Capturing the East Riding 2014

What was the photography competition about?

This was the second ‘Capturing the East Riding’ amateur photography contest. This time around, we focused the competition on the theme @Work, Rest and Play – Capturing Life in the East Riding.

All amateur photographers were invited to submit images which captured people in the East Riding – as individuals, groups or crowds – at work, rest or play. Each participant was able to enter up to four photos during the ten-week submission period. We received more than 440 entries, all of which are displayed on the council’s Flickr site: 

View the 2014 Capturing the East Riding entries on our Flickr account (external website)

Follow us also on Facebook and Twitter for competition updates, interesting facts and useful tips:

Like East Riding of Yorkshire Council on Facebook (external website)

Follow our @East_Riding Twitter account (external website) 

Our judging panel will select the best 100 photographs for an exhibition which will tour the East Riding in 2015 and 2016. 

The exhibition will be presented at Beverley Art, Goole Museum, Pocklington Arts Centre and The Spa Gallery, Bridlington. Additional tour venues may be added in 2016. 

What were the terms and conditions for entering the competition?

All participants were asked to agree to the entry rules and requirements the Terms and Conditionspage.

Where can I find guidance about taking good photographs?

The photography competition focused on people in the East Riding – as individuals, groups or crowds at work, rest or play.  

Photographers were encouraged to seek out interesting activities, situations or events in typical or unusual surroundings with the following guidance in mind:

• Try to avoid the obvious or clichéd image. Seek out people doing things in situations that are different and might surprise viewers or look for new angles on familiar ones. Many activities take place in special and interesting surroundings. You may need to seek permission to gain access.
• Look for a fresh and interesting viewpoint by looking up, down, over, under, in, out, along, between, around, through, close-up, far away, etc.
• A well-selected detail can often say more than a general view.
• Try to capture the mood of your subjects; are they tranquil, angry, strained, cold, sad, frightened, excited, tired, hectic, etc.?  How do you see them yourself; are they repulsive, splendid, frightening, uplifting, etc?  Consider the lighting, weather and/or time of day: these can all affect the mood. If possible, try to return to your subject at different times to experience these effects.
• Pay attention to the way you compose your subject within the frame – it does not always have to be in the middle.  Do you want a feeling of balance or imbalance?
• Digital manipulation and cropping can either enhance or damage your image. Use it to achieve your purpose, not just for its own sake. Do not lose the identity of your original subject.

Capturing the East Riding - Guidance for photographers (pdf 96kb opens in a new window) 

What were the technical requirements?

The following technical requirements were provided to help people the competition: 

• Only digital photographs will be accepted. Entries should conform to standard file types, such as PNG or TIFF. Where photographs are submitted in a compressed format, such as JPG, a low compression ratio should be used.
• Entries should be suitable for printing up to a maximum dimension of 400mm (16”) either landscape or portrait format at 200 dpi minimum (though ideally 300 dpi). For example, a typical image will have a minimum resolution of 2400x3200 pixels. Other aspect ratios including panoramic formats are acceptable at the discretion of the judges but will not be printed larger than 400mm.

• Participants can submit up to four entries into the competition.

When and where are the winning photographs being exhibited? 

The touring exhibition of winning photographs will be presented at the following locations when the competition has closed and the judging concluded.

Beverley Art Gallery

23 May 2015 – 18 July 2015

Goole Museum

25 July 2015 – 20 September 2015

Pocklington Arts Centre

27 September – 30 October 2015

Spa Gallery at The Spa Bridlington

9 November 2015 – 8 January 2016 

Please note: These dates may be subject to change. 

What are the prizes?

All of the photographs chosen for the touring exhibition will be considered for one of our great prizes. To see what prizes are on offer, please visit the Prizes page for details.

Who is supporting this project?

This project has been generously supported by a number of partners and sponsors. For a full list of our supporters, please visit partners and sponsorspage.

Is this the first Capturing the East Riding photography competition?

No, the first Capturing the East Riding competition was held in 2010-11.  The contest attracted 733 entries from over 275 amateur photographers.  Three judges selected the top 100 entries, which were exhibited at Beverley Art Gallery, Sewerby Hall and Gardens, Pocklington Arts Centre and Goole Museum in 2012.  More than 6,200 people visited these exhibitions.

You can still view these entries on the council's Flickr site:

The 2014 entries can be viewed at:

Capturing the East Riding 2014 entries (external website)

East Riding Cultural Partnership 
c/o Gordon Scaife
Leisure, tourism and culture policy officer 
Room JG7
East Riding of Yorkshire Council 
County Hall 
Cross Street 
Beverley 
HU17 9BA

Tel: (01482) 391676 
Email: gordon.scaife@eastriding.gov.uk