Newark and Sherwood District Council announces photography competition winners

The competition was aimed at getting people out and about in the district to capture the very best of what Newark and Sherwood has to offer. 

There were two categories in the open entry group.  The first was Nature and Rural and the winner was David Fargher from Newark.  The judging panel were so impressed with the range of images depicting our countryside and nature that they also gave two highly commended awards in this first category.  The first was to Karen Calladine from Mansfield and the second was district resident Steve Brammer.

The second category in the open entry group was Industrial and Architecture and the winner was Adam Paterson from Newark.

There was also a second group open to those under 18 years of age.  The winner was Woody Wilkinson, age 12, from Southwell.  Again, so impressed were the calibre of entries, that the judging panel gave a highly commended award to Noah Steadman, age 11, from Newark and then two runner-up awards to district resident Evelyn Spencer, age 16, and Amy Cary, age 14, from Edwinstowe.

The judges anonymously chose their winners, and the panel included Councillor Rowan Cozens, Deputy Leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council and Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and the Arts and Tom Martin, Lecturer of Photography at Lincoln University.

Councillor Rowan Cozens expressed her joy to be part of the judging panel, “It was an honour to be a judge on this incredible competition. All photographs we received encapsulated our feelings about the wonderful area that we live in without the need for any words at all.  We know from speaking to our residents how much pride they have in the places that they live, and this is clearly reflected in the submissions. We received photographs taken by those on dog walks, those on a ramble, those out visiting our historical buildings, those out with children, those shopping in our town centres and many more.  There will be places you will recognise, there will be unique insights into our district never seen before, we’ll have photographs that people who have moved away will recognise. You really can get lost in these photographs; lost in the memories that they create. 

“Our Community Plan drives forward what we deliver as a District Council, but it is in the photographs that we can really emphasis how fantastic and incredible our district really is. The winning photographs spoke to all judges and while we judged individually, when we came back together, our decision was mutual and our winners selected.  I really do believe that an image paints a thousand words and with technology as it is, it’s easy to pick up a phone, or camera if you have one, and capture memories that will last a lifetime.”

The two winners of the open categories will each receive a cash prize of £100 while the two under 18 winners will each receive £50. The further two runners up will receive prizes of £20.

Dave Farger, one of the competition winners said, “Photography provides a wonderful escapism from day-to-day life. I proactively run an amateur photography group on Facebook where local people can come together to share photographs of our wonderful district.  We have so much in Newark and Sherwood to be proud of and we should all focus on how fantastic our area is, capturing its beauty, its nature, its people, its architecture, and its whole essence. I am delighted that my photograph was anonymously chosen to win one of the categories in this competition but moreover, I hope it inspires others to get out into our wonderful towns and countryside to capture some photos of our beautiful district.”

The winning images are now on display in Castle House.  Councillor Cozens and Tom Martin were joined in the judging panel by two officers from the District Council with a keen eye for photography.