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Annual photography competition Love in London is always a heartwarming celebration of friendship, family ties, romance and community in the city. This year, though, the winning snaps seem extra-special.
The competition – an open call for amateur photographers from dating app Clikd – ended as we went into lockdown, with the champions chosen by the public over the last few weeks. Categories included Love London, Love Your Partner, Love Your Animals, Love Your Friends, Love Your Community and Love What You Do, as well as a video entry.
2020’s top photographer dog? Jamie Thistlethwaite and their picture ‘Proposal at London Pride 2019’ (above). ‘My image summed up everything I love about photographing Prides,’ says Jamie. ‘It's everyone coming together AND forgetting about our differences to show and spread love. I feel that the image has an even stronger message now that unfortunately most Prides have been postponed. I hope that my image stands as a beacon of hope to everyone in our LGBTQ+ community (and our allies) that the day will come when we will be able to celebrate and show our love together again.’
Second place went to Agatha Powa for her picture ‘Carni Lovers’. Agatha moved to London from Germany when she was 18 but left after Brexit, worrying about what it would mean for her citizenship. ‘I always return to London at least twice a year as I see it as my second home,’ she says. ‘London is diverse like no other place I have been to, culturally and artistically and that’s what makes it so special and inspiring to me. Carnival is one of these special community events which I made sure to be at every year since I first came to London.’
Meanwhile, third place went to Kevin Lake, a reportage and portrait photographer from Putney, for ‘Love Across the Aisle’. He says: ‘The dogs in my image grabbed me because they were obviously far apart in age, size and appearance but were totally in love and just wanted to be near each other. For me seeing two individuals, worlds apart in so many ways except both are crammed on the good old London tube hitting it off completely is precisely what's great about London... and love.’
Fourth place went to Danny Jackson for ‘People of Pride’, fifth went to Sara Di Patrizi for ‘London Made Me Fall in Love with Photography’ and sixth went to Sara Jane Liebenberg for ‘Simple Joys’. Inspired to get snapping yourself? Clikd is running a new competition – Love in Lockdown – asking for people to submit pictures that explore what love means in London in these hard times. Proceeds go to relationships charity Relate.
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