Prize-winning photographs capture inspirational engineering

Tony Reilly has been crowned 2016’s Photographer of the Year after capturing a striking snapshot of wind turbines in Shetland.

The winning photograph was selected from 52 entries, which were submitted by members and non-members of the Institution from around the world. Tony received a prize of £150.

A second prize of £50 went to Ben Fairclough for his entry, which depicted a water wheel in the Mekong.

The Photographer of the Year competition invited entrants to submit up to three photographs on the theme of ‘Inspirational Engineering’. Judges were looking for ambitious, creative snapshots that represented the Institution’s key themes: Transport, Environment, Manufacturing, Education, Energy and Healthcare. Filters and photo editing tools were forbidden.

The Institution's Director of Engineering, Colin Brown, congratulated the winners. He said: “This is a great competition that engages our worldwide member community.  It is a chance to bring to life engineering that can genuinely be said to be 'improving the world'.

"Many of us have cameras on our telephones and so it helps us to capture and celebrate what we see on a day to day basis. This year’s top photographs are clearly very visible engineering structures that have a direct benefit to the communities around them.”

As part of their prize, Tony and Ben‘s photographs were printed onto canvas as a keepsake. The photographers were also invited to the Institution’s prestigious Vision Awards ceremony in London, where they each received a certificate.

Next year’s Photographer of the Year competition will open in early 2017.