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These reports appear in the Northumberland Gazette.
Alnwick and District Camera Club members once again welcomed Paul Larkin, Editor of The Northumberland Gazette, to their annual awards evening. After an impressive audio visual presentation of members photographs prepared by Jane Coltman, Paul gave an informal and entertaining introduction to the evening's proceedings. He praised the standard of photography on show and emphasised the importance of photography to journalism. The Club has a well established and fruitful association with the Gazette thanks to Paul's support.
Paul was then asked to present the following awards:
Well, I Like Them was the title of Dave Miller's print presentation at Alnwick and District Camera Club. Dave from Blaydon emphasised throughout his talk the importance of producing images that he himself enjoys, rather than considering how competition judges might regard them.
Dave is a master of miniature landscapes as demonstrated by a series of beautiful images of sand and water patterns captured on the beach. Magnificent close up photographs of minute rock details on a scottish beach could well have passed for the desert canyons of America, proving that it is not necessary to travel vast distances to get spectacular results. Macro photographs of old railway sleepers also showed how subtle colours and beautiful patterns can be found in the most mundane objects.
A group of Arran landscapes proved that he works equally well on a larger scale while a series of martial arts photographs captured movement and atmosphere. Derelict cottages are a favourite subject of many photographers but Dave's pictures had a quality and integrity that was outstanding.
Presentation of pictures is a subject that is seldom discussed and so it was interesting to see a wide range of approaches. Dave often likes to present prints in groups of three or more and sometimes includes a group of complimentary images on one print. The size and shape of a print can also make a dramatic difference to the impact of a picture and this was demonstrated with prints of all shapes and sizes. Dave pointed out that a print is transformed when it is mounted and is even better when framed and hung on a wall. With pictures of this quality, anyone would be proud to have them on display - we certainly liked them.
Report by David Carter
New members of Alnwick and District Camera Club put on an impressive show when they were invited to talk about some of their photographs. The participants had each selected six prints that were of particular significance to them, either because they simply liked them or because they represented a particular stage in the development of their photographic skills.
Peter Downs started with a good mix of pictures, including a fine cat portrait and a strong monochrome image of boats.
Next was Paul Newman with some imaginative images including a beautifully lit portrait of his son reflected in a window.
Gordon Charlton had raided his attic for some interesting photographs of Hong Kong taken while he was on duty there in the 1980s. He also showed some recent pictures including a spectacular view of the Angel of the North.
Christine Sindall followed with a varied selection of pictures ranging from a record photograph of a churchyard to an atmospheric winter seascape.
Kevin Murray's fine bird portraits included Sparrowhawk, Reed Bunting and Eider Duck while Tracey Rolley's most recent work included two impressive abstract macro photographs of envelopes viewed from an unusual angle.
Louise Clazey's pictures were mostly monochrome, including two which were part of a thought provoking series viewing objects from the point of view of a child.
Finally, Geoffrey Bradford showed some beautiful abstract composite images conveying his personal impressions of places he has visited.
This was a most rewarding and inspiring evening for everyone present and the quality and imagination shown in the work of these new members promises great things for the future of the club.
Report by David Carter
George Ledger from Hexham was the judge for the open colour and monochrome print competitions at Alnwick and District Camera Club. There was a very strong entry in both categories and George was faced with the daunting task of dealing with a total of 120 prints. However, he rose to the occasion magnificently, giving each entry a considered appraisal with plenty of advice and encouragement for all.
In the monochrome category, prints by John Thompson, Jane Coltman and Dave Dixon were commended and entries by Alastair Cochrane, Geoffrey Bradford, Richard Stent and Laine Baker were highly commended. Tracey Rolley was awarded fourth place for Shattered, a moody image of a bridge viewed through shattered glass, while third place went to Dave Dixon for Station Signs, a humorous and well observed composition. Laine Baker took second place with a highly detailed and beautifully lit study entitled French Door and first place was won by Bill Hudson's well composed and intriguing portrait entitled The Modern Blacksmith.
In the colour section entries by Kevin Murray, Laine Baker and John Thompson were commended and prints by Geoffrey Bradford and Ian Cartwright were highly commended. On-Shore Winds, a dramatic seascape by John Thompson, was awarded fourth place and Doug Ross' beautiful study in colour and texture entitled No Parking took third place. Second place went to Jane Coltman for a striking and highly coloured image of the Tyne bridges entitled Tyne Sunset and the winner of first place was Dave Dixon with On the Trot, a well timed, colourful, sports action shot.
It was a tribute to the quality of the pictures and the judge's comments that the evening seemed to pass by so quickly.
Report by David Carter
A Printers Pie was the title of Peter Dixon's presentation to Alnwick and District Camera Club and he certainly satisfied the audience's appetite for a feast of fine photographs. Peter's prints covered a wide range of subjects in both colour and monochrome and his commentary was both entertaining and enlightening. Starting with an impressive series of beach pictures, he emphasised the importance of simplicity in composition with emphasis on colour, form and lighting. Examples of different approaches to colour ranged from vibrant and glowing to subtle and desaturated. An unusual series of studies of graffiti was followed by some excellent candid portraits taken at the Newcastle Mela festival.
