The LensCulture critics' choice competition is open to photographers of all ages and experience levels, with no themes or genre limitations. The resulting work showcases the many ways people worldwide use photography to express themselves, tell stories, capture beauty, document events, make art, and connect with each other.
Selected Favourites from the Panel
Here is a selection of personal favourites from the 19 photography experts on this year's panel.
Pictures with Janet by Mark Fitton (US) is an ongoing collaborative project between Fitton and his aunt Janet, a 51-year-old woman with Down's syndrome. The series began when Janet approached her nephew wanting to make pictures. Over the next decade, what started as a creative impulse evolved into a sustained photographic practice central to their relationship, fostering a shared space for exploring ideas and providing Janet with an outlet for self-expression. The work offers a normalisation of disability as a natural part of the human experience.
Along the River Lea by Mattia Corato (UK) documents the urban nature along the River Lea in east London. Corato said: 'When I moved to Clapton a few years ago, I did not know much about the River Lea and the surrounding meadows and woods. I started to cycle along the waterways and I discovered a deeply urban nature, dotted with human traces and overgrown spaces. The community of people that live along the riverbanks represents a vibrant part of the river's modern identity. The river mirrors the cultural diversity and distinctive character of the neighbourhoods of east London through which it flows, representing a peaceful and precious escape from the fast city life.'
Masculinity, Conflict and Extremism
Sonder by Adam Lin (UK) explores masculinity through domesticity, focusing on relationships between male family members and the spaces shaping their lives. Set between London and Taichung, the project examines how Taiwanese and Asian masculinity is expressed, negotiated and reimagined within the family home, which is often coded as a feminine space.
The Last Butterflies by Valentina Sinis (Italy) portrays female guerrillas from Kurdish regions of Iran belonging to the Kurdistan Free Life party (PJAK), with the Women's Protection Forces (HPJ) forming an all-female unit. They describe themselves as the third butterfly – 'the last butterflies' – ready to sacrifice themselves for freedom and Haqiqat (truth), especially significant now the Kurdistan Workers' party has declared a ceasefire and begun dissolving its armed structures.
The Quiet Rise by Ashkan Shabani (Germany) examines the growing visibility of neo-Nazi and far-right extremist groups in Germany, photographed between 2024 and 2025. The images follow these networks across demonstrations, marches, meetings and private gatherings, showing how extremist ideology has moved beyond the margins and is now openly performed through symbols, language, clothing and coordinated public actions.
Metaphor and Migration
The Burning of Autumn by Mehrdad Fathi (Iran) was created during wildfires in Iran's Hyrcanian forests. Fathi said: 'During the days when the Hyrcanian forests, one of Iran's oldest ecosystems, were engulfed by wildfires and efforts to contain the flames were ongoing, this body of work took shape. For me, this simultaneity was not merely an external coincidence, but a point of confrontation with the fragility of nature and the role of humans in its preservation or destruction. In this project, the matchbox is used as a small yet metaphorical object; an item that is not inherently guilty, but one that can become a tool for catastrophe.'
Surprise Inside by Walter Plotnick (US) uses photographic collages as a metaphor for anticipation. Plotnick said: 'My photographic collages serve as a metaphor for anticipation – moments when the unknown is being revealed. Pivotal moments when life turns a corner into new and exciting phases, a heightening of our awareness that brings us fully into whatever is coming next. The act of opening the boxes implied in these images releases the energy of what is inside, allowing the contents to take flight.'
Resident Aliens by Guanyu Xu (US) reconstructs immigrant interior spaces into physical photographic installations. Xu said: 'In this series, I reconstruct the interior space of immigrants into physical photographic installations to explore their personal histories and complex experiences. Through layers of photographs – of the space, belongings, personal photo archives and pictures of places they captured in this world – the project blurs the boundaries between the familiar and foreignness, private and public, belonging and alienation. In the face of rising neo-nationalism and xenophobia, these are topics that resonate across the world.'
Economic Change and Family Life
Muted Ember by Yue Sun (China) focuses on younger generations in China facing challenges as the economy no longer delivers on promises of a steadily better future. Shot in Wuhai, Inner Mongolia, the project documents the city's transition from coal to tourism. Sun said: 'Now, as the coal resource is depleted, the city's government is transitioning to a tourism-based economy. I spent two years photographing the city's outskirts, its failed tourism projects and the people there. Through my images, I hope to convey the uncertainty and change that these youth face.'
Cry to the Angels by Avery Norman (US) was praised by Jim Casper, editor in chief of Lensculture: 'Avery Norman has created a story that makes you want to learn more, to connect the dots from image to image. Every aspect of these photographs is expertly controlled and intentional, loaded with details that make the viewing experience more and more rewarding the longer you look. The people seem quite at ease and natural, embodying their roles with very believable attitudes. There is a sly subtext going on here that is hard to pin down – and that tension adds to the mystery and allure of this work.'
My Mother Doesn't Work by Olga Steinepreis (Germany) was selected by Fiona Shields, head of photography at the Guardian: 'This is such a witty and engaging series. It presents a caricature of family life through elaborate, humorous staging, underlining the absurdity of everyday tasks while also making a serious point about how underappreciated parental effort can be.'
