Open Digital Images 25 February 2013

Our final still image competition of the season was the Open Subject DI, judged by George Ledger DPAGB, also of Consett Camera Club who we've also had the pleasure of exchanging club nights with over the course of this season. There were almost 50 images covering a wide range of subjects, giving George plenty of options to pick his favourites.
After much deliberation, Marjorie Wilkinson's “Fed Up Waiting” clinched it for George, with him praising the unusual portraiture and mood captured by Marjorie.
George placed Elspeth Gordon’s “Please Close The Gate” in second place with Mike Sadler's almost abstract “Wave Form” coming third.
He also awarded 5 images a Highly Commended – Mike's Caged In The City and Storm At Sea, Hank Craggs' Excess Access, Michael Balfour's Henry, and Elspeth's Tyne Bridges.
Well done to all of the winners, and everyone for entering such a wide range of good quality images.

Click to see all of the images entered in this competition

Second place Please Close the Gate by Elspeth Gordon

Third place Wave Form by Mike Sadler

Set Subject Movement Digital Images 28 January 2013

Movement was chosen for our second Set Subject this season after Mike Sadler’s extraordinary winning photograph in last year’s One Shot project. With only a single frame available Mike managed to capture the fast moving monster truck at the local Northumberland County Show - click here. Members were, once again, up to the challenge and almost 50 entries gave our judge, Lionel Bryan from Morpeth Camera Club, plenty of homework!
The winning image was “The Smaller One is Just as Good” by Veronica Congleton with two of Mike’s photographs chosen in second and third place - “La Danza” just managing to pip “Streaker” to the second spot.
Lionel was also good enough to chose five pictures as Highly Commended. Arctic Tern by Param Sandhu, In the City that Never Sleeps by Jess Keating, Night Life by Elspeth Gordon, Spiral by Alastair Ruffman and Splashdown by Rod Smith. Congratulations to everyone who took part and made this a very interesting challenge!

Click here to see all of the images entered for this competition

Second place La Danza by Mike Sadler

Third place Streaker by Mike Sadler

This year the first Set Subject was a print competition with Newcastle City Life as the theme. Veronica had been successful in arranging for Jane Black ARPS, FPSA, Hon.PAGB to judge the entries for us and make some very useful constructive criticisms of over 50 prints. Jane selected “Grainger Market” by Michael Dywer as the winning entry - a well captured early morning shot of the meat delivery men. Second place went to Bill Norfolk with a rather damp looking picture entitled “The Newspaper Seller”, taken at the foot of Grey’s Monument. Third place went to a clever triptych by Chris Francis in which he asked the question “Newcastle City Nightlife?”

Jane was also kind enough to make a selection of her Highly Commended pictures which are listed below;
Bill Norfolk – Along The Quayside
Veronica Congleton – Central Arcade
Mike Sadler – Eldon Square on a Sunny Day
Michael Dwyer – Long Stairs
Veronica Congleton – Race Time
Congratulations to all of the winners and indeed everyone who took part in what was a very entertaining evening.

Second place The Newspaper Seller by Bill Norfolk

Third place Newcastle City Nightlife? by Chris Francis

This year’s Print Competition was judged by Malcolm Kus ARPS DPAGB EFIAP/B whose job was made more difficult by the large number of entries. Malcolm selected Mike Sadler’s “Forest Mist” which was taken near Cradle Mountain in Tasmania as the best entry. Mike says “There had been heavy showers that morning, and the warmth of the day began to create interesting misty effects in the forest adjacent to the balcony of the restaurant where we were lunching.”
In second place was “Road Works” by Veronica Congleton. This image captured the basic essence of the back streets in Havana, Cuba and gave many of us an insight into a country we’ll probably never have the opportunity to visit.
Third place in this year’s competition was taken by Kath Guellard with her imaginatively titled image “Dry Art”. Kath explains, “I took this shot on a hot sultry day in Barcelona when a sudden downpour sent all the scantily clad tourists running for cover in the city's museums and galleries. The long queue under the umbrellas was for the Picasso Museum - hence the ‘Dry Art’of the title! At first glance the original image looked so dark I nearly binned it: I had increased the shutter speed purely to capture the shining wet umbrellas, and ignored the rest! However, it's amazing how much detail the digital eye still records beneath the blackness. Just press the magic ‘darkness made visible’ button in PhotoShop and all is revealed: all the bits of bare flesh and inappropriate clothing under the brollies, and  the silly man in the straw hat, dipping his toe in the puddle. And all the lovely little flecks of colour - ‘noisy’ but nice - of the rain splashing on the paving stones. I hate to admit it, but easy-peasy, really!”
Click here to see all of the images entered for this competition

Second Place Road Works by Veronica Congleton

Third place Dry Art by Kath Guellard

Knockout 1 October 2012

First place Close Thing by Rod Smith

Fourth place Let it Pour by Jess Keating

Second place Twisted Light by Alastair Ruffman