It is with great pleasure that we are now able to announce the judges for the IWPOY 2008 and to thank them in advance for the difficult task that they have already started. With such diversity and quality of images this year their task is not an enviable one however, their photographic skills and backgrounds have equipped them well for this challenge.
Steve Gascoigne
Steve was born in Coventry in 1973. After achieving ‘A’ Levels in Art and Photography, Steve started his career as a photojournalist, before gaining the opportunity to become a photographic hand printer for a leading company in the field. Here he spent 10 years learning the skills and artistry involved in crafting photographic prints for some of the country’s top photographers.
Steve started Available Light Photography after moving to the Isle of Wight in October 2000. Struck by the allure and variety of the Island’s landscape, Steve decided to use his years of photographic experience to capture this beauty. His grounding in traditional photographic techniques helped immensely when Steve took the plunge and ‘went digital’ in 2003. No longer constrained to the darkroom, Steve now has more time to concentrate on taking the unique images he sells, and printing them using the latest archival inks and papers that outlast traditional photographic media.
As Ansel Adams famously said – “The negative can be seen as the score sheet, the print is the performance” and this holds true for digital as well as film. Each image has been crafted to be as close to the scene that was originally perceived, using the traditional darkroom techniques of dodging, burning and masking. This ensures that the beauty of the landscape is uncompromised, and the print can try and do justice to the scene it depicts. All of Steve’s work can be viewed online on his website, www.availablelight.cc
Chris Barton
Chris was born on the Island way back in the sixties and showed an early interest in photography, setting up a school darkroom and becoming the official unofficial photographer of 1024 squadron air cadets (of which he was a member).
After a school career, in which Chris mostly stayed out of trouble, he spent some time on the mainland learning about photography at college.
Returning to the Island he worked for a photographer and then moved into colour and black & white processing before going into retail. Chris has spent some time as a member of several camera clubs over the years and carried out photographic judging work in the 80′s and 90′s.
Chris has worked for the Island Photo Centre for 18 years, seeing the company evolve to provide different services such as photo restoration, image recall, in-store large format printing, in-house teaching and product photography.
Ben Wood
Based at his studio in Bembridge on The Isle of Wight, where he runs his company Island Images, Ben is best known for his signature black and white marine photography and his highly successful landscape images from his book The Island. However, since re-locating to the island from London ten years ago Ben has diversified into motor-racing, equine and shooting photography.
His most recent exhibition Equus showed in London and Paris and featured 40 prints from the polo fields of Apremont and the race tracks of Chantilly and Longchamps. The shell series started as a private commission and has since developed into Ben’s most current project. The shells and coral are sourced from all over the world and then photographed using very soft light in his studio. In the printing stage the giclee paper is given extra texture by applying a glaze over the image.
Ben also takes on commercial commissions for a wide range of advertising, architectural and design clients and is represented in London by Getty Images and Corbis.
You can view Ben’s work at www.islandimages.org.uk
Please take a little time to view the competition judge’s websites – there are some great images in their galleries and as photographers we can all gain some benefit from their skills and professionalism.
Would you like the chance to meet the IWPOY judges from the 2007 competition and listen to how they arrived at their decisions. Maybe you’d like to discuss your entries with them and gain a few pointers for the IWPOY 2008. The Isle of Wight Digital Imaging Group are hosting an IWPOY Judges evening on Wednesday 30th January 2008 at Dimbola Lodge, Freshwater Bay 7:30-9:30pm.
During the evening you will also be able to try-out some of the latest digital photographic equipment as we are very pleased that our new sponsor the Island Photo Centre will be on-hand to show you what’s new and answer any questions you may have.
This is a strictly by invitation only evening as places are limited. So to reserve your place please fill in the contact form on this website and enter IWPOY Judges Evening as the subject header. You will be notified by email if you are successful.
We know that it will be a very interesting evening and we look forward to seeing you there.
We are very much looking forward to introducing our IWPOY 2008 judges and will update this information as the competition progresses
Mick Smith – Director Quay Arts Centre
Mick has most recently been involved in a SEEDA funded scheme run by Southampton City Council and Southampton University, supporting the setting up of 30 creative businesses, and was the driving force behind the Emerging Arts Talent (EAT) festival in the city.
