Silhouette – Competition 9th October 2025
An image using backlighting to present the main subject as a black shape against a much brighter background.
The following are the images that achieved the highest scores in the competition and the Judge’s comments.
In the projected colour set subject the top images were from Kerry Malec and Judy Sara.
The Judge loved the simplicity of this image and pointed out that it was well composed technically, with the vertical item intersecting the foreground, the mid ground and the background, tieing the whole image together.
Judy Sara’s ‘Elephants on the Move’ is an example of a perfect silhouette with the elephant and calf in motion.
Also by Judy Sara, ‘Running Along the Beach’ has good composition with interest in the foreground, mid ground and sky.
Meredith Retallack’s ‘Sunset Dreaming’ is also a good demonstration of a silhouette of the main subject with a beautiful sky. The lighting in the foreground makes the subject pop.
‘Sunset Dreaming’ by Vicki Kramer has captured the clouds as part of the silhouette and they pop against the bright sky. Plus it is a nice beach scene.
In the Silhouette set subject mono section Meredith Retallack’s ‘Leaving the Mount on Foot’ scored well. The image is defined well, the viewer can see the sunlight shining through the tower. The image has a fantastic sky and foreground interest with the reflection on the water, sand corrugations and the person giving mid ground interest.
In the open colour section, the top scorer was Sarah Bailey with “A Stroll in the Garden’. Sarah’s image was creative, and the contrast between the colours is very good.
In the open mono section Michael Selge’s ‘Victory’ is a great concert shot, the singer has been captured in an interesting pose and the lighting has been photographed well.
In the colour prints set subject category, Duart McLean scored the highest mark with ‘Palm Morning. This is a beautiful scene, with soft colouring and good gradation in the sky.
In the mono prints set subject category the highest scorer was Judy Sara for ‘Elephant on the run’. The Judge found this to be a fantastic image, the rim lighting shows the texture on the trunk and in the corrogations. The image is dynamic with action and movement.
Following the set subject categories are the open categories. In the colour prints Duart McLean’s image impressed the judge the most with ‘River Reflections’. This is a beautiful image, the lighting shows it was taken at the right time of day, it shows the texture on the cliffs and has lovely contrasts. The lines lead the viewer into the background. The ripples add interest to the photo as does the sky.
Lastly in the mono open category Judy Sara’s ‘Trees in the Storm’ is a superb image, with an interesting foreground and wonderful trees. Nice lighting shows the curve of the branches. It has a lovely background with the diagonal lines contrasting with the vertical lines on the ground.
Bridges – Competition 8th May 2025
An image showing a structure built to span a physical obstacle such as a body of water, valley, road or railway without blocking the path underneath.
The judge for the Bridges competition was David Rowlands and the following are his comments.
The images that took out top honours in the colour print set subject were Gordon Lindqvist with ‘Pont d’Avignon’, Vicki Kramer with ‘Sydney Icon Peeking Through’ and Michael Selge ‘Over the Bridge’.
The Judge said that ‘Pont d’Avignon’ is a nice image with the bridge well positioned. The image has sharp detail and a good reflection.
Vicki Kramer’s ‘Sydney Icon Peeking Through’ showed a different view and angle of the bridge. The inclusion of the structure on the right was a nice touch and the image has good exposure and was technically well handled.
‘Over the Bridge’ by Michael Selge had good colour contrast, the people add interest and they give a feeling of movement.
In the monochrome prints section, three following three images by Mark Pedler were chosen.
‘D’Avignon’ is a lovely photo and it suits a monochrome image, it has good side lighting, showing detail in bricks and building.
‘Tooleybuc’ is framed well using the leaves. The bridge is well poistioned and has good contrast.
‘Under The’ is a lovely image, the bridge takes up the screen real estate well and is very sharp with fine detail.
In the monochrome prints open category, two images by Michael Selge took top honours.
‘Gabriela and Rodrigo’ is a well handled image in spite of the bright stage lights, the artist has good expression and it is well composed and sharp.
‘Perched’ is a well handled image, the animal has a good expression and there is enough room in the image for the animal to be looking into.
A number of images took high score in the digital colour set subject section.
‘Saltstraumen Bridge’ by Angela Cogman shows an interesting contrast in architectural styles and was shot at a good time of day.
‘The Safe Way Across’ by Meredith Retallack has a dramatic sky and has a fairy tale feel about it. It is a lovely bridge and is quite dramatic with the sky and the mountain in the background.
‘Moors Bridge’ by Di Gage has a lot to look at, you could make a book cover from it, the fence, the moss covered rocks and the dangling chain give a feeling of age to the image.
‘Under the Bridge’ by Judy Sara almost looks like an abstract image. The Judge particularly liked the reflections under the bridge and it has good zig zag patterns.
Again by Meredith Retallack, ‘Golden Glow Avignon’ is a super dramatic image, with a lovely red tinge in the sky and good exposure on the buildings.
‘Birkenhead Bridge’ by Sheila Gatehouse is a sharp image. The water is is like a mirror. The inclusion of the boat is a nice touch, the lights have been handled well.
Meredith Retallack’s ‘Sweeping Toward Mont Saint Michel’ doesn’t have any blown highlights, there are sweeping leading lines. There is nothing to distract the viewer and no cropping is needed. There is interest all the way through and it has a lovely sky.
In the projected mono set subject three images scored highly. ‘Arches, Toulouse’ by Meredith Retallack, has a grungy look on the underside of the bridge. It provides really nice framing of the second part of the bridge with the people. The entire composition and the exposure is done well and the detail is maintained throughout.
‘Anzac Bridge’ shows a nice cityscape. The exposure is perfect and it provides great framing and contrast of the darker bridge against the light cityscape.
Vicki Kramer’s ‘Anzac Bridge is a lovely shot. This image is a perfect candidate for a monochrome shot and it has fantastic tonal range.
In the projected colour open category ‘Yellowcard’ by Michael Selge has good timing. The artist in the background is fantastic and there is great expression on both their faces.
‘One Missed Out’ by Sam Savage was loved by the Judge. It is almost as if Sam had directed the birds. The photo was taken down low and at eye level with the birds. There is enough of the ocean to see it is a shore bird and there are no distractions in the sand. This image should be put in nature exhibitions.
‘Autumn Luminance’ by Sarah Bailey is a lovely shot taken from different angles and then stacked.
Lastly in the projected monochrom open category there was one high scorer. ‘Buildings’ by Judy Sara is a good architectural shot. The image presents a snippet of a larger building which makes something interesting to look at, with contrast of different directions and vertical and horizontal lines.
It’s Not What it Seems – Competition 27th March 2025
Abstract art usually refers to the creation of non-representational or non-objective artworks that focus on colours, shapes, lines and textures, rather than visible objects or scenes. Use filters, blends, warp, overlays or light to create images in Photoshop (or similar).
The Judge for this competition was Geoff Smith. Geoff started his photography journey as an apprentice photo technician for SA Government in the early 70s. He went on to become a Senior Photographer. He later became a professional portrait photographer.
Geoff made some suggestions that all photographers could take note of. Several of the images with dark backgrounds had a one pixel wide border that made the image stand out when projected onto a screen as it differentiated the image from the dark background on the screen.
Geoff also said that when presenting a monochrome image the main subjects should have good tonal separation so that they don’t blend together.
The following are the top images from the competition and a brief summary of the Judge’s comments.
Projected Colour Set Subject
Topping the charts was Vicki Kramer with ‘Nub’ and Gial Iskov with ‘Water Colour’
Of ‘Nub’ Geoff said it is a delightful change, the texture could be paint on the wall and it looks as though it has been printed on a lovely grade of art paper. Great subtlety of colour. A good use of the frame.
