Cheam Camera Club December 2017 Newsletter From the Editorial Team Jonathon Bartle introduces the first newsletter of the 2017/18 season:
This edition of the Club’s Newsletter covers the first part of the 2017/18 season. As you’ll see as you read this newsletter, our members have come up with some wonderful images so far and there have been some outstanding and inspirational talks and outings; it looks like this will be another thoroughly enjoyable year at the Club. Once again, I would like to apologise for the slightly late publication of this edition. Most of this newsletter has been pulled together after I had started my Christmas break and it has been a treat to look back at the wonderful th start to this season, which started with the Open Evening on 13 September and was another great success. Thank you to everyone involved in the Club’s activities, whether you share your images or your talents at members’ evenings or contribute in some other way. You are inspirational! I am especially grateful, as always, to those of you who have contributed by writing articles etc for this Newsletter. If you were at the Club’s Awards th evening on 13 December, you’ll know that I was awarded the Susan Hill Award (for Newcomer of the Year) for my contribution to the Club by reviving this newsletter; I am thrilled, of course, but I’d like to take this opportunity to say that the newsletter is a collaborative publication, so we should all feel proud – well done! Going forward I hope that all aspects of our activities are covered in our newsletters, so please provide feedback and suggestions for future content, even write an article yourself; it would be great to have contributions from as many of you as possible, on any photographic matter. Please contact us by emailing newslettercheamcc@gmail.com. Also please visit the Club’s web site (www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk ), which Nishi and his team have been updating, as well as the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/). They provide excellent outlets for the Club’s fine work and activities.
Contents From the Editorial Team ..............................1 From the Archives .......................................2 An Interview with…......................................4 From Her With The Bell ...............................5 In the background........................................6 Photographie en France ..............................7 How did you do that?...................................8 Club Internal Competitions ........................10 The Leader Boards ..............................10 Colour Prints ........................................11 Monochrome Prints ..............................18 Projected Digital Images ......................25 Christmas Party and Awards Evening .35 2016-17 Awards Table .........................36
External Competitions ...............................38 The Concorde Trophy Competition ......38 SPA Inter-Club - Print ..........................38 FSLPS Inter-Club Competitions ...........39
Club Events ...............................................40 Members’ Evenings .............................40 External Speakers................................41 Club Outings ........................................43
Coming Up ................................................46 Breaking News ..........................................47 In summary................................................50 Just for laughs ...........................................50 About the Club and Contacts ....................50
A couple of festive images – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Festive candle image by Debbie Arnell She’s this edition’s focus of “An Interview With…” on page 4
Cheam Camera Club:
Gary Weaving and Elvio Morcillo at the Club’s Christmas Party and Awards Evening
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
From the Archives Trevor Burton gave me some prints from the Club’s store room. Here is a sample of them. More to follow next time….
Prints from the Club’s Past
Dated May 1998
Dated1987
Undated
Undated
Can anyone provide some informtion about these pictures? Also, if you have stories or images from the Club’s past which you’d like to share, please email them to newslettercheamcc@gmail.com.
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017 Who are these people? In the last edition I challenged you to provide names for these Committee Members. I received a number of correct responses, the first from Trevor Burton. Their portraits were taken from Cheam Camera Club’s handbook (undated, but probably published around 2003). The answers are: Hon. Chairman
Bob Brewer
Hon. Vice-Chairman
Howard Martin
Hon. Treasurer
Gwen Hoad
Hon. Secretary
John Tween
Records Secretary
Kevin Austin
Judges Secretary
Ruth Peploe
Programme co-ordinator
Martina Bennelick
External Competitions Secretary Alan Doerr Publicity
Moira Taylor
Committee member
Ron Taylor
Committee member
Glyn Davies
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
An Interview with… Debbie Whitton met with winner of the Club’s PDI Standard Class in 2016/17, Debbie Arnell: I used to take photos of the children on a film camera, like most people, then I went on a sales training course at Panasonic about 6 years ago. I was shown their range of cameras, and was taken out to Brooklands Motor Museum to experiment with different lenses. I was so impressed that I bought a mirrorless camera for myself, and that really started off my interest in photography. I then joined Cheam Camera Club about 4 years ago as a total beginner, and learned from my friends there by going out on trips and courses. My favourite subject is nature – flowers, birds, deer, butterflies and landscapes. Wisley (RHS) is a favourite for early morning photography; they open early 4 times a year, which is worth getting up early for! I’ve been on a number of workshops with different themes – Lightroom, Wales, water, seascapes, as well as an excellent one this summer with Andy Skillen at the British Wildlife Centre.
I have a friend who lives in California, and I’ve been out there to go on photography courses with her and her club. We’ve been to some amazing places – Monument Valley, Death Valley and Las Vegas. They were whirlwind trips, but great fun, and something very different! I have a lot of favourite photos; my most recent being one of a yellow rudbeckia flower. I took it at dusk, which gives it a grainy effect, and I love the delicate curves in the petals and the blue tint in the centre of the flower. The only challenge I had taking this photo was the breeze, so I used a tripod and a fast shutter speed. My next challenge is to learn how to photograph moving objects such as birds in flight – in fact I’ve recently been to a birds of prey workshop, which I really enjoyed! I couldn’t wait to use my new super duper zoom lens (100400mm) which I also love for macro photography, as the detail is fantastic. I’ve just used it to do some bokeh, which I’ve also never done before. I use a Panasonic Lumix GH4, which I’m very happy with. As it’s mirrorless, it’s quite a bit lighter than DSLRs. I’m inspired by club members who are the most amazing photographers, and are always willing to help me with my photography. I love the simplicity and style of Penny’s photos, and Kevin’s dramatic landscapes, amongst lots of others.’
