Winner announced in brewery photography competition

Keen photographer Jon Strange is the winner of Shepherd Neame’s first Brewery Photography Competition.
Amateur photographers in Kent were invited to capture the character of Britain’s oldest brewer during exclusive open evenings, in which they were given an hour to find the winning shot in areas of the brewery not usually open to the public.
Nearly 100 entries were received and an expert judging panel assessed photographs based on composition, originality and technical ability.
Winner Jon Strange, an insurance broker from Canterbury, was praised for his photograph of the fermentation vessels against a sunset backdrop, which portrayed the industrial nature of Shepherd Neame while remaining an appealing image in its own right. All judges agreed that Jon’s photograph had an extra special dimension.
Jon said: “It was great to be able to look behind the scenes at the brewery and have the chance to take some really interesting photos. I wasn’t expecting to win, but feel proud to have taken the winning shot.”
Three runners-up were also chosen:

• Christopher Rogers, Ashford, submitted a striking photograph of a copper vessel in the brew house, cleverly using black and white to illustrate a modern piece of equipment in a traditional light.
• Rebecca Douglas, Canterbury, was commended for her photograph of the malt mill with excellent colours and tones that captured the brewery’s heritage, with a subtle suggestion of new technology in the background.
• Richard Enfield, Faversham, was praised for his skilful use of colour with black and white in a photograph of the Visitor Centre bar. He captured the traditional hand pumps while highlighting the modern brands.

Jon receives a Sony digital SLR camera worth £350, courtesy of Faversham’s leading independent camera dealer, Davies and Eason. He is also guaranteed a place in ‘A Year in the Life of Faversham 2011’ exhibition and book, organised by Kent Creative Arts.
The three runners-up each win six cases of Spitfire Ale.
The judges agreed the level of creativity was outstanding and the standard of images comparable with professionally-taken photographs, especially given the challenging time constraints of the competition.
The judging panel comprised of Christine Rayner, Kent Regional Newspapers editor, Nathalie Banaigs, Kent Creative Arts and David Holmes, head brewer at Shepherd Neame.