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These reports appear in the Northumberland Gazette.
Members of Alnwick Camera Club are accustomed to experienced photographers visiting the club to talk about and show their pictures. This week was different: a young man, Reed Ingram Weir, was the guest and he showed some remarkable images which demonstrated that it doesn't need years of experience to be successful with a camera - just talent.
Reed had come to live in the north-east from Ireland by way of Buxton in Derbyshire and somewhere along the way had learned how to take delicately coloured photographs of familiar scenes using an iPhone and other more sophisticated cameras. One less familiar subject that had captured Reed's fascination was the aurora borealis. Such was his compulsion to photograph these lights that he travelled to Iceland and Norway to get them. He wasn't happy with his results but then, ironically, he found them glowing over Holy Island. His success with these pictures saw them published in national newspapers and on television.
Reed talked about his photographs with modesty and enthusiasm in a conversational way, kinda Facebook like. Altogether, it was a very refreshing evening.
Report by Doug Ross
Most judges who come to Alnwick Camera Club to assess members' prints are usually faced with a large number of entries. This week's judge, David Hall from the Gateshead club, seemed disappointed not to have more to assess.
There were two competitions: an open mono print and an open colour print. David is a very experienced and knowledgeable judge who is also a great enthusiast. He had clearly given much previous consideration to the images and was able to give a thorough assessment of each image along with much helpful advice to the photographer.
In the mono competition, Jane Coltman's Beach Friends was awarded a Highly Commended as were Alistair Cochrane's Out of Touch and Peter Downs' Long Forgotten. Third place was given to Barry Robertson's amazingly-lit North Yorkshire Coastline; second place went to Dave Dixon's Nocturnal Urban Architecture beautifully lit but in a very different way from Yorkshire Coastline. First place was given to Nick Johnson's wide-skied Spittal Promenade and Beach.
In the colour competition, the judge gave his only Commended of the evening to John Thompson's Let Them Get On First. Highly Commendeds went to Gerry Simpson for his Reading the Programme, to Barry Robertson for The Cleveland Way and to Dave Dixon for Tynemouth Harbour. Kevin Murray came third by capturing a cricketer in mono mid-stroke with just a red ball for colour. Second place went to Margaret Whittaker for a delicate image of two swans gliding through falling snow and, for the second time in the evening, Nick Johnson was placed first for an expertly-lit image of a Pasque flower.
Report by Doug Ross
Alnwick Camera Club was treated this week to a showing of prints from photographers Guy and Paula Davies from Stokesley Photographic Society. Guy and Paula photograph together and will travel to far-flung places to capture their images. We saw pictures from Tuscany, Yellowstone Park, Glencoe and the west coast of Scotland. The goths of Whitby provided, very willingly it seems, images of themselves in their strange garb as did the masked people of Venice and the Fringe performers in Edinburgh.
Where Guy's photographs were carefully- taken landscape views, Paula concentrated on the detail; parts rather than the whole of the Infinity bridge at Stockton,for example, and "miniature landscapes" plucked from rocks and rust.
So, although they both went to the same photogenic places, they came back with different viewpoints.
Indeed, when the decrees of international bodies such as FIAP are realised and, in future competitions, "traditional" digital images are separated from "altered reality" images (those changed by the use of Photoshop and the like) then Guy would probably find his pictures in the first category and Paula's in the latter.
But that is in the near-future, on this occasion members enjoyed equally the well-executed images of both presenters.
Report by Doug Ross
There were two competitions at Alnwick Camera Club this week: the Alistair Cochrane Progress Award competition and the Reportage Award competition. The first is open to all members of the Club who have not previously been placed first, second or third in a Club competition. The judges are appointed from within the club and are given the daunting task of commenting on and marking the work of their fellow-members. This year, the judges were Roger Black, Gordon Charlton and Nick Johnson. Each competitor is allowed to enter three images whether as prints or digital images and these are individually scored. The winner is the one with the highest aggregate score and on this occasion it was a draw for first place between Paul Penman and Judith Snaith; third was Valerie Atkinson. The quality of the entries went from "good" to "I wished I'd taken that!" This writer's favourite was Grim.
The second competition of the evening was for the Reportage Award where the image, in any form (book, print, digital image or AV), has to describe a factual event. The judge was Ken Shawcross because, by tradition, last year's winner judges the following year's competition - a strong incentive to come second. This year, members saw the weather-damaged road to Rothbury, a book of photographs illustrating the journey of the river Coquet from its source at Chew Green to Amble, a visit to see the Northern Lights and a report of old comrades paying tribute at the National Memorial Arboretum. The judge said that the photography in each entry was very good but that he was giving the award to the one that provided the most, new information. The winner then was Jean Findlay's colourful and informative account of the people and customs of Bhutan.
