The Association of Photographers (AOP) has announced the shortlist of photos for its annual awards, with 240 finalists going on display in London. The images have been chosen from over 2,000 entries in categories including Lifestyle, Project, Food & Drink, Fashion & Beauty, Still Life & Object, Environment, Portrait, and Photojournalism. The official winners will be announced on May 14th.

The Shortlist

Here is a small selection of images from the shortlist with captions by the respected photographers. To see the full list of categories and the galleries of finalists, click the link here.

Simon Burch:
Simon Burch: "Pendine Sands in Wales has been an historic location for car and motorcycle land speed record attempts for nearly 100 years, with Malcolm Campbell being the first person to set a land speed record in 1924."
Alexander Rhind:
Alexander Rhind: "This image was taken from a wider series focusing on the Penzance water polo team as they play at the beautiful Jubilee Lido in Penzance. Perched right on the sea wall, the evening light bounces around the pool."
Louise Hagger:
Louise Hagger: "My personal series Exploring Deliciousness is a personal collaboration with food stylist Lucy-Ruth Hathaway and set designer Kerry Hughes, which explores imperfect pairings and the way we view what is delicious."
Hannah Maule-ffinch:
Hannah Maule-ffinch: "The Barracks of Belgrade is part of an ongoing project covering the refugee crisis in Europe. Nearly 2,000 migrants, mainly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, were living in a series of large brick warehouses known as the Barracks, tucked away behind the city's main transport hub."
Matt Davis:
Matt Davis: "I noticed the chap with binoculars on my way to Blackpool beach last summer. He looked interesting so, I asked if I could take his picture. He hardly noticed me. It wasn't until I started shooting that I realised a small crowd was starting to gather. A swimmer was being rescued after getting stranded at sea."
Charlie Clift:
Charlie Clift: "I was asked to photograph Lynn Barber with her cat Tyger for The Sunday Times Magazine. True to Lynn's warning, Tyger did not want to be photographed. We managed to get one appearance on set thanks to the cocaine-like properties of cat treats."
Richard Durkin:
Richard Durkin: "This image was taken in the popular tourist city of Takayama in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture in central Japan."
Dean Northcott:
Dean Northcott: "The freedom and joy of the wonderful and short-lived British summer is captured in this image of 11-year-old Max seemingly floating in his garden as the sun sets in late August."
Rob Lawson:
Rob Lawson: "It's Murphy's law in a glass; true bartending entropy! There's conflict between the elements of the drink for space. The splash and the smoke are having it out, but within the compositional chaos, there's a definite beauty."
Alexander Rhind:
Alexander Rhind: "This image was taken from a wider series focusing on the Penzance water polo team as they play at the beautiful Jubilee Lido in Penzance. Perched right on the sea wall, the evening light bounces around the pool."
Peter Dazeley:
Peter Dazeley: "This image was photographed to illustrate the problem of domestic violence, using the anonymity of a spooky cracked antique doll's face."

What is the AOP?

The Association of Photographers is a not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to promoting, protecting and educating photographers of all levels – from those starting out, to experienced professionals, and everyone in between.

Awards Information

There are a great many photography competitions out there for professionals and non-professionals alike, but the AOP Awards continues to be regarded as the original and the best – a celebration of exceptional work by the industry’s elite. 
Being selected for entry into the AOP Awards Book and accompanying exhibition is one of the highest accolades available to photographers around the world.

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Where to See The Gallery

Via the BBC,  the finalists can be seen for free at Lobby, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London until May 31st, 2019.

Every now and again, checking out an awards show and competition like this is just the thing you need to get inspired and i’m jealous of our photographers in the UK who can check this gallery out in person. What do you think of the short-list? Have you looked at the rest on the AOP website? Let us know in the comments below.

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*All images shared with permission from Association of Photographers AoP Awards. Do not share or reuse images without direct permission.

**Featured Image credits – Copyright: © Alexander Rhind & Hannah Maule-ffinch, 2019 Association of Photographers AoP Awards