Romford Camera Club

Romford Camera Club Photography is the joy of capturing and freezing a moment in time. We are an active, friendly camera club that meets regularly in the North Romford area.

Our members are all keen photographers with a variety of skill levels and we love to
welcome new people of any age or skill level into our club. Our aim is simply to enjoy
and share all aspects of photography from film to digital, camera to phone,
black and white to colour. We hold regular monthly digital and print competitions
(some with an external judge); take part in inter-club battles; ho

st guest speakers on
a variety of photographic inspired topics; organise practical evenings and
club "days out" with our cameras.

May 2026 Digital Monthly Competition. Wednesday saw us back with our monthly Digital Competition, which was internally ...
25/05/2026

May 2026 Digital Monthly Competition.

Wednesday saw us back with our monthly Digital Competition, which was internally judged and critiqued.

There were 22 images presented and wild life featured as a good percentage despite it being an open competition. Not surprising considering our surroundings and accessibility to some excellent places to photograph the critters and birds that are in abundance !! And the standard was high !

We all enjoyed viewing and then critiquing/discussing the images, and, because the voting takes place before the critiquing, the photographers, if they wished, could join in the critiquing and explain their thought process/editing views etc. It all made for a very interesting, informative, and interactive experience, hence a real learning opportunity.

Many thanks to all who entered images. Keep them coming !

Many congratulations to the winning photographers:-
1st Harris Hawk - Lorna O'Keefe
2nd Silent observer - Lorna O'Keefe
3rd Stark - Mike Cole
HC Soggy Egyptian gosling - Lorna O'Keefe
HC On Watch - Pauline Blade
HC Tamarin window gazing - Lorna O'Keefe
C Dreamy impressions - Keith Upton
C On alert - Keith Upton
PS: A little reminder for our next BIG annual competition, the Stan Doe Colour Print on July 15th with Judge Tom Peck. If you haven't got your images sorted then there is still time to get out and about and find that winning shot ;)

The 2026 Ken Thorn B&W Print CompetitionWednesday evening saw our annual B&W Print competition held in memory of Ken Tho...
15/05/2026

The 2026 Ken Thorn B&W Print Competition

Wednesday evening saw our annual B&W Print competition held in memory of Ken Thorn, a much loved, respected and longstanding member of Romford Camera Club. A brilliant photographer, Ken loved his black and white prints and came into photography at a time when film and the dark room was the only means of producing prints. He quickly adapted to digital however when it became obvious that was the way forward and continued to produce excellent prints and digital images right up until his passing in 2021.

We invited Gill Adams from Witham to judge the prints offered up by our club members. There were 22 prints in total and the standard was very good. Gill was a discerning judge and gave a considered critique to all of the images, selecting 7 to be held back for further perusal. We enjoyed seeing a range of topics and we listened carefully to Gill's comments and appraisals. Ken would have been particularly pleased that none of them needed a crop to enhance them!! Gill did however comment on ensuring the dark corners were lightened sufficiently or that the image was equally lightened/darkened in some of the images. Once again it was an evening when what appeared to be an average B&W really came to life when mounted in the Lightbox; always a magical and breath taking moment. It takes skill and practice to achieve this and we certainly saw that in action!

Gill reviewed her held back images again in the Lightbox before coming to a decision.

The winning images are as follows:-

1st Place and the 2026 Winner of the Ken Thorn Shield for B&W Prints is :-

Lorna O'Keefe with "Great grey owl"

2nd Place "Echoes of speed" - Keith Upton
3rd Place "Morning in the park". - Gabriel Baloiu
HC "My one small wish". - Peter Wills
HC " Looking at self " - Ornella
HC "Pied Kingfisher". - Rita Howe
HC "The Shoal Stratford" - Ornella Walker

Many congratulations to all the winning photographers and especially to Lorna. It was quite an emotional occasion as she recalled how Ken Thorn had welcomed her into the club when she first joined and had consistently given her a lot of encouragement and help to gain confidence in her photography (and she is now our wildlife/bird expert !). So, winning this particular shield was very poignant and meaningful to her. And I am sure Ken is looking down with a big and knowing smile for his protegée :) I think we all know special people who go that extra mile to help and encourage and share their passion for photography. Who do you remember ?

