Looking Back to Move Forward - Two Bronze Awards from Forgotten Images
It's fair to say that photography hasn't quite gone to plan over the last six weeks.
A fractured wrist has meant my camera has remained largely untouched. As much as I love my Nikon Z9, it's not exactly lightweight, especially with a professional lens attached, so creating new work simply wasn't possible.
Rather than miss this month's Guild of Photographers Image of the Month competition altogether, I decided to revisit my archive and see whether I'd overlooked anything.
I'm so glad I did.
Hidden amongst thousands of photographs was an image of Freddie, captured during one of our beach adventures. He's peering through a gap in the weathered sea defences, his eyes immediately drawing your attention. The textures of the aged timber, the soft sand and the muted coastal colours all work together to frame him naturally. Somehow, I'd completely forgotten about it.
The second Bronze Award came from a very different image: a studio portrait of the beautiful Jenka.
Where Freddie's portrait tells a story of adventure, Jenka's is all about timeless elegance. The simple composition, soft painterly background and her gentle head tilt allow her expression to shine, while her magnificent coat adds just the right amount of texture without overwhelming the portrait. It's a reminder that a classic portrait never goes out of style.
I also entered a portrait of another of my own German Shepherds, Voodoo, photographed before his spinal surgery. Although I suspected it wasn't quite as strong competitively, it remains one of my favourite images for personal reasons and I wanted him to be part of this month's entries.
What struck me afterwards was how different the two award-winning images are. One is an outdoor environmental portrait full of texture and curiosity; the other is a carefully crafted studio portrait defined by simplicity and elegance. Yet both share the same goal to create an emotional connection through the dog's expression.
Receiving two Bronze Awards from images that had been quietly sitting in my archive has been a wonderful reminder that some of our best photographs aren't always our newest ones. Sometimes all they need is another look.
Thank you to the Guild judges for recognising my work, and to Tracy Coutts of Amberslade Australian Shepherds - Jenka's wonderful owner for allowing me to create these portraits. Your trust means everything.
Here's hoping it won't be too much longer before my wrist is strong enough to get back behind the camera and start creating new images once again.
