Second year student Lawrence Hills has recently been awarded sixth place in the ‘Street’ category of Amateur Photographer’s Young Amateur Photographer of the Year. The Amateur Photographer of the Year award has been running for almost 40 years and gives photographers the chance to have their work seen by a panel of experience judges and share their work with a wider audience. The Young Photographer was a new category this year which enabled keen and talented photographers aged 21 and under to enter their work. The categories that they could enter photos under were the same as the main competition which included black and white, natural world, home, landscapes, architecture, movement, portraits, travel, street and close-ups.

Lawrence entered three of his photos in total (the maximum allowed to be entered) and two of them were shortlisted! You can view them above or click here to view them in full as part of the exhibition.

Lawrence commented, “I’ve been interested in photography from a young age and always begged my Dad to use his camera when I was younger. I loved studying photography at school and couldn’t wait to start on the A level at the College. I’ve always wanted to enter a photography competition and when I found out about the Young Amateur Photographer of the Year and the ‘Street’ category category, I knew I had to enter! The photos I entered were taken in London outside the Houses of Parliament. I really enjoy documentary photography because of the emotion that you capture at these highly intense event. When I found out I had come sixth overall, I was really pleased and it has inspired me to enter more competitions.

I’ve also recently had one of my photos featured on the Getty Images Reportage Instagram page in one of their top ten weekly documentary images. My photo, taken at a protest about the current genocide in Nigeria, was chosen from a hashtag which included 1 million other photographs!

I love the process of capturing a moment in time that no one else has. That moment can be a landscape or a person and can show emotion and connection in a way that the viewer feels it too whether that's a craving for a drink from an advert photograph or the empathy a person has with a protester.”

Hanno Niemand, Curriculum Manager for Photography, said, "Lawrence is a keen observer of people's behaviour and interactions in social spaces. His photographs capture a lovely engagement with his subject, always treating them with dignity and respect. The 'fly on the wall' approach he has systematically perfected with going to busy places or attractions to photograph people and their reactions is outstanding."

If you would like to view more of Lawrence’s work, please visit his website.