Ilisa’s work will go on display

Winning image selected

A Bankhead woman is delighted to be in the picture – after being chosen as one of the winners of this year’s Portrait of Britain competition.

Ilisa Stack’s work made the cut from more than 13,000 entries to the final 100 images which are being shown on JCDecaux screens nationwide, and are also being featured in an accompanying book.

The 39-year-old mum-of-three, who recently completed her degree at the City of Glasgow College, was over the moon at the honour, which also saw her travel to London for the official opening.

Her winning image came from an ongoing project titled Oot Tae Play, which showcases the youngsters of today at play and contrasts them with children of yesteryear, when playing outdoors was much more popular.

Ilisa told the Reformer: “I jumped about my living room when I was chosen.

“You find out in advance you’re on the shortlist but are not allowed to tell anyone, so I had to keep quiet about it all.

“I was really pleased to be shortlisted, which is 200 people, but I didn’t want to get carried away. Hearing I was one of the 100 winners was amazing, and so was going to London to see the book itself.”

Ilisa took up photography as a hobby some years ago and attended East Kilbride Camera Club. She then studied at City of Glasgow College.

Ilisa added: “It was something I really enjoyed doing, but I never saw photography as an art until I started studying it properly.”

And inspiration struck in 2016 when the idea of Oot Tae Play took hold.

Ilisa explained: “I was working on another project in third year, but I always liked the idea of looking at something and seeing how things changed, the sort of thing Daniel Meadows (well-known English photographer) has done.

“I was in Hartlepool and it felt like there was something missing when I was going around outside. Then I was walking with my kids and suddenly realised I wasn’t seeing many children out and about and playing the way that I did when I was younger.

“I wanted to document that, and it’s something I can revisit in later years.

“I started Oot Tae Play mainly with the children of people that I knew, but as time went on more people have come forward.

“There’s always a story there, but it’s a positive one, of who these children are.

“Michaela, who’s the girl in the image that won, was really pleased as well.”

Ilisa will continue to work on the project, including a visit to Berlin as part of an exhibition that will feature some of her work.

Visit www.istackphotography.com to see more of Ilisa’s work.