Ballito Photo Club members gathered at Simbithi Country Club for their June meeting, enjoying a strong turnout that reflected the club’s vibrant mix of beginners and experienced photographers.

The evening combined learning and competition, offering members the chance to refine their skills while celebrating the art of photography.

A highlight was an engaging ‘Lightroom 101’ presentation by expert photographer Brian Roberts, who demonstrated the basics of editing images using Adobe Lightroom Classic – a key tool in the post-processing workflow. His practical approach gave attendees valuable insight into enhancing their photographs while maintaining originality.

The monthly competition, judged by Des van Tonder, drew 86 entries across a variety of categories. Van Tonder, a long-standing member of the Pietermaritzburg Camera Club and current KwaZulu-Natal director for the Photographic Society of South Africa (PSSA), provided thoughtful critiques and guidance throughout.

In the Colour Open category, Nicola Paul claimed top honours with Delicate, which Van Tonder described as “magic, beautiful and delicate and skilfully edited.” Paul also won the Set Subject category, themed ‘Blue’, with Blueberries, earning her the Senior Image of the Month award.

Avril Eshmade impressed in the Monochrome category with Fighting Guinea Fowl. Van Tonder praised the timing and texture: “This is an excellent mono. The texture and pattern of these birds dominate this image, what a moment to have caught on camera,” she said.

The popular wildlife categories proved highly competitive. Nicolette Forbes won Nature (No Birds) with Playful Takedown, while Shannon Clark’s Stretching White-faced Duck took the Birds category and the Junior Image of the Month award.

Alan Nixon’s Golden Dawn won the Scapes category, while Rung Button’s Cyclist topped the Visual Art section.

“The light, the layers and the blending are gorgeous,” said the judge.

Lorna Cooke rounded off the winners with Adrenalin Rush in the Photojournalism and Sport category, which was praised as a “great story image.”

The club continues to provide a supportive platform for photographers to grow and showcase their work.
Contact Rung Button on 083 289 6806.