Saffery Champness announce finalists in 150th anniversary photographic competition

Scotland and Northern Ireland
Iain Campbell, aged 31, discovered his love of photography ten years ago and it has engaged him ever since. A freelance photographer, his work ranges from portrait work to music and architectural photography. He was attracted to the Saffery Champness competition by the challenge of bringing together two very different professions; photography and accountancy.

Iain says: “The Saffery Champness competition is an exciting project as it enables me to think creatively about the firm itself and try and reflect its proven qualities in a series of photographs. The brief is quite subjective so trying to reflect dimensions such as ‘commitment’ and ‘integrity’ in a visual manner is quite a challenge.”

North, Midlands & Wales
Gunilla Treen, aged 55, has a background in art and design. She worked as a jeweller and teacher for over 30 years as well as a designer of scarves and ties, incorporating photography into the design process. With her focus now on photography full-time, she was immediately attracted to the Saffery Champness 150th competition.

Gunilla comments: “I am very pleased to have been selected as a finalist in this competition. Photography is my passion. My inspiration comes from everything I see around me, especially my local landscape and immediate domestic surroundings. Although the Saffery Champness ‘proven quality’ theme presents a strict brief, there is considerable freedom to visualise the seven chosen dimensions in a personal and creative manner. I am looking forward to compiling my final images which will incorporate still-life and landscape.”

South, South West and Channel Islands
David Yeo, aged 20, graduated with a degree in photography from Filton College and has won several awards for his photography. His work includes advertising, fashion, portraiture and landscape photography. He was attracted by the Saffery Champness 150th anniversary competition as it allows him to explore new avenues for his photography.

David says: “Being the South West finalist for this award has given me the chance to progress my photography to a new level, to explore new ideas and new fields. For my final images, I plan to take comparative landscape shots of London and Bristol. Both have a fascinating and long history; a theme that has great synergy with the Saffery Champness anniversary.”

London and South East
Nicholas Harries, aged 39, trained as a civil engineer but his passion for visual arts encouraged him to switch his focus to photography. After completing a degree in photography at the Arts Institute at Bournemouth, he established himself as a freelance photographer.

Nicholas says: “I am very pleased to have been chosen as the London and South East finalist in this competition. I aim to apply a contemporary documentary style to the final images, using landscape, interior and portraiture to reflect the history and culture of the firm and its clients. The Saffery Champness project is an interesting challenge to bring a creative aspect to, whilst illustrating the ‘proven quality’ theme, particularly approaching it in a documentary manner.”