News & Events

The f4 Group hosted this YCPG competition for Innovative Images. Winner was our own Keith Beverley with his 3D triptych image of sealife. The judge Peter Richardson was indisposed so his notes were read by Bob Munby, and the Trophy was handed on by last year's winner, Bill Straw - which turned it into an f4 evening.

At our AGM it was decided that we would not hold competition rounds for slides in 2010. It was a hard decision, as the f4 Group were primarily noted for our slide competition entries since our formation back in 1992. However with the conversion to digital photography, club members were no longer taking new slides; and the slide rounds were becoming a pleasant stroll down memory lane.

This will be the last year when the title can go to two club members. In our twin-track annual competitions for film slides and Dpi's, the trophy for slides went to Dave Robson, and the Brian Clark Trophy for Digital Photography went to Phil Desforges. The Image of the Year Trophy, open to all winning pictures from 2009's rounds, went to Ed Openshaw.

The f4 Group Annual Trip was to the Lake District in September. As usual the Cheetah Trophy was hotly contested, being won by Brian Clark with his evening view of Derwentwater. Runners up were Phil Desforges and Keith Beverley.

The Rose & Crown Rose Bowl went to Ruth Openshaw this year, with her Waters Edge Centre roofline image judged first by Ray Smith. Placed second was North Landing by Bob Munby and third was Bill Straw with one of his floral images of a Rose.

We were pleased to chalk up some wins this season in our inter-club competitions. On 17/2/09 we won the Dpi battle against Beverley Camera Club. On 5/3/09 we managed a win against Bridlington's Focus Group in a mixed print and Dpi competition. We hold both a home and away competition each year with Focus - and remarkably over many years - honours remain drawn.

Winners of the first 3 places in our internal competition rounds are eligible for this final, judged by Peter Kitching. As these include both our 35mm slide and Dpi rounds it makes for an exciting competition - and for the second year running has been won by a 35mm slide - taken of Loch Morvich up in the Grampians, on an f4 Group photo trip by Alan Luckraft.

Competing for the YCPG Trophy for 2009 up at Hunmanby, the new subject was Innovative Images. It came as no surprise to the f4 Group that the winner was our own Bill Straw with his image Cafe Espanyol. Bill has been one of the leaders into Digital imaging at our club, and is noted for his Painterly effects, use of Buzz filters as well as frames and borders.

Both tracks of our Annual competitions come to a head in December. We have maintained a 5 round Slide competition in parallel with an 8 round Dpi competition during 2008. Ed Openshaw came first in the "old" Slide Photographer of the Year Trophy dating back to 1986, followed by Dave Robson and Alan Luckraft. While, Dave Robson led the field for the "new" Brian Clark Digital Photographer of the Year Trophy, followed by Ruth Openshaw, and Ed Openshaw. However, there can only be one winner in the Image of the Year competition.

Always hotly contested, the Cheetah Trophy is for the best photo taken on this year's 8-man 4-day annual trip. The winner was Dave Robson for his super contre jour monochrome study of a fisherman at work in Plockton. David was always taking home the Cheetah Trophy, as his beautifully composed Autumn landscape of Rannoch Moor was judged second. Third place was taken by Stuart Walter with a menacing view across to the Cuillins from Elgol. The judge for the evening was Ed Openshaw ARPS, who also commended a polar coordinate creation by Phil Desforges.

October 12th saw eight members of the f4 Group making a 4-day photo trip up to Skye. Arranged by Alan Luckraft, the party stayed at Dornie. The two visit days included Plockton and Eilean Donan castle on the mainland, but mainly concentrated on Skye. They “photo-stopped” at the Quiraing, Old Man of Storr, and Kilt Rock; as well as Elgol and Sligachan, but managed to include the obligatory visit to the Talisker Distillery. The trip also included stops for Glen Coe and Rannoch Moor en route. The event does not end there - as there is still the Cheetah Trophy to compete for, with their best photos taken over the four days.

As a reminder of our days at the Rose & Crown in Beverley, the Rose Bowl Trophy has always been awarded for the best picture taken during one of our Thursday evening outings over the summer months. This year saw a very high standard of dpi's judged by Ruth Openshaw. The superb winning picture of the Gull in Flight came from Bill Straw, who also took 3rd place, while a Reflection shot from Dave Robson at Bridlington harbour, came 2nd. The winning pictures can all be seen in the winner's gallery.

Three members distinguished themselves at the YPU exhibition at Holmfirth. In the Jordan Trophy the club came 6th= and this should be seen in the context of 37 club entries stetching from Harrogate to Sheffield, and Hull to Halifax. Images are marked out of 15 rather than the usual 20, and Ruth Openshaw gained 14 for View from Tate Modern, Phil Desforges, 13 for On the Face of It which also gained the distinction of a Certificate, and Brian Clark, 12 for Saltend. Their pictures, which were all dpi entries, can be seen in the Winners Gallery.

