Jan 202 min read

Industrial

Hello you

Welcome to this page

It’s been a while. How have you been. We’ve missed you.

Ok on with the show

This week was the second round in our PDI trophy competition.

The theme was Industrial.

What a hard subject. I really struggled to get four decent shots together.

A rain storm in Mersea which I thought looked desolate, reminded me of the final scene in Planet of the Apes when Charlton Heston wailed “You Maniacs, you went and blew it all up”

A shot of the National Theatre with no-one around, rendered in B&W, gave a brutalistic industry feel. I think I must be a gloomy person … wait, which one of you said Eeyore?

Luckily our judge for the evening, Mr Harold Mousley, from Manningtree, was in his element. Taking our photos and finding the best bits in each.

What a star.

As he said right at the start, I’m judging on what you put up on the screen, that’s what you want me to see and judge.

He loved the grottiness and decay of a hard, industrial life.

Praised the ingenuity of people long ago who thought of what was needed, the designers who turned that dream into a possibility and the engineers who took those designs and made a working model. & us for seeing the potential of a shot.

Look at the gear wheel, this wonderful traction engine, the brickwork in this crucible, and how you’ve caught the light. Yer, there were a couple of moments when he picked up on the softness, or maybe you could have stood at a 45° angle from the subject for a more attractive shot, but on the whole, I think we impressed him enough to think that his journey was worth while.

Twenty seven of fifty six photos hitting a nine or better has to be a good sign.

Nine of those twenty seven getting a maximum

So now we come down to the nitty gritty

A ten for Val, Little Kev, Tony, Colin, Rob, Colin again, new guy Joe, Chris and myself.

& his final one two three

In third, Tony’s ‘Workshop’ (Harold reckoned he could spend hours in here)

Second was Colin’s ‘Behind the Scenes’ a look at the less glamorous side of a train museum.

And top of the tree …

Joe’s ‘Big Wheel’

First competition and first place? Welcome Joe, (he says through gritted teeth)

Hopefully get a second look at these next week.