Many thanks to all members who entered prints.
Thank you Gill for judging the competition and giving your critiques and insight into the images presented to you.
Once again an enjoyable evening for all.

The April 2026 Monthly Print Competition winning images .
05/05/2026

The April 2026 Monthly Print Competition winning images .

April 2026 Monthly CompetitionsAfter our 2 week Easter break we first held our April 2026 Digital Competition followed a...
05/05/2026

April 2026 Monthly Competitions

After our 2 week Easter break we first held our April 2026 Digital Competition followed a couple of weeks later by our April 2026 Print Competition.
We had 32 digital entries which was a very pleasing number. There was a wide selection of topics, from Street to Nature, Wild Life to Architecture, Seascapes, Landscapes, and Abstract so it was a really interesting and enjoyable evening .
We marked and critiqued using our in house marking system and the results were as follows:

1st Red Panda - Lorna O'Keefe
2nd The colony - Carol Khorsandyon
3rd Rain drops - Ornella Walker
HC Song Thrush - Lorna O'Keefe
HC Spring Blossom - Lorna O'Keefe
HC Wonderful sunset at Wat Arun Temple - Jean Cuomo
C Old boots - Carol Khorsandyon
C Momentum in motion - Keith Upton

Many congratulations to the winning photographers and well done to all who entered digital images.

The April 2026 Print Competition did not produce as many images as several members were on holiday so unable to enter their prints. It is so much easier to submit digital prints even if you aren't in the country as long as you are organised well in advance !!! lol

So, there were a total of 18 prints entered, but, although lacking in our usual quantity there certainly was not a lack of quality! They were all very good images which made choosing favourites and winning images rather challenging ! But, our in house marking system once again proved worthy and the images that secured the most marks were as follows :-

1st Cove Water (Scotland) - Peter Wills
2nd In Transit - Peter Wills
3rd This way (black owl) - Peter Wills
HC Female Kestrel - Lorna O'Keefe
HC A trio of mongoose - Lorna O'Keefe
HC Walking the waves - Ornella Walker
C Beauty duck - Gabriel Baliou
C Golden eye on water - Keith Upton

Many congratulations once again to the winning photographers, and a special mention to Peter who took the top 3 places !!! Well done to all who entered prints. It proved to be an enjoyable evening perusing some really lovely images.

The April 2026 Digital images are below.
The April 2026 Print images are in the next post.

Annual Digital Competition 2026Last Wednesday saw the last of our 2025-26 Annual Competitions with the best of our digit...
22/03/2026

Annual Digital Competition 2026

Last Wednesday saw the last of our 2025-26 Annual Competitions with the best of our digital images submitted for an external judge to consider.
This time it was the turn of Ken Payne.
Ken has been a frequent and welcome judge at RCC for both our annuals and other competitions. He has also presented and led discussions on various topics over the years. His warm and friendly manner combined with his knowledge, expertise, and eye for detail make for an informative and enlightening evening. He was impressed with the overall standard of our digital images and this was reflected in the number of images he held back. There were 50 digital images submitted in total and Ken held 15 back before selecting his top 7 images.

The results are as follows:-

1st Place. Flying through the mist - Pauline Blade
2nd Place. A tasty fruit - Lorna O'Keefe
3rd Place. The Landing - Ornella Walker
4th Place. Green Woodpecker - Lorna O'Keefe

Highly Commended:-
Abstract oil in water - Keith Upton
I see you - Jean Cuomo
Melting away - Carol Khorsandyon

The other 8 images that were held back all received 19 points so were deemed to be commended.

Commended:-
A way up - Gabriel Baloiu
Autumn Parasol - Dennis Shields
Bactrian Camel - Lorna O'Keefe
Falling to the emerald pool - Jean Cuomo
Like a big eye ball - Ornella Walker
Monet’s birthday - Dennis Shields
Raindrops on leaves - Carol Khorsandyon
Rose Harvey at London Marathon - Gabriel Baloiu

Many congratulations to the winning photographers and especially to Pauline for securing 1st Place with her spectacular “Flying through the mist” image . Well done to all who entered their images. It was lovely having a second chance to see some really great images from the year. A big thank you to Ken for his excellent judging and for making the evening so entertaining and enjoyable .

So, now the Annuals are completed another Romford Camera Club year is about to begin in April. Where will it take us? What new challenges will it bring? Can we maintain and, dare I say, even exceed the standard we set this past year?
Absolutely!
Bring it on !!

