Deadline 12.7.24

Details: The Open Award is open to everyone – both professional and amateur – and are about championing exquisite imagery. There are no categories or restrictions in the Open Award, the image is the star, and exciting and innovative work is encouraged.”

The AOP Open Award is run by the Association of Photographers and is an exciting opportunity  for professionals and amateurs to compete on equal terms, with still and moving images created by a person, during what is our prestigious Annual Awards season.

The AOP Open Award aims to bring together professional and amateurs in a high profile way. The Open Award is a popular competition that has been running for 15 years, and each year has attracted approximately 1,500 entries from around the world. 

Finalists will be exhibited alongside 38th AOP Photography Award Finalists at the official AOP Awards Showcase in September 2024 with Gold and Silver Winners for the 38th AOP Awards, including the Open Award being announced live at the event.

AOP Open Award Finalists will also feature in the highly collectable 39th AOP Awards Book. Gold and Silver Winners will each receive a complimentary AOP Associate Membership*.

Submission rules:

• All images must have been created on or after 1 January 2022.
• Can enter a single or series (2-5) of images, created by a person.
• Images submitted online should be RGB and in JPEG format. They should be no larger than 3500 pixels on the longest edge. Your final file size must not exceed 10 megabytes
• You can enter a piece of moving imagery up to 7 minutes in length, demonstrating your understanding and skills within the medium. All moving image entries must reference whether the work is a collaboration with another artist be it a director, editor, colour grader, musician etc. or whether it’s the independent work of the photographer. You may wish to illustrate the creative use of technologies for example AR, VR, CGI or an other technique, created by a person.
• You can enter works of innovation with an example of excellence that illustrates the creative use of technologies and innovations in the production of still images. This can be AR, VR, CGI or any other technique, created by a person.
• You can enter commissioned or personal work.
• For Full Image Specifications please see points 7 & 8 in the 2024 AOP Open Awards Terms and Conditions

Single Members – £15.00 Non-members – £20.00 Series Members – £25.00 Non-members – £35.00

MY ENTRY

Project title: What Lies Beneath

Project description: 2000 words

Series description:

     ‘What Lies Beneath’, expresses my reflections on community using the landscape of an ancient woodland to create a visual model where things successfully coexist and support each other. Here I transform abstract ideas in my head into something concrete.

Though humans provoked the concept of the work, they are not evident in the images. Unlike woodland community members, the local human community is often disharmonious and driven by difference. The inclusive, harmonious characteristics of these diverse woodland societies would benefit human societies where sadly, ‘incomers’ like myself, are never accepted as local, no matter how long passes, or what they contribute to the neighbourhood – this a story common to settings across the globe.

In this work, combining the world in my head with the one in front of me, has helped to heal some of the wounds that inspired the story’s beginning.   

What lies beneath the emerald wrapping, embracing their collective realm?

What lies elsewhere beneath man’s disguised demeanour, civil but deliberately divisive?

Niki South    

What lies beneath: Community

1.           Community. This is the second in a series of images for my body of Work ‘What Lies Beneath’. The series expresses my thoughts on community, using the landscape of an ancient woodland to create a visual model where things coexist, are inclusive and support each other. My experience of local community provokes the concept of the work, as its characteristics are in stark contrast to the woodland, often disharmonious, discriminating and driven by difference. This image is an entry portal to a varied but cohesive community.

What lies here beneath the willing emerald wrapping, accepting their collective realm?

What lies elsewhere beneath man’s disguised demeanour, civil but deliberately divisive?

2.           Harmony. This is the first in a series of images for my body of Work ‘What Lies Beneath’. The series expresses my thoughts on community, using the landscape of an ancient woodland to create a visual model where things coexist, are inclusive and support each other. My experience of local community provokes the concept of the work, as its characteristics are in stark contrast to the woodland, often disharmonious, discriminating and driven by difference. This image initially appears chaotic, however on closer sight the community is harmonious and supportive.

What lies here beneath the luminescent selfless sheaths, accepting mutual benefit?

What lies elsewhere beneath community spirit, concealed but festering? 

3.           Cooperation. This is the fourth in a series of images for my body of Work ‘What Lies Beneath’. The series expresses my thoughts on community, using the landscape of an ancient woodland to create a visual model where things coexist, are inclusive and support each other. My experience of local community provokes the concept of the work, as its characteristics are in stark contrast to the woodland, often disharmonious, discriminating and driven by difference. This image showcases cooperation in a complex but sympathetic community.

What lies here beneath the verdant creeping coverlet, collectively enjoying comfort?

What lies elsewhere beneath deceitful welcomes, smiling but spreading spite?

4.           Diversity. This is the sixth in a series of images for my body of Work ‘What Lies Beneath’. The series expresses my thoughts on community, using the landscape of an ancient woodland to create a visual model where things coexist, are inclusive and support each other. My experience of local community provokes the concept of the work, as its characteristics are in stark contrast to the woodland, often disharmonious, discriminating and driven by difference. This image shows welcoming tolerant behaviour in a diverse society.

What lies here beneath the soothing snaking sleeve, insulated from harm by another?

What lies elsewhere beneath undesired need, acknowledged but resented?   

            

        

5. Reciprocity. This is the last in a series of images for my body of Work ‘What Lies Beneath’. The series expresses my thoughts on community, using the landscape of an ancient woodland to create a visual model where things coexist, are inclusive and support each other. My experience of local community provokes the concept of the image, where its characteristics are in stark contrast to the woodland, often disharmonious, discriminating and driven by difference. This image demonstrates the generous, understanding that is possible in a community.

What lies here beneath the abundant enveloping eiderdown, slumbering peacefully together?

What lies elsewhere beneath acceptable appearances, charming but prejudiced?