Abandoned cottages are one of Peter's favourite photographic subjects and he showed an impressive range of images taken in various localities in England and Ireland. His enthusiasm shone through in his pictures which were infused with a warmth and delicacy of colour largely achieved through expert printing technique and choice of papers.
However, Peter is not only a master of colour as his superb monochrome prints showed. Digital printing of monochrome pictures has struggled to reach the quality that can be achieved in the wet darkroom but Peter demonstrated that modern inks and papers can produce superb results. While some his earlier monochrome prints were already beginning to show signs of degradation, his recent work in this medium showed a depth and range of tones that would be hard to better in any darkroom. A fine range of superb prints of landscapes and street scenes further demonstrated the potential of digital monochrome printing today.
Report by David Carter
This week was the Second Slide Open competition at the Alnwick & District Camera Club. The judge, Edward Wilding from Peterlee, was making his first visit to the Club. He commented on the strength of the 36 slides entered and then proceeded to give detailed comments on each one, these were both positive and constructive. The entries covered a wide range of topics making Edwards task to find a winner all the more difficult.
Slides by James McQuillen, Doug Ross and John Thompson were Commended. Highly Commended went to Laine Baker, James McQuillen and Doug Ross. In fourth place 'Sleeping it Off' by Alastair Cochrane was a well-captured image of a man asleep on a bench. Third place went to Jane Coltman for 'Old Soldier' - a beautiful smiling expression of a war veteran alongside two very colourful banners. 'Loch Morlich' by Doreen Smith was placed second with a tranquil scene of a Scottish loch - a moving landscape. The winning slide was by Ian Atkinson with 'Puzzled Puffins' - a superbly detailed close-up of two puffins with sand eels in their mouths taken on the Farne Islands. Both birds had been sharply captured with lots of colour and texture. The blurred background helped enhance the subject matter. Congratulations to Ian.
Roger Black and Gerry Simpson shared this week's gallery. Both provided some splendid prints - Roger capturing the magic of the Hebrides with some excellent photography whilst Gerry showed an eclectic mix featuring landscapes, trees, flower close-ups and portraits.
Report by Gerry Simpson
There was a change of program at the Club this week. At short notice Malcolm Kuss , ARPS (who has recently moved into our area from the Midlands) stepped in to give a presentation. Malcolm proceeded to captivate us with some superb prints and witty stories to match. His philosophy was to 'go out with the camera , have fun and enjoy taking photographs'.
He has an great love of Natural History and showed prints of 'posing' seals , red squirrels , close-up's of otters as well as penguins from the Falkland Islands. Part of Malcolm's style is to use a soft focus on his work ('knocking the edge off reality' as he says) and such prints of Autumn trees and leaves were a delight. At an Athletics meeting , he was given a Press Pass and use of a high powered zoom lens , giving him the opportunity to show his skills in capturing action shots - running ,hurdling ,shot putt etc.
In his 'three on a theme' prints he showed some sets of elephants , shells from the shoreline , close ups of an old horse and several others. He has obviously mastered the art of this class.
Motorsport , canoeing , Still Life and more wildlife were also on show - his closing penguin's print from the Falklands trip was superb and made a fitting end to what had been a very entertaining presentation.
Thanks again Malcolm for a great evening and we hope to see you again.
Report by Gerry Simpson
At the Alnwick & District Camera Club's meeting this week members were treated to a slide show of the Northern Counties Photographic Federation award winners for 2007. John Thompson gave the presentation and given that entries were from clubs throughout the Northern Counties, the standard of photography was of the highest order. There was a wide range of subjects from portraits to landscapes, wildlife/nature and anything in between.
The finest pictures from these were then selected for the Alliance Folio, which is a competition against other regional federations in the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain. One such picture was 'Jack and his Bird' by our own Jane Coltman - an outstanding achievement by Jane. Also in the monochrome print section John Thompson was awarded a Highly Commended for his 'Cellarium' picture - well done John.
At the end of the presentation John hoped members would be inspired by the pictures enough to submit entries on behalf of the Club for next year's awards.
Sue Baker and Dave Dixon shared this week's gallery. Sue gave us a fine selection in three parts - pictures 'straight' from the camera, Architecture and a few 'digital delights' showing her obvious creative flair. Dave's pictures were in two sections - one showing some beautiful landscapes and the other some very tasteful and artistic images relating to the British war memorials and war graves. Two splendid galleries beautifully presented.
Report by Gerry Simpson
Each year, at Alnwick and District Camera Club, there is a slide competition where all the photographs must have been taken in Northumberland. And each year the subject matter changes: this year it was Architecture and/or Rccord.. The criteria for this genre of photography are very strict. Imagination, flair, exciting lighting are all eschewed. What is required is accuracy and sharpness.
Most of the entries managed to comply with these requirements but a few managed to squeeze under the wire. Fortunately, the judge was very generous .Dave Richardson APAGB from Ryton Camera Club is a regular and respected judge with a reputation for giving insightful and helpful comment and though he might not wholly like a picture he will always manage to point out many of its virtues.
He awarded Jane Coltman, Doug Ross and Richard Stent commendeds for their pictures Alnwick Castle, At the foot of the Cross, and Bay Window, Brinkburn respectively. Ian Atkinson's imaginative Brizlee Tower was awarded a highly commended as was Richard Stent's Formal Gardens, Cragside. To prove you do not have to go far to get a photograph Alastair Cochrane's Green Door, Green Batt was taken a few yards away from the Club and earned a highly commended.
