The main topic for the evening was the Society’s third Set Subject competition. Members had been invited to enter three digital images according to the theme ‘Man-made or Woman-made’. The judge was Society member and former Chairman Dr Keith Snell LRPS EFIAP EPSA. Seventeen members entered giving a total of fifty-one images. A wide range of photographic genres was represented, including architecture, landscape, cityscape, travel, still life and food with about one-quarter being presented as black and white images.
At the start of his judging, Keith stated that he marked the images according to how apposite they were to the theme of the Set Subject and how photographically commendable they were. He stressed that the human made element should be the main subject in the image and that the image should tell us something as well. Keith gave a critique of each image often suggesting photographic improvements that could be made. He did not give any scores but he did pick out those images he considered deserving of a top score and also those worthy of Highly Commended and Commended status. He pointed out that his choices were very subjective impressions within the vast excellence of images submitted. Three images merited a top score and two of these, ‘New York Cityscape’ and ‘Man’s Pollution’, were by Alan Walker. Keith described the superbly composed image ‘New York Cityscape’ as conveying a real feeling of claustrophobia with a human figure overshadowed by towering skyscrapers but also featuring at ground level a colourful street scene so typical of New York.
In Alan’s second top scoring image, titled ‘Man’s Pollution’, a plastic bottle is shown floating in a bright green patterned liquid, the whole image illustrating the destructiveness of mankind.
The third image to be awarded a top score was Richard Jakobson’s perfectly-lit ‘Hand Made’ image, a magnificent study of the hands and braceleted wrists of a Namibian Himba lady making an ochre skin paste known as Otjize. Keith pointed out that this image featured both the made element and the maker. At the end of the judging Keith chose ‘Hand Made’ as his overall winning image of the evening.
Four images were awarded Highly Commended and these were: ‘Hand Finishing’ by Sue Rugg,
‘Lloyds Building’ by Richard Jakobson,
‘Manmade Bowls’ by David Woodthorpe
and ‘Mysore Palace India’ by Tom Stenhouse.
In addition six images were Commended and these were: ‘Tanfield Train Sheds’ by Alan Walker, ‘Green Door, What’s That Secret….’ by David Rayment, ‘Memorial in Blenheim Palace Chapel’ by Sue Rugg, ‘1 Poultry’ by Richard Jakobson, ‘Man to Man’ by Marilyn Woodthorpe and ‘Mosaics, Monreale Cathedral, Sicily’ by Tony Marsh. Keith finished his comments by stating that he had enjoyed looking at the splendid set of images and that for the most part members had really addressed the brief. David Woodthorpe thanked Keith for his comprehensive analysis and assessment of all the images.
Tricia Rayment
All the entered images can be seen on our gallery page: 2021 Galleries