about the person.  Personally, I would prefer some of the images to have more of the artist and subject in them - even if it were just a glint in the eye.  I also felt that the better photos did not win prizes, I struggled in some instances to realise the winner’s intent.  Some photos would work better as a piece of photo-journalism with this in mind, the politics of the shot (such as the teenage Russian convict) carrying more weight than the art itself.

The picture I chose to go with this piece is by a very talented recent graduate from Loughborough, Ali Lomas.  As part of her prize she wins a commission for Elle Magazine - I feel she has a huge future ahead of her.  Her work has emotion, it tells, or rather implies, a story, it is charged with energy and emotion.  I look forward to seeing more of her work - though I cannot see myself buying Elle!