Report by Doug Ross
Ken Shawcross and John Thompson between them share 60 years' membership of Alnwick Camera Club. This week they shared the Club's print gallery. There the similarities end for their prints were very different in style, content and production. Ken's pictures were of two holidays: one in southern France, the other in Holt in Norfolk. They were coloured photographs of family and the surrounding scenery and buildings. All were sharp, well-focused and printed, fresh, personal views that were nevertheless of great interest to members. John's images were playful montages of "gothic" figures brought together in fantasy situations. Red Riding Hood carrying the bloodied head of the wolf in a basket was one example. Often amusing, they were the result of John's mastery of Photoshop and his willingness to push at the boundaries of his picture-making.
On the same evening, Malcolm Kus judged the second Open Digital Image competition. Malcolm is a national judge. His amusing comments and emphasis on technical detail were found very useful by members. He awarded first place to John Thompson"s Gannets Bonding; an image taken on film, on the Bass Rock and at the end of the 20th century. It showed one gannet offering twiggy material to another gannet which was just forcing its head and beak into the bottom corner of the frame - a witty and beautiful picture. Second place went to Micheal Mundy for Korean Drummer Preparing. Micheal has a now recognisable monochrome style. This particular image caught the eponymous drummer standing apparently quite still except for a small gesture of the hand; very well done. Gordon Charlton's Three in the Air, placed third, was a photograph of three acrobatic motorcyclists seemingly suspended in mid-air against the back-drop of Dubai skyscrapers. Quick reactions were needed to capture this remarkable image. Fourth place was awarded to Andrew Mackie's Innocence, a charming portrait of a young girl.
The judge further awarded three highly commendeds: to Kevin Murray for Incoming Puffin; to Barry Robertson's Strawberries; and to Gerry Simpson's The Mousetrap. Commendeds went to Jean Findley for Morning Meeting; to Ian Atkinson for U Beib Bridge; and to Kevin Murray for Sparrowhawk (which he insists was taken in the wild!).
Report by Doug Ross
This week Alnwick Camera Club enjoyed the photography of two of its own members: Richard Stent and Kevin Murray. Richard began the evening by showing how he had made a photobook from the old photographs his father had taken of his family. The book was to be a present to Richard's mother on her 80th birthday. It is not difficult to imagine her pleasure at receiving such an impressive volume of treasured images. Richard went on to show an audio-visual programme, all in black and white, of Paris. If you have loved Paris in the springtime, or any other season, then the memories would be refreshed by Richard's excellently captured pictures of street artists, markets, shops, cafes and familiar, famous buildings. Phone Air France now!
In complete contrast, Kevin Murray showed some 40 outstanding prints of Northumberland wildlife. We saw beautifully executed pictures of red squirrels up to all sorts of antics shot from a hide on a long 400mm lens. (Kevin shot several grey squirrels by other means). Also among Kevin's pictures were those of birds, hares, frogs and fungi. He explained how he was challenged by the technical difficulties of photographing quick-moving animals which were not inclined to pose for the camera. He seemed, to most observers and admirers of his photography, to have overcome the problems with some ease.
Altogether, it was a very varied evening of very good photography and much enjoyed by the members of the club.
Report by Doug Ross
Members of Alnwick and District Camera Club enjoyed an entertaining evening of fine photography when they were visited by representatives from Whitley Bay Photographic Society.
Whitley Bays president, Gillian Hales, introduced her fellow members, starting with Alan and Pat Porrett who showed a spectacular set of Pictures from Namaqualand. This arid region of Namibia and South Africa usually appears quite desolate but in winter is carpeted with an abundance of colourful wildflowers.
Peter Craig was next with an audio visual presentation about the Keswick Jazz Festival with pictures of musicians interspersed with beautiful Lake District landscapes and accompanied by appropriate music.
Gillian then showed some of her own pictures with a series of lively and colourful images from the Festival of Britain 2011 held on the South Bank in London. She also showed an interesting sequence of pictures of British athletes taken at track events in Gateshead, Birmingham and Paris.
Anne Swearman came next with an excellent audio visual impression of Herterton Gardens that embraced the beauty and history of the place in words and pictures.
This was followed by Jeff Evans with three AV presentations, the first an account of the idyllic Il de Brahet off the coast of Britanny and the second an affectionate photographic Impression of Seaton Sluice. His third sequence was taken in Tresco Abbey Gardens with images of the exotic plants that flourish in the mild climate of the Scilly Isles.
Next was a sequence by David McAllister entitled Falconry Days. This included some very fine pictures of birds of prey both in flight and in close up.
Finally Andrew Nicolls Winter in the Cheviots AV was very impressive with superb images capturing both the bitter cold and the majestic beauty of this wonderful area in winter.
Report by David Carter
Street Life was the subject for Alnwick and District Camera Clubs latest print competition. This competition, organised by Gerry Simpson and Richard Stent, was judged by club members. After an introduction by club president John Thompson, the prints were first displayed individually on a light box and then as a complete gallery for members to peruse before completing their deliberations. Each member was able to choose five pictures, awarding their first choice five points, their second choice four points and so on.
There was plenty of time for everyone to get a good look at the all of the prints and to discuss their merits before making up their minds and handing in their completed score sheets.
At the end of the evening, the points were totalled giving the following results.
