Norton Radstock Photographic Society: Simon Caplan from Bristol judged our 2023 Picture of the Year, and very helpfully delivered the results in person at our face-to-face meeting in The Masonic Hall.

Entries were down on previous years, largely because members have not quite returned to producing their work in the printed form following the long period when we all went digital and used Zoom. We are hoping members will be encouraged by the successes to return to the medium this year.

Simon’s helpful comments were well received by members, and he delivered a number of useful practical tips during the evening, in a relaxed and very supportive manner.

He was very clear about what he was looking for in a photo and shared this willingly. He seeks subjects of unusual interest, evidence of good composition and an understanding of light. In portraits he might look for engagement and often eye contact with the subject, to experience an emotional reaction, and to wonder at the hint of a story within the image. It is with these criteria in mind that he made his decisions and results were as follows:

Sport/Action

First: Tony Nineham “Eyes Wide Open”

Second: Suzanne Ladd “Go with the Curl”

Third: Jill Toman “Motorcross Sidecar Race”

Highly Commended: Jenny Short “Out in Front””

Portrait/People

First: Jenny Short “Pavement Poet”

Second: Jill Toman “Omani Man”

Joint third: Bill Collett “Antonia” and Suzanne Ladd “Caught Napping”

Highly Commended: Tony Nineham’s “Waiting for Christmas”

Landscape/Seascape/Cityscape

First: Diana Walker “Somerset Levels”

Second: Suzanne Ladd “Burnham Scape”

Third: Janice Cuer “Whatley Quarry”

Highly Commended: Jill Toman’s “Whitby Sunset”

Any Other Subject

First: Jill Toman “Lady in Red”

Second: Diana Walker “Red Squirrel Reflection”

Third: Tony Nineham “Fish Breakfast”

Highly Commended: Jenny Short “Evening Stroll”.

Diana Walker was proclaimed the overall winner of ‘Picture of the Year’ with her beautiful image from the Somerset Levels at sunset with an evening murmuration.

Images will be displayed at our Awards Dinner on the evening of March 7th. Next week Diana Walker leads an evening featuring her photographic adventures in the past year.

Jenny Short