DENNIS SCOOPS PORTRAIT OF THE YEAR!

In his own words.

It came as a bit of a shock. I don’t generally go for people pictures. I am more your plodging-about-in the-clarts-on-a lakeland-ridge type of bloke. So I entered the Lambert Hedley Cup with little expectation of getting anywhere, especially considering the level of in-house competition from top notch portrait photographers.

The unusual judging method meant that the longer my picture stayed hidden in the box, the higher the prize was going to be, so by the time the second place had been announced I was pretty certain mine had gone down the back of the bookcase. First Place! Pinch me somebody. I could barely conceal the surprise/delight on my face when I was called up to receive my handsome, sticky print label.

My image, 40s Girl, was taken last year on my first and only trip to the North East Aircraft Museum at Sunderland. I had tootled along for an up-close-and-personal look at the lovely Vulcan, and initially I was a bit peeved that there was some kind of WWII re-enactment going on, with bunches of camouflaged John Wayne types and sharp ladies with seams seemingly painted on the backs of their legs. There was a 40s Fashion Parade and the girls floating about on the broken asphalt were happy to allow me to take photographs. My special 40s Girl had an extra sparkle and I tried very hard to capture some of the pride, grace and dignity she evoked on her catwalk appearances, albeit casting her lovely costume into a subsidiary role.

It was an unusual shot for me and I was keen to show it at the club, if only to prove I did occasionally come in out of the rain, and to get some objective feedback, with no expectation of winning. It just goes to show how hard it is to prejudge your own images. I enjoy taking part in the club competitions at whatever level and I am always grateful for the opportunity to share pictures with other members, and the verbal abuse and badinage is so bonding, but I have to confess - being selected for an award on the night certainly put the cherry on my cake.

Dennis Hardingham