Winners of the ‘Capture Kirkstall’ 2026 Photography Competition
The annual ‘Capture Kirkstall’ showcases the area and its people as seen through the eyes of the public. Winners were selected from three categories by photography experts Hannah Platt, Jonathan Turner, Rosie Dutton and Stephen Cole. Click on the links below to jump directly to each gallery.
Exhibition and online gallery
The ‘Capture Kirkstall’ winners’ exhibition will move to Butlers at Kirkstall Forge (Venue 25) after the Art Trail and will run from Monday 20 July to Friday 14 August 2026. Butlers is open between 7.30am and 4.00pm from Monday to Friday.
You can also find an online gallery showcasing a selection of the photographs entered into this year’s competition. (Launching on 17 July 2026).
Wild Kirkstall
Winner
Greg Dawson
‘Cygnet’ – Broad Lane Canal Bridge (Bridge 222)
“Captured only a day or so after they left their nest on the Leeds Liverpool Canal, the group of nine cygnets came close to the edge of the canal side guarded by their parents. Swans seem to thrive on the nearby stretch of the canal; each year my friends and neighbors watch adult swans raise their young, often six to seven cygnets reaching adulthood.”
Runner-up
Robin Stones
‘Untitled’ – 61 Kirkstall Lane
“When we talk about British wildlife, we often leave out the humble city seagull and street pigeon from the picture. Often compared to rats, these highly adaptive birds are one of our closest cross-species companions in Leeds. To notice them, I find, is to acknowledge large communities of individuals making the best of a situation which we are responsible for. I think we owe these birds a huge apology. Captured using Fujifilm FinePix 4900 Zoom.”
Runner-up
Danielle Burgess
‘Eyes on the prize’ – River Aire down from the Abbey
“An evening walk along the river sees a regal, stealthy heron waiting patiently in silence for a last meal of the day before roosting. The evening light is just enough to make its feathers glow during the golden hour as he stands in the shady safety of the overhanging trees and shrubbery.”
Unexpected Kirkstall
Winner
Harry Poyzer-Callaghan
‘Kirkstall by Moonlight’ – Queenswood
“A tree backlit by a full moon on a wintery night”
Runner-up
Robin Stones
‘Warm/Worn to the Touch’ – St. Stephen’s Church
“When encountering an old brass doorknob, it is hard for me to resist reaching out and touching it – to feel its smoothness, to notice its fine polish, and to imagine how many hands have moulded to its shape. For me, magnifying this detail through my lens allows this silent object to speak, communicating the everyday collective actions of a community often unseen. Captured using Fujifilm FinePix 4900 Zoom.”
Runner-up
Christine Firn
‘Burley Park Bandstand’ – Burley Park
“This photograph was taken a few years ago during an early evening walk through Burley Park. I liked the shadows from the bandstand that mirror the shapes of the trees surrounding it.”
People of Kirkstall
Winner
Jill Setterington
‘Eve, Volunteer at Cafe 21’ – Hollybush
“I met Eve when I visited Café 21 at Hollybush Conservation Centre, where she is a volunteer. The café is run for and by people with Down’s syndrome to offer training and work experience.”
Runner-up
Danielle Burgess
‘Walk with me’ – Kirkstall Road opposite the Vue complex
“I really enjoy street photography and enjoy capturing everyday moments in the streets of Leeds. I took this photo on the high street opposite the Vue complex after a downpour, the puddles on the ground reflected busy life passing by as this mother and her child negotiate them while walking and shop for everyday items in the local stores they know and love.”
Runner-up
Kellyann Martin
‘A Saunter Down the River Aire’ – Kirkstall Abbey Park
“Keen kayakers take in the lush surroundings as they paddle past Kirkstall Abbey, a leisurely saunter down the River Aire.”
Access Guide
Kirkstall Leisure Centre, Kirkstall Lane, Kirkstall, Leeds LS5 3BE
Venue type
Community – sports centre.
Approach
- The main entrance is on the corner of Kirkstall Lane and Abbey Road.
- Step-free access is via a fixed ramp.
- The ramped entrance is approached from Kirkstall Lane, approximately 10 metres up the hill, by the bus stop.
- The ramp has a slight gradient.
- The ramp is # m wide with handrails on both sides.
Entrance
- The stepped entrance consists of 18 steps.
- There are handrails on either side of the steps.
- The steps have a height of # cm and a depth of # cm.
- There are double automatic/manual doors at the entrance.
- The door opens away from you/towards you.
- The width of the opening is # cm.
Interior
- There is step-free level access as you enter and throughout the interior (where the exhibition is located).
The ramp is shown below
Assistance dogs are allowed, but pet dogs are not permitted.
Not available at this venue.
Not available at this venue.
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