‘Water Colour’ is a very interesting study. The highlights were interesting, good forms and repetition of elements. It is fluid, the highlights are interesting. It has a very good structure and good design elements with the flow of the design going from bottom left to top right. Nicely composed.
Also scoring highly was Susan Bell with ‘Out of Place’. The image compositionally invites the viewer to explore the area that is not as busy, and leads the eye to left of centre. Good colour.
‘Amazing Technicolors’ by Kerry Malec has colours that jump out, compositionally it works beautifully. The attention is drawn down to the shape and the viewer is invited to explore up by the red colours and to see the blue line at the top.
Gail Iskov’s ‘Autumn Leaves’ shows definition, there is good light, tone and texture. Good use of frame and shape. There is a 3D aspect to the image. It works very nicely.
Projected Monochrome Set Subject
The top scorer in this section was Judy Sara with ‘Daisy Mandala’.
‘Mandala’ fits well within the square format. It is an interesting subject giving a suggestion of texture.
Projected Colour Open Category
‘Gastro Slug’ by Meredith Retallack is a very impactful shot. The image is very tasteful. The slug is a lovely contrast colour.,
Gordon Lindqvist’s ‘Gull in Flight’ is a lovely capture, there is nothing distracting in the background. It is all about the light contrast against the blue sky. The red around the eye and on the beak stand out. There is space in front of the bird for it to move into.
‘Knock Knock’ by Michael Selge is a delightful study with beautiful red doors and gargoyle knockers. It is a good use of frame.
Projected Monochrome Open Category
‘Adorned with Dew Drops’ by Meredith Retallack is a nice study with the backlight coming through on the dew drops and a diffused background. The lighting on the coils and springs works well and it has subdued colour and tones behind. The web is highlighted by the dew and it has strong contrast tonally.
Judy Sara’s ‘Sheep’ is interesting, even the sheep look interested. The image has good composition and it is good that the sheep are backlit. The separation of the individual animals is very good and the slow rise to the background frames the sheep well.
Colour Prints – Set Category
The square format of Judy Sara’s ‘Daisy Twirl’ frames the subject well. The strong colours stand out with the attractive brilliant red in the middle. It has nice symmetry.
Vicki Kramer’s ‘Abstract Glass’ is an interesting composition, with different moulded shapes and the relevant shadows. The image has movement and has a strong diagonal composition. It shows a good use of the portrait format.
Lovely forms in Vicki Kramer’s ‘Lake Tahoe Morphed’ and it fits the space well. It keeps you guessing what it is.
This is a high impact image by Vicki Kramer. ‘Which Way is Up’ fits into the square format well.
Colour Prints – Open Category
Judy Sara’s ‘Bee Eater Eating’ is a good use of the format, is has a horizontal element with the branch balanced by the line of the bird. Good detail on the bird and well executed and composed.
Again by Judy Sara, ‘Ostrich Family’ has warm tonings, the ostriches have good detail, good depth with the out of focus background. The three chicks tell a story. It is nicely composed with no distractions and enough space to give balance.
Michael Selge’s ‘Calistemon Snack’ shows the lovely colours of the bird and the flower. The background is controlled and out of the way. There are no distractions. The profile of the bird is good, rather than front on. It is looking at nebulous space.
Monochrome Prints – Open Category
Michael Selge’s ‘Horny’ is all about the silhouette and the stark lighting. The movement from the arms and bodies add interest as does the diffused lighting.
Also by Michael Selge, ‘Dune Rats’ is a delightful live concert image. The singer’s eyes really stand out. There is strong lighting behind him, making this a difficult capture. The strength of the image is in the singers’ expression. The image has good tone and good composition.
‘Baby Elephant Drinking’ by Judy Sara has good tonal separation. The little elephant shows good separation from the adult. The image has good texture. Even though we canno see the absolute scale of the larger beast, we can see the little one which gives the scale of the larger animal. There is enough detail on the highlights and it has a lovely tonal range and tells a story.
Water – Competition 13th February 2025
This competition requires the photographer to capture the way in which water moves and the way it interacts with light, in either a natural setting or a controlled environment.
The Judge for this competition was Peter Phillips. Peter is a member of the Edwardstown Photographic Club, and has been a judge for 20 years.
The following are the top images from the competition and the Judge’s comments.
Projected Colour Set Subject
Hazel Marshall’s image ‘Wave Meets Rocks’ used a fast shutter speed capturing the action of the wave.
‘Reflective Water’ by Michael Selge caught the sunrise. The seagull draws the viewer’s attention and the image has nice colours. Michael got low to capture this shot.
Sarah Bailey’s ‘Liquid Twilight’ was very nicely caught, with intentional camera movement giving a beautiful result.
‘Drip Drop’ also by Michael Selge was not an easy subject to capture, but was handled very well.
‘Old Port, Honfleur’ by Meredith Retallack has a nice reflection and good light, especially the light on the building. The colours pop.
‘Ripples’ was taken by Hazel Marshall. A simple composition that shows the ripples on the water well.
‘Wall of Water’ taken by Vicki Kramer has captured amazingly green water.
Sarah Bailey’s ‘Water’s Whispers’ has a beautiful soft look.
Projected Monochrome Set Subject
Judy Sara’s ‘Curves and Horizontals’ is well handled, the whites are not blown out and has good composition.
Meredith Retallack’s ‘Profusion of Pearls’ shows the light reflections very well with good composition.
The following two images were taken by Judy Sara. The first ‘Ripples in the Waves’ has nice composition. The ripples with the reflections and the pattern is what makes this photo.
The second, ‘Drinking’ shows an elephant from a different perspective.
Projected Colour Open Category
The Judge said ‘Love is in the Air’ by Sheila Gatehouse was well spotted, a quirky photo.
‘Clematis’ by Susan Bell has been nicely taken, with good depth of field, with a good out of focus background.
‘Illuminated Cactus’ by Gordon Lindquist is an interesting photo, creative and well thought through and taken.
‘Lumpy Bits’ is difficult to determine what the photo is of, but has an abstract feel, it keeps you guessing.
Projected Monochrome Open Category
‘Meredith Retallack’s ‘Arches, Toulouse’ has a good aspect to the arches with people walking through at exactly the right moment.
‘Heilung’ by Michael Selge has difficult lighting for photography, the man with his arm out and open mouth steals the show. It is a powerful shot.
Heather Connolly’s ‘Inneston Weeds’ is a very simple, with good composition and good detail. The plants stand out and are nicely isolated.
‘Hammerfall’ by Michael Selge is a good stage shot.
Rod Patterson’s ‘Mannum Falls’ is nicely exposed. Good black and white tones.
Michael Selge’s ‘Sphere’ shows a lovely piece of sculpture.
Prints Colour Set Category
‘Autumn Reflections’ by Judy Sara used gold and blue which are great complementary colours. The image has a wow factor with the reflections showing the subtle movement of water.
Also by Judy Sara ‘Bow Waves’ shows the light on the crest of the waves.
Mono Prints Set Category
‘Into the Deep’ by Vicki Kramer shows the movement of water, you can see the air bubbles. It is a creative shot.
Judy Sara’s ‘Waves and Reflections’ is a nice shot.
Colour Prints Open Category
Michael Selge’s ‘Calistemon Snack’ is beautifully sharp with great feather detail. The bottle brush is sharp and the photo is well composed.
Judy Sara’s ‘Lilac Breasted Roller with Lizard has been presented in a minimalistic manner.
Mono Prints Open Category
Judy Sara’s ‘Coming Down the Path’ is lovely and sharp, the dark background isolates the animal beautifully. Well presented.
