Ernest Cooke Cup – Photographer of the Year

To win PoTY, a member needs to present material demonstrating a wide range of continuous high standard of photographic activity over the period in colour and monochrome, print and projected images (digital and or slide).

The list of winners of this trophy are presented below.

Session EndingWinner
2023Owen Cochrane
2022No Award
(due to Covid-19 pandemic)
2021No Award
(due to Covid-19 pandemic)
2020Owen Cochrane
2019Walter Allan
2018Robin Miller
2017Lewis Mackenzie
2016Lewis Mackenzie
2015Michael Carver
2014Michael Carver
2013Alastair Cochrane
2012Mike Tibbs
2011Mark Logan
2010Diane Morrison
2009Mark Logan
2008Diane Morrison
2007Ricky Fraser
2006Derek McGinn
2005Derek McGinn
2004John Ross
2003John Ross

This top club award, Ernest Cooke Cup started in 2003 with the top scorer from a “play-off” of the ten highest scorers over the five monthly competitions.  Since 2008, in many years the “best 10” did not all participate.  Nor were their scores on the night doing well, scoring between 82% and 90%.  Members became un-easy with this method and an analysis of scoring over the sessions 2005 to 2012 was undertaken.

This revealed that over those 7 years only one of highest scorer over the five-monthly periods won the much sought after PoTY in the “play off”.  The other 6 highest scorers in the monthly competitions ranging from 88% to 96% had scored a higher percentage over the year than the “play off winner” by a considerable margin.

The 2012-2013 AGM agreed this major change.


From the 2013-2014 session the PoTY has been awarded to the member with the highest score in the best of 4 monthly out of the 5 monthly competitions.  The 5 monthly competitions were reduced to 4 monthlies in the 2017-2018 session with only one entry in the now four monthly categories; a total of 16 images with 4 monochrome PIs, 4 monochrome Prints, 4 colour PIs and 4 colour prints.
The PoTY would be awarded to the cumulative total from each of the four categories over all four monthly competitions. This change means a Beginner could win this trophy and in 2017-2018 a Beginner was joint runner up for this award!