Creative, commercial photographers.

The Queen’s portrait contest – we have a winner

May 27, 2010

In the contest for the honour of taking a portrait of the Queen held by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, one stood out from the shortlist of talented candidates.Creative photographer Shaun Murawski has been chosen to take a portrait of the Queen. Shaun, 23, who recently graduated from college, won the contest, which was judged by a panel of seven. He said:

“I see the Queen as a steady figure in an ever-changing world and I hope to get that across in my work. I have never photographed a celebrity before and there is nothing like starting at the top.”

Although a creative photographer in Leeds could provide the ideal environment for capturing a portrait, in some circumstances, client may prefer to dictate the whereabouts of the photo shoot for a particular backdrop.

Fortunately for Shaun, photographer Harry Benson will mentor him during his Royal assignment and he has every faith in the young photographer. He said:

“Any of the finalists would have done an excellent job but Shaun just had the edge. His obvious passion and love for photography came through and you could see he has real talent. I’m sure he will do a tremendous job.”

Further to a proposal from Holyrood’s Art Advisory Group, rather than employ a commercial photographer, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, invited higher education establishments to nominate two graduates to enter a contest to take the portrait.

The winner’s portrait will be displayed in the Scottish Parliament building this year for the very first time the Queen’s portrait will be displayed at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Shaun won the contest after telling the judging panel how he would approach the photo shoot and showing them a portfolio of his work.