THE ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY’S 150^th INTERNATIONAL PRINT EXHIBITION OPENS 
The Royal Photographic Society launched its 150^th Annual International Print Exhibition to a packed house at Hoopers Gallery in Clerkenwell, London on Tuesday evening. The Exhibition, which has been sponsored by Genix Imaging Ltd, was opened by The Society’s President, Professor Ralph Jacobson ASIS Hon. FRPS, who awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals to Richard Merritt FRPS, Alan Shawcross FRPS and Harry Borden respectively. Amongst the guests were eminent photographers Tom Stoddart Hon. FRPS and Brian Griffin Hon. FRPS as well as nearly half of the 102 exhibitors, including Simon Roberts ARPS, who recently launched his photographic book ‘Motherland’ which chronicles his travels in Russia, and Raphaella Philcox, aged nine, who is the youngest person ever to have a print in the Exhibition.
The competition was open to members and non members, amateurs and professionals, and the final selection of 125 prints was chosen from a record 2,200 images submitted by 600 photographers worldwide.
Lesley Goode, Exhibitions Manager has seen the Exhibition take shape:

“I am delighted that The Society is celebrating such a remarkable milestone in the photographic world. The achievement of staging the International Print Exhibition for 150 years, demonstrates the significance of The Society and this unique Exhibition in the history and promotion of photography internationally. This year’s Exhibition is of exceptional quality, and the diversity of styles and genres very much reflects the continuing ethos of the Exhibition as well as what is happening in the photographic world today. Cutting edge images can be seen alongside traditional prints, so there is something to please everyone.  It is an outstanding Exhibition.”    

The winning image is an extraordinary shot of a scalloped hammerhead shark, taken in the waters of Costa Rica’s Cocos Island National Park by Richard Merritt. Also this year, to mark the anniversary, an ‘Under 25 years section’ has been introduced and the Gold Medal was awarded to Chris Charnock  ARPS, aged 19, who also won an E400 digital SLR camera, donated by Olympus for  his print ‘Exploited'.
    

This year’s selectors were: Chairman Bill Wisden Hon. FRPS (Visual Art Photographer), Ken Lennox (Reportage Photographer), Terry O’Neill Hon.FRPS (Celebrity Portrait Photographer), Roger Reynolds Hon. FRPS (Professional Travel Photographer), Ray Spence FRPS (Fine Arts Photographer & Lecturer), Anne Sutcliffe FRPS (Digital Creative Photographer).
To mark the 150^th Anniversary of the Exhibition, which has been shown almost every year since The Society’s formation in 1853, there is an accompanying  Retrospective Exhibition which charts the importance and diversity of the historical heritage of The Society’s International Print Exhibition over the last 150 years.
The Exhibition will be on display in Hoopers Gallery until 6^th July, and it will then tour the UK, with venues in West Midlands, Bath, Plymouth, Gloucester and Doncaster confirmed.  There is an accompanying full colour catalogue. A Presentation CD and Education Pack will be available shortly.

See website www.rps.org for more details of the tour
GOLD X 1
Richard Merritt FRPS  ‘Scalloped Hammerhead Shark’  UK/Amateur
SILVER X 2
Wolfgang Schweden  ‘Gallopers’  Germany/Amateur
Alan Shawcross FRPS  ‘HRH Prince Charles’  UK/Professional
BRONZE X 3
Harry Borden  ‘Baroness Thatcher’  UK/Professional
Judy Boyle FRPS  ‘4 Dolls’  UK/Amateur
Julia Fullerton-Batten  ‘Man in Bathtub’  UK/Professional
GOLD ‘UNDER 25 yrs’ X 1
Chris Charnock ARPS  ‘Exploited’  UK/Student

www.rps.org