2010 League subject 'Seasons'

It may be my imagination fuelled by a recent visit to Westonbirt Arboretum but to me the colours of autumn seem more vivid than ever this year .So many people understandably choose autumn as their favourite season and I would guess many of those would be photographers. Keen to use the muted sunlight and stunningly rich colours it was no surprise that the majority of entries to the penultimate league competition were of autumnal trees and woodland scenes in glorious technicolour.
Sarah Finch found herself once more in the top five placings with “The Bells and the Bee”. Annie Winch and Annie Woodington critiqued the images and were full of praise for Sarah’s photograph which was perfectly composed, exposed and presented. Catching the foraging honeybee in action must have taken patience or perhaps it was a stroke of good fortune!
In fourth place was Delma Laker’s “Colour’s of the Fall”. A stunning study of lakeside autumnal trees and their reflections. Despite the grey and rather featureless sky, the viewer was instantly drawn to the powerful colours which Delma successfully framed in a creative way.
It was great to see Dee Langmead in the points with her third placed “Autumn Crop”. Dee had organized a trip to Brookland’s Farm with a few photography friends and her good deed paid off with the shot of the day. Dee has the enviable skill of seeing special shots and then capturing them in her own inimitable style.
Despite a lean start to the year Annie Woodington certainly made up time (and points) by securing both second and first place. Her “Buchaille in Winter” was a classic Annie shot; beautifully composed, delicate colours and sharp as a pin. Annie was able to critique her own image and pointed out a couple of aspects she would have changed, however most of us were quite content with the magnificent wintry scene.
It top place Annie’s image brought us full circle back to summertime. “Summer Mist” was taken in the early hours when the moist air clung to the Italian hillsides. Annie’s intelligent cropping made the eye follow a meandering tree lined stream into the distance. This image was a worthy winner and Annie’s maximum points this month has thrown open the final overall results of the league competition. The 2010’s final round “Seats and Benches” on the 24th November will be the decider.