‘Dune Rat’ by Michael Selge has been excellently handled, especially with the difficult lighting. Lovely light on the face, with his wide open eyes. The drums in the background don’t intrude.
Vicki Kramer’s Memorial Reflections’ creates impact where the photo is brightest, the ripple effect shows the reflection well.
Blackwood Photographic Club Annual Exhibition 2024
Our Annual Exhibition was held on Thursday November 21st with a good turn-out of members to celebrate our achievements for the year.
There were three specialist category awards:
The Best Nature Award was won by Sam Savage with Breakfast at Waitinga
The WEA Landscape Award was won by Helen Whitford with Aurora Reflection
The Best Long Exposure Award was won by Helen Whitford with Winter Solace
The awards were presented by Mark Pedlar, the club’s president.
The full list of awards was as follows:
Projected Digital Images – Colour Division
First – Hutt St Photos Award – Sam Savage – Breakfast at Waitpinga
2nd – Sam Savage – Fence Sitter
3rd – Phillip Williams – Water Lily
Merit – Heather Connolly – Great Egret
Merit – Helen Whitford – Winter Solace
Merit – Penny Williams – Dust Storm
Merit – Gordon Lindqvist – Preparing to Land
Merit – Phillip Williams – Tucker Time
Merit -Di Gage – Puffins of Lunga Island
Annual Aggregate – Projected Digital Images – Colour
First – Michael Selge
2nd – Kerry Malec
3rd – Heather Connolly
Projected Digital Images – Monochrome Division
1st (Arthur Farmer Award) – Phillip Williams – Touch Down
2nd – Sam Savage – Balanced
3rd – Gail Iskov – Coorong
Merit – Sue Bell – Coming Through
Merit – Heather Connolly – Not Today
Merit – Di Gage – Drying My Wings
Merit – Gail Iskov – Sunrise at Marla
Merit – Michael Selge – Attitude
Merit – Penny Williams – Concert Performer
Annual Aggregate – Projected Digital Images – Monochrome
First – Blackwood Times Award – Michael Selge
2nd – Kerry Malec
3rd – Judy Sara
| Click HERE to see a video presentation of all the projected digital image entries. |
Colour Print Division
First – Helen Whitford – Aurora Reflection
2nd – Kerry Malec – Pied Heron
3rd – Helen Whitford – The Golden Snitch
Merit – Heather Connolly – Greater Crested Egret
Merit – Michael Selge – Emerging Sunflower
Merit – Michael Selge – Octagon
Merit – Penny Williams – Halong Bay
Image not supplied
Annual Aggregate – Prints – Colour
First – Blackwood Photographic Award – Michael Selge
2nd – Judy Sara
3rd – Di Gage
Monochrome Print Division
First – Judy Sara – Hippopotamus
2nd – Kerry Malec – Comb-crested Jacana Hatchling
3rd – Mark Pedlar – Forest Dawn
Merit – Heather Connolly –Transformation
Merit – Mark Pedlar – Composite
Annual Aggregate – Prints – Monochrome
First – Michael Selge
2nd – Mark Pedlar
3rd – Judy Sara
All the Print Entries
Sam Savage was awarded the Bill Templer Service Award; nominated by members for a person who has given great service to the club in 2024.
Mainly Doors and Windows – Competition 29th August 2024
The feature of the image had to be doors and windows. Straightforward or imaginative creation of something out of the ordinary.
The Judge for this competition was Annette Hollitt. Annette is a member of Edwardstown Photographic Club and has been judging for over a year. She enjoys seeing other people’s photos when she is judging as it inspires her. Annette likes photographing landscapes, nature and macro photography.
In the projected colour set category the two images with the highest score was Di Gage’s “Windows within a window and Paul Hughes “Egyptian Village”.
Annette said while this image is a strong architectural photo, the windows are the more dominant feature, a well handled composition. She suggested it might work well in mono.
The Judge said Paul’s photo told a great story. The door is the dominant feature and it was nice to have the child there, in their own environment.
In the Mono Set Subject category Kerry Malec’s “Arched or Rectangled” scored highly. Annette liked the repetitive windows on each side with the door in the centre and the symmetry of the three windows on each side.
Helen Whitford’s “Panoramic Aurora” scored the highest in the Projected Colour Open Category.
The Judge said Helen had been clever with producing the panorama of the aurora. It suits the cloud formation and aurora shape well.
‘Tippety Tap’ by Michael Selge scored well in the Mono Open Category. Annette said it had a story telling and power characteristic due to the motion of the musician. It was nice that the drumsticks were in motion. The misty mood of the stage was fantastic.
In the Prints Set subject category, Judy Sara’s ‘Orange Shutters’ scored well. The Judge found it appealing and liked the presentation, the square format and the symmetrical structure.
Sheila Gatehouse’s ‘Curvy’ was a strong architectural photo but the windows were dominant and strong. The image was well captured with the long shadows giving a triangular shape with shading underneath looking like a wave. The detail is strong and with a good tonal range, important in a monochrome image.
In the Prints Open categories, Michael Selge’s Octagon scored highly.
Annette thought this image told a good story, the viewer gets the concept of size as the people give the size compared to the structure.
Helen Whitford’s ‘Aurora Reflection’ also scored highly.
The Judge said Helen had found a good position and location to photograph the aurora, may be she was standing in the water. Annette liked the effect with the stars in the sky and the coloured reflection of the aurora in the water.
‘Shredding’ by Michael Selge scored top marks in the monochrome section.
Annette loved this photo. She said the timing was perfect and the monochrome effect was well handled. The lighting was handled brilliantly and the timing caught the performer’s emotion.
Also by Michael, ‘Hanging Angel’ scored highly. It was well done, again capturing the motion of the performer with the black background and the person being mainly white made it stand out.
‘Fly with Prey’ by Judy Sara scored well. You can see strong hairs on the fly, it tells a good story. The positioning is good with good depth of field.
Guilty Secrets – Competition 1st August 2024
01 August COMPETITION: ‘Guilty Pleasures’
An image depicting pure indulgence.
The Judge for ‘Guilty Secrets competition was Chris Carter. Chris has been a photographer for over 3 decades and is a keen traveller and 4 wheel driver.
Overall Chris stressed that if there is a lot of white in the background or a completely white background, the photographer could consider darkening the corner slightly to concentrate the eye more on the subject.
In the Projected Colour Set subject the following images all scored the same points.
Hot Chocolate, Tart and Poetry’ was nicely set up
The Judge said ‘Rosey L’Orange’ was well taken.
‘Fireside Stout’ was a cosy image.
‘I’m having all of it’ was well captured with nice colour.
Of Jenny Pedlar’s ‘Incognito’ the Judge said he would have liked to see the child’s eyes but really liked the blue on her tongue.
In the Set Subject Mono category ‘Doing it Tough’ by David Hancock scored the highest mark. The Judge said it portrayed pure indulgence.
In the Projected Colour Open section of the competition Gail Iskov’s ‘Red Hill Hotel’ and Michael Selge’s ‘Foot Food’ both scored well.
Of ‘Red Hill Hotel’ Chris said it had nice lighting in the sky and he liked the horizon through the centre of the image, the red clay in the front and the subtle colours.
Of ‘Foot Food’ Chris said it was nicely cropped with beautiful colours and it is good that the bird is engaged in an activity.
Closely following the above two images were Gordon Lindqvist’s ‘Do you like my teeth? and his ‘Cobbald Gorge’ and Meredith Retallack’s ‘Penneshaw Vista’.
Chris said Gordon’s ”Do you Like my Teeth?’ was well posed and nice and sharp and Meredith’s had good lighting with nice shades of green and brown and the sky has been cropped down well. Gordon’s Cobbald Gorge shows a beautiful area, with lovely reflected light on the cliff.
