Over 200 photographs were submitted for this year's Open - from an area of a hundred square miles - but it was a man from Leek, just in the next borough to Keele, who picked up first prize.
Mark Wood's picture, Remembrance Sunday, is an evocative portrait of three war veterans.

Prizes
Mark's photo was chosen ahead of those of other photographers from the three counties, and won a first prize of £300.

Richard Foot won the special Hulme-Upright Architects' prize - which means he is commissioned to photo one of the buildings designed by the practice

Rosemary Mutimer of Burton picked up the second prize of £100 and Susan Budge from Tean took the third prize of £50.

Particularly commended was a striking photograph by Nic Baddeley of Weston Coyney for his Lighthouse at Cape Palliser.

The student prize went to Linda Birmingham of Knightly.

The winning entries were selected by a panel of judges, which included Professor Peter Styles, John Rhodes, Arts Development Officer at Keele University, and Dr Mike Maloney, FRPS, FBIPP, former Chief Photographer, Mirror Group of Newspapers.

The aim of the Three Counties Open Photography competition and exhibition is to give photographers from Cheshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire the opportunity to show their work to new audiences. This exhibition is proving popular with photographers in the region and visitors to the gallery. The high standard of work reflects a wide range of styles and enthusiasm for the medium.

Marion Gidman, Exhibition Organiser