Blackwood Photographic Club of South Australia Inc.

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Street Photography/Social Documentary – Competition 16th July 2026

This competition requires images that evoke a social statement or street scenes that depict the ‘heart’ of the location.

The Judge for this competition was David Rowlands and the following are his comments on the top scoring images.

Projected Colour – Set Subject

Time Out - Michael Selge — Time Out – Michael Selge

There is good exposure on this image. The blurring of the motion shows people moving at different speeds and anchors the viewers attention on the person sitting on the steps.

Time - Mark McNamara — Time – Mark McNamara

Mark’s image is a lovely architectural shot. Interesting distortion and contrast between the architectural styles.

Dad's Day - Judy Sara — Dad’s Day – Judy Sara

Dad’s Day by Judy Sara is a wonderful photo. If cropped closer on the right and left hand it would clearly encapsulate the whole story.

Going Green - Meredith Retallack — Going Green – Meredith Retallack

This photo shows good use of one selective colour in a mono image.

Projected Colour – Open Category

Light Painted Abstract - Kerry Malec — Light Painted Abstract – Kerry Malec

The Judge liked the contrasting colours in the above image. He said it almost has a neon effect. The placement of the leaves in the middle caps it off. It is artistic and creative.

Projected Monochrome – Set Subject

Don't Sit on the Steps - Judy Sara — Don’t Sit on the Steps – Judy Sara

The Judge said this was a well spotted subject that suits the set subject perfectly.

After the Swim - Sheila Gatehouse — After the Swim – Sheila Gatehouse

Sheila captured the photo with the exposure and lighting spot on.

Street Thinker - Di Gage — Street Thinker – Di Gage

Perfect timing catching this image.

Listen Son - Paul Hughes — Listen Son – Paul Hughes

The Judge said that timing is everything and here it was handled well. The story is all about the family. It is a lovely image with good composition. The exposure is perfect due to the shallow depth of field.

Projected Monochrome – Open Category

Old Car Light - Paul Rix — Old Car Light – Paul Rix

The Judge said the lighting is exquisite in this image. The large light suits a monochrome treatment.

Print Colour – Set Subject

My Feet are Killing Me - Judy Sara — My Feet are Killing Me – Judy Sara

The element of timing is well done here. The subject has been caught mid gesture. The viewer wonders why the two women are there.

Print Colour – Open Category

Green Peacock - Judy Sara — Green Peacock – Judy Sara

‘Green Peacock’ is a lovely image, the presentation suits the bird. It is tack sharp. You can see the fibres of the feathers.

Print Monochrome – Set Subject

Mending Oxford - Mark Pedlar — Mending Oxford – Mark Pedlar

‘Mending Oxford’ is a lovely image. The exposure has been handled beautifully. There is depth to the image. It is anchored by the two people at the front. There is great detail throughout.

At the Station - Judy Sara — At the Station – Judy Sara

This image demonstrates good timing. The moving people have been captured mid stride. The picture feels dynamic. Everything has motion or action catching a moment in time.

Print Monochrome – Open Category

Crested Pigeon - Judy Sara — Crested Pigeon – Judy Sara

‘Crested Pigeon’ is a very nice image. Lovely lighting and lovely rim lighting on the bird’s back. The exposure has been handled well.

Winter Wonderland - Michael Selge — Winter Wonderland – Michael Selge

A wonderful image with great composition using the bollards and path as leading lines. The people add interest. They hold our attention to the middle of the image.

Full Volume - Michael Selge — Full Volume – Michael Selge

Good timing in the capture of this image. The interest is in the middle of the image. There is good use of selected depth of field. The face of the musician is sharp. The hand has motion blur, it is not static, but rather dynamic.

Posted by susanb1977 | 21/07/2026 | Categories: Blackwood Photography Club News | Tags: art, birds, Photography, social-documentary, street-photography, travel | Leave a comment

Tools of Trade – Competition 18th June 2026

The tools of trade are the star attraction for entries in this competition.

