Arse ..

I wrote about the signpost dates we've passed this month that let you know we're on the way to Christmas, but I missed one out and was reminded of it yesterday ..

The Taylor Wessing Portrait Photography Prize comes around each autumn and, in fact, opens today at the National Portrait Gallery. It's always a good opportunity to moan and grumble about the depressing photography it shows but this year's winner was the worst ever. It was announced earlier this week and I cannot bring myself to cut and paste the winning shot so have a look at it here. Folks, the photographer who took this has won £15, 000 ... fifteen thousand pounds! Can you believe it? What a pile of arse! What an insult to professional photography ..

Now, I don't know if the judges pick crap like this to be controversial or to stir up pissed-offyness - like they have with me - in an effort to promote the show, but it beggars belief when they say “This year’s winner stood out for its simplicity and powerful directness, and was commended by the judges for its ability to create something beautiful out of the everyday.”

Perhaps it's just me - perhaps I'm too thick to 'get it' but I'll tell you this, next year I'm going to submit this shot of me shooting a PR job in a Virtual Reality North Pole. How's that for powerful directness? Arse ..