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 Annual Exhibition 2021
Our Annual Exhibition was held on Thursday November 18th with a good turn-out of members to celebrate our achievements for the year.
It was great to see some different faces among the award recipients, including Sheila Gatehouse who won Top Colour Print with Lily, Ray Goulter with Top PDI, Lillies after Rain and Heather Connolly with the Top Album Print, Wanderer Feeding. Judy Sara’s Spoonbill Perching was the Top Monochrome Print and also earned the Nature Award. Judy also did extremely well in Aggregates!
The Australian Landscape Award was won by Steve Wallace with Lindsay Waterhole and the Portrait Award went to Parry by Frances Allan.
The awards were presented by Julie Goulter, the club’s president.
The full list of awards was as follows:
Projected Digital Images
1st Hutt St Photos Award – Ray Goulter – Lillies after Rain
2nd Vicki Kramer – Hear the Little People
3rd Sam Savage – Screech
Merit James Allan – Wood Duck Nesting
Merit Heather Connolly – Magpie Lark
Merit Paul Hughes – Much Easier after Covid
Click HERE to see a video presentation of all the projected digital image entries.
Aggregate – PDIs
1st Photographic Wholesalers Award – Judy Sara
2nd James Allan
=3rd Vicky Kramer & Jenny Pedlar
Monochrome Prints
1st Judy Sara – Spoonbill Perching
2nd Frances Allan – Pimelia
3rd Di Gage – On the Prowl
Merit – Frances Allan – Parry
Merit – Judy Sara – Poppy
Aggregate – Monochrome Prints
1st Blackwood Times Award – Judy Sara
2nd James Allan
3rd Vicki Kramer
Colour Prints
1st Fotoswift Award – Sheila Gatehouse – Lily
2nd Sam Savage – Beautiful Firetail
3rd Judy Sara – Up, Up and Away!
Merit Di Gage – Coming in for a Landing
Merit Steve Wallace – Lindsay Waterhole
Merit Helen Whitford – Bee, Mama!
Merit Helen Whitford – Cormorant Preening
Aggregate Colour Prints
1st Blackwood Photographic Club Award – Judy Sara
2nd James Allan
3rd Vicki Kramer
Album Prints
1st Ege Malpas Award- Heather Connolly – Wanderer Feeding
2nd Sheila Gatehouse – Sean
3rd Helen Whitford – Willie Wagtail
Merit Sheila Gatehouse – Sunflower
Aggregate – Album Prints
1st Vicki Kramer
2nd Helen Whitford
3rd Heather Connolly
Landscape Award – Steve Wallace – Lindsay Waterhole
Nature Award – Judy Sara – Spoonbill Perching
Portrait Award – Frances Allan – Parry
Thank you to our judges, Brad Hodge, Suzanne Opitz AFIAP AAPS and Peter Barrien EFIAP FAPS.
Service Awards
Di Gage was presented the Bill Templer award for service to the club.
Julie thanked the following people for their assistance throughout the year.
Birds in Nature – Competition October 21st 2021
The Set Subject of Birds in Nature joined Head and Shoulders Portrait as our most popular this year, each accounting for over 70% of entries respectively. This demonstrates where our photographic passion lies!
Still, only 12 members entered the competition and it would be great to see more members enter the fray!
There were some stunning photographs with beautiful captures of birds in action – flying, feeding, calling and interacting but images of birds simply perching and resting were also impressive.
Don was impressed overall with the standard of our bird photography and loved Judy Sara’s Fish Dinner, Screeching Seriema, Spoonbill Perching, Landed, Wren Huddle and Cape Grassbird.
Frances Allan demonstrated a talent for capturing the moment and the light and was rewarded by judge, Don Brooks, with multiple 10s. Her Splendid Wren in How Splendid wowed everybody and The Smile made everybody smile, despite Shoebills being an “ugly” bird according to the judge and Art Deco Eyes was something a little different.
