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- 1993 Jerry Wooldridge
- Continued overall excellence in cave photography together with an
originality of approach in colour printing techniques which extend the boundaries of cave
photography
- 1994 Peter Collings-Wells
- A relative newcomer to the photo salon, awarded for the overall quality
of his colour prints and other work
- 1995 Richard Rushton
- A promising newcomer to the photo salon, having entered a portfolio of
small prints of a high standard, Richard will hopefully be encouraged to continue his underground
photography by this award
- 1996 David Gibson
- For his support of cave photography, both in initiating the publication
of Underground Photographer and development of a slave unit circuit which is now in widespread
use.
- 1997 Chris Howes
- For his excellence in cave photography over many years and, in
particular, his continuing teaching and encouragement of newcomers to cave photography, including
lectures, articles and books, and the production of Images Below, a comprehensive manual on the
subject
- 1998 Gavin Newman
- For his professional approach and overall excellence in cave
photography and, in particular, his outstanding audio visual presentations, some of which have
been specially constructed for BCRA conferences. His awesome 'Caves of Thunder' sequence is a
notable example that will be remembered as a pioneering advance in the field of Cave
Photography.
- 1999 Sid Perou
- For many years one name has stood out among caving cinematographers:
Sid Perou. He has developed filming techniques and shown others the way forward; his influence in
the field is widely acknowledged, and rightly so. Sid is presented with the 1999 Giles Barker
Award for his continuing excellence and the entertainment that he has given to so many cavers for
more than 30 years by creating films underground. Sid wins a lifetime trophy; a figurine,
hand-crafted for the occasion by Ceris Jones.
- 2000 Paul Deakin
- Paul is well known in cave photography circles and bibliophiles will
recall his involvement in 1975 in the production of British Caves and Potholes, one of the
earliest British caving coffee-table books. More recently he has created memorable audio-visual
sequences, shown at local and national events, and is particularly known for his fine colour
prints of mines and caves (including the modern classic of Titan shaft). Paul is therefore a
worthy recipient of the 2000 Giles Barker Award for his continuing excellence in underground
photography. The award itself is a figurine, hand-crafted for the occasion by Ceris Jones.
- 2001 Andy Eavis
- Andy Eavis is often first associated with his expedition expertise and
leadership, and it is easy to forget that he is also a superb cave photographer; his pictures have
graced many a magazine cover and expedition report. In addition, Andy has supported cave
photography within his expedition ethos by including specialised photographers in the team rather
than leaving the visual record to hit-and-miss. With his recent added venture into digital 3D AV
sequences, he richly deserves the 2001 Giles Barker Award. The award itself is a figurine of a
cave photographer, hand-crafted by Ceris Jones and retained by the winner.
- 2002 Glenn Jones
- Audio-visual sequences have become a staple part of the Hidden Earth
conference. Glenn Jones began constructing sequences in 1991 and by 1996 was showing his work to
cavers, progressing through different versions of his Vercors AV at successive Hidden Earth
conferences and creating three of its new-format opening sequences). During this period Glenn also
produced DSS The Movie and moved from two projectors to four, then to six, and by popular
request has shown his AVs at many other caving events around the country. He was the winner of the
newly instigated AV competition at Hidden Earth in 2001 with Caving. Congratulations go to
Glenn as the recipient of the tenth Giles Barker Award in recognition of his enthusiasm and
dedication both in his photography and producing AVs. The award is a figurine of a cave
photographer, hand-crafted by Ceris Jones and retained by the winner.
- 2003 Andy Sparrow
- Giles Barker was often involved with teaching the sport to young
people. It is particularly fitting, therefore, that the 2003 award goes to a film-maker who has
produced three instructional caving videos (the Cave Safe series), as well as entertaining cavers
worldwide with his productions of Solo, which has won several international awards, and the recent
dramatised account of the discovery of the caves in Fairy Cave Quarry, A Rock and a Hard Place.