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
From Her With The Bell Chairman, Marian Guess, gives her view of the beginning of the season and what’s to come in the New Year: New members, inspiring speakers, members’ evenings, a dawn walk, a wildlife workshop and, as ever, controversial judging, has been some of the flavour of our Autumn Season. I am delighted that we have had pretty good attendances on Club evenings and great co-operation amongst members in preparing and running those evenings. I am very grateful to everyone involved. There are many jobs involved in running the club which must never be taken for granted as members give their precious spare time to carry them out. If you are new or not actively involved and would like to be, please let me, or anyone on the committee know. The back of the programme gives details of all the committee members. Not all the tasks are big and we need a range of skills and interests and ideas to run the club and it really helps to share the load so please don’t be shy in coming forward. We entered 5 external competitions this autumn with variable results and this has involved significant work for the Selection Committee and the South London and SPA reps. Again I am very grateful to the members involved. I will always announce, and you will find on our website, when and where these events are to be held and I would encourage you to attend when possible to meet members of other clubs and get an idea of their work, some of which is very impressive. We have three such events in the next few weeks. I hope you have noticed improvements in the style and content of our website which our webmaster Nishi and his team have been working on. We aim to make the website your first port of call for all information and I encourage you to visit it and have a look. Please let Nishi know of any comments or ideas. I know he would also welcome contributions for the blog, perhaps an account of a club evening, an outing or any photographic event you think may interest members. In the New Year is the SPA Biennial Exhibition to think about entering. Details are on the website. Any club member can enter and images will then be selected for exhibition in Guildford in April. Also, do begin to think about our own Exhibition at Bourne Hall in April. Graham Head, our Exhibition organiser will give you more information about this shortly. I would encourage you to exhibit. There is no selection and it is exciting to see your image(s) on public display. Our last meeting in December was an enjoyable Party and Awards evening and congratulations to all the cup and certificate winners. In addition, two special awards were given, The Susan Hill Cup for a member of less than 2 years standing for progress in photography and service to the Club found a very worthy winner in Jonathon Bartle. Jonathon won this for his initiative in starting and editing this newsletter and also contributing to the website working party. A very big contribution given his short membership. The other award of the Tom Bothwell Trophy went to our immediate past Chairman, Michael Butcher who, after contributing to the club in various ways for many years, was a very able Chairman st for the last three. Michael and Doris have moved out of the area but plan to attend the New Year Dinner on 31 January when we shall be very pleased to welcome them and present the trophy. We have much to look forward to in the season ahead and I hope to see you all in the New Year. Meanwhile I wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year with plenty of exciting photographic opportunities. Best wishes Marian Guess Chairman
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
In the background What goes on behind the scenes at the Club? Here we set out the officials and members of the various committees following the appointments made at the Club’s 2017 Annual General Meeting: This season marked a significant change in our various officers so I thought it is worth showing the names of those members who have generously given up their time to ensure the Club’s programme continues to run smoothly, providing so much pleasure for all of us: The Committee and Sub-Committees: Chairman - Marian Guess LRPS Vice Chairman – Carole Baker Treasurer – Colin Churcher Secretary – Karen Begg LRPS Programme Secretary – Gerald Sorenti Supported by Programme Committee Members: Carole Baker Jane McGuire Keith Wellbelove Judges Secretary – Carole Baker Social Secretary – Jane McGuire SPA Representative – Nishi Sharma SWPP Selection Committee Secretary – Graeme Wales LRPS CPAGB Supported by Selection Committee Members: Kevin Austin Margot Baker Susan Leathers (Reserve) Alistair Heath (Reserve) Exhibition Secretary – Graham Head FSLPS Representative – Debbie Whitton Digital Team Leader – Elvio Morcillo, assisted by Kevin Webmaster – Nishi Sharma SWPP Supported by Web-site subgroup: Colin Miller Jonathon Bartle Non-Committee: New Members – Michael Nightingale LRPS Internal Print Competition Co-ordinator – Kevin Austin Publicity – Carole Baker Auditor – Gordon Parker FCA All of our committees benefit from members offering their help and ideas – should you feel after reading the articles that you have something to offer and are able to commit four or five evenings a year, then please do speak to Marian Guess, who would be more than willing to discuss the committees further.
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
Photographie en France Karen Begg LRPS tells us about her recent photographic trips in France: Looking for a varied photographic holiday with great food included? Back in 2015 I was looking for a photographic holiday on the internet that I could go to on my own, in Europe, that was a reasonable price (some seem so ridiculously expensive!). I was looking for great reviews and one that only took a small group of people, so that you could get some 1:1 tuition. I stumbled across www.frenchphotographicholidays.com who were based in the Dordogne area of France. This ticked all the boxes (only takes up to a maximum of 4 people and had great reviews) plus more. It is run by an English couple, Paul & Pam Edmunds who moved to the Dordogne, or to be precise, the Perigord region of th France and live in a converted 17 century building in a tiny hamlet where they set up this business. They are a delightful couple. Paul is the photographer/tutor, and Pam produces excellent, delicious health conscious meals, often catering for people with special dietary needs. Within their home there is a studio set up with 4 PCs (Macs) for your sole use for the week to upload your photos each day and work on them as you see fit. Paul is always on hand to give advice/suggestions on improving an image and has his own formula of how to edit a photo which cuts out a lot of unnecessary work if you have got it right in camera in the first place. He emphasises when you are out on photo shoots about getting it right in camera first time, so you don’t waste too much time editing.
I have now attended two holidays in France with Paul and Pam. Firstly in October 2015, then again this year in October. I definitely want to go back. One good recommendation for any business is if people want to return, and in this case, many of their clients return in subsequent years. The course consists of outings to take in different types of photography and work back in the studio, doing either still life or processing your images on the computer. During the week we did the following: landscape, street, portrait, early morning and night photography, abstract and still life. All of which Paul excels at and has a huge amount of patience (he needed that with me trying to work a Mac computer and the full Photoshop package as I was not used to either and kept losing things!) and a wealth of knowledge in both photography and printing.
Going on to the food side, there are hearty breakfasts every day, including 3 cooked breakfasts on 3 mornings during the week’s stay. Lunches are included and 4 course meals in the evening with wine, all included. The food is so delicious and tasty, and beautifully presented! You will definitely not go hungry there! Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
