Scone Drawing Photographic Eye

SCONE will host a national photographic prize this year as part of the Scone Arts and Crafts members exhibition to open on Friday, May 5.

The prize was initiated by local photographer Roger Skinner and he has put his money where his mouth is by donating $1,000 for the winner.

Roger Skinner, judge of photographic competition at the Arts and Crafts exhibition. Photographer: Amanda Gaffney-Ray.

“We wanted to start something new in Scone and draw a national eye to Scone through a national photographic competition,” said Mr Skinner.

“The Muswellbrook photographic competition was national and drew a huge following, but unfortunately they lost their major sponsor and I thought well here is a chance to give Scone the opportunity to hold a national prize,” he said.

“Mel Brackstone from Brisbane has already sent an entry for the open section and we are hoping in the first year it will get some traction then hoping it will grow into bigger things, as they say ‘from little things, big things grow’,” he said.

“I also encourage lots of local amateur photographers to enter and since Scone is the horse capital I’m hoping Scone will make up the majority of entries in the horse section,” he said.

“One of the most important things you can do as an amateur is submit work alongside professional photographers and you see how you measure, sometimes you are close and sometimes you see how far you have to go, but it is the best way to learn,” Roger Skinner said.

The sections for photography include the open section worth $1,000, horse worth $300, the novice worth $50 and the Bruce Robert-Thompson trophy which is a Hunter Valley only prize.

“The exhibition is very popular after the horse parade as people make their way to the Grammar School Fete and we will have the alfresco cafe serving hot coffee and warm soup and people can also buy art supplies from the small art supplier,” Roger Skinner said.