THE RAILWAY Correspondence and Travel Society and Mortons Media – publisher of Railways Illustrated, Rail Express, The Railway Magazine and Heritage Railway – have launched ‘Steam or Modern; People and the Environment. The 2023/24 RCTS Photographic Competition.’
The contest will offer existing and fledgling photographers of all ages the chance to showcase their work and win one of a great range of special prizes.
The competition builds on the long-established precedent of excellence in railway photography, which survives and thrives in railway publications such as Railways Illustrated and the RCTS’s in-house title, The Railway Observer.
There are four possible categories to enter:
■ Heritage railways and main line steam
■ Modern traction
■ People and the railway
■ The environment and the railway
In choosing these categories, the joint organisers have sought to embrace both current railway operations as well as the enthusiasm and nostalgia for steam, be it on preserved lines or main line tours and specials.
The ‘People and the railway’ categories aims to recognise that railways cannot operate without people – whether employees, volunteers, or passengers – and it is hoped the character and variety of the human aspects of railway operation can be captured in an image.
The final category is for views of the railway in its natural habitat, or images of new technologies, such as hydrogen, electric-battery and other traction propulsion that use renewable fuels. There is clear scope for some innovation on the part of the photographer to capture forward-thinking and thought-provoking images.
Judging will be undertaken by appointed members of the RCTS and Mortons Media editorial staff. The decisions of the judges will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
Images will be judged on their quality, composition, and interpretation of the subject. Any image taken from a position that is deemed to be unsafe, or apparently obtained by trespassing on any railway property, will be disqualified.