In fourth place was Gerry Simpson's Roof Patterns, a warm russet- coloured pattern of an ancient ceiling. Third place went to Alastair Cochrane's Stonework Howick Hall a carefully positioned and photographed column with a stone head glaring down. Richard Stent, having a very successful evening with all of his pictures gaining awards, was given second place for Door Furniture, Brinkburn an image of a green, worn door with rusty handles and which the judge liked a great deal. Winning the competition was Northumbrian Cottage, a beautifully lit shepherd's cottage sitting on the flank of a hill overlooking Doddington with distant views to the Cheviots. It was by James McQuillen.
Report by Doug Ross
The first part of the evening was an Audio-Visual (AV) presentation about one of last year's club trips to Brimham Rocks/Stump Cross Caves. The seven members on the trip each contributed images, which were then masterly put together with music into an AV by Sue Baker.
Next came the Reportage Award. This is for members to record an event using photographs in a journalistic style. Four AV's had been entered and it was Raymond Beston's (last years winner) task to judge the winner. He commented on the high standard of all four entries but his choice of winner was 'Debt of Honour' by Dave Dixon. This was an AV, produced in monochrome, about the British war memorials and war graves. It was a poignant story , tastefully photographed and presented with appropriate music and titles - a deserved winner.
Finally, it was the Alastair Cochrane Progress award - a competition for those who have not previously taken a top three place in any club competition. The five strong entries were judged and scored by three club members (Ian Cartwright, Richard Stent and Barry Robertson). Third place went to Christine Sindall (her first entry in a club competition), second to Gerry Simpson and first place to Dave Dixon who produced three superb prints - two landscapes and one of the Night Sky showing Orion (very imaginative). Well done again Dave.
This week's gallery was shared by Jane Coltman and a selection of prints from the late John Housby. His daughter Elaine, along with club members Ken Baker and Doug Ross, had made the selection and there were all high-class prints that had been produced in the traditional darkroom. It was a privilege to see such quality work from an obvious master. Jane complemented John's work with a fine a selection of monochrome landscapes.
Report by Gerry Simpson
This week members of the Alnwick & District Camera Club were treated to a slide show from the London Salon. The aim of the Salon is ' to exhibit only that class of photographic work in which there is distinct evidence of artistic feeling and execution' in other words art in photography. This was their 96th Exhibition and the Club were shown 80 images from the acceptances including medal winners. Each of the entries was described in detail by a commentary, which was both informative and witty. Not all the entries appealed to the commentator and his remarks as such were refreshing - all going to prove that art is subjective. There was a wide range of artistic photography from all over the world and many of the images certainly challenged the mind of the viewer. Each image had that special quality of artistic merit, which put them on a different plain to the general entries as seen at Club competitions.
Tonight's gallery was from John Thompson on the theme of landscapes. He produced three stunning sets of landscapes - from visits to the Channel coast of France, Druridge Bay (one of the Wednesday Wanderers walks) and some snow scenes in the local area around Alwinton. All images were clean, sharp and precise showing off John's skills as a photographer. This combined with his immaculate presentation produce a first class gallery to be much admired and envied.
Report by Gerry Simpson
This weeks meeting of the Alnwick & District Camera Club was the Set Subject Print Competitions. The judge was our good friend Bill Stephens from Cramlington and he had a lot of work to do as there were 91 prints entered. He commented on the exceptional standard of work on both set subjects and then proceeded to give his technical and interpretive observations on each print entered - a highly informative exercise.
He judged the Colour subject first (Dereliction) and the following awards were given: Commended: - Roger Black, Alastair Cochrane, Jane Coltman, Barry Robertson and Gerry Simpson. Highly Commended: Ian Cartwright, Jane Coltman, Barry Robertson and John Thompson. Doug Ross took Third and Fourth places with 'Back Numbers' and 'Fading Glory' respectively. Bill said that he could not separate the top two, so he awarded joint First place to Jane Coltman for 'The Haves and Have-Nots' - a superb interpretation featuring mannequins in a shop window appearing to stare disdainfully at a down-and-out on a bench outside and John Thompson for ' No longer Persil Bright' a broken down window with flaking paint and an old knotted curtain behind- a highly emotive print allowing your imagination to tell the story behind the window.
In the Monochrome section (Machinery) the awards were as follows: Commended: Raymond Beston (two), Alastair Cochrane and Gerry Simpson. Highly Commended: Laine Baker, Sue Baker and Doug Ross. In Fourth place was 'Machining No1' by Laine Baker, Third place went to 'Built for Strength;' by John Thompson and Second place to Laine Baker for 'Hole Drilling'. First place went to John Thompson for 'Watching the Wheel go round' - a print showing wonderful motion in which one could feel the power of the wheel. The reflections of the people in the wheel added an extra emotive content.
Many thanks to Bill for his high quality judging - a mammoth effort.
Report by Gerry Simpson
This weeks offering at the Alnwick & District Camera Club was the Club Knockout competition. Previously a slide competition this time it took the form of Digital Projection using the Film Free Projection software on the Clubs laptop computer and projector. Images were randomly presented on a screen in pairs, and a show of hands decided which image progressed to the next round ending with an eventual winner.
