Our fourth competition of the 2023-24 season was on ‘any subject’ and took place on 7 March 2024. It was judged by Lawrence Homewood, an experienced photographer, judge and speaker, from East Grinstead Camera Club. Lawrence was careful to remind us that the scores he would give were just his opinion; other judges may score the images differently. Throughout the evening, he gave helpful suggestions for improvement, where appropriate, and kept us all amused will his keen sense of humour.
Lawrence chose his favourite images and then a number of Highly Commended and Commended images. He was particularly impressed by the variety and quality of the entries.
Judge’s favourite images of the evening
The judge’s favourites were:
- Prints: “Just another day in Tuscany” by Chris West – a beautiful dawn scene over the hills towards a village and valley beyond, with magical complementary dawn colours!
- PDI: “Stirring Up the Crowd” by George Reekie – a very strong image capturing a decisive moment during a demonstration in London – it works well.
A further 3 prints were Highly Commended and 4 Commended and 4 PDIs were Highly Commended with 7 Commended.
Printed Images:
- Highly Commended: “Spring Woodland” by Alex Swyer – delicate fresh green tones complemented by brightly coloured bluebells, making for delightfully refreshing image.
- Highly Commended: “Sunset over the water meadow” by Dean Sephton – long grasses silhouetted against the lovely sky and setting sun – a very restful, calming image.
- Highly Commended: “Cinderella’s Forget-me-Nots” by Janet Brown – a delicate, almost mystical and very imaginative image of Forget-me-Nots arranged in a shoe.
- Commended: “Prairie Mix” by Daisy Kane – an interesting image showing flowers growing in a meadow with the complementary colours blending nicely.
- Commended: “Towards the End of the Day” by Liz Barber – a very creative long exposure ICM image of a beach scene with lots of atmosphere and mist.
- Commended: “Beach reflections” by Martin Tomes – a misty beach scene, with hills in the background and a figure in the foreground – lovely tones and reflections.
- Commended: “Boat trip on Loch Lomond” by Martin Tomes – a very well thought out misty image with lots of atmosphere and a lovely story.
In total there were 21 prints, too many to comment on all in detail but the judge was complimentary about all of them.
Projected Images (PDIs)
- Highly Commended: “Battle weary” by Nigel Cherry – a very dramatic black and white image of a battle-weary soldier with a strong narrative.
- Highly Commended: “My Wimbledon Ghost!” by Kristina Bing – an interesting, yet sinister image of a ghostly shadow on the stairs.
- Highly Commended: “Wild Osprey with fish” by David Seddon – a wonderfully detailed image of an Osprey displaying plenty of natural behaviour.
- Highly Commended: “Newborn” by David Seddon – an unusual but interesting image of a newborn baby with plenty of ‘aaaahhhhh’!
- Commended: “Cheeky visitor” by Nigel Cherry – a squirrel beside a pond about to drink, showing a strong reflection in the water and beautiful tones.
- Commended: “Impressions of Cornwall” by Liz Barber – a very creative ICM image of a beach scene with a mystical feel.
- Commended: “What Happened Next?” by Janet Brown – a decisive moment during a horse race, as one horse is about to fall.
- Commended: “Terrier Racing” by Janet Brown – a close up image of a terrier race with the dogs clearly enjoying themselves!
- Commended: “Trouble Ahead” by George Reekie – a rough tackle about to happen during a women’s Rugby match - a decisive moment.
- Commended: “Last of the 71” by Chris West – a very interesting image of a bottle of wine, kept in the dusty cellar for many years – a vintage year!
- Commended: “Pears, Stoneware and Mum’s Jam Pot” by Chris West – a carefully composed and carefully lit still life image with great interest and drama.
In total there were 24 projected images; too many to describe them all in detail. The judge was complimentary about all of them and mentioned the large variety of genres and styles.
With the judge’s tasks completed, Chris West gave a vote of thanks, bringing an enjoyable evening to a conclusion.