The club’s annual in-house battle took place recently and as usual was a mixture of excellent images, intense competition and judges who couldn’t please anyone. It has always been this way and no doubt always will be.

Split into two teams a pair of mages was presented to the panel of three judges for their adjudication. Maurice Sadler, Daphne Hilsdon and Ayhan Osberk drew the short straw for the evening and it was their decisions which either inflamed or delighted each team.

Their first task was to decide if the two images matched each other in terms of subject matter, photographic composition or technique. Needless to say this often proved difficult if not nigh on impossible when faced with one picture of a sleeping man in a deck chair and the other a shot of Nigel Farage being interviewed in the street. However, as members from each team provided their justifications it was easy enough to sway the judges who seemed willing to listen to any old rubbish offered as to why points should not be lost for a failed match.

Some fine pictures were shown and this evening gave club members – especially new ones - an opportunity to see work that often does not feature in the regular club competitions. Whilst there were the usual subjects such as landscapes and portraits there was also examples of more experimental work using a range of viewpoints and photo techniques.

As photographic contests go this was far more informal and it is good to report that although winning is good, taking part is far more important especially if you are on the losing side! (I wonder which side this reporter was on?)