The Association of Photographers (AOP) has announced the winners of its 2025 Student Awards, marking the 40th anniversary of the competition.
This annual showcase of emerging UK photography talent coincided with an exhibition at Free Range, London’s graduate showcase for the creative arts, held at the Truman Brewery. With 51 finalists representing 28 different photography courses across the UK, from HND to MA level, this year’s edition reflects the AOP’s continued commitment to supporting the next generation of photographers.
Taking home the Best in Show award was Ritchie Elder, a student on the BA (Hons) Professional Photography course at Kingston University (taught at Edinburgh College). His winning image, titled Alaa, is part of a broader series called Faith, a documentary project exploring the diversity of religious experience in Edinburgh through a combination of environmental portraiture and narrative documentary work.
As the overall winner, Elder receives £2,500 worth of Fujifilm UK kit, along with a one-year Capture One Studio subscription. He was also awarded Gold in the People category and received an impressive five nominations across the competition.
Judging this year’s People category, as well as the overall Best in Show, was photographer and AOP-accredited judge Alun Callender, who praised Elder’s work for its depth, subtlety, and emotional resonance.
"Encountering a diverse mix of image making, it was a privilege to be allowed to have this overview of contemporary student photography, and to be able to view what matters to this generation," he said. "Although technical excellence was an important aspect of my judging criteria, I was also looking to find the photography that moved me and elevated the image to something unique and exceptional. My gold selection and the Best in Show winner excelled in everything I was looking for – lighting, composition, creating beautiful images in which you could connect with the subject and their story."
Silver in the People category was awarded to Flavia Lotempio, a second-year HND student at Edinburgh College. Her submission impressed the judges with its sensitivity and personal vision, continuing the strong showing from Edinburgh-based students across this year’s competition.
In the Places category, the Gold award went to John-Martin Bramham, a student from the BA (Hons) Photography course at City of Glasgow College. His work stood out for its command of mood, space, and visual atmosphere, capturing place with an assured visual language that blended subtlety and scale.
The Things category offered a platform for photographers working with still life, conceptual objects, and staged imagery. This year’s Gold award went to Ewelina Rhys, an HND student at Edinburgh College, whose work offered a fresh take on object-based photography. Rhys’s images balanced precision and playfulness, drawing from influences like Penn and Mapplethorpe but with a distinctive voice of her own.
All Gold and Silver winners receive a one-year Capture One ‘All in One’ subscription, along with a tailored AOP membership package to support their transition into professional practice. One award winner will also be selected to take part in an exclusive shoot day at Fujifilm’s House of Photography, supported by lighting specialists Elinchrom, with behind-the-scenes coverage produced in partnership with the AOP.
Looking back over four decades of the Student Awards, AOP CEO Isabelle Doran reflected on the enduring value of the competition. "It’s such a genuine pleasure to see the array of visual works created by photography students each year," she said.
"Seeing the world around them, with their fresh and undiluted perspectives, always provides a joyful and inquisitive experience. Likewise, looking at which images our industry judges have selected as a shortlist brings welcome surprises. This year, celebrating 40 years of hosting our AOP Student Awards, is decidedly no different, as we showcase an exceptional lineup for 2025."
All winners and selected finalists will be featured in the official 40th AOP Photography Awards Book, which will be published ahead of the AOP Awards Showcase on October 9, 2025. The full list of finalists and the winning work can be found on the official awards webpage.
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