The last thing I ever want to do is make Them Frames about me. It’s here to showcase other photographers, help inspire others and to discuss the photo industry. However, for this piece I’m making an exception and sharing the journey that led me to be one of the finalists of the 13th Leica Street Photo.

After years of uplifting other photographers on the various platforms I have written for, in 2023 I made the decision to bet on myself more. That meant pushing my photography more. Getting published, going on podcasts, doing interviews, that kind of thing. It also meant entering the odd photography competition.

Entering Leica Street Photo

Traditionally, I don’t enter many photography competitions. I seldom feel like I have a photograph that’s worthy of winning (although I do like my work) and they can quickly become expensive with all the entry fees.

Then I saw a call for entries from Leica for the 13th annual Leica Street Photo, in partnership with Digital Camera, LFI and Fotopolis. Coinciding with that was the fact I made a street photograph that I was really happy with a month or two earlier. I also liked that this was a free to enter competition. It felt like Leica was investing in street photography and I liked that.

Being told I’m a finalist

In total, Leica received around 10,000 submissions. Although I felt my photograph was strong, street photography is very subjective so who knew what the outcome would be. Then, a few months later, I received an email telling me I was a finalist. The best part is that I, along with 29 other photographers, will have my photograph exhibited in the Leica store in Warsaw and the Leica Gallery in Vienna.

This is the same gallery that has been the home of so many of my idols, including Steve McCurry. Life is short, and moments like this don’t happen all the time, so forgive me for saying how proud I am of being able to have this experience.

What makes me more proud is when I look at the work of the other photographers. All 29 of them have provided superb images, and to be told I am good enough to be amongst them really makes me happy.

Sticking to the ethos of Them Frames, below are all the other photographers taking part in the exhibition. I encourage you to support their work.

• Oleg Gant

• Lu WenPeng

• A B M Nayeem Siddiquee

• Artur Walczewski

• Adam Kozłowski

• Alessandro Deluigi

• Aman Mishra

• Bobby Anwar

• Wojciech Bryndal

• Chini Bolsón

• Giuseppe Scianna

• Sittichai Maikupandin

• Emiliano Cuadrado Rodriguez

• Eugster Michael

• Grzegorz Bukalski

• Krzysztof Wojcik

• Kamil Struzik

• Krid Karnsomdee

• Kuba Abramowicz

• Levi Goldbaum

• Lokman Ilhan

• Marcin Pech

• Marzena Wystrach

• Nese Ari

• Pável Vélez

• Pier Andrea Perini

• Piquemal Jean-Flavien

• Thaib Chaidar

• Yaiza Rodríguez Melián

The winner of Leica Street Photo

In March Leica will announce an overall winner of the Leica Street Photo competition. The winner gets a Leica Q3. It would be dishonest if I said I don’t mind what happens either way. As much of an honor it is to get this far, to win would be crazy and to receive my dream camera would be awesome. But, let’s see.

This article isn’t an opportunity to gloat about my personal success, I do hope this post inspires you. It can be hard to bet on ourselves as photographers. A lack of self belief, creative ruts, feeling overwhelmed, it can all limit how much effort we put into our photographic journey.

Although success is never guaranteed, the more you try the more you will receive moments that make you feel good and inspire you to create more work.

That’s enough about me. Thanks for reading.

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