Previously Mick has enjoyed International recognition as a pianist and songwriter and has also spent several years as the Director of a National charity.
Among his plans for the centre are a programme of outreach activities that will take Quay Arts into the community with artist led workshops and activities. “Quay Arts is a great place with a good reputation but I can see ways that I could take that forward to serve a wider section of the community”. Mick aims to develop Quay Arts’ relationships with Island artists and to promote their activities by working collaboratively with Mainland organisations.
Jennifer Burton – Chief Photographer Isle of Wight County Press
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Taken on as trainee photographer at the tender age of 18
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After completing NCJT training, was promoted to deputy chief photographer
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Took sabbatical leave from CP and went travelling around Australia and Thailand, which gave me the chance to experience travel photography
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Left the Isle of Wight and moved to Swindon to work as a senior photographer at the daily newpaper at the Swindon Advertiser
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Was offered the chief photographer postition at the County Press due to former chiefs retirement
- Started as chief photographer in October 2006 at the age of 25 with a team of four staff photographers – and I am still learning!
I have a major interest in press and travel photography, and would love to develop skills in wildlife photography. Working for a newspaper I work digitally using a Nikon D200, but when travelling I stick with my faithful Canon T90 which was the camera I learnt my trade as a trainee. My best jobs for the County Press have been the Trafalgar 200 celebrations and the Isle of Wight Music Festivals.
David L White – Professional Photographer
David is a well known and established professional photographer living and working on the island. During his busy and extensive imaging career he has worked on assignments for all of the top u.k. newspapers and glossy magazines, as well as many leading world wide publications.
David has photographed many well known people including members of the Royal Family such as Prince Charles, the late Princess Diana, Prince Phillip, the Queen Mother, Prince Edward, and on many occasions the late Lord Louis Mountbatten. Top show business personalities, politicians and photographers such as Bailey, Litchfield, and many more have been captured through his lens.
During his many years as a professional he has diversified in the imaging profession to include in his activities photographic seminars presentations, and video filming. Travel photography has also featured within his career having visited many exotic and remote regions especially within South America recording the dramatic scenery and beauty there.
David is a member of the governing board of the Julia Margaret Cameron Trust at Dimbola Lodge and has along with fellow board members helped over the years guide it to its present success. He is also one of board members involved with exhibition selections as well as “THE TRUSTS OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER” with the arts label of “photographer in residence”.
We are very pleased to welcome our new panel of judges for the 2007 IWPOY awards. We know from experience that their task will be a difficult one, but we also know that their combined talents, skills and qualifications are more than adequate for the task
Peter Bargh 
As well as being the editor of ePHOTOzine, the UK’s leading online photography magazine, Peter Bargh is also a published author with several digital photography books under his belt including Teach Yourself Digital Photography and the Guide to Great Photography.Prior to this he launched and edited one of the world’s first digital photography technique magazines way back in 1997. Peter has been an enthusiast/semi professional photographer for over 25 years and has tried almost all genres. He has judged many competitions and is currently responsible for ePHOTOzine exclusive Editor’s Choice award where he selects the best pictures from over 4000 uploads per week: www.ephotozine.com
David Betts
David has been involved in photography for the past 30 years, in the early years he was a member of the local photographic society and his work was mainly creative black and white images on various subjects.Gradually David realised his main direction was in creatively photographing the female form, and over a period of about 10 years his work was published in various photographic magazines and culminated in the publication of his book Island Maidens. In the late 90s he produced 4 calendars under the title of Wight Beauty, showing the female form in the local landscape of his birthplace, the Isle of Wight. David is currently involved in wedding photography but has a couple of new projects in the planning stage. David may be found at: www.davidpaulbetts.com
Jack Whitemore APAG CPAG
For many years Jack Whitemore has been involved in photography with both film and more recently digital. He has had close links with the Southern Photographic Federation (SPF) being their president at one time.He has worked as an ‘A’ list judge for the SPF but is now retired. He has gained a great wealth of photographic knowledge over the years and still gives lectures from time to time. He is a regular entrant in exhibitions and has now gone 100% digital. www.viewfinderscameraclub.org.uk
The IWPOY team would like to take this opportunity to thank the judging panel for agreeing to take part in this the first ever Isle of Wight Photographer of the Year competition. Thank you for your judging skills and taking part.
