After some deliberation, the judges, Cathy Pires, manager of the London Drugs photo lab and Western News photojournalist Mark Brett, selected the top four photographs submitted in the Peach City Beach Cruise photo contest.
Taking first place, in the contest sponsored by London Drugs and the Western News, is Claude Robidoux for his photo of a vintage blue truck.
“This is awesome,” said Robidoux.
“I’m really excited.”
Robidoux, who has been taking photographs for 23 years, was keen on the car show.
“I really enjoy architecture and old cars,” he said.
Brett, said picking the winner was an easy decision.
“This photo jumped out, a combination of the lighting and the composition caught my eye,” he said. “There is a sense of movement, looking at the trees and the clouds gives it that sense of movement.”
“An added bonus,” Brett continued, “was the reflection of the photographer in the chrome around the headlight.” Brett also commended the photo for the technical difficulty in taking a photograph with the sun directly in the background.
Second place went to John Poon for his twist on a black and white photo. Third place went to Kelly Dickinson for his up close photo of a unique car antenna fixture.
Third place finisher Kelly Dickinson returned to photography after many years away from the hobby. As a carpenter, Dickinson said it was the craftsmanship of the antenna detail that caught his eye, but also said the lighting was what initially drew him to the feature.
“I really liked the colour, the way the sun was shining on the paint, and reflecting off the metal,” he said.
Gary Servant took fourth place for his photo taken during a cloud burst.
When asked for advice for amateur photographers, based on the entries, Brett suggested taking photos from different angles, as opposed to always taking photos straight ahead from the subject and always at shoulder height.
London Drugs and the Western News are teaming up for another photo contest, this time featuring photos from the upcoming PeachFest, August 6-10.
Details available soon in the Western News.