Broughton is to host the inaugural event of a new national photography award recognising some of Scotland's brightest student and postgraduate photographers.
Three winners of the Jill Todd Photography Award will show at Whitespace Gallery on Gayfield Square next month, from 3–11 November.
They are: Caroline Alexander, Nick Paton, and Tamara and Yoshi Kametani. Spurtle will return to their work with a review once the exhibition begins.
All entrants were asked to submit photographs based around the theme of 'Kin', and the winners were chosen by a 5-strong panel comprising mostly academic, artistic and commercial practitioners.
Also judging was Trish Todd, mother of the late Jill Todd whom this award commemorates. Jill graduated with a 1st-class honours degree in Photography and Film from Edinburgh Napier University in 2009, and her career quickly took off after graduation. Following an internship at Stills Gallery in Edinburgh, as an emerging talent in Scotland, she went on to win commissions from prestigious organisations including The Royal Bank of Scotland and the Edinburgh Film, Science and Literature Festivals.
Tragically, she died of cancer in October 2010 whilst still in her 20s.
After Jill's death, a small group of her family, friends and colleagues decided that they would honour her memory in some way, and it seemed appropriate to set up a means of supporting other young photographers.
'As I'm sure you are aware,' judge Wendy McMurdo told Spurtle, 'there is a significant breadth of talent in this area in Scotland, and with this award and related events, we hope to develop and promote innovation in the medium'.
To find out more about this initiative, and to catch a few examples of the finalists' work, visit the website here.
Spurtle applauds the new award, and hopes it may become a regular event in Broughton's cultural calendar.