📸 Edinburgh College Graduates Shortlisted for Portrait of Britain Awards 2026

Jon lee
11 minutes ago
2 min read

Two talented Edinburgh College Photography graduates, Anneleen Lindsay and Ritchie Elder, have been officially shortlisted in the prestigious Portrait of Britain Awards 2026.

The awards, run by the UK's leading photography magazine, British Journal of Photography, showcase the nation's best contemporary portraiture.

Capturing Change and Continuity

This year's Portrait of Britain collection features 200 shortlisted images that beautifully capture a country navigating a complex landscape of change and continuity. The works explore everything from established traditions to evolving identities, painting a picture of a Britain that is both uncertain and vibrantly alive.

From this competitive shortlist, 100 winning portraits will be selected and announced in January 2026. These winning images will be displayed on digital JCDecaux UK screens in high streets, shopping malls, and transport hubs nationwide, bringing the work of these photographers to the public across the country.

We're sending our best wishes to Anneleen and Ritchie for the final selection!

Zarah Sultana is a bold voice in UK politics, who stated 'I didn't enter politics to toe the line. I'm here to fight for the working class. She consistently campaigns on social justice issues, opposing cuts to welfare and disability benefits and against the two-child benefit cap (for which she lost the Labour party whip, becoming an Independent MP). She is now working with others to create a new alternative political party. I had arranged to meet Zarah on 8th May in Parliament Square Garden - which when I arrived was barricaded off, as it also happened to be VE Day, and there was a large celebratory service at Westminster Abbey, so the area was exceptionally busy. Her bus had been diverted because of this, so she'd had to jump off and run to meet me. Thankfully the barricades came down, so we met in the shadow of Winston Churchill as planned and made some portraits by the statues of Gandhi and Millicent Garrett Fawcett before crossing the bridge. A few weeks after this, peaceful protesters, sitting under these same statues, were arrested under new anti-terror.

Portrait of Alaa, a member of the Muslim Women's Association of Edinburgh. This image is from my documentary project 'Faith', which examines the diversity of religious experience and identity in Edinburgh. This work seeks to foster a deeper understanding of how spirituality shapes daily life, culture, and community. It highlights the unique expressions of religion across different communities, exploring the intersection of faith and personal identity.

Portrait of Reverend Suzie Stark, Interim Moderator at North & South Leith Parish Church. This image is from my documentary project 'Faith', which examines the diversity of religious experience and identity in Edinburgh. This work seeks to foster a deeper understanding of how spirituality shapes daily life, culture, and community. It highlights the unique expressions of religion across different communities, exploring the intersection of faith and personal identity.