MEMBERS of the Norton Radstock Photography Society (NRPS) attended a member evening recently, featuring a presentation by Jill Toman that included both local and wider-ranging photography, writes Jenny Short.

We are very used to high quality competition entries from Jill Toman, and usually her member evening features amazing landscapes and portraits from all over the world, as she travels extensively with camera.

Last Thursday was a little bit different as she showed us a series of pictures from closer to home in the first half of the evening, and then several images from sports events she has attended, again locally.

The evening began with local scenes, including the church, a cherry tree through the seasons, and Jill’s lockdown vegetable garden project. She also explored the development of Bristol’s water supplies, from 19th-century pipelines to the valley’s lakes, some of which were severely affected by last summer’s drought.

Chew Lake and its surrounding farmland is always a source of inspiration for wildlife and water sports- a bonus for any photographer, and the range of subject matter that Jill presented us with was extreme!

After the break it was great to see some unusual sporting photos. Jill again largely drew on the cycling through the valley and local Point to Point events courtesy of Young Farmers, but was drawn further afield for the Polo Cross that afforded some spectacular shots from some rather dangerous angles!

Interspersed with video clips, the stills and the narrative, Jill’s evening provided a great start to 2026 and entries for 2025 Picture of the Year and the Witcombe Trophy have now closed and we look forward to the rest of our season. Next week is a Zoom meeting featuring Gary Holpin’s photography along the SW Coastal Path and on Dartmoor.