There are four titles each season in the Set Subject Competitions category. Mike Barnard ABPA LRPS was present to judge the first two of these on Monday evening - Industrial Relics and In Service. The diverse interpretations provided by members proved more of a judging challenge for In Service than those within Industrial Relics. Scores ranged from 13 to 20, the latter only given once in each category for the winning image. Second place received 19 points.

Throughout the judging he shared his opinions on ways that entries could have been improved either at the time of taking or later within one of the many processing programs that exist now.

In Service Results:

Ist place: Ken Proudley’s Still Going Strong

Highest praise from Mike in that he wished he had taken this image himself. Perspective was great; Ken had handled the exposure really well dealing with reflective light as well as shade and maintaining detail in smoke; very good composition.

2nd place: Allan Green’s Essential Service

Here Mike praised the imaginative composition, the important light on the box bringing out the lettering, sharpness of the image in all the right places and the cropping.

Scores of 18 were given to images by John Lister and Pam Pope.

Industrial Relics Results:

1st place: David Warner’s Sunset on British Steel

Mike found the balance within this image just right across the whole image; the sun happened to be well placed, there but not intrusive.

2nd place: Allan Green’s End of an Era

The winding gear here was photographed against a perfect sky; this vied with David’s image for first place but Mike eventually awarded this one 19 points.

Which image would you have placed first?

Other high scores in this section were Peter Rushton, John Lister and Vic Brookes each receiving 18 points.

Next Monday, Step into my World will be a show given by Richard Cochrane ARPS DPAGB and Saturday 31st will be the evening to see Paul Berriff at the Galtres Centre presenting Fifty Years Behind The Lens, a man of courage and great photographic skill, an international documentary film maker, a BAFTA winner!