Club Meeting, Browell Trophy Competition - Tuesday 10th December 2024.

              
           1st. Juvenile Stonechats...         2nd. Duelling Arctic Terns.           3rd. Chicken of the Woods.

On Tuesday 10th December, Graeme Clarke ARPS a member of the Gallery Photogroup on Teesside, visited Morpeth
Camera Club. A recognised nature and wildlife photographer, he had been invited to judge our annual Pdi Natural
History Competition, where members compete for the Browell Trophy.

Graeme began the evening with a brief overview of his journey in photography, explaining how his hobby had been
transformed into a passion for capturing flora and fauna. He discussed the qualities he looks for in a natural history
image: effective framing and composition, good depth of field, and a clarity and sharpness that showcase the subject
in its best light. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of capturing natural behaviours and other elements that
make an image captivating and engaging.

Graeme provided valuable advice on each image, offering general tips for outdoor photography. He suggested that
before pressing the shutter, we should consider what he calls "Gardening." This involves removing distractions from
the frame, such as stray leaves, broken branches, or dead grass — anything that could divert attention from your
subject.

He also emphasized the importance of camera angles, indicating that it is often better to be at eye level with your
bird or animal rather than shooting from above. Additionally, he pointed out a commonly overlooked aspect: the
importance of using appropriate titles in nature photography competitions. Your title should clearly and correctly
identify the subject; titles like "Cheeky Boy" or "Look at Me" are not suitable if you want your image to be taken
seriously.

Following a well-informed and interesting critique of all the entries, the judge announced that he had selected four
images as Highly Commended with awards going to Common Blue Butterfly by Glyn Trueman, Turnstone by Karin
Jackson, Parasol Mushrooms by Sue Dawson and Starling by Karin Jackson.

Moving on, Graeme announced that it had been very difficult to narrow down the forty two images to his top five.
However, he had enjoyed the task and thanked everyone for their efforts as fifth place went to Juvenile Stonechat
by Paul Appleby. In Fourth place was Dipper Resting on Rock by Davy Bolam and in Third place was Chicken of the
Woods by Glyn Trueman. The runner-up in Second place was Duelling Arctic Terns by Paul Appleby, but First Place
and winner of the Browell Trophy was Juvenile Stonechats Waiting to be Fed by Glyn Trueman.

Davy.