Tuesday 23rd April – Macro/Close-up PDI Competition

It was good to welcome an "old" friend to be our judge tonight, namely Roy Essery, MPAGB, who had travelled up from Colchester.
There were 15 images in the Members class and 49 in the Members Advanced. 
Roy spent some time providing helpful critique on the images in Members group. Then after the break he had the difficult task of judging the Members Advanced images. He was very complimentary about the high standard and said it would be difficult to judge this category. None the less his comments along the way were constructive and helpful for all the audience.
Roy then awarded his judges' award, a box of Maltesers, to Christine Frost for her image entitled "Caught in the Web".

All the high scoring images are shown below.

Brimstone on Scabious by Liz Akers 20

Caught in the Web by Christine Frost 20

Drone Fly on Teasel by Christine Frost 20

False Oil Beetle by John Kerr 20

Golden Bloomed Grey Longhorn by Andy Lowe 20

Just Plane Leaves by Roy Scrivener 20

Northern Brown Argus by Maureen Campbell 20

Raft Spider on the Water by Robin Orrow 20

Raindrops on Alchemilla Mollis by Di Jackson 20

Small Asian Tree Frog by Jan Murphy 20

Wood White by Geoff Lingwood 20

Backlit Lenten Rose by Andy Caws 19

Cabbage White Butterfly by Caroline Tillett 19

Dew on Moss by Tim Leonard 19

Fly by Andy Caws 19

Key Notes by Sue Baldwin 19

Nigella Seedpod by Pam Rutty 19

Nut Allergy by Graham Frost 19

Tuesday 9th April – Focus on Abstract/Still Life

A challenge to all members to take part in this Focus On, an evening where all those present are the judges and nominate their top 5 images. After many requests there were eventually 42 entries with a very wide range of subject matter. Members had certainly come up with some very creative ideas.
The top 10 entries are shown below.
After the break we were treated to an excellent wild life presentation from Dawn Osborn. She started with some still images and explained how she went about taking her images, many of which were from overseas. However she then showed a slideshow of images taken in the UK, including many  taken in Norfolk. The presentation finished with an amazing slideshow of penguins from the Falklands...now a destination added to several members bucket list.
All were blown away by Dawn's images and someone was heard to remark..."how can you make fungi look so exciting?" Well dawn certainly can!!

1st Glasses in a Glass by Tim Leonard

2nd Rainy Day in Norwich by Heather Ryder

3rd= Mothers Ruin by Andy Caws

3rd= Call of the Wild by Di Jackson

5th Drifts in Blue

6th I've Lost my Marbles by Martyn Anderson

7th Abstract Architecture by Andy Lowe

8th Carnation by Diana Graham

9th An Evening in Venice

10th= Shanghai Skyline with Reflections

10th= Dead Forest by Dawn Osborn

Wednesday 10th April - Hindringham Hall Gardens + Binham Priory

Twenty of us, including four very welcome guests, met up at Hindringham Hall Gardens for our first venue of the day.  Bright and breezy with a nip in the air we all set off to explore the many different areas in the garden.

Although early in the year there was plenty to see with the wonderful architecture of the hall surrounded by a complete moat: the walled vegetable and fruit garden which supplies fruit and vegetables for the house, areas filled with daffodils and early flowering shrubs, the water garden and a pair of black swans with their single cygnet.

As with most WDPC events, a visit to the cafe was enjoyed with delicious cakes and hot drinks before moving on to the second venue of the day Binham Priory.

This is a very impressive Benedictine priory with amazing ruins as well as the much larger priory Church of St. Mary and the Holy Cross.   We spent some time both exploring the ruins and enjoying the interior of St.Mary’s with its incredibly high timber ceiling, some beautiful wood carving and the 15th century eight sided, perpendicular font.  Lichens in the graveyard also proved to be a fascinating photographic subject.

Most of us were ready to return home apart from five of us that continued to our third venue - Wells-next-the-Sea where we enjoyed an early fish and chip supper!

Some of our images can be seen below:

Hindringham Hall from the Moat by Dawn Osborn

Drumstick Primrose by Tom Thurston

Never too Old by David Wilkin

The Pergola by Jan Murphy

View Across the Water by Andrew Barnes

Sempervivum by John Kerr

Black Swan by Sue Baldwin

Crown Imperial by Jim McConnell

Daffodils in the Breeze by Andy Caws

Hindringham Moat by Jeff Bowley

Hindringham Hall by David Wilkin

Honorable Retirement by Tim Leonard

Found his Niche by Di Jackson

Black Swan Cygnet by Jeff Bowley

Black Swan Pen with Cygnet by Tom Thurston

The Old Window by Sue Baldwin

Binham Priory Ruins by Dawn Osborn

Let the Sun in by Tim Leonard

The Old Funeral Cart by John Kerr

 Church of St Mary and the Holy Cross by Jim McConnell

Wood Carving Detail by Di Jackson

A Beautiful Day at Wells by Jan Murphy

Lobster Pots by Andy Caws