Lockdown Through the Lens
Cranleigh Photography Competition
Well done to everyone who submitted photos into the competition. Judging is always hard and, of course, super-subjective. If you didn’t win or weren’t highly commended remember that it’s just my humble opinion. If you like the photo then it is a ‘good photo’.
Just so you know, I didn’t look at age, gender or house when judging. I put all the photographs into a single folder and judged anonymously.
I really enjoyed looking through all your photos as it reminded me of the old adage that the best camera is the one you have on you. Photography helps us to better see and interpret the world in which we live. You have an incredibly powerful and convenient camera on your pocket. Look up and use it!
Keep snapping away everyone and feel free to email me if you need any help with any aspect of taking better photographs.
Category 1
The Photograph that best captures a specific feature of lock down.
WINNER
Polly Rogers Dixon - Lockdown Connection
This image really captures the feeling of being at home during Lockdown. Trying to find a place to do your online lessons, distractions everywhere, pets loving life with all their humans around all the time, randomly lying on the floor because, well, why not? The strong lines and bold colours are great and I LOVE that look! I kept coming back to this photo again and again. A great shot.
See https://www.martinparr.com/ for more seemingly random images that are very hard not to look at for ages!
Highly Commended
Kitty Sheppard - Untitled
This image feels other-worldly, a bit beaten up, harsh, cold and bleak; just like lock down.
Not another walk (STC)
We really have walked a lot. For many it is and remains the only form of exercise but at times it did and does feel like a chore; a feeling perfectly summed up by the the person at the back of this line of walkers! Great!
Tyrhwitt Drake - Farmers for the NHS
Whether it was clapping on our doorstep every Thursday or ploughing your field, our appreciation for those who work in the NHS was never greater than in 2020.
Jacopo Bounous - Frozen Desert
Never has snow been more welcome! A lovely shot and good to see a photograph not taken from eye-height.
Lily Brewer - The View
You can feel the cold in the image. Everything is grey except that red sledge. Good to see a wide angle too. The light, temporary relief that the snow brought us all was perfectly timed.
Zubin Chinwala- Freedom In Contrast To What The World Is Facing Now.
Dogs running towards the camera are not easy to photograph so well done on that! The freedom of the dog’s movement with the strange coloured ‘grass’ encapsulates so much of what lockdown as meant for many of us: Strange (red grass?!), pets (they’ll miss us when we all go back to work/school), walks (SO many!) and freedom (or lack of!).
Rosie Stokoe - Stokoe Parents Going Mad
Nothing to see here! Just parents going mad (but smiling for the camera like it was completely normal). We’ve all gone a little bit mad over lockdown!
Helen Holyoake - Thank God for dogs in Lockdown
Absolutely right! We have all learnt a new and deeper appreciation for our canine friends over lockdown. Lovely colours on this set-up shot. Would have benefited from tighter framing to remove the green at the top and only show the leaves.
Category 2
Most Emotive Photograph
WINNER
Amelia Cook - Grandparents in Lockdown
Not being able to see friends and family has been one of the hardest aspects of lockdown for so many people. None more so that grandparents who have had to settle for waving from windows. The tight crop of this image also speaks to the confinement of lockdown. An image that is both happy and sad at the same time. (PS - get those verticals vertical and horizontals horizontal next time!)
Highly Commended
Anna Stingemore - 90th
Zoom, Teams, Meet. Who knew that they would become integral to the way we communicate with each other? Not an easy thing to photograph but the screenshot encapsulates these video calls well. Haphazard but organised, together but apart, celebratory but inherently sad. The only way we have been able to ‘be together’ during lock down.
Felicity Harrison - Hope
Even whilst the world isn’t as it should be, there is always hope. Lovely use of the distortion in the reflection juxtaposed against the strength and stability of the cross and window frames.
Category 3
Most Imaginative Photograph
WINNER
Robbie Mould - Phases of Lockdown
Great use of multiplicity or sequence photography; not an easy thing to do. Great composition, well thought out and really shows what it is like to be in lockdown. Impressive.
Highly Commended
Archie Prior - Literal
If we’re honest, we’ve all had our beer goggles on a little more over lockdown! Great idea, just think a little bit harder about the framing of the photograph next time (do we need to see what is under the table?) and trying playing around with the point of focus too.
Sadhbh Stingemore - Stingemore Groundhog Day
Lovely use of the Pano function (I think!) with more multiplicity that illustrates the other-worldliness, confinement and mundanity of life in lockdown.
Category 4
Most Technically Impressive Photograph
WINNER
Jacqui Birrell - Untitled
Pin sharp focus, gorgeous soft tones, lovely composition and a very well trained dog!
Great shot!
Highly Commended
Will Copson - Untitled
Dark, cold and moody, greatly aided by the shallow depth of field. Also, really great to see a photograph from an angle other than standing eye height.
Very well done.
Category 5
Most Visually Appealing Photograph
WINNER
Scarlett Goodburn - Beach Walk
I kept coming back to this photograph over and over again as I made the tricky decision as to who should win this category. It’s a really unusual composition, aided by the portrait/vertical ratio of the camera phone. There is movement in the dog’s tail but it is also in focus and the colours are balanced and soft. Extremely pleasing to the eye!
Highly Commended
Rafe Buxton - Deserted early morning River Thames
A close second! Lovely composition and use of the lines in the paving. Straight horizontals and lovely colour balance. I’d imagine this would be full of rowers if it wasn’t for lockdown so it fits the brief too. Lovely shot!
Jamie Atkinson - Anyone for a game of football?
I love how this photograph has been framed, it’s subtle lighting and the horizon is straight too!
Ernest Lacharnay-Deverley - Untitled
Such an unusual photograph (in a good way!). Eery light, a feeling of cold desolation with the hope of warmth from the glowing light. A great composition.
Well done to all the other entries; I really enjoyed seeing all your work.
Photography competitions are really tricky because it’s just my opinion and who really cares what I think? You shouldn’t. If you love the photograph then it is a ‘good photograph’.
Keep snapping away everyone and remember; feel free to email me if you need any help with any aspect of taking better photographs.
Here are all the other entries…
