PR33 Photo Challenge: The Smallest Room

We’ve posed some tough challenges over the last 30 issues, but judging from the number of entries we received, ‘the smallest room in the house’ must have been the most difficult yet. Still, whilst we didn’t get as many competitors as is usual, the standard of the submissions was uniformly strong. As many artists know, working on a small canvas with only a limited range of options often leads to more than usually creative expression.
Chris Hens’ winning picture is a good example of what happens when you look at the world photographically. As he put it, ‘When thinking about what to shoot for the photo challenge, I noticed my and my fiancees toothbrushes standing in a cup on the window sill. The sun was reflecting off the wall of our neighbours place, which back-lit the toothbrushes.’ We all probably notice such things, but Chris not only made the observation, he also saw how he could artfully compose these simple objects within a photographic frame. We’re pleased to send Chris a copy of the superb E.O. Hoppø©’s Australia by Graham Howe and Erika Esau.

Winner: Chris Hens
Our runners-up have, as you can see, also created strong and interesting images. First runner-up Jodie Johnson, a redbubble.com member, says of her image entitled Joys of an outhouse – blowin in the wind, ‘After trying every possible angle in both our inside and outside “small rooms'”, I settled on the toilet roll because of its shape and the lines it creates. I love the newness of the crisp white paper against a backdrop of original 1929 outhouse walls!’

First runner-up: Jodie Johnson
Second-runner up June Kirk too found the toilet roll a source of inspiration. We liked the simplicity and almost graphical quality of her composition. Our third runner-up place went to David McGill for his curiously peaceful meditation, if that’s the right word, on a fine example of the rippled glass so often encountered in the smallest room. We found Leith Matson’s simple picture of a dripping shower head strangely beguiling and therefore made him our fourth runner-up. And finally, speaking of strange, we thought Tony Peri’s “Getting ready” had a quiet but distinctly dramatic tension thanks to the inclusion of himself and his vintage 1957 Rolleiflex 120 camera in the background.

Second runner-up: June Kirk

Third runner-up: David McGill

Fourth runner-up: Leith Matson

Fifth runner-up: Tony Peri
Details of the current Photo Challenge are published in Photo Review magazine. Click here to order online or to find out where to buy your copy.