Doug Ross acted as compere for the evening and Ian Atkinson ran the competition on the laptop. Both excelled in their roles and it proved to be a popular and enjoyable evening.
Of the 72 entries from Club members, 68 were eventually eliminated to leave the four semi-finalists. In fourth place was Barry Robertson with Millennium Bridge at Night; Doug Ross was third with his image of a Horse in front of a beautifully lit sky. Jane Coltman took both first and second place with two very contrasting images. In second place was her Skye Reflections - a tranquil Scottish landscape with lovely cloud reflections amongst the water and reeds. In first place Charge was an all action shot of a woman showing both great saddle skills and balance whilst riding two horses. This image was a worthy winner. Well-done Jane.
Ian Atkinson and Geoffrey Bradford shared this weeks Gallery. Ian prints were of his recent trip to Cambodia and he showed us some wonderful images of temples whereas Geoffrey's print were of a more local flavour with ropes, sheds and boats predominating. Both galleries contained excellent prints that were of a high standard.
Report by Gerry Simpson
Alnwick and District Camera Club has a mixed programme of talks, shows and competitions and, every month or so, a Members' night. Recently, these members' nights have been workshops where the digital equipment granted by the Lottery Fund has been put to good use giving members the opportunity to develop computer skills necessary to prepare and print their images. This week, it was different. The emphasis was on how to take the photographs in the first place and to help with this four members ,who had each been successful in earlier competitions, talked about how they made their winning pictures.
John Thompson began the evening by showing an excellent picture of a tern in flight against a pale sky successful, he said, if you take a meter reading only off the bird and not all the picture. He gave helpful advice about composition in a photograph of a curving white wall on a French promenade and how to make the best of two,perhaps, ordinary pictures by combining them into one. But, the photograph that aroused most comment from members was one of two old soldiers in blazers and berets sitting in a Normandy military cemetery chatting quietly and surrounded by many white gravestones. The gravestones, meticulously cared for and 'dressed' with precision seemed to be on parade for the young soldiers beneath them. John explained how difficult it was to take the photograph both emotionally and without being obtrusive.
Next to show his expertise was Ian Cartwright. Ian's great interest lies in taking his camera with him when he goes diving, on this particular occasion in Indonesian waters. He explained how all of his equipment has to be protected with housing which, while it was essential, could also bring problems. He showed some remarkably beautiful pictures of shoals of fish and anenomes waving their tentacles. Very colourful, he said, but also very difficult to compose when both he and his subjects were in constant motion. No other members of the Club take underwater photographs (perhaps it's the sharks) but they understood by the end of Ian's talk that stunning pictures like these are achieved only with considerable skill.
Jane Coltman showed a complete change of subject in her twenty minutes. Jane takes lots of 'people' pictures which may look easy in the taking but actually are difficult to get. She gave a good, and entertaining, account of how she got a photograph of the singer Toyah Willcox at a recent concert on The Pastures. Fighting the rain, the unsympathetic stewards and an artist who wouldn't stand still she nevertheless achieved a startlingly good portrait of a singer in full voice. This was one of those photographs which, when it was judged in competition, had everyone agreeing that it was a winner. Jane allowed, though, that despite her determination on the stormy evening without a f2.8 lens she could not have got her picture and explained why to the members.
The last of the four to explain how they take their photographs was Doug Ross. The picture that evoked most interest was an apparently simple one of an old woman waiting in an empty bus station. It was called "Alone Again". Doug explained how he was at first attracted by rows of barriers but, on noticing the woman,was struck by her isolation and decided to compose his picture to emphasise that. He said that sometimes a picture can be technically easy to take but, if it tells a story, can be very effective.
The Club's Gallery was mounted this week by Barry Robertson, Mark Robertson and John Strong. The pictures were mainly landscapes taken on a recent Club outing to Scotland. The Gallery has a high reputation for any member to live up to and these excellent prints certainly did that. One, by Mark Robertson, at twelve the youngest member of the Club, was particularly colourful and pleasing.
Report by Doug Ross
Jim Welch from Blyth Camera Club was the judge for the first slide competition of the year at Alnwick and District Camera Club. The subject for this competition was mood, a difficult challenge for photographers and judge alike. Jim, a welcome and regular visitor to the club, proved an admirable judge, giving each picture detailed individual attention. His comments were both constructive and practical, leavened by a nice sense of humour.
A wide range of moods was exhibited by the entries, each tackling their subject in an individual manner. Patience by Jane Coltman, Sorrow by Dave Dixon and Sad Spaniard by John Thompson were all commended while Curiosity by Jane Coltman, Tranquil by Doreen Smith and Joy at First Grandchild by Ian Atkinson were highly commended. Fourth place went to Alastair Cochrane for Agony or Ecstasy, a well-composed picture of a young man that fitted the title perfectly. Comrades by John Thompson was a poignant image of two veterans sitting amongst war graves and this was awarded third place. Doug Ross took second place with a startling portrait appropriately entitled Mr Angry but the overall winner was Alastair Cochrane, taking first place with Storm clouds over Raasay, a wonderfully moody seascape.
Chairman Richard Stent provided the week's gallery with a superb collection of monochrome prints produced in his own darkroom, reminding us of the quality of work that can still be achieved with non-digital photography.
