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Stan McCartin, a well-known and very experienced camera club judge and lecturer in the Chilterns, has commented on several of our exhibition photographs that he has picked out.

Comments from Stan McCartin LRPS, CPAGB, APAGB

Again it's a pleasure to be able to see the exhibition and add some commentary. I'm not sure if I can provide much improvement advice this year as the photography is even better than before. I did study many of them in detail and honestly could not fault them. And there was no such thing as a poor image at all. The work is commendable.

So this year, as I decided to pick the images at random, my commentary is not necessarily my preferred images. That makes it a bit more fun!

As usual, I have chosen one image from each category and author, and I hope you enjoy them. Well done to all the PhotoGroup members who took the pictures, and to those who organised the exhibition.

Stan McCartin
 
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Caption Tring
Author A Strawn
Comment We looked at Tring when we were planning our move into the area and found the High Street very interesting with its variety of local shops and absence of high street chains. It remains similar today, as seen here with only the M&S sign breaking the norm. Also shown is the modern-day pavement parking in narrow streets. But let’s not complain if the alternative is to knock old buildings down and build a big car park! Regarding the photography, which is what we are supposed to be doing: a very colourful shot with good detail in both the shadow and highlight areas. Some evidence of HDR treatment perhaps, but good use of it unlike many photos that I see today where it is overdone. Like the S shape of the road in the composition.
   
 
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Caption Middleham Castle, North Yorkshire
Author B Hunt
Comment Good to photograph old castles in the UK before they too disappear to over-enthusiastic development. This is nicely lit and shown in the context of its environment. Maybe the hedgerow to the bottom left is a little too prominent and makes getting to the castle a bit awkward, but the red coat part way up the path helps us through.
   
 
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Caption Pylon standing tall, near Lilley, Herts
Author C Howe
Comment Marvellous feeling of the height and "power" of the pylon. Good strong sky and low lighting picking out the pylon and the cable spacers very well. I also enjoy the lighter bottom half against the darker upper sky. It all adds to the drama of the shot.
   
 
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Caption O2 Arena, London
Author C Smith
Comment Despite what we all thought and said about the Dome at the time, hasn't it become an icon of London? Maybe it was just built in the wrong place. Here we see it standing out well against the darker London backdrop. I did however, have a little bit of trouble identifying the buildings in this background but it didn't matter in the end as the main subject is quite clear. Liked the boats on the Thames and would have liked a crop to remove the bottom 1/4 to 1/3rd. Then it sings out as a wide cityscape.
   
 
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Caption Slough Bus Station
Author E Morton
Comment Of all the fine buildings in the UK I had to pick this! But hold on; this is a far cry from one's out of date impression of old Slough. And what a dynamic shot of an amazing structure. The blue and the green buses are in prime positions to tell what it is even without a title. Good colours and clear grey road and pavement areas, and I enjoy the streak of yellow leading to the blue bus. Verticals on the left are accurate but on the right lean out a bit. I'd say a small anticlockwise rotation would make this feel less sloped down on the right.
   
 
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Caption Some locals have displayed their artistic talents on a café in Hoxton Street, London
Author J Harrison
Comment I broke my rule and chose this because I've been to Hoxton; to the Jeffrye Museum. I walked through the old High Street area which was a market on that day. It seemed not to have changed in ages and I have since discovered that someone is trying to buy the whole area to redevelop. So I'm glad to see a part of its old character being preserved in pictures. We are shown a closed cafe despite its offering of breakfast, lunch, dinner and takeaways. I wonder what time of day this is. But it is the graffiti, the junk and the character to the left that tell the whole story. I wonder if a stray dog on the pavement to the bottom right would have completed the story even more.
   
 
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Caption Water Street, Lavenham
Author A Beck
Comment These old structures painted in vivid, or sometimes subdued and pastel colours, are always worth photographing. This one shows a pleasing four-square arrangement with equal interest in each "quadrant" and something in each window. The most important window is the bottom right where we see a red and a yellow car reflected, and copying the colours of the buildings. Would it have helped to have straightened the verticals? Enjoyed this one very much regardless.
   
 
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Caption Black and White seemed appropriate
Author J Hockey
Comment So this is a very symmetrical internal architecture shot. And very sombre too, assisted by the B&W rendering. Glad it's not where I live. Try following the lighting from the uplighters above the cell doors to the arches of the ceiling. The little square windows filling in the distance give hope that there is a big bright world out there. The people look like visitors which gives relief of sorts. I wonder if any of them walked down the stairs in the middle bottom of the pictures. That would have been the icing on the cake, but there is a good cake here, so to speak.
   
 
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Caption St Mary's Church, Wendover
Author J McGee
Comment Now then, St. Mary's in Wendover is a short walk for me and a very beautiful church building it is. I had the pleasure of photographing the Rotary Concert in November with the Military Wives Choir of Halton, the Gateway School Chamber Choir and the Band of the RAF Regiment in that church. A great concert as part of the Wendover Remembers year. And so to the picture which is a broad vista of the headstones with the church peeping out from the trees. Nothing wrong with that because we are led to it by the proudly flying flag set against a fine blue sky. I find the depth of the shot very pleasing as we start from the shadows and progress through the sunlit headstones, the fine variety of trees and eventually on to the church. The Wendover Society and the church would be proud to have this.
   
