Dr Dave is top photographer (again)

 

WPS  top awards have once again gone to David Salter, successfully defending the title he won last year when he was a newcomer to the Club.

 

After a long but thoroughly enjoyable final competition of the season, the blue ribbon awards of Photographer of the Year and Best Overall Image went to the Port Erin based cameraman.

 

Dave, a hugely experienced photographer, has been a member of the SPS for several years, but joined us last year.

 

Traveling the world on business in connection with his own chemical consultation business, Dave's street photography, taken mostly in China, North America and the sub-continent, is as varied as it is visually stunning.

 

These, together with equally impressive surfboarding images, have won Dave several competitions throughout the season.

 

He was the strong favourite for the Club's top accolade, and tipped to romp ahead with ease. But, in a fantastic tussle on the night, he was closely chased throughout by one of the Club's two junior members, 13 year old Rueben Allan.

 

And, when the judge's scores were totted up in the closing minutes, Rueben had only been pipped by a sinlge mark!  He getting 83 and Dave with 84.

 

Medal-winning Rueben, who's flora and fauna images have impressed judges for several years, and who's camera skills belie his age, had entered five cracking images, all of which were either placed or commended with high marks.

 

The Annual Open  was judged this year, not for the first time, by former top island civil servant,, the now retired David Killip, a long-term friend of the club.  

 

Opening the evening David revealed that 20 club members had contested the championship.  As each had five images, they were each aiming for a total 100 marks.

 

These even numbers had allowed him some interesting calculations, he said.  With 20 members going for 100, the total possibe score in the comp. was 2000.  When given the entries the week before the event, and having made his choices and allocated each mark, he said the total achieved was 1535.

 

'This was 76.75% of the total marks available' he added. "If you were a university student, graduating with marks of 70% you would have achieved a first class degree.

'So I think it is fair to say that this Club has every right to call itself first class, and back that up with the stats!'

 

The image which won the Mono A3 class, by Dave Salter, and the Cololur DPI winner by Doug Allen, were the only two images of the comp.  awarded a faultless 20 marks out of 20.

 

Dave Killip had to choose between these two informal portraits as to which he awarded the Best Overall image of the Year Trophy.  He chose the mono print.  Dave Killip commented 'It's like  trying to compare Tchaikovsky with JMW Turner.  How do you start comparing apples with pears?'

 

When the points were totalled up this put Dave Salter with the additional much coveted Photographer of the Year trophy, too.

 

It was obvious to all members whose images had been scrutinised, adjudicated and, it was felt, appreciated by David, that he had spent many hours of his own free tme doing so.  He was thanked for this by Carol Basnett, standing in for husband Stan, the retiring Club chairman.