The Royal Iris
-
PrizeHonorable Mention
-
PhotographerCatherine Lee-Smith, United Kingdom
-
Date of Photograph22/02/2025
-
Instagram
The Liverpool "Royal Iris" ferry, once a fixture on the Mersey, is now in a state of disrepair in Woolwich, London after being decommissioned and later damaged by fire. I was attending a sculpture course that looked directly out over the dark Thames and took a number of photos of this boat’s sad demise and decay. It was a dull, grey day and the ferry was in a sad, abandoned state. So I added another photo of bright, light, clear water with the reflections of living trees. A fitting tribute to a hard-working vessel that once hosted early Beatles performances and carried Queen Elizabeth II.
I am interested in generational narratives that become woven and embedded in our collective stories and sense of belonging. My photography is a quiet act of preservation; a celebration of the overlooked, neglected and forgotten. I aim to capture the poignancy of our collective ageing and the inexorable ravages of elemental forces on our urban landscape. I document remnants and traces of human presence within the urban landscape and expressions of identity outside of societal norms. I capture visual stories that connect us to our sense of place, observe our passage and and mark our parting.
Awards I have a creative background using a range of mediums to communicate including oral history, organic stone sculpture & mixed-media textiles. My recent medium of aesthetic expression and choice is photography. In 2026 so far, I have been awarded Third Place in The Photographic Angle’s ‘Generations’ for her image ‘Great Granddaughter; My Emily’. One or more of my entries has been shortlisted for ** Awards 2026 and is progressing to the next stage of judging. In 2025, Cambridge Photography Gallery chose my series ‘Passenger Seat’ for their ‘Seen & Unseen’ exhibition. My photograph ‘MV Royal Iris’ was chosen by Decagon Gallery to feature in a book & exhibition of fine art photography entitled ‘Patterns of the Wild; Rhythm and Repetition’. In 2024, I started posting on @iambeautifulotherness to showcase my work & began entering Open Calls.