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We all know that statistics are not always reliable but many sources suggest that 57,000 photos are taken worldwide every second and 93 per cent of them are taken on a smartphone, writes Andy Kirby, secretary of East Sutherland Camera Club.
It is also a well-known saying in photography circles that the best camera is the one you have with you and most of us always have one with us – the smartphone. East Sutherland Camera Club set out to prove this right in their recent competition.
Any subject matter was allowed as long as it was taken with a smartphone. Post processing was also allowed as this is a common feature of smartphones which have both built-in apps and some very sophisticated ones that can be downloaded from an app store.
The competition also aimed to stimulate discussion about the features now available on smartphones and how best to use them. With more than 50 images submitted, members amply demonstrated their smartphone skills.
In the colour class, new member Christine Brodie from Golspie took first prize with Beautiful Colours of Luskentyre. A very well composed wide screen image which captured the subtle colours of a Harris seascape.
Jan Charge, Culrain, came second with another landscape, Mountain High, a beautifully peaceful shot of Loch Torridon, and third was Tessa Palmer, Dornoch, with 2nd Green, a graphic image which had simplicity at its heart. The only colour was the yellow flag which stood out from the threatening sky.
Duncan Meechan, Milton, came fourth with New York School Bus – a very striking image where the bus filled most of the frame but the street added perspective away into the distance. It also demonstrated the ability of smartphones to work well in the city at night. It would have been quite difficult to capture the same atmosphere with a traditional camera.
In the monochrome class, first prize went to Andy Kirby, Dornoch, with his Creature of the Sky – a momentary capture of beautifully lit storm clouds over the Dornoch Firth. A moment that could not have been planned or repeated and required a couple of quick shots before rapidly heading home to avoid getting wet.
Jan Charge again took second place with Pathfinder which told a winter story of farming and the common sense approach of sheep. Like all good monochrome images, it had an excellent tonal range from black to white with details in the snow that can so easily be lost.
Third place went to Jen Holdsworth from Tain, who chose a square crop for her soft sepia toned portrait, Shoulder to Cry On. The whole image had gentle and appropriate lighting.
Emma Deeth from Tain came fourth in the monochrome category with her detailed shot of a mushroom. This image showed how low angles from closed to the ground could be easily achieved by turning the phone upside down. She had also chosen a square crop which also worked well.
East Sutherland Camera Club meets in Dornoch on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month and also runs basic camera skill training via Zoom on other Tuesdays. All are welcome.
More details about the club can be found at www.eastsutherlandcc.org.uk and www.facebook.com/EastSutherlandCameraClub where you can also view the winning images from the competition.
