St Cross Photography Competition 2025 Winners Announced

This year's theme was ' Four Corners of the World ' which was interpreted broadly, and the content was judged by the College’s Art Committee, who awarded the cash prize of £150 to the winner.  In total 48 photographs were entered to the competition, and the top three will be displayed on digital screens around the college. The winners are as follows:

"In Search of a Better World" by Daniel Herszberg

The photo chosen to win first-place was “In Search of a Better World” by Daniel Herszberg (DPhil, Socio-Legal Studies).  

In Search of a Better World was taken in Merzouga, Morocco, on the edge of the Sahara Desert. It captures a group of visitors from all corners of our planet coming together, moving in the same direction, and sharing a journey which is both physical and symbolic. The photo is taken from behind, so the absence of faces shifts the focus to the collective. In doing so, the photograph highlights how travel and nature strip away differences to remind us of what we share. The many footprints in the sand pay homage to those who have walked these landscapes before: traders, nomads, explorers. As the sun sets, this photo draws together human movement and civilization; an ongoing search for connection, meaning, and a better world.

"Moving At A Standstill" by Maxime Bourdier

In second place was “Moving at a Standstill” by Maxime Bourdier (Dphil, Anthropology). 

This image was captured in Myrdal, Norway, in Sept 2024. The Flåm Railway train drops you off at a glistening waterfall, and as music intertwines with the rushing water, a lady dressed in red emerges from a wooden hut. Moving as gracefully as the cascade behind her, she embodies a moment suspended between motion and stillness. Perched in the remote heights of the Norwegian fjords, she stands as a quiet reminder of the vastness of our world—how at every edge, every corner, a presence lingers, shaping the landscape and being shaped by it. From one corner of the world, we glimpse the essence of all the others: movement, solitude, and the endless flow of time. 

"The Shape of Time" by Guopeng Chen

In third place was “ The Shape of Time” by Guopeng Chen (Dphil, Archaeology). 

The art committee would like to thank everyone who entered and congratulate our winners. Their photos will be displayed on the college digital screens until the end of the year.