The Society’s eagerly awaited Annual Photographic Competition is the highlight of the year for the Society’s membership and guests. Operating under the faithful patronage of His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Lorimer, the Society continues to strive for that cherished, but virtually unattainable perfection, for which it is justifiably proud.
This year’s judge was Patricia Tutt, an Associate of the British Photographic Society, who proved to be an excellent choice, as always. Of course, Patricia is very well qualified to be entrusted with this vitally important annual task and judges competitions regularly throughout the island. She is well known for her impeccable fairness and is a member of the Western Photographic Society and one of the principal photographers for the glossy publication ‘Churches of Mann’, often seen on coffee tables in the more prestigious offices throughout the Island. Naturally, Patricia is much in demand, so we were extremely fortunate to secure her expertise this year.
Patricia judged all the entries "live" on the evening scoring each entry out of 20 and commenting constructively on most of them. As usual, there was a very high standard of entry in each of the classes.
First, she devoted her attention to assessing the print entries. There were numerous entries but, with her usual care and operating efficiency, she quickly chose the entries that she judged worthy of her top awards. He gave clear explanations of the reasons for the choices she had made too, which were valued by the entrants. She demonstrated a keen attention to the smallest detail and offered tips aimed at raising standards.
Open Colour Print winner was Sean Corlett with 'Gaia in the Long Room', winning the Sanderson Cup.
Open Mono Print winner was Sean Corlett with 'Dark Hedges' winning the Bridge Cup.
Nature Print (mono and colour) winner was Sean Corlett with 'Little Egret' winning the Kelly Cup.
Creative Prints (mono and colour) winner was Sean Corlett with 'Leaf or Lava' winning the Atlantean Trophy.
After the refreshments break, Patricia turned her attention to the projected digital images where Martin Sanderson was awarded with the Open Digital Colour competition winner with 'Glencoe Frosty Morning' which won the Andrew Barton Cup and also the Redwood Trophy for the Best Colour Image (print and digital) in the Annual Competition.
The Monochrome Digital winner was Jeremy Broome-Smith with 'St Pauls by Night' which won the Glendown Trophy and also the Mackie Cup for the Best Mono Image (print and digital) in the Annual Competition. There were two images in this section which gained 20 points both taken by Jeremy.
The Nature Digital (mono and colour) winner was Sean Corlett again with 'Dipping His Toe in the Water' winning the Greenwood Trophy and also the Spiers Trophy for the Best Nature Image (print and digital) in the Annual Competition. Three images scored 20 points in this section by Jeremy Broome-Smith, Chris Blyth and Sean Corlett winning image.
The Creative Digital (mono and colour) winner also Sean Corlett with 'Daffodil Bulb' winning the Malew Cup and also the Mistral Trophy for Best Creative Image (print and digital) in the Annual Competition.
The Society will resume its meetings in Autumn 2026 when all members and their guests will be welcomed back to the Society’s regular venue, the St John Ambulance HQ off Glencrutchery Road.
By Antony Hamilton
