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There was good news last week for members of Keswick Photographic Society who had entered photographs in a competition for selection into the prestigious Edinburgh International Print exhibition. This is the oldest photographic print exhibition in the UK, having held an annual exhibition almost every year since 1861. Its prestige lies not only in the high standard of excellence of the prints selected, typically from photographers entering from around 30 different countries in the world. But there is an exclusivity in that the limitations of hanging space in the historic King Street premises of the Edinburgh Photographic Society which hosts the exhibition, means that only a little over ten per cent of entries (around 150 prints) can be accepted. So, acceptance really is a recognition of the cream of photographic excellence. There is also added kudos in that the exhibition is recognised as a fringe event in the annual Edinburgh Festival during August.

There is considerable pride in the Society having four members gaining acceptances in this year’s exhibition. Ken Rennie was outstanding with four acceptances: Scale Force:

Blue Hour Bassenthwaite:

Pistyll Rhaeadr (a Welsh waterfall!):

and Limelight:

Keith Snell had two acceptances: Plunging Penguins:

and Impressionist Sunset, which was awarded a Gold Medal:

Pete Whieldon also had two acceptances: Dancing Feathers:

and On The Move:

and, Alan Walker had Bobcat Hunting Prey Under The Snow accepted:

Out of these accepted prints, three were taken locally: Bassenthwaite and Scale Force in Buttermere and the Solway Firth for the Impressionist Sunset.

Our season restarts after the summer break on 3^rd September with a presentation by David Carine ARPS on Underwater Photography. Full details of the season’s programme can be found at www.keswickphotographicsociety.co.uk. Prospective members and other visitors are welcome to join us at our Wednesday evening meetings at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, opposite Booths supermarket in Elliot Park, Keswick.

This year’s PDI Portfolio of the Year competition was judged by Margaret Salisbury ( “The Welsh Dragon”). She is a well recognised judge of long standing and her nickname refers the signature she uses rather than to a fiery judging reputation! Margaret commented on the high quality of images submitted, the subsequent high level of marks awarded and the difficulty she had had choosing between them.

In the end the competition proved a tour de force for Bob Given who only dropped 1 mark out of a possible 80. His three top scoring images with 20 points were

“Brutalist” which was the best in the Hand of Man category: