Photographer Tim Fisher finally caught up with his award-winning image of two young sisters dancing during coronavirus-hit VE Day celebrations after it went on display at the Metrocentre in Gateshead.
The striking photograph from Tim’s Lockdown In Keswick project is featured on advertising hoardings at the massive North East shopping mall after being included in the winning 100 images in the Portrait of Britain 2020 competition.
The competition was run by the British Journal of Photography and advertising giant JCDecaux, which has now put all 100 selected photos on its digital screens at busy locations across the UK, including railway stations, bus stops and high streets.
Tim, who owns the Northern Lights gallery in Keswick, had been tipped off on social media that his photo was on display at Gateshead.
“The odd thing with this competition is you never get told where your pictures are exhibited, so I thought it would be fun to go over and have my photograph taken with it,” he said.
“The last two years my images have been good enough to be published with this competition but I never did find out where they were shown,” added Tim, whose wife Susanne took the picture of him with his photo.
Tim had another lockdown picture which made the top 100 in Britain’s biggest photography competition this year, which in turn has created the largest art exhibition in the country.
Called Eddie Sings, it featured Eddie Burrows giving a rooftop performance at his home in Windebrowe Avenue as Queen singer the late Freddie Mercury.
The photo of the sisters, called Dancing Divas, was taken near their home in Latrigg Close.
They were among the images Tim captured of Keswick in lockdown during April and May. However, that was the easy bit.
“There are a lot of screens at the Metrocentre and a security guard told me you are not allowed to take photos there without permission.
Then we had to wait for about 15 minutes for the screen to refresh — and just as my photograph came up again, three ladies promptly walked in front of us!” he said.
