In February’s Derbyshire Life we launched our first ever photography competition and the response from readers has been wonderful.
In the month or so that the competition remained open, we received close to 200 entries, of which there could only be ten finalists and one overall winner.
It seems cliché to talk of the high standard of entries but this was a genuinely difficult and unenviable task by our three judges to narrow down, decide on a top ten and ultimately choose the winner.
Thank you to everyone who entered the competition. There are many submissions that have not made the list which would nevertheless not look remotely out of place here.
A big thank you too to our esteemed judging panel – Ashley Franklin, Ruth Downing, and Gary Wallis – three passionate, experienced and talented local photographers who spent a great deal of time carefully reviewing every single entry before coming together to decide on the final ten.
The final results are based on a scoring metric which allowed all three of the judges’ verdicts to carry equal weight when determining both the top ten and their final positions.
And finally, congratulations to those who submitted the top ten entries below. All will receive a certificate, whilst the top three will be given a year’s free subscription to Derbyshire Life.
Second place will also receive a copy of The Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site – A Photographic Record, by Ashley Franklin, Ian Daisley and invited photographers, whilst the overall winner will receive a £100 voucher to this year’s Buxton International Festival.
Such has been the response to this competition, we will be running another one in the future, with all details to be announced in a forthcoming edition of the magazine.
A SPECIAL MENTION…
The following two images came close to making the top ten but just missed out. Nevertheless, the judges wished to acknowledge the entries.
DOVEDALE STEPPING STONES – IAN MUNDY
Ashley placed this image third. As he comments: ‘I have visited these stepping stones so many times and seen so many ordinary photos of this scene yet here is someone who has given us a refreshingly different – and striking - view. It’s such a dramatic image, enhanced by that very long exposure which has made the water look so beautifully smooth, and I also love the way the author takes us across the stones and gives us a view of the walk that awaits you when you reach the other side of the river.
PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN AT WIRKSWORTH - PHILIP ADSHEAD
Gary placed this image sixth, and both Ashley and Ruth agreed on the strength of the image when Gary pointed up the unusual and striking viewpoint chosen by the photographer. ‘I love shadow images’ says Gary, ‘and the way the photographer has chosen to focus on the interesting patterns of the shadows of the iron gate and railings on the pavement. Those shadows also serve to take us beyond the gate and towards the church.’
THE TOP TEN
10. WESTBOUND SNOW TREK FROM LOSE HILL TO MAM TOR - PAUL MACHIN
This was Gary’s third-placed image. ‘Sometimes a landscape works better without a skyline’ affirms Gary, ‘and this is a fine example. Without the distraction of the sky, we can appreciate the strong contrast between the areas in light and those in shadow, making this a fresh view of one of the most photographed landscapes in the Peak.’
9. CALKE ABBEY, TICKNALL – DAVID HOWES
This was Gary’s second favourite image. ‘I love the simplicity of this photo’, he says; ‘there’s a pleasing contrast between the two colours of the leaves, and both contrast sharply with the dark background. I also love the beautiful lighting, the detail in the golden leaf and, in particular, the highlighted edging of the leaves caused by the frost.’
8. AUTUMN AT WYMING BROOK – DAVID TRAVIS
Ashley put this image in second place, describing it as ‘an idyllic autumn scene captured at a perfect time, not just for the light but also for the fact that there are autumn leaves both on the trees and on the ground. The author has also found the perfect vantage point to show the brook snaking its way through the forest, and I also love the long exposure in the water, creating an appealing silky flow.’
7. PETER’S STONE ORCHIDS – DAVID TRAVIS
Both Gary and Ruth placed this orchid study in their top ten. Both agreed that this fine depiction of a lone orchid is augmented by the blurred orchid colours framing the central sharp flower. As Gary adds: ‘I instinctively avoid out-of-focus areas in my shots but this image has made me rethink my approach.’
6. SWANS AT DAWN – JONATHAN STUBBS
Both Ashley and Ruth placed this tranquil image in fifth place. ‘An image to make you wish you were there to share in the stillness, serenity and atmosphere created by the mist’ observes Ashley. Both agreed that the swans make the image but also that the lone, moored boat and the hanging trees, especially the weeping willow in the backdrop, play an important role to make this such a restful, artful image.
5. ASHBOURNE – IAN BEESTIN
‘A brave, unusual and appealing entry’ says Gary. This stark and striking shot of the Tissington Trail Tunnel at Ashbourne was given a top ten place by all three selectors who thought this was a very vibrant and eye-catching image, emphasised by the effectiveness of the black frame, the contrasting colours and the powerful sense of distance.
4. BASLOW EDGE LOOKING OVER THE DERWENT VALLEY – BARRY SMITH
This was Ruth’s second choice, with Ashley and Gary placing this image in their top ten. ‘I love the layers of mist and the beautiful autumn colours in this image’ says Ruth. All three selectors enjoyed the beautiful atmosphere that the mist brought to this scene, and were very taken by the unusual slender trees in the image and how the horse and sunlit barn add to the appeal of this painterly scene.
THE TOP THREE
3. WINTER SUNLIGHT ON THE CROMFORD CANAL – JANE BOWLER
This was Gary’s first choice, and was also in Ashley and Ruth’s top ten. ‘A lovely image which really captures the feel of a cold winter’s morning at this well-loved Derbyshire location,’ comments Gary. All three selectors were captivated by the sun’s rays bursting through the trees to enhance the atmosphere, and agreed that the presence of the lone figure really adds to the strength of the composition.
2. PEAK UPPER MOOR WOODS – JOHN GODLEY
This was Ashley’s first choice and Ruth’s sixth. Both agreed this was a dramatic and atmospheric picture. For Ruth, ‘the shafts of light coming through the trees on the right-hand side look as though they are lighting a path, inviting the viewer to walk through the picture.’ For Ashley, ‘the sentinel trees on the left contrast so well with the tentacular leaning trees on the right and I also like the vestiges of autumn speckled in and around the trees and path.’
1. DEER IN CHATSWORTH PARK – ROBERT GRIFFITHS
This was Ruth’s first choice, and Ashley’s fourth. Was it pure happenstance that Robert came upon this nigh-on perfect arrangement of deer in front of this copse of trees, or was it a case of patience paying off? Whatever the case, both Ruth and Ashley agreed on the enchantment of this wintery image. As Ashley comments: ‘Snow is great for purifying a scene, reducing an image to its basic elements, as well as hiding distractions, and this is what has happened here, resulting in a picture of beautiful simplicity.’