Commended were Father and Son Moment by Laine Baker and Relaxing in the Park by Gordon Charlton, while At the Speed of Light by Nick Johnson, Backstreet Garage by Jane Coltman, Down and Out by Richard Stent and The Engraver by Dawn Groves were all highly commended.
In fourth place was Eye Contact, a humorous and well observed people picture by John Thompson and in third place was A Decisive Moment, a dramatic monochrome image by Micheal Mundy. Second place was awarded to Jane Coltmans Dancing in the Street, a lively image from Cuba but the clear winner of first place was Gordon Charltons fine North African street portrait entitled Mint Tea.
Report by David Carter
In My View was the title of Christine Widdalls presentation when she visited Alnwick and District Camera Club. Hailing from Saddleworth in Yorkshire, Christine is not only a highly accomplished and passionate photographer but also an engaging and entertaining speaker.
Starting with a series of landscape prints from her home county, she spoke about the use of high dynamic range, a technique that so often produces very artificial results. However, in her hands the subtle use of this technique produced results that are both natural and beautiful.
When photographing interiors, Christine makes her pictures distinctive by reducing the saturation of colours and adding a diffuse glow as well as a very slight vignette to concentrate interest on the centre of the image.
Use of textures, often in multiple layers, is another of the techniques that enhances many of her images. A series of studio shots of flowers demonstrated how effective this can be.
Although Christine is a professional wedding photographer, she also likes to take pictures at events such as re-enactments. However, she is seldom satisfied with the backgrounds which are either anachronistic or too crowded with people, so she produces composite images with replacement backgrounds that are more appropriate. This requires a great deal of skill and patience in digital manipulation to produce the amazingly convincing results that she achieves. The Whitby Goths have provided a rich field for pictures of this sort and they figured strongly in the rest of her imaginative prints.
Finally, Christine showed the successful panel of prints that she submitted to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain for her Masters Gold Award. This was a valuable example of the extremely high standard required for such qualifications and provided a fitting end to an inspiring evening liberally spiced with Yorkshire sense and good humour.
Report by David Carter
This years subject for Alnwick and District Camera Clubs Northumberland Plate competition was Architecture and Record. Pictures had to be taken in Northumberland and could include a building of any age or kind, a detail of a building, an object, a detail of an object or a still life arrangement. Judging was carried out by members on the night with each member completing a score sheet. In a new move, pictures were also made available beforehand via the club website so that it was possible to consider their merits in advance. When voting was completed, members took a well earned break for tea while the scores were totalled to decide the winning entries.
In third place was Coastal Grain, a superb monochrome image of grain silos by Micheal Mundy, while second place went to Ian Atkinson for a fine picture of Seaton Delaval Hall.
Clear winner of first place and the Northumberland Plate was Gerry Simpson with Rail Bridge Berwick, a well composed image that met all the criteria and demonstrated that a good record picture can also be a very pleasing one.
A successful evening was completed by Richard Stents impressive gallery of monochrome prints. Taken on film and processed in a traditional darkroom, the subjects of Richards pictures ranged from the Reichstag in Berlin to the Fish Quay at North Shields.
Report by David Carter
Alnwick and District Camera Club member Barry Robertson provided a fine evenings entertainment when he gave a presentation entitled The Cleveland Way.
The Way runs close to Boulby Potash Mine where Barry is employed and he commenced his talk by showing pictures of his work place, including the impressive machinery that is used in producing around fifty thousand tons of potash a week.
The Cleveland Way is a 110 mile circuit running from Helmsley to Filey with most walkers starting from Helmsley. However Barry decided to start his journey from Filey, moving up the coast to Saltburn before heading inland. Barry completed the walk in sections of ten to fifteen miles on his days off, taking each day as it came regardless of weather. This meant that conditions for photography were sometimes quite challenging but Barry rose to the occasion and produced some fine pictures.
The coastal half of the walk along the cliff tops features a distinctive landscape that is highly susceptible to erosion. Barrys pictures captured the scene with some beautifully atmospheric sunsets and impressive, long exposure photographs of sea and rocks. Along the way he photographed seals at Ravenscar, quaint shops and streets at Robin Hoods Bay, unusual fishermens huts at Port Mulgrave and the Victorian pier and cliff lift at Saltburn.
Heading inland through Skelton and Guisborough, he captured some fine views from Roseberry Topping, a well-loved landmark that remained in sight for much of his journey. He pointed out that this walk is very clearly signposted and showed pictures of the pathway winding its way across the open countryside. Barry is very fond of photographing gateways and stone walls which often figure in his landscapes, giving interest to the foreground.
His last sequence of pictures showed Helmsley, his final destination, under the snow, completing a comprehensive and satisfying photographic record of one of Englands most interesting and accessible walking routes.
Barry also presented a fine gallery of superb quality prints of landscapes taken in the Cheviots.
Report by David Carter
Alnwick and District Camera Club welcomed John Webster from Stokesley to give a presentation entitled Chasing the Light. John is a highly acclaimed photographer who has achieved great success in international exhibitions and is renowned for his audio visual shows.
After an informative and humorous introduction he showed a series of seven superb audio visual sequences from locations around the world.
