BBC Staff Photography Competition 2009We can't quite believe it's come round again, but here are the results of the fifth annual BBC Staff Photography Competition for 2009! There was a record-breaking 1,364 photos submitted to the competition this year, with more than 470 participants taking part (beating last year by a good hundred). In the competition's Flickr group, the categories were proposed and debated in the discussion threads, until finally, we agreed on the following categories: Abstract, Mobile Technology, August Activity, Unexpected Beauty and the ever popular Our World. Our World alone had more than 440 entries. It's the annual category, as the competition is sponsored by BBC Global News. This year, the BBC Club Photography Section sponsored the August Activity category, offering participants a couple of workshops to brush up their photography skills. Our winner this year was The Swimmer by Nigel Jarvis in FM&T. The judging panel, inculding DG Mark Thompson, felt it worked perfectly. A clean, bold composition. The photographer is not afraid to have a photograph of almost nothing. Overall runner up for 2009 was Harry (aged 110) and Richard by Robert Wicks in English Regions, Bristol. A lovely, vital picture, the judges said it presented a moment of unposed friendship captured in an unforced way, and completely unselfconscious. And our overall commendation this year went to Kabul Kabab by Derrick Evans in World Service. A glimpse into how life goes on in parts of the world you might have no idea about, an insight into others' lives. Snatched in real life, the judges felt the composition was still superb. Thank you to Richard Sambrook and BBC Global News for sponsoring us once again. We're really grateful to our brilliant judges who so kindly gave their time to consider all the images. Our roll call of judges for 2009 includes BBC Trustee, Diane Coyle; Jon Williams; Leo Scutt-Richter; John Linwood; Jeff Overs; David Fawcett and Karen McCririck (both members of the BBC Club Photography Section); Caroline Nursey; Sarah Carrington; Phil Coomes; Caroline Flatley; Rory Cellan-Jones; Ken Sinyard; John Quintero (last year's competition winner!); Mark Thompson; and Richard Sambrook, as our Executive Sponsor and divisional director of BBC Global News. Ben Yacobi (who started the competition in 2005), together with Ant Smith and Annabel Blair, were your competition organisers once more this year. And now, without further ado, our virtual gallery of all the winners, runners-up and commendations. A tremendous well done to everyone. Thank you to all those who took part and to those who supported us in Ariel, Gateway, colleagues in Global News and a host of others. Here's to next year! >> CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS TO SEE THE AWARD-WINNING IMAGES OVERALL WINNERS 2009The debate about the overall winner was very close.  | OVERALL WINNER:
The Swimmerby Nigel Jarvis, Senior Technician, FM&T
A clean, bold composition. The photographer is not afraid to have a photograph of almost nothing. An isolated figures in the landscape. The line of the figure, the line leading out to him, against the line of the horizon: it works perfectly. Subtle bands of colour. Unusual and powerful. Also: Runner Up, Unexpected Beauty 2009 |
 | OVERALL RUNNER-UP:
Harry (aged 110) and Richard by Robert Wicks, Senior Broadcast Journalist, English Regions, Bristol
A lovely, vital picture. A moment of unposed friendship captured in an unforced way. It has colour, focus, depth. Well done. Nothing around to distract. Completely unselfconscious. Pin sharp. Excellent. Also: Winner, Our World 2009
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Kabul Kabab by Derrick Evans, Technical Operator, Africa & Middle East, World Service
A very pleasing image. How life goes on in parts of the world you might have no idea about. Enough to keep the eye interested, keep it busy, yet without clutter. Snatched in real life, but the composition is still superb. The picture pinned to the wall really adds to it: we're peering into another world, insight into their lives. Also: Runner Up, Our World 2009 |
^ Back to top MOBILE TECHNOLOGY | WINNER:
High Tide by Andrew Dunn, Producer/Director, TV Music Entertainment We loved the contrast between the colours - the blue and the yellow from the light make this an appealing image. And we liked the way the photographer is using the road sign to create a sense of irony. |
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Watching Over You by Jaltson Akkanath Chummar, Video Producer, Mumbai
We loved the colours and it feels like theirs a story here, with the boys showing great character in their body language. The lines running through the image divide the image up beautifully. This looks like it could be a still frame from a film.
