The exhibition formally opens on Saturday 2nd May at 2pm and then runs until 17th May. APEX is at the heart of historic Bury St Edmunds surrounded by shops and restaurants, there is also a cathedral and abbey. Parking is well provided for but can be a little busy on a weekend. So do please consider a day out during this period - maybe a car-share. It would be difficult to find a better or bigger photography exhibition anywhere and this is provided by our very own Federation (the largest in Great Britain).
Springtime has returned and once again preparations for the prestigious EAF annual exhibition are well underway. This large exhibition is to be staged, for its second year, at the APEX Centre Gallery in Bury St Edmunds and opened by our very own Paul Radden in his new role as President of the EAF.
Over many years this exhibition has been held at the Wingfield Barns Arts Venue in Suffolk but due to its extremely remote location footfall was rather light. The 2025 event at the new venue of the APEX in the centre of Bury St Edmunds proved a resounding success with a high attendance not only from EAF photographers such as ourselves but from the general public whilst out shopping.
Members of the EAF Executive with helpers have been preparing many months for this event and everything recently came together, quite literally, over a long weekend at the Fulbourn Centre near Cambridge assisted by eight members of NNPS. Around a thousand mounted prints arrived in their boxes along with a similar number of PDIs from about thirty clubs which were then carefully collated and presented to the three judges.
The judges for 2026 (all from different Federations) were: Carol McNiven Young FRPS MPAGB APBE EFIAP/g, Ray Brammall ARPS EFIAP/p APAGB DPAGB BPE5* and David Gibbins ARPS APAGB EFIAP/b BPE5* CPAGB/AV (current President of the PAGB) - shall we just just say well qualified for the difficult job in hand. These judges had the task of reducing entries (most of which attaining ‘20s’ at their respective clubs) by around 80%. This seems ruthless (particularly when it is your own) but even the large exhibition area at the APEX can only realistically accommodate two hundred framed and mounted prints (PDI numbers can be a little higher) but it does guarantee a high standard.
The scoring system for judging may be unfamiliar to many club members; the judges sit close to each other as the mounted images are presented to them (appropriately lit). Each judge scores electronically from two to five - few images attain a five and even fewer reach the pinnacle of fifteen (three fives). Generally a score of twelve or higher will be accepted for display and a fortunate few will receive a judge’s award or a commendation.
This year nine members from NNPS put their best work forward and the club was most fortunate to have thirty-four acceptances. No awards this year (after three last year) so we must all try harder over the coming months to find that ‘something special’ for 2027.
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We attended Saturday and have to say what a fantastic range of images there are on show.Well worth a visit (good shopping too, according to Pauline) If you are in the area.
Well done the EAF for such a great exhibition again this year.