Photographers give it their best shot to win

Photographers give it their best shot to win Pictures of Oxford usually involve dreaming spires, punts on winding rivers and bicycles chained to fences. "We also have some pictures taken by the Redbridge travelling community and they provide a real insight. The exhibition also features a blank wall, which is available for members of the public to come along and paste their own pictures, confessions and memories. Old Fire Station director of arts Jeremy Spafford said: "We are glad to be presenting these extraordinary photos of ordinary Oxford which have been taken by residents of the city including travellers and homeless people. The images depict graffiti on a bridge being passed by rowers, a butcher in his shop, traffic cones in a river and an odd Oxford meeting on a punt. ". One of the winning photographs - of a butcher in the Covered Market - was by Ben Mostyn, 28, from Grandpont. Jan Williams, from the Caravan Gallery, which helped organise the competition, said: "These pictures look absolutely fantastic. It aims to bring the city to life with these four images being judged the best entries to the Here and Now exhibition. "I was trying to re-experience Oxford and get to meet some of the locals and reacquaint myself with it because it had been such a long time since I had been here. "It was great to see Oxford from people who live here and what they like and dislike about their home city. He said: "I had been away from Oxford for a while living in the States with my wife, but I am an Oxford local who was born here. The four images pictured right were all taken by individuals who live in the city and feature in a whole new exhibition in Arts at the Old Fire Station in Gloucester Green. "This is excellent accessible art at its best celebrating the lived-in much-loved Oxford. Photographers give it their best shot to win Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 09/05/2012