Community spirit in the frame at Sydenham High

Two young photographers have shared the top prize in Sydenham High School’s first community photographic competition, the Spirit of the Community challenge

The winning photos of local life were taken by Isabella Dutton from Sydenham High Junior School and Evie Sloan from Oakfield Preparatory School.

One of the winning images by Isabella Dutton

Their shots were judged to be the best entries to capture the spirit of their local community, by Sydenham High’s Headmistress Katharine Woodcock and professional photographer John Russell.

Young photographers from schools around Sydenham have been snapping away to enter Sydenham High’s Spirit of the Community photography competition which has been running for the last month with students from years 5 and 6.

The standard of photos received was very high. All images were judged anonymously and six finalists images were chosen with two winners and two runners-up ultimately selected.

Isabella (11) took her winning photo (right) of a man on a bench watching a football match in her local park. “Every Sunday there are children playing in football matches and locals often stop and watch.

They can use the local park benches to sit down and many have plaques in memory of loved ones. I think the photo reflects my local community spirit.”

Judge John Russell said of Isabella’s photo: “I like the way the photographer is observing the scene and recording it, unknown to those captured. A lovely documentary-style composition that draws in the eye. A well balanced, interesting image that commands a second look.”

“We could be sitting on that bench and we know that feeling of sitting in the park on a sunny day. The football game and the person sitting on the bench coexist in their individual communities but both are brought together in this moment.”

Evie Sloan’s winning shot

The winning photo from Evie (10) is a contrastingly bustling street life scene in Herne Hill (left). She said: “Herne Hill is lively, fun-filled community with a weekly market, packed with scintillating stalls and scrumptious smells.”

Judge John Russell commented: “I like the street photography style of this image. A well-executed photo that shows a busy market, nicely framed and captured. A well-balanced image that has the quality of a painting about it.”

There were prizes for two runners-up: Elan Aristidou (10), also from Oakfield Preparatory School, and Liberty Bowden (10) from Sydenham High Junior School. Their images – of participants in a charity walk to raise money for King’s College Hospital and the People’s Piano at Herne Hill station – also caught the eye of the judges.

Commendations also went to the other two finalists – Olivia Hennings (10) and Audrey Kim (10), both from Sydenham High Junior School.