News

Photography competition winner 2026

The theme for this year’s competition, The Student Experience, invited members of the Green Templeton community to capture moments that reflect life at the college, whether through new photographs or by revisiting images from their archives. Entries showcased a wide range of experiences, from academic pursuits and college traditions to friendships, wellbeing and everyday life.

We are delighted to announce that Sophia Hall (MSc Medical Anthropology, 2025) received the most public votes and has been named the winner of the 2026 Photography Competition. They will receive a cash prize of £200.

For the first time, the competition culminated in a public vote, with members of the Green Templeton community choosing the overall winner from a shortlist selected by our judging panel. Thank you to everyone who entered the competition and to all those who cast their vote. Together, you helped unlock £1,000 of funding as part of a Community & Giving Week challenge.

The judging panel comprised:

  • Hao Li (DPhil Clinical Neurosciences, 2023), student representative and winner of the 2025 Photography Competition
  • Sam Howard, Conference & Events Co-ordinator, staff representative and winner of the 2021 Photography Competition
  • Marta Wanat, Research Fellow
  • Claire Weil (MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation, 2018), alumni representative

After carefully reviewing all entries, the judges selected five finalists that best captured the spirit of this year’s theme before putting them to a public vote during Community & Giving Week.

The exceptionally high standard of entries made the judges’ task a difficult one and offered a wonderful insight into the many different facets of the student experience at Green Templeton.

You can view the winning photograph and all the highly commended images below.

Winner

A winding gravel path leads through a lush garden filled with flowering plants, shrubs and mature trees. Purple blossoms hang from a wisteria-covered archway, while a black cat sits in the distance near a stone building partially hidden by foliage. Soft evening light and a blue sky with scattered clouds create a peaceful atmosphere.

Sophia Hall (MSc Medical Anthropology, 2025)

When I shared the photo of Vincent with friends, it sparked an outpouring of stories about him: the moments he sat with us after difficult exams, the comfort he offered during hard days away from home and from our own pets and families. For me, he was there when I received the news of my grandfather’s passing over the phone during a rowing practice in the gym. Vincent is part of the very fabric of this college in a way that is hard to put into words, connecting people and moments, and reminding us that we are never alone.

Highly Commended

A long formal dining table set for a banquet is viewed from above through a gap in dark wooden panelling. White folded napkins, place settings, water bottles and bread rolls are neatly arranged, while blurred guests move into their seats around the table, creating a sense of activity before the meal begins.

Sizhan Cui (DPhil Sociology, 2025)

Taken during a formal dinner at Green Templeton. The movement of students gathering around the table reflects the rhythm of college life, where shared meals and long-standing traditions become part of everyday student experience.

A black-and-white night photograph of a domed historic building surrounded by scaffolding during restoration work. Low clouds drift across the dark sky above, while a silhouetted figure stands in a brightly lit doorway of a temporary structure in the foreground.

Matilde Girolami (MSc Comparative Social Policy, 2025)

This photo, titled ‘Circle’ was taken after coming home from a long day at the library and a last minute shop at Sainsbury’s before their midnight closure. The light projected onto the marquee made it so that my shadow became part of my surroundings, as if nature itself was reminding me that we are all one.

A person sits at a wooden desk in a historic library or reading room, silhouetted against a large stained-glass window. Sunlight streams through the decorative glass panels, which feature heraldic emblems and illustrated scenes, illuminating the dark wood interior and study tables.

Shivani Chouhan (MBA, 2025)

‘Where ideas meet history’ A student studying in Duke Humfrey’s Library, illustrating the pursuit of knowledge within one of the world’s most historic academic settings.

A crowd of people gathers on a historic city street lined with stone buildings. In the foreground, a person in academic dress laughs as their hair is blown dramatically into the air, while friends and onlookers smile and celebrate around them.

Matilde Girolami (MSc Comparative Social Policy, 2025)

This photo, titled ‘Joy’ was taken outside of the examination schools celebrating the ends of our friends’ exams. The street was filled with other students who, just like us, were there to support their friends. Seeing the communal explosion of joy once the warriors came out transformed a Wednesday afternoon into a moment of community.

Created: 25 June 2026