Copyright Bryan Adams Studio
The event, held at the Royal Society in central London, also saw photographer Wolfgang Tillmans secure this year’s Centenary Medal award ‘in recognition of a sustained, significant contribution to the art of photography’.
In 2000, Tillmans became the first photographer to win the Turner Prize.
Bryan Adams, who combines his music career with life as a professional portrait and fashion photographer, was awarded an Honorary Fellowship alongside photographers Jonathan Anderson, Edwin Low, Nadav Kander and Viviane Sassen.
The citation for Bryan Adams’ Honorary Fellowship includes mention of his 2013 book, Wounded: The Legacy of War, which features portraits of 40 wounded soldiers who were injured while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Copyright Bryan Adams Studio
The RPS Progress Medal was awarded to Dr George E Smith for his invention of the CCD imaging sensor used in the first digital camera.
The first digital camera was developed by Steve Sasson while working at Eastman Kodak in 1975. Sasson won the RPS’s Progress Medal in 2012.
The Progress Medal recognises work that has brought about an ‘important advance in the scientific or technological development of photography or imaging’.
Meanwhile, the RPS award for Outstanding Service to Photography was presented to Dr Maria Morris Hambourg, founding curator of the Department of Photographs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The Royal Photographic Society Awards 2015 were sponsored by makers of The Macallan whisky.
David Lynch, copyright Nadav Kander
Copyright Wolfgang Tillmans
Full list of 2015 recipients
Progress Medal and Honorary Fellowship: Dr George E Smith
American, joint recipient of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit, the CCD, which was used in the first digital camera, built by a former recipient of the Progress Medal, Steve Sasson HonFRPS.
Awarded in recognition of any invention, research, publication or other contribution, which has resulted in an important advance in the scientific or technological development of photography or imaging in the widest sense.
Centenary Medal: Wolfgang Tillmans RA
German, photographer/artist and member of the Royal Academy of Arts, Tillmans was the first photographer to be awarded the Turner Prize and in 2015 was awarded The Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography.
Awarded in recognition of a sustained, significant contribution to the art of photography.
The Royal Photographic Society Award for Outstanding Service to Photography: Dr Maria Morris Hambourg
American, Founding Curator of the Department of Photographs in 1991 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.
Recognises major sustained, outstanding and influential contributions to the advancement of photography and/or imaging in their widest meanings.
Honorary Fellowships:
Bryan Adams – Leading portrait and fashion photographer.
Anderson & Low – Fine-art photographers, who have collaborated together for 25 years.
Nadav Kander – London-based artist renowned for his portraiture and large-format landscape photographs.
Viviane Sassen – Works in both the fashion and fine art world.
Awarded to persons having, from their position or attainments, an intimate connection with the science, fine art or application of photography. No more than eight awarded in one year.
Colin Ford Award:
Els Barents – Curator, writer and collector, former Director of the Huis Marseille Museum for Photography in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Given each year to honour an individual who has contributed in a major way to curatorship.
Combined Royal Colleges Award:
Dr Gavriel J Iddan DSc – Inventor of the PillCam SB, the most widely used, patient-friendly tool for directly visualising the small bowel.
For an outstanding contribution to the advancement and/or application of medical photography or the wider field of medical imaging. Established by The Society in 1958 in collaboration with the Royal College of Physicians of London, the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Davies Medal:
Alessandro Rizzi – Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Milan, Italy.
For a significant contribution in the digital field of imaging science.
Education Award:
Professor David Alan Mellor – Interdisciplinary Art Historian, teaching at the University of Sussex.
For outstanding achievement or sustained contribution in photographic education.
Fenton Medals:
Mark Buckley-Sharp ARPS
Anne Cassidy FRPS
Paul Goodman
Leo Palmer FRPS
Made to a member or non-member who has made an outstanding contribution to the work of the Royal Photographic Society.
Hood Medal:
Jean-Jacques Naudet – Creator of the Eye of Photography.
Instituted in 1933 and awarded for a body of photographic work produced to promote or raise awareness of an aspect of public benefit or service.
J Dudley Johnston Award:
Roger Hargreaves – Writer, curator and teacher of photography.
For sustained excellence or a single outstanding publication, in the field of photographic criticism or the history of photography.
Lumière Award:
Dick Pope BSC – Nominated for many awards, including Academy and BAFTA for Mr Turner.
For major achievement in British cinematography, video or animation.
Members’ Award:
Alexander Melrose.
Given to an ordinary member who, in the opinion of Council, has shown extraordinary support for The Society over a sustained period.
Saxby Award:
Masuji SUTO – Japanese, author of the very popular 3D photo-editing software, StereoPhoto Maker.
For achievement in the field of three-dimensional imaging, endowed by Graham Saxby HonFRPS.
Vic Odden Award:
Matilda Temperley – Finalist in the 2014 SONY World Photo awards for her work in Ethiopia.
For a notable achievement in the art of photography by a British photographer aged 35 or under.
The Bill Wisden MBE HonFRPS Fellowship of the Year 2015:
Yap Kok Hing FRPS
Inaugurated in 2012, the Bill Wisden MBE HonFRPS Fellowship of the Year is awarded annually for the most outstanding panel of work achieving a Fellowship, as decided by the Fellowship Review Board.
Educational Bursary Winners
The Joan Wakelin Bursary:
The Royal Photographic Society in association with The Guardian newspaper.
John Gallo
Environmental Awareness Bursary:
The Royal Photographic Society in association with The Photographic Angle.
Over 30 – Kieran Dodds
Under 30 – Ekaterina Anchevskaya and Aleksandar Nikolov
The Royal Photographic Society Postgraduate Bursary
Supporting postgraduate students undertaking photographic research or studying Masters Courses in photography.
Alexandra Murphy