Report by David Carter
Alnwick and District Camera Club made a good start to the new year with a slide presentation entitled An Evening with Sandy Furniss. Sandy, a member of Stokesly Photographic Society, is a highly regarded photographer both nationally and internationally. His presentation was divided into three sections dealing with landscape, nature and creative photography.
Using a superb selection of landscapes, Sandy outlined what he considered to be the four basic elements for success: composition, light, colour and ambience. He went on to enlarge on these subjects, aiming much of this part his talk at the less experienced photographer but also including more advanced techniques such as the use of graduated filters.
The section on nature photography started with some wonderful botanical pictures, both close-up portraits and environmental shots showing plants in their natural habitat. Control of lighting is particularly important for this type of photography and useful advice was provided on the use of diffusers and reflectors. Butterflies, birds and mammals are subjects requiring quite different equipment and techniques and these were dealt with also.
Sandy is famed for his creative photographs, particularly those of woodland scenes, and he generously revealed many of his secrets for success. He frequently employs a combination of optical effects using filters with subsequent digital manipulation in the computer. This was a most interesting and informative evening which offered something for everyone.
The photo gallery for the week was provided by Ken Shawcross with a fine collection of 24 colour prints taken mostly from his mobility scooter while on a caravan holiday in Ayr.
Report by David Carter
Members of Alnwick and District Camera Club were treated to a master class in photography when they spent An Evening with Les McLean. Formerly a miner, rock musician and accountant, Les is a professional photographer renowned not only for his photographs but also for his books, magazine articles, workshops and lectures.
His first love in photography was for landscapes and so this fascinating presentation commenced with these. Many of his earlier prints concentrated on moody skies and included dark, atmospheric pictures that he referred to as satanic. However, even in the darkest pictures, the light shone through. As Les said, the most important thing is to concentrate on photographing the light. Later pictures included some impressive high key images, particularly a series of sand pictures which were subtle and beautiful landscapes in miniature.
Les is a master of monochrome printing and is often given the task of testing new materials. His comments on films, papers and processes were enlightening. This included examples of print enhancement using various degrees of selenium and gold toning.
Moving on from landscapes, Les then turned to documentary and street photography. This type of work requires personal charisma and confidence, qualities which Les has in abundance. He discussed his philosophy of taking photographs in sensitive situations and said that the important thing at the time is to make the photograph. The decision on whether to print or destroy the picture subsequently is a different issue. As a fine example of this work he showed a series of pictures of the children of Belfast, capturing both humour and pathos.
This was an exceptional presentation, rich in humour, passion and fun but with an overriding integrity that always impressed.
Report by David Carter
There was a strong entry for the 'Set of Three' print competitions at Alnwick and District Camera Club judged by Dave Phillips from Hartlepool Camera Club. Despite having 90 prints to consider, Dave gave interesting and instructive comments on each one as well as judging them as sets. He complimented members on the quality and presentation of their entries.
In the monochrome section Roof Tops by John Smith and Hands over Asia by Alastair Cochrane were commended while Volubilis by Laine Baker was highly commended. Fourth place was awarded to Water by Barry Robertson, a set of dynamic pictures beautifully capturing moving water. By contrast Still Waters by Doug Ross, a group of atmospheric and timeless images of rocks set in a calm sea, took third place. Second place went to Jane Coltman for Georgia, a delightful group of portraits of a smiling young girl while first place was taken by John Thompson for Cabane de Plage a superbly composed and printed set of images of a group of beach huts.
In the colour section, Guyzance by Barry Robertson and Rocks and Water, Yosemite by Alastair Cochrane were commended while Church Stone Carvings by Raymond Beston and Nature's Sand Patterns by Gerry Simpson were highly commended. Fourth place went to Laine Baker for Majorelle, a trio of well composed vibrantly coloured images from the Villa Majorelle in Marrakech. Third place was taken by Bill Hudson for The Fox Family, three superb, lively nature portraits and Ian Cartwright's wonderful group of underwater close-up images entitled Sea Anemone was awarded second place. Yet another natural history subject took first place. This was John Thompson's The Common Tern, three superbly composed and captured images of Terns in flight.
Report by David Carter
Members' night at Alnwick and District Camera Club once again proved to be an enjoyable and enlightening occasion when a series of demonstrations and practical sessions took place using a range of club equipment.
Barry Robertson arranged a set up for table top photography using studio lights and a lighting cube to produce even illumination. With Barry's help and encouragement, members tried their hand at photographing the chosen subjects which included a range of cut flowers and a miner's lamp.
Using a laptop computer, Gerry Simpson showed how to produce slide shows using 'Pictures to Exe'. This is a versatile and inexpensive software programme that can produce excellent results, including background music if desired, with a minimum of expertise required.
With the aid of a digital projector, John Thompson demonstrated different methods of converting colour pictures to monochrome using Photoshop. John not only explained the technicalities and advantages of using advanced procedures to achieve maximum quality but also pointed out more straightforward methods for those who were less experienced.
Evenings such as these not only offer help and guidance with photographic techniques but also encourage members to borrow and make use of the club's equipment.
This week's print gallery was shared between Rachel Morton and Paul Newman. Rachel showed a fine range of colour prints of subjects ranging from vintage transport to landscapes while Paul showed an interesting miscellany of colour and monochrome prints including some excellent close-ups of insects and spiders.
