In a bid to challenge the stereotypical image of hard hats and dirty overalls often associated with engineering, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has launched its annual photography competition for 2019, and is calling on young people to enter.
The IET Engineering & Technology Junior Photographer of the Year 2019 is open to any photograph of an engineering-related subject that captures the creative, exciting and modern face of engineering and engineers today.
Participants, split into two age groups: under-16, and 17 and over. Entrants can submit up to five photos to the following categories:
- Design & production
- Digital
- Environment & energy
- Structures
- Transport
Gadget Show host and judge, Georgie Barrat, said: “Engineering is exciting and fast-changing, shaping the world around us and improving the quality of our everyday lives. There are so many creative and varied careers within the profession, and yet traditional images of engineering and engineers tend to focus on hard hats and dirty overalls.
“That’s why this photography competition is vital in challenging public misconceptions and inspiring the next generation of engineers. I’m excited to be working on this competition for a second year and can’t wait to see everyone’s images.”
Along with Georgie Barrat, the judging panel also includes Nigel Atherton, editor of Amateur Photographer magazine; Gillian Abbott, picture editor at E&T magazine, and vice-chair of the IET Young Professionals Committee; and electrical engineer, Dr Imran Shafique Ansari.
Cash prizes will be given to five adult category winners and five from the junior category. An overall winner for the adult entries, and an overall winner for the junior ones, will be selected for an extra cash prize. The best photo taken on a smart phone across all categories will also win a cash prize. Winners’ photographs will appear in a central London exhibit and be published in Amateur Photographer.
IET YPC vice-chair, Dr Imran Ansari, added: “This is the third year that the IET has run this competition and we’ve had some really fantastic images entered over the past two years, showing just how cool and varied engineering really is. We want to build on this bank of images and banish the perception that engineers just fix or mend things.
“By making this call for creative and standout images, we hope that we can help to highlight the modern, exciting and creative nature of an engineer’s work, and demonstrate that their work is all around us and central to our everyday lives.”
Deadline for entries is 30 August 2019. To find out more about the competition and to enter, please visit theiet.org/photographer
The photographs above were all among the winners of the 2018 competition