2026 Annual B&W Print CompetitionRound two of our annual print competitions took place on Wednesday. This time it was th...
15/03/2026

2026 Annual B&W Print Competition

Round two of our annual print competitions took place on Wednesday. This time it was the turn of the B&W images and there were 38 in total submitted by club members. And the standard was high.

Our external judge for the evening was the illustrious Alison Jenkins ARPS DPAGB CPAGB/AV BPE1*.

Alison has been to RCC as a judge before and we really appreciate her expert, measured critiques which are consistent, detailed and very inspiring with her observations and the little tips she gives which can further enhance our photography. Her passion, enthusiasm and friendly manner make for a very enjoyable and entertaining evening. Alison was impressed with the standard of the images and commented that some were amongst the best that she had seen, a very lovely and welcome comment which boosted the confidence of our members. It is always good to get such positive feedback from external judges.

Alison held 9 images back before deciding on the her top 3 which all received 20 points. The winning photographer, Carol Khorsandyon, was sadly not there to receive the plaque as she was on holiday. And this was a double whammy for her as she also picked up the plaque for the 2026 Annual Colour Print last week so she is in total, but delighted, disbelief !!!!!

Well done to all who entered images and congratulations to the winning photographers and to those who had images held back.

A big thank you to Alison for her excellent judging and for making the evening such an enjoyable and informative one. We look forward to seeing you again for future competitions.

Here are the winning images :-

1st Place Pulling a funny face - Carol Khorsandyon
2nd Place You talking to me - Peter Wills
3rd Place Rounds and upwards - Ornella Walker

HIghly Commended :-
Lloyds of London - Peter Wills
Cityscape - Keith Upton
Southend pier train approaching - Ornella Walker

Commended:-
Abandoned - Pauline Blade
Up - Peter Wills
Focused Intensity - Lorna O'Keefe

2026 Annual Colour Print Competition ResultsMarch is the month when we submit and revisit our favourite print and digita...
11/03/2026

2026 Annual Colour Print Competition Results

March is the month when we submit and revisit our favourite print and digital images in the Annual club Competitions. It is always a great moment as we have a chance to enjoy once more the superb images submitted over the year (April 2025 - Feb 2026). It is the photographer's choice which images they submit but we have external judges to pick out what they consider to be the best images of the evening.

The Annual Colour Print was the first competition this year. There were 41 prints entered and our judge for the evening , Paul Parkinson ARPS CAPG BPE3 from Kent gave each print a considered and well critiqued opinion. Paul has judged for us on several occasions before and his entertaining, balanced and measured style with amusing anecdotes and comments are really enjoyed and appreciated by the club members. We learn a lot and his humour makes for a very enjoyable evening. He admitted he is mainly a landscape photographer but really enjoyed the wildlife photos, particularly the little birds, with the impressionable muted backgrounds. which he thought were superb. This was reflected in the images he held back. There were 9 in total. He also commented on the unusual number of square images but thought they were all very appropriate to the subjects. The winning image was chosen because it was a very well taken photo, and really came to life in the Lightbox.

It was a very enjoyable and entertaining evening. Many thanks to Paul for his excellent contribution and judging and for making the evening so memorable. Well done to all who entered the pick of their best prints and congratulations go to the winning photographers. Our next Annual Competition is for the Black & White prints. It should be another good evening .

Here are the winning images for the Annual Colour Print Competition:-

1st Poppyheads - Carol Khorsandyon
2nd Singing Skylark - Lorna O'Keefe
3rd Taking off - Lorna O'Keefe

HC Had enough look - Ornella Walker
HC Preys eye view of a Kestrel - Lorna O'Keefe
HC Bearded Tit in Reeds - Pauline Blade

C Owl flying through a window - Rita Howe
C Colourful Brahma Chicken - Carol Khorsandyon
C Who's a pretty boy then - Carol Khorsandyon

February 2026 Monthly Print- a B&W themeThe last monthly print competition before our Annual competitions in March was h...
04/03/2026

February 2026 Monthly Print- a B&W theme

The last monthly print competition before our Annual competitions in March was held last Wednesday. It was on a B&W theme and what a fabulous set of prints were offered up by the members.

