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Saturday 7 December 2013

The Wildife Photographer of the year Exhibition - an Inspirational Day out in Tring



Francis House School
http://www.francishouseschool.co.uk/
Today has been a really great day.  It began at Francis House School in Tring where I had the honour of judging their first ever photography competition - there were 3 categories - 5&6 years, 7&8 years and 9-11 years.  The standard was superb and the enthusiasm heartwarming - several children had submitted more then one entry and many children had entered.  There was clear evidence of thought, imagination, creativity and patience on display - congratulations to all the children who took part for their superb achievements.

Tring Museum
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/tring/index.html
From there I went to the Tring Museum where the "Wildlife Photographer of the Year" is currently being exhibited.  It was truly breathtaking.  I found myself smiling, grimmacing, gasping in horror, wonder and awe.  I came away wondering why some people are still so reluctant to recognise photography as an art form.  For me it's a little like music - the response to a photographic image is immediate and can be articulated later, in the same way that you can be immediately moved by a piece of music - it doesn't need justification, it simply stirs the soul.  The exhibition served to comment on the current state of wildlife - -the most poignant for me being the impact of the ivory trade.  It also demonstrated without any shadow of doubt the awesome beauty and diversity within the natural world.  The animal portraits were amusing and thought provoking - I love the curious lion cub who is sticking his nose into the lens and the polar bear beneath the ice!  Some of my favourite images though were the more artistic and experimental ones - the kingfisher and his flight path, the ghostly owl in "Silent Flight,"  the energy of "Impression of Africa," the stunning lighting in "Resuurection," the imaginative composition of "Fish-eye view," the clever double exposure in "Magic mushrooms" and the beautiful simplicity of "The greeting."  And of course, the winner, Greg du Toit with his masterpiece, "Essence of elephants."  It is so fortunate to have access to this exhibition right on my own doorstep - I will definitely be going back to see it again - oh, and I brought the book..... and the calendar!  Oh dear!
www.songbirdphotography.co.uk


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