This season’s first competition attracted 27 prints and 45 DPIs, and we enjoyed a wide range of animals including domestic, wild, farm, and captive.
The judge was WPS chairman John Keelan, who praised the quality and presentation of the entries. He gave thorough technical feedback on each image, offering advice on slight edits and urging patience to wait for the “right moment” when photographing animals.
John allocated points from 14 to 19 and in addition to the places he awarded some ‘Highly Commended’ or ‘Commended’ comments. The results were as follows:
Print Section:
1st: “Stag in the Mist” by Steve Johnstone – 19 points
2nd: “Great Northern Diver” by Peter Skears – 19 points
3rd: “In The Frame” by Andrea Thrussell – 18 points
Very Highly Commended: “Feathered Fly Past” by Jim Gibson, “Fox on the Prowl” by Andrea Thrussell and “Orangutan” by Georgina Shaw (all 18 points).
Highly Commended: “Eurasian Lynx” by Steve Johnstone (17 points)
Digital Section:
1st: “Red Squirrel” by Andrea Thrussell – 19 points
2nd: “Heron” by Georgina Shaw – 18 points
3rd: “Mandarin Duck” by Jim Gibson – 18 points
Very Highly Commended: “The Pounce” by Peter Skears (17 points)
Highly Commended: “Spectacled Owl” by Jason Quayle, “Brown Hare Chewing Things Over” by Steve Johnstone and “Heron” by Barry Hennedy (all 17 points)
Of the winning entries, John said Steve’s print of the stag in mist was “atmospheric and with the stag well-positioned” and Andrea’s squirrel was “pin sharp in every hair” and well-taken at eye level.
He added that it was a very difficult job deciding on the scores and places, and said he would be happy to hang any of the top three prints on his wall.
Well done to everyone who contributed such a good range of entries.