The first, entitled Yellowstone, commenced with atmospheric images of a landscape shrouded in the vapour from thermal springs and went on to show other aspects of the National Park, including the colourful rocks that give this region its name and the wildlife that abounds.
This was followed by An Irish Moment, starting with misty images of a very different kind as John captured the peace and tranquility of lakes in the early morning, followed by sunrises and seascapes with spectacular skies.
Out of Africa featured the wildlife and landscapes of the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park with a stunning sequence of superlative pictures of animals and birds.
Next came The Magic of Venice which included Canaletto-like images of palazzos and canals as well as less familiar pictures of vibrantly coloured buildings and streets on the island of Burano.
We were then brought back to A Scottish Autumn with glowing images of trees, water, mountains and wildlife including red deer, red squirrels and golden eagles.
Back again to Italy, but this time to A Tuscan Dawn, with captivating misty pictures of a magical landscape. The play of light was captured in such a way that these images had an amazing three dimensional quality. Vineyards, flowers and butterflies added to the riches of the region.
Much closer to home, Johns final destination was the Lake District with Season of Mists, once more bringing us the joys of autumn with rich colours, beautiful reflections and the first signs of snow on the hill tops.
Report by David Carter
Members of Alnwick and District Camera Club enjoyed an inspiring evening of photography when club president John Thompson gave a talk about themes, illustrated by his own prints.
John explained that this approach to photography had developed quite naturally from a desire to group pictures together either in sets of three or in larger collections, many of which he has used as the basis for a series of photo books that he has produced over the years.
His first photo collection had resulted in a colourful montage of images of doorways taken on holidays in France.
Johns themes range very widely and examples included statues, rocks, people in movement and images of Durham. Each was illustrated by superb prints but perhaps the most memorable was a series of beautiful images of trees in winter.
Not only were Johns pictures well composed but the quality of prints was outstanding. He nearly always uses a tripod which he claims results in sharper images and aids composition by giving the photographer time to look more carefully at the image in the viewfinder or on the viewing screen. The success of these pictures also depended on Johns mastery of digital manipulation of images combined with an understanding of the qualities of different types of printing papers. As he explained, this had to be achieved by trial and error initially, but the final results were well worth the effort.
His most extensive theme has been one that he described as Corners of Northumberland, a wide ranging collection of pictures of buildings that have been largely overlooked or neglected by photographers. His subjects have ranged from castles and bastles to churches, country houses, follies, bridges, and windmill towers but the subjects that have captured his interest the most are lime kilns. Lime kilns may not seem the most inspiring of subjects but Johns atmospheric pictures not only captured the essence of a bygone era but also made one aware of just some of the architectural wonders that lie hidden throughout Northumberland.
Report by David Carter
Dave Richardson from Ryton and District Camera Club was the judge for Alnwick and District Camera Clubs latest print competition. The competition was for panels of three prints so the twenty three entries gave Dave sixty nine pictures in all to consider. He pointed out the difficulties of finding three pictures that work well together and gave advice on how to select and arrange a winning panel. He then went on to appraise all of the prints submitted, both as individual pictures and as sets of three.
As there was no set subject, there was a fine range of pictures to enjoy, both in colour and monochrome, including landscapes, portraits, close-ups, architecture, flowers, birds and many others. The photographers had put a great deal of thought into selecting their sets and Dave was generous in his praise for their efforts.
Autumn On Mull by Andrew Mackie and Woodland Birds by Kevin Murray were both commended while Lucky Lips by Alastair Cochrane, Derelict Signal Box, Bendor by Dave Dixon and Rusty Tractor Wheels by Pat Wood were all highly commended. In fourth place was From a Market Stall by Laine Baker, a fine set of warm toned monochrome prints of fruit and vegetables, and in third place Blenheim Palace by Peter Downs, three elegant monochrome images produced in the style of pencil sketches. Second place went to Barry Robertson for Yellow Flowers, a beautiful panel of high key, close up pictures that captured the delicate but vibrant colours of Helleborus, Viola and Narcissus, but first place went to three stunning Northumberland seascapes by Nick Johnson, entitled Shoreline.
Report by David Carter
Alnwick and District Camera Club made a good start to the New Year with a lively projected digital image knockout competition. Pictures were projected on the screen in pairs and the audience voted for their favourites by a show of hands until all but two winning pictures were eliminated. As there was no set subject for this competition, the range of images both in colour and monochrome was wide with portraits and landscapes strongly represented. The overall standard was particularly high for a competition of this nature, making selection of winners quite challenging for the audience members who rose to the occasion with their usual enthusiasm and good humour.
Monochrome pictures figured very strongly in this competition so it was not surprising when Paul Penmans superb monochrome portrait of a man seated in a public house, entitled Taking a Text, took first place. In contrast, the runner up was John Thompsons exceptionally vibrant colour picture of The Red Drummer Girl.
This weeks gallery was shared by Gerry Simpson and Peter Sutcliffe. Gerrys excellent people pictures were taken in London, Edinburgh, York and Newcastle, all capturing the feeling of life on the city streets while Peters fine panel of largely still life images was highly personal and thought provoking.
