Stirring poetry from Makhanda (Grahamstown) poets Dumisa Mpupha and Harry Owen provided an inspiring start and ending to the festive prizegiving in the WESSA Heritage Day Photographic Competition on Wednesday 10 October.
Close to 70 photographers, from beginner to professional, entered the inaugural competition with the theme ‘Celebrate Natural Heritage’.
With more than 30 in the amateur category alone, the judges had some tough choices to make and this week the winners were announced as follows:
SCHOOLS
Carissa Henning (Frog Prince)
Kate Jackson-Moss (Queen of the Savannah)
Liyema Blom (Orange Pride)
AMATEUR
Chad Keates (Young Beauty)
Graham Barr (A painted Lady)
Sipho Madiba (Grasshopper)
PROFESSIONAL
Roddy Fox (Oldenburgia above Featherstone Kloof)
Mary-Ann Stewart (Black rhino cow and calf)
Robyn Oosthyusen (Breaking Dawn)
The project was a collaborative one between WESSA, Grocott’s Mail, Grahamstown Photo a Day, Robs Oosthuysen Images and The Grahamstown Project, with game reserves Kwandwe, Amakhala and Kariega sponsoring prizes, NELM hosting the photo exhibition and prizegiving and Pick n Pay providing refreshments for the schools’ Photo Walk and Bio-Bash.
Ahead of the prizegiving, Bernard Mackenzie gave an inspiring and informative workshop to school children who had attended the Photo Walk at Botanical Gardens last month, along with others who came along to learn about apertures and ISOs.
Several of the photographers have agreed for prints of their photos to be sold in an auction to help fund future public projects organised by WESSA. Watch the Grocott’s Mail Facebook page, where we’ll share details of the online auction.
