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7 April 2008

The SUN AWARDS 2008 celebrates the 20th anniversary of the first ever Shot Up North exhibition.

From its start as an adhoc exhibition in a former fire station to a highly respected and firmly established event on the photograpghic calendar, SUN has come a long way in twenty years. So have its photographers, both emerging and established, “who constantly raise the bar on quality” - Jon Cohen (Fuji Film)

SUN…highlights the best images and best practice achieved by professional photographers based in the northern regions of the UK, working within the disciplines of » Advertising · Design · Editorial · Fashion

” It’s hard to believe SUN has been going for almost twenty years. One of my images was in the very first exhibition and here we are two decades on running the show and making sure regional photographers get the attention they deserve. This year’s Awards promise to be very special” said organiser Ed Horwich.

What the art directors say:
“SUN is a good thing because… its an independent showcase run by photographers outside London, which I think is a very honourable.”
Andy Cheetham (creative director CheethamBell JWT)

What the Photographers say:
“SUN really promotes work in the regions, which can be overlooked by agencies in the south and its run by photographers, its a really great initiative.” - Jon Boyes (previous Best Image winner)

Judging Panel:
A very eminent judging panel has been lined up which includes leading photographers Brian Griffin and Martin Evening.

Award Categories:
· Best Image - top 50 images selected for the exhibition, book and web site - one outstanding winner is presented with the Best Image Award.
· Best Use of an Image - photographs are judged within the context of their final use (editorial, advertising, packaging, point-of-sale, etc).
· Best Promotion of a photographer - recognises achievement in best practice in the way a photographer promotes him/herself.
· Large Format award - a special 20th anniversary category for images created with studio cameras

Entry qualification:
The SUN AWARDS 2008 are open to ALL northern professional photographers from the Midlands up to Scotland.

Entries open on 1st May and close on 30th June 2008

Entry forms should be completed online at… www.shotupnorth.co.uk

The sun awards are run as a not-for-profit event by photographers for the mutual benefit of the creative industry. An independent advisory board helps to oversee SUN’s activities and the Awards process is monitored by independent scrutineers.

END

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November 2007

2007 SUN AWARDS announced

This year’s SUN Awards were presented at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester on 15th November 2007.

These are awarded for the best professional photography executed by photographers based in the northern regions of the UK, working within the disciplines of design, advertising, editorial or fashion.

“SUN is a good thing because… its an independent showcase run by photographers outside London, which I think is a very honourable.” Andy Cheetham (Creative Director CheethamBell JWT)

The SUN 2007 the judges have yet again selected an astonishing crop of fresh, new images created by photographers from as far North as the Isle of Arran down to the Midlands.

Winner of the Best Image award was John Baxter, a photographer based in Cumbria.

“The shoot was commissioned by New Holland Publishers for a book called No Place Like Home, author Richard Jarman. When setting up the shot I was trying to get the look of a typical English garden scene to contrast with the slightly bizarre background, and included the red flowers to emphasize the contrasts in the picture. It’s a straight shot taken on colour transparency film with a Mamiya RB, and there’s a sense of whimsy to it that I really like. ”
- John Baxter (winner)

In second place was an image by Rob Evans. Rather than award third place, the judges took an unprecedented step and gave Merit distinction to 7 other images by photographers Carl Hodgson, Jill Jennings, Andrew Livesey, Adam Murray-Brown, Rufus Crosby and Mike Slawski.

In the Best Use of an Image Tim Ainsworth walked away with both 1st place for his picture for Vimto, and 3rd place for his moody demon car image for the IAM road safety campaign. Second place went to Christian McGowan for his image for ASH anti smoking campaign.

The Best Promotion of a Photographer awards went to three web sites 1st Jonathan Oakes (www.jonathanoakes.com), 2nd Jan and Emily Dixon (www.andthewardrobe.co.uk), 3rd Chris Leah (www.chrisleah.com)

“SUN is quite a special competition to judge and as always and enjoyable one. I have to applaud this years judges for both their decisiveness and their passion in arguing for their choices. As photographers, designers, editors and exhibition curators of note they are a tough panel to please.”
- Jon Cohen (chair of judges)

Judging Panel
Tania Coates (photographer), Paul Davies (picture editor, The Times Knowledge), Paul Dyer (Towergate / exhibition organiser), Caroline Ogden (designer), Geoff Smith (photographer), Claire Turner (Comme Ca Art)

THE SUN BOOK is available to buy online - www.shotupnorth.co.uk/sun-book
Added to the curators selecting our SUN “SPECIAL EDITION” PRINTS this year is Claire Turner of Comme Ca Art. These are Specially selected from all the submissions for that year and printed on the best archival materials in strictly limited numbers and can be purchased online by visiting the SUN web site
Exhibitions
The exhibition continues at the Lowry Hotel until 27th November, viewing times 11am- 11pm - 50 Dearmans Place, Chapel Wharf, Salford M3 5LH
Leeds: 7 to 29 Feb 2008 at the Design Innovation Centre 46 The Calls Leeds LS2 7EY
Newcastle: 7 March to 6 April at The Biscuit Factory, Stoddart Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1AN

SUN’s main sponsors are FUJIFILM, Phase One, Towergate Insurance, Comme Ca Art.
With support from AOP, CC Imaging, Qualitech, GBM, Bikini Lists, Redeye, Fresh Awards.
END
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October 2007

SUN PREPARES TO FLOWER IN MANCHESTER

This year’s SUN Awards for the best commercial photography will be presented soon at the Lowry Hotel Manchester.