How did you do that? Kevin Austin had a good suggestion that the Newsletter incorporates more background information about some of the images – for example, why the photograph was taken, the challenges that were encountered, what was trying to be conveyed etc. Last edition’s article was well received so here are a few more secrets being revealed: The Mists of Morning by Ken Underhay Total blackness, waist deep in worried sheep and wishing I'd planned my first dawn shoot with more care. It's approaching 5.45 in the morning at a remote National Trust car park near Leith Hill and I'm excited. This is my first dawn shoot and I can't find the rest of the camera club members. I feel I've prepared for this. Sat Nav set to the right address - check! Camera charged, gear and tripod all in working order - check! Still my texts to my fellow members suggests they are already here and raring to get started. I leave the car in total darkness and decide that they must be on one of the trails near by. I turn on my torch, working perfectly - check! I even have a spare set of batteries, due the foresight of my wife who handed them to me as I left the house, "super wife," check! As I stumble through the car park and up a track the feeling is creeping up on me that this isn't the right location, but I saw no other car parks on my approach. It's then that I hear some distant sounds and feel things are starting to come together, surly that's the sounds of other dawn photographers setting out up the trail? A moment later I am surrounded and waist deep in worried sheep, who are unsure as to why I'm there and would I please leave them alone while it's their bedtime. I decide that a return to the car is in order and start to retrace my steps when the torch suddenly dies and the world goes completely black! My world has a lens cap on it and I'm feeling quite frightened. I calm down and feel for the spare batteries in my pocket - check! Open the torch, fumble the new batteries in and hey presto, total darkness, I refumble the batteries and still visibility is total zero. It seem that my planning hadn't considered the possibility of a torch bulb deciding this is the moment to die! I really am not sure how far the car is and am seriously considering just standing here among the sheep for an hour till the sun comes up and I can see, the world around me and the funny side of this adventure. 10 minutes later I'm at the car and texting the others that it's all off as far I'm concerned and that my bed is calling me and it will erase this nightmare I've woken up in. Tearing out of the car park I take the first turn I can find while the Sat Nav is waking up and see some strange little lights bobbing around in the distant woods. Surrey aliens maybe? Are the witches of Dorking still out and about? I turn off the road and yes it's the right car park and a group of better prepared photographers, with working torches attached to their headgear are preparing to climb Leith Hill. 15 minutes later my tripod erected and the sun rising I begin to panic once again. It's all about preparation. Do I remember how to set bulb mode for a long exposure, would an ND.9 or ND.6 help or a graduated ND? How do I meter it and switch to manual? Would a bracketed set be a better answer? The light is changing every few seconds and everyone else is busy pressing shutter releases and altering lens and I'm trying to organise my kit by the available light, due to the dead torch. How do you focus and on what in dawn mist? I suspect the sheep now more about how to do this correctly than I do. My plan to keep changing things and keep shooting because in half an hour the light will be morning, not dawn. Finally we all stopped to admire the beauty of Surrey in the morning light and talk about our experiences. It was time to enjoy a cup of tea. Flask is in working order - check! See it's all about preparation! The wonderful thing about the day was to discover that once I had tried it all once, the next time I will be better prepared (head torch is on the Christmas list) and to discover when I got home that I'd taken some of the nicest pictures I've taken too date. A big thanks to Jane McGuire for organising it and Carole Barker for her endless encouragement and so give me an experience I will remember for some time and be able to better plan next time. Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017 Deconstructed Sunflower by Carole Baker I have enjoyed experimenting with garden flowers over the last few months, but once again I have been trying hard to produce an image that portrays flowers slightly differently to all the amazing images I see on a competition night. A dead flower is not unique but generally different. A partly ‘deconstructed’ flower a little different again. My ‘experimenting’ this season has been a ‘high key’ approach in camera (slightly over-exposing the image in camera), while then printing on Parchment Paper (Permajet), giving a slightly watercolour approach to the finished print. On this occasion, I placed my dead sunflower on a light box; this is not to be confused with a light tent (although both are extremely useful to play with!).
The judges comments about the image being a little too busy for his taste, did make me think about the way I have achieved the look of the image; by placing the main stem of the flower across the box but then throwing the removed petals and seeds on the light box was perhaps not as thought through as I should have been. Placing them with thought was perhaps a better way to go about the process. Time to try again maybe! Stag Antlers by Jonathon Bartle I thought I’d let you know about this image because it was unusual, both in the way it was captured, as well as the judge’s comments; he said I must have used a telephoto lens, presumably to be at a safe distance given the apparent proximity of the stag and its dangerous antlers. By way of background, my twin daughters and I often go to Bushy Park on Saturday mornings. They take part in a 5km weekly fun run called ParkRun. I’d really recommend this to any runners out there; a whole range of standards take part and on Christmas Day there were approximately 1,600 runners, many dressed in festive outfits. I don’t take part, so I’m often at a loose end during the warm-up and run itself; I frequently take my DSLR to take photos of the runners for their Flickr page but on this occasion I took my GoPro.
Image captured with a GoPro Hero 4 camera mounted on a small tripod using iPhone as remote trigger. Exif th data from the image reads 1/450 second, at f2.8, ISO 100 and Focal length 3mm. I did some post processing in Lightroom and Color Efex Pro 4. The deer in Bushy Park seem very accustomed to the public and, on this particular day, a rather impressive stag was grazing on fallen acorns. I put my GoPro on a small tripod and placed it on the anticipated path of the stag. I connected the camera to my iPhone and watched him turn around and head off in the other direction! Undeterred, I scampered around and tried again. After a couple more attempts, the stag settled right in front of the camera. I frantically clicked on the “Capture” button, hoping the stag didn’t move out of shot. In fact, quite the opposite happened; he stayed there for quite a while. Another time I’ll attach a string to the camera so I can retrieve it without having to front-up those antlers! Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
Club Internal Competitions The Leader Boards Here are the positions of the Club’s internal competitions for the 2017/18 season so far: Colour Prints (after 2 of 4 rounds): Category
Leader
Advanced
Kevin Austin
Intermediate
Michael Nighingale
Standard
Ken Underhay
Points 36 39.5 36
Second Penny Anderson Martina Bennelick Simon Smith Michael Atwell
Points
Third
Points
35
Carole Baker
34
35.5
Elvio Morcillo
34
35
Chris Townley
33.5
Mono Prints (after 2 of 4 rounds): Category
Leader
Points
Advanced
Keith Wellbelove
38.5
Kevin Austin Carole Baker
36
Elvio Morcillo
35.5
Intermediate
Alister Heath
38.5
Simon Smith
32.5
Michael Atwell
31.5
Standard
Colin Miller
32
Shirley Falcon
31.5
35
Second
Michael BarkerHemings
Points
Third
Points
Project Digital Images (after 2 of 6 rounds): Category
Leader
Advanced
Martina Bennelick
Intermediate
Nigel Dixon
Standard
Peter Carsons
Cheam Camera Club:
Points
Second
Points
Third
Points
38.5
Penny Anderson Kevin Austin Susan Leathers
38
Gary Weaving
36
39
Jonathon Bartle Andrew Sanders
36.5
Debbie Arnell
36
34
Jane McGuire
33.5
35.5
Michael Atwell Simon Smith
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
Colour Prints The Colour Print competition comprises four rounds each with a maximum of two images per member. There are three categories: advanced, intermediate and standard.
