28 Sep Photo comp success a breath of fresh air for Sally

A chance encounter in the Californian Redwoods near Beech Forest has helped Camperdown’s Sally Condie snap the winning entry in Timboon and District Healthcare Service’s 2021 Photo Competition.

Ms Condie’s entry titled ‘Fresh Air & Mask Free’ was taken with a brand new Nikon P1000 on May 24 during one of her many outings to the area to take photos.

“I’ve never entered a competition ever – I’ve never even won a raffle. I only entered because I’d just taken this photo when the competition was launched and I thought ‘yeah that photo fits the brief so I’ll pop it in’,” Ms Condie said.

More than 50 entries were submitted for the competition. The 2021 theme was to capture ‘reconnecting and COVID normal’ in an image that also spoke to health and wellbeing.

The placegetters were;

1st: Sally Condie ($150)
2nd: Molly Jones ($75)
3rd: Kate Hutchins ($30)

The judging panel consisted of TDHS CEO Rebecca Van Wollingen, Board of Directors chair Frank Carlus and TDHS Consumer Participation Committee chair Heather Bullen.

Ms Condie said she had just purchased the new camera a week earlier and wanted to go somewhere to test it out where there were waterfalls.

“I go to the redwoods quite a lot and on that morning I just went to take some photos and I was photographing a guy there with a guitar in nice light…right in the right spot,” she said.

“Then another couple happened to walk through and the guy lent on a tree and I could see his breath. So I went and asked if they would mind if I took his photo.

“I never take people’s photos without asking permission first – so it was sort of candid, but not entirely. I asked him to take a big breath and breathe out slowly and that’s how I got it.”

Ms Condie said she developed her love of photography in 2014 during a trip to South Africa and it was now an important part of her life.

“I was on top of Table Mountain and I took a photo of a bird. I only had a Sony Cybershot – which was a great little camera,” she said.

“To do bird photography you have to be quiet and patient and I’m neither of those – so bird photography became something I do to calm me down. I go into the bush and try to take bird photos and it makes me relax…it’s good for me.

“With the lock downs it has been hard to get out and about like I’d like to…that’s what I’m missing the most – just jumping in the car whenever I want to go wherever I want.”

Ms Van Wollingen said the judging was completed anonymously and all judges praised Ms Condie for capturing the competition theme so brilliantly.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to all entrants for submitting their photos in this year’s competition,” she said.

“They are of such high quality that we will get in touch with many of the entrants for their consent to give many of their photos valuable exposure in future TDHS publications.”

Above – 1st place – Sally Condie

Above – 2nd place – Molly Jones

Above – 3rd place – Kate Hutchins