The Times/Canon Young Photographer of the Year

London College of Communication (LCC) graduate Rob Stothard has been named the 10th Times/Canon Young Photographer of the Year.

Rob, 27, from Leeds, has been awarded a six-month full-time contract with The Times, where he will be trained in the skills of photojournalism, receive state-of-the-art Canon camera equipment and a year’s membership to the British Press Photographer’s Association.

Rob studied mathematics at the University of Leeds and had been working in the city when he turned his attention to photography, applying for LCC’s MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography course. Then in a desire to better his photography skills he threw himself head-first into a big international story by making the brave decision of going to Egypt to cover last year’s elections.

Rob explains “I had been interested in and travelled in the Middle East for some time and felt going to Egypt and setting myself up to cover the elections would be perfect. So I changed to the online mode of the course hoping it would give me the structure and mentorship I feel is difficult to gain as a freelancer fresh into the industry.”

“Aside from the help from course director Paul Lowe, the other staff and my fellow students, being part of a society of journalists based in Cairo has been an invaluable experience. Whilst my technical skills as a photographer have improved I feel the most valuable part of my time in Cairo has been learning from more experienced journalists how to accurately and honestly depict a complex political scene.”

Rob has has covered a number of stories around the Middle East including in Israel.

Amúd ʿAnán, Pillar of Cloud, was the latest operation by Israel Forces in the Gaza Strip. This set of images takes a look inside Israel during the conflict.

Israeli journalists work on a hilltop less than a mile east of the Gaza Strip, providing footage of the city’s aerial and naval bombardment.

A local man provides an Israeli soldier with a tefflin at the site of a rocket attack in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.

A journalist prepares for broadcast on the edge of the southern Israeli city of Sderot.

A young girl from Sderot watches the Israeli Air Force’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip in her pyjamas.

Port said Aftermath. An eruption of violence in Egypt began on February 1st when players and supporters of the Cairo-based football team Al-Ahly were attacked after a match against Al-Masry in Port Said, Egypt. Most of the 74 dead and thousands of injured were Ahly supporters.

Check out Rob’s website

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