Colour Print - Advanced Category Having completed two rounds of the competition, only 3 points separate the top six places. Round
1
2
Date
14 Sep
Judge
Rob Bonfield (SPA)
29 Nov Steve Kingswell ARPS AFIAP (SPA)
Author
1
2
1
2
Penny Anderson
9.5
8.5
8
9
35
Kevin Austin
10
8
9.5
8.5
36
Carole Baker
9
8
9.5
7.5
34
Margot Baker
7.5
7.5
8.5
8.5
32
Karen Begg
7.5
6.5
7.5
7
28.5
Martina Bennellick
10
7.5
8
9.5
35
Susan Leathers
8.5
8.5
9
7
33
Graeme Wales
8.5
7
7.5
8.5
31.5
Gary Weaving
9.5
7
6.5
10
33
7
8.5
8.5
6.5
30.5
ê
Image è
Total
Keith Wellbelove
Resting Dragonfly by Kevin Austin
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
Sweetpeas by Carole Baker
Marie by Karen Begg
Magician by Susan Leathers
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
No Swimming by Gary Weaving
Mother and Baby Elephants by Margot Baker
Rememberance Day by Keith Wellbelove
Sand Landscape by Graeme Wales
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017 Colour Prints - Intermediate Category Having won last year’s Standard Category, Michael Nightingale has dropped just ½ point from the maximum of forty points, scoring three 10s in four images and 9½ in the other; you can see why when you look at his image below. Can he keep it up? Let’s hope he continues to wow us! Round
1
2
Date
14 Sep
Judge
Rob Bonfield (SPA)
29 Nov Steve Kingswell ARPS AFIAP (SPA)
Author ê
Image è
Michael Barker-Hemings Michael Leonard
Total
1
2
1
2
7.5
7.5
7
7.5
29.5
7
7.5
8
10
32.5
Elvio Morcillo
8.5
8
9.5
8
34
Michael Nightingale
9.5
10
10
10
39.5
Simon Smith
10
8.5
8.5
8.5
35.5
A Cosmopolitan Cosmos by Michael Nightingale
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
Colourful Canoes by Simon Smith
I’ve Got My Eye On You by Elvio Morcillo
St Paul’s Through The Trees by Michael Barker-Hemings Sun and Magpie by Michael Leonard
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 15 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017 Colour Prints - Standard Category Newcomer Ken Underhay leads the way in the Standard Colour Print category with all his images scoring 8½ or better; a great start to his first season at the Club. Other members are not far behind, notably Yvonne Earl who is also in her first year at the Club. Well done, folks! Round
1
2
Date
14 Sep
Judge
Rob Bonfield (SPA)
29 Nov Steve Kingswell ARPS AFIAP (SPA) 1 2
Total
Author ê Image è ê Michael Atwell
1
2
8
10
9
8
35
Trevor Burton
8
7.5
7.5
7
30
Yvonne Earl
8
7.5
9.5
7.5
32.5
9.5
9
8
8
8
8.5
Shirley Falcon Lawrence Howes Linda McCann
26.5 8
8.5
32.5 8.5
Colin Miller
8.5
9
17.5
Ken Underhay
8.5
8.5
10
9
36
Chris Townley
8.5
7
8
10
33.5
10
10
Trevor Walker
The Headland Towers by Ken Underhay
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
Flower At Wisley by Chris Townley
Second Look by Lawrence Howes On And On And On by Colin Miller
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
Monochrome Prints The Monochrome Print competition comprises four rounds each with a maximum of two images per member. There are three categories: advanced, intermediate and standard.
Monochrome Prints - Advanced Category With three 10s, Keith Wellbelove, leads the Monochrome Print Advanced category, but the others are not far behind. It’s great to see such a high standard, where the photographer can make a conscious decision to use black and white, using shapes and textures for impact and can be more daring to create an image with real drama; just look below!
Round
1
2
Date
4 Oct
15 Nov
Judge
Andy Smith LRPS CPAGB (KCPA/SLFPS)
Paul Graber LRPS (SPA)
Author ê
Image è
Total
1
2
1
2
8
10
8
8
34
Kevin Austin
8.5
9
9.5
9
36
Carole Baker
9
9
9.5
8.5
36
Margot Baker
10
9
8
8
35
Karen Begg
8.5
8.5
7
8
32
8
10
7.5
8.5
34
8.5
8
9
10
35.5
Michael Nightingale
7
9
7.5
6
29.5
Graeme Wales
8
9
10
6.5
33.5
Gary Weaving
9
8.5
8
6.5
32
Keith Wellbelove
10
10
10
8.5
38.5
Penny Anderson
Martina Bennellick Elvio Morcillo
Girl In The Gallery by Keith Wellbelove
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
West Pier by Kevin Austin
Left For Dead by Carole Baker
Iceland Mountain Sunshine by Margot Baker
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
Big Sister Is Watching by Graeme Wales
Fish by Penny Anderson
Rock Guitarist by Elvio Morcillo
Cheam Camera Club:
Disguarded Bottles by Karen Begg
A Glance by Gary Weaving
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 20 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017 Mono Prints - Intermediate Category After two 10s in the opening round, Alister Heath, leads the small but impressive group which forms the Intermediate category. Round
1
2
Date
4 Oct
15 Nov
Judge
Andy Smith LRPS CPAGB (KCPA/SLFPS)
Paul Graber LRPS (SPA)
Author ê
Image è
Total
1
2
1
2
Michael Atwell
8.5
8.5
7.5
7
31.5
Alister Heath
10
10
9
9.5
38.5
Lawrence Howes
8
8
8
7
31
8.5
9.5
18
10
7
32.5
Susan Leathers Simon Smith
7
8.5
The Great Wall by Alister Heath
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 21 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
7 O’clock Shadow by Simon Smith
The Day Before The London To Brighton Veteran Car Race by Lawrence Howes
Can They See Me? by Susan Leathers
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 22 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017 Mono Prints - Standard Category Colin Miller’s 35 out of 40 puts him in the lead at the half way stage. It’s a shame that Michael Leonard, Jane McGuire and Ken Underhay hadn’t entered a full set of images as they too have been scoring well with some stunning images some of which are shown below.
Round
1
2
Date
4 Oct
15 Nov
Judge
Andy Smith LRPS CPAGB (KCPA/SLFPS)
Paul Graber LRPS (SPA)
Author ê
Image è
Total
1
2
1
2
8
8.5
7.5
8
32
Yvonne Earl
7.5
8.5
8
7
31
Shirley Falcon
7.5
8
8
8
31.5
Michael Leonard
8
0
9.5
10
27.5
Jane McGuire
10
8.5
Colin Miller
10
8.5
8.5
8
35
Chris Townley
7
8.5
7.5
7
30
9.5
10
19.5
Michael Barker-Hemings
Ken Underhay
18.5
Bike 25 In The Lead by Colin Miller
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 23 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
Clock This by Chris Townley
Clock Tower by Michael Leonard
Forge by Ken Underhay
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 24 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
Projected Digital Images The Projected Digital Image (PDI) competition comprises six rounds each with a maximum of two images per member. There are three categories: Advanced, Intermediate and Standard.
