The mesmerising work of the two Welsh photographers whose photos are in the running for a huge award
From Ukrainian refugees to Elvis impersonators, the work of Joann Randles and Dimitris Legakis is an insight into Welsh life and and our history
Two photojournalists from Swansea have been nominated in The British Photography Awards this year. The first Swansea local to be recognised for their photographic talents is Joann Randles, 35, a multi-award winning photographer and filmmaker from Swansea who is known for her striking portraits. The second photographer nominated for an award is Dimitris Legakis of Athena Picture Agency. Dimitris moved to Swansea from Athens in 2000 and has been capturing news and everyday life in south Wales with his camera ever since.
Before Joann discovered a passion for taking photos of everyday people, she worked in the TV and film industry as a self-shooting producer and director. But when the industry practically shut-down during the Covid-19 pandemic, she began studying photojournalism and has not looked back.
"The best description of my work that I've heard is that I blur the lines between photojournalism and art. Because it's photojournalism, all the images I take are organic and cannot be manipulated. So a lot of my photography involves working with nature." Joann is originally from Saundersfoot and now works across south and west Wales capturing cinematic shots of real-life people. For the latest Swansea news, sign up to our newsletter here.
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From Ukrainian refugees to Elvis impersonators, Joann's stunning portraits are an insight into Welsh life and and our history. "Portraiture is what I really love," said Joann. "I get to be creative and the people are all real people. I'm not working with models, so I'm always thinking of ways to portray people in the most real light." Her atmospheric photos often play with natural elements such as the foggy mist in Carmarthen, the rainbows of Gower and the sun shining down on Swansea's coastline.
Dimitris left Athens over 20 years ago to follow his passion and study photojournalism. He describes photography as "a very thin slice of history" and you have probably seen his photos in the news as he documents the stories that affect everyday people in Wales. The photographer fell in love with the city after studying in Swansea and said he has embraced the lifestyle and culture of the area. His picture agency has been the official photographer of Swansea City AFC since 2018 and he regularly travels across the UK and Europe with the team.
"This is one of the first images I took of people," said Joann, whose first foray into photography involved taking pictures of semi-feral ponies near her home during lockdown. Taken on a November morning as lockdown restrictions began to lift, Joann got into the water with the wild swimming group the Rother Bobbers and shot this beautiful picture as the sunlight shone down onto Langland Bay.
"The sunlight was absolutely perfect," said Joann on the photograph that was featured in The Wall Street Journal and exhibited in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. "It's my favourite image I've taken. It's where my career started as a photojournalist," she added. This photo has been nominated in the Documentary category.
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"I was trying to capture joy, happiness and togetherness," said Joann. Taken at a Coronation party at hostess Susie Davies-Lowe's home in Swansea, joyful bright colours and beaming faces are photographed at this spread fit for a king.
"Susie always puts on these marvellous events," explained Joann, who decided the party would be the perfect opportunity to document the King's Coronation celebrations in Wales. "It's about more than the Coronation. It's about friendship and the close bond between a group of women," she said. Pictured (left to right): Janet Kingston, Jayne Jones, Sian Lewis, Brenda Spence, Susie Davies-Lowe, Hazel McClelland, Sharon Bowden. The photo has been nominated in the Event category.
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Part of a series of photos to mark the Independence Day of Ukraine, talented ballet dancer and Ukrainian refugee Kateryna Andrushyna is pictured in this photo which has been nominated in the Portrait category. Kateryna started ballet when she was four and trained at the Kyiv Academy of Art INSE. Since coming to Wales, she has applied for The Royal Ballet School in London. "I love how the flag touches her foot and frames her as she's jumping," said Joann. "She's dressed in white and the colours just popped."
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A semi-feral pony grazing on Cefn Bryn common, known locally as the backbone of Gower. Shot by Joann in the wake of Storm Jorge after a thunderous hailstorm, a stunning rainbow angelically frames the peaceful-looking pony.
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