Martin Cooper

I first took up photography as a 10-year-old when my Dad bought me my first camera, a Kodak Brownie 127, soon to be replaced by an Ilford Sportsman, my first 35mm camera which I still have today although it hasn’t been used in decades and is looking a bit tatty round the edges! It wasn’t until I joined my first camera club in the early ‘80s that I first realised that this could be a serious hobby and so it has developed from there into something of a passion. I now have a particular interest in landscape-based work which, from my home in Stroud in the Cotswolds – at the heart of the Five Valleys – seems quite appropriate somehow and, although I’m not the sort of photographer who gets up in the early hours to get to some distant location at the crack of dawn to catch the first rays of sunlight creeping over yonder hill, I do choose my subjects very carefully and then, very patiently, wait until everything is right before pressing the button. Much toil and effort has paid off over recent years which have seen my images published twice in Amateur Photographer along with several awards including various medals and ribbons, the most prestigious being an award in the Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year 2016 accompanied by publication of my image in book of the same name, Collection 2.

I have been a member and Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society for many years now and, whilst I value that privilege highly, the most important thing is to get out and take photographs.

Martin Fry

A Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, Martin’s images have received over 500 awards in international exhibitions across 37 countries. He has been a panel member on the PAGB and RPS Distinctions and is a recipient of the RPS Dobson Henry Medal for Services to AV. A retired Gloucestershire Headteacher, Martin is an Honorary Life Member of Cheltenham Camera Club. Last year, his achievements in The Arts were recognised by the town with the award of the prestigious Joyner Cup. A great deal of Martin's photography is inspired by the beauty of his native Gloucestershire and the spectacular Cornish landscape. An internationally recognised Judge, Martin is looking forward to seeing the work entered for this year’s calendar in support of this very deserving charity.

Karen Hackling-Searle

Karen is Head of MRI at Cobalt and is a keen amateur photographer, whose photos can be seen on the walls at Cobalt Imaging Centre. Also a keen gardener, macro photography of foliage and flowers are a particular interest. Any other spare time is spent drawing or painting.