Category Archives: Competitions

How I Took That Shot – Noelle Lowney

Noelle Lowney took first place in Grade B in our recent ‘Festive’ competition. No stranger to the winners’ podium, this is how she made the image:

The image was taken on a cold December evening in Cobh in the run-up to Christmas. On my hunt for an appropriate image that was representative of a Festive theme, I came across an unusual Christmas Tree situated off the main street in Cobh next to the Lusitania monument. When I looked at the position of the tree with the CatherdaI slightly above it I thought it would make an interesting shot. I put my camera on a tripod and attached a remote control for the long exposure. After many takes, I settled on this image.

The image was taken on a Canon 7D Mark II with a 55m to 250m lens. Camera settings were ISO 125, Shutter speed 18 seconds and F18.

– Noelle Lowney

Click here to see a gallery of images from the competition. Enjoy!

If you are interested in photography and would like to know more about East Cork Camera Group, click the ‘Contact Us’ link above.

How I Took That Shot – Neil O’Carroll

Though reminiscent of an event in an exotic, faraway place, Neil O’Carroll’s winning image in Grade C in our recent ‘Festive’ competition was, in fact, shot in Dublin Zoo! This was Neil’s first appearance on the podium and to take first place was a fantastic achievement. This is how he made the shot:

The photo was taken at Dublin Zoo Christmas Chinese Lantern Display on December 13, 2017.

(Display was open every night from 5.30pm to 9pm commenced in late November until 6th January. It is planned to return again for Christmas 2018)

Camera used–Canon EOS 70D – handheld.

1/50 sec; f4.5; 35mm; iso500.

Minimal post editing — slight cropping & removal stray lights in the background.

– Neil O’Carroll

Well done Neil!

Click here to see a gallery of images from the competition. Enjoy!

Kevin Day is ECCG’s Photographer of the Year 2017

ECCG Chairman, Anthony O’Connor presents the perpetual Photographer of the Year trophy to our 2017 winner, Kevin Day.

At ECCG’s annual awards night at the Midleton Park Hotel recently, Kevin Day emerged as the outright winner in the Photographer of the Year competition for 2017. A deserving winner, this was Kevin’s latest accolade for 2017, having already achieved his Licentiate of the Irish Photographic Federation as well as scooping several Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and several Honourable Mentions at local and national competitions.

This night was the culmination of the year’s activities including multiple shoots and six internal competitions and the anticipation for the final results was palpable.

Photographer of the Year was not the only award on offer on the night, however, as best website gallery, best Panel, best in Category, best in Grades A, B and C, best New Photographer and Club Person of the Year also had to be revealed.

Judging was carried out by Ms Niamh Whitty FIPF ARPS (Chair), Mr Seamus Costelloe FIPF ASIFGP and Ms Brid Coakley AIPF.

Following a fine meal expertly provided by the staff of Midleton Park Hotel, the formal proceedings were opened by Chairman, Anthony O’Connor and the award winners were announced as follows:

Best Website Gallery
Grade C: Andrew Foley
Grade B: Noelle Lowney
Grade A: Finbarr O’Shea LIPF

Best Panel
Third Place: Denis O’Flynn
Second Place: Zane Llewellyn LIPF
First Place: Gráinne Davies AIPF

Best in Category
Landscape (J): Noelle Lowney, Joe Moroney LIPF
Seascape (J): Kevin Day LIPF, Noelle Lowney, Joe Moroney LIPF
Portrait: Joe Moroney LIPF
Nature (J): Kevin Day LIPF, Mark Dullea
Sport: Kevin Day LIPF
Macro: Kevin Day LIPF
Architecture: Anthony O’Connor LIPF
Travel: Joe Moroney LIPF
Black and White: Zane Llewellyn LIPF
HDR: Anthony O’Connor LIPF
Reportage/Documentary: Kevin Day LIPF
Open: John Tait LIPF

Best in Grade
Grade C
Third Place: Paul Stack
Second Place: Miriam Keogh
First Place: Andrew Foley

Grade B
Third Place: Jim O’Neill
Second Place: Noelle Lowney
First Place: Eileen Upton

Grade A
Third Place: Finbarr O’Shea LIPF
Second Place: Zane Llewellyn LIPF
First Place: Kevin Day LIPF

Best New Member (J): Paul Stack, Miriam Keogh

Club Person of the Year: Eileen Upton

Photographer of the Year
Third Place: Finbarr O’Shea LIPF
Runner-Up: Zane Llewellyn LIPF
POTY: Kevin Day LIPF

Congratulations to all award winners and especially, Photographer of the Year, 2017, Kevin Day. Well done too to everyone else who entered as scores were close in many competitions and a point or two given in another direction would have seen some of these in the prizes.

A big thank you goes to the three judges who did a stellar job. While the important task of awarding points was their main function, their feedback is equally important as it is vital that everyone gets an objective assessment of their work which can be factored into the fine-tuning for the future.

Thanks also to The Midleton Park Hotel for providing a beautiful meal and surroundings for a memorable night.

Click here to check out all the images. Enjoy!
Click here for all the results in detail.

All images from the Awards night by Finbarr O’Shea LIPF.

If you are interested in photography or would like to know more about East Cork Camera Group, contact us by using the link above.

ECCG ‘Festive’ Competition – 06/02/2018

Coming so quickly after Christmas, hopes were high that the ‘Festive’ theme would entice a good entry to our first internal competition of 2018 and we were not disappointed as twenty-nine entries were received. The image above by John Tait was the overall highest scoring image on the night and took first place in Grade A.

These were the 1, 2, 3s in each Grade:

Grade C saw Neil O’Carroll on the winner’s podium for the first time with Ray O’Connell and Paul Stack in second and third respectively.

Noelle Lowney won Grade B by a comfortable 29 point margin from Keith Johnson in second followed by Denis O’Flynn in third.

Grade A was the real battleground in this competition with different competitors occupying the first, second and third berths at different times as the votes were recorded. In the end, though it was John Tait who took the top spot from Fidelma Read by a winning margin of only eleven points with Eileen Upton coming home in a very credible third place in her first outing in the Grade. The Grade A placings were replicated in the Overall first, second and third spots.

Well done to all our winners and everyone who entered, especially to those entering for the first time.

Click here to see a gallery of images from the competition. Enjoy!

If you are interested in photography and would like to know more about East Cork Camera Group, click the ‘Contact Us’ link above.

How I Took That Shot – Finbarr O’Shea

Finbarr O’Shea LIPF, took first place in Grade A and first overall also in our recent ‘Selfie’ competition with the clever image above. This is how he made the shot:

My selfie picture for last week’s competition was a bit of struggle as my first plan didn’t workout so, with a day to go to the deadline, I had to come up with plan B. My new plan was a selfie with a silhouette picture in front of my face.

I took some silhouette head and shoulder shots, with the intention of using the best image. To take the pictures, I stood in front of a white wall with a flash at my back, I set the camera at f22, 1/200 sec. at ISO 100 using at 24-70 mm at 35mm.using the 10 sec timer. I then printed 4 pictures, so instead of 1 picture in front of my face I decided to use the other three as well. That is where the string and pegs came in to play.

So for the final shot with the the 3 prints pegged in place and I holding the 4th print in front of my face, with the flash repositioned to the front, I was then ready for action. I set the camera this time at f11, 1/200, ISO 100 using the 24-70mm at 45mm on a 10 sec timer. I held a cable plunger in my right hand for effect .

After many shots taken, this was the end result.

What a fantastic concept and execution. Well worth its final placings. Well done Finbarr.

Click here to see a gallery of images from the competition.