Report by David Carter
Music and mojitos cocktails welcomed members of Alnwick and District Camera Club when chairman Jane Coltman and competition secretary Laine Baker staged a Cuban night. Jane and Laine had travelled to Cuba together on a photographic holiday earlier in the year and this was an opportunity to show some of the fruits of their visit. Their wonderful pictures, full of life and vibrant colour, soon made it clear why Cuba is regarded as a photographers paradise.
Havana was their first base and here they recorded the faded glory of magnificent buildings with ornate doors, windows and staircases which are crumbling into decay due to neglect and poverty. In contrast, the walls and doors of the lower storeys of many houses are brightly painted or decorated with wall art which ranges from simple graffiti to considerably more sophisticated pictures. Unsurprisingly, images of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara abound.
Despite the evident poverty of the people, their sunny disposition and indomitable spirit shone through, reflected by colourful characters, colourful clothes and love of art and music. Pictures of adults dancing in the streets and children playing under the watchful eyes of their grandparents all captured a joyful atmosphere that many a more prosperous community would envy.
Moving on to Trinidad via Cienfuegos, Jane and Laine showed further aspects of the country, Cienfuegos with its more opulent hotels and Trinidad with its cobbled streets and picturesque dereliction. Despite crumbling houses, interiors were well kept and treasured furniture was on display. Washing lines were a feature wherever they went and it was noticeable that people were well dressed. Cubans also cherish their pet dogs, cats and cagebirds which all provided subjects for Laine and Janes cameras.
The evening was completed by a fine Cuban picture gallery including a wonderful sequence of colourful prints of building facades.
Report by David Carter
Alnwick and District Camera Club welcomed Jane Black from Tynemouth to judge the Nellie Bache projected digital image competition. This competition is for a set of three pictures in either colour or monochrome and Jane pointed out that, while it is usually fairly easy to find two pictures that go together well, it is often much more difficult to find the elusive third image.
She also pointed out that, in her view, while the pictures should be on a common theme, they should not be too similar in appearance.
The competition entries covered a wide range of subjects and included some very striking images. Even in those sets that were, in the judges opinion, less successful there were some superb individual pictures to be enjoyed.
Commended sets were The Royals, by Margaret Whittaker, and High Level Comings and Goings by Valerie Atkinson while Alastair Cochranes set, The Allure of the Automobile, was highly commended.
Fourth place went to John Thompson for Day Out With Dad, a humorous, well seen group of people pictures. Third place was taken by three wonderfully atmospheric landscapes of The Cheviots by Barry Robertson and second place was awarded to a set of excellent interior photographs of Northumberland Village Churches by Dave Dixon. However, first place and the Nellie Bache Trophy, went to Kevin Murray for Red Squirrel, three fine quality natural history portraits that captured their subject superbly well.
The evening was completed by two very different galleries of prints by Ian Atkinson and John Thompson. Ian presented an intriguing gallery of five images taken in the Peloponnese, each digitally processed in three different ways for members to compare. Johns fine monochrome prints included gritty images of Glasgow and tranquil pictures of the Suffolk coast.
Report by David Carter
For its annual Playhouse event Alnwick and District Camera Club invited Ann and Steve Toon to give a presentation entitled Encounters of the Furred Kind. Ann and Steve are professional wildlife photographers living close to Kielder but with a passion for the wildlife of Africa. With a background in print journalism, they have now become photojournalists and this offers them many opportunities to encounter and photograph a wide range of wildlife.
Despite the rather jokey title of their talk, this was a very well balanced and informative presentation, with plenty of superb photographs and an entertaining commentary liberally spiced with their own unique sense of humour.
For those expecting a wealth of pictures of cute furry animals, a surprise was in store as Ann and Steves wildlife covered everything from rhinos to sharks and flowers. However there were also some wonderful pictures of animals of the furred kind along the way.
The first half of the talk covered many aspects of wildlife photography, illustrated by photographs taken in Northumberland and in Africa. From a business point of view, it is often the commonplace that sells, with birds such as robins and puffins high on the list. However, in order to stand out from the crowd, it is important to offer pictures with something different and Ann and Steve provided plenty of insight into how they achieve this. There was also abundant advice on subjects such as choice of background, composition and picture format.
While the first part of the talk was in essence a masterclass in nature photography, part two was a virtual African safari. Starting in the Kruger National Park and moving to Cape Town, the Kalahari and the Masai Mara, they showed a stunning array of wildlife both big and small. There were plenty of exciting images of lions, cheetahs, giraffes, hippos and rhinos but also fascinating pictures of ground squirrels, meerkats and many others, including examples of the abundant bird and plant life.
Ann and Steve have also made good use of their photojournalistic skills to publicise the need for conservation of African animals such as elephants and rhinos. Their love for this part of the world was abundantly clear and their enthusiasm was infectious. Anyone considering a visit to southern Africa will certainly have been inspired by this.