The Judge for this month’s competition was Andy Mitchell. The following are the top scoring photos and his comments

Projected Colour – Set Subject

The image shows a machine in use with the flames flaring from the grinding wheel. It also shows the rotation of the left hand wheel. The detail on the machine shows it is old, a little rusty and vintage. The Judge said he liked this photo.

Grinder in Action - Susan Bell — Grinder in Action – Susan Bell

The Judge liked the thought that has gone into creating this image. It works well as an abstract representation of tools. It has good focus so that you can see the hairs on each individual thread.

Needle and Threads - Judy Sara — Needle and Threads – Judy Sara

This photo grabs the attention with the obvioous motion in the wheel and the sparks.

Metal Cutting - Gordon Lindqvist — Metal Cutting – Gordon Lindqvist

Projected Colour – Open Category

Nice lighting painting in this photo. The sparks radiating from the central halo work well. The sparks fragmenting when they hit the ground adds interest.

Spark Artist - Paul Rix — Spark Artist – Paul Rix

A great capture of the paradlote in flight. It is sharp and the action is frozen. With the subdued background the bird is the hero of the image.

Leucistic Paradlote - Samuel Savage — Leucistic Paradlote – Samuel Savage

The bland background emphasises the bird which is the hero of this photo. The whole impact is contained in the blur, emphasising the motion.

On the Move - Judy Sara — On the Move – Judy Sara

Projected Monochrome – Open Category

The photo below has an abstract quality to it. The photographer has gone in close so that the background is excluded.

Big and Small Insect Homes - David Hope — Big and Small Insect Homes – David Hope

Good Action in a concert shot. The guitar players look like they are giving it their all. The lights add to a sense of chaos and action.

Electric Six - Michael Selge — Electric Six – Michael Selge

The author has done a very good job. The stars are on point, sharp, and there are streaks from passing satelites.

Milky Way Windmill - Meredith Retallack — Milky Way Windmill – Meredith Retallack

The chaotic pattern gives this photo a slightly abstract feel.

Boats in Storage - Paul Rix — Boats in Storage – Paul Rix

Print Colour – Set Subject

A well planned photo with nice colours.

Print Monochrome – Set Category

There is good contrast in this photo with the dark skin tones and bright clothes and with the net in between the photo works well.

Untangling the Nets - Judy Sara — Untangling the Nets – Judy Sara

Print Monochrome – Open Category

This is a good shot, the exposure on the birds is perfect. There is nice detail in the wings, and the image is sharp. There is a lot of detail in the capture. The photographer has really caught the action.

It's Mine - Judy Sara — It’s Mine – Judy Sara

This photo works well compositionally with the use of the light beam. The double bass is parallel to the line and the musician’s legs are splayed so that converging lines focus attention.

Play the Light - Michael Selge — Play the Light – Michael Selge

An interesting portrait shot. The expression is engimatic and the viewer wonders what the subject is thinking about. The photo works well with the dark background and clothing, so the focus is on the subject’s face. Her dark eyes become an important feature of the photo.

Mysterious - Michael Selge — Mysterious – Michael Selge

A technically well taken shot, exposure and sharpness are good. It is well composed with nice, subtle shades of grey. The birds have a bit more contrast so the viewer focuses on them.

Coots Preening - Judy Sara — Coots Preening – Judy Sara

The photographer has caught the performer mid song. The lighting works, well highlighting the face of the musician and his instrument.

Iron and Wine - Michael Selge — Iron and Wine – Michael Selge

Posted by susanb1977 | 23/06/2026 | Categories: Blackwood Photography Club News | Tags: art, birds, camera, club, Competitions, musicians, nature, needles, Photography, portrait, tools, travel | Comments Off on Tools of Trade – Competition 18th June 2026

Astrophotography – Competition 7th May 2026

This competition requires images depicting stars, the moon or the heavens as the main subject.

The Judge for this competion was Susanne Opitz.

The following are Suzanne’s comments and feedback on the top scoring images.

Projected Colour – Set Subject

Meredith Retallack scored highly with two of her photos. Of ‘Salute to the Cosmos’, Suzanne loved the portrait aspect. The Milky Way is very clear and the windmill helps to balance it.

