The 2019 Photosub Annual Meal was held at the Farnham House Hotel and was attended by 33 club members and partners. As always it was a very social affair, one of the key goals of the club.

Following a fine meal and drinks the annual competition was projected. This competition comprises 5 categories:

• Green Water Macro/Close Up
• Green Water Wide
• Blue Water Macro/Close Up
• Blue Water Wide
• Prints

There was a good turnout with 134 images from 17 club members, a record for the number of different members participating. The 134 images were distributed across the 4 projected categories (GW-Macro 21, GW-Wide 30, BW-Macro 36 and BW-Wide 47) with a total of 20 prints.

Kirsty Andrews of the Bristol Underwater Photography Group attended as the guest judge. Club Chair Martyn Guess welcomed Kirsty to the event…

After discovering diving in Thailand followed by several years with Leeds University Dive Club, Kirsty used a compact camera when working as a dive guide in Croatia in 2006. However the passion really took hold when she  joined the Bristol Underwater Photography Group about 6 years ago upgrading to a DSLR. On average Kirsty does about 100 dives a year, roughly half of which are in the UK. 

Being Bristol-based her local stomping grounds are Devon, Dorset and Cornwall, but she particularly loves various sites around Scotland and does a couple of pilgrimages North each year.  Further afield she has recently discovered the delights of the Lembeh Strait and is planning trips to the Red Sea, South Africa and Canada soon.

Kirsty likes characterful portraits of marine wildlife to show off the beauty of UK seas and she appreciates shots that do that too.

An accomplished underwater photographer, Kirsty has received numerous awards including UPY British Macro winner in 2017, images recognised in UPY in 2018 and 2019, and a BIUPC winner in Wide Angle (2017) and Mankind in the Sea (2018) categories.  She has had 3 Highly Commended images in the BWPA in 2018 and won the BSoUP Best of British portfolio twice, in 2018 and 2016.

The competition results are as follows:

Green Water Macro/Closeup

Green Water Wide Angle

Blue Water Macro/Closeup

Blue Water Wide Angle

Print Competition

The Len Deeley Trophy

Following the death of club founder and driving force Len Deeley, a new trophy was created by Pash Baker and Jo Horrocks in memory of Len. This trophy will be presented on an annual basis at the annual dinner. It will be classed as a “floating trophy” and while on some occasions it will be presented based on a competitive basis defined by the committee, on others it will be presented to a club member who has supported the club and promoted its aims and goals.

Club Chair Martyn Guess introduced this years recipient …

When we discussed who to award the Len Deeley Trophy to this year it was a very quick and unanimous decision by the Photosub Committee and Pat.The recipient is one of the founding members of Photosub, a committee member and former treasurer and a stalwart supporter of the club. He was recognised by many as Len’s right hand man and behind the scenes has helped to organise many meetings and trips over the years without many of the members even being aware.

I asked a few of the members for quotes and stories and the one that stood out for me was Ken’s comment “He just gets on with the job!”. Another anonymous member said “If it is going to happen to anyone – it is normally him.

He was recognised as one of the few who would take both a full stills rig and a video rig on the same dive until he was stopped by Len!  – This was on the basis that he needed to learn how to use at least one of them!

Our award this year for his service and dedication to Photosub is none other than our unsung hero Bert Lee.

Bert has had many success’s over the years in annual competitions, winning many and even coming first and second at the annual splash in 1994. He is custodian of the prints display stands which were hand made by him. You don’t even have to ask they just appear at these events.

Famed for once leaving his rug sack with camera on the Plymouth Ferry after a splash in, blaming everyone else for taking it, only to have it returned by the skipper the following day! He also half destroyed a plant and display stand at a check in counter in Manado when he turned around sharply still wearing his large rug sack and had to be picked up to his feet from the adjoining coffee shop by some of the members here tonight. Bert still dives having travelled with Ken in the recent past to Socorro and Nabucco Island and as Ken told me Bert is still very much part of his diving family.

Everyone I have spoken to about you Bert have memorable stories of trips with you over the years but above all else they share a common gratitude for your friendship. So, with our thanks for all of your help with the club over the years Bert, please come up and accept the Len Deeley Trophy.

Photosub Award Winners

Thanks

Our thanks to Kirsty Andrews for judging the competition, and for attending the meal and competition evening. 

These events do not run successfully without the help of a number of club members. Thanks to Martyn Guess for managing the organisation of the evening, liaising with the hotel, and acting as master of ceremonies, Keith Lyall for running the competition, Sue Guess for providing the balloons, Pat Deeley for creating the table place tags and presenting the Len Deeley trophy, Roger Eve for event admin and corresponding with members, Bert Lee for providing the display stands (and Bob and Chris for helping with the setup), Sue Guess and Jo Horrocks for setting up the trophy table, and to Martha for handling general logistics and finances.

Thanks to all who who entered and congratulations to all winners.