Report by David Carter
Print knockout competitions are always a popular feature of Alnwick and District Camera Clubs programme and this latest one was no exception. Prints are displayed two at a time and the audience votes for the one they consider to be the best. This continues until all but four prints are eliminated and these are then pitted against each other for positions.
Although these are fun evenings with plenty of friendly banter, they are quite challenging for members of the audience who often have to decide between widely differing subjects, for instance a landscape alongside a portrait or a colour image against a monochrome. Matters were also made more difficult by the high quality of the entries so that many excellent pictures fell by the wayside.
At the end of the voting, fourth place was awarded to Doug Ross for A Colourful Read, a tranquil and beautifully coloured image of a young lady seated with a book. Third place went to Gordon Charlton for a very strong image of an engine driver in his cab, entitled Take a Break, while in second place was a fine image of St Pancras Station by Gerry Simpson. However, the overall winner was an outstanding composite image by John Thompson, entitled Trees in a Rock Landscape, which fully deserved first place.
Thanks are due to Jane Coltman and Laine Baker for displaying the prints and counting the votes.
Report by David Carter
Alnwick and District Camera Club welcomed Peter Yeo to give a presentation entitled Here There and Somewhere Else. Peter lives in Lincolnshire but travels the country giving lectures for Fotospeed, whose papers and inkflow system he uses exclusively for his work.
Peter specialises in producing panels of pictures and started his talk with a series of vibrant colour prints of people and places in China. A year after the Olympic Games had been held there, he had visited the Olympic Park and produced some impressive and imaginative images of the iconic Birds Nest stadium.
Next was a series of pictures taken at a four by four car trial which succeeded in capturing the excitement of an event which involves a great deal of mud and spray. By contrast, Peter then showed a series of colour abstract images achieved by digital manipulation of deliberately de-focussed close up photographs of flowers and other everyday objects.
Peter encouraged the audience to use their cameras at every opportunity and backed this up with experimental seascapes taken in failing light on a winters day at Scarborough. Also taken in winter was a colourful panel of pictures from Skegness funfair.
Peters mastery of monochrome printing was amply demonstrated by a series of moody pictures from a derelict prisoner of war camp at Brigg in Lincolnshire and an extensive collection of poignant images from the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in Poland.
Finally we were transported to Scotland, taking in some of the photographers favourite sites and culminating in some stunning landscapes from Lewis and Harris.
These were just some of the elements of a most comprehensive and inspiring display of digital photography with something for everyone and an excellent demonstration of the quality of Fotospeeds products.
Report by David Carter
Alan Porrett from Whitley Bay Photographic Society was the judge for Alnwick and District Camera Clubs first open monochrome print competition of the season. Forty six prints were entered with landscapes, people pictures and architectural subjects particularly well represented.
Alan appraised all of the entries in detail with plenty of well considered observations. His criticisms were all tempered with positive comments and encouraging advice.
Commended pictures were Contemplation by Pat Wood, God is Love (Under the Tyne Bridge), by Micheal Mundy and Warkworth Castle Stairs by Nick Johnson, while those highly commended were Infinity Bridge by Dawn Groves, Raul by Laine Baker, River Steps by John Thompson and Ye Olde Boathouse by Margaret Whittaker. John Thompson took fourth place with a bold, graphic snowy landscape entitled Winter while Its a Bit of a Struggle, a well seen picture of a man pulling his boat, won third place for Nick Johnson. In second place was Hispano-Suiza, a strong, almost abstract, close-up detail image of a classic car by Alastair Cochrane but first place went to Gerry Simpson for a superbly handled and well printed character portrait entitled Cool Dude.
Report by David Carter
There was a full house at Alnwick and District Camera Club when John Smith from Gateshead Camera Club was welcomed to judge the first open colour print competition of the season. The entry of sixty three prints included a wide range of subjects with landscapes, natural history and people pictures well represented.
John commented on the high overall standard of prints and said how difficult it had been to select the winners with so many deserving entries. He commented on each picture individually with plenty of appreciative and encouraging comment. Johns love of photography came across throughout his deliberations and his entertaining asides, delivered with an infectious sense of humour, contributed to a lively and enjoyable evening.
Commended prints were American Gothic by Alastair Cochrane, Hobbies Magazine, also by Alastair, Early Evening Beadnell by Dave Dixon and Red Squirrel with Hazel Nut by Kevin Murray. Highly commended were Alone, by Jane Coltman, Saltburn Pier by Barry Robertson, The Hatter by Margaret Whittaker and The Weston Family by Malcolm Kus.
In fourth place was Jane Coltmans well seen Cuban street scene entitled Parking Point while third place was taken by Dave Dixon with a well composed, pastel coloured interior of St Cuthberts Church, Elsdon. Second place went to Hello, an unusual portrait of a pilot seated in the cockpit of a vintage Hurricane aeroplane - a fine first entry by new member Nick Johnson. However, the overall winner was Gerry Simpson, deservedly taking first place with Light in The Smokey Room, a wonderfully atmospheric interior photograph of an Orkney cottage.
