Third-rate Photographer

Cambridge Camera Club's Points of View competition was held last night, and as always it was a highly enjoyable event.  It's one of those competitions where everyone's ambition is actually to come second, since then you get most of the glory but don't end up with the "privilege" of setting and judging the competition the following year!

Round 1: Tourist Cambridge.  This was taken on King's Parade just across the road from King's College Chapel (but then you could probably have worked that out!).

Round 2: Corners.  It was difficult not to be too obvious with this round, so I went for something which - with the addition of some colour - would make a fine "Mondrian" painting.  It's actually the entrance to the old Computer Laboratory tower where I used to work as an undergraduate and a PhD student.  Memories came flooding back...

Round 3: Mood or Atmosphere.  This little girl was actually a guest at a wedding, and the double-decker bus appeared to be the transport to the reception.  I loved the way she was in a world of her own, and - having her face pressed up against the glass - was being lit while her father was in relative darkness.  It was as though she was in a kind of spotlight, and the chance alignment of the bus windows and the building behind were a pleasing bonus.

Round 4: Retail Therapy.   This was taken on Emmanuel Street, which is where many of the Park & Ride bus stops can be found.  This couple amused me enormously, as it was the chap who seemed to be there under sufferance (and was carrying all the purchases!) while his partner was nonchalantly sending a text message on her phone.  The matching shoes and jeans, plus the lady's bag being the same colour as some of the shopping, were the icing on the cake.

Round 5: Metal or Metallic.  By this round I was getting rather worried (being in the joint lead) but luckily Paula, who did an excellent job of the judging, failed to understand the following entry so marked it down.  Phew!  It's actually a rather beautiful slotted spoon with a wooden handle, taken through the window of a cookery shop on the corner of Bridge Street and All Saints' Passage.  The window lights were shining through the spoons, which were each acting as a "gobo" and making patterns on the wall behind.  Well, I liked it anyway...

The final outcome was that I came Third overall, so could relax with head held high and honour reasonably intact.