The 50 winning images have been selected from a huge number of entries by a panel of respected judges, Geoff Smith (photographer), Tania Coates (photographer), Paul Davies (picture editor), Caroline Ogden (designer), Claire Turner (art curator) and Paul Dyer (exhibition organiser).

Each year SUN rewards the best photographs and gives maximum exposure to photographers based all across the British Isles from the Midlands to the tip of Scotland.

The categories Best Image, Best Use of Image Best Promotion of a Photographer are designed to reflect the breadth of photographer’s achievements in creating images, working with the needs of publications and skill in bring them to the market place.

Organiser, Ed Horwich said: “Art Directors and Designers were unanimous last year in their excitement about the BEST USE of IMAGE category, seeing it as especially relevant to the way they work with photographers…. and this year’s selection is particularly strong.”

A previous year’s winner, Yorkshire based photographer Jon Boyes said, “SUN really promotes work in the regions, which can be overlooked by agencies in the south and it’s run by photographers, it’s a really great initiative.”

Ed commented: “Last year we started online web sales for the SUN Special Edition Prints. This year we are expanding this by teaming up with Manchester based Comme Ca Art who will be exhibiting selected prints in their pre-Christmas artist’s show as well as making them available through the Comme Ca Art web site.

This year’s show predicates next year’s 20th anniversary of SUN’s beginnings in 1998. “ It’s hard to believe SUN has been going for almost twenty years. One of my images was in the very first show and here we are two decades on running the show and making sure regional photographers receive the attention they deserve. Next year’s anniversary show promises to be a very special one.” Said Ed.

Opening on Thursday 15th November, the SUN exhibition and Awards presentation will take place at the Lowry Hotel, Salford, Manchester.

Advertising agencies, designers and commissioners of photography are invited to request Guest Tickets for the event by visiting the SUN web site www.shotupnorth.co.uk

ENDS
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29 March 2007

SUN AWARDS Call for Entries 2007

The SUN Awards 2007 will open for entries on 1st May 2007

(close 30th June 2007)

The categories are…

1. Best Image:
- open to photographers only
- either commissioned or non-commissioned work

2. Best Use of an Image:
- open to photographers and nominations from designers
- photos as used in the context of the final campaign, magazine, packaging, billboard etc etc

3. Best Promotion of a Photographer:
- open to photographers and nominations from designers
- promotional material in either print or website

The competition is open to professional photographers based in the Northern United Kingdom, from Birmingham to Scotland, working within the disciplines of Advertising, Design, Editorial or Fashion.

Open to designers from any location, but they may only nominate photographers based in the Northern United Kingdom.

NEW this year - all entries will be completed online via the SUN Awards web site www.shotupnorth.co.uk

Judging is by an independent panel featuring leading industry figures from Photography, Design, and Media.

All successful images will be included in the SUN Awards Exhibition, the SUN Book, and the SUN web site.

In addition ALL submitted images will be listed on the SUN web site AND will be eligible for selection for the SUN Special Edition Print Sales.

About the SUN Awards:
The sun awards showcase and reward the best in professional photography.
It does this through an annual judged competition, the showcase sun exhibition, with allied events and seminars highlighting photography generated in the Northern regions of the British Isles, within the disciplines of advertising, design, fashion and editorial.

Andy Cheetham (creative director CheethamBell JWT)…
“SUN is a good thing because… its an independent showcase run by photographers outside London, which I think is a very honourable.”

In brief…
* not-for-profit event
* images judged anonymously
* independent panel of judges
* verified by an independent adjudicator

All entry fees go to cover the cost of the exhibition and supporting activities.

The sun awards are run as a not-for-profit event by photographers for the mutual benefit of the industry.

ENDS
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1st March 2007

SUN RETURNS TO NEWCASTLE

The successful SUN Awards (Shot Up North) returns to Newcastle’s Biscuit Factory, next month. The exhibition, which opens on the 9th March, features superb examples of professional photography shot in the north of England.

SUN is a selected show featuring the best advertising, design, editorial and fashion photography. This year the high level of competition meant that just 30 out of a total of 70 entrants had their work accepted.

Following on from strong interest when SUN visited the Biscuit Factory last year, SUN Organiser, Ed Horwich commented: “This is the second year that we’ve held the awards exhibition here, we’ve had such great support from the region. We’ve seen a significant increase in the numbers of photographers entering from Newcastle and the North East. There is impressive representation from local artists like Mike Slawski and, of course, Mark Westerby who is no stranger to the Biscuit factory, being a regular exhibitor in his own right”.

The exhibition showcases a diverse range of talent, from From Rob Withrow’s brooding portrait of footballer Wayne Rooney, to breathtaking landscapes by Mike Henderson and Andew Haslam, and Nick Brown’s amazing action shot of a canoeist heading over a waterfall.

SUN has been running since 1988, promoting commercial work outside of London, and continues to gain momentum with over forty percent more photographers entering this year, as they see the value of the exposure that the awards bring to their work.

Andy Balman, Gallery Director at the Biscuit Factory, one of this year’s judges, was key in selecting the Special Edition series of framed art prints that will also be for sale alongside the Awards images. Newcastle company MPS Photographic, of Carliol Square, are producing the framed prints again this year.

Special Edition features up to forty images from twenty two photographers. Ed continued: “The Special Edition was an innovation we created just for our visit to the Biscuit Factory last year. But the enormous interest and print sales at last year’s exhibition mean it is now a regular feature wherever the SUN Awards are exhibited. The prints as well as being superb examples of the best commercial photography are also fantastic images in their own right and people who enjoy the show can buy their own framed prints of their favourite pictures.”

-Ends-

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