 
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Caption Stowe House
Author J Scafe
Comment My word how this shows Stowe in all its majesty and splendour. This is because the photographer has included a vast "scape" of foreground with well criss-cross mown grass and a sky with clouds to reflect the triangular structure on top of the pillars. Marvellous and nothing to recommend for improvement.
   
 
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Caption St John the Baptist, Little Missenden
Author K Hoffmeister
Comment A church that we park at to go for walks along the Misbourne. One day I might get as good a photo of it. I see that there appears to be some repair work going on in the grey section, but the three sections, receding as we view across from left to right, are an example of the evolving construction of the church. Look at the beautiful stonework to the right of the main door, the door itself nicely lit inside and the tower, very well defined in the sunlight coming from behind, left. Does it need the Vicar standing outside, or some of the congregation going in or out to give it a bit of life. Or is that fine strong sunlight enough? Your call on this one.
   
 
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Caption West Wycombe lake scene
Author M King
Comment I rather liked the arrangement of the growths on the water with respect to the building in the picture setting. I also smiled at the bright yellow, lit up by the sun on the building. It's one of the few really good pictures of these old structures which we also see at Stowe. Everyone has their own version and they are mostly quite similar, but this stands out because of the reflection with that well arranged rubbish which so many of us would have worked hard to avoid! Well done.
   
 
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Caption The ‘Walkie Talkie’, otherwise known as 20 Fenchurch Sreet, has an enclosed Sky Garden on the top levels, giving good views of London on a clear day. Entry is free, but places must be booked online in advance
Author M Parry
Comment I find out so much by judging other people's photographs and this is another find. I didn't know it was open to the public. What a grand view starting from the plants in the foreground over the café area and through the glass into the distance, all taken from an elevated viewpoint. Wish I was there, kind of shot. Photographically it has excellent lighting control, and lively colour and people content. The eye just keeps wandering around it. This should be a problem because there is no focal point, but I'd disagree with that because the picture is all about "scattered" interest.
   
 
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Caption Dinefwr
Author P Davis
Comment This is a view up an old castle tower I guess. It is simply a pictorial image which is well taken and deliberately symmetrical, or should I say concentrical. I feel that a bird in the sky or some other element would have given some completion to the image, so I read it as a sort of fun picture; looking round the structure trying not to fall over backwards! There are bits of grasses; the sky and clouds through the windows, and so on, but I'd still like a focal point.
   
 
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Caption Solva Lime Kilns
Author S Cook
Comment A part of history with much to tell if only they could speak. But here they are lying silent and forgotten. Well not quite as the photographer saw the opportunity to record the receding view with some restoration work going on in the leftmost kiln. A wee bit of light would have made this stand out more, but we all know the story, don't we. You can only work with the available light and so better to come a way with a good record like this, than not bother at all.
   
 
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Caption Edinburgh - Inside the Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Author S McCartin
Comment This is mine and so I will say nothing about the photo quality, and just recommend you to visit this recently restored gallery if you are ever in Edinburgh. It is magnificent and cost a fortune to "do up" as the locals say. And the restaurant is "exceedingly" good. A place to visit on a typically cold and rainy day.
   
 
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Caption Hurst lighthouse across the marshes east of Keyhaven on the Hampshire coast.
Author S Rodrick
Comment

I once had an ambition to visit and photograph all the lighthouses around the coast of the UK mainland. Never even got started. This picture is an inspiration. It seems odd to have calm water and marsh grasses around a lighthouse, but I imagine this calm is not as safe to shipping as it looks here. Very strong setting with these grasses in the foreground and the lighthouse so isolated. Lighting from the right hand side is ideal, and the shot needs nothing more to improve or complete it.

   
     
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Caption A mellow autumn evening in Bruton, Somerset. The Bow Bridge is a 15thC single-arch packhorse bridge over the River Brue. Packhorse bridges were small arched bridges, usually one-horse width, with very low parapets so as not to get in the way of the horses’ panniers. The two towers of the 14thC Church of St Mary, lit by the evening sun, appear in the background.
Author S Tripp
Comment The first thing I saw was the pub garden benches and I bet the pub was called the Pack Horse. However, back to the picture which does have a soft gentle warm sunlit atmosphere to it. There are foreground, mid-distance and distant elements in the picture which gives it good depth. A couple of minor improvements might be to rotate it so that the church tower is vertical, and if it was possible, to have separated the church a bit more from the building to the right. But I could happily sit in the garden admiring the roses on the iron fence and sipping an ale.
     
     
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Caption Old warehouse window in City of London
Author T Cherrill
Comment What can you say. The old twisted face must have been put there deliberately, and very well placed in among the antlers. What I appreciate most is the jaunty angle that it has been taken at. A little thought before pressing the shutter has given the impression that the photographer has engaged with the subject, and made it so much more interesting and more humourous. The rendering in B&W is appropriate and the light face works well. Top right is a little bit dark but not much of a problem really.
     