Congratulations to Andy Sparrow for his well-deserved award. Andy was presented with a figurine of
a cave photographer, hand-crafted by Ceris Jones, at Hidden Earth 2003.
- 2004 Peter Harvey
- With the 2004 presentation being made to Peter Harvey from South Wales,
the award has widened its scope as Peter's photographs date back to the 1950s and '60s. Even
considering the advances in cave photography since that time, his results stand up against more
recent work. Peter's negatives have been scanned to a high standard and he has produced modern
prints using up-to-date computer technology, some of which were on display at Hidden Earth 2004.
This is a deserving award, given Peter's dedication at the time to taking the original image, and
now to maximise its potential using today's printing methods.
- 2005 Robbie Shone
- This year the award goes to an outstanding cave photographer who has
embraced the latest in technological advances and shoots solely using a digital SLR camera. Always
willing to learn, his dedication to producing the results he desires is extraordinary and over the
past twelve months the outcome has wowed his viewers. His pictures have been printed in recent
editions of Descent magazine and have drawn many admiring comments, as well as winning the
delegate ballot and Premier Trophy at Hidden Earth 2005. Choosing the recipient for the 2005 award
was a very easy task, so much did Robbie Shone's work stand out with his subtle use of lighting.
- 2006 Maurice Hewins
- Maurice Hewins has for many years worked to document and preserve our
heritage of caving films, both old and modern. In this, Maurice has collected data on the
photographers and their productions, recording the techniques they used and the people who
appeared in often obscure films. Most importantly, he has also - with permission - gathered copies
which he has lodged with Wells Museum. His work, from which future generations will benefit
greatly (let alone the enjoyment the current caving community has gained), makes Maurice a very
fitting recipient of the 2006 Giles Barker Award.
- 2007 Ron Bliss
- This was won by Ron Bliss for his lifetime spent producing fine
pictures underground, taking him through changes in technology and culminating in his preparing a
slideshow showing the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales caves that he loved, and pressing home a
strong conservation message - there can be no stronger use of photography than this. This is the
first time the award has been made posthumously as Ron unfortunately died shortly before the first
public showing of his final work.
- 2008 Paul Fretwell
- The award goes to Paul 'Footleg' Fretwell for the encouragement he has
given to cave photographers over many years, through lectures and workshops on techniques to
helping to run the Hidden Earth photo salon. In this he won the British Newcomer Award in 1999 and
since then has produced an increasingly high quality of underground photographs and has begun
working with inspirational audio-visual presentations. Citation by Chris Howes, on behalf of
Morgannwg CC and Red Rose CPC
- 2009 Clive Westlake
- This year, the Giles Barker Award is presented to a photographer whose
published work has surely been seen by all cavers at some point, whether in a book or magazine or,
commonly, as an original b&w print handed around at a club meeting. His work over many decades
has demonstrated his abilities and he is widely respected in the caving community, often being
invited to photograph new discoveries, always to a high standard. Clive Westlake is therefore an
eminently suitable recipient of this year's award, a hand-crafted statue of a cave photographer
made by Ceris Jones and funded by Giles' old clubs, which was presented at Hidden Earth in
September 2009. Citation by Chris Howes, on behalf of Morgannwg CC and Red Rose CPC
- 2010 Rob Eavis
- This award recognises both the ongoing quality and high standard of his
photography and, in particular, the imagination he has shown when experimenting with different
light sources to produce a series of very original images. Congratulations to Rob for a
well-deserved award. Citation by Chris Howes, on behalf of Morgannwg CC and Red Rose
CPC
- 2011 Brendan Marris
- Brendan has become known for a consistently high standard of
underground photography and, since 2008, publishing regular updates on his website at ogof.org.uk.
