Stephen gave us a few tips ahead of next month’s assignment on Macro Photography, and had printed out some reference pages. For anybody who didn’t get a copy, or wasn’t at the meeting, you can download the PDF here: Macro Photography
Newsletter
The current Gang of Four – Tony, Fred, Symon and Anita – will be staying on for another 6 months. We had our group meeting to discuss the agenda for the next 6 months, with both Francis and Stephen attending to give technical support on our ideas. We hope that you agree with us that we have set some interesting and challenging subjects.
Exhibition News
We understand that as such there will be no Willingham feast this year, although there will be several different events going on around the village. As a result of this we still feel that we should have an exhibition to show the talent of our club to the village. This also helps to draw in new members to the club.
We hope to be able to link this with the water colour art group that is in the village, by making it a joint exhibition. We will keep you updated on this, watch this space.
Field Trips and Workshops
We are currently looking into different field trips that have been put forward by members of the club. These will be held either on a weekend or a non-club evening.
Register of Members
We would like to complete a new register of our members, there is a form here. Please complete it and return it to one of the Gang of Four. This information is only for club members, it will not be given out to third parties, but it will be very helpful in contacting members for field trips etc.
Agenda for the Next 6 Months
The events calendar on the website now has the next meeting dates and assignments. Please remember it’s your interpretation of the subjects, however abstract that might be.
On each club night there is no change to the current running format. During the first ½ we will show the photographs taken by members from the assignments set from the previous month. Then time for coffee and a catch up with each other.
During the second ½ we will run through the next assignment, as well as question and answer time and technical information (as time allows).
We have asked Francis and Stephen to carry on with their critiques of our photographs for each assignment.
Please be reminded if you have not already paid your subs they are now due, you may of course now pay by cheque making it out to “Willingham Photographic Club”.
This is your club and as much as possible we have taken into account your ideas for each month’s agenda. If you have any concerns or ideas for the club please do not hesitate to talk to us.
Colin Brown will be our liaison with Willingham News, giving them a regular monthly update on our subject and information for new members. Chris is also making himself available to help us out as well with his telephone number staying as a contact for the Willingham News.
The current Gang of Four will be stepping down in the October meeting, so we will be looking for other members to take that over. It does not take up much of your time – if any one is interested and you would like to know more please speak to one of us. This is your chance to put your ideas forward and see them develop – your first subject has already been chosen for you for the 18th of November.
Countdown to Spring: Competition
East of England Environment Agency
Competition for Banner Photograph on their Twitter Account
After months of rain and snow, the Environment Agency is counting down the days until spring with a photography competition open to everyone in the east of England. Environmental enthusiasts have been urged to get their thinking caps on and their lens caps off to capture an image that reflects the upcoming season.
To celebrate the Spring Equinox on Wednesday, March 20, one photograph submitted for the contest will be selected to serve as the banner photograph on their regional Twitter account (@EnvAgencyAnglia) during the season.
The only rules for entry are that the image must be a landscape photograph and it must have been taken in the east of England (from North Lincolnshire to Essex, and as far west as Northampton).
Almost 3,000 people follow the Twitter account @EnvAgencyAnglia, so the winning entry will get a lot of exposure when it serves as our account’s banner image.
The photograph can be of anything from blooming flowers to sun-kissed rivers, so get creative and think of what you think represents the spring in the east of England.
Anybody who wants to enter can submit their photographs by sending them with the hashtag #springcountdown on Twitter or email them to angliandigital@environment-agency.gov.uk.
Lioness Steals Camera
Colin pointed out this story (in the Daily Telegraph), but I have found another version online at the Huffington Post with more pictures.
As Colin says:
Just thought it might be of interest to club members – and a warning when photographing locally – beware of lions.
At the very least, the lion shows discrimination and taste. No doubt, had the camera been a Nikon one, the lion would have left it alone!
Photo Editing Software
As mentioned in the meeting and newsletter, we will be having some workshops in future meetings based on PhotoShop. As not everybody has or wants Photoshop, there are some alternatives:
- Online/Cloud Based: pixlr – see pixlr.com
- Free download: Photoscape – see photoscape.org
Also available as a free download, but slightly more complicated to install and use, is The Gimp – see http://www.gimp.org/
Newsletter
Firstly, we would like to thank everyone involved with the exhibition.