PDI - Advanced Category Round
1
2
Date
20 Sep Tim Morland ARPS (SPA)
1 Nov Gerald Kitiyakara LRPS (SPA)
Judge Author ê
Image è
Penny Anderson Kevin Austin Karen Begg Martina Bennellick Colin Churcher Glyn Davies Anthony Free Marian Guess Susan Leathers Elvio Morcillo Graeme Wales Trevor Walker Gary Weaving Keith Wellbelove David Wilkinson
1
2
1
2
10 9.5 7 9 10
9 9 7 9.5 7
8 9 10 6 8.5 8 9.5 8.5 9
8.5 8 8.5 8.5 8.5 9.5 8.5 9 7.5
10 9.5 9 10 9 8 8 8.5 9.5 9.5 7.5 8 8.5 8.5 9
9 10 9 10 7.5 8.5 9.5 9 10 9 10 9 9.5 7.5 10
Total
38 38 32 38.5 33.5 16.5 34 34.5 38 33 34.5 34.5 36 33.5 35.5
Wildebeest Migration by Martina Bennellick
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 25 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
Peacock Butterfly by Penny Anderson
West Pier Shorescape by Kevin Austin
Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye by David Wilkinson
All About The Shadow by Susan Leathers
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 26 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
Mangrove by Gary Weaving
Temple Monkeys, Ubud Bali by Anthony Free
Yellow Flag Iris by Marian Guess
The Trombonist by Colin Churcher
Cheam Camera Club:
Strawberry Tours by Keith Wellbelove
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 27 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
Will The Fog Ever Lift by Graeme Wales
Discarded Bottle and Clog by Karen Begg
Gold Necklace by Trevor Walker Photoshoot by Elvio Morcillo
In Southwark Cathedral by Glyn Davies
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 28 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017 PDI - Intermediate Category Round
1
2
Date
20 Sep Tim Morland ARPS (SPA)
1 Nov Gerald Kitiyakara LRPS (SPA)
Judge Author ê
Image è
Debbie Arnell Carole Baker Jonathon Bartle Nigel Dixon Alister Heath Lawrence Howes Michael Leonard Michael Nightingale Andrew Sanders Gerald Sorenti
1
2
1
2
9.5 8.5 10 10 8 7.5 6 9 9 8.5
9 10 7 9.5 9.5 7.5 8 8 10 8.5
8 8.5 10 10
9.5 8 9.5 9.5
8 9.5 9 8 7.5
7.5 8 8.5 9.5 9.5
Total
36 35 36.5 39 17.5 30.5 31.5 34.5 36.5 34
Radiance by Nigel Dixon
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 29 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
No Pain, No Gain by Jonathon Bartle
Road To Mount Teide by Debbie Arnell
Flamingo by Andrew Sanders
Honeybee Hatching by Carole Baker
Bowling Along At Brooklands by Michael Nightingale
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 30 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
Before Texting by Gerald Sorenti
Say Cheese by Lawrence Howes
A Look by Michael Leonard
Shipwrecks by Alister Heath
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 31 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
PDI - Standard Category Round
1
2
Date
20 Sep Tim Morland ARPS (SPA)
1 Nov Gerald Kitiyakara LRPS (SPA)
Judge Author ê
Image è
Michael Atwell Michael Barker-Hemings Peter Carsons Linda McCann Jane McGuire Colin Miller Carole Molyneux-Roberts Nishi Sharma Simon Smith Martin Tidman Chris Townley Ken Underhay
1
2
1
2
7 8 8.5 7.5 7.5 10 8.5
9 7 9 6.5 9.5 7.5 7
9.5
8.5
8 8.5 9 7.5
10 7.5 7.5 8
8.5 7.5 9 7.5 8
8 10 8 7.5 9.5
8
8.5
10
8
Total
34 15 35.5 30 33.5 33 15.5 16.5 34 17 33 17.5
Colca Canyon Condor by Peter Carsons
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 32 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
Splat! by Simon Smith
You May Have Only That Nut by Michael Atwell Blossom by Jane McGuire
Seed Head by Chris Townley
Sunset Over Mermaid Cove by Colin Miller
50 Shades Of Blue by Linda McCann
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 33 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
Summer Memories by Carole Molyneux-Roberts
Jump For Joy by Martin Tidman
Eye Stopper by Ken Underhay
Late Night Snack by Nishi Sharma One Step From The Workhouse by Michael Barker-Hemings
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 34 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
Christmas Party and Awards Evening Our new Chairman, Marian Guess, presided over a thoroughly enjoyable evening, celebrating Club members’ successes in the 2016-17 season, thanking all members for their contribution to the running of the Club and especially those new volunteers on the Club’s committee. Marian also gave thanks to everyone involved in preparing for the evening, notably Jane McGuire, Social Secretary, who organised the party and Chris Townley who sorted out the trophies. Marian also reported that Colin Churcher was recovering well following his recent injury and we hoped to see him back early in the New Year. President, Moira Taylor LRPS, handed out the awards, details of which are set out overleaf. Here are some images from the evening. If you have any more please send them to newslettercheamcc@gmail.com. It would be good to have some put onto the Club’s website and shared with other members.
Trophy winners: Colin Miller, Simon Smith, Debbie Arnell, Nigel Dixon, Debbie Whitton, Keith Wellbelove, Susan Leathers, Michael Nightingale, Anthony Free, Kevin Austin, Gary Weaving, Margot Baker, Jonathon Bartle, Carole Baker and Graeme Wales
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 35 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
2016-17 Awards Table Trophy
Awarded to…
Chairman’s Cup Colour Prints Standard Group Vice President’s Cup Colour Prints Intermediate Group President’s Cup Colour Prints Advanced Group
1st
Michael Nightingale
2nd
Simon Smith
3rd
Michael Atwell
1st
Susan Leathers
2nd
Karen Begg
3rd
Elvio Morcillo
1st
Keith Wellbelove
2nd
Kevin Austin
3rd
Martina Bennellick
Roland Halle Cup Colour Print of the Year
Mono Prints Standard Group
Mono Prints Intermediate Group
Mono Prints Advanced Group
Magnolia Strelata Centre by Martina Bennellick
1st
Susan Leathers Simon Smith
2nd
Michael Atwell
3rd
Shirley Falcon
1st
Carole Baker
2nd
Karen Begg
3rd
Elvio Morcillo
1st
Gary Weaving
2nd
Martina Bennellick
3rd
Kevin Austin
Mono Print of the Year
Project Digital Image Standard Group
Project Digital Image Intermediate Group
Project Digital Image Advanced Group
Ice On The Pond by Margot Baker
1st
Debbie Arnell
2nd
Simon Smith
3rd
Peter Carsons
1st
Graeme Wales
2nd
Alister Heath
3rd
Carole Baker Jonathon Bartle
1st
Kevin Austin
2nd
Gary Weaving
3rd
Keith Wellbelove
Millennium Cup Project Digital Image of the year Cheam Camera Club:
European Eagle Owl by Nigel Dixon
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 36 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
2016-17 Awards Table (continued) Trophy
Awarded to‌
Title
Judges Awards at The Annual Exhibition Best Colour Print in the Annual Exhibition
Debbie Whitton
Utterly Butterfly
Best Mono Print in the Annual Exhibition
Gary Weaving
Over the Bridge
Best Print Panel in the Annual Exhibition
Gary Weaving
Misty Morning
Best Projected Digital Image in the Annual Exhibition
Anthony Free
A Monkey and a Butterfly, Sri Lanka
Public Awards at The Annual Exhibition Popular Print
Martina Benellick
Growing Up
Popular Panel
Stuart Burch
And They Want To Drill For Oil Here (in the Surrey Hills)
Popular Project Digital Image
Anthony Free
A Monkey and a Butterfly, Sri Lanka
Endeavour Cup Group of six project digtal images on a theme
Behind The Scenes Of A Slasher Movie by Colin Miller
Tom Bothwell Memorial Cup For combining enthusiasm for photography and service to the Club
Michael Butcher, Club Chairman from 2014 to 2017
Susan Hill Award For Newcomer of the Year
Jonathon Bartle
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 37 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
External Competitions We have had 5 external competitions this season: the Concorde Trophy Competition, The Federation of South London Photographic Societies Inter-Club Competitions and the Surrey Photographic Association Inter-Club Open Print Competition. Images were selected by the Club’s Selection Committee. The rules are different for each competition and prints by members who belong to and enter for other clubs are not chosen.