     
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Caption Seaside Guest Houses, Weymouth
Author T Hyde
Comment Very reminiscent of my holidays as a kid, when the landlady was a fearsome character. Lights out at 10 and all that. Nevertheless they were great holidays as this shot would suggest. Bright sun on the colourful canopies and warm enough to have a window open at the top right and people sitting outside, under the far red canopy. Verticals fall in a little bit at the left, but altogether a cheerful scene. Compositionally, it's well contained with the flower pots at the bottom right, then the eye running across to the end of the row of entrances, and that is exactly enough. What a pity; I see there are no vacancies in the nearest guest house. Maybe I'll get in at another one.
     
     
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Caption House sign, Muswell Hill, north London. Lettering carved in marble, Edwardian
Author  W Arthurs
Comment I suppose this shows a nice little piece of history about attention to detail and quality. The photography was pretty straightforward and is good use of the camera to record history while it still exists. The time of day was suitable with angled sunlight to reveal the detail of the carving, and accurate exposure to maintain the subtle colours of the marble and still retain the dark reds of the brick. However the brightness drops off as we scan from left to right so a touch of gradient filter used horizontally would have fixed this. Otherwise a nice clean image.
     
 

Flora & Fauna

 
 
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Caption Water Lily, Holmer Green, Bucks
Author  B Hunt
Comment Striking yellow centre to this water lily and very clear meniscus of water around the lower petals. The sharpness is excellent throughout the depth of the flower and particularly so in the centre and stamen areas. Curiously we see the underside of the flower reflected back up from the water which, although as a shadow, I find adds pictorial interest. My only little "whinge" if I may, is that I would have preferred the plant to have been slightly more to the right and down a bit because I think the leaves above would have been more interesting than the blank inky water. Still, it is great shot.
   
 
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Caption Ox Eye Daisies
Author K Hoffmeister
Comment Wild flower meadow comes to mind when seeing this marvellous view. If you look at the hill slope it is not unlike the signage/logo for the Chiltern Hills as it flows up and then down and almost up again across the picture from left to right. In this case an excellent sky with fluffies and higher cloud formation giving a fine end to the eye's travel from bottom to top. But the real beauty is that gentle sloping up, down and up horizon and the randomly scattered clusters of ox eye daisies. No improvement needed.
   
 
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Caption Marlow - narrow boat floral
Author T Hyde
Comment Interesting to use a potted arrangement in the Flora category, but quite appropriate because it’s on a narrow boat which makes sense in this part of the world. As we know, these boats are often highly decorated with flowers and colourful painting. The photography is more creative with the narrow depth of field giving us the impression of distance with the bridge and town in the background. Good thinking. Perhaps the life belt and other artefacts are a bit distracting but I suppose it is a boat and therefore what does one expect, eh!
   
 
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Caption Chenies Wildflowers
Author M Mee
Comment A great selection of flower photography from this author and my random choice is no exception. I have a passion for this kind of wild flower meadow and was lucky to catch the best of the one that existed in Wendover for just one year, several years ago. Here we have an insect's view, hovering at flower level and what a colourful selection we have. The composition is good with a peaking of height at the buds of the poppies not yet out, stretching the interest right at the top of the letterbox framing. A tiny bit of white on the right could have been removed to give us perfection. I can see that some of the flowers are out of focus, but to me, that is one of the strong points of the picture because it gives good depth. Smashing.
   
 
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Caption Leaf Harlow Carr
Author P Davis
Comment A solitary autumn leaf. It is always a challenge to choose a section from a woods autumn display of colours, and rarely do we see just one leaf. So it has to be a good leaf, or at least a life-like one as this is with its little bit of final stages at the furthest edge from us. Technically the handling of the light is spot on and the depth of field is well calculated giving full sharpness throughout the leaf and most of the stem. The detail in the leaf is well preserved and the framing carefully chosen. Not sure this needs any improvement and a good bold decision to do a single leaf.
   
 
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Caption Spring at St Paul's Walden Bury, Herts
Author C Howe
Comment Very pretty rural countryside image. Daffs and blossoms. And a creative low angle to exaggerate the daffodils and give a sweeping feeling as we look up the picture. Great lighting with dappled areas over the grass and backlighting to the flowers. I do love the hole right in the centre where we can see through to the sky beyond. Good strong colours. But no more saturation than this please. It’s usually in the greens that it goes too far, but here we have stopped just in time. Lovely, and one to make into a canvas for sale at a local craft fair. I'd buy it.
   
 
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Caption Dahlia
Author S Cook
Comment Beautiful flowers and this one in deep orange is no exception. A main flower supported by one on either side, out of focus, gives a pleasing arrangement and good depth. And of course the water droplets add sparkle to make a fine flower portrait. The dark background is a treat with just a few hints of green leaf, but with a stem that is annoying. I'd clone it out, or darken it to subdue to the tone of the rest of the background. The main flower however is nicely sharp from centre to edge of petals and that is where the strength of the picture lies.
   
 
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Caption Spring lamb, Bucks
Author C Smith
Comment Wee lamb as my parents apparently called me when I was much better behaved as a youngster. Into the sun, as we would always prefer, shows a nice halo around the body and a good deal is in focus, but not quite all of it. Its little eyes and nose appear sharp and that is the important thing. I enjoy seeing the well out of focus lambs in the background as it gives the picture an even more real life feel. Now just imagine if we had all of its front feet in, and if we cropped to a portrait of just the lambs. Then it becomes much stronger. Give it a try, at least the cropping.
   