Salute to the Cosmos - Meredith Retallack — Salute to the Cosmos – Meredith Retallack

The Judge loved the foreground of the below image as well as the composition. The night sky contrasts well with the desert colours.

The Heavens Revealed - Meredith Retallack — The Heavens Revealed – Meredith Retallack

Helen Whitford’s ‘With a Touch of Green’ has a beautiful aurora and a good composition as the trees frame the aurora.

With a Touch of Green - Helen Whitford — With a Touch of Green – Helen Whitford

‘Icelandic Lights’ by Duart McLean is a good composition showing the reflection of the Northern Lights.

Icelandic Lights - Duart McLean — Icelandic Lights – Duart McLean

‘Nature’s Display’ by Heather Connolly is a beautiful photo of the Northern Lights.

Nature's Display - Heather Connolly — Nature’s Display – Heather Connolly

The below image by Cathy Freestone is also a lovely photo with good composition and a nice reflection in the water.

Southern Aurora Under the Magellanic Cloud - Cathy Freestone — Southern Aurora Under the Magellanic Cloud – Cathy Freestone

Projected Monochrome – Set Subject

Once again Meredith Retallack scored well in this section. ‘Heaven and Earth’ is a very pleasant image and is well composed. The tree works well, is not over exposed and has good detail.

Heaven and Earth - Meredith Retallack — Heaven and Earth – Meredith Retallack

Also scoring highly, ‘ Barossa Night’ by Michael Selge was appreciated by the Judge. Suzanne liked the composition with the building on an angle, it is a very different view.

Barossa Night - Michael Selge — Barossa Night – Michael Selge

Projected Colour – Open Category

Top scores were given to Paul Rix for ‘Mungo Sunset’ and ‘Tyre Smoker’, Sam Savage for ‘Confined Flight’ and ‘Sunset Walk’ by Michael Selge.

Mungo Sunset - Paul Rix — Mungo Sunset – Paul Rix

The Judge said ‘Mungo Sunset’ was a particularly beautifuly photo. The clouds are in an ideal position and the colours are beautiful.

Tyre Smoker - Paul Rix — Tyre Smoker – Paul Rix

‘Tyre Smoker’ has a feeling of speed with a blurred background and tyre smoke.

Confined Flight - Samuel Savage — Confined Flight – Samuel Savage

This is an amazing shot, with the bird in flight. It is a lovely composition and is completely in focus.

Sunset Walk - Michael Selge — Sunset Walk – Michael Selge

‘Sunset Walk is a beautiful shot.

The following also scored highly in this section.

Galah Attitude - Michael Selge — Galah Attitude – Michael Selge

Suzanne loved the colours in this image and the expression of the Galah.

On the Move - Paul Hughes — On the Move – Paul Hughes

‘On the Move’ has a bland background which emphasises the colours of the lizard.

After the Fire - Angela Cogman — After the Fire – Angela Cogman

Angela Cogman’s ‘After the Fire’ has beautiful lighting, it brings out the textures and colours.

‘Parrot’ is beautifully in focus with lovely light on the wings.

Morning Flight - Samuel Savage — Morning Flight – Samuel Savage

‘Morning Flight’ is a lovely composition with good light on the bird.

Got Your Attention - Helen Whitford — Got Your Attention – Helen Whitford

The birds grab attention and are highlighted by the plain background.

Projected Monochrome – Open Category

What's In It For Me - Meredith Retallack — What’s In It For Me – Meredith Retallack

Meredith Retallack’s ‘What’s in in for Me’ has quite stark lighting on the side of the subject’s face, but on this type of portrait it helps to bring out the subject’s character.

Wind Directions - Kerry Malec — Wind Directions – Kerry Malec

Suzanne loved the simplicity and shapes of ‘Wind Directions’. The diagonal lines of weeds and the texture of the sand add interest.

Magpie Lark - Heather Connelly — Magpie Lark – Heather Connelly

The Magpie lark looks as though it has posed for the photographer with his puffed out chest. The light coming through the feathers is lovely.

Helmet - Michael Selge — Helmet – Michael Selge

Michael Selge’s ‘Helmet’ is a perfect shot and he has controlled the lighting well. The viewer can feel the musician’s beat.