We had glowing reports from the visitors to the exhibition, Stephen has sent all the images to Derek and they will be displayed here on the web site very soon.
If anyone would like their photographs framed there is a company called Maja Frames in Willingham that can do this for you. Contact Mark at 94 Balland Field on 07428 799069 or majaframes.co.uk.
Secondly, there is a new gang of four: Tony, Fred, Symon and Anita.
We had our first group meeting to discuss the agenda for the next 6 months, with both Francis and Stephen attending to give technical support on our ideas. We hope that you agree with us that we have set some interesting and challenging subjects.
There will be a couple of Photoshop sessions during the next few months, as you will see from the agenda details. If you do have a laptop which has Photoshop installed please can you bring it to these sessions as they will be practical workshops; we hope to work in 2s and 3s so don’t worry if you do not own a laptop – hopefully we will have enough to share.
During December we are planning a trip to Cambridge and would like to go for a meal afterwards; this would require members to sign up so that we know who is interested.
We would also like to run an ongoing competition each month. This will start from November. What we would like you to do is take a photograph each month. The subject is ‘What does this month mean to you’. Just enter one photograph to be shown on club night, there will be a ballot box provided for members to vote for their favourite. It is not compulsory and you do not have to enter each month.
Please may we remind you only to provide 3 photographs for each assignment, with your name, assignment title and numbers 1 to 3. As well as your competition photograph if you wish to enter.
The Agenda for upcoming meetings can be seen in the calendar.
On each club night there is no change to the current running format. During the first half we will show the photographs taken by members from the assignments set, then time for coffee and a catch-up with each other.
During the second half we will run through the next assignment, as well as a Question and Answer session and technical information if time allows.
We have asked Francis and Stephen to carry on with their critiques on our photographs for each assignment.
Please be reminded that, if you have not already paid, your subs are now due. You may now pay by cheque, made out to ‘Willingham Photographic Club’.
We are also looking into members visiting other photographic clubs in our area – as and when this information is available we will pass this on to members.
If you have any concerns or ideas for the club please do not hesitate to talk to us; Chris is also making himself available to help us out as well as leaving his telephone number as a contact in the Willingham News.
Photo Exhibition
The Exhibition seems to have been another great success, especially so as it was back in the library this year. Thanks to all who helped set it up, man it and take it down – and special thanks to Nita and Stephen for all their work printing and mounting the photographs and Colin for the titles.
I was reminded of a picture I took exactly three years ago today, when we were preparing for the first Exhibition. Stephen, Andrew, Jerry and I spent a long evening cutting the frames individually to size for each picture.
Sorry you couldn’t see this exhibition too, Jerry.
Newsletter
Dear members,
Just to let you all know the subject for October is ‘Willingham Feast’, this can be any photos you take of the festivities at the feast weekend or during the week. See the programme on the Willingham Life website for details of what is going on.
The new gang of four will be meeting in the next couple of weeks to discuss the rest of the subjects for their 6 month reign.
Photographic Exhibition
Colin has kindly offered to produce the labelling to go with our photographs. Thank you Colin for this. Please could members email Colin direct with the following info:
- Title of your photograph,
- Your name,
- Technical details (Camera + lens, shutter speed, aperture, film speed)
His email address is
mail@colincurry.plus.com
Please copy me in too just in case Colin does not receive it and I can then pass it on to him.
alsalmon@ntlworld.com
This needs to be done ASAP so it is not a last minute thing.
Also a reminder to members that subscriptions are now due.
Kindest regards,
Anita
Feast Exhibition
Dear members
This is now an urgent plea to get your exhibition photos in.
Please email them to Stephen on art@mindakart.co.uk
If you have sent your photos in then thank you.
We currently only have 22 photos that have been sent to us. It takes time to print them that is why we need them now and not a few weeks or days before.
If you have not been for a while we would love to see back: our current subject is liquids.
Regards Anita
Studio Model
We have the opportunity to do some studio photography with a model. The date we have available is Sunday the 29th of July, 9am till 2pm.
We need to hire the Ploughman Hall to be able to do this, so there would be a cost of £6.00 per member attending. Once we know how many members are interested we an draw up a time table, we are looking at up to 3 members to attend at one time per hour.
If you are interested then please email me by return as we need to book the model and the venue.
Anita (alsalmon@ntlworld.com)