The Bangor and North Down Camera Club recently held its Annual Exhibition competition, hosted the NIPA Novice Competition and had its Club Annual Dinner, showcasing the talents and accomplishments of its members.
During the annual dinner on Friday, April 19th, members gathered for a night of celebration and prize-giving. The event concludes the formal competition season that ran from September to May. The winning entries across different categories demonstrated a high level of skill and creativity from both advanced and novice photographers. Awards and trophies were presented for outstanding works in areas such as portrait, landscape, and general photography.
Notably, the exhibition submissions were judged by Martin Spackman who then came back to give his feedback on May 3rd. He provided insightful comments and selected winners in various categories, including the Chairman's Challenge, General Color, General Mono, Landscape Color, Landscape Mono, and more. The results of this competition are as follows:
LANDSCAPE MONO
Advanced ..
1st .. Ian Thorn: Abandoned
2nd .. Hugh Rooney: Poggio Covili
3rd .. Hugh Rooney: Fallen Aviators
Highly Commended .. Ray Magill: Murlough Bay Beach
Highly Commended .. Ian Thorn: The Boathouse
Commended .. Mandy Milliken: Covent Garden at Night
LANDSCAPE COLOUR
Advanced :
1st .. Ian Thorn: Driftwood
2nd .. Gerry Coe: The Long Hole
3rd .. Peter Hughes: Forest Evening, Castle Espie
Highly Commended .. Ian Thorn: Scrabo dawn
Commended .. Gerry Coe: Beach
Commended .. Ian Thorn: Beach Huts
Novice :
1st .. Hazel Newell: The Fairy Pools in the Rain
2nd .. Hazel Newell: Eilean Donan Castle
LANDSCAPE PDI
Advanced :
1st .. Alastair Bell: Alone on the Beach
2nd .. Ian Thorn: Portstewart Strand
3rd .. Alastair Bell: Hermitage
Highly Commended .. Gerry Coe: Splash
Highly Commended .. Leanne Simpson: Over the Rocks
Commended .. Mandy Milliken: Sunset on the Beach
Commended .. Leanne Simpson: Time stands still
Commended .. Ian Thorn: Morning Mist
Novice ..
1st .. Hazel Newell: St Kevin's, Glendalough.
2nd .. Hazel Newell: Ballycopeland Windmill
GENERAL COLOUR
Advanced :
1st .. Gerry Coe: Fuchsia
2nd .. Edward McCavana: Still Life Vase and Bloom
3rd .. Ray Magill: Out of the Mist
Highly Commended .. Nigel Snell: Grey Heron
Highly Commended .. Ian Thorn: After the rain
Commended .. Ray Magill: Cormorant on Lawson's Jetty
Commended .. Ray Magill: Photo trip to Pompeii
Novice ..
1st .. Hazel Newell: Saoirse, the Red Kite
2nd .. Hazel Newell: Guildhall, Londonderry
GENERAL MONO
Advanced :
1st .. Hugh Rooney: Wolf Brothers
2nd .. Ray Magill: Guggenheim Sculpture
3rd .. Ray Magill: Lily with Insect
Highly Commended .. Mandy Milliken: Beacon of Hope Abstract
Highly Commended .. Ian Thorn: A long, hard stare
Commended .. Ray Magill: Dutch Design
Commended .. Mandy Milliken: Give me oil in my lamp
GENERAL PDI
Advanced :
1st .. Leanne Simpson: Aquatic Water Beetle
2nd .. Alastair Bell: Abbot In The Spotlight
3rd .. Leanne Simpson: Lookout
Highly Commended .. Alastair Bell: Eternal Taal
Highly Commended .. Gerry Coe: Trees
Commended .. Alastair Bell: A Pint And A Good Book
Commended .. Mandy Milliken: Big Yellow Taxi
Commended .. Leanne Simpson: Raindrop On Blade Of Grass
Commended .. Ian Thorn: Dan Linfoot - Night Rider
Novice ..
1st .. Hazel Newell: Hydrangea
2nd .. Hazel Newell: Belfast Icons
3rd .. Hazel Newell: Fading Beauty
PORTRAIT COLOUR
Advanced ..
1st .. Gerry Coe: Painted Beauty
2nd .. Leanne Simpson: Reflecting on time
3rd .. Leanne Simpson: Surrounded by natures beauty
Highly Commended .. Gerry Coe: Ghostly
Commended .. Ian Thorn: Harriet
Novice ..
1st .. Hazel Newell: The Reader
PORTRAIT MONO
Advanced ..
1st .. Beverley Stevenson: Cowboy Philip
2nd .. Ian Thorn: Ethan Lewis Smith
3rd .. Leanne Simpson: Glimpse of innocence
Highly Commended .. Gerry Coe: Fairy Tale
Commended .. Leanne Simpson: The man in the hat
Novice ..
1st .. Hazel Newell: Bobby
PORTRAIT PDI
Advanced:
1st .. Gerry Coe: Artists Model
2nd .. Leanne Simpson: Captivated by the light
3rd .. Leanne Simpson: Remembering
CHAIRMANS CHALLENGE
Advanced :
1st .. Ian Thorn: Anniversary Selfie - Southwold Pier
2nd .. Peter Hughes: Selfie Under Water Cascade
3rd .. Leanne Simpson: Snorkle Selfie
All prints submitted into the competition this year, will be displayed in Bangor Library in August. The club extends its gratitude to Martin Spackman for taking the time to both judge and give feedback on the images and all members for their contributions and dedication to making the competition run successfully.
As the formal 2023–2024 season comes to a close, the club looks forward to continuing the informal meetings on Wednesdays until the start of the next season in September. New members interested in photography are encouraged to come along, join and participate in meetings aimed at developing their skills.
For those interested in joining the club or learning more about upcoming events, they can contact the club secretary, Hazel Newell, at bndccsecretary@gmail.com or attend Wednesday meetings to connect with current members and explore opportunities for photographic growth.
As mentioned at the start, on April 26th, Bangor and North Down camera club hosted The NIPA Northern Ireland Photographic Association Novice Competition in the Fountain Center, further highlighting the artistic and photographic skills within Northern Ireland.
Our very own club member Ian Thorn did extremely well at this event resulting in a Highly Commended image with “Shoeburyness, The Essex Gold Coast” in the Colour Print round. Two Commended images with “Window to the soul” and “Derelict” in Mono Print round and a 3rd place image with “Portstewart Strand” in the PDI round.
Congratulations to the winners and participants of the 2023–2024 season, and here's to another year of creativity and passion for photography at Bangor and North Down Camera Club.