The Wonderful Winners of the LCE Photography of the Year Competition

by · Peta Pixel
Winner of the Travel category. ‘Fish Eyes’ by Sophia Spurgin (overall winner)

The London Camera Exchange has announced the winners of its LCE Photographer of the Year 2026 (LCE POTY) competition.

Now in its third year, the free-to-enter LCE POTY competition comprises 14 different categories, including the publicly voted ‘People’s Choice’ and ‘Emerging Talent’ dedicated to photography students.

The overall winner is Sophia Spurgin for her humorous portrait of a fisherman, captured
spontaneously on a boat in Hoi An, Vietnam. ‘Fish Eyes’ was shot on a Canon EOS R5 Mark II. Sophia was awarded £3,000 ($3,980) in LCE vouchers as the overall competition winner and Travel category winner.

“I was keen to dedicate some time to serious travel photography during a family holiday and had been taking photos of this fisherman at work alongside a local photographer. This was the playful end of the photography session and a genuinely entertaining moment. I especially like that his fishing net is visible in the background, adding context and authenticity to the image,” says Spurgin, a retired school teacher from the U.K.

“I am absolutely delighted to win the London Camera Exchange Photographer of the Year 2026. Photography has brought me immense joy—not only through the places it has taken me, but also through the wonderful friendships I’ve made along the way. To be recognized in this competition means a great deal, as it shows that my photography resonates with others.”

Winner of the Birds category. ‘A Gazing Owlet’ by Louise Norris
Winner of the Street category. ‘Crossing the Curves’ by Helen Trust
Winner of the Wildlife category. ‘Fighting Foxes in the Rain’ by Sophia Spurgin
Winner of the Events category. ‘Half a Second Before’ by Jacek Salaga
Winner of the Emerging Talent (student award). ‘Imprint’ by Millie Melvin
Winner of the After Dark category. ‘Lonely is the Night’ by Hardijanto Budiman
Winner of the People’s Choice category. ‘Magical Uphill Lincoln’ by Andrew Scott
Winner of the Portrait category. ‘Red Rebel’ by John Lynch
Winner of the Action category. ‘Saving Lives at Sea’ by David Lyon
Winner of the Pets category. ‘Silent Sentinel’ by Carole-Ann Chambers
Winner of the Creative category. ‘Swan Song’ by Brooke Shaden
Winner of the Macro category. ‘Teamwork’ by Dikye Ariani
Winner of the Landscape category. ‘‘The Lotus’ by Colin Page

The competition attracted 14,500 entries this year, and the winners were revealed at The Photography Show.