Report by David Carter
There was a packed house when Alnwick and District Camera Club staged its annual event at the Playhouse. This year the outstanding natural history and wildlife photographer, Laurie Campbell, gave a memorable presentation of pictures of Scottish wildlife. Laurie's award winning photographs regularly feature in magazines, books and exhibitions and to date he has won 23 awards in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition so it was no surprise that the quality of his pictures was superb.
Laurie made the point that you do not have to travel far from home to find inspiring subjects by starting with a sequence of wonderful close-ups of the engaging creatures in his garden pond in the Borders. From here he took the audience around the Lowlands, Highlands and Islands of Scotland, demonstrating the wealth and diversity of the wildlife of his home country. Laurie makes the point of photographing wild animals rather than those in captivity and is prepared to go to great lengths to get his pictures. Not only does this require patience but also the endurance to remain perched in trees or hidden in primitive hides for hours and sometimes for days. His wonderful images of creatures such as red deer, pine martens, otters and golden eagles are the result of an unique understanding of their behaviour and habitat coupled with finely honed photographic skills. Above all, Laurie's love of his subjects and feeling for his surroundings shines through in all of his pictures.
This was a wonderful evening, enlivened by Laurie's relaxed and gently humorous commentary which was both informative and inspiring.
Report by David Carter
Jane Black from Tynemouth Photographic Society was once again a welcome visitor to Alnwick and District Camera Club when she judged the competition for the Nellie Bache Award. This competititon is for a set of three slides and attracted fourteen entries covering a wide range of themes. As Jane pointed out, while it is relatively easy to find two slides that go well together, it is always the third slide that proves to be the greatest challenge. Nevertheless, the competitors had risen well to that challenge and it was interesting to see their different approaches.
Laine Baker was commended for a colourful trio of slides under the title Sahara Sunset, while Alastair Cochrane's unusual entry, Hands are Handy, was highly commended. Third place was awarded to John Thompson for Parenting Behaviour Common Tern Farne Islands, a fine natural history sequence, and second place went to John Smith for three well composed pictures of The Abbey that nicely captured both architecture and sense of place. First place and the Nellie Bache Award went to Jane Coltman, a well deserved winner with Magic of the 80's Concert, three superb, dynamic images of star performers captured at this year's open air pop concert in Alnwick.
This week's outstanding print gallery by Ian Cartwright mainly featured underwater photographs of marine fish and invertebrates. This was a stunning display of amazing images of the bizarre and the beautiful with vibrant colours and superb print quality.
Report by David Carter
During the summer month's members of the Alnwick & District Camera Club meet on Wednesday evenings to go on local walks and take photographs (aka Wednesday Wanderers). Photographic trips are also organised throughout the year to more distant locations. The result of these walks/trips is that members produce Audio Visual presentations for showing at club nights during the winter months.
Last night four of our members (Doug Ross, John Thompson, Gerry Simpson and Jane Coltman) produced eight such AV's to show to the club. These consisted of images taken by various members from their trips to York (visiting both the Railway Museum and the Minster) , Thorp Perrow (bluebells in springtime) , the Farne Islands (puffins , terns and seals all captured in their natural habitat) and the Alnwick Garden (a whistle stop tour of the Garden and its flowers) . Doug also showed a very witty AV called 'Voice Mail' which was based on the frustration of trying to make calls to recorded messages. Finally Jane finished the evening with a compilation of the Wednesday Wanderers walks and a humorous AV showing members 'at work' on their walks.
The AV's were all very well produced and included some stunning images backed by great sound tracks. No doubt we will be at the Oscars next!
Tonight's Gallery was by Peter Downs and he showed us some great images of a trip to New Zealand - all taken with a 1mb Digital Camera - which all goes to show that producing good images is mainly down to the photographer.
Report by Gerry Simpson
Members of Alnwick and District Camera Club were saddened to hear the news of the death of John Housby who joined the club in 1954. Vice President Ken Shawcross spoke of John's outstanding contribution to the club, serving as a member of Committee for 38 consecutive years. John was active in the club in many ways and also represented the Northern Counties Photographic Federation. In 2001 he was awarded the distinction of Associate of the Photographic Association of Great Britain, an appropriate accolade for a fine photographer. John had an enormous enthusiasm for photography and was always ready and able to offer advice and practical help to others. His presence at the club will be greatly missed.
John would have certainly approved of the club's programme for the night which was designed to introduce members to portrait photography and to demostrate print mounting and digital manipulation of images.
Two portrait studios were set up for the evening by Barry Robertson with Luke Richardson and Jessica Watson as obliging and photogenic models. For those who preferred animal portraits, Larrie and Anya, two endearing and well behaved boxer dogs, were also on hand.
John Thompson demonstrated the cutting of print mounts and also gave valuable advice on choice and size of mounts to set pictures off to their greatest advantage.
Jane Coltman and Ian Atkinson used the club's laptop computers to demonstrate various techniques for digital manipulation of images using Photoshop and Photoshop Elements software.
The club's rooms were a hive of activity for the whole evening with everyone enjoying themselves either learning new techniques or sharing their ideas and expertise with others.