The Concorde Trophy Competition This competition is against 8 other Surrey Clubs. Images are displayed in random order and the judge comment on each image and give scores out of ten. These are aggregated to find the winning club. th
This year’s competition was hosted by Dorking Camera Club on 6 November 2017 at St Paul's School and judged by David Eastley LRPS of Brighton & Hove Camera Club. Our set of images was as follows: Author Nigel Dixon Kevin Austin Graeme Wales Margot Baker Kevin Austin Susan Leathers
Title Datura Canalscape - Bruges (No 4) Mind My Duffle Coat! Sand and Stones High Tide Armageddon
The scores were very close; we were only 4 ½ points away from first place (but don’t ask where we were placed!)
SPA Inter-Club - Print Surrey Photographic Association’s Inter-Club Print Championship is a much bigger annual competition in which all Surrey clubs can take part; 18 had entered the Open class of the championships. Cheam Camera Club only entered the Open category, as we do not have enough nature prints to enter that category. Prints are scored by three judges each voting electronically from 2 to 5 as prints are displayed about every ten or fifteen seconds. Thus the highest score possible is 15, and the lowest 6. th
Horsley Photographic Club hosted this year’s competition on 18 November 2017. The final results of the evening were as follows: Author Kevin Austin
Cheam Camera Club:
Cheam Camera Club Entries were: Title "The Pilgrims' Way - Lindisfarne
Gary Weaving
Into The Wood
Graeme Wales
Alone in her Thoughts
Alister Heath
Not much further to go
Nigel Dixon
Datura
Karen Begg
Empty Table
Graeme Wales
Mind My Duffle Coat!
Margot Baker
Sand and Stones
Susan Leathers
Ballerina
Marian Guess
Spring Wildflowers - Western Australia
Kevin Austin
High Tide
Susan Leathers
Armageddon
Nigel Dixon
Calla Lily
Alister Heath
Looking Back at the Great Wall
Michael Nightingale
Stormy Day
Collin Miller
Portrait of Drew
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Page: 38 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
FSLPS Inter-Club Competitions Debbie Whitton, the Club’s FSLPS Representative, reports of the Federation of South London Photographic Societies 2017/18 season so far: As you may know, our Camera Club is currently competing in the annual competition across 10 clubs in South London, with entries in all 3 formats – colour prints, mono prints and PDIs. Cheam’s Selection Committee, given their wide knowledge of external competitions, judges and competing clubs, select club members’ images that they feel will do well, and that represent the range of talent and styles within our club. rd nd We participated in 3 competitions in November, and were placed 3 in the mono print competition, 2 in the PDI th competition and 5 in the colour print competition. We now progress to the plate competition for colour prints on Thursday th th 18 January at Bromley, to another plate competition for mono prints on Monday 29 January and to semi-final A for PDIs th on Monday 5 February at Carshalton. I’m planning to attend all of these competition nights, so please let me know if you’d like to come along. You’d be very welcome, and it’s quite a privilege to see some of the other clubs’ work. It’s always interesting to see different photographic styles and interpretations. Congratulations to Kevin Austin, who scored 10 with ‘The Pilgrims’ Way – Lindisfarne’ (mono print), ‘Bruges Before The Storm’ (PDI) and ‘Caution – Wet Path’ (PDI) and to Penny Anderson, who scored 10 with ‘Hillside Trees’ (mono print). Good luck to those whose images will be entered in the next 3 competitions. We’ll keep you updated on how we get on. The results of the evenings were as follows: Next rounds
Plate 3 V Bromley Old Coulsdon Mitcham
Mono Print – 3rd
At South London th 29 January 2018 Judge Bob Turner FRPS
Semi-final A V Old Coulsdon PDI – 2nd
At Carshalton th
5 February 2018 Judge Steve Kingswell ARPS AFIAP
Plate 1 V South London Aperture Woolwich Selsdon Greenwood
Colour Print – 5th
At Bromley th 18 January 2018 Judge David Eastley LRPS
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 39 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
Club Events The Programme Committee’s plans are realised in a range of thoroughly enjoyable events:
Members’ Evenings We’ve enjoyed three member’s evenings so far this season, covering a range of topics: th
13 September – Open Evening The evening was an informal gathering of our current members, along side some hopefully new, enthusiastic and talented new members; certainly that seems to be the case when you look at the standard of their images in the competitions so far! A few members 'manned' a variety of tables during the evening to discuss prints and show our PDI's. There was plenty of photographic chat and a good number of new faces, several of them have signed up and contributing positively to the Club’s events. There was also tea, coffee and delicious cake!
th
8 November – Our Very Own Reuters Photographer David Wilkinson is a professional photographer for Reuters and active member of Cheam Camera Club. Many members will recall seeing examples of his sports photos amongst other genres. He gave us a fascinating insight into his photography from a personal and professional point of view.
nd
22 November – Kevin Austin Edits Live The evening was hosted by Kevin Austin, renowned for his processing skills using Photoshop (he uses PS7) and Photomatix (HDR software). The purpose of the evening was to show how members’ images could be interpreted by different people, giving us the opportunity to see how someone else could process and present their images. Kevin generously shared various editing skills in response to questions from the audience, demonstrating simple editing tools such as the clone stamp and healing bush, dodging and burning, creating different layers in Photoshop with layer masks to isolate different adjustments. He also carried out more complex enhancements using Photomatix for creating HDR images with different looks, although he warned us that the more extreme you go with the adjustments, the greater the noise level gets. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational evening, leaving us eager to try out some new techniques. Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 40 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
External Speakers We have had four fine presentations so far this year. Here’s a brief reminder….
Landscape and Travel th
A talk by Slawek Staszczuk (27 September) Gerald Sorenti, Programme Secretary reports on the evening: Slawek is Polish-born photographer based in Brighton, East Sussex, UK, specialising in landscape, architecture and travel photography; occasionally he also does interior photography. His imagery has been published in numerous magazines, used in brochures, advertisements and websites. Slawek’s presentation showed that although his passion for photography evolved from computer graphics and he is proficient in Photoshop, his approach to the subject is rather traditional. He strives to keep any post-production to a minimum and to perform most of the work in the field, before he actually presses the shutter release button. He relies instead on capturing the natural/available light in those rare moments when it turns even mundane everyday objects into something out of the ordinary. In his work he often uses neutral density graduated filters to better control the contrasts in the frame. Many of Slawek’s beautiful images were taken around the United Kingdom, notably the South Downs, Sussex with others from Europe, especially his home country of Poland.