Report by David Carter
Every year, the Northern Counties Photographic Federation holds competitions open to members of around fifty affiliated clubs including Alnwick and District Camera Club. There is a range of classes for prints and digital images in colour and monochrome with awards presented for the best pictures in each category. However, with a total entry of around 2500 high quality pictures, many excellent photographs fail to achieve awards and this evening offered a chance to see some of the runners up in an audio visual presentation with comments from six experienced photographers.
The pictures included in this selectors choice ranged widely from landscape and portrait to abstract, sport and natural history, all clearly worthy of a closer look. The experts comments were mostly positive, highlighting the merits of each image, although there was constructive criticism where appropriate. Among the many criteria considered were composition, viewpoint, exposure, colour balance, tonal range, background, sharpness and choice of format.
Fashions change, and it was interesting to note the number of pictures presented in letterbox format. Presentation is very important and there were also useful comments on choice of printing paper and mounting techniques.
In order to capture the judges eye, pictures need to create an overall impact that makes them stand out. In the final analysis it is the combination of photographic technique with the eye for a good picture that produces winning results. There were plenty of guidelines here for those intending to enter competitions in the future.
Report by David Carter
Alnwick and District Camera Club enjoyed a double-header at its latest meeting when Pat Wood and Peter Downs presented their individual shows. Pat began by describing, and illustrating with photographs, her daughter Tracy's swim of the length of Loch Broom in Wester Ross. The swim was a sponsored one to raise money to counter Parkinson's disease and was undertaken from the head of the loch to Ullapool - a distance of 9.2km (misheard by one of the younger members of the Club as 92.2 miles). Pat's photographs showed Tracy, clad in a wet suit, barely visible in the water and surrounded by a small armada of kayaks and supported by a local fishery's boat. At the end of the swim, exhausted but triumphant, Tracy was shown being congratulated by friends and family having raised nearly £1900 for a worthy cause. Pat continued by showing that her talents are not confined to photography: she showed some of her excellent paintings which were taken from landscape photographs she had taken previously and a pair of sketches of members of the Club. It was an interesting and unusual talk from a very proud Mum.
Peter Downs followed Pat by demonstrating his mastery of Photoshop CS5 and some software that changes colour photographs to black and white images in a variety of ways. He managed to transport a couple of people, gazing down on a Scottish loch, to meditating the view over Alnmouth estuary and removed a car in a small Scottish village because it was intruding on his otherwise peaceful image of the village. Peter believes that mono images have more drama than colour ones and went on to demonstrate this by taking some of his colour photographs and reducing them to black and whites using styles such as "triste", "high key" and "film noir". He made his point for they were certainly very different from the original colour pictures. Some of his images were shown as excellent prints on the Gallery. This was another different and interesting presentation from someone who clearly is an expert at image manipulation.
Report by Doug Ross
Alnwick and District Camera Clubs latest visiting speaker, Steve Smith, is an acclaimed photographer who has had many of his images accepted in national and international exhibitions and salons. Steve is famous for his superb people pictures and his presentation was appropriately entitled Eyewitness.
Originally a skilled film photographer and darkroom practitioner, Steve embraced the digital age when returning to photography in 2004 and now produces superb quality digital monochrome and colour prints. On this occasion his presentation of prints was enhanced by projecting digital images on a screen alongside so that the entire audience was able to enjoy his work.
Although Steve has travelled far and wide in search of pictures, Cuba has proved to be one of his most fruitful hunting grounds. He concentrates on people in their environment and, by resisting the temptation to move in too close, has captured a wonderful series of images that each tell a story. This is achieved by including telling details that relate to the lives of his subjects. Steve is always looking for something interesting or out of the ordinary to make his pictures different. His rapport with those he photographs is evident, although usually he only speaks to people after he has photographed them to avoid losing spontaneity.
For those who think it is necessary to travel abroad to take photographs of this nature, he then showed many equally fine pictures taken in London and other parts of Britain.
Although Steve takes most of his photographs in colour, he has a preference for monochrome prints and so converts his pictures digitally afterwards. Fine monochrome prints such as his are only achieved after careful work at the computer and he demonstrated this by showing several before and after pictures.
This was a most impressive and instructive talk, illustrated by a plethora of superb prints. Steve says that there are pictures everywhere, but it takes a photographer of his skill and imagination to find and capture so many of them.
Report by David Carter
Members of Alnwick and District Camera Club were disappointed to learn that George Ledger, the judge for their first open digital image competition, was unfortunately unable to attend the meeting. However, George had kindly forwarded his comments and placings of pictures so that the evening could go ahead. Club members Richard Stent and John Thompson stepped into the breach, projecting all of the images and inviting the audience to comment on the pictures before the results of Georges deliberations were announced.
There was a good entry of more than seventy pictures and the overall standard was high with a good variety of subjects and photographic approaches.
Commended were Monsoon in June by Jean Findlay, Woman at an Exhibition by Dawn Groves and The Puzzle by Micheal Mundy while Cascades by Alastair Cochrane, Prickly Landing by Judith Snaith and After the Games by John Thompson were all highly commended.
