‘Patterns in Nature’ was the first themed photo competition of the new year for the camera club twinned as always with an Open section. For judge Peter Ottley, this proved almost as difficult a judging task as it was taking images which met the title of the competition.

The problem was that whilst it was fairly easy to find patterns in the natural world, it was less easy to make these interesting photographs which highlighted the pattern rather than anything else. So whilst a shot of a bee or a fly on a plant showed many excellent patterns the complete picture was more of a natural history image than a pattern in nature. However, in an entry of 35 there were many excellent photographs that met the brief and it was fascinating to see how club members had interpreted the topic. From the sun’s rays to patterns in the sand there were plenty of images that showed imaginative responses.

In the end the three main awards went to Jon Peters – 1st for ‘Starplant’ – an extreme close-up of a dried plant stem surrounded by orbiting seed heads; 2nd to new member John Nutt for his curiously titled ‘other 1’ – a shot of tree bark and 3rd went to Rachel Carter for ‘Ripples and Reflections’ – an abstract impression of patterns in water.

The Open section attracted 31 entries with a mixture of subjects and styles. Eunice Borg took first prize for ‘Whitehaven Lighthouse’ – a moody and dramatic mono shot of the lighthouse with a figure on the steps leading up it. 2nd went to Jon Peters for ‘Lobster Pots’ – a simple composition of fishing gear made to look like a photograph from a bygone era which the judge said was ‘an odd picture which grew on him’. 3rd went to Peter Elliston for ‘But is it Art? – taken in an art gallery with two girls looking out the window at far more interesting images. HC went to Rachel Carter for ‘Cheetah Chase’.