 
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Caption Ashridge - Bluebell Head
Author Author: S McCartin
Comment Another of mine and this year I decided to do something different from just the bluebell carpet, and went for close ups. I must admit these were taken with a really good borrowed macro lens. Really difficult to get the bluebells motionless and I must have taken hundreds that day. Funny what I didn't see, because I was concentrating on getting heads sharp, like the distant out of focus bluebells aligned with the bluebell head at the top and so all the blues are together. Pity that whole background hadn't been green with maybe just the odd bit of blurred bluebell. Hey ho, try again next year.
   
 
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Caption Westonbirt Arboretum is well known for its autumn colour
Author M Parry
Comment Fabulous reds in these leaves, and unusually set against some still very green trees behind. Strange looking, but probably quite normal, delay in colour turning. Suitable lighting from above which is also backlighting a good number of leaves across the tree to give a depth and richness. As usual there is a branch in the way, at the top left, which just cuts across the red leaves and interrupts the crown shape. The right edge is a bit tight on the crop. Otherwise a very attractive tree.
   
 
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Caption Deer at Hughenden
Author J McGee
Comment Like most wildlife, these young deer, indeed any deer, move so quickly that by the time you've focused they've gone. Most of my deer pictures are of their tails as they vanish out of the frame. So here you have been quick and caught the thing motionless, or at least frozen it. Good positioning having the body to the left and good head position too. And you know what is coming next.....that blooming bit of grass just over its right eye. But nevertheless it is a great shot with that tree stump behind and the rough forest floor making it look all the more natural; as it was.
   
 
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Caption Water-lily leaves at Kew in December.
Author S Tripp
Comment More water lilies but no flower head. Makes a change and is interesting because of the colours of the leaves. Gradual ageing as we look from top to bottom and the most colourful being the one with the highlight right on the thirds. Well done for spotting this and bringing a new dimension to water lily pictures. In fact its appeal to me is the slight abstract nature of it.
   
 
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Caption Don't shoot into the light they say, but then …
Author J Hockey
Comment Quite right. I always try to shoot into the light in landscape photos and this one shows why. Great long shadows of the bare branches give a rushing set of lines towards the tree. Backlighting of the tree emphasises its branch structure. And the blue sky, deepening as we look away from the sun, darkens the corners perfectly. Good arrangement of the four dominant trees. Very nice indeed.
   
 
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Caption Time to fly
Author J Scafe
Comment I had to pick this one despite my random choice plan this year. It is just so appealing, not because I love watches, but because of the position of the ladybird; right where the winder is or should be. Its bright red colouring works wonder with the greys of the watch and the paler skin colour. I guess this was a bit of luck and not set up. But if it was, don't tell anyone! Great macro photography.
   
     
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Caption Robin
Author A Beck
Comment Nothing wrong with a good old robin picture. Just like the bluebell woods, the public love these and buy the pictures. This one is shot from below with great lighting on the side of the head, making it stand out against the green of the tree behind. Strong composition with that big V shape coming from the bottom left. Sky is a bit bright but there wasn't much you could have done about that except maybe in post processing. And doesn't it just have that cheeky robin expression.
     
     
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Caption Adam's Farm, Gloucestershire
Author T Cherrill
Comment I looked at all these farm pictures and every one is full of fun. I think these geese, with their necks leaning in the same direction as the grasses, make for a dynamic picture and although all is sharp you can feel motion as they waddle through the long grass. Nice clusters of dogweed (forgive my ignorance if it's something else) add to the strong diagonal composition from bottom right to top left. And although not strong lighting, the contrast and vibrance are excellent. My favourite so far.
     
 

Heritage

 
 
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Caption Dry Stone Wall, Derbyshire
Author S Cook
Comment

Must be one of the most often seen examples of an old skill. Amazing things that stay up without mortar in the strongest of winds. Alongside the wall is often, as here, a footpath which combined with the wall, give strong lead lines through the picture. Notice that they take us from the shaded foreground into the sunlight and up towards the trees in the distance. I wonder if these lines would have been more effective if the shot had been taken from the grass between the wall and the path. This would have given a diagonal line from each of the bottom corners. But that is another picture, and maybe it would not have shown the wall as much as this does.
   
 
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Caption London Eye
Author C Smith
Comment It was built to last for only the year of the Millennium and look at it now, some 16 years on and still going round. There must be millions of pictures of it in cameras and phones around the world. So whilst not an old item of heritage, it will become so in time. Good angle in this picture with all the spokes nicely criss-crossed against a perfect sky background. Exposure very well handled, keeping in most of the detail of the white structure.
   
 
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Caption Tape reading machine, Bletchley Park
Author T Cherrill
Comment Very much a piece of heritage now, but I must admit I used this stuff when I was a young man just starting out on my career in computers. This machine looks much more complex than the ones I operated, and it makes a great photo. B&W is all we need, and in fact it gives the shapes better definition. I also note the care taken to keep the horizontals parallel except for where the tape moves upwards or downwards. And a nice choice of positions of the four main wheels. Luckily I don't see any bugs in this system. Did you know that these tapes had a variety of up to eight holes across, each variant representing a character, number or symbol. And the hole at the end of the row was called the "parity bit". This was either punched or not punched to give an odd or even number of holes across the tape depending on whether the system used was odd or even parity bit checking. The reason was in case an error in punching or reading occurred. The holes would therefore not add up even or odd and so the machine would stop with a "parity bit fail" error, and the operator would take the tape out and check the holes. Of course if there was a double error it would compensate for the parity check and not fail the test. Sorry about that big diatribe, but it brought back fond memories.
   
