Arts Interview: ‘Our Gibraltar’ Winner Timothy Cumming
Following the ‘Our Gibraltar’ exhibition competition results yesterday evening, we caught up with Timothy Cumming to speak about the inspiration behind his photo ‘At Home En El Qwari’ which took the Ministry of Culture award of £1,500.
The photo shows three ladies enjoying the summer in Camp Bay / El Qwari: a simple sombrilla, some drinks, three chairs and three stools are all that’s necessary to complete this snapshot of Gibraltar’s beach life.
“As a frequent visitor to Camp Bay,” Timothy explains, “I’ve always seen these ladies there — playing tablita with friends and family, but mostly sitting together, looking and feeling completely at home.
“The light, the composition, and the natural interaction between them created a sense of intimacy and timelessness that I don’t often capture in a single frame. It wasn’t staged; it was life unfolding against a backdrop that’s uniquely ours — Camp Bay / El Qwari— which made it feel authentic and worth preserving.”
Timothy says the photo fits the set theme of ‘Our Gibraltar’ because it shows “everyday life in a place that’s deeply ours: people relaxed, connected, and rooted in a landscape that defines us. That sense of belonging and familiarity is exactly what ‘Our Gibraltar’ is about.”
The photographer says he felt “surprised, proud, and grateful” to have been awarded the top prize in the annual competition “especially because the image celebrates a small, authentic slice of our community.”
He continued: “Ultimately I feel very humbled as one never goes into these things with a desire to win anything. The aim was simply to use the opportunity to try and showcase images that others may find meaningful and that resonate with their own sense of home.”
With his father Stephen also winning the photography award (in which Timothy came second with ‘Our Rock Under A Sunset Cloud’) we asked what it meant for father and son to be recognised in the same competition.
“It means a lot on several levels,” Timothy says.
“Sharing the stage with my dad in the same competition turns a personal achievement into a family milestone, and it underscores how much his eye and approach have shaped mine.”
He goes on to describe how his father’s photo and videography work has influenced him: "His work has absolutely been an inspiration — from the way he reads light to the composition advice he’s always shared. Being recognised alongside him feels like a continuation of that influence, and a reminder that, for us, photography is both craft and connection to Gibraltar. It also helps me remember my grandfather, Norman Cumming, who I’m sure had a similar impact on my dad’s life as he has had on mine.”
