This competition is now closed.

UK charity the Heritage Crafts Association is launching its first-ever craft photography contest on Boxing Day (26th December 2014) of this year. In May 2015 winners of the competition will have their photographs put on show at The Prince’s Foundation gallery in London.

Furniture Village is proud to act as sole sponsor of the photography competition and exhibition, which will give attention to and support traditional crafts within the UK. As many of our sofa and other furniture designs are handcrafted, we understand the effort that goes into producing every piece.

For more information on the craft photography competition, see below.

Who Can Enter?

The competition is open to both amateur and professional photographers living in the UK.

As well as the two categories below, a competition for juniors will run in parallel - allowing applicants under the age of 16 to vie for the title of young craft photographer of the year.

Competition Categories

There are two categories available for entry:

Craftspeople at Work – Entrants are required to send a single photograph of craftspeople (or just one craftsperson) in the act of making, or with a finished product. The photograph should showcase the skill involved in making the object, whether it's crafting a dining table, or embroidering material to bring to life the location of the workshop. The judges are looking for eye-catching images which reflect the diversity of crafts in the UK.

The Essence of Crafts – Entrants are required to send a series of three photographs which represent the photographer’s vision of the importance of crafts in the UK. The photography can cover one single craft, or a range of many, and can be taken in isolation or as a connected story. The judges are looking for a collection of photographs which celebrates the excellence of heritage crafts in Britain today.

Applicants are recommended to incorporate four different types of criteria into their photographs. These are:

- The portrayal of craft making as either a business or as a leisure-time activity

- Highlighting the skill required in the production process

- Emphasis on the  usefulness of the objects being made

- Inclusion of a local or regional atmosphere, if possible

Prizes

As well as having the prestige of seeing their work put up on display, a winner from each category will be selected by the judges and awarded £250. These two will then be pitted against each other, with the overall winner receiving an extra £250 on top of that.

The winner of the Under-16 category will receive £100.

Judges

Once the shortlisted entries have been chosen, they will be sent over to the three chief judges. These are Robin Wood, Chair of the Heritage Crafts Association, professional photographer Nick Hand (www.slowcoast.co.uk) and Guardian feature writer Jon Henley.

How to find a craftsperson to photograph

For potential applicants who do not have access to craftspeople willing to be photographed, The Makers Directory (www.themakers.directory) is recommended as a list of craftspeople who could be available. Their contact details can be found on this site and, even if their workshops are not normally open to the public, they may be willing to collaborate if applicants get in touch.