Club's '˜best of year' photo revealed

Rob de Ruiter ARPS, currently the president of Bognor Regis Camera Club, was the judge at Storrington Camera Club for their Best of Year competition.
I eat Bees - Derek Grieve LRPSI eat Bees - Derek Grieve LRPS
I eat Bees - Derek Grieve LRPS

In the prints section there were six 18s: Jane Coward’s ‘A Brief Respite’ started the ball rolling, with an unusual way of shooting a world war re-enactment portrait, and Anne Nagle’s ‘Peony’, a very nice high key flower, with burnt out edges to the petals.

‘Battle Helmet’ for Ray Foxlee, working well in mono. Rob particularly liked the detail and differences in textures, with layers of corrosion and dents.

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Another 18 was a really nice cameo shot ‘Hawxley’s Haven’ from Liz Barber. Finally Janet Brown’s ‘Vanitas’, an interesting (if spooky) still life, where Rob liked the contrast of the peeled lemon, and smoking candle.

The four 19s were Di Walker’s ‘Berber Sheep Market’ with lots of characters and stories going on, ‘Kingfisher preparing for lunch’ from Derek Grieve, with the shutter speed giving the streaks of water going everywhere as the kingfisher’s head shook the fish, Daisy Kane’s ‘Lost in Thought’, a nice study with an old fashioned feel to it, and Jean McWhirter’s ‘Elephant Seal Pup’ full of lovely close-up detail.

The four 20s were Jean’s ‘Burgerbukta Spitsbergen’, a great shot with tremendous foreground interest, and a fortunate sky adding to the atmosphere, plus the three images Rob had held back for further consideration, all very different: Janet’s ‘Agapanthus in Blue Bottle’ was 3rd print of the night. A not-uncommon subject taken from an unusual angle and shown in a square format. 2nd was ‘Window Light’ from Martin Tomes, a good bit of seeing with lots to like about it.

The winner, and Best Print for 2015-16 was Daisy’s very successful ‘Cambodian Monks’. Rob loved the contrasting colours in their robes, the dark vignette focussing attention on the centre, the monks’ expressions, and their brollies working well in the image.

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During the second half of the evening Rob judged the PIs, awarding four 18s, which went to John Goodfellow with his second 18 of the season for ‘Oldlands Mill’, a pattern picture concentrating on the central part of the mill sails. ‘Snowdrop Lantern’ for Sarah Beard worked really well, with Rob particularly liking her composition. ‘

X-Ray Vision’ from Janet was an unusual treatment of three of a kind, which was quite interesting with an inverted feel. Finally Ray Foxlee’s ‘Des Res’ worked really well in monochrome, with the dilapidation giving a clear sense of age.

The four 19s awarded went to Daisy Kane with ‘Impressions of the South Bank’, liked by Rob for being very clever with a different way of seeing, and an out of the ordinary effect on the architecture.

‘Edgy Light’ from Norman Kirby, getting in close on leaves with nicely defined edges before going soft. Alex Swyer with ‘Clematis’, going in tight to the flower, with great detail, and a suggestion of the petals. The final 19 was Ray’s ‘Dressing for Battle’, an interesting shot which caught the moment.

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There were five 20s. Liz Barber’s ‘Fire Daisy’, was a very dramatic, surreal image where the border added to the composition, and ‘Blackcap bathing’ from Derek Grieve, was an extremely well caught shot with spot-on shutter speed. 3rd PI of the night was ‘Stag and Hind at Dawn’ from Jane Coward, who got extra points for getting up for the dawn! Jane also got 2nd with ‘Wet Feet in the Frame’, her very simple, very clever image with a sense of movement and drama.

The winner and Best Projected Image for 2015-16 was ‘I eat Bees’ by Derek. A beautiful bird shot, complete with the bee!