 
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Caption Chelsea Tea Party
Author M Mee
Comment This really made me laugh and laugh. Are these jammy dodgers real? They look so big. And so does the teapot. And so do the sugar cubes. What a great British heritage, the drinking of tea. Seen here at some part of the Chelsea Flower Show I presume. You've done well to get so much colour and brightness into the shot as it is inside, and with muted lighting through a translucent roof. Big depth of field too. Altogether well captured and it has put me in the mood for a cuppa right now.
   
 
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Caption The lichen encrusted statue of an unknown Highlander stands atop the monument at Glenfinnan to mark the spot where Bonnie Prince Charlie came ashore in August 1745 to lead the final Jacobite uprising to claim the throne of England and Scotland for his father the 'Old Pretender'.
Author S Rodrick
Comment Fits the category well and gives a good sense of the height of the statue. The lichen actually gives a bit of colour to what must have been a pretty grey stone before. A little more light, maybe from fill-in flash, might just have livened up the lichen a bit.
   
 
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Caption Blyth
Author J Scafe
Comment Looks like a very old photo with the tug boat belching out smoke and the old ship on the left. Nonetheless the balance of the small pier and the boat works well and the tones look smoothly separated. Miserable weather, but very interesting. Didn't really want it in colour did we? Or could we have? Was colour film invented then?
   
 
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Caption Edinburgh Fringe posters
Author A Beck
Comment We visit Edinburgh for the Fringe every year and love it. It is a riot of posters and this shot is an example. Being able to read most of them is important, or not being able to read any and just getting a feel of it would also be fine. My only suggestion to liven this one up a bit would be to have had someone standing looking at them, or a blurred figure walking by, to give a sense of scale.
   
 
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Caption British Horse Guard
Author J Hockey
Comment Yes, nice. Straight on and very still. Fabulous heritage example. Look at the brass shine, the clean white band, the red and the two eyes just visible. The stare is magic. Suitable grey background to allow these features to stand out. I also like the head and shoulders portrait crop because it concentrates on some, but not all, of the guard.
   
 
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Caption Henry Moore sculpture, Wisley RHS
Author B Hunt
Comment A bit of a change in photographing a sculpture: from the back. But a calculated viewpoint. We see what the sculpted figures see and enjoy the view with them. Good bright clean photograph taken in exactly the right position to get the fountain between the couple. Don't mind the blue and red coated couple to the right, but the red gardening truck is unfortunate. Now if you had used the sculpture to hide it, then fine, but you would have missed the fountain. So let’s leave it at that.
   
 
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Caption Graffiti galore alongside canal under Overground Railway bridge in Hackney, London
Author J Harrison
Comment The disorienting effect of the graffiti is fun. Is this a flat wall made to look tiered, or is that canal bank really there? It's at the mouths on the left where it goes awry, if I read it properly. Anyway a good take with that lovely old steel bridge top left giving relief from the illusion. Nice bright contrasty image with good proportions of light and dark. Who wants a duck in the water at the bottom right corner? No, I think I'd prefer an abandoned supermarket trolley!
   
 
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Caption B12 8572 approaching Weybourne on the North Norfolk Railway
Author K Hoffmeister
Comment Not just the steam locomotive, but also the signals and signal box show a fine piece of heritage. This one is awfully clean isn't it. Look at the reflection on the black front and on the side of the tender. A well composed picture with great colour and even the subtle puffs of smoke from both the top, and down at the front bogey. Love the green engine contrasting with the red carriages.
   
 
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Caption Pann Mill - River Wye at High Wycombe
Author T Hyde
Comment I doubt if these old mills could have produced enough flour to keep today's population in bread. So good to preserve them to let future generations see how food was "processed" in days gone by. A warm sun, giving a richness to the lighting, is evident here and good brightness ranges in the wheel and building. Taken from a position where we are invited to walk along the grass road to the mill. Corners held in well with bits of trees and the bench, again drawing our attention to the mill. Not much could improve this one.
   
 
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Caption Hadrians Wall - Part of the path walk along the wall
Author S McCartin
Comment We walked this wall in April in glorious weather. Misty mornings and sunny afternoons. This one clearly shot right into the sun and fully burnt out, photographically speaking, at the top left. However the misty hills were real mist just about burnt off, meteorologically speaking, as it was approaching midday. I always stop and look back as in this view. I liked the sweeping curve of the wall and the elevated viewpoint. But oh that sun!
   
 
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Caption May Day Morris dance at Red Lion, Penn
Author M King
Comment I do find Morris Dancing a fascinating piece of cultural heritage, and very entertaining. I would rue the day if H&S were ever to deem it unsafe! Very colourful with the background just out of focus. Pity we didn't have a man in the middle, where there is a slightly bigger gap, or even if that woman spectator had been in the gap. But so well timed. Look at the synchronised footwork too.
   
