Alys Tomlinson with the “Lost Summer” photo series has been mentioned as the first winner of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2020. Tomlinson began to capture forty-four teenagers dressed in their prom night outfits, in June 2020, after the easing of lockdown restrictions. Their prom night event was canceled because of the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
All of these young people are photographed in monochrome pictures that give a strong impression of their mixed feelings, from vulnerability, disappointment, hope to resilience. Each portrait was taken in different gardens or parks. The diverse background makes every personality of the sitter come up to the portrait.
According to the judges, Tomlinson’s photo series is very simple, but powerful and has beautiful clarity. This series can depict the complex events of 2020, including lockdown and the generation that is most affected by them.
The second winner of this competition is Lydia Goldblatt with “Eden” from the series Fugue. This portrait captures a girl sitting inside a transparent tent in a garden. It looks like she is in a bubble that protects her from the surrounding. “Eden” is a dramatic and symbolic photo that represents what we feel in lockdown time.
Yolanda Y. Liou with “Enam Ewura Adjoa Asiama” has been announced as the third winner. This photo tells about the exploration of the human body and the struggles with body image. Liou took the portrait photo of Enam Asiama, model and body positivity advocate. This picture describes her standpoint: “I create images, images don’t create me”.
All of these photographs and many others are available at this link: National Portrait Gallery virtual exhibition.