MEMBERS of the Peel-based Western Photographic Society have defended their right to call themselves the island’s best following our annual battle with the other two local clubs.

 

After a long night which saw the Western, Southern and Douglas-based IOM Societies each submit 30 of their best images for adjudication in the yearly Three-Way Challenge, the westerners emerged clear winners for the second year running, 16 marks ahead of runners-up, the IOM.

 

Viewing, scoring and providing helpful critique of this year’s crop of 90 images was freelance journalist/photographer David Kneale. He opened the night remarking on the extremely high standard of all the entries, the best collection he had seen as a judge.

 

‘You all should be very proud of yourselves,’ he told the members of the three clubs who had gathered in the Peel Football Clubhouse for their much-enjoyed and good-natured November tussle.

 

The Three Way is an open competition, so members can submit any subject they like. The 90 entries were taken all around the world, Iceland to Antarctica, and all points between. There were landscapes, portraits, flora, fauna, aerial acrobatics and butterflies mating.

 

‘How do I judge these?’ asked Dave after looking firstly at a moody study of an African villager, then an image of a pile of pencils in a jar. ‘It’s comparing apples and oranges!’

 

He pressed on gamely, however, looking at each projected image on a big screen, sometimes asking the author how, where and when they took certain shots, and then awarding them marks out of 20.

 

The ‘perfect’ 20 is an exceptional image in any photographic comp., but, in fact, he awarded no fewer than four of the 90 entries this top score – and all four were by members of the Peel club. Two of these were of the distinctive white horses seen in the French Camargue, one by Chris Nicholls and the other Dorothy Flint.

 

Dorothy had a second maximum score with a stunning evening image of three huge waterfalls in Iceland, and the fourth 20/20 was a cracking image of a pin-sharp insect straddling a table tennis net, taken by our junior star cameraman, Reuben Allan.  He titled it ‘Playing Mantis’, to the judge’s obvious amusement.

 

Other high scoring entries from our club were Dennis Wood and Steve Babb, both with two 19 mark entries apiece, and  Pat Tutt, Ruth  Nicholls and Doug Allan each with an 18 entry. Dorothy also won 18 marks with another Iceland-taken shot entitled 'Puffin Landing'.

 

After an evening which had seen all the three club members enjoy good food and drink and considerable banter – not least between David and his good friend, pro photographer and teacher, Steve Babb – the scores were totted up. Western’s totalled 493, the IOM 477 and Southern 465.

 

David then had what was possibly the hardest task of the night, selecting the best overall image, and winner of the Shield for what is regarded as the top photograph of the year. His choice of the powerful white stallion, captured by Dorothy Flint, whilst being ridden at speed through the Camargue marshland, was popular and regarded most deserved.

 

He presented her trophy, and then the club shield to Western chairman Jim Lace. A vote of thanks for David’s time, efforts and brilliant adjudication skills was given by the winning club President, Doug Allan. He remarked on how sociable and entertaining the event had become in recent years. 'And long may it continue to be.'