Heage Windmill’s first ever photo competition has been won by David Wharmby with a monochrome depiction of the mill sails turning, set against a dramatic sky. ‘A sublime photo,’ declared the judge, windmill trustee and professional photographer Ashley Franklin who also acclaimed the overall standard of entries.
‘I have always considered our windmill to be one of the most photogenic sites in Derbyshire and the photographers who entered this competition have confirmed that,’ declared Ashley. ‘I was more than impressed; I was bowled over by the quality of the images which also stretched across a wide range of imagery.’
Commenting on the winning photo, Ashley said: ‘Surprisingly, this was the only entry to show movement in the sails, and the superb way this movement has been recorded immediately placed this image in the shortlist. What elevated it to first place was the tight, dramatic composition and the wonderful drama in the sky. Also pleasing is that the rendering in black and white gives the impression this image could have been taken during the windmill’s heyday.’
The Under-16 category winner was Daniel Saunders. ‘What appealed about this image was the careful way Daniel waited for the sun to kiss one of the sails and create instant drama,’ says Ashley. ‘He also took the picture on a beautiful blue sky day with the mill standing strong in the frame.’
- Third place winner: Jackie Burrell.
Below are the runners-up. The first five images – by Roy Austin, Carole Payne, Lisa Pucknell, Beverley Allan and Emma Goulder respectively – were Highly Commended.