As part of a personal online project, he is documenting the caves of South Wales, logging the
results against digital maps. Both the quality of his work and his comprehensive approach make
Brendan a worthy winner. Citation by Chris Howes, on behalf of Morgannwg CC and Red Rose
CPC
- 2012 Dave Webb
- After a gap of six years, the subject of underground films returns to
the fore. Dave Webb has been involved with the medium for over twenty years, variously making
films to a consistently high standard, helping to judge the Hidden Earth video salon (which he has
also won), sharing his knowledge through teaching at workshops and always entertaining others with
exceptional film shows. He is particularly recognised for his documentaries To Titan from the Top,
concerning the discovery of Titan, and Fight for Life about the tragic loss of Neil Moss in Peak
Cavern. Dave was also recently appointed as the guardian of the 1960s film The Underground
Journey, conserving it for future generations. Dave's prolific output at such a high quality makes
him an entirely appropriate recipient of this twentieth Giles Barker Award, recognised with a
hand-crafted statue of a cave photographer made by Ceris Jones. Citation by Chris Howes, on
behalf of Morgannwg CC and Red Rose CPC
- 2013 Pete Glanvill
- Pete has, for nearly three decades, produced fine documentary and
artistic images of the underground depicting both caves in the UK and while on expedition
overseas, creating presentations and supporting his own and others' articles in print with
photographs of the latest breakthroughs, most recently on Mendip in Reservoir Hole. More than that
and very much in the spirit of the award, he has encouraged others in their photography and on
many occasions worked in the background judging the Hidden Earth Photo Salon. For his long-term
commitment to cave photography and indefatigable nature, Pete deserves our congratulations for his
award. Citation by Chris Howes, on behalf of Morgannwg CC and Red Rose CPC
- 2014 Martyn Farr
- The award for 2014 was given to Martyn Farr who, as well as being known as an
enthusiastic digger and cave diver, for decades has photographed his discoveries, both above and
below water. Indeed, he was an early experimenter in sump photography and has since built up an
impressive portfolio of images from the UK and around the world. The excellent quality he has
attained, most recently with his dedication to detail in solo photography beyond remote sumps and
using a GoPro video camera in incredibly demanding conditions (examples may be viewed at:
www.vimeo.com/farrworld), makes Martyn an extremely suitable winner of this 22nd Giles Barker
Award and we congratulate him for maintaining his high standards. Citation by Chris Howes, on
behalf of Morgannwg CC and Red Rose CPC
- 2015 Paul Dold
- For 2015 the award went to Paul Dold. Paul has shown the depth of his commitment to
cave photography by the degree of planning and effort that has gone into the production of some of
his fine photographs, sometimes returning to the same spot several times to improve on past
efforts in order to achieve his vision. A past winner of several categories in the Hidden Earth
Photo Salon, Paul has been exceedingly generous with his time spent encouraging other
photographers, not least through helping to run the salon over the past five years and offering
constructive critiques to entrants. Our congratulations go to Paul, who is an eminently suitable
winner of this 23rd Giles Barker Award. Citation by Chris Howes, on behalf of Morgannwg CC and
Red Rose CPC
- 2016 Andy and Antonia Freem
- The award for 2016 was presented during the EuroSpeleo congress in August to
acknowledge the fine video work produced by Andy and Antonia Freem. Their commitment has gone
beyond merely filming in difficult situations and has extended to helping others learn the craft,
sharing their knowledge and recording 'live' exploration such as at Ogof Marros in West Wales.
Most recently, the pair organised the video salon at EuroSpeleo, to the benefit of the wider
caving community. Congratulations go to Andy and Antonia for their very deserving award, the 24th
in the series. Citation by Chris Howes, on behalf of Morgannwg CC and Red Rose CPC
- 2017 Mark Burkey
- For 2017 the award went to a prolific and accomplished cave photographer who, over
recent years, has produced an increasing standard of imagery and built up a superb body of work.
He has gained the Premier Trophy at Hidden Earth twice, as well as winning numerous other
categories, and there can be few cavers who have not seen at least one of his images in use, from
Descent covers to illustrations in caving books and even to the beer mugs at this year’s
Hidden Earth. Congratulations therefore go to Mark Burkey for gaining this recognition, which is
so well deserved. This 25th award was made in October at Hidden Earth, this being a hand-crafted
figurine of a cave photographer created by Ceris Jones. Citation by Chris Howes, on behalf of
Morgannwg and Red Rose caving clubs.
