Over seventy winning and highly commended images from CIWEM’s Environmental Photographer of the Year 2011 competition will go on display at a free exhibition held from 6-17 December at London’s SW1 Gallery. Selected from over 10,000 images, The Environmental Photographer of the Year is an international showcase for the very best in environmental photography.  The competition honours amateur and professional photographers who use their ability to raise awareness of environmental and social issues. The SW1 Gallery is located at 12 Cardinal Walk, Roof Garden Level, Cardinal Place, London.

CIWEM Press Release

FREE LONDON PHOTO EXHIBITION…
CIWEM’S Environmental Photographer of the Year 2011

-      SWI Gallery on 6th – 17th December
-      Over 70 winning and highly commended images
-      Show reel of the winning video clips

Selected from over 10,000 images, The Environmental Photographer of the Year is an international showcase for the very best in environmental photography.  The competition honours amateur and professional photographers who use their ability to raise awareness of environmental and social issues.  The winners were announced through the international press, covering dozens of countries and several UK national papers.

The free exhibition features the most outstanding collection of environmental, social and natural photographs.  This year saw the introduction of the Environmental Video of the Year Category, offering filmmakers the opportunity to bring the images to life in dynamic 30-second clips.  Over 70 winning and highly commended images and a show reel of the winning video clips will go on display in London at the SWI Gallery, 6th – 17th December.

Organised by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), the Environmental Photographer of the Year, continues to be one of the fastest growing photography competitions.  In this its’ fifth year, more than double the number of entries were received than in 2010, with over 10,000 entries submitted from photographers in 105 countries.

Photographer Chan Kwok Hung, from Hong-Kong won the overall title of The Environmental Photographer of the Year, whilst 19 year old Meyrem Bulucek gained the title of the Young Environmental Photographer of the Year with her poignant image of an elderly couple entitled ‘Growing Young’.

The winning images will be displayed as part of a stunning collection, that celebrate the beauty of the natural environment and its’ biodiversity, that illustrate the perils that it faces, such as flooding and coastal erosion; and that starkly portray the painful social consequences of these and other threats and their impact on human life.

Judge Nick Reeves, CIWEM’s Executive Director, said:

“The range of subjects reflects a good understanding of the environmental challenges we face and a shared understanding of the power of the picture to tell the story.”

The winning image by Chan Kwok Hung, from Hong-Kong of two vulnerable children living on what seems like the very edge of survival startlingly contrasts with images of the developed world from the ‘View of the Western World’ category, such as Alex Moore’s image ‘‘Drive - Thru Child’ (2011) from the series F/00d’.

Chairman of the Environment Agency and Competition judge, Lord Smith commented on the winning image:

“This is a very graphic image that captures the human impact of homelessness.  Coupled with the mountain of rubbish, it links homelessness with the degradation of the environment.  Those around the world facing the greater environmental hazards are very often those facing acute poverty too.”

The collection will be showcased at the SW1 Gallery, 12 Cardinal Walk, Roof Garden Level, Cardinal Place, London, SW1E 5JE from Tuesday 6th December 2011 to Saturday 17th December 2011. For more information on the exhibition, please go to www.epoty.org.

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