We didn't have an external judge so we used our own voting system to pick out some winners and the closeness of the marks reflected the overall very good standard of prints entered.

These B&W prints along with others from previous competitions in 2025-26 will make for a very interesting Annual B&W Competition in a couple of weeks time. And they will be judged by an external judge so.... watch this space !!!!

The winning B&W prints were :

1st After the rain - Pauline Blade
2nd Mist over the moors - Lorna O'Keefe
3rd Station view - Ornella Walker
HC Hever Castle - Ornella Walker
HC Lloyds of London - Peter Wills
HC Ha! Look at this - Peter Wills
C Willie Lotts Cottage - Pauline Blade
C Enjoying the view - Ornella Walker

Well done to all who entered and congratulations to the winning photographers.

February 2026 Monthly Digital CompetitionLast week we held our monthly Digital Competition. It was an open topic so we h...
17/02/2026

February 2026 Monthly Digital Competition

Last week we held our monthly Digital Competition. It was an open topic so we had a wide variety of images entered which always makes for an entertaining evening. There were 24 images in total and we used our standard club voting system to pick out the winning images. The images were critiqued by those members present who reflected on the way in which the photo was taken and then edited, looking at the depth of field, the colour tones, the sharpness, whether the composition matched the subject, and whether a crop would have enhanced the image or whether it could have been better in portrait, landscape, or letterbox mode etc etc.
The following images gained the most marks from those club members present . Thanks to all who entered images. Keep up the good work. And congratulations to those members who obtained the winning images:)

1st Green Woodpecker Lorna O'Keefe
2nd Falling to the emerald pool Jean Cuomo
3rd. Curious Blackbird. Jean Cuomo
HC Seating x 2 Ornella Walker
HC Posing Lemur. Lorna O'Keefe
HC Entrance Way. Ornella Walker
C. Quiet bow to Spring. Keith Upton
C. The Spiral. Gabriel Balou

Romford Camera Club Gold Cup 2026On February 4th we hosted our annual Gold Cup battle with 5 other neighbouring camera c...
16/02/2026

Romford Camera Club Gold Cup 2026

On February 4th we hosted our annual Gold Cup battle with 5 other neighbouring camera clubs participating. It is always an interesting and exciting evening seeing the 5 best images from each club presented randomly, and then critiqued and marked by an external judge. The individual marks are then totalled and the club with the highest mark wins the Romford Camera Club Gold Cup and holds it for a year before returning it for the next Gold Cup Competition. There is also a prize of £50 for the image of the evening which is chosen by the judge. So plenty to play for !

This year the participating clubs were : Hornchurch Photographic Society, Loughton Camera Club, Thurrock Camera Club, Upminster Camera Club , Woodford and Wanstead Photographic Society, and of course Romford Camera Club.

The competition was fierce with a very good selection of images entered by all 6 clubs which were thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by all present.

The judge for the evening was Darren Woolway ARPS, AMPA, Ba (Hons) from Kent. Darren is a professional, commercial photographer specialising in automotive, car and still life photography. He has judged many camera club competitions, but none in our area, so it was very refreshing to have a new face, a new voice and a style of judging which was appreciated by all the clubs members present. Darren explained his critiquing very succinctly, going into detail and giving very useful tips and constructive observations.

Darren held 8 out of the 30 prints back to decide which was going to be his image of the evening. These 8 images also received the highest marks with the majority gaining 20/20. He said the standard overall was very impressive.

In the end when the marks for each image were totalled , Loughton Camera Club came First with an impressive total of 97 out of a possible 100 points and therefore won the Gold Cup.

The Image of the evening (one of a man in front of a classic car) and the £50 cheque also went to a member of Loughton Camera Club.

From comments received it appears everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening including the now infamous RCC buffet which always seems to be one of the highlights of the event.

Many thanks to all the clubs who participated. A big thank you to the Romford Camera Club Committee and volunteer members for pulling out all the stops to make the evening a success. And many thanks to Ornella for providing the photos of the event.

Many thanks also to Darren Woolway for his excellent contribution as judge. We can highly recommend him!

Finally, many congratulations to Loughton Camera Club for coming First and for having the winning image of the evening.

Here are a few photos of the prints and also of the presentations of the £50 cheque and Gold Cup.

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Forest Row Centre , 241 Lodge Lane , Collier Row
Romford
RM52LD

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