Unique pictures including a leaping hare, striking shots of the Arts Tower and queuing cleaning ladies all feature in an exhibition currently being held inside Sheffield Cathedral. 

Organised by one of the oldest groups of its kind, the Sheffield Photographic Society (SPS), the annual event showcases work produced from across the city.

This year marks the 145th anniversary of the society’s first exhibition, which took place in Cutlers’ Hall in 1880, and it will run until Sunday 6 April.

Mike Smith, winner of the Fred Hague trophy for the ‘Sheffield (its Life and Environs)’ category, spoke about his entry that featured a merry-go-round in a rainswept Barker’s Pool at night.

“This was part of Sheffield Christmas market…we went on a Sunday afternoon and it was really rainy. We thought ‘we might as well go home’ but then, I saw all the reflections and I thought, well, there’s gonna be some nice pictures here, so I went and took that with its reflections, and it’s worked out quite nicely.”

The photos on display cover a range of themes, from nature to street photography with subtle takes on social commentary.

For the first time, submissions were open to members of the public to compete in a separate category for non-members this year. 

Jenny Owen, a society member, suggested that the move was an attempt to be “more outward-looking by inviting other people to get involved, to take some pictures, to send them in and see how they get on”. 

She also expressed an interest in possible collaborations with other local photography societies, such as groups within the city’s two universities. 

When asked whether people with disabilities and/or mental health issues would be able to participate, Ms Owen said: “People can come along as visitors, and we do try as much as we can, absolutely. The only requirement is to be interested.”

Keith Brown, a long-standing member of SPS and a fellow member of the Royal Photographic Society, offered the opening speech and spoke warmly about the support he received from photographers in Sheffield after his wife’s cancer diagnosis. 

He also paid tribute to Ken Doney, a former President of SPS who facilitated the transition from film to digital, and “brought with him all his city contacts, especially here at the Cathedral” which helped secure the venue for the annual exhibit.  

A number of members spoke about how technology has changed, and the extent to which they are grappling with the use of AI in developing their photos.

On this point, Ms Owen said: “There is quite a lively debate about how far should we go with that. Is that great because you can be even more imaginative, or is that murky ground because, you know, is it really your image or is it something else?

“Where does your work end and something else begin?”