Winning pictures from our twin-track 2007 slide and dpi rounds were eligible to compete for this title and trophy. Winner was Ed Openshaw with his Autumn slide of Brantingham Dale. Runners up were Bill Straw and Ed Openshaw with digital images. For 2008 there will be 8 dpi rounds compared to 5 slide rounds, which may make it tougher for a slide image to win in the future. However the club members maintain their support for the slide rounds continuing through 2008.

Congratulations to Ruth Openshaw on her win in the Herm Island competition for Summer Views of Herm. Her Shell Beach landscape came 1st from 400 entries, the prize being a week’s holiday back on Herm Island, just off the coast of Guernsey.

In November we reached the final rounds of our twin track Photographer of the Year competition. 2007 is the first year there have been five rounds each, during the year, in both film and digital. Taking first place in Projected digital images was Ed Openshaw, followed by Dave Robson with both Ruth Openshaw and Bill Straw in joint third . First in Slides was Dave Robson, followed by Ed Openshaw and Alan Luckraft.

The Rose & Crown Rose Bowl for the best pictures taken during our Summer Outing evenings was won this year by Ed Openshaw with his picture of the factory at Brough Haven. Ed also took second place, with Bob Munby coming in third.

The judge for both competitions held on 22/11/07 was Ken Jackson FRPS. You can see all the winning pictures in the Winners Gallery.

The Annual Expedition Trophy - the Cheetah - was won this year by Dave Robson with his slanting light on trees image from the top of Kilburn White Horse. Runner up in both second and third place was Bill Straw.

Five go off for 5 days in Yorkshire with the Annual Trip for 2007 being arranged by Alan Luckraft for September. The trip ranged all over the Dales and North Yorkshire Moors, from Appleby to Hawes, the waterfalls of Hardraw and Aysgarth, and taking in both Settle to Carlisle and NYM railway trips. Including Leyburn, Kilburn and Saltburn, the trip culminated in fish and chips at Whitby.

Yes, that's right - three wins in 3-weeks. In what might prove to be our last run of inter-club slide battles, the f4 Group chalked up triple success. Bridlington Focus Group on 15/2/07; Beverley Photographic Society on 1/3/07; the three-way against Hull Photographic Society and Willerby Camera Club on 7/3/07. Clubs are finding it difficult to field slide entries so the tide is turning in favour of digital projected images for the 2007/08 season.

In February we held the play-off of all winning pictures from our 2006 competitions to see which would be judged Photo of the Year. The winner was Ed Openshaw ARPS with an evening beach scene from Arran. The judge was Peter Kitching. The top three placings can be seen in the Winner's Gallery.

The 12th and final round of our annual slide competition was held on 14/12/2006. The overall winner was Ed Openshaw ARPS with 90 points, and Ed retakes the title f4 Photographer of the Year after a break of two years. In second place came Dave Robson LRPS with 70 points, followed by Alan Luckraft in the third place with 60 points.

The Landlord's Cheetah Trophy is won by Phil Desforges for the second year running. Always hotly contested after the Annual photo trip, Phil won with a superb night shot of the Mont St Michel, taken during the recent f4 Group expedition to Brittany.

Second place went to Brian Clark with a moody B&W image, while third place went to Dave Robson LRPS with a tightly cropped picture of roof tops. The judge was Ed Openshaw ARPS.

See these photos in the Winners Gallery.

November 2nd saw a win for the f4 Group over our rivals from Bridlington, the Focus Group. This was one of two contests we hold against them each year, in mixed slides and prints. The judge was Peter Kitching.

Several members travelled to Sewerby to attend the very interesting slide lecture by Derry Brabbs. The evening was arranged by the YCPG, and Derry Brabbs is well known as the photographer illustrating several Wainwright books of walks in the Lakes and Dales.

Welcome success came to us in the YCPG's major annual slide competition held at Hunmanby. The f4 Group has now won the Brigg Trophy 7 times in the last 12 years.

Led by our Secretary Dave Robson, six members of the f4 Group left for a 6 day trip to Brittany. Visiting St Malo, Dinard, Dol de Bretagne and the famous Mont St Michel. Good photography, food and company.

See late November for result of best picture competition - this will be for The Landlord's Cheetah Trophy.

Bill Straw wins the Rose Bowl Trophy, originally donated by the landlord of the Rose & Crown, Beverley. Hotly contested slide competition of pictures taken over the 14-week period of our Thursday evening photo outings. Bill won with a very carefully composed view of a Bishop Burton cottage reflected in the pond. See it in the Winners Gallery.

Held this year at Todmorden, the f4 Group came 2nd Equal with Ilkley and Pudsey in the Jordan Trophy for slides. Winners this year were Doncaster. Special mention goes to Ruth Openshaw, whose Folding Wolds picture was held back by the YPU for their PAGB entry.