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YOUR PICTURES IN PRINT

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5 MOT Failure by Chris Morris This is a beautiful shot and works well tonally. Who would have thought a steering wheel could be so interesting!

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1 Safe Passage by Lynn Sharples An abstract and ethereal image. The distant boat completes the feeling of heading into the unknown. 2 Sunrise by Chris Jones The sharp foreground leads the eye to the atmospheric tonal changes in this excellent landscape capture.

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A club that, above all, wants its members to have fun while learning

6 Melancholy by John Crowland This could be a still from a classic film. Well executed and very well thought out.

When was the club founded? We’re not sure, but our longest-serving member Tony Falla, thinks it’s somewhere in the late 1970s or very early ’80s.

What does your club offer to new members? New members are always made to feel welcome and are given a number of free evenings before being asked to join. As well as the indoor-programmed meetings we do try to get out and about frequently. We also have a mid-club which is far more informal. We have previously run a series of development evenings separate to the main club meetings to help develop an individual’s equipment and software skills; we are looking to do something similar again in the future. Membership also provides afliated membership to the Welsh Photographic Federation (WPF), which offers a number of benets.

Describe a typical club meeting. Our season runs from September to May with meetings taking place on the rst and third Fridays of the month. The programme has a mix of speakers, competitions and workshops. We have around ve competitions a year, mostly with a theme, which are a mix of print and digital. These lead into our Photographer of the Year award to the highest-scoring photographer throughout all the competitions. The workshops are based on the skills of club members; both what people can talk about and what others want to hear. And of course all our evenings have a tea and coffee break!

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YOUR PICTURES IN PRINT

3 Llanddwyn Island by Keith Sharples Wonderfully moody and extremely well suited to monochrome. The dark cross against the sunlight is striking.

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7 Steam Train by Iain McCallum This incredible drone shot shows a lot of technical skill. The train and its smoke cuts through the centre of the image perfectly. 4 Who Ordered This? by Pat Hopkins The robin’s quizzical expression has been well captured and lends the bird a great deal of character.

Do you invite guest speakers? Previously we have had David Hurn speak at the club, which was amazing. As the programme secretary I like to get a good mix of speakers and we have had a diverse mix including Alyn Wallace, Nigel Forster, Damien Demolder, Jim Cossey, Cate Barrow and AP’s very own Amy Davies speak as well as non-‘traditional’ artists such as Helen Sear. The programme always tries to react to suggestions and feedback from what people want to hear about.

Do members compete in regional or national competitions? Yes, very much so. There’s a thriving club-run national series of standalone competitions and battles within Wales and we try to enter as many of these as practical. We enter a number of the WPF competitions annually as well as some English ones. A number of members have also entered national competitions, with varied success.

How many members do you have? Pre the COVID-19 shutdown we had around 30 members, which was on the increase from the previous years and heading in a very positive direction. A growing number of our members have received recognition for their work including CPAGB, BPE and AWPF.

Are any residential trips or outings planned? Some members usually attend the annual weekend WPF conference in Carmarthen (previously held in Lampeter). We also have a number of day visits and overnight trips.

Club essentials

Monmouth Photographic Club Mitchel Troy Village Hall, Monmouth, NP25 4BD Meets First and third Friday of the month September to May Membership Around 30 Contact Iain McCallum at ism69@btinternet.com Website www.monmouthphoto.co.uk

Previously we have visited Dorset, the Peak District and Snowdonia, amongst others. Post-lockdown a number of local trips are planned that would allow for social distancing to be maintained, as we are sure that would put people at more ease.

What are the club’s goals for the future? To re-establish itself in the world post-COVID and get back to where we were previously. No doubt this will involve some change but hopefully in a way that supports its members and their needs. A number of members are talking about a trip to Anglesey once it’s safe to do so. We aim to start having an impact on the WPF competition programme but mostly to enable members to continue improving their photography while keeping it enjoyable.

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