JMS Focused on Competition Shortlist

April 16, 2012
By John Mountford | 6 Comments

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Our photography competition is now closed and we’d like to thank the hundreds of entrants, worldwide, who shared their favourite, funny, inspiring or touching photos with us. Quite a few reminded us of the sort of shots our Directors are always aiming to achieve in our video and TV productions.

The competition called for skill with words besides skill (or in many cases, luck!) with a camera. Our judges were amazed and delighted by the stories behind the pictures, which embraced weddings and romance; children and pets (even some ghosts) and lots taken on holiday, where grand vistas or fascinating people featured in equal measure. Some entrants told us they hadn’t yet taken a good picture but their next picture would be great if only they won the camera – which was kinda funny the first couple of times – whilst others told us of the pictures they almost captured, but due to battery failure, camera loss, or just not being quick enough, the shot of a lifetime had eluded them. (Can’t tell you the number of TV documentaries we’ve produced where such infuriating things have happened!) And speaking of loss, many of you described a photo which captured, even fleetingly, a relative or friend who is no longer here, usually in an informal or unguarded moment where true character shines out – a happy instant frozen in time, for all time.

By far the largest number of you found this eternal moment in nature, with snow and ice, rainbows and lakes, mountains and wild animals bringing you great joy or satisfying memories – a category almost equalled by the huge number of loving or observant photos of children – from new-borns to teenagers, families to orphans. And although everyone found something unique in their favourite photo, the overwhelming majority were questing for one thing, that evanescent quality, perfectly summed up in this single sentence from one entry: ‘That was one of the most peaceful moments I’ve ever lived and every time I stare at this picture I feel the same’.

This brings us to the finalists, each of whose pictures prise some special meaning out of the mundane, or capture a moment so unique it will for all time continue to enthral, engage or amuse them, and anyone who knows the background story. Our scriptwriters found plenty to comment on, and noted, with surprise, that quite a few entries were written in
verse! It was truly amazing how much thought and effort some entrants put in.

So, to help us pick a single winner from such a remarkable field of entries, we have decided to ask the shortlisted finalists to send us digital copies of the picture they have written about, which, with their permission, we will publish in due course along with their written entry.

If you have not been contacted by us then your entry has not been successful, but please accept our sincere thanks for taking part. If you have been contacted by us, no decision can be made until we have received the five finalists’ pictures – so hurry up! We’d like to place the camera in the hands of one lucky winner by the end of April!

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