Meeting Reports 2025-26 Season

14th January 2026

Keith Snell LRPS EFIAP MPSA - Is It Art? (Via Zoom)

The talk commenced with a discussion of certain paradoxes that might call into question whether or not photography is art, not least the tendency of many art galleries not to be interested in photographs. Perhaps this is just a lack of self-confidence on our part, because, as Keith pointed out using a quotation from the great Ansel Adams..."you don’t take a photograph, you make it."

This leads on to a comparison of artistic and photographic images in which Keith’s own photographic images are discussed in a comparison with those of a well-known artist. The artists ranged from Mondrian, Georgia O’Keefe to Picasso and Vermeer. The images vary from a straight picture looking up at the Tower Crossing in York Minster to ones in which creative effects in camera have been used such as high key in which certain parts of the image are softened or eliminated by deliberate over exposure, or in which negative space is used to emphasize the emotional state of the subject in a portrait. He also showed how to use lighting to emphasize shape in studio photography of the nude. In the second half of the talk, he looked at what he called “expressionism” and in particular two in camera techniques Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) and Multi-exposure (ME). In many mirrorless cameras the facility to use multiple exposure creatively is within the camera menu - but not all. Intentional Camera Movement is literally in the hands of the photographer. Keith looked at the history of these techniques but especially one photographer, Ernst Haas, who started describing these techniques applied using film cameras in the 1950s. He then gave examples of what he had created using these techniques, and in particular the results from vertical and horizontal movements and a variation on these which is circular movement. He showed some impressive results from circular movement in photographing waves, some of which were rather like the artist JMW Turner’s interpretation of a storm at sea.

In conclusion it was an excellent lecture which demonstrated how these techniques can be used creatively to achieve different photographic images which are definitely “made” not “taken”, and all can be done in camera. There is obviously scope for doing this type of creative photography using photoshop or other post processing applications as well, but such techniques were deliberately not included here and had not been deployed to produce the images we saw.

Report by George Nasmyth

10th December 2025

Mick Watson - 10 years of Wildlife Photography (Via Zoom)

Mick started his talk by discussing his previous photographic genre, motor bike racing, for which the basic kit was not dissimilar to that required for photographing wildlife. It was a move that he described as being initially untutored, and to begin with was heavily slanted towards capturing images of birds. Many of the shots that he shared with us adhered to a common theme, birds devouring their prey, or not in the case of a heron with a fish that was much too large for it to consume. Nonetheless, the patience and persistence to show wildlife “red in tooth and claw” was impressive, although other shots did partially mitigate Tennyson’s adage, not least a pair of Hungarian Bee-eaters in which the male was passing on the captured bee to its female partner. Other less common birds included the Hoopoe which feeds on larger insects such as grasshoppers and crickets, and Griffon Vultures. Nearer to home were the Ospreys, at Rothiemurchus in Scotland, catching their prey. One of the tips, particularly for Canon owners, was use of a sensor crop. This crops an image down to an area with the same aspect ratio as the original but scales the image up to the same pixel dimensions as the original. The camera's optics are not adjusted. It is accomplished entirely electronically and achieves the same advantage as a sensor with many more pixels in which you can crop the image down with no appreciable loss of definition after capturing the image. Another aspect of his photography was a move away from managed trips to get stunning images, to doing it on his own terms. It was apparent that whilst some trips were very good, others did not always meet expectations and with experience he had found self-directed trips to be cheaper and usually just as rewarding.

There was a gradual transition from birds to larger mammals including Norwegian Musk Oxen, Mountain Hares and deer, especially those in Bradgate Park near Leicester. He then moved on to seals in which he has now gained much experience that assists the capture of stunning images. He had won one of the categories in the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition with an image of a seal. These are now many and varied again showing nature “red in tooth and claw” with images of the realities of life for these creatures as well as the more comfortable images. It was an excellent evening.

Report by George Nasmyth

3rd December 2025

It was a competition themed evening for Alnwick and District Camera club.

