Steve Wilson was the judge for Monday evening’s annual portfolio and landscape competitions. He is a judge who likes to be positive in his comments and informative. His comments centred generally on the impact of lighting and balance within an image.

The landscape section included a range of interpretations of this title; countryside largely figured but so did urban landscapes and coastal views. Keith Schubert’s Newburgh Mist was praised for the wonderful backlighting that just brought out the ethereal qualities of this misty lakeside scene. The judge liked the subtle tones visible on the surface of the water and the way there was just sufficient content visible to frame the whole scene. He also praised David Warner’s Langdales from Blea Tarn; he liked the composition, the strong lighting and described it as a good example of landscape photography. However, the winning shot, Ingleborough, was in almost complete contrast - landscape yes, but presented in black and white, a dramatic view of mist across the hillsides. It was described as having impact, strong lighting and strength in the shadowed areas of the clouds. Steve declared that the author must be very proud of this particular landscape image and that person was David Warner indicating very strongly that he can capture landscapes dramatically in different ways.

The requirements for a portfolio competition are that the 6 photographs included should each be of high quality as they stand alone but all six must lead to one goal or theme. Steve felt that all 16 entries met the latter aim. The subjects were varied and in some cases most imaginative. Vanishing Point entered by Kamul Antoun was particularly praised for the strong images included all linked by the distance perspective that was the focal point of each image. There was a displayed gold dining service on a long table showcased in glass with resulting reflections added. The concluding image captured the splendour of an ornate spiral staircase viewed from above. In between, were some stunning images defying description. Keith Schubert’s Flow by Floes was the product of a recent trip to Iceland. A dominant almost translucent ice block to the right of each image; and a second, smaller one to the left which during the sequence, was lapped over by waves. The tones within these images were of various cool blues and greys. However, Steve declared that Allan Green’s entry Ecclesiastical was the worthy winner. Very importantly, each of six photographs were of the highest quality taken both inside and outside religious buildings.

Next week, Photography of the Olympic Games will be shown by John Giles.