On Monday May 25th we held the final of our Blackwater Photographic Society Photographer of the Year competition, with 218 images submitted by 17 members across three categories – Advanced, Intermediate and Non-Advanced.

A huge thank you to everyone who entered, supported, or helped organise this fantastic event, and to John Brennan and Kieran O’ Mahony for their work in organising this year’s competition.

We were privileged to welcome three exceptional judges:

• Michael Strapec AIPF, EFIAP – of Blarney Photography Club, fresh from earning his Associateship last week.
• Suzanne Beehan FIPF – ARPS – IPF Secretary and passionate wildlife photographer.
• Jennifer Willis FRPS, FIPF, MPAGB, BPE4, EFIAP* – Chair of Catchlight Camera Club and award winning photographer.

Their expert commentary and thoughtful scoring from our judges were greatly appreciated.

Category Winners:
Advanced
🥇 Paul Madigan – 1st Place
🥈 Kieran O’Mahony – 2nd
🥉 John Flynn – 3rd

Intermediate
🥇 Wendy White – 1st Place
🥈 Jim Heffernan – 2nd
🥉 Brian Power – 3rd

Non-Advanced
🥇 Katie Angland – 1st Place
🥈 John Ward – 2nd
🥉 Donna Owens – 3rd

A special mention to Julie O’Donnell, John Flynn and Kieran O’ Mahony whose images were highlighted by the judges as among their favourites of the night – a wonderful achievement!

Well done to everyone who took part. The standard of work was incredibly high, and we’re already looking forward to next year’s competition!

We were honoured to welcome Gerard O Meara , a distinguished photographer from Mallow, Co. Cork, as our guest speaker last Monday night.

 A Lifetime Through the Lens
Gerard has spent decades capturing the essence of local life, architecture, and nature in and around Mallow. His extraordinary body of work not only showcases his artistic vision, but also serves as a priceless historical archive of the town’s people streetscapes, and landmarks dating back to the 1960s.

One of his most impactful contributions has been the donation of over 42,000 film negatives to the county library—an incredible gift that ensures Mallow’s visual story lives on for generations.

A huge thank you from Blackwater.