This amateur photographer beat 14,500+ entries to win top prize with this playful portrait of a Vietnamese fisherman

Elderly person in a conical hat playfully holds small fish over their eyes, mimicking glasses, with a joyful expression against a textured background — The retired teacher from Hertfordshire (UK) has won the Travel category and has been named the overall winner of the LCE Photographer of the Year 2026 Awards (Image credit: Sophia Spurgin)

Amateur photographer Sophia Spurgin has just been crowned the overall winner of the LCE Photographer of the Year 2026 competition live at The Photography & Video Show – and anyone who was there will certainly have felt the excitement among the participating photographers....

The portrait captures a genuine slice of local life – authentic and unposed – emerging from a photography session that was drawing close. In a spontaneous and playful exchange, retired teacher Spurgin engaged with a fisherman, who responded by lifting two caught fish in front of his face.

Titled Fish Eyes, the image carries a subtle sense of humor. The fisherman holds the fish in perfect alignment with his own eyes, creating a striking, symmetrical focal point that immediately draws the viewer's attention. The title itself is a clever visual wordplay, and the fishermen's playful pose transforms a travel moment into a memorable and now award-winning photograph.

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LCE Photographer of the Year – Overall Winner

The Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM is a sharp kit lens punches well above its aperture and pairs perfectly with the Canon EOS R... (Image credit: Future)

Fish Eyes by Sophia Spurgin
Category: Travel

Tech info
Gear: Canon EOS R5 Mark II + RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM
Exposure: 1/320 sec; f/5.6; ISO 640

Spurgin explains, "The photo shows a Vietnamese fisherman holding two fish in front of his eyes. There is a fishing net behind him. I took this on a boat in Hoi An, Vietnam.

"I had been taking photos of him fishing, and this was the playful end of the photography session."

She wins a total of £3,000 to spend on photographic gear at LCE - having beaten the other other category winners.

The LCE POTY Awards

The LCE Photographer of the Year 2026 Awards, organized by photo retailer London Camera Exchange, celebrate outstanding photography across 14 diverse categories, including landscape, portrait, macro, street, and more.

Open to photographers of all experience levels, the free-to-enter competition features a £10,000 prize fund, a People's Choice Award, and an Emerging Talent Award.

For more information, visit the LCE POTY website.

The Photography & Video Show continues at the NEC, Birmingham, until Tuesday March 17

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Kim is a photographer, editor and writer with work published internationally. She holds a Master's degree in Photography and Media and was formerly Technique Editor at Digital Photographer, focusing on the art and science of photography. Blending technical expertise with visual insight, Kim explores photography's time-honored yet ever-evolving role in culture. Through her features, tutorials, and gear reviews, she aims to encourage readers to explore the medium more deeply and embrace its full creative potential.

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