NEW ANGLE ON AWARDS

Fittingly, a new trophy awarded for the judge's choice of Best in Show at Leamington Spa Photographic Society's end-of-season competition has been won by an arts-related image. 

It is presented in memory of long-standing LSPS member Keith Roberts, who was the LSPS membership secretary for many years and was also chairman of the Leamington Spa Arts Society.

The Best in Show trophy, chosen by judge John Haines from the winning images in a total of ten categories went to 'Angles and Extensions' - a studio picture of a ballet dancer.  

The trophy will be presented to winning photographer Ester Riordan at the launch evening for the LSPS annual exhibition, which opens on Saturday April 25.

It seemed appropriate an award in memory of Keith, who died unexpectedly last year while on holiday in South Africa, came down to a final choice between Ester's arts-related photo and a landscape, which had been Keith's main photographic genre.

But visitors to the free-to-enter exhibition at Leamington's All Saints parish church, which runs until Sunday May 3, will have a chance to decide whether they agree – by voting for their own favourite picture.       

And there will be plenty to choose from, with more than 150 prints on display and 70-odd digital images being shown on a large-screen TV.

Subjects range from macro images to wide-vista landscapes, and include portraits, natural history and local scenes, both in colour and mono (black-and-white).

Of the images on display, John Haines, a Photographic Alliance of Great Britain accredited judge, remarked: "There have been some superb images, which made my job quite difficult. Full credit to LSPS for turning out such a high standard of work."  

And LSPS chairman Odie Evans said of the exhibition: "The quality and range of work produced by LSPS members seems to grow every year. Judges of competitions throughout the season have praised the high standard of images, so visitors to the exhibition should be in for a treat."   

With around 100 members, LSPS is one of the largest and most active photographic clubs in the Midlands, and has a number of special interest groups, covering interests as diverse as macro, nature, landscapes, portraiture and street photography.

The exhibition at All Saints in Victoria Terrace, Leamington, runs from Saturday April 25 until Sunday May 3, from 10.30am to 5.30pm except Sundays when it opens from midday until 5pm.

For anyone unable to attend, once it has opened, the images can be viewed online at lsps.org.uk where information about Leamington Spa Photographic Society can also be found.

The winning entries, which will be on show alongside other highly-placed and submitted images, are:

Club Level Digital Image: The Woman in the Gallery by Barry Coleman

Club Level Print: The Hunter Sets by David Child

Portrait Print and Best in Show: Angles and Extensions by Ester Riordan

Local Scene: Rain on the Parade 4 by Tim Evans

Open Print: The End of the Jetty by Odie Evans

Open Digital Image: Lantern and Smoke by Barry Coleman

Monochrome Print: Sanctuary in the Storm by Odie Evans

Natural History Print: Black Backed Vulture by Rob Musgrove

Natural History Digital Image: Red Kite Soaring Over The Trossachs by Hugh Matthews

Landscape Print: Fjord and Winter Trees by David Eaves