We are delighted to announce that our u3a photographic competition will again take place this year. Whether you are a seasoned photographer or an enthusiastic amateur, we invite you to submit your best image of 2026. The entry details can be found below.
Theme: " Old and/or New "
Kindly chosen by last year’s winner Peter Toolan. As he points out, this can be any interpretation, for instance, it could apply to buildings, people, objects, animals, nature, gardens etc.
Entry Deadline: Between the 1st and 31st October 2026. The photos must have been taken in 2026.
Eligibility: Open to all Redditch u3a members.
Entry Limit: Maximum of one photograph per entrant. A short title for the photo may be included.
Judging: Entries will be reviewed by an independent judge (not a u3a member!).
Please Note: All the photos will be able to be seen on the u3a website so be sure you're happy for everyone to see your photo.
How to Enter:
1. By Email (this is the preferred method)
Please send electronic file in .jpg or .jpeg format attached to an email to June Smith (june.c.smith@talk21.com) who will keep all names confidential so the judge has no bias. Note: Maximum file size must be no more than 4MB.
2. As a Printed Copy
If you prefer to submit a printed photograph (5" x 7" format), you MUST write your NAME on the back and give your photograph to June (usually at 1st Tuesday meetings) or any committee member.
Note: Please be aware that we cannot guarantee the return of any photograph.
Finally, a message from your competition promoter, June Smith:
I’ll post further reminders during the year but thought I would give you all a “heads up” in case you were presented with opportunities for subjects.
The winner will be announced at the December general meeting. Your photos do not have to be a professional standard the judge as will be looking for composition and connection to the theme.
I look forward to seeing this year’s entries.
June Smith
Take a Camera—any Camera (Photography for Non-Photographers) by John Cartmell
To assist you taking a photograph for the competition, John Cartmell has shared some thoughts and ideas about photography which will hopefully kindle your desire to enter the competition (see below).
I know some of you are wary about using cameras and just point and click with one—and sometimes that is all that is needed. In the past some of us bought a camera and carried it with us on holiday or when we went somewhere special. Today most of us carry a camera everywhere we go but forget that it exists. Don’t forget the camera in your mobile phone! It’s often the best camera you have owned and it’s easy to use. Best of all, it’s likely to be the camera to hand whenever there is something good to snap. Even older mobile phones can be good. Mine is five years old. I’ve entered images from the one it replaced into photo competitions. Take hold of your phone and get taking pictures!
Practise the Basics
Whether you have a mobile phone with camera, a compact camera, bridge camera, or DSLR with multiple lenses, whatever your camera, remind yourself the basics of how to use it; how to turn it on and take a picture. If you really have to, read the manual!
You never need to know how to do everything. It’s over 30 years (and a much simpler camera) since I knew everything about the camera I was using. To begin with just check what happens if you press any of the buttons deliberately or by mistake, some of them do interesting things. Get the feel of using your camera by taking photos of a chair, teacup, or anything else that’s in the room. Learn how to set the focus and see if you can make an object sharp. It doesn’t matter if the background is fuzzy. If you’re too close it might not let you take a sharp picture or might not let you take a shot at all. Then do something really adventurous …….go outside and take a picture of a garden. Then do the same when Spring provides more colour. In the meantime, keep practising and improving your camera skills. I’m taking weekly images of the side garden that I replanted last year. With an old mobile phone camera.