In the Summer, Red Fox and Astral Photographics launched the Henley Young Photographer of the Year competition. Several Shiplake College pupils took part in the creative contest, two of whom placed in the top three!
Henley’s young people were tasked with capturing an image of ‘Hidden Henley’, a way of encouraging local youngsters to take in more of their surroundings, while appreciating the scenic beauty that surrounds the town.
Year 10 Hal Booth submitted a beautiful landscape scene that caught the eye of the judges, who awarded his artwork third prize in the 11-14 age group. Will Lovatt of Year 11 was awarded first prize in the 14-18 age group for his dark and mysterious depiction of ‘Hidden Henley’. Judge Katy Mealing of Astral Photographics said ‘William’s photo was stunning and really stood out.’
Katy went on to say ‘The competition is not for profit and any money raised will be donated to Bullying UK. We chose to support this charity as it is close to both James’ and my heart as we experienced bullying when we were younger and with the impact of social media on young people today we thought this was the right fit too.”
Teacher of Photography Miss Chloe Mordue has offered her professional opinion on the boys’ award winning work:
Hal's photograph
Depicts the hidden hills within the Henley landscape. Beautifully shot image, capturing the sun as it hides behind the hill, creating almost silhouette styles trees. He has really thought about his composition and framing, capturing the trees peaking into the top of the image. This helps balance out the photograph and lead your eye into the horizon line. The image is quirky due to the lopsided hill, and the tracks made into the grass, leading your eye off into the distance. The photograph has a real calming atmosphere and lovely tones.
Will's photograph
A very mysterious image, taken at night possibly during rain. The image shows a dark figure walking away down the street, lit by a single lamppost from above. The figure is completely silhouette, adding mystery and suspense to the narrative of the image. The dark vignette edges to the frame draw your eye into the image, making you question who this person is and where was the image taken. A really different take on the title 'Hidden Henley'.
