Janine by Michelle Sank. © Michelle Sank
The shortlist for this year’s National Portrait Gallery Photographic Portrait Prize has been announced, with four photographers competing for a chance to win the £12,000 first prize.
They were chosen from a total of 6,900 submissions by 2,700 photographers from around the world.
This is the fifth year the award has been organized by the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) and will be accompanied by an exhibition of 60 portraits selected by the judges, running at the gallery from November 8 2007 to February 24 2008.
Joseline Ingabire with her daughter Leah Batamuliza, Rwanda by Jonathan Torgovnik. © Jonathan Torgovnik
“2007 was an outstanding year in terms of the quality and quantity of photographs submitted,” said Sandy Nairne, Director of the National Portrait Gallery. “Photographic portraiture continues to flourish all around the world. Four remarkable images have made it to the shortlist.”
This year has seen the largest number of submissions ever entered for the prize, with 1,835 more entries than last year and 679 more photographers submitting work.
Selected anonymously from an open competition, the international mix of entrants reflects the diversity of styles and approaches to the portrait genre, encompassing editorial, advertising and fine art images, and showcasing the work of emerging young photographers, established professionals, students and gifted amateurs.
Alice & Fish by David Stewart. © David Stewart
As well as the first-prize winner and three runners-up, this year's exhibition will feature the Godfrey Argent Award, a special award which will acknowledge an outstanding portrait taken by an exhibitor aged between 18 and 25.
The shortlisted photographers include South African-born Michelle Sank for her portrait of Janine, one of the teenagers living at a children's home in Mannheim, Germany.
Argentinian Julieta Sans was selected for a portrait of her friend, Lucila, photographed in Lucila's old bedroom at her father's flat in Buenos Aires.
Lucila a.m. by Julieta Sans. © Julietta Sans
David Stewart from Lancaster has been chosen for Alice & Fish, a portrait of his teenage daughter Alice photographed in her ‘emo’ phase at Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria.
Finally, Tel Aviv-born Jonathan Torgovnik is in the running for Joseline Ingabire with her daughter Leah Batamuliza, Rwanda, taken from a series documenting the lives of Tutsi women who had been the victims of sexual violence during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
The winners will be announced November 6 2007, and after its stint at the NPG, the exhibition will tour in 2008.