 
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Caption Knowlton Church, Dorset
Author E Morton
Comment A very stark gritty image in photographic terms, probably due to the strong directional sun. Plain simple colours in the grass, sky and building. Framed with great precision and unarguably a technically perfect shot. Is the tiny bit of tree on the left a niggle, once you see it ?
   
 
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Caption A modern wooden sculpture, called the Journey, showing the coffin of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne being carried by 6 monks
Author M Parry
Comment I always think that when photographing sculptures it is important to show as much of the modelling of the sculpture with the available light, plus some fill in flash if appropriate, and to show something of the setting. This is all well done here, and the bluish light from the flash or other source cannot be helped. If anything it introduces another tint to some parts which makes the picture more interesting. The title is also important as we see here.
   
 
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Caption Young fireman shovelling coal on the Keighley to Oxenholme Steam Railway. I was lucky enough to get a ride on the footplate and he explained how you had to carefully throw the coal evenly to all corners of the fire. When not busy stoking he was gazing at the pressure dial which he had to keep just below 200 (psi, I think.) Too low and there would not be enough power, too high and the engine would let off steam.
Author S Tripp
Comment A young lad's dream: to get a lift on the footplate of a real steam train. And let's face it we're all young lads about this. Smashing red glow from the coals and yellows from the flames. We also see these colours reflected in the fireman’s face. All the other gubbins are well defined by the light from the opposite window. I suppose if anything, I'd like to have seen a bit more of him, but the picture still supports the story perfectly.
   
 

Landscape

 
 
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Caption An Isle of Wight stitched study in blue
Author J Hockey
Comment A study in blue it is. Even the boy's T-shirt is blue and he's sitting in a good position, right on the rise of the kerbstone, to be looking out to sea. The stitching is well done with no evidence of joins, and I think the wavy and uneven foreground is true, even if it looks a little odd. Now then, that boat in front of the boy is fine, but would it have been better if it had been over to the left, balancing with the boy. Not a big problem because we have a very bright sail which balances quite nicely anyway.
   
 
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Caption The Cobb at Lyme Regis
Author Q Barrett
Comment Super big sweep to this harbour wall with some waves crashing right at the focal point. We go from a dark corner at the foot of the steps, out over shining wet stones and into the light and to the last wave. Also very fitting, is the coastline in the misty distance. It looks like a wide angle because of the slope to the steps but who knows. Notice the sun kissing the top three steps, and the control of the lighting in the shadows. Very pleasant indeed. Should have entered it into Charlie Waite's Landscape Photographer of the Year!
   
 
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Caption The obelisk in Tring Park
Author J Scafe
Comment I think this is in the little known Tring Park which I only visited for the first time in April this year. I was surprised at the size and natural beauty of the park and this is one of the footpaths obviously leading to one of the monuments. Looks very cold here, or maybe just cool colours. But a very distinct swirling composition of dark trees which speed us through to the bright clear monument. It's like a vortex of trees with their shadows drawing us through in an anticlockwise direction. Very strong image indeed.
   
 
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Caption Bay, Llanddwyn
Author A Beck
Comment Idyllic scene. One for a postcard or travel brochure as we are compelled to walk up the path on the right and join the hiker to enjoy the view. Although probably a freezing cold wind, it looks warm. It is strong wind; look at the length of the rollers, and the bent over grasses. Diagonal line of composition from bottom left is also leading us to the hiker, and the change in rock colour from black to light grey adds some drama. Altogether a smashing landscape. To win big competitions though this is too tame; we would need to have had a family of golden eagles fighting over a wee lamb on that peak instead of the peaceful hiker. Only kidding .
   
 
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Caption Freshwater Bay, IoW
Author B Hunt
Comment Wow! Feel the sea spray. Hear the waves break. Smell the freshness of the coast. And wrap up warm and dry if the sky is anything to go by. Full of life this image, with waves breaking, splashing up and swirling round this group of fishermen. I do hope they had a good catch after enduring this. But it looks like a lot of fun to me. And the photography; tip top with good brightness, contrast, sharpness, lighting and atmospherics. A few shark fins would have helped.....now we're just being silly! Loved this.
   
 
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Caption Dunstable Downs
Author K Hoffmeister
Comment Before I forget, did you see the hang glider on the right? A contrast in flight style to the grounded gliders, which of course is the point of the picture. They do look good stretching from the leftmost wing tip right across the frame. The people add some colour and life, and the tyre tracks on the right provide a change in the texture of the grass nicely. Are they all waiting for that formidable sky to clear up before they take off? A bright, well lit scene with a hint of excitement.
   
 
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Caption On the Thames below Winter Hill
Author T Hyde
Comment Another idyllic setting which makes us want to be there. Strong points are the yellow towel in prime position, the varied lighting on varieties of trees, and the beautiful house in the background. I wonder if the author lives there. Weaker points; well only one: the grasses at the bottom left. Small point though. I could look at this for ages.
   
 
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Caption Tring
Author A Strawn
Comment Lone tree in winter looking very cold and bleak. Lovely in monochrome but it could also be colour. The birds at the top of the tree add a fantastic element of spookiness. I would like to see this a bit brighter even if this is exactly how the lighting was. It would be a different image with a different mood to it. So maybe you have two pictures from the one image.
   
