Stuart Matthews

Londoner Stuart uses a Canon 5D Mark II. (The above image is also part of his project.)

His project focused on the experiences of people living through climate change in Bangladesh and the effects of Cyclone Aila. “Returning to Bangladesh and revisiting the people I met in 2009 was amazing. I went back to continue my work documenting the communities and how they are developing their landscape to combat unpredictable weather shifts”.

Stuart said of the award, “The mentoring sessions organised with Magnum photographers and picture editors was a great opportunity to gain honest and informed feedback on my work, and discuss different ways to approach picture editors”. View Stuart’s portfolio.

Max Downer

Somerset-based photographer Max uses large format cameras (5x4) and works almost entirely with colour transparency. His final project, titled Aesthetics of Order, is an exploration of the man-made landscape.

He explains the underlying political message in his images: “The absence of any human presence in my images is also a nod to my own belief that, given our current attitude towards our environment and our impact upon it, this often temporary absence of humanity may become a permanent feature”.

He said of the competition, “I think the most valuable thing I have gained from the project is the ability to continue working as a photographer post-university, with contact and support from people in the industry. This feedback and critique has been invaluable to my process”. View Max’s portfolio.

Pierfrancesco Celada

Italian finalist Pierfrancesco always carries a digital SLR with a 50mm lens. Recently he’s also been using a micro 4/3 camera for shooting HD video.

Fundamentally, his project is about feeling alone in a crowd. He shot in Japan and England, concentrating on isolated figures in overcrowded city areas. After getting through the initial round of the competition and winning £2,500, Pierfrancesco was able to travel back to Japan and continue working on his project. “Flying back to Japan in December, I had a mixture of feelings – worried and excited at the same time. But when I started walking and exploring the environment again, these mixed emotions drove me on and helped me to continue my investigation”. View Pierfrancesco’s portfolio.

Read about the nine shortlisted candidates of the 2010 Photographic Award, who – along with Max, Stuart and Pierfrancesco – exhibited their work at IdeasTap HQ last year.

Apply for the IdeasTap Photographic Award 2011.