A STUNNING image captured at Windmill Hill Business Park beat off tough competition to carry off the top prize in Swindon Photographic Society’s 120th Birthday Competition.

The theme of the competition was ‘What Swindon Means to Me’ and judges were hugely impressed with the way entrants interpreted the message across a wide spectrum of work.

Robert Albright, the president of the Royal Photographic Society, judged the final 15 shortlisted entries at the end of the camera club’s 120th year last Thursday evening.

The stand-out photograph was taken by Chris Donohoe, who won a Grillis camera bag donated by Olympus, together with £120 cash from the Swindon Photographic Society and a year’s membership of the club.

Harmonica Man, by Brendan Hamley, was the runner-up, with the photographer also winning 12 months’ membership as well as a framed print of his entry.

Terry Walters, with Lydiard Tranquility Free for All, came third.

All of the entries will be displayed at the club’s annual exhibition this summer, with details to be released soon.

John Day, who handles publicity for the club, said: “We would like to thank Robert for all his work, experience, and skill in finding the winners and Olympus for their kind generosity in sponsoring prizes for our top three.

“Thank you also to Swindon Link, the Swindon Advertiser, and John Lewis and Partners (Swindon), for their work in judging all the entries, as well as everyone who entered.”

Although photography has continued to evolve over the past century, Mr Day added that the philosophy of the club - to assist and encourage the enjoyment of this pastime - has remained unchanged.

He said: “We do this by providing a place where anyone interested in photography can get together and share technical knowledge and appreciation of the images produced. It works best if we have a wide range from novice to experienced members.

“At first glance in our old programmes it may appear that the content of our meetings has not altered much. In practice the content of practical information now is different to that before the internet when precious little technical help was available.

“The sharing and critiquing of images casually or within a competition still gives the deeper understanding of how to make an image work in the same way it has always done.”

Rudolph Diesel patented his internal combustion engine and Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium in the year Swindon Photographic Society was formed.

Perhaps of more interest to the club itself though is the Reverend Hannibal Goodwin. On September 13, 1898 Rev Goodwin was granted a patent applied for 11 years earlier, for the use of celluloid as a base for photographic emulsions in flexible roll film. It was system used until the coming of digital at the beginning of the 21st century.

Five months before Rev Goodman got his patent, Swindon Photographic Society held its first meeting.

The club was started at about the same time as the first “camera for the masses” the Kodak Brownie, with the advent of roll film. Suddenly there were cameras that enabled anyone with no training to take a picture, alongside the more complex cameras used by professionals.

Back then it was called the North Wilts Field and Camera Club. It was later renamed the Swindon and North Wilts Field and Camera Club and in circa 1960 changed again to Swindon Camera Club before becoming Swindon Photographic Society in 2002.