After a break of almost a month since the last competition there was a great sense of excitement on Thursday night.
More than 40 members attended the much anticipated second round of monthly competitions suitably themed Autumn.
As is customary at this stage the Novice mono section was first to be judged.
There were some 19 entries in all and although Terry was not alone in his assertion that autumn and mono is a bit of a contradiction in terms there were a hugely impressive range of autumnal subjects on display. It would also seem that many of those in the novice section had taken more than a passing interest in the recent postproduction manipulation workshops offered by the club. The assembled members took their time carefully inspecting each of the prints before finally deciding on their top three. After all the votes were counted and verified it was clear that Marcus McCurry was not only an authority on all things mounting and framing but was a dab hand behind the lens too, securing first and third place with Esther Robinson taking second.
The mono section was quickly followed by the novice colour and as usual there was a very large number of entries 32 in total. Again each photographer showed their prowess at spotting and capturing stunning images from the world around them. This time autumn was displayed in all of it's copper and red glory, the range of colours was truly awe-inspiring. Andrew Connolly achieved another third place with a Chestnut leaf peering up through a jetty,
Marcus McCurry was confirmed to be a "dark horse" securing a well-deserved 2nd place. Neil Gibbons was a clear favorite securing 1st place with a tack sharp image of a single beech leaf spotted with ice crystals.
The competition moved to the advanced section. Again the mono section was first to be judged. There were 12 entries from six members. The difficulty of capturing autumn and converting this to mono proved to be difficult for those in the advanced group also. However after much brow scratching and decision-making Sandra Colton secured joint second place for her two images one a slightly puzzled looking baby inspecting an autumn leak and a second of blades of grass covered with water drops. Darragh Collins' image of a desolate autumnal tree at Lough Melvin was awarded first place.
In the colour section the calibre shone through. It was clear to see why autumn is often referred to as the photographer's favorite season. The ranges of colours on display were testament to not only photography skills but also excellent manipulation and printing skills. Mavis Dean secured 3rd pace showing she has a keen eye for nature by snapping a beautiful image of blackberries, which she assured us she later turned into jam. Darragh Collins was awarded second place for his depiction of Dun Na Ri forest and Terry Mc Cartney claimed first spot for a perfectly executed HDR image of a river through Florencecourt forest.
The slide section rounded proceedings off with Teresa McMahon taking first and third place with Terry sandwiched in the middle securing second place.
Terry introduced Raymond Millar to explain what has been happening with the EPS website of late. Raymond explained that the current site will now be a blogging site and utilizing WordPress. When it is up and running properly you will be redirected to the blogging site from the current site. The new website will allow members to enjoy a more interactive experience enabling uploading of text and images and comments. For more information see www.enniskillenphoto.wordpress.com where you can follow information on registration.