Visiting Arles - Meredith Retallack — Visiting Arles – Meredith Retallack

‘Visiting Arles’ is a lovely shot of Arles. The wharf bending around towards the bridge and the dramatic clouds in the background are well composed.

Print Colour – Set Subject

Aurora Arc - Helen Whitford — Aurora Arc – Helen Whitford

‘Aurora Arc’ is a really good, clear, nicely coloured photo.

Just Across the Road - Paul Hughes — Just Across the Road – Paul Hughes

Suzanne loved the earthy tones of the Milky Way in ‘Just Across the Road’.

Print Colour – Open Category

Bouncing Pardalote - Paul Hughes — Bouncing Pardalote – Paul Hughes

A well taken photo of the Pardalote with a lot of clarity throughout the bird. The feathers are clear all the way through from front to back.

Please Love Me - Helen Whitford — Please Love Me – Helen Whitford

‘Please Love Me’ is very sharp in beak, eye and feathers.

Strumming - Michael Selge — Strumming – Michael Selge

‘Strummin’ is a lovely coloured photo with good light.

Print Mono – Open Category

Morning Darlin' - Paul Hughes — Morning Darlin’ – Paul Hughes

The close crop on ‘Morning Darlin’ ensures that the viewers eyes are on the tigers. It is a good, very clear composition.

Just Tex - Michael Selge — Just Tex – Michael Selge

Michael has done well to to avoid getting a lot of light in the glasses of ‘Just Tex’. The centering of the subject in this case is good and the plain background brings him out.

Posted by susanb1977 | 13/05/2026 | Categories: Blackwood Photography Club News | Tags: art, astrophotography, aurora, Competitions, nature, nothern lights, Photography, Photography Clubs | Comments Off on Astrophotography – Competition 7th May 2026

Birds and Animals – Competition 9th April 2026

Birds and animals will be the main feature for this competition. This subject is not reliant on the ‘Nature’ definition, so ‘the hand of man’ can be present.

The following are the comments from Judge Geraldine Hough.

In the Print Colour section Judy Sara’s ‘What did I Tell You?’ tells a lovely story, the left hand animal has his eyes closed and is not listening to the other. Geraldine said it is a beautiful image, well taken with good catchlights in the eyes.

Judy Sara - What Did I Tell You! — Judy Sara – What Did I Tell You!

In the Print Colour Open section, two images scored equally.

Michael Selge’s ‘Bruges” is a lovely photo showing very distinctive architect. Michael has captured beautiful reflections.

Michael Selge - Bruges — Michael Selge – Bruges

‘Wentworth Punt’ from Duart McLean has demonstrated a particular effect, almost like a water colour. It was well seen, with soft colours.

Duart McLean - Wentworth Punt — Duart McLean – Wentworth Punt

In the Print Monochrome Set category, ‘Just Fledged’ by Helen Whitford is a stunning image. The detail is in the mouth. The image is sharp from front to back, with beautifully clear wing feathers. The photo was taken from a great angle.

Helen Whitford - Just Fledged — Helen Whitford – Just Fledged

Also from Helen, ‘Where’s Mum’ is a lovely shot. It is clear that the bird is upset and is waiting for food. There is nice clear detail in both face and open mouth, you can even see inside his mouth. There is good detail in the eye with good catchlights.

Helen Whitford - Where's Mum — Helen Whitford – Where’s Mum

The next category, Print Monochrome Open, had one top scorer. Michael Selge submitted ‘Columns and Lights’. The Judge could not see anything that could improve this image.

Michael Selge - Columns and Lights — Michael Selge – Columns and Lights

There were five top scorers in the Projected Colour Set category.

‘Hands off my Dinner’ by Susan Bell is a beautifully taken photo, with a lovely head and eye detail. The inclusion of the fish is nice.

Susan Bell - Hands Off My Dinner — Susan Bell – Hands Off My Dinner

‘I Remember’ by Michael Selge has captured a lovely expression in the Orangutan’s eyes. The detail aroud all the edges of the fur is very clear in spite of the blurred background. The animal has a half smile. It is a really nice portrait shot.

