October 2026 Final PDI Competition of the Year
The final projected digital image (PDI) competition of the year was held on Thursday 29th October, the competition year started way back in February and has been running on a bi-monthly basis throughout the year.
The leader board heading into this round was as follows; Sue Hartley 274pts, Ray Andrews 271pts, Lester Woodward & Nigel Stewart both tying in third place on 270pts a close battle indeed.
Sue went into this final round holding the top spot, but could she score enough points on the night to maintain her position and win the prestigious tittle of “Outlaw of the Year” on her first attempt?
The judge for this round of the competition was Robert Falconer who has judged at Outlaws competitions on previous occasions. There were two categories for Robert to judge, the Open category and the Themed category which in this instance was “Macro Photography”. Both categories were extremely well subscribed to & there were 38 entries in the theme and 39 in the open.
Theme Macro
The themed PDI’s were to high standard and Robert said we had made it quite a challenge for him. He held sixteen images back for a second viewing, giving detailed critique as he went through them for a second time. Robert awarded first place, scoring twenty points to Malcolm Nabarro with his entry titled Angry Eyes.
The winning image by Malcolm Nabarro “Angry Eyes”
I asked Malcolm about his image, and this is what he told me; “Angry Eyes”.
My macro image ‘Angry Eyes’ was taken in my garden a few years ago. During Covid I invested in a macro lens and since I have enjoyed the challenge of chasing and photographing small critters. My full frame camera does not have a focus stacking facility, so I took multiple images and stacked them in Photoshop. The little grasshopper looks quite affronted to being snapped.
Gallery of Held Macro Images
Open category
The Open competition attracted several genres of photography including a lowlight silhouette, fairground backdrop with model, nature, street photography and architectural images.
Robert again said that quality of our images was very high and this was reflected in the fact that he held eighteen images back for a second viewing and further critique. The winner was Ray Andrews with his image “Storm Approaching”
The winning image by Ray Andrews, “Storm Approaching”
Ray had the following comment to make about his image;
“Standing on the exposed and desolate stretch of the Suffolk coast where the land gives way to a mile of shingle, near the mouth of the River Ore, this maritime community was once home to fishermen, river pilots and coastguards. In 1940, facing the threat of a cross-channel invasion, the civilian population was evacuated, the beaches mined and the once thriving hamlet deserted. After the war the coastguard station fell out of use, as modern technologies rendered the old employment obsolete. For me the title “Storm Approaching” evokes the idea that the Coastguards cottages remain as an ever-watchful presence long after humans had ceased that role”.
Gallery of Held Open Images
The final “Outlaw of the Year” results were in and the end of year standings as follows;
1st Place with 342 points and crowned “Outlaw of the Year” was Sue Hartley
2nd on an equal 341 points was Ray Andrews & Nigel Stewart
It was a close competition and rewarding in so many ways for all members of the club.
The Outlaws would like to thank Robert Falconer for providing everyone who attended on the night with quality feedback and some entertaining comments.