Local History Photographer of the Year

What local history can you find up your street? The area where you live, work or study. The views, the structures you see each day. What stories are there in your street?

Following the success of our inaugural competition in 2022, we are proud to present the Local History Photographer of the Year and Young Local History Photographer of the Year competitions 2023. This year's theme is "Up my street", where we would like to see street images in your area, with a context of local history. These could include a street view, a building, some street furniture or a little detail on a wall or the pavement.

Submissions on the theme "Up My Street"
Adult & under-18 categories
£150 cash prize for each category winner (plus runners-up prizes)
Winning images featured in BALH publications and online
Winners announced Local History Live, our online event on 16th September
Enter up to three images
Free admission
Open to both members and non-members of BALH

Robert Canis - Chair of the Judging Panel

Our judging panel is chaired by Robert Canis. Robert is a professional photographer who has been photographing landscapes, cityscapes and the natural world for more than 30 years. He is the recipient of numerous awards, a regular contributor to the photographic press and is represented by a number of image libraries and print galleries.

Robert's Advice

"Be expressive and pay close attention to detail both in your composition and the quality of the light. Try and look beyond the mere record and instead explore unusual and playful angles, Most importantly, don't be afraid to try something new as originality will make your photographs stand out from the crowd!"

Discover more about Robert at www.robertcanis.com

Submissions are now closed

See Susan Moore highlight her submission to Local History Photographer of the Year

Including a narrative

Successful entries will include a short caption or narrative up to 200 words. We would love to see a few words about "why" the image subject means something to you, whether that is a local connection, family history or a place you are simply drawn to. However, as a minimum, the judges will be looking for details of the location and subject and for your your entry to be supporting the theme "Up My Street".

The winning submissions in the 2022 competition

Local History Photographer of the Year - David Moore

David Moore

The grade II* listed Sandfields Pumping Station is a forgotten hidden historic gem. Like most industrial heritage building, its familiarity in the landscape has eroded away the curiosity of the casual passer-by. Yet this Romanesque styled masterpiece is a cathedral to the industrial revolution, for years unloved, for years abandoned.

Its Romanesque style took the language from the past and built the way to the future. Celebrating new technology and progress, it bought life giving clean water to the beleaguered communities of the industrial Black Country, bringing health and wellbeing to all. This building and its historic contents showcased the provision of clean water that seeded the developments that enabled Britain to become a modern industrial country. Britain lead the world in technical and scientific developments that have improved the quality of people’s lives worldwide and are a testament the vision of the Victorian engineers and their philanthropic endeavours.

Let us look at this building and remind ourselves of the tens of thousands of people who died in the cholera epidemics of the mid nineteenth century. Most of these unfortunate people were buried in mass graves or cholera pits, with no identity, dignity or recognition of their lives.

This building is a monument to their life, giving them back a voice that allows them to tell their remarkable story.

"The heritage of the modern water industry is almost entirely absent, despite its unarguable relevance to human development." J. Douet

David Moore, Local History Photographer of the Year 2022

Submissions are now closed

Young Local History Photographer of the Year - Madeline Davies

Madeline Davies

The Druid on the ruins is one of my favourite places to visit while at Shugborough Hall. It is a family favourite as long-standing members of the National trust, but I think that it is a perfect frame for the river behind as you can walk into it and view the wildlife passing by including swans, geese and other waterfowl. The contrast between the well upkept gardens and house and the disappearing ruins is beautiful and I think it intertwines past and present perfectly.

"I am 14 years of age and found out about the competition through my Photography Teacher. I am a keen photographer and love to be creative. I enjoy a wide range of photography but in particular I like photographing nature and animals, including my dog Fudge. As a family we enjoy going for walks and use our membership to the National Trust regularly to visit new and exciting places. This has helped my photography as I love to learn about the people and places I photograph so the history in these buildings is perfect for that. I am still early in my photography journey, developing my skills over the last four years, so I was completely overwhelmed that I had been included in the selection, let alone the fact that I had won."

Madeline Davies, Young Local History Photographer of the Year 2022