Photography Student Snaps Best in Show at the AOP Student Awards

27 July 2020

image of Davey McDonald by Elliot Caunce
IoP AoP Award Winners
Type: Text
Category: Student stories

BA(Hons) Press and Editorial Photography graduate Elliot Caunce has received the Best in Show title for his entry in the Association of Photography (AOP) Student Awards.

Elliot’s winning entry features Davey McDonald who has lived off grid in the remote mountains of Scotland for 12 years following a serious health diagnosis.

Elliot’s moving submission to the ‘People’ category impressed the judges, including professionals Julia Fullerton-Batten, Laura Noble and Lee Smith. Elliot’s film has also featured on the BBC and in the Guardian newspaper.

Elliot said:

It’s brilliant to see the wee film doing so well. Davey doesn't get any signal where he lives so I’ll have to pay him another visit.


Fellow students, Ruby Burgess from BA(Hons) Photography, secured silver in the ‘Things’ category and Natalie Durrant who studied BA(Hons) Marine and Natural History Photography was shortlisted in the Places category.

Mandy Lee Jandrell, Director of the Institute of Photography and Falmouth School of Art, said: “Elliot’s success is great testament to the professionalism and industry focus of our Press and Editorial course. He has excelled, not only in winning the Association of Photographers prize, but also in having his work featured both on the BBC and in The Guardian, whilst still a student with us. His work has struck a chord, at a time when we are all readdressing our ways of living and he will no doubt be a name we will see a lot more of in the future” 

Originating in 1981 the AOP Student Awards celebrates the very best of emerging talent from photography students. 

The 2020 winners were revealed in front of a virtual audience of finalists, press, agents, commissioners and members. There were 60 finalists in the still and moving image categories of People, Places and Things.

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