Di Gage’s Coming in for a Landing, Eastern Yellow Robin and Fairy Wren, Helen Whitford’s Am I Welcome?, Bee, Mama!, Cormorant Preening and Lori, James Allan’s Tell the Truth, Hope to Die, Ansty Osprey and Feeding Time, Sam Savage’s On the Move and Screech and Sheila Gatehouse’s Fairy Wren in the Rain rounded out the Set Subject high scores.
There were also some beautiful photographs among those which didn’t make the top scores as the competition in this Set Subject was fierce. And I haven’t even mentioned the Open category!
For all of the high scoring images, including Open Section photographs, go to Top Prints and Top Projected Digital Images
Love Story – Competition Sept 24th 2021
This competition saw an almost equal number of entries in the set subject and open categories. Members’ interpretations of the subject was quite varied, with many images depicting love between animals as well as humans.
Vicki Kramer’s entries were all in the set subject, with Labour of Love, Loving Sons Bidding Farewell and Twins Love among the top scoring images.
Paul Hughes entered a collage, Walter and Doris, showing aspects of a couple’s loving life together.
Judy Sara’s Cormorant Love Story was a clever interpretation of the topic.
In the open category James Allan’s Landscape gained the top score. The Judge, Geoff Smith, was impressed with the composition and lighting; a great shot both technically and aesthetically.
James also had success with Dunes and Collapse of Greater Plains
Di Gage’s Fairy Wren and Sam Savage’s Morning Light were also among the top scoring images.
Copycat night
At the Peer review workshop next week we will be looking at imitation as a technique to unleash creativity. To kick off the discussion I would like you to look at these famous monochrome portraits, select an image and have a crack at emulating the style. Bring your images along to the workshop where we can discuss how it went. Regards James.
Not sure what to do? Here is an example.
Above is an image I took that was inspired by the famous image below.
I am interested to see what you all come up with. Regards James.
Zoom Burst – Competition August 12th 2021
Following our creative workshop on Zoom Burst last month we checked out some of the results and images inspired by the night in Thursday’s competition. For the most part members were not keen to print these images, with few entries in Set Subject in the prints but in PDIs Set and Open were equally represented.
Judy Sara and James and Frances Allan were rewarded for their creativity with Banksia, Art Gallery, Zooming on Traffic on a Wet Night, City and Let’s Celebrate.
In Open, Vicki Kramer’s Outback Sunrise impressed judge, Peter Phillips, who felt that it took him straight into the Nullarbor. We sincerely thank Peter for rushing his dessert, dropping everything and coming in at the last minute following a judging mix-up. Peter gave positive, thoughtful commentary on each image with lots of helpful tips.
Judy, James and Frances continued to make an impact in Open with Inside the Poppy, Waterfall and All things Citrus.
Click the links to see all of the Top Prints and Top Projected Digital Images.
Half the Story – Competition July 15th
In a rather different night, we broke with tradition and ran this competition with “community
judging.”
“Half the Story” proved challenging, with only one third of the 64 entries being in Set Subject, most
of which were images showing half of an object or creature.
Vicki Kramer’s “Fill in the Blank” was probably the most creative take on the theme.
With the exception of Judy Sara’s Delicious, images showing a whole image or scene which was half
of a story requiring interpretation did not fare as well.
In Open, Di Gage impressed with Blue Heights and Chameleon, Frances Allan’s Parry got everyone’s
vote and James Allan’s From another Dimension was popular.
It was an interesting change which gave everyone the opportunity to step into the judge’s shoes for
a night. Some liked the fit, some didn’t but there was general agreement that the right photographs
rose to the top.
Thank you to James for organising the evening!
Follow the links for Top Projected Images and Top Prints.
Head & Shoulders Portrait Competition – June 3rd 2021
Members embraced the Set Subject of Head and Shoulders Portraiture with more than two thirds of entries being portraits. There was some stretching of the Head and Shoulders definition though which gave judge Brad Hodge a few headaches.
Brad gave thoughtful comments and clearly explained his thinking, taking a casual and amiable approach which put members at ease. Sheila Gatehouse’s strength emerged in this Set Subject,
She was joined “on the podium” by Judy Sara and Vicki Kramer.
It was great to see a good number of prints and an increase in monochrome photographs.
Other high scoring images can be seen here.
