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Documentary Photographer of the Year
The Documentary Photographer of the Year (DPOTY) competition is organised by the Royal Photographic Society’s Documentary Group. It runs every two years. The competition has been running since 2012 and provides an opportunity to showcase documentary work and storytelling.
rps.org/groups/documentary/dpoty-2021
Over the past half century - certainly since the late 1970s - the decline of magazine published photography has caused a decline in many traditional forums for the publication of the documentary photograph - whether a single image or in series. Documentary photographers have had to reimagine their routes to their audience and, to some considerable extent, are now perhaps more focused on the art world and galleries as a way of presenting their work, rather than through magazines.
Although magazine publication of the documentary genre has not been completely lost, and while documentary photographers are increasingly shifting their forum of publication from print to exhibition, the basic tenet of the genre remains the same:
‘To capture a real moment, conveying a message about the world, focusing on an ongoing issue or story seen through a single photograph - or, more usually, a carefully crafted series of photographs - drawing attention to often sensitive, difficult or dangerous world issues which require some form of remedial or political action’.
Despite the shift in the route to an audience, the documentary photographer has remained true to this ambition. In the Royal Photographic Society, we are incredibly fortunate to have a Documentary Group that is so active, so well respected both within and outside the Society, and which has within its ranks, photographers of the highest calibre - as we shall see evidenced by the shortlisted, commended, and winning entries in this year’s Documentary Photographer of the Year competition.
Under Mark’s chairmanship, the work of the Documentary Group - including its publications, workshops and, of course, this competition - is directly supporting the third pillar of the new RPS Strategy in which we are “Sharing Photography”. This pillar aims to maintain centres of expertise in specific areas of photography through which we can share images, best practices, ideas, information, and skills; but most importantly, where we can see the best examples of the photographers’ craft and promote a sense of belonging, mentorship, and inclusivity.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I’d like to thank Mark and the entire Documentary team for leading the way and for setting such a high bar of excellence.
