About​

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Ritchie is a portrait and documentary photographer based in Edinburgh whose work explores themes of identity, place, and community. His practice is grounded in sustained engagement with his subjects, offering nuanced perspectives on their everyday lives. His work has been described as empathetic, gentle, and aesthetically beautiful.

 

In 2026, Ritchie was selected as a winner of Portrait of Britain Vol. 8 and shortlisted for both the Scottish Portrait Awards and the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize. The previous year, he was selected for the Royal Photographic Society Documentary Photography Awards and named Best in Show at the Association of Photographers Student Awards, among other recognitions. He holds a First Class BA (Hons) in Professional Photography from Kingston University London, specialising in portraiture and documentary photography.

 

Ritchie works from his studio in Leith, Edinburgh, and undertakes commissions both locally and across the UK. To discuss a project or commission, please get in touch via email.

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Awards

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• Scottish Portrait Awards 2026 – Shortlisted

• Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2026 – Shortlisted 1st Round

• Portrait of Britain Vol. 8, British Journal of Photography – Winner & Shortlisted x2

• Documentary Photography Awards 2025, Royal Photographic Society – Winning Project

• AOP Student Awards 2025 – Best in Show, Gold Winner (People) & Finalist x5

• British Photography Awards 2025 – Shortlisted​

• International Photography Awards (IPA) 2025 – 1st Place (People/Portrait) & Honourable Mention

• Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) 2025 - Bronze (People/Culture)

• PhotoNorth Festival Student Competition 2025 – Winner

• MPB Student Awards 2025 – Runner-up​​

• British Photography Awards 2024 – Shortlisted​

• Scottish Portrait Awards 2024 – Shortlisted

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Features

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• Portrait of Britain Vol. 8 (January 2026), Bluecoat Press – Book feature

• The Decisive Moment, Edition 35 (January 2026), The Royal Photographic Society – Feature

• "Ritchie Elder’s journey into Edinburgh’s faith communities" (December 2025), Hyphen Online – Photo essay

• "Emerging photographer shining a light on the marginalised" (December 2025), Amateur Photographer – Feature

• 40th AOP Photography Awards (October 2025), The Association of Photographers – Book feature

• The Photographer, Issue Two (July 2025), The British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) – Magazine cover & 8-page feature