The next category shown was the Projected Mono Open Category. Three images scored well in this category. First was Michael Selge’s ‘In the Light’. The Judge liked the viewpoint and the lights at the back with the musician showing on the left and the microphone coming in from the right balancing the image well.
Second was Judy Sara’s ‘Brown Falcon’, of which Judge Chris said the bird was nicely lit and stands out well from the background.
Third ‘Stink Bug’ by Judy Sara was a sharp image.
There were three images with high scores in the Colour Prints Open category.
One was Michael Selge’s ‘Emerging Sunflower’. Chris said it worked well with the third flower helping the composition. He also said it was well lit.
Judy Sara’s ‘Dusky Robin Eating’ scored highly. The Judge said the image was nicely caught with a beautiful background. He said the mossy pole suits the image and it is nicely composed.
Also by Judy Sara, ‘Bush Turkey’ was well lit, the rim light highlighting the fine feathers in the neck and head and the image had good colour.
Four images scored well in the Mono Prints Open category. Judy Sara scored the highest marks in this category. Her ‘Cloaca Machine’ worked very well, the scientist is well lit and with good composition. It works well with the black background as it makes the scientist jump out and the equipment is also well lit.
‘Tex’ by Michael Selge scored well in this category. The Judge said it was well caught, full of energy and concentration. The lighting which was difficult, was well done.
Judge Chris said Paul Hughes ‘Closed’ worked well with plenty of detail. He said the lit wire stretching to the house really helps the composition.
Judy Sara’s ‘White Morph’ has a nice setting and is nicely lit.
Fill the Frame – Competition 20th June 2024
The Judge of the “Fill the Frame” competition was Keith Seidel. Keith has been a photographer for more than 50 years. He began shooting on his 13th birthday when he was given a Pentax Spotmatic camera. He is a Judging Coordinator with South Australian Photographic Federation and conducts Light on the Light workshops. He likes to spend time in the Flinders and is increasingly interested in aerial photography in “doors off” situations in helicopters and planes.
The aim of the competition was for images to fill the frame with no negative space or background.
In the colour print section of the competition top honours were taken out by ‘Daisy’ by Judy Sara which the judge said was well captured.
Of ‘Vervet Monkey’, also by Judy Sara the judge said it was all about the eyes. He suggested that with the chin dropping into shadow, cropping to mainly show the nose and eyes would really grab attention.
Continuing with the print section, for mono prints in the set subject, ‘Gorilla’, again by Judy Sara scored highly.
Moving to digital images for the Fill the Frame subject, ‘Garlic’ by Heather Connolly, scored well with the judge saying he liked it very much. He said the exposure and colour was captured beautifully across the photo with the one bulb with yellow tones providing a contrasting colour. The mix of purple and white stripes with the bulbs pointing in different directions made an interesting photo.
In ‘Scales’ by Kerry Malec the judge liked the effect, hesaid it was an ‘in your face’ composition, yellow at the bottom, but not super saturated, the viewer is drawn to the eye
Also concentrating on the eye is ‘Googly Eyes’ by Angela Cogman. Keith, the judge, said it was a fantastic underwater photo. He loved the sheer dynamism of the twist and curves, lines and textures around the eyes.
In the mono section of Fill the Frame, ‘Timing Case’ by Ray Goulter received a high score. Keith said it has beautiful black and white tones, good blacks and sheens heading towards white. There is a lovely diversity of mid tones. Compositionally there will be messy bits, but the strength of those four circular gears holds it together nicely.
In the colour print open section of the competition, ‘Contemplating the Waves’ by Duart McLean and ‘Pretty Boy’ by Di Gage both scored well.
Of Duart’s image the judge said there was a lot to like. He said it was really good story telling, well shot against the light with rows of wave action, and the photo had a sense of depth.
The judge said Di’s ‘Pretty Boy’ was a beautiful photo, a lovely portrait and beautifully exposed.
‘Having a Shower’ also by Di Gage also scored highly (digital image not supplied).
In the mono prints open section both ‘Tex’ and ‘Superjesus’ by Michael Selge scored highly.
Of ‘Tex’ Keith described it as a ‘Cracker’. A full on photo with no distractions.
The judge acknowledged it is hard to get close to performers, and difficult to catch their ever-changing expressions. with ‘Superjesus’ He liked the catching of the smoke on stage and thought this image would work well in a rock magazine.
In the digital colour open section there were four high scorers. Leading the charge was Michael Selge’s ‘Komodo’ of which the judge said it had a good depth of field, the whole head being sharp and dropping off towards the back. The background was not distracting and the viewer’s eye is drawn to the head. He suggested the lighter spots could be toned down slightly in the background.
‘Daily Pitstop’ by Meredith Retallack had no distractions. The judge said it was well seen and captured with beautiful detail. He suggested the lightish patch on right hand edge of frame could be toned down and perhaps a couple of the plant tips could be removed in the bottom left hand corner to concentrate more on the bird.
‘Winter Solace’ by Helen Whitford scored well, with the judge saying the image was well exposed and he liked the backlight on the wine. He suggested a wedge taken from the cheese would make it look more real.
‘Ruddy Darter’ from Judy Sara was appreciated by the judge, saying it was a nice capture and really interesting detail. The brilliant red and black would stand out more if the lilac colour behind was taken to a more green tone so it wouldn’t be a distraction
In the digital mono open set Heather Connelly’s ‘Workshop’ scored well. The judge liked the patterns formed by the windows which melded with those from the roofline. The image inside the window gave the viewer a 3rd image to look at. He said it was a clever image which showed vision on the part of the photographer and it had lovely tones. He said it was well captured.
Scoring top marks with ‘Classics’ was Michael Selge. Keith said it was beautifully composed with great tones. The number 34 was still identifiable even though the car is out of focus and even with the different motions the shot was still sharp. He said it was a really well balanced motor sport shot
‘Trying to Sleep’ by Meredith Retallack scored well in this section as well. The judge said it had good exposure and it would be a difficult bird to capture as it has white feathers. He said the strength of the photo was in the stick with the broken bit at the end. He said it adds a dynamic element, counterbalancing the feathers of the head. He declared it was a good composition.
Judy Sara’s ‘Angles and Reflections’ scored highly. Keith said there were strong graphics in the angles and reflections, and the three way effect is interesting, forcing the humans to be almost silhouetted. He said it was a dynamic photo.
Food – Competition 23rd May 2024
The Judge for this competition was Peter Phillips. The aim of this competition was for the photographer to capture the subject in an appetising way.
Taking top marks in the Mono Print Food category was Mark Pedlar with ‘Smoko’. The Judge praised the photo and made the suggestion that a crop to highlight the coffee would give the photo more impact.
In the Projected Colour Food Category two images scored top marks, ‘Colourful Tomatoes’ by Kerry Malec and ‘Tasty Platter’ from Gordon Lindqvist. Peter said of Kerry’s image that it looked very appetising with good gloss on the fruit and he said the Tasty Platter was nicely done, with a lovely old wooden bench which was a good base and a lovely selection of food.
‘Help yourself to a slice’ by Meredith Retallack scored top marks in the Projected Mono Food Category. The judge said it was very nicely done.
In the Open Category the highest scorer in the Mono Print Open category was Judy Sara with ‘Brothers’. The Judge said it was a good shot and the background tells the viewer about the environment so should not be cropped. It is nicely composed with the two lions being in step and has good lighting.
Also by Judy Sara, ‘Ostrich in the Morning Light’ took top honours in the Colour Prints Open Category. The background tells us about the environment once again, it doesn’t detract from but rather enhances the image.