Sports Photography th
A talk by Ady Kerry QEP (11 October) Nishi Sharma’s Blog article reads…..: Ady joined the military at 18 in 1986 to be an RAF photographer where he mastered his foundation of photography. He left in 1995 and worked with local newspapers. Today, he is a freelance photographer specialising in sports photography. Ady predominantly shoots for print media, he therefore stressed the need for editorial space in images. He gave the following advice to anyone starting in sports photography: • Know your subject • Limitations of the arena you are working in • What equipment do you need • Weather conditions • Any permission required • Insurance – for the photographic kit and Public Liability What makes a good sports photograph? • Timing • Lens selection • Action • Background • Dejection and celebrating • Exposure • The scene setter • Focus • Lighting • Shape • Weather conditions • Style • Viewpoint • Pattern Here are a few things that struck me most in his talk: • News and sport events need to be truthful and not manipulated • Sports images have a very short life • The more your isolate your subject the better your images are • A focal point adds emphasis Freelance photography can be a lonely business Ady says “I take pictures for myself and my clients. If someone else likes it then that’s great.” For us all at the Club Ady’s talk gave us a great insight in to the world of sports photography. He took a very relaxed and interactive approach to his illustrated talk and didn’t mind being interrupted by his audience asking questions. A big thank you Ady for your excellent presentation. Please visit his website to see a stunning collection of his work. Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 41 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
Techniques and Tips in Wildlife Photography th
A talk by Andy Sands (25 October) Nishi Sharma’s Blog article reads …..: Andy Sands is a leading wildlife photographer. He sells his images through various image libraries. The Nature Picture Library stocks over 2,000 of Andy’s images. Like many professionals, who started photography before the digital era, Andy used to shoot on slide films. As the digital cameras began to evolve he switched to DSLRs. His first DSLR was a Nikon D100 that had a 6 MPX sensor. He gave us a very interesting comparison between the dynamic range, or DR for short, of slide films and digital in the early days. He then showed us how the resolution and DR of the camera sensors is continuing to improve. He uses a Nikon D850 with a 500mm lens and 105mm Nikkor macro lens most of the time. However, recently he has started using an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II digital camera body with a 300mm f4 lens. This gives him an effective focal length of 600mm when translated to a full frame DSLR. He says that he has fallen in love with his newly acquired Olympus OE-M1 Mk 2 in spite of its small sensor format. Being a Micro Four Thirds sensor it’s only 17.4 x 13mm in size, which is much smaller than 36 x 24mm sensor on his Nikon D850, in size. Andy finds that the biggest advantage of his E-M 1 is that it’s mirrorless and shoots silently. Andy also loves the built-in focus stacking function in his Olympus, which enable him to get the right amount of depth of field in his subject even at f2.8 or f4. He illustrated his talk with the images of owls, birds of prey, wading birds, fungi, insects, butterflies and harvest mice. Andy showed us some behind-the-scenes images which were very helpful. he also explained the techniques he uses to get his images. One thing we learnt from Andy is that wildlife photography requires a lot of knowledge and behavious of wildlife, patience and dedication. He told us that sometimes he spends 13-14 hrs in a hide to get the image of a bird of prey. Thank you Andy for a very inspiring and educational evening. You are not just a great wildlife photographer but also an excellent communicator with a good sense of humour.
The Experience of Creating Images th
A talk by Vanda Ralevska (6 December) Nishi Sharma’s Blog reads …..: A great illustrated talk by Vanda, in which she showed us a wide range of nature, landscape and street images. She has a distinctive style of photography and an amazing gift of making an ordinary scene look extraordinary. She achieves this by photographing the scenes with long exposure and from an unusual perspective. Vanda was born in the Czech Republic and came over to this country about 20 years ago. She works in the field of IT and calls herself an ‘amateur’ photographer because she doesn’t make a living through photography. Here are some inspiring quotes from her: Stay true to who you are Do what you love Be free to be who you are Enjoy here and now Embrace the challenge and turn difficulties in to opportunities. When life gives you rain, you can hide and wait for it to stop, or you dance with the raindrops. Life is a journey, enjoy the ride. Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 42 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
Club Outings We’ve had two very enjoyable Club outings so far this season:
British Wildlife Centre with Andy Skillen (16th September) Carole Baker and Jonathon Bartle tell us about the first outing of the season: Having been inspired by his presentation at the Club last December, six Club members took up the Attendees: opportunity to join award-winning photographer, Andy Skillen, for an educational and fun day at the Debbie Arnell British Wildlife Centre, Lingfield, Surrey to improve our wildlife photography skills. Andy’s intention on his workshops is to combine as much practice into the theory as he can. As he Carole Baker says, “Photography is not always about the technical whys and wherefores, it is about the art and Jonathon Bartle the ability to "see" an image.” Certainly this is what he encouraged us to think about during the day, covering some standard Karen Begg picture settings and some fun "challenges" to complete as the day unfolded. We discussed some Derek Hyde of the other areas of wildlife photography and the discipline itself, ranging from kit selection and Susan Leathers handling techniques through to rapid reaction exercises and practice. In terms of kit, we were advised to bring one wider angle, and one zoom to cover a variety of situations, along with an extender if we had one (simply to get used to the restrictions and opportunities it imposes and provides). A tripod was not required; much of time cameras were hand-held even for larger lenses. Here are some extracts from the feedback gathered from those who attended: 1) Did you enjoy it? “Yes, very informative with a mixture of practical and sitting at a table to talk about camera settings...” “I thoroughly enjoyed it, Andy was a good teacher with lots of patience and knowledge.” “Immensely” “He was extremely good at teaching and made sure that we really understood what he was explaining in words and diagrams.” “Even though I’d been to the BWC before, having such an expert photographer to guide me really added to the experience. A great day.” 2) Did you learn anything? “Yes, I learnt tripods are not always essential.” “Yes, the itinerary was to combine as much practice into the theory - which he achieved very well. I also learnt lots of new things about my camera, not only about taking the camera strap off…. Lol” “How to hold my camera properly (lol! I put that down to being left handed in a right-handed world) and lots of other things in either theory or practise throughout the day.” “So many things… Think more about the depth of field; otters running towards you don’t necessarily need the same settings as ones running across the frame. Try to have both eyes open when looking through the frame (see below)” 3) Was it value for money? “Very, we were there from 10am to 5pm in a small group with help all the time.” “Compared to other workshops I have attended it was definitely good value. Most of us thought it was for half not the whole day, so it was a pleasant surprise.” “Exceptionally good value for money. He was a great teacher and extremely patient and never stopped teasing me all day It started at 10am and finished at 5pm” “£50 to Andy and free entry as I’m a BWC member – a bargain! Andy gave us his full attention throughout the day, not rushing to finish, even offering post-workshop advice via email. Great guy, great value!” 