Boulby sets Scene for Global Photography Prize

The 2018 Global Physics Photowalk competition was won by British photographer Simon Wright for his stunning image taken at the STFC Boulby Underground Laboratory deep under North Yorkshire. Mr Wright, of Blyton in Lincolnshire, was awarded first place by an international panel of photographers. He also won the public online vote 3rd place with an image taken at the STFC Chilbolton Observatory in Hampshire. He said: “To say I am on cloud nine would be an understatement, I still keep saying ‘WOW!’. I’ve been taking photographs for as long as I can remember and I’m always looking for somewhere different to visit with my camera, so the opportunity to go into the STFC facilities was too good to pass up. Each location was completely different and I really enjoyed the opportunity to talk to the scientists and staff during the photowalks too.”

The competition involved thousands of images submitted by hundreds of photographers from 18 laboratories around the world. The Photowalk was designed to provide a rare glimpse into the people, engineering and technology behind some of the world’s most inspiring, amazing and sometimes peculiar science.

STFC’s five UK laboratories participated over the summer months, with the UK regional winners joining the global competition. These world-leading labs have been instrumental in discovering new insights into the formation of stars in distant galaxies, new drug treatments and new weather forecasting models produced on some of the world's fastest supercomputers.

Professional photographer Enrico Sacchetti was a member of the international judges’ panel. Commenting on Mr Wright’s winning image he said: “The lighting is what attracts you to this silent but powerful image. It’s great seeing her completely at ease in this lonely environment.”

Panel member Ale de la Puente, a Mexican artist and designer, also praised the winning image: “Alone where the unknown still lies, there is light, darkness, and a shadow cast that intriguingly take us deep back to the tunnel, beyond the excellence of technique the metaphor of pushing the horizon far away from light and our view is compelling.”