Top marks in the Projected Mono Open Category was taken by both Amanda Goulter and Michael Selge. Amanda’s ‘My Little Companion’ has a creative feel to it said the Judge. The modern shoes don’t distract and there is a lovely catchlight in the dog’s eye. It has a good split background.
Two of Michael Selge’s images were liked by the Judge. His ‘Glide’ had good focus and was overall a good shot.
As well, Michael’s ‘JP Shillo’ had good lighting. The Judge stressed how difficult the lighting can be in these situations. The light gave backlight to the hair and the subject has really strong features. The musician in the background did not distract the viewer as he is intent on his music.
‘African Jacama’ took top marks for Judy Sara in the Projected Open Colour Category. The Judge said it was a nice picture with the bird standing on a leaf going in to grab something in its beak, so the bird is doing something. The photo has lovely colour. The only suggestion the Judge offered was to crop the top a little.
‘Dust Storm’ by Penny Williams scored top marks as well. The Judge said it was all about the light, the good light on the tree and stubble with an interesting sky behind it.
Live Performance – Competition April 11th 2024
The judge for this month’s competition was Paul Pegler, an experienced photographer with decades of experience. Paul made a number of useful general comments that all photographers could put into practise to improve their photography. Paul suggested photographers use a tripod and practise to get the sharpest photo they can and then they will know the standard to which they should aspire for all photographs. Another tip is to learn to look through the image you are taking to the background so you can see if there will be any distractions behind the subject(s) that will draw the viewer’s attention away, if so, consider moving to a different position. Where there are a number of potential stories in a composition consider selecting one story to tell if the image will be too busy. When composing a photo concentrate on where your eyes go as that will be where the viewer’s eyes will go too. Paul also advised when submitting a photo in digital format consider the border, if the background is dark a thin light border will help identify the edges of the image, but a thicker border tends to shut out the viewer.
In the projected images – colour set subject , scoring top points was Michael Selge’s “Amy”. The Judge said it told a good story, with good separation from the background. The viewer can see the type of music the singer performs.
Gordon Lindqvist’s “James” also scored very well. We get the story of James and his trumpet and his understanding of music. The viewer can almost hear him.
Of “Down the Lens” by Michael Selge the Judge said that the subject is looking straight at us, giving a strong and personal story. You felt the subject could see us.
In the projected monochrome set subject Michael Selge also scored well with “Attitude”. The subject definitely has attitude as the name suggests. With the smoke machine we get story and detail, we want to know more about him.
“Concert Performer” shot by Penny Williams told the story. Even though we can’t see the fingers of the flautist, her face shows us the story.
Michael Selge’s “Kimbra” projects to us, the detail is in the face.
In the open category for colour projected images, Judy Sara’s “Tossing the Bud” caught the moment well, with nice detail in the surroundings, there is nothing in the water that drags our eye away, The image gives us the time and place.
Amanda Goulter’s “Marsupial Mice” has nice detail said the Judge. The viewer can see the the detail from the eyes, the fur and to the whiskers. The story is of the mice, going back and looking for more food, they are on the road.
“The Pinnacles” by Steve Wallace has a strong background, it shows dark clouds with a possibly recent storm but with the sun shining straight on the pinnacles telling a clear story.
The top scorer in the projected digital images monochrome in the open section was Gail Iskov with “Coorong”. Paul said the image takes a good lead from the first pole right through to the horizon. He said the image hasn’t lost detail in the foreground or the background and keeps the viewers attention on the detail.
Also scoring well was Judy Sara’s “Trunk Splash” with the judge noting that the photographer had chosen to just include the trunk and legs and picked a special moment in time. The image has detail throughout and the background does not drag our attention away from the subject.
Moving to the Print section, in the colour set subject categotry, “Noiseworks” by Michael Selge scored top marks. The judge said that everything is beautifully sharp. The view can imagine they are hearing the song. There is good detail throughout and there is good separation of the background.
Also by Michael Selge, “Dubstep NZ” gained top marks. The judge said the subject was sharp and you could see the tattoos. The background’s nicely out of focus and the viewer gets the place and the story which is nicely told.
Mark Pedlar’s “Byron Bay Blues” told a good story, it has good background which contributes to the story giving us time and place, the performer is playing his guitar, he is laid back and casual.
“Courtney in the Moment” by Sheila Gatehouse had a very sharp image, we can see the drummer and the guitarist, we get place and good detail.
Also by Sheila Gatehouse, “Are you in my Tribe” scored well. Paul said you could see the personality of the performer.
Following the colour prints the monochrome prints were judged. Michael Selge’s “Chester” impressed the judge who said you got a sense of a raspy voice. The singer is certainly yelling into the microphone. A little detail may have been lost the overall moment was well captured.
“Concentration” by Paul Hughes told a good story. Between looking down, using a pick the musician is working hard to get the music across. Good storyline with reasonable detail throughout.
In the open category, monochrome prints, Judy Sara’s “Dust Bath” scored well. The image gave us the captured moment. He said Judy did exceptionally well to capture the moment and there was no lost detail.
The judge also liked Judy’s “Buffalo and Egret”. He said the interesting part of the photo was the fly buzzing around the head of the buffalo and the egret picking at bugs.
In the print open monochrome section there were a number of high scoring photos. Mark Pedlar’s “Dunedin Station scored well. (Image not supplied)
The “Cazneaux Tree” by Heather Connelly got top marks. The judge said it had wonderful detail on the tree, with good separation from the background.
The judge liked Judy Sara’s “Darter on Stump” . He said with the glaringly white background the attention is kept on the bird, it is almost high key and the contrast is done well.
Also by Judy Sara, “Watch Out” had great detail throughout and is lovely and sharp.
An Unusual Experience – Competition February 29th 2024
This month’s Judge was photographer Alan Bevan. Alan is also President of his local photography club. Alan gave good advice on both the open and set subjects. When judging a photo Alan looks for impact, composition, quality and narrative. Alan particularly noted the placement of elements within the images, looking for good borders and ensuring room was left around the image elements to allow them to stand out and for the viewer to be able to sense where the movement takes place and where the subject will move to next. When judging bird photos, Alan looks for the impact and narrative of bird behaviour rather than a static bird.
The image “Today’s Weather” by David Hancock was awarded high marks by the Judge in the Colour Set Subject as he said it was well composed with nice separation between the clouds and the border, has good colours and was shot at a good time of day, giving the image impact.
In the Mono Set Subject “Leap Year” by Kerry Malec was technically well done and showed creativity.
Taking out top honours in the Colour Open section Sam Savage’s image “Breakfast at Waitpinga” has strong impact. The Judge said it was was a great capture and had excellent timing. The image is almost humorous as the young bird is leaning so far back. As the viewer, you can almost hear the noise. The background is nicely out of focus and the image has good tonal range.
The image “Success” by Heather Connelly was also deemed a very good image by the Judge, there is nice separation between the main bird subject and the birds below. Alan said it was a well composed and captured image with the other birds being slightly out of focus.
Also achieving a high score in this section was “Lotus Beauty” by Di Gage. The Judge said there was sharpness across the image with good framing and beautiful detail in the middle and the viewer could see enough of the bee. The highlights were handled well with attractive soft lighting.
“Attitude” by Michael Selge in the Mono Open Section had a strong subject, the singer’s stance was dramatic and had high impact. The explosion of light in the smoke created drama with great framing of the subject.
Taking top honours in the Mono section was “Sharing” from Sam Savage. The Judge described it as a fabulous shot, beautifully composed with high impact.
