Here is a report of last season’s portrait competitions. Our annual portrait competition is split into two with a print and a PDI competition. The winner of the print competition will be awarded the Maurice Ashwin Cup and the winner of the PDI competition will win the Howard Edwards Trophy.  We had relatively low entry of this specialist subject with 12 prints and 25 PDIs. Mike Sharples MFIAP MPAGB FBPE ARPS EFIAP was the well qualified judge who specialises in portraiture, who cast his expert eye over best portrait images. We asked him to award a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Highly Commended and Commended at his discretion.

Mike judged the print section first by commenting in detail on every print, but without marking them. Then he went through them again choosing his winners. It was Keith Mulliner’s portrait ‘My Eyes are on you’ that took won the cup. Mike told us he liked the story line and the lady’s pose. He added that it has a good background and colour pallet. Peter Robinson’s mono head and shoulder portrait of ‘Ivan Petrov’ took the second spot. Mike like the man’ expression and the strong contrast making it a dramatic portrait. Third place went to Wallace Baxter’s ‘Make Up Masterpiece’. Mike thought it created a dramatic atmosphere and told a story.  He liked the ladies expression and the desaturated colours. Keith Mulliner’s ‘Ho’ and ‘The Steam Punk Lady’ were both Highly Commended and Wallace Baxter’s ‘The Sergeant’ was Commended.

Keith Mulliner also won the Howard Edwards Trophy in the PDI competition with another of his studio portraits. Mike thought this fine monochrome portrait ‘Have you got a light’, had a good atmosphere and told a story. It fitted well into the square format and had strong side lighting that revealed texture and detail. The lady’s express and eye contact enhanced the image. Stephen Coyne’s ‘Rob came second. Mike liked the character’s gaze and expression. He told us it had a muted colour pallet and a good shape giving a strong composition.  Kath Hill’s natural monochrome portrait of’ ‘Jenny’ took the third place. Mike liked the lady’s expression and the shape created by her arm. It has good eye contact and is a moody expression. Keith Mulliner’s ‘The Pink Flower’ and ‘Portrait of Megan’ were awarded Highly Commended, as was Kath Hill’s ‘Ken the Showman’. Keith’s ‘Queen Ann in Candle Light’, Stephen Coyne’s ‘Girl with Candle’, Peter Robinson’s ‘Engine Room Foreman’ and Wallace Baxter’s ‘The Folk Singers’ were all Commended. Well done to all of the winners.

All the images that came 1st, 2nd, 3rd, can be seen in the slideshow above.