 
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Caption Westward over three trees near the Wye valley, Herefordshire
Author C Howe
Comment Someone knows how to shoot a great landscape because all the images here are excellent. So for a change, my commentary applies to them all with some individual nuances. Fabulous lighting and great skies, ranging from calm and subtle to dramatic. Strong composition with powerful lines, particularly in the first three images. Atmosphere is present and quite different in all images. We could go on and on. What an outstanding set of landscapes.
   
 
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Caption Loch Goil
Author S Cook
Comment Reflections never fail to please, especially on almost still water like this one. Very simple, single shape to the content as it runs from right to left, and then you go back and run through it again. White houses identify the horizon clearly and the light on the land to the right of the houses is wonderful. Colours are great but in my opinion just a little too saturated on the lit up area. The rest is fine.
   
 
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Caption Isle of Harris beach
Author C Smith
Comment Isolated land. Lone figure. Curved path of shallow water leading us to the more intense sea and mountains, with that one big cloud so well placed. Isn't the snow beautiful. And here again we could have two pictures; this one and the top half only as another one. It would be a wide letterbox and works really well if you crop exactly half way up.
   
 
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Caption View towards the Vale, Chesham
Author T Cherrill
Comment Easy on the eye picture. Calming and restful, and we can hear the horses munch the grass. Nice foreground, middle distance and background structure. Might be just a touch light, and maybe we don't need the title in the image.
   
 
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Caption The Ridgeway
Author M Mee
Comment Here is another set of landscapes which are excellent, although the night shot doesn't quite fit my definition of landscape, and some are slightly over-saturated. But let this not detract from some very fine images. All with great lighting and different moods and atmospheres. This one shows a weather front with a column of heavy rain, or is this the vortex of a great "twister". Whatever it is, it adds serious drama to the already dramatically lit foreground. Good stuff.
   
 
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Caption Ben Dorrain as seen from the south. The West Highland line and West Highland Way wind around its base on their way to the next stop at Bridge of Orchy.
Author S Rodrick
Comment Very typical of the West Highlands with conical hills (known as Bens) and clusters of firs in the valley. This is a lovely part of the West Highland Way with easy walking and a nice hotel at Bridge of Orchy. Watch out for midges in the autumn. A well structured landscape with ideal lighting and a nice little bunch of colourful ferns in the bottom left corner. This would make a great print on textured paper.
   
 
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Caption Waterfall Brecon Beacons
Author P Davis
Comment I like the way the waterfall is echoed by the tall flower and the way the flower gives a huge depth to the picture. And the strange effect of having two focal points is novel. Lighting is nice and soft and we can see into the shadows quite comfortably. My only suggestion for improvement is to introduce more sparkle into the waterfall. Where it hits the bottom is good but the fall is a slightly dull. The portrait format for landscapes is often forgotten and this shows us why we should always consider both.
   
 
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Caption Northumbria - Hawthorn on a cold misty April morning
Author S McCartin
Comment As mentioned in the Heritage category, here is the cold misty morning somewhere in the wilds between Carlisle and Newcastle. Craggy old hawthorns without leaves. So bleak, but to a photographer, so beautiful. I wish a hare had bobbed into the bottom left!
   
 
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Caption Wendover Canal walk
Author M King
Comment I broke my rule again and selected this by choice and not randomly because I live in Wendover, and have walked here many times, but never taken a photo. Now I see what I was missing. The long shadows of the low sun in autumn. Leaves in green and yellow on the trees, and red and brown on the ground. Lovely rich and cheerful autumn scene. Now then; is that me in the picture, with no camera? No, you'd never catch me without my camera. Just need to use it more often.
   
 
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Caption Bude Harbour at low tide
Author M Parry
Comment A much more open and unorganised harbour scene. The distribution of boats is always the crucial issue with harbours and the three coming in from the bottom left are super. The dry and wet sand colours give a good contrast and the flag on its pinnacle of rock leading us out to the waves, finishes it all off fine. Now you'll hate me for this but....there is a muddle of boats just on the inside left which spoils it a bit and I suspect a slight move to the left could have displaced them. Or of course the usual Photoshop cloning out, the answer to everything.
   
 
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Caption Glen Shiel
Author J McGee
Comment A fine robust landscape indeed, with real mood to it. Looks as if the rain was "batterin doon" either before or after. Lovely splashes of colour from the hardy plant growth and very lively blue water. The tree island makes a great subject and it is well shown in its setting on the loch. Sky a bit too contrasty as the white clouds are looking a bit overdone. But, all in all, a fine picture for some hotel near there to buy.
   
 
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Caption Descent from Dunkery Beacon. Typical vegetation.
Author S Tripp
Comment A good vista of this moorland walk with rich heather colours and wild grasses. This looks to be almost as good a place to walk as our Chiltern Hills, or is it maybe even better? Wash your mouth out with soap! There is no bad place to walk really, is there? The "rule perfect" composition with its lead-in path and subject on the thirds proves that these rules work. The long gradual walk from foreground right to the far beyond hills give an inwards "scape" to the already wide landscape, if you see what I mean. No improvement needed.
   
 

Other

 
 
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Caption Raining in Lums Yard, Chesham
Author T Cherrill
Comment It's a change to see a happy rainy scene, and this looks like it is accompanied by "Singing in the Rain". Even the character further along seems to be dancing. Well balanced composition and full brightness range makes this a rainy delight.
   
