A new photographic exhibition provides a snapshot of life in Bermuda and far beyond.

And the jury -- Mark Emmerson and former Royal Gazette photographer Tamell Simons -- revealed a sharp and shrewd eye in doling out the honours.

The work on show, in black and white and colour, covers a massive range of subjects and styles, with style and flashes of humour.

And Neil Duffy almost stole the show with two marvellous pieces of work, both of which were Juror's Choices.

"Guarded Entrance'' is a beautifully balanced and wonderfully textured photograph and uses both colour and light superbly.

The simple shot of a picket gate throws the menacing black spikes into sharp relief against a white wall, warmed only with a smear of bright mustard detailing.

The rough texture of the wall contrasts nicely with the sharp outlines of the spikes and the light at the edge of the gate shows the almost geological effect of years of paint build-up on the surface.

Duffy's "Afternoon Sun in St. George's'' again uses light well, with the sharp-edged black shadow of a Victorian streetlamp being cast across a bright white and sun-washed wall.

But the shot of the show is Kenneth Simmons' "Cool Waters'', also a Juror's Choice.

Simmons' photograph shows the perfect marriage of the artist's eye with technical skill and he pulls off what must have been a difficult shot with verve and aplomb.

He takes his work beyond the representational with a soft focus, which makes the water look like draped linen or muslin, all rich textures and folds frozen in time.

One photograph which captures a sense of movement is Catherine Lapsley's "The Road Less Travelled''.

Again a simple shot of a deserted coast roadway and fence, the road and fence curve across the frame in a dynamic and well-balanced flow.

But her "Cambridge Beaches'', while showing a eye for colour, is strictly picture postcard stuff in comparison.

Bermuda offering as it does a rich and varied plant life, it is hardly surprising flowers and plants figure largely in the show.

And some show in loving close-up detail of a botanical quality the shape texture, colour and complexity of plants and flowers, which few people, I imagine, ever take the time to study closely.

Laura Butterfield moves a million miles away from Bermuda with her stark and atmospheric series of photographs taken in the Antarctic.

One shot at first glance looks dull and badly-composed -- but closer examination reveals her light touch and skill.

For the rest of the photograph, greyish as it is, is merely a foil to throw into sharp relief the top of snow-capped mountains just touched by the sun.

The use of light is also seen to good effect in "Cathedral at Sunrise'' by Kenneth Simmons Sr.

The touch of the rising sun turns the grey stone of the cathedral into gold, with silhouetted against the church and contrasting with a sky lightening into breath-taking blue.

For sheer cleverness and a touch of humour with a serious message, Edward Bottone's "Keep Bermuda Beautiful'' deserves recognition.

A white Bermuda roof and a palm tree are reflected in a bike mirror while another shows a Bermuda house -- all underneath the international sign for a litter bin.

Peg Smith's shot of "Venice'' contrasts a neatly set table in a balcony with the washed-out paint of the exterior walls and the dull grey-green of a canal while the unmistakable outlines of a gondola prow provides a sharp-edged bright splash of colour in the foreground.

Juror Tamell Simons said: "Everybody involved should be proud of the work they have done.

"Some people are technically very good, while others are very creative. But whatever they do, people should find out ways to do it as best they can.

"Photography and other art forms are very subjective things. I would urge anyone to express themselves in whatever field they choose, whether it be photography or something else.

"My words to the photographers were `every step you take is reason to applaud' -- I applaud all the photographers who are featured. Every step we take takes us closer to where we want to be.'' ---- Raymond Hainey REVIEW REV