{"id":565296,"date":"2026-03-27T22:40:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T22:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/565296\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T22:40:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T22:40:13","slug":"the-wonderful-winners-of-the-lce-photography-of-the-year-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/565296\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wonderful Winners of the LCE Photography of the Year Competition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>      <img data-perfmatters-preload=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/OVERALL-WINNER_Fish-Eyes_Sophia-Spurgin_LR-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"An elderly person wearing a conical hat holds two small fish up to their eyes, creating the illusion of fish eyes. The person is smiling gently and wearing a red shirt, with a net and warm lighting in the background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846145\"  \/>Winner of the Travel category.  \u2018Fish Eyes\u2019 by Sophia Spurgin (overall winner) <\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lcegroup.co.uk\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow external noopener nofollow\">London Camera Exchange<\/a> has announced the winners of its LCE Photographer of the Year 2026 (LCE POTY) competition.<\/p>\n<p>Now in its third year, the free-to-enter LCE POTY competition comprises 14 different categories, including the publicly voted \u2018People\u2019s Choice\u2019 and \u2018Emerging Talent\u2019 dedicated to photography students. <\/p>\n<p>The overall winner is Sophia Spurgin for her humorous portrait of a fisherman, captured<br \/>spontaneously on a boat in Hoi An, Vietnam. \u2018Fish Eyes\u2019 was shot on a Canon EOS R5 Mark II. Sophia was awarded \u00a33,000 ($3,980) in LCE vouchers as the overall competition winner and Travel category winner. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was keen to dedicate some time to serious travel photography during a family holiday and had been taking photos of this fisherman at work alongside a local photographer. This was the playful end of the photography session and a genuinely entertaining moment. I especially like that his fishing net is visible in the background, adding context and authenticity to the image,\u201d says Spurgin, a retired school teacher from the U.K. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am absolutely delighted to win the London Camera Exchange Photographer of the Year 2026. Photography has brought me immense joy\u2014not only through the places it has taken me, but also through the wonderful friendships I\u2019ve made along the way. To be recognized in this competition means a great deal, as it shows that my photography resonates with others.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A-Gazing-Owlet_Louise-Norris_LR-800x578.jpg\" alt=\"A young owl with fluffy feathers peers out from behind the trunk of a tree, surrounded by dark, blurred green leaves, creating a mysterious and hidden atmosphere.\" width=\"800\" height=\"578\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846137\"  \/>Winner of the Birds category. \u2018A Gazing Owlet\u2019 by Louise Norris<br \/>\n <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Crossing-the-Curves_Helen-Trust_LR-800x516.jpg\" alt=\"A person rides a bicycle past a modern, curved building with dramatic striped shadows, reflected perfectly in a pool of water below. The image is in black and white.\" width=\"800\" height=\"516\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846138\"  \/>Winner of the Street category. \u2018Crossing the Curves\u2019 by Helen Trust <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Fighting-Foxes-in-the-Rain_Sophia-Spurgin_lr-800x574.jpg\" alt=\"Two foxes stand on their hind legs facing each other with mouths open wide, appearing to play or spar, while rain falls around them against a blurred green background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"574\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846139\"  \/>Winner of the Wildlife category. \u2018Fighting Foxes in the Rain\u2019 by Sophia Spurgin <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Half-a-Second-Before_Jacek-Salaga_LR-800x529.jpg\" alt=\"A wrestler in white trunks and red knee pads leaps mid-air off the ropes toward another wrestler standing in the ring as a referee and audience watch under dramatic lighting.\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846140\"  \/>Winner of the Events category. \u2018Half a Second Before\u2019 by Jacek Salaga <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Imprint_Millie-Melvin_LR-634x800.jpg\" alt=\"A faded, sepia-toned portrait of a woman is divided into nine rectangular panels, creating a subtle grid effect over her blurred face and upper body, giving the image a fragmented, abstract appearance.\" width=\"634\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846141\"  \/>Winner of the Emerging Talent (student award). \u2018Imprint\u2019 by Millie Melvin <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Lonely-Is-The-Night_Hardijanto-Budiman_LR.jpg\" alt=\"A black and white photo of tall skyscrapers viewed from the ground, converging toward the sky, with a single street lamp in the center emitting a yellow light.\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846142\"  \/>Winner of the After Dark category. \u2018Lonely is the Night\u2019 by Hardijanto Budiman <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Magical-Uphill-Lincoln_Andrew-Scott_LR-600x800.jpg\" alt=\"A picturesque cobblestone street at sunset, lined with historic buildings and glowing shopfronts. Hanging lanterns and potted flowers decorate the scene, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846144\"  \/>Winner of the People\u2019s Choice category. \u2018Magical Uphill Lincoln\u2019 by Andrew Scott <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Red-Rebel_John-Lynch_LR-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"A person in white face paint and a red costume with a headpiece of red flowers stands in the foreground, surrounded by a group of people dressed entirely in red on a city street.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846146\"  \/>Winner of the Portrait category. \u2018Red Rebel\u2019 by John Lynch<br \/>\n <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Saving-lives-at-sea_David-Lyon_LR-800x322.jpg\" alt=\"An orange lifeboat battles rough, stormy waves in a dark gray sea, tilted by the force of the water as crew members in yellow gear work on deck.\" width=\"800\" height=\"322\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846147\"  \/>Winner of the Action category. \u2018Saving Lives at Sea\u2019 by David Lyon <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Silent-Sentinel_Carole-Ann-Chambers_LR-800x640.jpg\" alt=\"A slender, long-haired dog with light brown and white fur stands on a large tree root in a lush, green forest, looking alertly into the distance.\" width=\"800\" height=\"640\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846148\"  \/>Winner of the Pets category. \u2018Silent Sentinel\u2019 by Carole-Ann Chambers <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Swan-Song_Brooke-Shaden_LR-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"A person in a bathing suit and swim cap sits on an inflatable swan, surrounded by deflated pool floats, on a frozen, snowy landscape with trees in the background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846149\"  \/>Winner of the Creative category. \u2018Swan Song\u2019 by Brooke Shaden <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Teamwork_Dikye-Ariani_LR-800x525.jpg\" alt=\"Two red ants on a green stem; one ant is balancing two spiky green spheres vertically while another ant stands beside it, all set against a plain green background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"525\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846150\"  \/>Winner of the Macro category. \u2018Teamwork\u2019 by Dikye Ariani <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Lotus_Colin-Page_LR-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"A large modern building with many windows stands by the water, featuring a large rectangular opening in the center. A red and green houseboat is docked in front, both reflecting clearly in the calm water below.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"size-large wp-image-846151\"  \/>Winner of the Landscape category. \u2018\u2018The Lotus\u2019 by Colin Page <\/p>\n<p>The competition attracted 14,500 entries this year, and the winners were revealed at The Photography Show. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Winner of the Travel category. \u2018Fish Eyes\u2019 by Sophia Spurgin (overall winner) The London Camera Exchange has announced&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":565297,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[76,354,355,49,48,356,75,217946,217947,2238],"class_list":{"0":"post-565296","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-ca","12":"tag-canada","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment","15":"tag-lcephotographeroftheyear","16":"tag-londoncameraexchange","17":"tag-photocompetition"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=565296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/565297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=565296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=565296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=565296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}