The winners of the LCE Photographer of the Year competitors had been introduced stay at The Photography & Video Show 2026, and one of many runners-up snapped a real-life scene of Tom and Jerry.
But in contrast to within the cartoons the place intelligent Jerry all the time bests crafty Tom, Aaron Whiteaway‘s picture, which was a runner-up within the After Dark class of the LCE awards, depicts a extra ominous scene.
The picture, aptly entitled Tom & Jerry, exhibits a mouse making an attempt to climb a step whereas within the background, a lurking cat has its gaze fastened on the mouse, able to pounce.
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I really like this picture, particularly the best way through which the proper quantity of depth of area has been used to inform the story.
At first look, it’s not apparent that the out-of-focus object within the background is a deadly cat on the hunt. But a second later, it turns into clear, as does the peril that the mouse faces, and I’m gripped by angst, realizing that is possible its final moments.
‘Tom & Jerry’ – Finalist within the After Dark class
Commenting on his picture, Whiteaway stated: “After a night out testing my latest 300mm lens, as I returned home, I stumbled upon a cat playing with its prey in the street.”
Whiteaway was taking pictures on a Nikon Z8 with a Nikon VR 300mm f/2.8G telephoto prime lens. He used 1/40sec shutter speed and a wide-open f/2.8 aperture, but still needed ISO 6,400 to ensure sufficient exposure.
“I managed to lay the lens down on the floor with its tripod foot for stability, angled the screen upwards on the camera and shot off a burst of shots,” said Whiteaway.
The other brilliant aspect of this image is that it leaves the ending up to the imagination. Whiteaway said: “I unfortunately never did find out how it all unfolded that night between the cat and mouse, but what a bittersweet moment it was to experience.”
While I’d like to imagine the mouse making a smart escape just like in the cartoons, something tells me the real-life scenario played out in a more deadly way.
The LCE POTY 2026 awards are now in their third year, and this year there was over $13,300 (£10,000 / AU$19,000) in prize money up for grabs. The 2026 overall winner was an amateur photographer whose ‘playful portrait’ beat over 14,500 entries.
See the whole lineup of finalist photos from the LCE POTY 2026 awards
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