© Evening Standard
Captured by Evening Standard photographer Jeremy Selwyn, the photo won best overall photo in a competition set up by the News Media Association and judged by a panel that included Amateur Photographer Editor Nigel Atherton.
Judges said Selwyn’s eye-catching image won Best Overall Rota Photo as it would have immediately caught the eye and drawn readers into the story about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attending the annual fundraiser hosted by City broker ICAP.
Meanwhile, a striking photo of The Queen in a royal carriage during the State Opening of Parliament (below), by the Press Association’s Dominic Lipinski, scooped the Best Picture Agency Rota Photo.
© PA
And Gary Longbottom of The Yorkshire Post triumphed in the regional/local newspaper category with a photo of Prince Charles visiting a cheese factory (below).
© Johnston Press
The Royal Rota is a system used by the press for covering royal engagements and pooling material.
Jeff Moore, chairman of the British Press Photographers’ Association and one of the judges, said: ‘It’s great to see such fine work by photographers across the UK, from the regions to the nationals, proving yet again to my mind that photographic journalism is still the most effective way of storytelling in the media.’
He added: ‘The overall standard was very high and it was good to see so many entries from the regions, giving us an insight into the day-to-day lives of the members of our Royal Family.’
Paul Jarrett, secretary of The Wire Photo Association, said: ‘It is nice to see a competition dedicated to the work of photographers assigned to Royal Rota positions.
‘The skill of capturing the one gesture and that certain smile in a split second can make the difference between a picture recording the event, or a great image capturing a unique moment in history.
‘Well done to all those throughout the UK who have put their work forward for this new Royal Rota photography competition.’
The winners received vouchers for photography equipment as prizes.
The News Media Association launched the competition to promote the work of photographers across local, regional and national media.
The association provides services for photographers who are part of the Royal Rota.