George Nasmyth showed the club's entry for a recent interclub competition, and provided feedback on how the images had fared when they competed against other clubs from the Northern Area of the Northern Counties Photographic Federation.

Then Dave Dixon shared a presentation with information for members to help them to prepare digital images for use in club competitions - useful information ahead of hand-in for an upcoming set subject competition.

The main event of the evening was the Projected Digital Image Knockout. This light-hearted competition sees members' images being projected in pairs, at random, with members in the room voting for their favourite. The field was gradually whittled down until 'Concentation' by Richard Stent made it through to a well-deserved first place, with 'Leading Lines' by Frank Brett in second place. Two images by David Burn were the subject of the 3rd/4th place vote, with 'Neowise' making it into third place, and 'Scarlet Macaw' in fourth.

Report by Dave Dixon

26th November 2025

Stephen Fowler joined Alnwick and District Camera Club via Zoom to judge their Set Of Three projected image competition. This competition requires members to submit a set of three images, on any theme, which must have been taken during the previous 12 months.

A varied selection of images were entered, and Stephen provided extensive feedback on all of them, from which he selected the following for awards:

Commended went to John Thompson's 'Keep On Tacking', which featured yachts in action at Blyth Regatta.

Alastair Cochrane's set 'Thatch', documenting the repair of a traditional thatched roof, was awarded Highly Commended.

4th place went to Richard Stent's 'Venice Reflections', a creative set showing architectural details as reflected in Venice's canals.

3rd place was awarded to Frank Brett for 'Still Leaf', a study of autumn leaves in a still life setting.

Christine Gray was awarded 2nd place for 'All In A Mouse's Day', a set of pictures depicting a mouse in the garden.

The worth winner on the night was Jane Coltman with her set 'Dancing In The Street', a series of monochrome images of dancers.

Thanks to all those who provided entries for the competition, and also thanks to Stephen Fowler for taking the time to judge the competition.

Report by Dave Dixon

19th November 2025

Joseph Duffy LRPS CPAGB - Light and Landscape

This was a profusely illustrated talk which commenced with a panel of ten to 15 prints that included one exceptional monochrome image of a beach at Hartlepool with a backdrop of a power station and winding gear. It was taken more than 20 years ago but its power was still well seen in its composition, theme and tonal range. It was certainly deserving of all the accolades it had achieved.

We went on to see a range of landscape images as projected PDIs, including a set shot in the Lake District in each month of the year. The commentary was less about photographic technique than what the author wanted to try and capture – which in many ways reflects the somewhat instinctive approach that many of us take to photography. We went on to see a wide range of images which were not all landscapes but featured the Red Arrows, some civil aircraft and then aerial images taken from small and relatively low flying craft – including some of Alnwick which were fascinating. We also saw images from northern Europe, the Yorkshire Dales and Ireland, as well as deviating into Pop concerts and the Great North Run. The enthusiasm of the author was very evident, and it was an enjoyable evening, but perhaps not a masterclass in how to make great landscape photographs.

George Nasmyth

29th October 2025

Linda Golightly LRPS - Photographic Critique, the gift that keeps on giving.

The talk began by making a clear distinction between criticism and critique, in the sense that critique is a process that helps the photographer to identify their intent in making a picture and to be aware of all the things that might help them to convey both what they saw and how it makes them feel to an independent observer. Criticism can be constructive but often comes with the premise that there is something wrong with an image. In fact, different images have more appeal than others to each of us and it can be useful to know what someone who has no photographic experience or “know how” feels about your image. First and foremost, critique must involve the author of the work, it is a two-way conversation and helps them to see what works well and what doesn't, and to learn how to rapidly apply that knowledge when a photographic opportunity arises.

There is a lot of overlap between criticism and critique and when an analysis is applied to any photographic image there is an implied criticism, and this inevitably gives rise to debate and disagreement. However, I think there was a consensus that if our aim is to both improve our own work and to help others to do the same, critique is important. Linda’s talk had brought that out.

