After keeping you all in suspenders, I am absolutely delighted to announce the winners of the Visual Image Competition. It was genuinely a hard decision as the images were often so different from each other in subject, location and style.

I am actually really glad I had the chance to show my top 12 as every one of those had great potential in terms of describing their own particular 'sense of place'. The 6 semi finalists took this sense one step closer and each one moved me very distinctly about places I've never even seen.

These final three all create a strong sense of place, mood and geographic identity, to me at least. Above that they are also just wonderful simple compositions and are photographically strong even if not technically perfect. These images made me wonder, made me smile and made me reminisce. I am genuinely pleased with the choice and on showing my poet wife Carol, she agreed entirely with my decision making me feel even happier

In third place for it's moody evening atmosphere, the dusk street lights and the view over the houses in the street opposite, like an illustration from Under Milk Wood, lies "In My Room" by Diana Manzanilla

http://americymru.ning.com/group/leftcoasteisteddfod2010visualimagecompetition/forum/topics/in-my-room

In second place, for it's starkness, it's contrasts of cold and warmth, natural and man made, landscape and activity and just semi surreal layout, was "Ice Fishing Village on Kempenfelt Bay" by Christine McSorley

And finally, the winner who created the image which made me smile, perfectly balanced in terms of composition, light, dark and content, with superb juxtaposition of elements which leave you wanting to know more about the place, the event and the rest of the story, is "Foggy Morning" by Wild Canary. The moment I saw this image I fell in love with it, Wild Canary discusses 'hiraeth' in his text, yet I have a longing to experience places like he depicts in his photo, and the connections he makes between cultures. I wish this had been shot on a professional camera as it's an image I'd love a print of myself. Llongyfarchiadau wir Wild Canary, a llawer o ddiolch

As a little post script, I would like to say that "Brook Dripping Water" by Peter Lewis is seriously worthy of a merit for it's consideration, concept and execution. It was an exceptionally well constructed piece of Hockney'esque joinery which really does create a sense of place with a moody atmosphere and shifting emphasis on content. Thank you Peter.

So that's all folks, it took a LOT longer to assess your entries than I thought it would but I can assure you of my seriousness in deliberation. I wish there had been hundreds more entries but the examples here would have held their own anyway

Dymuniadau Gorau iawn i gyd

Glyn Davies

I am pleased tonight (8.00pm here in dark wet Anglesey in North Wales, after returning from Ffair Borth Fair) to announce the 6 semi finalists of the LCE Visual Image Competition.

In NO PARTICULAR ORDER they are as follows:

So commiserations to those who got so near, but congratulations to our new semi finalists. All being well I will announce the three winners tomorrow evening at about the same time.

Dymuniadau Gorau i gyd

Glyn Davies

Glyns blog http://bit.ly/bQJAqB

I was actually quite surprised at how many images had finally been entered into this competition over the months and it has taken much deliberation to create a final short list of 12 images.

Each of these images has something about them which not only describes a sense of place, but also contains something more intimate and considered by the artist.

These images appear to have gone beyond the ordinary, beyond the casual snapshot and I can sense a personal fascination for and even love of the subject by the entrant.

The second round of my judging will eliminate half of these images through necessity rather than desire, and the decision MAY take into account technical quality as part of that process, but moreover, I am looking for the strongest images in terms of mood, content AND composition.

This will be much harder than I thought as each image in this set has such strong merits and of course represent places from around the globe and therefore not easily comparable.

I hope to announce the 6 semi finalists within 24 hours from now and the three winners by Sunday evening (GMT).

May I take this opportunity to congratulate those who have made it this far and to thank all of you for taking part. There were some other truly lovely images outside this set, which for several reasons didn't quite make it.

Dymuniadau gorau i gyd
Glyn Davies
Visual Arts competition judge

Here are the 12 shortlisted finalists, in NO PARTICULAR ORDER!!!!