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 | COMMENDATION:
Broadcasting House worships All Souls by Richard Leeming, Executive Producer, Syndication, A&M Interactive
The strong lines reaching into a stormy sky and the drama in this image impressed us. Underneath the cranes the city continues on unaware of what's above them. The cranes here look almost like aliens are invading the scene.
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^ Back to top AUGUST ACTIVITY | WINNER:
Notting Hill Carnival 2009 by Ping Shum, Producer, BBC Chinese
The judges felt that this is a wonderfully strong image, full of action and joyfulness which is well composed and beautifully lit. A great subject captured at the perfect moment.
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 | RUNNER-UP:
Worthing August 2009 by Alex Fielding, Senior Broadcast Journalist, Asian Network, Birmingham
Wry and amusing, this photo sums up a British August at the seaside. Begging the question, "who else are the band playing to?", the judges loved the dog's expression - captured brilliantly!
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 | COMMENDATION:
Wedding by Andy Gallacher, Reporter, Newsgathering, Miami
The judges felt that this was a different take on the theme, where the children were watching the main activity with an identical expression on their faces. Technically, the photo is very good - a well composed image, filling the frame with a lovely curve around the subjects.
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^ Back to top ABSTRACT | WINNER:
Foam on Broadhaven Beach by Paul Evans, Senior Producer, Wales Production
It could have been many things – you can’t quite tell what it is. Where is it shot from? What height. What distance? Is it a satellite image or is it a close-up? The scale is indeterminate. Striking colours. Oyster-like. Even upside-down, it becomes an almost completely different picture, but it still works.
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Worthing no5 by Nigel Jarvis, Senior Technician, FM&T
Ethereal. Calming. Like a Jane Campion movie. Nothing yet something. You want to lose yourself in it. It would make a beautiful canvas. A triptych perhaps. The muted colours – love that. |
 | COMMENDATION:
Dry earth and sprouting seed by Jeremy Toogood, Broadcast Camera Journalist, Newsgathering, Bristol It’s all about the texture. It’s unclear – if it didn't say dry earth, would you see it? Good use of black and white, with the colour literally sprouting through. The contrast in the photo is like the contrast in life and death. A low key photo. Dark. Moody. |
^ Back to top OUR WORLD | WINNER:
Harry (aged 110) and Richard by Robert Wicks, Senior Broadcast Journalist, English Regions, Bristol
This image speaks of emotion and in a very positive way captures a, now lost, moment in time. The image captures everything a great photo should and is technically excellent. |
| RUNNER-UP:
Kabul Kabab by Derrick Evans, Technical Operator, Africa & Middle East, World Service
An evocative shot that shows us Afghanistan in the context of "Their World", which is about more than war. Enjoying each other’s company, cooking together, the image tells a story beyond the headlines. Another well composed shot with good handling of awkward highlights.
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Off by Gareth Ford Williams, Senior Content Producer, FM&T User Experience & Design, Manchester
A powerful representation of "His World" which, whilst expressing isolation, remains positive. The composition is perfect.
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^ Back to top UNEXPECTED BEAUTY | WINNER:
Whale in the wild by Lindsay Pretorius, PA to TVL Management Team, Licence Fee Unit
A beautiful image caught in the moment. It fits the category perfectly. A marriage of luck and timing.
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| RUNNER-UP:
The Swimmer by Nigel Jarvis, Senior Technician, FM&T
Is it a photo or a painting? A Hockney-esqu image that makes what might be a storm drain into a thing of beauty. It’s the solitude that’s the key to it, capturing the mood of isolation.
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 | COMMENDATION:
Liquid sunlight by David Fawcett, Head of Policy Development, Strategy
The most mundane of settings, water and an old tarpaulin, yet the colours and textures make it a striking and slightly unfathomable image.
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Staff were asked to enter their images via our group on Flickr. More than 1,360 images were entered and you can browse through these, as well as the discussions, via the Flickr group page:
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