Through the Lens - CLOSED

LOOKING BACK

This is the time of year when most publishing houses devote pages of space to review the images of the past twelve months. Hats off to the Guardian's photographer Eamonn McCabe who selected a series of pics from their readers "providing a more personal view of 2005". He comments, "in this digital age, we are now all photographers and there are no rules or right ways of doing things any more. Often the amateur is first on the scene of a hugh tragedy or big news story. Mobile phones, for instance, were the first to record the mayhen of the tube bombs in London and I am sure some of the best photographs of Elton John's wedding were taken by well-wishers in the crowd, who got a lot closer than the professional news photographers". I think it's time to update the old mobile phone.

SHOWTIME

Billy Higgins of the Irish Press Photographers Assoc tells me that the judging panel for this years AIB - PPAI competition will be John Leavy picture editor from Photo8 and photographer John Chillingworth both from the UK. The panel will be chaired by RTE's Bride Rosney who will guide the panel through the difficult process of selecting the catagory awards and overall winner. The awards ceremony takes place in Dublin on the 17th Feb.