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.Winner of the Travel category. ‘Fish Eyes’ by Sophia Spurgin (overall winner)

The London Camera Exchange has announced the winners of its LCE Photographer of the Year 2026 (LCE POTY) competition.

Now in its third year, the free-to-enter LCE POTY competition comprises 14 different categories, including the publicly voted ‘People’s Choice’ and ‘Emerging Talent’ dedicated to photography students.

The overall winner is Sophia Spurgin for her humorous portrait of a fisherman, captured
spontaneously on a boat in Hoi An, Vietnam. ‘Fish Eyes’ was shot on a Canon EOS R5 Mark II. Sophia was awarded £3,000 ($3,980) in LCE vouchers as the overall competition winner and Travel category winner.

“I 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,” says Spurgin, a retired school teacher from the U.K.

“I am absolutely delighted to win the London Camera Exchange Photographer of the Year 2026. Photography has brought me immense joy—not only through the places it has taken me, but also through the wonderful friendships I’ve made along the way. To be recognized in this competition means a great deal, as it shows that my photography resonates with others.”

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.Winner of the Birds category. ‘A Gazing Owlet’ by Louise Norris
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.Winner of the Street category. ‘Crossing the Curves’ by Helen Trust 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.Winner of the Wildlife category. ‘Fighting Foxes in the Rain’ by Sophia Spurgin 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.Winner of the Events category. ‘Half a Second Before’ by Jacek Salaga 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.Winner of the Emerging Talent (student award). ‘Imprint’ by Millie Melvin 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.Winner of the After Dark category. ‘Lonely is the Night’ by Hardijanto Budiman 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.Winner of the People’s Choice category. ‘Magical Uphill Lincoln’ by Andrew Scott 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.Winner of the Portrait category. ‘Red Rebel’ by John Lynch
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.Winner of the Action category. ‘Saving Lives at Sea’ by David Lyon 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.Winner of the Pets category. ‘Silent Sentinel’ by Carole-Ann Chambers 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.Winner of the Creative category. ‘Swan Song’ by Brooke Shaden 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.Winner of the Macro category. ‘Teamwork’ by Dikye Ariani 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.Winner of the Landscape category. ‘‘The Lotus’ by Colin Page

The competition attracted 14,500 entries this year, and the winners were revealed at The Photography Show.