Congratulations to Keith Mulliner who was awarded ‘Print of the Year’ by judge Darrell Oakden DPAGB EFIAP BPE5* during our Annual Print Competition. Darrell admitted that it was a difficult task to decide on the award winners, and in the end it came down to his personal preference. For Keith’s ‘Lady of the Castle’, which won the General section, Darrell liked that the model’s period costume matched the regal setting. He liked the rich colours and the model’s expression. Darrell liked the lead-in and balance of Paul Hill’s beautiful landscape, ‘Ashness Bridge in Autumn’ which came second. Peter Robinson’s ‘Rugby Pyramid’ came third. Keith also had two studio portraits highly commended with ballerina ‘Erica on Point’ and Chloe with Roses’. Peter’s horse jumping image of ‘Katie Corteen on Curra Oko’ was also highly commended. Kath Hill’s air display image of two jets flying ‘Side by side’ was commended. Her husband, Ray, was also commended for his galloping horse photo, ‘Over the Hill and Awaay’.
The Mono section had a strong entry of well processed images. It was won by Peter Robinson’s panned ‘Grey Equestrian’. Darrell thought it was well processed with a good range of tones. He also liked the rider’s expression and detail in the horse. Keith’s action photo of a canoeist called ‘What an Expression’ came second. Darrell enjoyed the emotion it created and loved the canoeist fearful expression. Peter also claimed third spot with is portrait of a ‘Rose Queen’ framed by a stone arch. Darrell liked the pose, expression and the framing of the subject. Wallace Baxter’s image, ‘Who’s there?’, of our friend Graham Currey was highly commended. Darrell thought it was well lit and posed in a natural environment. Wallace was also awarded highly commended for his photo of a canoeist called ‘Paddler 24’. Another of Keith’s studio portrait received a highly commended. This was ‘Lady with an apple’ that Darrell was well lit, intriguing and elegant. Kath Hill’s portrait ‘Huck Imagines’ which shows Graham Currey deep in thought holding a Dickens’ novel was commended and Peter Robinson’s ‘Lord of the Manor’, taken at Tutbury Castle was also commended.
Paul Hill took the top spot in the Nature section with a strong image of a ‘Red Deer Stag’. Darrell liked the eye contact of the centrally placed beast was looking menacingly at the camera. Peter Robinson’s ‘Weaver Bird Building Nest’ came second and Wallace Baxter’s ‘Brown Tree Frog came third’. Darrell liked the warm side lighting in Kath Hill’s ‘Female Mallard’ and awarded it highly commended. Her husband, Ray, was also highly commended for his ariel shot of a ‘Gannet Gliding on the Wing’. Wallace also had his ‘Common Sandpiper’ highly commended. Kath’s symmetrical ‘Courting Mute Swans’ was commended, as was Keith Mulliner’s ‘Red Deer Stag at Tatton Park.