It’s the final of the Olympus Protégé competition on Sunday, and YOU decide which of the three finalists gets the opportunity to learn the industry from me.

“Excited” really isn’t the word… I’m genuinely BUZZING!

I’m writing this from my hotel in beautiful Cologne, where I’ve spent the past couple of days at Photokina. And talking to photographers of all levels, from all over Europe, has really got me excited. It’s very easy for me to get jaded in my position, but when I attend these shows the enthusiast in me comes out like a kid at Christmas.

That enthusiasm – not for the cameras (apart from my beloved E-M1, of course!), not for the kit, but for the pictures – is something that I love helping to bring out in others, whether I’m mentoring my own students or teaching in my role as Olympus’ Principal Photographer and Educator. And it’s that role that caused my aforementioned “buzz”, because this Sunday is the final of the Olympus Protégé competition.

http://www.olympusproteges.co.uk/journeys/fashion

We have three truly tip-top photographers shortlisted for the Team Fashion category, but only one of them will have the opportunity to become my Protégé and learn the industry from the inside-out… and YOU can decide who gets that opportunity by voting for your favourite entrant before the contest ends on Sunday!

From my point of view, I can see talent and skill and creativity inherent in all three entries. Paul Reidy’s is a stunning fashion beauty shot, and I like the use of lens flare and the limited palette – it’s just a great picture. In Emma Jane-Lewis’ image, I REALLY like the awkward broken doll nature and the quirky madness of it all. And with Callum Macbeth-Seath’s picture I love the fact that it’s intensely narrative-driven. I’ve actually had a look at the blog that he shoots for, www.girlinthelens.com, and I think some of his other stuff is even stronger.

But these are just MY thoughts and what I love about these images. What do YOU think? Who do you think deserves the big shoot budget being spent on them? That’s one question… The other question is, and perhaps this is the key one, who do you think would BENEFIT the most from spending time with me?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, if you’d like to leave me a comment below or on the Facebook page. I’m enjoying having my “enthusiast” head firmly on and I’m genuinely keen to talk about the passion of pictures.

Till next time,
D