Photographic Competition
The results of a photographic competition to capture the best of Richmond across the seasons have just been announced. Established to encourage residents and visitors to reflect on the unique qualities which led the town be voted ‘Great Town of the Year 2009’, the competition attracted an entry of over 200 photographs and made the selection of the final category and overall winners particularly challenging.
The organisers – Richmond Online and The Station, supported by publicity organised by Colin Grant, Town Centre Manager – were seeking to encourage people to tell their own stories of the best of the town through their own eyes. Richmond Online, the most visited Richmond web-site of all Richmonds throughout the world, has long wanted to encourage more people to contribute to the on-line gallery, whilst the Station sought to use its showing of the ‘Richmonds of the World’ exhibition last autumn to encourage residents to think about the features of the town of which they are proud and which would interest people in other Richmonds. The joint promotion of the competition was the result.
The overall winner of the Senior section was Richard Laidler with his striking silhouette of the castle and surrounding skyline, whilst the 14 and under section was won by Elliot Mort of Richmond with his view of Frenchgate in Autumn. Photos by Barbara Gravenor, Jason Wilson, Stephanie Woodcock and Richard Laidler won the seasonal section categories for Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn.
A full list of winners and a large selection of the photographs entered can be viewed by visiting www.richmond.org.
The two overall winners will have their photographs printed and framed to A3 size and will join the expanding ‘Richmonds of the World’ collection, to be seen by people in four continents as the exhibition visits other Richmonds over the course of the next three years.
Andrew Russell of Moonburst who manages the on-line website said,’ We have been very pleased with the response to this effort to get more people showing what’s great about our town. We are very grateful to Garry Brannigan of The Digital Dawn for taking on the onerous task of leading the judging.’ Jim Jack, spokesman for the Station, added,’ In the light of the popularity of the competition, we will be looking at another opportunity in the year to come to focus on the strengths of our town through the lens of the camera.’
The awards were presented at the Station on 21st January.
Photo Competition Winners
15 & Over - Overall Winner:
Richard Laidler ‘From Swaledale at Dawn’
14 & Under - Overall Winner:
Elliot Mort ‘ View of Frenchgate in Autumn’
Category Winners
Winter:
Barbara Gravenor ‘Culloden Tower in the Snow’
Spring:
Richard Laidler ‘ Cattle & Castle’
Summer:
Stefanie Woodcock ‘Poppies & Castle’
Autumn:
Jason Wilson ‘Autumn Falls’
Highly Commended
Peter Moppett ‘Old Railway Bridle Path’
Henrietta Byrne ‘Winter View of Richmond from Maison Dieu’
Jason Wilson ‘Friary Tower in Snow’