Stroud Camera Club held its annual Nature Competition this week, judged by Peter Ottley, an experienced birder and photographer from Bleadon. Peter brought both expertise and enthusiasm to the evening, offering perceptive critique and thoughtful insights into each image.

Unlike the club’s Open Competitions, the Nature round follows specific rules designed to ensure authenticity and respect for wildlife - digital editing is restricted to colour correction, exposure corrections and cropping - no removals or additions of objects. This always brings a distinctive tone to the evening, with members challenged to capture the natural world as it is experienced through the lens of their camera.

The print entries showcased an impressive breadth of subject matter, from majestic whales breaching through ocean spray to delicate studies of forest fungi. The digital section proved equally strong, featuring everything from dramatic birds in flight to the intricate beauty of insects and wildflowers.

It was particularly encouraging to see several new members entering for the first time and even more so to see some of them earning awards for their work. The overall standard was excellent, and Peter’s constructive judging made for an engaging and enjoyable evening for all.

Once again, the competition highlighted the club’s deep appreciation for the natural world and the skill required to capture it through the lens.

Congratulations to all the awarded images including the top 3 in both sections which were:

Prints

1st Richard Atkinson - Male & Female kingfishers

2nd Trish Bloodworth - Brown Roll Rim

3rd Mark Halling - Wet Fox

Digital

1st Ian Peters - Dartford Warbler and annoying bug

2nd Mandi Horwood - Elephants Play

3rd Rene Cason - Violet Tailed Sylph

All images will be available to view in our Competition Gallery on the website.