"It was really, really fantastic, wait, more than fantastic… in
fact they didn't invent a word for it, when I won the
competition!"
Samuel Eatough (aged 7) and Sarah
Cowie (aged 14) are the winners of the 2011
PhotoArch competition, run by the Scottish Civic
Trust and supported by Historic
Scotland. Their winning photographs were
chosen from over 300 entries from primary and secondary schools
across Scotland. Prizes and certificates for the
winning and commended entries were awarded by Fiona Hyslop,
the Minister for Culture and External Affairs, at a
special ceremony on Tuesday 15 March at The Lighthouse,
Glasgow.
The Minister said:
"I am so impressed by the skill and talent that both Samuel and
Sarah have shown with their entries. Both pictures are remarkable,
using light and artistry to make absolutely captivating images...
We can all be hugely proud that Sarah and Samuel will be
representing Scotland in the International Heritage Photographic
Experience."
Samuel Eatough, Queen's Cross Church
Sarach Cowie, Usher Hall
Samuel and Sarah's photographs, along with all the entries, will
be on view to the public for six weeks at The Lighthouse, before
going forward to represent Scotland at the International Heritage
Photographic Experience exhibition in more than 40 countries.
PhotoArch encourages young people to take an interest in
buildings, archaeology and heritage. Sites under the lens have
included everything from atmospheric ancient ruins to ultra-modern
flats, spanning castles, schools, homes, shops, churches and
factories, to name a few. Samuel's picture of a
tenement, which won the overall prize, viewed through the
distinctive window of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Queen's Cross
Church, united the judges in praise. Samuel, from Glasgow's Ruchill
Autism Unit, said of his photograph:
"I like it because it is a mixture of the past and now… It was
really, really fantastic, wait, more than fantastic… in fact they
didn't invent a word for it, when I won the competition!"
PhotoArch, which began in 2004, expanded this year to allow
entries from secondary schools. Sarah, a pupil at Robert Gordon's
College in Aberdeen, impressed the judges with the way her image
contrasts the historic and modern parts of Edinburgh's Usher Hall.
Sarah said:
"It really made me more observant of the architecture around me,
both old and new, and I appreciate how the two are combined to
create truly stunning buildings. I also found myself noticing
things about buildings that I'd never taken the time to see
before."
The judges for PhotoArch 2011 were Ruth Parsons, Chief Executive
of Historic Scotland; John Pelan, Director of the Scottish Civic
Trust; and Julia Belgutay, of Times Educational Supplement
Scotland.
Ruth Parsons, Chair of the judging panel
said:
"Every photographer who entered and every teacher who worked on
this with their pupils should be exceptionally proud of their work.
The variety in style, composition and inspiration is wonderful to
see and creates whole new perspectives to familiar buildings and
monuments."
John Pelan, Scottish Civic Trust, said;
"The PhotoArch competition is a great way to get
children thinking about the places and spaces that surround
them. Once again, we had many excellent entries
from pupils of all ages, showing originality, inventiveness
and an eye for detail. PhotoArch goes from strength to strength
with a record number of entries this year and submissions from both
primary and secondary schools."
Julia Belgutay, Times Educational Supplement
Scotland, said:
"The photographs allowed us an insight into each
child's personal perspective on the world and the unique
way in which they viewed the building they had chosen. Some
photographs were of such a high technical standard, they could not
be distinguished from the work of professional photographers."
www.photoarch.org.uk