Michael Selge - I Remember — Michael Selge – I Remember

Paul Rix captured ‘Four Tawnies’. It is a very nicely taken shot. The angles of all the heads is very good with the closest bird looking up and each bird then having a slightly different angled head and all the tails in a row adds great interest to the photo.

Paul Rix - Four Tawnies — Paul Rix – Four Tawnies

‘Searching’ captured by Michael Selge is a lovely minimalist photo. The detail under the bird is very clear as well as the eye. It is a difficult shot.

Michael Selge - Searching — Michael Selge – Searching

Kerry Malec has presented ‘Pied Butcherbird’ as a triptych. It has a nice aspect with the birds all looking different ways.

Kerry Malec - Pied Butcherbird — Kerry Malec – Pied Butcherbird

Moving on to Projected Colour Open section, ‘Remarkable Rocks’ by Susan Bell was the only top scorer. Geraldine said that the light did Susan a great favour, giving dramatic shadows. The sky is also pretty and adds to the photo.

Susan Bell - Remarkable Rocks — Susan Bell – Remarkable Rocks

‘Sylvaine’ and ‘Grace’ were both the top scorers in the Projected Monochrome Open section, both by Michael Selge. Of Sylvaine, Geraldine said it was a well taken concert shot. The light on the face is beautiful as well as the detail on the guitar area. The face and expression is lovely. The Mic is needed in the shot as it is part of the story.

Michael Selge - Sylvaine — Michael Selge – Sylvaine

Grace has a nice expression. The Great detail in the clothes is interesting. The eyes are soulful and the photo has more impact in monochrome than it would have had in colour.

Michael Selge - Grace — Michael Selge – Grace

The final category, Projected Monochrome Set Subject had two good scorers.

Judy Sara - Leopard — Judy Sara – Leopard

‘Leopard’ by Judy Sara is a lovely shot, and so lucky for Judy to see it in it’s own environment. The leopard has lovely eyes and detail on the body.

Kerry Malec - Tasmanian Devil — Kerry Malec – Tasmanian Devil

This is a nice little Devil. Tasmanian Devils don’t have a very interesting colour, so it works well in monochrome. Background is a bit bright, but as the Devil is black he still has good definition. The Devil has beautiful expression on it’s face and good catchlights in the eyes.

Posted by susanb1977 | 13/04/2026 | Categories: Blackwood Photography Club News | Tags: Competition comments, nature, Photography, Photography Clubs | Comments Off on Birds and Animals – Competition 9th April 2026

Fences, Gates and Walls – Competition 12th February 2026

Any form of fences and/or gates and walls needs to be the main point of interest.

The following are the images that achieved the highest scores in the competition along with the Judge’s comments.

In the Projected Set Colour category top scorers were Kerry Malec with ‘Shadows’ and Jenny Pedlar with ‘Cats on a Wall’.

Kerry Malec - Shadows — Kerry Malec – Shadows

A good composition with lovely lighting. An inventive photo showing the shadows on the wall very well.

Jenny Pedlar - Cats on Wall — Jenny Pedlar – Cats on Wall

Well seen by Jenny, Without the cats, it wouldn’t be such an interesting image. The cats give balance to the brickwork and the pipe provides a frame.

The following images were also high scorers in the Projected Colour Set subject.

Michael Selge - Always watching — Michael Selge – Always watching

This is a different point of view, an interesting wall with the the red coloured lines, and the camera. It is a creative shot.

Jenny Pedlar - Covid Wall London — Jenny Pedlar – Covid Wall London

A good photo journalist shot. Has great meaning and tells a story.

Kerry Malec - Sea Wall — Kerry Malec – Sea Wall

The spot of red from the bucket adds interest and it has been taken from an unusual angle. Good creativitiy.

Paul Hughes - Well Spotted — Paul Hughes – Well Spotted

An attractive picture, lots of detail in focus but nothing distracting.

Could have cropped the top so that it becomes almost an abstract. Lovely detail on the wall and in the shadow on the steps.

