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March Competition – Black & White (4 x A5) : And info about April’s guest judge Steve Myall

A very well-attended meeting with a huge breadth of subjects submitted in the monthly competition. The variety made it very difficult to choose and rank photographs – the competition could have gone many ways depending really on personal preferences.

To end the evening, Nigel gave us a very informative and helpful demo-talk on macro skills, techniques and equipment.

Competition results are as follows. [If you upload your images after publication of this month’s post, please let me know and I’ll add them on].

Individual results:

1st equal. Shared by Dave Hodson and Chris Read.

Here’s Chris’s. A semi-tropical Salvia flower at Barnsdale Gardens. (We’ve not got Dave’s images yet.)

2nd Veronica (awaiting Image)

3rd Chris B (awaiting image)

4th equal – Shared by Nigel Hume and Tom

Here’s Nigel’s Alpine scene, taken (I think) from a chair-lift. The patterns and lines add more interest to a great monochrome photo.

And from Tom, a super misty morning by the river. Stark shadows, bright highlights on the water and eye-catching mist rising. The low sun even low-lights the goose’s path.

 

Group Results:

1st Chris Read with more images of plants that look a bit like other things.

2nd Dave Hodson with these fine and unusual portraits and architectural shots from Papplewick Pumping Station.

3rd Equal Veronica and Chris B

Veronica’s set of high-contrast architectural photos is (mysteriously) missing her individual entry. I’ll add it in once I have it.

(Awaiting Chris B’s photos)

4th Was Sue with there impressive and beautiful pictures of Zebras in their natural habitat in Namibia.

APRIL COMPETION – PORTRAIT

We are very much looking forward to welcoming Steve Myall EFIAP BPE5* to our society on Thursday evening, 17th April. He will be adjudicating our Portrait Competition, and hopefully treating us to some of his own images. Steve enjoys photographing a wide range of images, and, shortly after joining a camera club, became interested in competitive photography. His interests today are less competitive, and he more recently took up a new project, entitled The 100 Stranger Project, as his favourite subjects are people. This culminated in an 8-page feature in the Canon EOS magazine in 2023, which was very well received. The 17th April should be an extremely interesting evening.

Here’s a link to Steve’s website.

 

February Competition – Movement (4 x A5)

All the photos submitted this month were totally unique—some were super creative, and others were simply stunning!
(Sadly some of the best have not been submitted for publication – yet!)

Individual results:

1. Nigel J (No image submitted)

2 Dave H

3. Iain (No photo)

4. Chris

Group Results

1. Tom

2. Dave H

3. Sam (no photos)

4. Chris R

 

TRAINS: Opportunities

The Wagon Group at Nene Valley Railway have been in contact.

They are organising some “freight-based” photo charters. [Old trains are in the area].
Here’s the specific info.
Friday 28th February:  Flying Scotsman’ hauling freight for the first time in over 30 years on the ‘Scotch Goods’ photo charter. This will be split in to two events – daytime and evening photo charters with the BR ERA demonstration freight rake. The daytime charter will be across the full length of the NVR line and the evening charter will be based around Wansford Station with run throughs and static shots.
Wednesday 12th March. ‘Britannia’ hauling our BR ERA demonstration freight rake on the ‘Rule Britannia’ photo charter – again an all day, all line event.
[My apologies. I can’t explain further. But they sound like great local opportunities for anybody interested]

January Competition – Open (4 x A5)

It was very nice to see everyone for the AGM and first meeting of 2025. It was a very tight competition with just one point separating first and second, and a tie for 3rd. There were some memorable and varied entries.
We’re all different. I really liked St.John’s group of parallel patterns.

Individual results:

1. Chris R with this elegant bright orange tulip.

2 Dave H with a pin-sharp puffin at Bempton Cliffs. Capturing perfectly the sad, pleading expression that puffins seem to have.

