In 2024, for the first time, we teamed up with Analogue Wonderland, Kodak and Ricoh Imaging to launch the UK Film Photographer of the Year competition, in recognition of the huge resurgence in the popularity of traditional film photography. UK-based film photographers were invited to share their portfolio of 5-8 film photographs, showcasing their creativity, expertise, personal vision, and ability to shoot fantastic film images across a range of different situations and styles.
The judging panel was made up of AP’s Nigel Atherton and Jessica Miller, along with Karen Freer of Analogue Wonderland, Andrew Church of Kodak, and Adrian Uden of Ricoh.
Cal Holland is our winner, and his portfolio of street photography really impressed the judges. Cal’s skilled use of colour, composition, and timing resulted in a charming set of captured moments that gave us the warm and fuzzies. He receives more than £4k worth of prizes, including a brand-new Pentax 17 film camera, a year’s supply of Kodak film, a year’s supply of film developing and scanning with the Analogue Wonderland lab, and a limited-edition Pentax T-shirt and baseball cap!
We caught up with Cal to find out more about his work and winning the prize…
AP: Can you tell us more about yourself and how you got into photography?
Cal Holland: Having been a food and drink photographer for nearly a decade, photography has been a big part of my adult life, but it wasn’t until I got a point-and-shoot film camera at the end of 2020 and then started shooting on the street in August 2022 that this became a (hopefully lifelong) obsession for me. The biggest inspiration for shooting the way I do now on film was Joel Meyerowitz’s How I Make Photographs, that I bought from The Photographers’ Gallery in London in July 2022. I think it tells you everything you need to know to become a photographer, and I find myself rereading it at least a couple of times a year.
AP: Congratulations on winning the first UK Film Photographer of the Year competition! How does it feel to win and be recognised at the AP awards?
CH: Pretty surreal! I must have re-read the email telling me I’d won a hundred times just to convince myself it was happening. I’ve never entered any photography awards before, but I got an email from Analogue Wonderland and the prize (especially the year’s supply of film and developing) was just too good not to try for. The fact that this is the inaugural award for shooting on film makes the win even more special – while I still shoot digitally, shooting on film is the part of photography I love the most. There was something I read recently from Susan Meiselas in Magnum Contact Sheets that I really enjoyed, and I think perfectly sums up how I feel about it: ‘I still think not knowing what you “have” at the end of the day with film gives strength to the intensity when you work. It is a mystery and surprise.’
AP: Can you tell us more about your winning portfolio?
CH: I wanted to showcase a mix of candid human moments taken on the street in London and sights from travelling during 2024 in New York and Lake Como, Italy.
AP: What is your go-to film camera and film?
CH: At the moment I use the Konica Hexar for 35mm and the Fuji GA645 for 120, and honestly any Kodak film, I’m not really precious about which film I shoot with. My choice of cameras – both are autofocus point-and-shoots – is to remove as much thought about camera settings and technique as possible while I’m shooting film. This contrasts with my more technical digital food and drink photography, and allows me to separate the two, enjoy the experience of shooting much more and shoot more on intuition. In that respect I agree with what Daido Moriyama (who predominantly used point-and-shoots) said: ‘The camera doesn’t matter.’
AP: What are your favourite subjects to shoot?
CH: Over the last two to three years of shooting consistently I’ve figured out what my eye is drawn to. Human connection, everyday chaos, parent/child dynamics and youthful innocence, all things my therapist loves to point out and unpack.
AP: Anything else you want to tell us?
CH: I’m excited to announce that I’ve got my first zine being published by Bump Books in July, all photos shot on film on the streets of London. Also, Tim Jamieson made a video with me shooting photos on the street and speaking about my process that you can check out on his YouTube channel. Thanks again to all the judges and to AP; I’m so incredibly honoured by this!
UK Film Photographer of the Year: Runners up
Here are our runners-up! The two runners-up, Stephen Akinyemi and Nicolo Aiello, win £100 worth of film, £100 worth of developing and scanning, and a limited-edition Pentax T-shirt
Second Place: Stephen Akinyemi
In second place we had this lovely set of black & white portraits by Stephen Akinyemi, from Essex.
Instagram: @bare_clips
GINA, from the project WHERE THE HE.ART IS Image: Stephen Akinyemi 
SIENNA Image: Stephen Akinyemi 
my pearls for me represent vulnerability Image: Stephen Akinyemi 
YOU MAKE ME FEEL AT PEACE Image: Stephen Akinyemi 
MUSICIAN BINA MEDITATING BEFORE HER STUDIO SESSION Image: Stephen Akinyemi 
HALF SISTERS – FULL LOVE, from the project WHERE THE HE.ART IS Image: Stephen Akinyemi
Third Place: Nicolo Aiello
In third place, we have these charming travel images of Italy by Nicolo Aiello, from East London.
Instagram: @nicoloaiello23
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