Global photography competition to ‘challenge the stereotypical image’ of engineering

The IET’s annual photography competition aims to challenge the ‘image of hard hats and dirty overalls’

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has launched its annual photography competition and hopes to challenge the perception of engineers.

IET is calling on young people to enter its competition which is split into a junior and adult category. Junior category entrants must be aged 16 or under.

Cash prizes will be awarded to five junior and five adult category winners and there is an additional cash prize for the overall winner.

Categories include:

  • Design and Production
  • Digital
  • Environment and Energy
  • Structure
  • Transport

Participants can enter up to five photographs across any of the five categories, and there is also a smartphone category. Entry requirements can be found here.

Gadget Show host and competition judge, Georgie Barrat, said: “There are so many creative and varied careers within the profession and yet traditional images of engineering and engineers tend to focus on hard hats and dirty overalls.

“That’s why this photography competition is vital in challenging public misconceptions and inspiring the next generation of engineers.”

There are so many creative and varied careers within the profession and yet traditional images of engineering and engineers tend to focus on hard hats and dirty overalls.
– Georgie Barrat, competition judge and TV presenter

The judging panel also includes Nigel Atherton, editor of Amateur Photographer, Gillian Abbott, vice-chair of the IET young professionals committee, and electrical engineer Dr Imran Shafique Ansari.

Winners’ photographs will appear in a central London exhibit and be published in leading photography magazine, Amateur Photographer. The deadline for entries is 5pm, 30 August 2019.


From the archives: IET announces winners of global photography competition 2018


Last year’s overall winning photo, Mike Glendinning’s ‘Engineers are hot stuff’, captured an engineer in the environmental testing facility at Leonardo in Edinburgh.

More informaiton on this year’s competition can be found at theiet.org/photographer-of-the-year

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