 
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Caption Messing about in a boat between Marlow and Henley.
Author S Rodrick
Comment A toff's paradise I guess. And not even to bother to use oars where an outboard motor will do is not quite in the spirit of things for this part of the Thames. Notice how the proudness of the neck of the boat is in keeping with the jolly sailors. I guess this picture had to be taken, but I'd have shouted over to them to get a wave back. Then it would have been even more fun.
   
 
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Caption Love is ....
Author P Davis
Comment Very good idea and so well executed. Attention to detail is the key to completing a great idea. Outstanding photography finishes this idea off well. Ingenuity and creativity at their best.
   
 
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Caption Blackpool steps shadows
Author M King
Comment A real twist to the usual pictures of patterns and this brings the older idea right up to date. Look for something different and you have made an old idea competitive again. It's about the stepped shadows and diagonals. Red coat very suitable and the pool of blue water adds a final element. There's not much in this but you could look at it for ages.
   
 
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Caption Cruciform Sculpture by Gerry Judah, St. Pauls
Author E Morton
Comment This must be the weirdest sculpture that I've seen in a church. It has been well photographed but I need to see it even closer to make out more of the finer parts. Good photography; strange subject. [Two cruciform sculptures were installed in St Paul’s in 2014 to reflect the horrors of warfare. On the arms of the cross are intricate models of contemporary and historical settlements decimated by conflict. Ed.]
   
 
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Caption These children were suitably dressed for the occasion, and having a wonderful time in one of the water features in Alnwick Garden, Northumberland
Author M Parry
Comment The colours of the children’s clothing makes this jump with life and fun. Well framed with the ferns along the bottom and top cropped off to remove unwanted distraction. Now they are both looking in the same direction. What if they had been looking in different ways? Just another thought.
   
 
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Caption International womens' cycle race, Cryers Hill, Bucks
Author B Hunt
Comment Got this one just right. Full of cyclists and perfectly headed up by the leader in red. The triangular shape of the group getting smaller in size as we look along them is smashing. The observers with the Union Jack tell the rest of the story. I know this hill and it is a bit of a challenge on a bike so I can feel the effort of those riders. Can't add anything but praise here.
   
 
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Caption Transport hurries on through the rain at night on M40 near High Wycombe
Author J Harrison
Comment Most unusual photo, and very exciting. Following lorries in the rain and spray. Look at the content and atmosphere; dark blues and bright reds with the glare of on-coming headlights; a couple of yellow reflectors. Night-time, danger, speed and fear all give us the feeling that we know too well. Despite this not being taken on a tripod for greater stability (joke), it is of quite acceptable quality as nothing was very clear in reality anyway. So this is a story about the circumstances; the moment of overtaking. But what I like most is the pictorial impact. I could see this in the reception hall of Eddie Stobart's head office, or perhaps in a modern docklands £5M flat. Very new idea and a great one too. In fact if I had to pick a favourite out of all in the show, this would be it.
   
 
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Caption Horse Show at Chenies Manor
Author K Hoffmeister
Comment Yes, a smashing shot taken at the critical moment when the horse is almost at the peak of the jump. We can see the rider's face clearly and there is an appeal about the matching blues. Good angle and good sunlight make this a winner and I'm sure the jockey would be proud to have it.
   
 
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Caption Summer at the Seaside
Author T Hyde
Comment Great fun. Magic sparkle on the waves. Sweet holding of hands and good colour in the clothes. Very nice indeed. Watch out for sharks!
   
     
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Caption Lerwick
Author S Cook
Comment Wow ! Right in the water beside the subject and a ship nearby. Very realistic feel to all of this and scary with that deep blue and menacing look about the wave. Oddly enough you have managed to form a great composition despite struggling to stay afloat in the deep and keep your camera dry. My suggestion is to make the colour temperature a bit colder to reflect how it might have felt in there. But very interesting image, and very competitive.
     
     
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Caption A modern chandelier
Author J Hockey
Comment One of three chandeliers and each one quite curious. An artistic angle to this one, and the other, brings the light to life even though it appears not to be alight except in the centre. Well photographed.
     
     
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Caption Taking a break in Soho
Author Q Barrett
Comment There are so many lost opportunities - by the time you get the camera out, the moment has gone. But not here, with each character expressing a very different face. I love the one on the right; "Will I have another coffee or not?" Marvellous.
     
     
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Caption Going Home
Author J Scafe
Comment The loyalty of the dog. Dragging a dirty old stick to please its owner, who in turn will please the dog by throwing it away again. But a peaceful monochrome country walking picture, taken into the light with a touch of misty distance. Very nice.
     
     
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Caption Dressage by the sea
Author A Beck
Comment I reckon it isn’t dressage, but the horse leaning into the wind and the rider not too chuffed about the weather either.You can't fool me you know! It's a pity that the legs are a bit like he's had a few, and we've lost the back right leg. Poor lighting renders the rider a bit of a dark lump in the centre of interest. However the sea, sky and horizon are fine.Shame about the subject really, but it is a bit of fun and nearly time for all of us to have a few and celebrate Christmas and the New Year. Cheers everyone!