On Saturday April 24, Ilkley Camera Club took part in a ‘battle’ via Zoom with Hobart Photographic Society from Tasmania. The 24 round challenge, ‘The Pixels’ , saw the two sides pit their photography skills against one another under the eye of an expert judge.
The event was organised as part of the twinning arrangement between Hobart and Ilkley to foster collaboration between the two clubs. Hobart is the capital city of the state of Tasmania, the southernmost state in Australia.
The time difference was 9 hours and so in Ilkley, where it was 10.00 am, there were cups of tea for refreshment while in Hobart the beverages were more suitable for a Saturday evening.
Philippa Enever – photo by Alison Tetley
The range of images and ideas were of a very high standard and gave judge Philippa Enever a tough task to decide on winners. Philippa is a talented artist who owns the Weaverbird Workshop gallery in Ilkley and provided insightful and well thought through critique on the artistic appeal of the images.
At the halfway stage scores were even, then Hobart pulled ahead in the second half and, as the tension built (enhanced by slight delays due to slow networks), Ilkley regained ground so that everything hinged on the last pair of images – the final choice being a friendly ‘fight’ between a Tasmanian Devil and a lovely Cockerpoo puppy named Jackson, both on the theme of ‘black’. Jackson won and the contest was a draw, with honours even and a just result.
Even with the challenges posed by time and distance the event was a great success, reminding participants that photographers all over the world share a common passion for photography.
Nick Hodgson who organised the Ilkley entries for the battle said “It was great to meet fellow photographers from the other side of the world and make new friends in the process – we are all looking forward to a rematch later this year”
Black Puppy – photo by Helen Goodier
Little Devil – photo by Jarrah King