In the Print Open Colour Section Di Gage’s “A Look Inside” (Image not supplied), was captured in a pleasing way, a flower being shot from above. In the Mono Prints Open Section Michael Selge’s “Chester” was a strong image with impact, a huge amount of energy and good tonal range.
And Michael’s “Dance” also had impact on the viewer, with beautiful light and a sharp image.
Finally in the Set Subject Colour Print section Michael’s “Boom” was an interesting capture, a great image, the explosion has impact and it is an extraordinarily unusual image of the woman.
Mark Pedlar’s “Fixing Christchurch” had a lot to like, an image of a mural with a face looking alarmed appropriate for a building being demolished nearby.
Blackwood Photographic Club Annual Exhibition 2023
Our Annual Exhibition was held on Thursday November 23rd with a good turn-out of members to celebrate our achievements for the year.
The Patterns and Textures Award was won by Di Gage with Ceiling Patterns. The WEA Landscape Award was won by Michael Selge with Sand Ripples and the Social Documentary Award was won by Di Gage with Feed the Birds.
The awards were presented by Mark Pedlar, the club’s president.
The full list of awards was as follows:
Projected Digital Images – Colour Division
First – Hutt St Photos Award – Di Gage – Ceiling Patterns
2nd – Meredith Retallack –Spring Fling
3rd – Sheila Gatehouse – Paddle Boats in the Mist
Merit – Di Gage – Collecting the Nectar
Merit – Gordon Lindqvist – Ready to Board
Merit – Sam Savage – Firetail Wading & Western Whistler Washing
Merit – Michael Selge – Sand Ripples
Annual Aggregate – Projected Digital Images – Colour
First – Michael Selge
2nd – Sam Savage
3rd – Meredith Retallack
Projected Digital Images – Monochrome Division
First – Di Gage – Black and White Bee
2nd – Judy Sara – Baby Toque Macaque
3rd – Heather Connolly – Rose
Merit – Sheila Gatehouse – Early Morning City Fog
Merit – Meredith Retallack – Fibonacci at Work
Annual Aggregate – Projected Digital Images – Monochrome
First – Blackwood Times Award – Michael Selge
2nd – Judy Sara
3rd – Meredith Retallack
| Click HERE to see a video presentation of all the projected digital image entries. |
Colour Print Division
First – Judy Sara – Polar Reflection
2nd – Sam Savage – Striped Honeyeater Waiting
3rd – Sam Savage – Tawney-crowned Honeyeater Wary
Merit -Judy Sara – Big Splash and Hornbill Courtship
Annual Aggregate – Prints – Colour
First – Blackwood Photographic Award – Michael Selge
2nd – Judy Sara
3rd – Paul Hughes
Monochrome Print Division
First – Judy Sara – Sparrowhawk
2nd – Judy Sara – Peeking
3rd – Judy Sara – Arctic Hut
Merit – Sheila Gatehouse – Despondent
Merit – Mark Pedlar
Swan Along
Annual Aggregate – Prints – Monochrome
First – Mark Pedlar
2nd – Michael Selge
3rd – Judy Sara
Bill Templer Service Award
Judy Sara was awarded the Bill Templer Service Award; nominated by members for a person who has given great service to the club in 2023.
‘Scapes – Competition October 26th 2023
Geoff Smith judged the October ‘Scapes competition. Geoff is a former SA Government official photographer and professional wedding and portrait photographer.
Geoff commended the range of seascapes, landscapes and urban scapes that were presented in this month’s competition.
In the digital images section Judy Sara scored well with ‘Grotfjord’ which invites the viewer to explore the middle point with attractive red roofs on the houses. The composition of the photo leads the eye to explore the distant peaks. With the same marks, Michael Selge’s image of ‘NZ Peaks’ shone with beautiful light, each ridge excellently lit, nice lens flare and a feeling of vista, shape, texture and distance.
Another image from Judy Sara; ‘Momocobreen’ explores land and sea, also with a lovely vista, and scale.
Moving through the judging, Judy Sara’s Pildappa Rock made good use of the panorama format, with good definition and foliage detail. While Meredith Retallack’s ‘Dawn at Arkaba Woolshed’ had a foreground leading into the building and her ‘Pelican Lagoon’ made good use of the portrait format, with the central tree being a bright area getting most of the sunlight and with good cloud detail.
In the Mono category the Judge looked for good tonal range, texture and contrast.
In this category Steve Wallace’s ‘Dunlop Woolshed’ scored highly with the Judge saying the leading lines from bottom left to the middle led the viewer into the image, the gate highlights and the definition in each of the corrals showed up well. The use of light, shape and texture added to the image to give a clear story.
Michael Selge submitted ‘Spotting’ which made good use of the frame, the diagonal positioning of the subject, and the positioning of the head back from the centre gave the bird space to move into.
Gordon Lindqvist in the Open colour category scored well with ‘About to Board’. A lively shot of a pilot boat powering through the waves. A dynamic shot, with the subject centrally located, the viewer can see where the boat comes from and where it is going, drawing them into the story.
Steve Wallace’s ‘Window on Sky City’ was all about the colour in the amber windows, a nicely constructed shot.
In the print open colour category Kerry Malec took out the top mark for her photo ‘Katherine Gorge’. The Judge liked the unusual and interesting deep rich blue of the water which gave a 50/50 split to the photo. The unblemished deep blue contrasted with and provided an excellent backdrop to the earthy colours of the land.
Michael Selge followed Kerry with ‘Dawn Jetties’. The still water and good use of time of day gave a lovely change of lighting while providing enough detail on the jetty, not just providing a silhouette, but preserving the shape and texture of the jetty.
Also by Michael, ‘Tassie Falls’ was applauded by the Judge because it had good detail in the foreground, and the photo led the eye in from the bottom right hand side and was a very restful scene.
Mark Pedlar with ‘Honkers’ showed an amazing skyline and lots of harbour and waterway activity. This print subject had variations in textures and heights, with a good range of tones giving atmosphere and mood and telling a story.
Sheila Gatehouse’s ‘Early Morning Hindley Street’ was commended by the Judge. The vehicles and buildings had good light on them, tonally well done, and also optically with a good lower horizon, drawing the eye down the road.
‘Waterfall’ by Di Gage used a long exposure technique to smooth the water while maintaining the fine detail in the rocks. Judy Sara scored top marks with ‘Working Together’ which told a story, showing the engagement of the individuals in the image. The structure and lighting were well caught. (image not shown).
The Judge said of Judy Sara’s image of “Working Together” that it was an example of beautiful modelling for an image with good depth and definition. The subjects aren’t posing for the picture but are concentrating on their work looking neither happy or sad. The subjects were a good photographic study.
The general theme of the Judge’s comments was about creating a story, having something to show scale where it wasn’t clear in the image and looking for different angles and ways of looking at subjects to tell different stories.
Birds of a Feather – Competition September 28th 2023
The ‘Birds of a Feather’ competition brought in a number of excellent entries. Birds could be wild, garden or pet birds.
Judge David Rowlands commended the images submitted, stating they were of a high quality.
He particularly appreciated the images that showed action or the behaviour of birds as shown in Meredith Retallack’s image “Spring Fling”, “Large Billed Tern” shot by Judy Sara and “War Wounds” by Michael Selge.
The quirky and cute birds shown in the images by Paul Hughes “Am I Ready” and “Bathtime” were also appreciated by the Judge.
The good use of backgrounds without distractions employed by Judy Sara in “Hornbill Courtship” and the good use of post processing in “Sparrow Hawk” by Judy Sara were attributes praised by the Judge.
David particularly commented on the advantages of being at eye level with the bird to capture the light and reflections in the eye and commended many images for achieving this, among them “Pelican Sleep Time” by Sue Bell.