Michael Selge - The Wall — Michael Selge – The Wall

A good view of the Great Wall. Even though the lighting is poor it doesn’t detract from the photo. The leading line going down draws the eye and the vegetation is not a distraction from that. An increase in contrast and a slight darkening in the right top corner may have improved it even further.

In the Projected Colour Open section, the top scorers were Michael Selge with ‘Superman’ and Meredith Retallack with ‘Try Not to Drop This One’.

Michael Selge - Superman — Michael Selge – Superman

A beautifully captured shot. The lighting is good and even with the helmet you can still see the rider’s eyes. There is good detail in the bike and a fast shutter speed has obviously been used.

Meredith Retallack - Try Not To Drop This One — Meredith Retallack – Try Not To Drop This One

A classic pose for seagulls, nice composition and with no distractions.

The following images were other high scorers in this category.

Sheila Gatehouse - Alone at Blue Hour — Sheila Gatehouse – Alone at Blue Hour

A good image, its simplicity is its attraction. There is a lovely pastel shade in the background.

Meredith Retallack - Busselton — Meredith Retallack – Busselton

A slow shutter speed used to get the clouds blurry and flatten out the water. The way the sheds have been used on the left is nice, almost creating negative space. It gives a sense of a wide vista,

Sam Savage - Looking for Breakfast — Sam Savage – Looking for Breakfast

Nicely caught in flight, unfortunate that the light is coming from behind, but compositionally brilliant as there are no distractions.

Di Gage - Morning on Halong Bay — Di Gage – Morning on Halong Bay

A nice shot of the bay, the boat adds to the image, rather than being a distraction.

The top scorer in the Projected Mono Set subject was Kerry Malec with ‘ Luxury Villas’.

Kerry Malec - Luxury Villas — Kerry Malec – Luxury Villas

A nice use of the lighting, leading lines in the pathway and the villas. The sign does not distract and it sharp all the way through the image. The light has been used beautifully.

The other high scorer in this category was Meredith Retallack with ‘Do Not Enter’.

Meredith Retallack - Do Not Enter — Meredith Retallack – Do Not Enter

The opening to the doors is sharp and leads through to the background which is also sharp. Good idea and creativity.

In the Projected Mono Open category Michael Selge had two images that were top scorers ‘Lindeman’ and ‘Not Again’.

Michael Selge - Lindemann — Michael Selge – Lindemann

Well handled with good light on the performer’s face. The viewer is drawn to it.

Michael Selge - Not Again — Michael Selge – Not Again

An amusing image. You can put your own interpretation on this!

Other high scorers were Paul Rix with ‘Lake Panong’ and Meredith Retallack with ‘Cast Aways’.

Paul Rix - Lake Pangong — Paul Rix – Lake Pangong

A nice scene. The dark clouds don’t compete with the rest of the scene. A suggestion would be to try it without the bottom half of the lake so the viewer is drawn to the mountains instead, even though there is a lovely reflection on the lake.

Meredith Retallack - Cast Aways — Meredith Retallack – Cast Aways

Nice composition. It is almost minimalistic and fills the frame. The seeds could be a little whiter to match the main plant.

In the Coloured Prints Open category top scores were achieved by Michael Selge with ‘Angus’.

Michael Selge - Angas — Michael Selge – Angas

A well captured image. There is space for Angus to move into. The foreground is sharp and the background is slightly out of focus concentrating the viewer’s eye on the main subject.

A high scorer in this section was Susan Bell with ‘Rising Star’.

Sue Bell - Rising Star — Sue Bell – Rising Star

Hard to take photos in public venues. Handled pretty well with light coming down from upper left. There is catch light in the eye and a nice smiling face. Could tone down the skin tone in the lighter areas but the composition is good and the background is well darkened.

In the Mono Prints Open Category Top scores were achieved by Mark Pedlar with ‘ See N Ya’ and Michael Selge with ‘Suzi’.

Mark Pedlar - See-N-Ya — Mark Pedlar – See-N-Ya

The leading lines of the column and arches draw the eye to the figure disappearing into the distance. The railing could be removed as it could be a distraction. The image is sharp throughout.