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email newsletterWorcester Music Festival photography competition 2012
Sarah Snaps Up Festival Photo Competition Crown
A BROODING image of one of the city’s most prolific songwriters and multi-instrumentalists has won this year’s hotly-contested Worcester Music Festival photography competition.
The dark and moody shot of Craigus Barry, performing as part of Shambollix, was taken by Sarah Colquitt at Monroes Cellar Bar during the four-day, original music event in August.
Winner: Craigus, lost in the Music - Cellar Bar - 24.08.12 - Sarah Colquitt
Aspiring to be a professional live music photographer, Sarah, who was a runner up in last year’s competition, said she could not believe she had won first place.
“I’m absolutely blown away,” said Sarah, who runs Puss ‘N’ Pooch in Pheasant Street, Lowesmoor. “It was totally unexpected and I feel honoured and humbled to have had mine chosen from such a fine selection of photographs. If ever I was looking for a sign to have faith and belief in myself and my dreams for the future, this is certainly it.”
Judge and semi-professional rock photographer Steve Johnston, who regularly shoots for London-based music photo agency Music Pics, was joined on the panel by fellow experts in the field and former competition winners Mark Hoy and Joe Singh. He said Sarah’s image ‘Lost in the Music’ captured the atmosphere of the performance perfectly.
“This was the only photograph all three judges chose in their final six, and the title of the image sums up exactly how the subject is caught, along with its dark, moody atmosphere.”
Sarah’s photograph was chosen from more than 300 entries, whittled down to a top 25, all of which were taken during the celebration of live, original music. Nearly 400 performances took place at a mix of venues, from pubs to historic buildings, across the city at this year’s event.
This year’s second place runner up prize went to Roy Jenks for his image of a young boy dashing to take shelter from the rain outside the city’s Huntingdon Hall in Crowngate, with Two Steps Back, the accompanying band of dance troupe One Step Beyond, persevering with their outdoor performance in the background.
2nd place: One Step Beyond - Huntington Hall Steps - 25.08.12 - Roy Jenks
“This is just a lovely photograph, of rain descending upon one of the festival’s outdoor performances,” said Steve. “In all situations, a photographer is looking to capture the perfect moment in time, and this is exactly what Roy achieved to be awarded second place.”
Third place runner up prize went to Mike Davis for his photograph of Sugar Mama at Keystones Café Bar. “Mike submitted what we believe to be the two best black and white photographs of the competition,” said Steve. “Both made it into our final 25, with the gritty and raw honesty of the stage at Keystones captured in this image to win Mike third spot.”
3rd place: Sugar Mama Keystones - 26.08.12 - Mike Davis
