Caught on camera: Oxford Photography festival makes debut

Thousands of people are expected to visit Oxford for its first photography festival.

Held over three weeks, across 20 venues, the Photography Oxford Festival features the work of leading photographers from Britain, the United States, Germany, New Zealand, France, Finland, Egypt and Italy.

The event's director, photojournalist Robin Laurance, said, "It's a beautiful, walkable city with exhibition spaces in lovely historic buildings.

"We want to open people's minds as well as their eyes to photography."

One exhibition entitled "Custodians" by Joanna Vestey explores the colleges and buildings of Oxford, and the people who play a pivotal role in running these world-renowned spaces.

The event also features some of the winning pictures from this year's World Press Photo Awards.

Here survivors of Typhoon Haiyan march during a religious procession in Tolosa, Philippines. The photograph won French photographer Phillipe Lopez of Agence France-Presse first place in the Spot News Single category in the annual contest.

This picture by US photographer John Stanmeyer of African migrants on the shore of Djibouti city at night, raising their phones in an attempt to capture an inexpensive signal from neighbouring Somalia, was World Press Photo of the Year last year.

Inspired by the paintings of Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, famous for Girl With A Pearl Earring, Maisie Maud Broadhead's photographs show intimate portraits of women, lost in quiet moments set within a domestic context.

Photographs of Russia's wooden churches - the remnants of thousands built all over Russia from the time of Prince Vladimir feature in an exhibition by Richard Davies.

Most of those that survive are to be found in the sparsely-populated north-western corner of Russia.

During the festival a pop-up drive-in cinema in east Oxford will also show films with themes around photography.

Screenings including Alfred Hitchcock's thriller, Rear Window and One Hour Photo starring the late Robin Williams.

The free festival runs until 5 October. Supported by Arts Council England, the festival is expected to become a biennial event.