By Noel Bunce
Pakenham Camera Club recently conducted its 2022 awards presentation evening, and later, it’s March open digital competition event at Meadowvale Retirement Village.
A longtime photographer of international standard Karen Gunn seriously reentered the competition fray in 2022 following a period of some four years where, she self-admitted, she had lost her ‘mojo’.
With just the odd club entry here and there in that period Gunn struggled to shake off the funk. But shake it off she did, claiming the Roy Berryman trophy for Photographer of the Year.
The entrant of the year and A Grade Aggregate awards also went her way.
Husband Wayne, always there about the podium if not atop it in club, interclub and national events was runner-up in the Entrant of the Year category.
Self-education that included paying for semi-private workshop tuition and stretching herself to tackle a wide variety of photographic genre saw Vikki Templeton rewarded for a wonderful first A Grade year with the runner-up trophy in the Photographer of the Year category.
Donna Edsall was another to reap rewards for hard work, dedication and an emerging artistic skill when she claimed the B Grade Aggregate and Image of the Year awards.
Club secretary Beth Farrall collected the Aggregate Runner-up award in this grade.
Now domiciled in Perth due to work commitments, Karl Pagenstecher’s mobile phone image Art Displayed as Art, a panoramic depiction of a club exhibition held at the Cardinia Cultural Centre early in the year, won the A Grade Image of the Year award.
First year, but highly talented, member Lindsay Muirhead took out the Eric Bell Memorial trophy for Portrait of the Year with his seductive black and white image Sienna, while Jenni Tanner a lover and devotee of special effects photography claimed the SFX crown with Living On The Edge.
Club president Linda Brown presented Helene Hudson with the Club President’s Award for her outstanding work on behalf of the club behind the scenes.
A wide array of photographic genre was among the 50 images presented to judge Nigel Beresford of Warragul to kick off the new competition year.
Straight off the bat, it was all hail and bow to the reining B Grade champion Donna Edsall, who claimed the A Grade win and Image Of The Month honours in her maiden event in the higher grade.
Edsall’s image My Time, a photojournalism come sports genre depiction of a lone surfer, did indeed prove it was her time in A Grade.
Two wildlife images, Parting of The Ways and Kaimanwai Stallions Fighting, gave Lindsay Muirhead the points to claim second and third respectively.
Such was the standard in the A Grade event five Highly Commended Awards were presented, the recipients being Kay Armstrong [Fiery Bloom], Linda Brown [Ethereal Bloom], Maria Bastin [Young Crimson Rosella], Wayne Gunn [Here’s Jonny] and Vikki Templeton [Lotus Glory].
For those attuned to Facebook there have been many amazing sunset images posted onto the various group pages during our spasmodic summer of and around the striking Seaford pier.
In entering her take on this seemingly famous Port Philip attraction, Katrina Wenzler became the second first time grade winner on the night.
Her image Summer In Seaford captured bathers and strollers enjoying the sunset and the water just to the left of the pier entrance.
Voices, a haunting image, maybe, but definitely a thought-provoking mental health study was presented by Fleur Dack. This strong capture, that gained second place, exhibits man’s inner battles with himself.
Competing in his first club event Rex Ryan completed the B Grade podium with Perfect Landing. Pond At Dusk also received a H/C for him, while Dack [St. Kilda Pier and Palais Theatre], along with Wenzler [Abandoned] also gained H/C awards.