George Nasmyth

1st October 2025

On 1st October Veronica Congleton visited Alnwick & District Camera Club to judge the 1st Open PDI competition. A total of 48 digital images had been entered by members, and these covered a wide range of subject matter, captured in a variety of styles.

Two images were Commended; 'Left Behind By A Friend' by Tony Wright and 'Collecting The Pollen' by Richard Stent.

John Thompson's 'Skimming' was Highly Commended, as were 'Crossrail Place' and 'Through A Low Arch' which were both by George Nasmyth.

4th place was awarded to 'No Play Today' by Michael Mundy, a monochrome image depicting a childrens' slide.

3rd place want to 'Amble Beacon' by Tony Broom, a tinted monochrome image of the view towards the beacon at Amble.

In 2nd place was 'Stand Off' by Frank Brett, featuring a stag standing in front of trees.

The winner on the night was 'The Smoker' by Jane Coltman, an excellent monochrome portrait of a cigar smoker with some wonderful lighting.

Thanks to all members who entered images and made this such an enjoyable competition, and thanks to Veronica for taking the time to review the images for sharing her thoughts and insightful comments.

Report by Dave Dixon

24th September 2025

The annual Print Knockout competition is a lighthearted evening when members bring in up to 4 prints each to compete against each other for the best print. Two images are placed on the lightbox and there is a show of hands for each one, the one with the most votes goes through to the next round.

44 prints were entered this time so several rounds took place before the final 3 were chosen. Members then voted for the one they felt was the best so we ended up with a first, second and third place.

The competition was led by our President Laine Baker and our Chairman Jane Coltman who managed proceedings very well including the counting!

There were many different images so it was difficult to choose which was the best one – subjects included birds, landscapes, seascapes, insects, buildings, people, trees, flowers and castles and both colour and mono images were represented. All of the prints were of a high standard !

The outright winner was David Burn’s atmospheric shot of a ramshackle bridge disappearing into the water.

In second place was Richard Stent’s misty image of a jetty in Berwick with a lone swan in the foreground.

The third place was Tony Wright’s shot of mountains emerging from the mist with a very impressive sky overhead.

Well done to all 3 winners!

Report by Jackie stent

17th September 2025

Gerald Chamberlin DPAGB EFIAP - Invisible Light, Infra red photography

The talk began with a description of the lecturer’s own journey into infra red photography. Light is electromagnetic radiation within which is a visible spectrum which ranges in wavelength from blues at a wavelength of 400 nanometres (nm) to reds at 680 nm. Beyond the visible spectrum with longer wavelength are infra-red then micro-waves and radio-waves. Before the advent of digital photography, some enthusiasts had developed film that was sensitive to infrared light, which was very tricky to use and involved complex processing. Having briefly. Immersed himself in this type of imaging he had a yearning go back to it, after the initial enthusiasm for digital media. Rather than return to film there are two options open to the photographer who wants to use infra-red (IR) with a digital sensor. The first is neither cheap nor easy because it involves filtering out all but IR light in front of the lens which is expensive, and because so much light is removed it usually requires very long exposures. There is an alternative which is filtering the light detected by the camera sensor by removing the existing IR filters and substituting new ones which only allow light in the IR wavelength. This is much easier to manage with a mirrorless camera, where the image in the viewfinder is what the sensor is seeing, which doesn’t happen with an SLR. Gerald acquired a secondhand Fujifilm camera and had the sensor adapted. There is a choice of filtration settings but probably one of the easiest to use is 720nm which gives a predominantly black and white image. It is equally important if available to switch off auto white balance and turn on a custom white balance which should be set to a green background. Foliage in IR black and white photography appears white because the foliage emits a lot of IR, if you use auto white balance you will get red monochrome images - which can be managed with some difficulty in post processing, but it is much better to get this right in the camera if you can. Another problem is hot spots which are caused by the lens and appear to be less problematic with prime lenses than zoom lenses which many of us have as our standard lens.

