With very many thanks to our adjudicator, Glyn Paton

What a month it has been for wonderful photographs! Over 40 images, many of them excellent.  If this was a scoring competition half a dozen or so would have scored a 10 (Out of 10). The pictures are so good I’d like to add a “special mention” category for those images that are very high quality, but just didn’t make it into the top 4.

The Winner

Madrassah, Peshawar, Pakistan by Jo Kearney

What a story this image tells us. The open textbooks, with Arabic script, the wooden scratched and worn “desks”, the head wear, the out of focus children at the back. It really gives us an idea of what life in a Madrassa is like.  It is such a different world to our Western ideas of school, but the two boys at the front give a wonderful connection to us; humour. The boy’s cheeky smile and his friend sharing the joke, but looking down so as not to be part of his “cheekiness”.  Of course it’s that smile that makes the picture.  Brilliant

Highly Commended (In no particular order)

Monk sweeping, Angkor, Cambodia by Russell Millner

This image is tranquillity personified. The low angle makes for a fantastic view point, not just focusing our attention on the young monk and his robes, but also on the leaves and brush.  The photographer’s skill doesn’t stop there, what really elevates this picture is the way the background has been captured and handled. It is softly out of focus and the colours and tones harmonise perfectly with the image, as well as giving us details about the environment.  The icing on the cake is the small stupa shrine at the middle back.   It helps our eye as we journey through this wonderful image.

Fishing float weaver, Tien lu, Vietnam by Brian Houghton

There isn’t a lot to say about this image, as it is a relatively simple image.  There’s just the face, hands, and the fishing floats.  But it is all done so well, perfectly framed, lit and processed.  The smooth elegance of the fishing floats contrasts so well with the age weathered skin of the woman’s face and hands.  A classic photograph.  

Kazakh hunter with golden eagle, Mongolia by Theresa Bradley

Yes we’ve seen a lot of these Mongolian eagle and hunter pictures recently, but this is one of the best of its type, despite the strong lighting. The hunter isn’t on a horse, but somehow this gives the picture its originality.  The pose of the man, the intent expression on his face as well as his fantastic clothing and hat make this image stand out. The background mountains with snow, tells us so much about the countryside we are in.  Finally, the pose of the eagle, looking at his owner as if to say “where next?” Another great image with a great story.

Special Mentions to: (again in no particular order)

Icelandic goats near Modrudalur by Margaret Ann Hocking

Party time by Liz Bugg

Playtime, Bhamo, Myanmar by Neil Harris

Fishing boat reflected, Madeira by Barbara Vicary