story by: JAMES BOLTON

Budding photographers from across the country have put their skills and ​creativity on show for this year’s Rotary Young Photographer competition.

The theme for the 2023/24 competition was ‘Rebuilding’.

Rebuilding lives and rebuilding communities are aims and threads which run ​through all elements of Rotary’s service activities.

Creativity is at the heart of the Rotary Young Photographer competition, with ​each participant given the scope to interpret the broad brief in a way that is ​meaningful to them.

The participants in the national final, aged 10 to 17, have come through local and ​regional heats, all with the support of sponsoring Rotary clubs, keen to give ​young people opportunities to shine.

This year’s entries were judged by Aaron Yeandle, an award-winning fine art ​documentary photographer and member of the MAP6 Collective, a ​contemporary collective of visual artists.

His photographic practice observes and reflects on communities and places that ​are often glimpsed but scarcely pondered upon.

"I have really enjoyed looking at all of these amazing images and it has been a ​real challenge to pick one winner for each of the categories.” said Aaron.

“I selected entries which I feel have photographic merit, technical skills and an ​interesting interpretation of the theme of Rebuilding.”

This year’s competition was proudly sponsored by Jessops.

JUNIOR CATEGORY - up to and including 10-years-old

1st place – Amy Dempster,

sponsored by Westhill and District Rotary, Scotland

Nature is often a powerful subject for photographers of all ages. Amy’s winning ​photograph beautifully captures a sunny and crisp morning at Carnie Woods in ​Aberdeenshire.

Amy said “there is rebuilding after the destruction caused by Storm Arwen”.

2nd place – Thomas Burrows,

Wheatfields Primary, sponsored by St. Ives Rotary, Cambridgeshire

While nature was the star of the show for some photographers, Thomas chose to ​focus on the impact of man-made industry with his photograph of a steam ​engine.

Thomas said: “I saw this amazing steam engine being rebuilt when I went for a ​day out at the North Norfolk Railway. I researched the engine and found that it ​has been rebuilt several times since it was first made in 1925. It was even sold for ​scrap in 1964 before it was rescued and rebuilt for the first time. It is very lucky ​to still be operational and is having a lot of work done to rebuild and preserve it ​for many more years.”

3rd place – Penelope Barstow

St James’s Primary School, sponsored by Kinver Rotary, Staffordshire

The skill of any photographer is to manipulate angles to offer fresh perspectives. ​That is something that Penelope achieved with her work, captured at Witley ​Court in Worcestershire.

She said: “I chose to photograph this because I can see what it used to look like. It ​is a ruin but from this angle it looks perfect.”

1st place – Finlay Thomas,

sponsored by Kintore Rotary, Scotland

Intermediate winner, Finlay, age 12, took a deliberately literal view of the ​‘Rebuilding’ theme.

“I photographed a classic Mini being rebuilt to its former glory by Dave from ​Premier Coaches, who was kind enough to let me in and take photos”, explained ​Finlay.

2nd place – Alfie Vaughan,

The King Alfred School, sponsored by Burnham-on-Sea Rotary, Somerset

Wildlife was the subject for Alfie, who expertly captured the intricate ritual of a ​spider rebuilding its web between a brick wall.

“Spiders rebuild their webs every day,” said Alfie. “It is like the spider is replacing ​the brick with its web.”

3rd place – Horatio Martin,

sponsored by Cambridge Rotary

One of Britain’s most iconic structures proved to be inspiration for Horatio, who ​describes Cornwall’s Eden Project as “a vibrant oasis”.

“[It is] embodying nature's resilience and humanity's capacity to repurpose and ​regenerate with sustainable innovation and community engagement in mind.”

1st place – Amelie Mitchell,

Ilfracombe Academy, sponsored by Ilfracombe Rotary, Devon

Amelie, winner of the senior category, captured a powerful message about ​mental health in her composition.

The photograph features Amelie’s Mum and uses light and shadow to depict the ​struggles she has experienced, while offering hope for the future.

Amelie explained how edits to her composition were crucial to the overall piece: ​“They show her battle with rebuilding her once broken mental state, which was ​destroyed by her powerful emotions.

“One of the edits which has a brick wall in the background shows her mind ​mimicking the broken wall, which is in the process of being repaired. It shows the ​promise of a better future and how there are better days ahead.”

2nd place – Alisha Bank,

sponsored by Wells Rotary, Somerset

The ruins of Corfe Castle in Dorset, originally built by William the Conqueror, ​were the subject for Alisha’s photograph.

The rumbling clouds and castle silhouettes create a stunning and atmospheric ​piece.

3rd place – Grace Secker,

sponsored by Bury St. Edmunds Abbey Rotary, Suffolk

Grace’s photograph shows an older woman sewing together and repurposing ​dress fabric into a new creation.

The idea of recycling offers a unique take on the theme of ‘Rebuilding’, with the ​piece capturing the process by which items receive a new lease of life by skillful ​hand.

Rotary Young Artist is proudly supported by Jessops.