Young Camera Club's Cherry Festival Exhibition and competition held its opening on Sunday afternoon with over 370 high quality photos entered.
A total of 376 entries in 13 different categories went up against each other with the winners acknowledged at the opening on Sunday afternoon at the Young Services Club.
Young Camera Club president Trevor Faulkes along with SWS Bank's Serena Sullivan presented the winners with their awards, as well as the Champion Print, the Junior Champion Print and Junior Encouragement Award.
Jane Sibley was on hand to present the Will Sibley Memorial Trophy for Champion Print to Young Camera Club's Gail Douglas who took out the Champion Print with her image Rugged Fellow.
The Helen Berridge Memorial Award for Junior Champion Print was won by Gus Sheppard for his print Rusty.
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The John van Rijswijk Memorial Award for Junior Encouragement was won by Emily Douglas with her photo Splashy Splash.
The winners and place getters in each category was:
People - monochrome: 1st Gail Douglas with Rugged Fellow, 2nd Tom Sheppard with Tis Himself, Highly Commended Gail Douglas with Maddie and Ken Dykes with Contemplation, Commended Keith Ward with Bike Restorer Wayne and Tracy Lamb with Nate - Wasn't Me.
Open - monochrome: 1st Kristina Douglas with Reaching Out, 2nd Michael Rhodes with Frosty Morning, Highly Commended Tom Sheppard with La Classique and Barbara Sheppard with Calla Lily, Commended Max Garland with Misty Morning at Chaffey Dam and Leonie Hill with Gum Blossoms.
People - colour: 1st Gail Douglas with Weathered, 2nd Tammy McGaw with Back in Time, Highly Commended Keith Ward with Concentration and Maree Myhill with Removing the 'Roo, Commended John Croxson with Off to the Races and Keith Ward with Heesco.
Open - colour: 1st Lorraine Garland with The Storm is Passing Over, 2nd Gail Douglas with I Hang my Hat, Highly Commended Moya van Rijswijk with Evening Light, Jess Jarvis with Sending a Signal and Lorraine Garland with Yowah Sunset, Commended Ashley Cooper with Alpha Lake Jetty, Jane Martin with Pink and Maree Myhill with Sunset Storm.
Macro/Close Up - colour: 1st Michael Rhodes with Pink Cosmos, 2nd Barbara Sheppard with Odd One Out, Highly Commended Gail Douglas with Fuel Tanks, Jenny Ball with Careful! I Bite, Barbara Sheppard with Dome Tent Spider and Miranda Howard with Bee and Lavender, Commended Dale Hartnell with Feather and Gemma Flannery with Protector of Quedlinburg.
Birds - colour: 1st Max Garland with Dribbler, 2nd Michael Rhodes with Honey Eater, Highly Commended Kristina Douglas with Flying High and Michael Rhodes with Magpie, Commended Michael Rhodes with Blue Wren.
Animals - colour: 1st Tracy Lamb with Rooster on Fire, 2nd Trevor Faulkes with Bewildering, Highly Commended Ken Dykes with What's Up With You and Ashley Cooper with The Chipmunk, Commended Jess Jarvis with Well Hello! Leonie Hill with Love-ya-mum and Maree Myhill with Cows and Piglet.
Architecture and Design - colour/monochrome: 1st Barbara Sheppard with Geometrics, 2nd Sally Richard with St James Station, Highly Commended Tammy McGaw with Beautiful Harden and Trevor Faulkes with Iandra Castle, Commended Michael Rhodes with Coopers Cottage.
Landscape - colour: 1st Jess Jarvis with Flowers, Hills and Clouds, 2nd Barbara Sheppard with Landscape Demise, Highly Commended Gail Douglas with Brewing, Jess Jarvis with Rocks on the Beach, Jess Jarvis with Down the Lane and Gemma Flannery with Snow Caps, Mount Plassen.
Local Entry - colour/monochrome: 1st Keith Ward with Silo vs Rainbow, 2nd Tracy Lamb with Charlie and His Best Mate, Highly Commended Gail Douglas with Australian Bush, Tammy McGaw with Downtown Wombat, Commended John Croxson with I Wish.
Waterscape - colour: 1st Barbara Sheppard with Wave Action, 2nd Gail Douglas with Lake Macquarie, Highly Commended Gail Douglas with Just Thinking, Gail Douglas with Wee Jasper, Commended Ashley Cooper with Beach Sunset.
Junior Under 13 Years - colour/monochrome: 1st Gus Sheppard with Rusty, 2nd Emily Douglas with Busy Bee, Highly Commended Emily Douglas with Twice the Beauty and Gus Sheppard with Ocean View, Commended Emily Douglas with Narooma Bridge, Gus Sheppard with Shapes, Benjamin Sheppard with Door and Nate Wilmot with My Chooks.
Junior 13 and Under 18 Years - colour/monochrome: 1st Rylee Blackney with The Eyes, 2nd Jada Parkinson with Pattern, Highly Commended Liam Howard with Hoverfly, Liam Howard with Man on a Mission, Commended Liam Howard with Looking for Gold, Ryan Radnedge with Organised Chaos.
This year's judge for the competition was Sarah Moore.
Sarah has more than 20 years creative industry experience in graphic design and photography, she has made a name for herself as an award winning wedding and portrait photographer with a genuine love of her craft.
The Will Sibley Memorial Trophy is in memory of William John Sibley who was a very special little boy who was the son of Tony and Jane Sibley.
Jane was the Young Camera Club treasurer and Will was born just after the commencement of the Club and became a very important member, mascot and child to all.
He attended every meeting and every lecture and was a special photographic model, making the member's bad days better with a smile, a giggle or a hug.
Will died in a tragic accident at the age of 18 months of age. The trophy is a memorial to him, the Club's 'Little ray of sunshine,' and the Club thanks him for all the joy he brought in his short life.
The Helen Berridge Memorial Award is in memory of a wonderful club member and friend for 14 years.
Helen had a passion for life and in her book if you took on a task you did it well, with a minimum of fuss.
She was a very active lady who enjoyed her golf, garden and bush walking and in her quiet moments she enjoyed embroidery and quilting.
Helen's legacy to the Club was a job worth doing is worth doing well.
Helen taught the members it was never too late to learn, taking up photography in her latter years, she taught the members to live every moment and make every day count.
She was a unique character and in the award the club hopes that the winners take home some of her inspiration.
The John van Rijswijk Memorial Award is in memory of John who passed away in 2021.
John was a stalwart member and secretary/treasurer of the Club since 2012.
John retired to Young in 2011 after a long teaching career.
He soon decided retiring fully wasn't for him, and so continued to work as a substitute teacher and working with his leadlighting and his photography.
He worked tirelessly in his role in the Camera Club, not just in the running of the exhibitions, but all facets of the Club.
He particularly enjoyed encouraging his young students to enter and enjoy their photography.
John always held the belief; you could achieve anything if you tried.
The Club thanks the wonderful families and friends who continue to support the Young Camera Club and its members.
"Without their support and patience an exhibition of this size would not be possible," the Club said.
"Once again a huge thank you to our wonderful sponsors, without their support we would not be able to present our annual Cherry Festival Photographic Competition and Exhibition each year."
The Exhibition is open until Sunday December 1 at the Young Services Club between 10am and 2pm. Entry is $2.