Showing good dynamic detail “Plonk” by Michael Selge showed the landing speed leaving behind clear water droplets and water movement.
In the Open Category, Michael Selge scored top marks for 3 images, “The End”, which the Judge said was well executed, even though not a pleasant subject, the good use of leading lines led the viewer into the image. “Storm Summoner” with a good interpretation of the art work and “Darwin Sunset” which scored top marks.
Meredith Retallack and Steve Wallace elected to enter very different street scenes, both of which told a story. Mary’s “Playing into his Hand” is a contemporary street scene with the people in the street being happy, active and animated, while Steve’s “The Store, Dunlop Station” is a step back in time showing an historical building with an interesting old bike in front of it.
“Dawn on the Bank” by Mark Pedler and “F18 Shooting Flares” taken by Sue Bell were also commended by the Judge.
Of the critiques the Judge gave, he suggested removing distractions where possible including any smudges, dust spots and distracting light spots in backgrounds. He also suggested darkening or lightening backgrounds to better contrast with the image subject and cropping photos to make the subject the most prominent object in the image.
Susan Bell
Patterns and Texture – Competition March 30th 2023
SAPF Judge Annette Hollitt judged our Competition ‘Patterns and Texture’ on Thursday 30th March 2023, with a total of 88 images to view.
There were 14 Monochrome Prints, 8 in Set Subject and 7 in Open. Mark Pedlar scored a 10 in Set Subject for ‘Circles of my Mind’ and a 9 in Open for ‘Bottom of the World’
There were 14 Colour Prints, 8 in Set Subject and 6 in Open.
Michael Selge received a 9 for ‘Wet Bark’ and Sheila Gatehouse a 9 for ‘Weathered by Sea and Time’, in Set Subject.
Michael Selge also received a 9 for ‘Aurora’ and James Allan a 9 for ‘Backlit Brass’ in Open.
There were 44 Colour Projected Images: 36 in Set Subject and 6 in Open.
Members who scored 9s in Set Subject were Kerry Malec with ‘Fern Frond’, Sheila Gatehouse with ‘Ducati Yellow, Michael Selge with ‘Sunflower’ and David Hancock with ‘Old Man Gum Tree’. Michael Selge also received a 9 in Open for ‘Flyover’.
There were 17 Monochrome Projected Images: 16 in Set Subject and 1 in Open. 9s were awarded to Meredith Retallack’s ‘An Impression’ and Michael Selge’s ‘Melbourne Library’, both in Set Subject
The average score for the evening was 7.57
Report by Ray & Julie Goulter
Blackwood Photographic Club Annual Exhibition 2022
Our Annual Exhibition was held on Thursday November 17th with a good turn-out of members to celebrate our achievements for the year.
The Best Architecture Award was won by Di Gage with Underneath the Arches. The WEA Landscape Award went to Dappled Light in Black Gap by Meredith Retallack and Frances Allan won the Best Creative Award with The Splash.
The awards were presented by Julie Goulter, the club’s president.
The full list of awards was as follows:
Projected Digital Images – Colour Division
1st Hutt St Photos Award – Michael Holmes – Portrait of Daisy
2nd – Kerry Malec – Horses Crossing Flooded River
3rd – Sam Savage – Squabbling Neighbours
Merit – Di Gage – Nest Building
Merit – Sheila Gatehouse – We’ll Park Where We Want To
Merit – Paul Hughes – Derby Jetty
Merit – Judy Sara – Fungi Garden
Annual Aggregate – Projected Digital Images – Colour
1st Photographic Wholesalers Award – Judy Sara
2nd Heather Connolly
3rd Sheila Gatehouse
Projected Digital Images – Monochrome Division
Top Monochrome Print Trophy – Michael Seige – The Skater
2nd – Kerry Malec – River Crossing at Dusk
3rd – Heather Connolly – Geometric
Merit – Di Gage – Remarkable Rocks
Merit – Sheila Gatehouse – Cathedral of Lights
Merit – Kerry Malec – Natures Artwork
‘Merit – Meredith Retallack – Caught in the Act
Annual Aggregate – Projected Digital Images – Monochrome
1st Blackwood Times Award – Judy Sara
2nd – Sheila Gatehouse
3rd – Ray Goulter
| Click HERE to see a video presentation of all the projected digital image entries. |
Colour Print Division
1st – Meredith Retallack – Dappled Light in Black Gap
2nd – Di Gage – Busy Bee
3rd – Judy Sara – Brown Bear
Merit – Di Gage – Underneath the Arches
Merit – Steve Wallace – Lesser Crested Tern
Annual Aggregate – Prints – Colour
Blackwood Photographic Award – Judy Sara & Helen Whitford
3rd – Sheila Gatehouse
Monochrome Print Division
First – Judy Sara – Splash
2nd – Sheila Gatehouse – Hart’s Mill
3rd – Di Gage – Mortlock Library
Merit – Mark Pedlar – Pickin’ Em Up
Annual Aggregate – Prints – Monochrome
First – Judy Sara
2nd – Helen Whitford
3rd – Sheila Gatehouse
High Key Portrait – Competition October 6th 2022
Despite having held our workshop on High Key Portraiture, this was our least favourite subject for the year, with only eight out of fifty-seven entries placed in the Set Subject.
In Prints we had Judy Sara’s Masquerade Elle, Helen Whitford’s Loving Couple, James Allan’s Mark and Sheila Gatehouse’s It’s all about Fashion and Strike a Pose.
In Digital Images we had just Sheila Gatehouse’s 61 Years of Love, Helen Whitford’s self portrait, Helen and Di Gage’s Mr P.
Judge, Roger Harrington, made constructive comments and suggestions but used a limited range of scores.
In Open Subject he was impressed by Judy Sara’s Yellow Fungi Garden, Inside the Old Boathouse, Jay Take Off and Yellow Gills, Di Gage’s Busy Bee and Mortlock Library 2, Stuart Mcleod’s Emu 16, Frances Allan’s Open Book, Sam Savage’s Elegant Bathers and Steve Wallace’s Brown Tree Creeper.
Click the links for all of the Top Digital Images and Top Prints for 2022.
This was our last regular competition for the year, with only the Annual Exhibition left to go!
It would be great to receive entries from everybody!
Light – Competition August 25th 2022
With a theme as broad as Light there was a wide range of subject matter within the set subject this month.
A few photos emerged from the Illuminate Festival which was the basis of our outing in July.
Judy Sara again did well with Lights on the Roof #1, Illuminate Burst, Festival Centre and The Washing, all taken at Illuminate.
Helen Whitford’s Beam me Up, Scotty, Sheila Gatehouse’s Lighting the Way and Steve Wallace’s Radiating Out were also taken at the event.
Beautiful sunlight peaking through clouds or backlighting the subject featured in Michael Selge’s Lit Clouds and Fading Light, Judy Sara’s Golden Light and Sunrise on the Windfarm, Ray Goulter’s Dawn – Elliston and Gordon Lindqvist’s Shearing Shed at Dawn.
The remaining top photos in the Set Subject were an eclectic mix – Ray Goulter’s Eggs, Sheila Gatehouse’s Swimming in a Sea of Blue Light and The Old Fluoro and Helen Whitford’s Across the Torrens, Mythical Moose and Northern Lights Mystique.
In Open, Jenny Pedlar’s Sundew and Fly Agaric impressed judge, Fred Bray, along with Heather Connolly’s Australia’s Favourite Tree, Gordon Lindqvist’s Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, Judy Sara’s Galahs Landing, Black Winged Stilt and Dawson Pub and Helen Whitford’s Cockling on Goolwa Beach.