3.Sue’s kingfisher. A real beauty. There is just enough sunshine to illuminate the kingfisher, highlighting her vibrant plumage. Sue’s image was captured in Stamford. Her group images included a stunning diving kingfisher.

4. Tom. The impression of speed, the concentration on the face of the driver, the spinning tyres – though we can see right through the spokes. Impressive stuff. There’s a lot more to this image than a first glance suggests. I’d say it deserves a larger format than A5.

Group results.

There was just one competition point between Chris R & Tom.
Sam (our youngest member by a long way), and Iain were 3rd & 4th. But – we have no images yet.

Tom taught us a thing or two about focus and panning with this great set of four from the Shuttleworth Collection.  Crisp subject detail with the background whizzing-by gives a great sense of speed.

Chris submitted these four different tulips taken at Burghley House and Barnsdale Gardens.

December Competition – Print of the Year

What an evening! A great talk – a real eye-opener – from a fascinating photographer.

Sue Hartley showed us a selection of her photos, many of which had won major awards. Her portraits, particularly, were incredible. Many of us learned a lot, particularly about post-production.

Our members also submitted some great  – and very varied – images. Helen chose here favourite 5 images. All very different.

A worthy first place went to Martin. Great craftsmanship to keep the leaf razor sharp and the rushing water with just enough movement to convey the story.

MARTIN: A Leaf is Rescued

Dave Hodson: Marbled White Butterfly

I think this photo wowed us all. Dave’s marbled white is perfectly captured in profile on (possibly) a yellow pea flower.

SUE: Coming in to Land

Pin sharp eyes and features with a great sense of movement and lovely colour. Sue’s blackbird after rowan berries is a treat.

Chris: The Bothy

A quirky scene pictured at Elsham Hall in Lincolnshire.

Veronica: Mask

Stunning – that’s my opinion.

 

November Competition – Shadows

It was difficult enough to choose a shadowy subject, but capturing or curating four distinct but cohesive images to form a set was possibly the hardest part. The results though, were fabulous and hugely varied.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

First was Iain E. Sorry Ian, I don’t yet have your image.

A worthy second place went to Chris Brooks with this topsy-turvy shopping shadow captured in bright sunlight

Third was Sheila with this striking image of a physalis branch and the strong, clear shadow cast on a wall.

 

Fourth place went to Chris R with this pic taken at Chatsworth House on a crisp November morning.

GROUP RESULTS

First: Veronica
Second: Iain E
Third: Sue
Fourth: David Naylor

Here’s Veronica’s group entry: A kaleidoscope of vibrant synergy. Two quite different themes that look good individually, good in pairs, but even better as a  group of four.
Every day’s a school day for me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

October Competition – Flowers

October’s competition theme, ‘flowers’ inspired some great entries.

Results:

INDIVIDUAL IMAGES: 1st Dave Hodson, 2nd Ian Evans, 3rd, Simon Curley, 4th David Naylor.

GROUP IMAGES: 1st  Dave Hodson, 2nd Ian Evans, 2rd, Tom, 4th Nigel.

Below are all images I have received (on Dropbox) of the top four.

First in the individuals and in the group competition was Dave Hodson. A stunning Orchid was Dave’s individual entry, and a deserved winner. (Personally I love the astrantia.) The four images work very well as a group.

Here’s David Naylor’s dramatic shot of a coastal ice plant.

Undeterred by the flames rapidly engulfing the building, Tom put passion before safety and stopped just long enough to compose and shoot these lovely images. 

September Competition – Architecture

Everybody took advantage of the breadth of this category and some very varied, interesting and unusual photographs were submitted.

We’re still waiting for some of these to be shared, but as soon as I have them I’ll update the page.

First in the individual competition was Dave H with this great monochrome. (Sorry Dave, I can’t remember which abbey it is.)

1st Individual. Dave Hodson.

1st Individual. Dave Hodson.

1st in the group competition was Chris with more monochromes. ‘Stairs’