‘Can you tell the story of your research in a single image?’
That was the challenge set for Bournemouth University (BU) academics and postgraduates earlier this year - and the response was overwhelming. Researchers from across the university used their cameras to capture their research in a single image; the subsequent pictures demonstrated not just the creativity of BU's academics and postgraduates, but also the range of research taking place.
The entries showcased research in areas as diverse as dementia, hitchhiking, blood analysis and midwifery in Nepal. The reaction to the photographs has been impressive with votes for the competition flooding in from staff and students across the university as well as the wider BU community.
The winners of the competition were announced on Thursday 4 February by BU’s Pro Vice Chancellor John Fletcher, and are now on display in the Atrium Art Gallery.
The first place prize went to Dr Michael O’Regan for Hitchhiking Culture which represents his research into the hitchhiking culture in Europe. Michael said: ‘‘It feels amazing to have won. I’ve seen pictures in the exhibition of topics I’m really interested in and would like to collaborate with.’’
He went on to say: “I think the competition is a really good idea because we don’t always get to see what other people are doing, even within departments. It’s a really nice way to show the breadth of research that’s undertaken here and it points to success for BU in the future when it comes to research”.
The second place prize went to Yazan Abbas for Rock Climbing – a photo which represents his work around the activity of rock climbing as both an equation and a form of meditation. Yazan commented: “I was doing a photography course and a project on rock climbing so I already had the image, and my research is around rock climbing too so it was the perfect fit. It feels really good to be one of the winning three”.
Sophie Griffiths came in third place showcasing her photo Blood Analysis, which represents her research into blood splatter. The image depicts a blood sample dropped onto leather to examine the pattern it made.
All of the entries from this year’s Research Photography Competition are being exhibited in the Atrium Art Gallery until 17 February and are also available to view online here.
