Oculus by Tim Cornbill
Oculus by Tim Cornbill

A Birmingham-based photographer and architect has won a brace of awards at a global photography competition.

Tim Cornbill was named winner of the open architecture category and also the UK national winner at the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards.

His winning shot is of the German Chancellery building by the River Spree, in Berlin, commonly known as the ‘washing machine’.

Called ‘Oculus’, the picture shows a large concrete circle which is an opening in the façade and the louvred behind are blinds in front of the windows.

The image will be displayed in London at a special exhibition next month alongside other winners.

The World Photography Awards is a global programme which aims to find the best single photographs from 65 countries, with each crowning a national winner, and further awards for ten different 'open' categories.

Mr Cornbill is a part-time photographer and qualified architect and was selected from more than 105,000 entries.

All ten open category winners have received a new Sony camera and will now compete to win the Sony World Photography Awards' Open Photographer of the Year title, a trip to the winners' awards ceremony in London and $5,000.

Mr Cornbill said: "I was astonished when I received the news that I had won the open architecture category and the UK national award.

"I am truly honoured and humbled to receive this accolade. I never thought one of my photographs could make such an impact but it seems this one has.

"As an architect, I'm passionate about capturing buildings and I'm always on the lookout for photogenic designs.

"I was really struck by the sheer scale of this façade and the visual impact of the circle which I hope I've been able to convey in this everyday street scene.

"I am truly thrilled to have been recognised in the world's largest photography competition.

"Being shortlisted alone would have been incredible but to win the category that means so much to me personally has to be the pinnacle of my photographic achievements to date."

Damien Demolder, chairman of the open competition, added: "This is a stunning piece of graphic architecture and Tim has done brilliantly to show it off to full effect.

"I love the monochromatic colouration that emphasises the architect's careful mix of shapes and lines and the scale we get to understand immediately through Tim's inclusion of the human figures at the bottom of the frame. It all works really very well."

The photography exhibition at Somerset House runs for just over two weeks from April 21, the day after the overall winners are announced.