At Retford and District Photographic Society’s January meeting, Dik and Joy Allison presented their trip to the far south of Italy at Matera and Alberobello. Matera is a city of limestone caves, once notorious for its extreme poverty. In the early 1950s, it was labelled ‘the shame of the nation’, and the government evacuated its citizens, rehousing them in soulless, uniform buildings that destroyed their sense of community. However, some young people from displaced families saw Matera’s 1,000-year history as worth preserving. Today, visitors can stay in beautifully appointed caves in what has since been a European City of Culture.
Nearby Alberobello is renowned for its conical-roofed, circular dwellings known as trulli. Staying overnight in both locations allows visitors to enjoy them without the crowds of day-trippers. Following this pictorial tour, members shared some of their own images.
The society has also recently enjoyed two Zoom presentations, from Phil Savoie, an American nature photographer based in Wales who was invited to work on Life on Earth by Sir David Attenborough, and Karen Thorburn, a landscape photographer who has recently expanded into wedding photography.
The Panel of Three competition required entries to follow a specific theme and maintain a harmonious colour palette. Judge Ian Pinn advised capturing all three images on the same day and ensuring any horizons were aligned.
In the colour print category, Lee Dalgliesh’s Wild Kestrels impressed. Tom Coulson’s Sea Horses surprised the audience, featuring powerful images of horses galloping through the waves rather than the expected underwater creatures. Andy Stephenson also played with expectations – his Reds in Flight depicted red squirrels mid-leap rather than the Red Arrows. Tom took first place, with Lee and Andy sharing second.
Among six monochrome entries, one stood out. Entries are anonymous, but Lee Dalgliesh submitted a striking panel of his hands holding a pack of cards against a crisp black background. The creativity and execution drew murmurs of approval, and Ian declared it a clear winner. On another day, Tom Coulson’s owl series or Simon Carr’s lynx shots could have won, but they shared second place on this occasion.
For the 19 digital panels, Ian judged each set as a whole rather than individual images. He shortlisted eight, with familiar names reappearing. Lee’s Bearded Reedlings earned praise, securing joint second place with Tom’s grey seal series.
Joyce Bell’s digital panel, Haunted Faces, created an eerie atmosphere. Ian immediately awarded her 20 points. While judges typically reserve only one top score, he could not decide between Joyce and a new member, Kim Shapiro. Kim’s panel featured a beautifully ornate staircase, prompting Ian to award 20 points and joint first place, a decision met with enthusiastic approval.
The club welcomes new members at any time. Meetings continue every Monday evening at St Joseph’s Hall, Babworth Road, Retford, at 7.30pm until April. Further information can be found at www.retford-photographic.co.uk.
Image: Karen Thorburn