- 2018 Paul Taylor
- It is a pleasure to announce that the 26th.recipient of the Giles Barker Award is
Paul Taylor, a prolific film-maker based in the Forest of Dean. A caver of 51 years, Paul’s
many films and short clips – over sixty years of these being caving related – many found
on his YouTube channel, Redhouse Productions, with subjects ranging from dye-tracing to digging,
and original exploration to tourist trips. These have helped to document and combat pollution in
caves, record caving history and the memories of those involved. One such film project involved
taking one of the first Otter Hole explorers, Dave 'Sparky' Parker back into the cave – the
result was premiered at the Palace Cinema in Cinderford in 2010 and raised over £1000 for
cave rescue. Paul is also no stranger to the Hidden Earth Conference or helping cavers to learn
more about film making. His latest long running project is taking place in Otter Hole where he has
already logged 243 trips. Generously after the award was made Paul noted that he considered it was
not only to recognise his own work, but that it should be seen as an award for the entire team
that supports him. An attitude like that means that he will never run out of helpers. Citation
by Chris Howes, on behalf of Morgannwg and Red Rose caving clubs.
- 2019 Jeff Wade
- The award for 2019, the 27th in the series, was presented during the Hidden Earth
conference in Wrexham and goes to Jeff Wade. Jeff has, over a decade or more, demonstrated a
consistent body of work – he first won an award in the Hidden Earth Photo Salon in 2009 with
a distinction for a colour print, and has subsequently gained numerous distinction and merit
awards in both print and digital categories, proving a broad spectrum of ability, culminating in
taking the top Premier Trophy in 2018. He has shown his photographic proficiency in challenging
conditions in a huge range of locations from the Peak District to deep Alpine caves, with
expedition caving from Europe to China, Mulu to Georgia, not only with his own camera but also
helping others. Congratulations go to Jeff for his work and this significant award. Citation by
Chris Howes, on behalf of Morgannwg CC and Red Rose CPC.
- 2020-2022 no Award
- The Giles Barker Award was suspended during the Covid pandemic, when the Hidden
Earth event did not take place.
- 2023 Bill Nix
- For 2023 the Giles Barker Award was presented to Bill Nix, a member of Red Rose CPC,
one of the two clubs that fund and maintain the award (the other being Morgannwg CC). This in
itself involved some subterfuge to avoid Bill learning of the decision until it was announced
publicly. Bill's cave photography has visibly improved over the years, from his Photo Salon
entries at Hidden Earth (including at the 2023 meeting in Gordano, Portishead near Bristol) to
entries in other competitions and an increasing presence in caving publications. He has been
efficient in producing images of specific locations to order when required, showing imagination in
composition as well as expertise in their production. Notably, this extended to the Hidden Earth
publicity where one of his photos was chosen for the conference programme and mug.
- 2024 Richard 'Roo' Walters
- For 2024 the winner is Richard 'Roo' Walters for his outstanding work in 3D laser
scanning, with which he has generated superb visual representations of caves from around the world
as well as in the UK. The results of his fastidious and time-consuming computer processing have
included virtual fly-throughs and even models constructed from the data, along with stunningly
realistic 2D 'photographs' - these lack colour, but this can be added artificially by the program
or by using accurate tones from traditional photos. They are so detailed that it can be impossible
to tell the difference between the image and a real photograph of the same scene. Having amassed a
huge body of quality work, Roo is truly at the top of his field and thoroughly deserves this
recognition.
- 2025 Bartek Biela
- For 2025 the award was presented to Bartek Biela. Bartek’s creative imagery has
visibly improved and become more prominent over the past few years – he has been taking cave
photography at a serious level for around fifteen years and exhibiting the results over the past
six, including some inspiring results from the sharp end of the 2024 Mulu expedition. In 2025 his
imagery was chosen to represent Hidden Earth.
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