Report by David Carter
Anne Swearman from Whitley Bay Photographic Society faced a mammoth task when she came to judge the open print competitions at Alnwick and District Camera Club. In the monochrome section there were 41 entries and in the colour section there were 58 entries but Anne amazingly gave each picture an individual analysis in a marathon judging session which was both instructive and highly enjoyable. Subjects ranged widely from portraits to landscapes and from flowers to architecture and overall the standard of photography was high.
In the monochrome section, Arches in Prague by John Smith, Reach for the Sky by Alastair Cochrane and Stormy Sky by Ian Atkinson were all commended while Backstreet Musician, Florence by Richard Stent, Flower in the Rain by Gerry Simpson and The Gossips by Doug Ross were all highly commended. 4th place went to Richard Stent for Shopwindow, Florence a well-seen picture with a strong graphic effect and 3rd place to Alastair Cochrane for Twelfth Night, a dramatic and original portrait, while second place was awarded to Doug Ross for Alone Again, a quite touching picture of a lonely traveller. Doug Ross also took first place and was worthy winner of the Houseby Award for an oustandingly beautiful architectural print entitled Cellarium.
In the colour section, Safety in Numbers by Ian Cartwright, Sandpiper with Attitude by John Thompson and Sea Watch by Alastair Cochrane were commended and The Hat by Ken Shawcross, Transition at O'Hare by Alastair Cochrane and York Minster by Barry Robertson were all highly commended. 4th place was awarded to John Thompson for Adult Tern with Sand Eel, a beautiful natural history photograph and 3rd place went to Jane Coltman for Eastern Beauty, a striking high-key portrait. Ian Cartwright took second place with a wonderfully luminous underwater picture entitled Moon Jellyfish but Doug Ross triumphed once again, taking first place with Mexican Hat Dance, a fascinating compostion which captured both mood and movement.
Report by David Carter
The I's of the Dragon was the intriguing title of Margaret Salisbury's instructive and entertaining print presentation at Alnwick and District Camera Club. Margaret hails from Prestatyn in North Wales and claims to be known as The Dragon amongst her fellow photographers, while the I's referred to three countries beginning with that letter.
The tour started in Ireland with a visit to the Ballinasloe Horse Fair. Pictures included some fine equine portraits as well as some wonderfully observant shots of the people. Margaret emphasised the importance of getting to know your subjects be they animal or human. This is particularly important if you are to attempt the dramatic closeups that she achieves using wide angle lenses. We then moved on to churches and the importance of religion in Ireland, which was well illustrated by some sensitive and evocative pictures.
Moving on to Italy, we were taken to Venice with some unusual images of gondolas and water patterns. Carnival time in Venice has been much photographed but Margaret's superb pictures were something different, largely achieved by working early in the morning and establishing a remarkable rapport with her subjects, enabling her to pose them in the most precise and imaginative ways.
The final visit was to India, where the emphasis was again on people with some characterful portraits of children and colourful images of people at work. Once more Margaret demonstrated the importance of communicating with her subjects. There is no doubt that her methods enable her to capture that something extra in her pictures that cannot be explained in terms of composition or technique. Margaret made the point that the important thing about them was that they captured memories and that the most important photographs are the photographs of the mind.
Report by David Carter
Members of Alnwick and District Camera Club enjoyed a feast of fine photographs when Jim and Margaret Welsh presented the Nature and Travel section of the Northern Counties Photographic Federation's 28th International Slide Exhibition.
In the travel section,110 slides had been selected from more than 500 entries worldwide so needless to say standards were exceptionally high. The many fine landscapes came from countries across the globe with subjects ranging from urban to rural and from desert to snow. Good use of colour and strong composition produced some memorable images. There were also a large number of fine portraits of people of many countries, both at work and play. These were both sympathetic and well observed, capturing some wonderful characters and sometimes showing a gentle sense of humour.
There were a similar number of entries for the nature section and here 132 slides had been selected. Again the standard of pictures was superb with some quite breathtaking images. Birds figured very strongly with fine close-up studies and excellent pictures of birds in flight. Mammals were also strongly represented with cheetahs the favourite subject this year. Insect pictures were predominantly of butterflies and dragonflies with some fine example of macro-photography. Strangely, there were very few pictures of plants but, despite this, several outstanding pictures of flowers and mosses were among the prize winners.
This weeks excellent club gallery of prints by Peter Carter concentrated on architectural subjects. As well as pictures from Rhodes and St Petersburg, Peter also included some photographs taken nearer to home including the impressive interior of St Andrews Church, Roker.
Report by David Carter
Vince Rooker from Morpeth was once again a most welcome visitor to Alnwick and District Camera Club when he judged the 1st Open Slide Competition of the season. There was a strong entry of 45 slides, covering a wide range of different subjects. Vince commented that a number were likely to have originated as digital photographs but were equally valid as projected images. Judging such a disparate range of pictures must be extremely difficult but Vince made it look easy with constructive and informative comments on all of the entries.
Commended slides were 'Sunlit Birches' by John Smith, 'Waterfall' by Doreen Smith, and 'View from Low Newton' by John Thompson. Highly commended were 'Amble Pier' by Barry Robertson and 'Tern on the Turn' by Alastair Cochrane. Doug Ross took third and fourth places with 'In the Slow Lane', an excellent close-up of a snail, and 'Passage of Time', a well-composed picture with warm colours. Second place went to John Thompson for 'Patient Passenger', a well seen and humorous image featuring a despondent sitter viewed through a dilapidated railway coach window. The winning slide by Jane Coltman was another fine picture of Amble Pier, this time showing a beautifully lit curve of lamps set against a contrasting sky.
