Club Meeting, 2nd Open Pdi Competition - Tuesday 11th February 2020.

                  
          1st. Backstreet Boston.              2nd. Bordeaux Reflections.                    3rd. The Trumpet Player.

On 11th February, Morpeth Camera Club was pleased to welcome Bill Broadley, a photographic judge and member
of Blyth Photographic Society to assess and announce the results of the 2nd Open PDI Competition. Having judged
work from Morpeth members previously, he said he was expecting a high standard and he wasn’t disappointed by
the entries submitted to him to view. With the images at his disposal for two weeks, he said that he found it quite
difficult to decide on his award winners.

Entering an open competition is an opportunity for club members to showcase any aspect of ones work without the
constraints of a set subject. Organic Still Life, abstract viaducts, modern architecture, snowy landscapes, colours of
autumn, yachts silhouetted at sunset, pet dogs frolicking on the seashore and cascading Icelandic water falls were
among the eclectic subject matter. Also included was a psychedelic field of stubble which vied with a scar faced lioness;
milky waterfalls contended with a highly creative Auckland cityscape, a Birmingham canal scene, tall Asian stilt houses,
urban street life and statuary.

Throughout the evening Bill offered advice on depth of field especially when photographing flowers, the importance
of lead in lines, the inclusion of an element to focus on which provides perspective, advice on cloning out distractions,
he suggested alternative positioning of the photographer, and last but not least the importance of crispness.

He announced his Highly Commended choices; to Paul Appleby for Cango Caves, South Africa for its impactful shapes
of stalagmites and stalactites in golds and greys; The Big One, also by Paul Appleby of a group of photographers in front
of a giant wave, for its inclusion of so many interesting story telling elements. Steven Perry with Stanton in Peak, a dark
heather moorland beneath lovely skies which Bill described as a natural, beautiful, pure landscape; and Path of Myths by
Mark Harrison, a night scene of the turquoise lit Kelpies and starburst lead in lights which Bill admired for its context in
the environment.

Soldier by John Willmore was awarded fifth place, a wartime re-enactment portrait of a soldier which Bill admired for
the detail in the coat, helmet and face, adding that the subjects piercing eyes were hypnotic. Fourth place went to Glyn
Trueman for Something Different, a high impact shot of tubes, pipes and chrome which had been repeatedly flipped. The
judge said that the author had created a razor sharp, colourful, graphic image. In third place was The Trumpet Player by
Mark Harrison. A silhouetted trumpet player back lit using a red umbrella which Bill admired for its rim light around the
musician, loved the colours and the use of three simple elements. Bordeaux Reflections by Sue Dawson was given second
place; a night time shot of a wonderfully intricate sandstone building perfectly reflected in the river. Bill considered it to
be well lit, admired its perfect symmetry adding that the whole image worked very well.

Bill concluded by announcing the winner of this years 2nd Open PDI competition to be John Willmore for Back Street
Boston. An urban image of a Boston back street with its fire escapes and blue bins, and with the inclusion of a lone
figure walking to the end of the alley, Bill said that all these elements led him in to the scene. He admired the contrast
of the gold colours of the brickwork and the blue bins and its great exposure and clarity.

Bill was thanked for his kind and constructive comments after which coffee was enjoyed.

Steph.