August 2024 – Blackwater Photographic Society

Blackwater Photographic Society will hold their 2024/2025 season launch at the Social Services Centre in Mallow on Monday, September 2 at 8pm.

The social services centre is located beside the swimming pool in Mallow and everyone is welcome.

There are many activities held for members during the year.

They include a six week introduction for new beginners (30 minutes before the club starts), educational evenings, photography skills, printing and presentation, Adobe Photoshop, field trips, guest speakers and exhibitions.

On the launch night for the new season, the club members will hold a presentation of their work. The club programme for the 2024/25 season will also be outlined.

New members are always welcome. U18s must be accompanied by an adult.

The Blackwater Photographic Society’s annual Photographer of the Year competition was held recently showcasing exceptional talent across multiple categories.
We were honoured to have three renowned photographers as our judges, Dave Harris, Charlie O’Donovan (Cork Camera Club) and Mark Gorman (Blarney Camera Club). Their extensive photographic experience greatly enriched the judging process, where they evaluated 30 prints and 230 digital photos. We are grateful to the judges for their dedication and work on the night; they did an excellent job.

Thanks to John Brennan, our competition secretary and all members who contributed, whether by organising, assisting with setup, or providing baked treats for the tea break.

The competition featured three classifications: Novice, Intermediate and Advanced, with additional accolades for Best Monochrome Photographer and Best Overall Image.

There were only a few points separating the victors in this close race.

Paul Madigan and Kieran O’Mahony tied for the night’s Best Overall Image, each achieving the top score of 30 points, highlighting the challenging decision faced by our judges.

The results are in…

Novice

1st: Donna Owens

2nd: Eamonn O’Dea

3rd: John Brennan

Intermediate

1st: Wendy White

2nd: Brian Power

3rd: Jim Heffernan

Advanced

1st: Kieran O’Mahony

2nd: Valerie Walsh