The Journey

This competition has now closed.

Winners

1st
Last kiss
Knut Hybinette
2nd
Washed Up
Keith Page
3rd
Which Way To Go?
Monika Banhegyi

Commended

Small journeys make up the very fabric of life. As we pace through this journey we experience not only people and places but emotions and memories.
We asked you to capture a phase of your life journey that was important for you. The image should show why this stage in the journey was significant.

Competition Judge

Mac Bouchere

Mac Bouchere F.R.P.S., originally from Jersey in the Channel Islands now lives in South Devon. He is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, a Western Counties photo club Judge and Speaker and a photographer and photo tutor. He is an avid fan of photography as a means of producing visually stimulating images. They can be of any subject, using any technique, but must be able to cause the viewer to imagine what the photographer was trying to convey. He feels that it’s better that an image causes a viewer to find their own message in it than none at all and very strongly that it should be the visual power of the image that stirs response, not the essay that is required to accompany it.

His personal photography is predominately of landscapes, using light to help direct the viewer to the key element/s of the image. A long time fan of the concept of “pre-visualising” the image, sometimes going back to a location many times to try to get the image he felt conveyed the right emotions for himself.
He confesses to being superficial and selfish in his own image making and is happy to concede that his photography is akin to Marmite – “you love it or you hate it”.

However he enjoys seeing good images of any subject matter and has always felt that Camera Club competitions should be considered a wonderful opportunity to learn how to take better images. Mac finished by saying: “If the judge approaches their role well, then everybody in the room should learn something new during the meeting, including the judge”.

Last kiss

Knut Hybinette

First Prize

I find this image to be very emotive. It very tenderly conveys the feeling that this man has reached the end of his journey through life. It could be viewed as invasive at such a personal time but I think the photographer has captured the moment with compassion and respect. As a viewer, one can weave all sorts of stories that could be about the people in the picture, but the image conveys all that I need to know. The more I look at the image the more I see, the hands supporting the lady, the old lady's left hand on the bed rail, her kissing his closed eyes and much more. It's technically a good photograph, using a diagonal feel to draw you through and showing just enough of the medical stuff to give it "place". For me it's an excellent image and one that I feel richly deserves first place.

Washed Up

Keith Page

Second Prize

Sometimes you just need to sit down and take a break. You have a long way to go but need a moment to appreciate the view and where you are at that particular time. If you have companions, then they will just have to wait. I think this is a lovely picture, illustrating how you sometimes do feel during a journey. It’s a great mono image, with the subjects beautifully placed in the frame and using some lovely textures and tones in the final picture.

Which Way To Go?

Monika Banhegyi

Third Prize

On most journeys there are choices to be made and to me this image illustrates that beautifully. The person is small and the options are many, big and varied. The easy one is the short distance to the house, but is it the best choice? Very much like life. The picture was well seen and very well taken. The ultimate framing and shape of the image is good, using space to illustrate the big unknown that goes with some choices on a journey.

If You Go Down To The Woods

Jem Fade

Commended

One usually associates nudity with beauty, glamour or eroticism but not in this case. It has a definite sinister feel about it. There is a path that the vulnerable person might take but it's dark and forbidding and shrouded by the trees. A thought provoking image well constructed and well presented.

Friendship

Monika Wojtkowiak

Commended

This image tells me of the vulnerability of youngsters in a big open environment without the support of adults. Their togetherness conveys friendship on the journey but on their faces can be seen a mixture of fear and concern. The frame of the road, the canes and the green undergrowth works well to keep the subjects looking small and I like the inclusion of the figure at the end of the road that looks bright and could be read as hope.

Take Me

Jaydip Bhattacharya

Commended

"Not everyone you encounter plays by the rules so take care" is the message for the person making their journey in this image. Very well framed and well timed and I love the use of motion blur of the vehicle. A little digital noise is evident but that could be viewed as adding to the gritty, noisy environment.

Peaceful Co-existence

Anjan Kumar Kundu

Commended

A beautifully caught moment. The two pairs of youngsters testing themselves out in a play fight. They could be arguing over who goes through the door to continue their journey or to protect each other from it. You can't see their faces properly so they are anonymous or could represent anyone. The mono treatment works very well giving it a gritty feel with the light just giving enough information in the picture.