Photography Prize 2002

The Photography Prize goes to the winner of Epica’s European advertising photography category.  The prize is awarded jointly to the winning photographer and art director:

The winning image of a woman sitting in front of a mirror uses a visual effect in which the composition forms the shape of a human skull. It is based on the painting "All Is Vanity" by Charles Allen Gilbert (1873-1929).

The ad was created by CLM/BBDO in Paris and the art director was David Bertram. The photographer was German-born, London-based Vincent Peters, 33, who shoots regularly for Vogue and leading fashion brands. The effect was achieved with skilful lighting, set design and photography rather than post-production trickery, says Peters.

"The image recalls the blending of art and psychology that occurred at the end of the 19th century. I shot it straight, with very little post-production. The trickiest part was getting the composition right – there was only one spot I could take the shot from; an inch to the left or right and the effect would have been spoiled."

He stresses that the resulting image was "a collaborative effort" and makes special mention of the agency’s creative team. "The agency came to me with the idea and asked me how I would do it. These day it’s rare to be approached for your technical skills. Normally it’s because you can achieve a certain mood. In this case I added the fin de siècle atmosphere."

Peters admits his work has a dark side. A previous campaign for CLM/BBDO featured scarred men’s torsos to sell Kookai clothing – in fact, it was runner-up for Epica’s photography award in 2000. "The Dior shot is gratifying because it takes the viewer a few seconds to get it. There’s a beautiful moment of confusion."

Of his award he says: "It’s nice to be recognised in this way, both for myself and the agency. This was a risky project, and they were a little nervous about it. It’s not often that somebody has an unusual idea and really decides to go for it. This time, it paid off."

Lewis Blackwell, head of creative direction for Getty Images, praises the winning image. "This year’s Getty Images Prize rejects the faddish and rewards classic craft values. The image’s achievement is in making its cleverness invisible, just concentrating on delivering the illusion and putting across a compelling message. With sex and death as the subject matter, the image has a great deal going for it, and these highly charged themes lock right onto the brand."