The fourth internal club competition of the 2022-23 season took place on Wednesday 18 January.

The set subject, for both prints and projected digital images (PDIs), was “Negative Space”.

“Negative Space” was further described in the Programme as follows.

“Negative space is the area surrounding the main subject or subjects in a photograph which is left unoccupied.  It is this space that helps define the main focus, the positive space.

For this competition, we are looking for images where at least 2/3rds of the image is negative space.”

The entries portrayed a varied assortment of subjects including boats, wildlife, plants, a tomato, a cow, a tattered flag, and even an old boot scraper.  And these were set in negative space that included the sea and other water, sky and clouds, mist and fog, walls, sand, vegetation, and a motor racing track.

Not surprisingly, therefore, images made imaginative and creative use of a variety of styles and approaches including seascape, landscape, travel, natural history, abstract, motor sport, colour, and black and white.

Our independent judge for the competition was Jonathan Vaines LRPS CPAGB AFAIP, an experienced photographer and judge who has presented, judged and critiqued at LBPC on several occasions.  He is also President of the Cambridge Camera Club and a regional organiser for the RPS.

Jonathan was impressed with the originality of many of the images.  He critiqued all of them but did not mark several which he considered did not meet the brief.

Each entry was marked out of twenty.  Marks for this competition count towards the season’s Print and Digital Image Championships (Sections One and Two).

(There were no Section Two Prints entries.)

The top performers were as follows:

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For details of the competition rules  CLICK HERE.

If you didn’t know, you can also post your comments at the bottom of the page. Engage with other Members and share your thoughts on the entries and judging. 

NB: Members can watch the competition in full on the ‘Members Only’ section of the website.

Section One Prints (16 entries)

  • 1st place – “Still Waters” by David Manning – 20 marks

  • 1st place – “The End of the Harbour” by Carol Curd – 20 marks

  • 2nd place – “Perforations and Red” by Mike Kitchingman – 19 marks

  • 2nd place – “Upper Heyford Hangar Roof” by Mike Kitchingman – 19 marks

  • 3rd place – “Gormley at Margate” by Graham Meers – 18 marks

  • 3rd place – “Wistful” by Tricia Meers – 18 marks

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

All Section One Prints

Section One Digital Images (26 entries)

  • 1st place – “Jones – Flat Out” by Terry Godber – 20 marks

  • 1st place – “Umbrella Man” by Chris Warby – 20 marks

  • 1st place – “Winter Sun” by Roger Gage – 20 marks

  • 1st place – “Uphill Cow” by Clive Rayment – 20 marks

  • 2nd place – “Fishing Boat Loch Linnhe” by Barbara Fleming – 19 marks

  • 2nd place – “Reeds in Water” by David Bolam – 19 marks

  • 2nd place – “Conundrum” by Martin Wood – 19 marks

  • 3rd place – “Airborne” by Roger Turner – 18 marks

  • 3rd place – “Driving into Negative Space” by Rob Delahunty – 18 marks

  • 3rd place – “Pierhead and Headland Loch Ryan” by David Bolam – 18 marks

  • 3rd place – “Up Up and Away” by Martin Wood – 18 marks

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

All Section One Digital Images

Section Two Digital Images (10 entries)

  • 1st place – “Tattered Flag” by Emma Burrell – 20 marks

  • 1st place –  “A Lone Tomato” by John Booth – 20 marks

  • 2nd place – “Sri Lanken Mountains” by Paul Kirkham – 19 marks

  • 3rd place – “Loansome Bottle” by David Saunders – 18 marks

  • 3rd place – “Soul Mates” by David Saunders – 18 marks

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

All Section Two Digital Images