The talk then progressed to looking at a wide variety of images obtained using IR. One rule which probably seems counter intuitive to most landscape photographers is that some of the best IR images are obtained in bright sunlight in the middle of the day. We saw a wide variety of images some of which had colour added during post processing, often to a specific layer in photoshop. The variety of images was wide from alliums in a churchyard to portraits that demonstrated a very delicate feature that seems to be exclusive to IR which is the porcelain complexion. Other sources included a sculpture park (Jupiter) just south of Edinburgh and images of decay of buildings old vehicle and machinery. A live example of adding colour during post processing was then given using a paintbrush tool in Photoshop.

It was an excellent talk and if you have been thinking about getting into IR photography it provided a lot of useful information about what it will do, how to do it, and some of the pitfalls.

Report by George Nasmyth

10th September 2025

It is to be hoped that guest speakers at Alnwick Camera Club inspire members and this was certainly the case last season when photographer David Southern showed his beautiful shoreline images.

On the first members’ night of the season, eight club members showed their own shoreline photos and this resulted in a very enjoyable evening for everyone.

Laine Baker’s images were taken at Seaton Point on her mobile phone, giving her the opportunity to take some superb close-up images – not always an easy task when you are there with two dogs waiting for a ball to be thrown!

Richard Stent’s images showed Lynemouth beach that has undergone a huge clean-up which removed lots of industrial debris and pictures from Fontburn Reservoir where the water levels were so low you could see the root system of the trees along the shore – fascinating.

Frank Brett included images from the south coast which showed a variety of subject matter. Deckchairs blowing in the wind and shimmering silver light on the water are just two of his images that spring to mind.

The early bird definitely catches stunning photos as proved by George Nasmyth and his images from Morecombe Bay and these were followed by a series taken closer to home at the Northumberland coast.

Margaret Whittaker entertained us with a series of vibrant pictures taken at Embleton and Boulmer. Beautifully coloured seaweed and miniscule barnacles captured by Margaret and often first seen by her husband or ’spotter’ John.

Lynda Wearn showed what a diverse photographer she is by showing a series of images with great variety of subject matter and locations – all expertly captured.

Tony Wright’s photographs were quite simply beautiful. They showed his mastery of handling light and his skilful handling of composition. Technically excellent, often taken with a tilt-shift lens, but also full of atmosphere.

Jane Coltman showed images taken during just one visit to Seaton Point – sometimes the photos just happen when the light is right, and the photographer is in the right mood too.

Within the region’s photographic community, Spittal Rocks are very well known - the wonderful swirling patterns and colours in the sandstone being a favourite subject for many a camera person. But one of the first people to recognise their potential was John Thompson who showed his excellent panel of prints featuring the rocks which gained him his prestigious Associate of the Royal Photographic Society award. The word for seeing people or objects in abstract images is pareidolia and in the image seen here John succumbs to that as he has titled it Squirrel!

All in all an excellent evening thanks to all who participated.

Report by Jane Coltman

3rd September 2025

Tradition dictates that Chairman’s Night starts the season at Alnwick and District Camera Club.

This season, the incoming Chairman is Jane Coltman who describes herself as a photographic ‘Jack of All Trades’ – taking pictures of anything and everything. But this chairman started off with a slightly unusual subject matter... death.

Jane is not the only photographer to have a fascination with religious memorials and her first photographs included images from cemeteries in Romania and Cuba where images of the deceased are often included in memorials.

This led Jane to explore photographs in an old family album. These took the form of cartes de visite and the larger cabinet cards and revealed that there were at least seven photographic studios in Alnwick, all kept busy producing what was the social media of the day.

After looking at death Jane changed her focus to life, showing a selection of her favourite people pictures, declaring that people photography really was her favourite photographic genre - not a surprise considering her former life as a press photographer.

To ensure the members left with a smile on their faces Jane finished the evening with an audio-visual presentation about dogs - all shapes, sizes and expressions - great fun!

Report by Jane Coltman

Archive of previous reports