Click the links for all of the Top Prints and Top Digital Images for this and previous competitions.
Curves and Angles – Competition July 14th 2022
With over 100 entries this was by far our biggest competition so far this year, with Curves and Angles proving to be a popular Set Subject.
Judge, Robert Dettman, was impressed with James Allan’s style, with many of the top scores going his way including for Canoe Sculpture, The Savage House, Remember Dr Duncan and Curves and Lines in the Set Subject.
With many places where curves and angles can be found there were a good variety of subjects, though architecture dominated.
Judy Sara’s Unfurling showed the simplicity and beauty of a new fern frond and Different Structures showcased contrasting architectural shapes. Ray Goulter’s Dawn – Elliston challenged the judge, Di Gage highlighted the well-known curves of the Opera House, David Hancock took the Footbridge and Sam Savage showed an iconic French landmark.
Others to do well included Sheila Gatehouse’s Blue Steel Angles, David Hancock’s Curve Net and Across the Chasm, Meredith Retallack’s Stark Contrasts and Gordon Lindqvist’s Iconic Bridge. Judy Sara was the most successful entrant in the Set Subject with Decorating the Cake, Autoclave, Palace of Charles V and Windows to the Courtyard also faring well.
In Open, Michael Holmes joined the ranks of members with top photos with Happy Honey Eater and Portrait of Daisy.
Click the links for the other Top Prints and Top Digital Images.
Dance & Movement – Competition June 2nd 2022
This was always going to be a challenging subject as most people cannot access and photograph Dance performances so it was not surprising, but somewhat disappointing for our dance specialist judge Suzanne Opitz, that most entries were “movement” rather than “dance”.
In fact, of the “movement” photographs, most were of subjects other than people. Still we had an interesting array of images.
Frances Allan’s The Splash and Helen Whitford’s Flight Path both impressed Suzanne with quite different captures of movement.
Other Set Subject photos to do well included Sheila Gatehouse’s 1,2,3 Up you Go, Judy Sara’s Butterflies Rising, Don’t Land Here and Aussie Rules, Meredith Retallack’s Still in Motion, Helen Whitford’s Eye on the Ball and In Tandem and Ray Goulter’s Practise 3.
Overall, Suzanne found the Open sections to be stronger with top scores for Sheila Gatehouse’s These Boots are ready for Working!, Helen Whitford’s Galah Pair, Frances Allan’s Dusky Robin and Xenica in my Garden, David Hancock’s High Tide, Judy Sara’s Emu and David Hancock’s On the Beach.
Suzanne gave a balanced assessment of each photo and, while she again suggested cropping and vignetting a number of times, also commented on other aspects and found plenty to like in many of the images.
Follow these links for all of the Top Prints and Top Digital Images.
Water – Competition Thursday April 21st 2022
Our Set Subject of Water was very broadly defined, resulting in everything from seascapes to macro droplets on miniscule dandelion seeds.
Entries were fairly evenly divided between Set and Open but numbers were again relatively low, with just 24 prints and 43 digital images. This meant that judge, Peter Phillips, was able to give time and thought to every photo.
Whilst he looked for impact first he had many tips for technical improvements and, whilst claiming not to be a “cropaholic”, he did suggest tighter framing for quite a few of the images, mostly to remove distracting elements.
The very highest scoring photographs are shown below.
Click the links for all of the Top Prints and Top Digital Images.
Framed – Competition March 10th
It was a bit quiet at BPC on Thursday night, with just 55 photographs to be critiqued by judge, Don Brooks.
There was an interesting variety of “Frames” used to present the images, from tree branches and old stone walls to drain pipes and glass blocks.
(Insert Judy’s Knobbed Hornbills, Meredith’s Kanyaka Stone, Libby’s Viewpoint, Helen’s Mythical Moose)
The depth created by a frame of receding pillars impressed Don in Steve Wallace’s A Distant Doorway and Di Gage’s Framed by Pillars.
(Don generally preferred images in which the frame retained detail rather than simply being a dark shape around the subject although he still awarded Judy Sara’s Split – Old and New a 10 for the well-presented scene.
In Open subject Judy’s exquisite Sunflower received a glowing review and Don was impressed by Sam Savage’s Unwanted Distraction, Helen Whitford’s Post Coital Screech and Di Gage’s Gnarly Tree.
Overall Don gave constructive comments and took the time to properly evaluate each image.
It was an early wrap to a good night.
Questions on Notice (February 24th, 2022)
On Thursday February 24th a panel consisting of James Allan, Judy Sara and Helen Whitford, with supplementary comments from Steve Wallace and MC, Mark Pedlar, answered a range of questions relating to photography which had been posed by club members.
The following questions were posed to the panel.
- Do I really need a tripod/ monopod if my camera has good image stabilisation. Please comment for A) Landscape and B) Birds.
- I would like to be able to view my photographs and get rid of the bad ones before I load them into Lightroom. Is there a way to do this and is it the best thing to do?
- What are the best settings for star photography?
- What are the advantages (and disadvantages??) of mirrorless cameras compared with DSLRs and which would you recommend?
- How should I prevent and/or correct colour cast in my photos?
- How does multi-point focus work – how does it decide which focus points to work on. Is single point focus better – is multi-point just a lazy way of doing things?
- How do I improve the quality of my competition entries? Please comment on such things as bright/over exposed spots; over-sharpening; distracting elements; principles of effective composition.
- Panoramas – what are the best settings? What are the key issues in producing good panos?
- How do you use off-camera flash??
- A club member has had his photos downloaded by an acquaintance who has claimed them as his own. What redress is there? What would you do? And how can he stop it happening again?
- What’s one thing you always take on a shoot?
- Of the photo gear you have bought, what wouldn’t you buy again?
- Is it possible to use flash units from the pre-digital era with digital cameras without frying the electronics?
- What’s the difference between “grain” in film and “noise” in digital?
- How is an “unsharp mask” used in digital and what is its purpose?
- Can anyone recommend a SLR film camera repair person/business. I have an old Pentax that may need attention.
Answers and other related documents are available as pdf’s; located in the Reading and Reference section of the Website (See tab at top of the Home page.)
Thanks to Paul Hughes who collated the questions and to Mark Pedlar for acting as MC.
Thank you to those who asked and answered questions!
Architecture – Competition January 27th 2022
In a good start for Set Subjects in 2022, Architecture accounted for 75% of entries – a popular choice!
We changed a couple of sections this year, dropping Album prints and dividing Projected Images into separate Colour and Monochrome sections.
Judge, David Rowlands, provided thoughtful comments on each image. In Architecture he particularly looked for a different perspective and ways in which the photographer made the “art” their own.
The high scores were well spread with Di Gage doing particularly well from photographing Port Adelaide with Old Port Woolsheds, Old Port Woolsheds 2 and Woolsheds as well as The Cloisters, Iona Abbey.
Judy Sara’s Windows and Different Structures impressed David with their simplicity and clean lines, as did Steve Wallace’s Old against New.
The more classic Pont d’Avignon and Maison Carée by Gordon Lindqvist, along with Heather Connolly’s Big end of Town, Judy Sara’s Palm House and Geometric and Sheila Gatehouse’s Building up to the Sky, You Can’t Hide your Best Angle and Hart’s Mill rounded out the Set Subject High scores.
In the smaller Open sections the most successful photographs were Judy Sara’s Ladybird on Duty, Helen Whitford’s Post Coital Screech, Ray Goulter’s Tree Skeletons and Balmy Afternoon and Meredith Retallack’s Orange Spider Wasp.
It was great to see a good number of different entrants doing well!
Click the links for galleries of Top Prints and Top Projected Images
Blackwood Photographic Club of South Australia Inc. 