In fourth place was Flowerpot Toad, an engaging and humorous natural history picture by Kevin Murray and in third place Cycleadelic, a dynamic action picture of a cyclist in a tunnel by Gerry Simpson. Kevin Murray also took second place with a superb image of a red squirrel entitled Summer Red but first place was awarded to Jane Coltman for Our Space, a well composed and warmly coloured portrait of two young Cuban boys seated in a window alcove.
To complete the evening were two fine galleries of prints. Stanley Traffords fascinating colour pictures documented an enviable trip to the Antarctic while Doug Ross superbly printed and well seen monochrome images covered a wide range of subjects.
Report by David Carter
Alnwick and District Camera Clubs first members night of the season featured What I did this Summer, in which everyone was invited to bring along pictures that they had taken over the summer months and to talk about them. The event proved so popular, with more than twenty members contributing pictures, that a few had to be held over for another evening.
Despite the indifferent weather of the past summer, the range and quality of pictures was exceptionally high, featuring local and national events, landscapes, architecture, natural history and much more. There was good coverage of the Golden Jubilee and the Olympic Games as well as local highlights such as the Alnwick Festival, the Alnwick Music Festival, and the Corbridge and Glendale Shows. Most people seem to have spent their summer holidays in the British Isles, although there were some fine pictures with interesting stories from Bavaria and Nova Scotia. This amounted to a fine exhibition of the huge range of photography enjoyed by the membership and it is a measure of the friendly nature of the club that so many people felt able to show their pictures and talk about them. This was a most enjoyable event with the audience contributing positive and good humoured feedback.
The evening was completed by a fine print gallery from Geoffrey Bradford and Micheal Mundy. Geoffreys unusual and involving exhibit featured photographs of items associated with his late father, taken as part of a degree course social documentary assignment. Micheals superb quality monochrome prints of people pictures and miscellaneous items from Chillingham Castle also captured some memorable images.
Report by David Carter
At their latest meeting, members of Alnwick and District Camera Club were treated to an entertaining and instructive evening with Roger Clegg. Roger, who lives in Hexham, has been a keen photographer for twenty five years but, eleven years ago decided to make his hobby a profession, aiming mainly at the tourism market. His particular love is Hadrians Wall and he has made this the main focus of his work.
As Roger pointed out, there were plenty of images of the wall already on the market but these were mainly of the postcard variety, taken on sunny summer days with blue skies and fluffy white clouds, so he has aimed to provide something different. This has resulted in an impressive collection of pictures that tell a much more comprehensive story of the wall, reflecting its history, structure and place in the landscape. This has taken a great deal of planning, dedication and patience but the results have been highly successful in promoting this wonderful area. Rogers pictures have been used as advertising material on the sides of buses and trains and even on the walls of the London Underground as well as to illustrate his own book entitled The Spirit of Hadrians Wall.
Many of Rogers pictures are taken at sunrise or sunset, resulting in some spectacular skies and glowing colours. However, he is prepared to go out in all weathers and all seasons, carefully consulting weather forecasts and his trusty sun compass in the hope that lighting conditions will provide the images he is aiming for. This does not mean that every trip provides the results he is looking for but Rogers love of the area is such that he never regards an unsuccessful visit as a waste of time.
This spectacular photographic tour of Hadrians Wall and surrounding areas of Tynedale will surely inspire many members to leave their beds early and head for this wonderful part of Northumberland.
Report by David Carter
Alnwick and District Camera Club made a fine start to its new season with an evening presented by the new chairman, Jane Coltman. Jane is photographer for the Northumberland Gazette and her talk centred around her work as a press photographer.
Jane referred to her work as being a Jack of all trades but this scarcely reflects the demanding combination of skills required to carry out her job successfully. Some aspects of the work can be quite exciting, especially when dealing with emergencies such as fires and floods. One of the highest profile cases that Jane has dealt with was the hunt for Raoul Moat, where it was important to get pictures that recorded the story without impeding the police in their duties.
Many of her pictures are of people and the key to her success is the way in which she relates to her subjects. This is particularly important with children and here Jane feels that women photographers are more readily accepted by parents and teachers. Jane spoke about many of her subjects with warm affection and this showed in her sensitive photographs.
Among the more glamorous tasks is photographing celebrities, many of whom are used to having their pictures taken and are pleased to cooperate for their own publicity. Royalty are a different matter and here it is important to observe the correct protocols while taking every opportunity to snatch good pictures.
Jane is always looking for a different approach to her pictures, often using unusual angles and eye-catching compositions to make even mundane subjects come to life.
The second part of Jane's presentation took us through the past year, month by month, with a stunning array of superb photographs covering such subjects as local fairs and shows, school nativity plays, football and rugby matches, jubilee celebrations, the Olympic torch events and the flash flood in Alnwick. She pointed out that getting wet is just one of the occupational hazards of her work.
Jane then showed an amusing film clip of her hectic working day made by BBCs Look North programme and, finally, her own poignant audio visual evocation of Remembrance Sunday.
An excellent evening was completed by a fine gallery of Janes monochrome and colour prints under the title Life on the Streets.
Report by David Carter
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