This week's gallery of excellent prints by Ian Atkinson were the result of a recent visit to Cracow. Pictures ranged from church interiors to street entertainers and included some appropriately sombre images recording visits to Auschwitz and Birkenau.
Report by David Carter
Members nights are a strong feature of Alnwick and District Camera Club's programme and the latest meeting featured five photographers who have joined the club quite recently. Each participant was given the opportunity to show projected digital images of some of their favourite photographs and to say a little about them.
Gerry Simpson started with some attractive landscapes both in monochrome and colour and some striking close-ups of flowers. Sue Baker then showed a diverse range of interesting photographs, many of subjects that she had taken for the first time. Dave Dixon was next with some fine pictures including landscape, portrait, animal and night-time subjects. Vanessa Hornsby followed with some nice landscapes, many featuring particularly fine skies, and a beautiful close-up of a poppy. Finally James McQuillen, who mainly works with film, showed some excellent examples of his work which had been transferred successfully to digital medium for display at the club.
A small panel of experienced photographers commented on the pictures and members of the audience were also encouraged to contribute. This resulted in a wealth of good-humoured and constructive discussion. With this standard of work and enthusiasm demonstrated by new members, the club has little to fear for the future.
This week's gallery was presented by Doreen Smith with a fine array of colour prints covering a miscellany of subjects, ranging from face masks in a Prague shop to rocks on Spittal Beach.
Report by David Carter
Once again, Alnwick and District Camera Club was pleased to welcome Vince Rooker to present the General Section of the Northern Counties Photographic Federation's 28th International Exhibition of Projected Images. For the first time this renowned exhibition included electronic images as well as slides. From the 1252 entries, submitted by photographers from all over the world, only 307 were accepted for the exhibition and so the standard of photography was of the highest order. As this was the general section, subjects ranged widely with landscapes and portraits predominating. This year's landscapes were mostly traditional in treatment but were none the worse for that. There seemed to be a particularly good use of subtle colour and fine lighting to produce some extremely beautiful pictures. Portraits were also for the most part quite conventional but of a very high quality, many demonstrating a gentle sense of humour that brought the subjects alive in a special way. There were some fine action shots among the sports photographs with water sports featuring very strongly. Some of the most atmospheric and memorable pictures were of railways, where imaginative use of colour and composition produced some striking images.
This weeks home-grown gallery of prints was by John Smith who produced a fine display of landscapes, portraits and wildlife pictures. These included a number of excellent photographs taken on club outings, a special feature of the summer months.
Report by David Carter
Mik Critchlow from Ashington more than lived up to his fine reputation when he visited Alnwick and District Camera Club to talk about social documentary, portrait and reportage photography. Mik started his working life in the Merchant Navy but in his early twenties studied art and design at college and soon established himself as a fine photographer. With strong family links to coal mining and inspired by the art of the Ashington Group he was in a good position to make a social document of the last years of the Ashington colliery. Mik worked entirely in monochrome and whenever possible used available light, producing wonderfully evocative and atmospheric images of an industry in decline. Often his pictures concentrated on fine details such as a faded group photograph attached to a workshop door. Such images were quite poignant - as Mik said 'details are people's lives'.
Mik has produced some superb portraits of people in the workplace. Many of his subjects were working their last shifts and these pictures somehow conveyed a sense of foreboding. On the other hand a completely different atmosphere was captured in photographs of the Durham Miners Gala where, in his own words, he captured 'a slice of life' with affection and good humour.
Later, Mik went back to sea to record working life on a collier and an oil tanker and also documented the seaman's strike. Further afield, he was commisioned to travel to Nicaragua to record political rallies - an even more hazardous task than those he had undertaken in the past. This resulted in some powerful and moving images of a people who seemed to show the same strength of character as the mine workers of his home town.
Report by David Carter
Alnwick and District Camera Club commenced its Autumn season with an entertaining slide presentation by Richard Stent, the club's current chairman. Family vacations may not be the best time for concentrating on photography but Richard succeeded in capturing the atmosphere and sights of Italy whilst on holiday this summer.
Starting in Florence, we were not only treated to fine images of architectural landmarks such as Brunelleschi's iconic Duomo and the historic Ponte Vecchio, but also to cameos of street life with bustling piazzas, markets and pizzerias, contrasting with images of peaceful cloisters and stunning church interiors.
A day trip to Pisa by rail yielded another fine crop of pictures. Avoiding the more hackneyed views of the Leaning Tower, Richard nicely captured the reaction of tourists and even included some amusing pictures of kitsch reproductions of the tower on sale in the souvenir shops. Another rail trip took the family to Siena with its narrow back streets contrasting with spacious piazzas and fine public buildings.
Richard was obviously captivated by the food markets of Florence and a concluding sequence of colourful images of fruit, vegetables, meats and cheeses, presented as only the Italians can, soon made the audience feel quite hungry.
After this splendid display of colour slides, we were treated to a further demonstration of Richard's photographic skills with a fine gallery of monochrome prints. Many of these continued the Italian theme but there were also images from the Picture House exhibition at Belsay and other more local attractions.
Report by David Carter
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