Phil Joyce is indeed a very fine fellow but now this has been officially recognised. Phil has been awarded the prestigious Fellowship of The Royal Photographic Society (FRPS).
As Phil explains: “I am delighted to say that I have been awarded Fellowship of The Royal Photographic Society (FRPS): https://rps.org/qualifications/frps/
My submission was in the Contemporary category and explored truth and deceit in the photographic process. Using zoos as my subject I looked at the work and imagery of animal activists who seek to show zoos in a poor light. Whilst there are undoubtedly bad zoos that serve to be exposed, activists take the view that all zoos are bad and should be closed, using their photographs to present a self-evident truth. I disputed this ‘truth’ and sought to mimic their photographic style in good zoos with internationally recognised breeding programmes, conservation work and research. I manipulated images, chose viewpoints, exposures and coarse B&W processing to mimic the work of activists, in order to invite viewers to question where the truth lies when presented with an image.
It has been a rewarding process and through its ups and downs has helped develop my photography significantly. I hope you might be inspired to look at undertaking work aimed at a distinction.”
You can see Phil submission panel in detail here.
Many congratulations to Phil for such a well-deserved accolade.