‘Spit’ trial

This year’s GDPU Four Way print battle featured Hamilton Camera Club, Lanark Camera Club and Carluke Camera Club in competition with Motherwell Photographic Society.

Due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, digital images were submitted to the judge in lieu of actual prints.

The format of the competition requires each club to put forward 10 prints for review. The judge this year was Andy Stark, from Bridge of Weir, who not only gave each image a score out of 20 points but provided some detailed comments on what was good about the photograph and what, in his opinion, could have been handled a bit better.

The competition entries featured a wide range of images including landscapes, portraits, sports, still life,

A Harthill man allegedly forced his partner’s mouth open and spat into it.

Scott Hardie is accused of assaulting the woman at a house in Springhill Road, Shotts, on February 13.

He’s further charged with punching her, pinning her to the ground and striking her on the body with a broken mug to her injury.

Hardie, 44, of Paxton Crescent, Harthill, also allegedly threatened his partner with violence, shouted, kicked a door and stole cash.

He denied the charges at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

Trial was fixed for June 3 and he was ordered to stay out of Shotts as part of bail conditions. figure studies and street photography.

Four images were awarded the full 20 points from the judge, with two from Motherwell and two from Carluke.

Motherwell’s 20 point scorers were Colourful Gallery Reflection by Dominic Smith, a night-time shot of the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow complete with the Duke of Wellington and his traffic cone – a recent weekly winner of the Daily Record Picture of Scotland Competition – and Frozen in Motion by William Graham, a skilful studio photograph of a martial artist launching himself into a high kick.

As usual, it was a closely fought contest and up until the award of the final image scores, it could have been won by any one of three clubs.

When the scores were totalled up there were only three points separating first, second and third places in this tightly fought competition. In first place with 175 points from a possible 200, were Carluke Camera Club. In second place with 174 points were Hamilton Camera Club.

Motherwell PS finished third with 172 points followed by Lanark Camera Club with 159 points.

Motherwell Photographic Society normally meets on a Thursday evening at 7.30pm, all meetings are currently being conducted virtually.

As always, anyone with an interest in photography, no matter their level, is welcome to attend.

For more information please visit motherwellphotographicsociety. co.uk or visit the club’s Facebook page.

The web page also has a members’ gallery where you can view further examples of their work.