Image by Tony Veltrop: Receiving the DPI Competition Cup for the 2022/23 season
from Harri (2022/3 Chairperson) and Brian (2023/4 Chairman)

I used to think that because I wasn’t very sporty, I couldn’t be competitive – ha…how wrong can you be?! I certainly showed my true colours in this season’s Digital Image competitions at the Sidmouth Photographic Club, once it looked like I may have a chance of winning the league!

In the 2022/23 season, running from September 2022 to May 2023, we had the opportunity to enter 8 digital images over the course of the season. And with so many talented photographers in the club, every entry would need to do well in order to make it into the top 5. I decided this year that I would only enter images that I really liked – even if they were a bit “different” – no looking up judges to guess their pet likes/dislikes or picking safe images!

I started the year off well with my first 2 entries, both taken on a club trip to Lyme Regis. I knew the “Homeward Bound” image could be risky, due to so much negative space on the left and the figures walking to the left rather than the right (which is what you are “supposed” to do, as in the west we read left to right). But the judge like the simplicity of the image and felt that the direction was valid, as the title implied they were coming back from somewhere, awarding it a Commended. I spotted people walking along the top of the Cobb in silhouette almost as soon as we arrived and couldn’t believe my luck when I saw someone with a bike.

My “Fun at the Beach” was a composite of 3 images – no one could be that lucky to get all 3 of the kids in exactly the right places simultaneously! It’s always a relief when the judge can’t tell that the image has been so heavily worked on – he awarded it a Bronze. I knew that I wanted to capture people walking in front of the beach huts when we were at Lyme, so I spent a good forty plus minutes with my tripod taking hundreds of shots, being rewarded with the 2 kids on bikes near the end of my stint.

In the next competition, we only had 1 entry to submit and I chose my shot of Andy (SPC’s very own Programme Secretary!) taken in one of the sea front shelters on a club “Shoot Sidmouth” evening. We were just walking back to the pub at the end of the evening, when I spotted the wonderful light through the shelter windows. So I bullied poor Andy into modelling for me – unfortunately for him he had to balance above the seat as he realised (too late!!) that it was wet…we have to suffer for our art luvvie…well Andy did anyway! The judge enjoyed the fact that the image asked more questions than it answered and liked the soft lighting, awarding it a Gold.

The next competition was more restrictive and we had set subjects for our entries. I chose “Man Made” as my topic and submitted 2 from London. “A Different Perspective” was taken at Canary Wharf and was awarded a Gold – it always pays to look at different angles when you’re out and about…I was struck by how neatly the streetlight fitted into the gap between the buildings. “In plane sight” was taken at the top of the Walkie Talkie building and received a Silver – and no, for once I didn’t photoshop in the plane!

We had 2 entries for the next competition and this is the one time where I do feel I tried to play it safe with one of my images. The train drivers image was taken on the Paignton – Kingswear line and I liked the striking yellow border. But the judge pulled me up on the lack of clarity in the drivers’ faces and over processing, so didn’t award anything for it. And I agree with him – I was kicking myself, as an unplaced image really brought my score down. But thankfully I was rescued by the Gold I received for “Time to Let Go”. I had the idea to take this image when I was working on another project – but ended up having to do a reshoot as the sun was too bright the first time. As the top of the actual window was quite high, I ended up having to reduce the height in photoshop to make a more balanced image. The judge felt that this was a powerful image that could be interpreted in different ways – and liked that the focus was on the hand and not the face. These scores put me into first place, but only with a 2 point margin – could I maintain this lead to the end?!

And so the pressure was on for the last competition. Because I had the chance to win, I really wanted to – but had I peaked too soon?!! I was wondering what to enter – but luck stepped in. On a photoshoot in Teignmouth, a guy on the beach stopped to chat to us about cameras (as blokes seem to do!!) when he saw us taking photos. We got chatting and I really wanted to take his photo as I could just tell that he would look great as a black and white image! When I asked, he was a little surprised but let me. He went on to tell me about how his partner had died from cancer and I felt that you could still see that sadness in his eyes. I called the image “I still miss her” and knew that I had to use this image as my last entry. I can’t tell you how much work I did in photoshop and received really useful critique advice from friends. I knew the empty space would be a risk, but I felt it was an integral part of the image, to show where she would once have been by his side. Thankfully the judge understood this and I was awarded a Bronze.

I wasn’t 100% sure if this would be enough for me to win, as it depended on the scores of the 4 photographers below me – but this time the odds were in my favour and I squeaked a one point win…phew – it really was a close competition this year and I am so delighted to have managed it. Now I don’t care if I never win again – at least I’ve done it once (although knowing me, my competitive streak will kick in again next year!!).