Portraiture 3rd Place

Part of the reason the Second Amendment was written was to ensure that American civilians were sufficiently armed that they could deal with a British invasion, should it ever happen. Yet when Tom Franks knocked on their door and asked – with a British accent – if he could see their guns, have a chat and take their photograph, he was invited straight into the subjects’ homes. Franks is not sure what they imagined a full-scale British invasion was going to look like, but the irony of the situation was not lost on him. The photographer spent over two weeks in Prescott, Arizona, visiting the homes of the city’s residents to learn about the normalisation of gun ownership in the USA.

Most image makers only see a subject through a lens. Tom sees people. Real people. Unconventional, flawed, brilliant, unforgettable human people. More than people, they’re characters he connects with - and his unique blend of small-town Yorkshire charm and technical wizardry helps him create portraits that the audience connects with too. Creating technically impressive imagery - that’s the easy bit. Talking your way into the home of a senior NRA member? Yeah, that’s a little tougher.