4) What was the best thing? “Practising to photograph owls in flight.” “Wow, the Red Squirrels - I think it was the first time I have ever seen them and they didn’t disappoint.” “Too difficult to pick out one single thing!” “Realising, during the downpour that my Canon 450D isn’t weather proof and that I’d have to upgrade! Seriously though, Andy’s deep knowledge of the technical aspects of each of our cameras was impressive and his ability to pitch his teaching at a level which was meaningful meant that I think I’ve remembered quite a bit of his advice.” Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 43 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017 Some tips gleaned from the day: Before heading off…Think about what kind of image you want to achieve – close, action, showing the environment – many factors will need to be considered when setting up the camera and what lens you need; Camera settings – set these up before heading out to the subject – Aperture Priority is a great starting point for wildlife photography. Just need focus on the animal or part of the animal, use F4 or lower (or as low as the lens will allow), although if you need nose to tail sharpness consider F11 or above; Shutter speed – remember to consider the light and what the animal may be doing; in setting a small aperture (eg. F16) you may find there may not be enough light to capture the action. If you change the aperture during the session, remember to check the shutter speed. Remember wildlife may move quickly. Don’t take the camera away from your eye to check the settings otherwise you may miss that ‘perfect’ shot. Practise, practise and practise some more in changing your settings without moving the camera away from your eye. Know where your thumb needs to be to change ISO, Av or anything else. Keep the shutter covered. Try back button focusing if your camera allows, keeping the shutter just for firing. Focus Points – for most wildlife it is probably OK to use a single point of focus but remember to vary the point of focus to get the subject in the correct position; don’t just leave it central. You can practise this without moving the camera. However, for Bird photography, you can use multiple focus points. Some SLRs will allow you to increase and decrease the sensitivity of the focus speed, useful for bird photography. Keep both eyes open! When one eye is shut you lose some peripheral vision in the open eye. Also keeping both eyes open when using your camera will allow you to see action elsewhere, using your non-viewfinder eye. A selection of images from the day:
Cheam Camera Club:
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Page: 44 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017 Leith Hill Sunrise Social Secretary, Jane McGuire, tells us about the event: On Saturday 28 October, six members of the camera club met in the dark at a car park at the bottom of Leith Hill. It was a ‘fresh’ morning, I had never been up this early for the purposes of photography, and we could hear owls hooting. Kitted out with layers, torches and stout walking boots, we climbed (stumbled) up the hillside, squelching through muddy sludge and tripping over roots in the dark until we reached the top. We chose our location and set up our tripods and cameras and started to experiment with settings. Those of us that were struggling (i.e. me) were helped by the more experienced members. The conditions were perfect for an atmospheric sunrise; it was dry without too much cloud, but with plenty of mist moving around the gently undulating countryside. The light was constantly changing, therefore so were our settings. We tried different lenses, locations, and some members used filters as the sky grew brighter. We decided to pack our stuff away just after 9 o’clock, pausing for a group photo before heading back down the hill. We all agreed that it had been well worth the early start, and had enjoyed the experience greatly. Some of the images taken on this trip are included here to give an idea of the variety captured.
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
Coming Up The Club’s Programme for the 2018 season, up until end-April:
January 2018 Date 3
Topic
rd
Presenter/Judge
Members’ Evening Editing challenge - an informal evening discussing editing techniques (see Breaking News article on page 48)
Gerald Sorenti
Mike Dales ARPS CPAGB (SPA) Marcus Scott-Taggart
10
th
Ladies vs Gents PDI Competition
17
th
Talk: ‘Optimising Images for Competition’
24
th
PDI Competition 3
31
st
New Year Dinner
David Smith LRPS CPAGB (SPA)
February 2018 7
th
Talk: ‘Panoramas. How to Capture MORE with your Camera’
David Hogg LRPS of Horizon Imaging
14
th
Colour Print Competition No. 3
Eddie Hyde LRPS (SPA)
21
st
Talk: ‘Tides and Tempests’ Coastal Photography’
Rachael Talibart ARPS (SPA)
28
th
PDI Competition 4
Roger Mendham LRPS (SPA)
March 2018 7
th
Talk: ‘Mount Cutting. The Basics and Beyond’
th
Surrey Advertiser Rosebowl Competition Hosted by Woking Photographic Society Parkview Centre for the Community, Sheerwater Recreation Ground, Blackmore Crescent, Sheerwater, Woking, GU21 5NZ
th
Monochrome Print Competition No. 3
Jay Charnock FRPS (SPA)
st
Match an Image Competition Against Photocraft Camera Club of Wallington and Carshalton Camera Club
Steve Lawrenson ARPS APAGB (SPA)
th
Colour Print Competition No. 4
David Eastley ARPS (SPA)
13 (Tues)
14
21 28
Chris Longridge of Longridge Mount Cutters
April 2018 4
th
th
4 -28 11
Members’ Evening: ‘Spring Walk’ To be confirmed th
th
Talk: ‘A Slice of Life’ Street Photography
th
Exhibition: Setup Hang prints 9am – 11am Bourne Hall, Spring Street, Ewell, KT17 1UF
th
Exhibition: Private Viewing 7.30pm for 8.00pm
st
Exhibition: Closes at 4pm Collect prints and TV
th
PDI Competition 5
16 (Mon) 18
21 28
SPA Biennial Exhibition Guildford House, High Street, Guildford, Surrey
Cheam Camera Club:
Dave Mason
Monica Weller FRPS (SPA)
David Harford LRPS (SPA)
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
Breaking News Project 52 - One picture, once a week for a year Carole Baker, Project 52 Co-ordinator, gives an update on this photographic challenge on a set subject, object or photographic technique which is set every Wednesday on our Club Facebook page: Many members have embraced the challenge, posting images every week. Some have taken the stance of a new photo every week, using their interpretation of the stated subject, while others have chosen to select from their back catalogues. These images show the third set of fifteen weeks (covering Weeks 21 to 35 of the challenge). The image with the most ‘likes’ becomes our Club page header for the week. The challenge has around 20 Cheam Camera Club members participating, along side non-members (who enjoy our Facebook page). The challenge was established to try and encourage us all to pick up our cameras each week and to try and see the world differently, learn new techniques and share our creative minds.
STOP PRESS! Carole has recently updated the Club’s Facebook with the final challenge in the 52 week series for 2017. st You have until Sunday 31 December to post your single favourite image of 2017. I should like to take this opportunity to thank Carole for co-ordinating this fun challenge; it has certainly generated plenty of activity and interesting commentary. As for for 2018, I believe a new Facebook challenge is being devised, so keep an eye out for new postings.
Survey Results Gerald Sorenti, Programme Secretary, gives an update: I’d like to thank everyone who completed the members survey which was distributed in the Autumn, and provided constructive feedback, which will be used to develop the content of talks and members evenings for the future. The feedback received will be used to formulate the programme and try to meet the needs of members, whilst maintaining interest for everyone. Suggestions were made regarding members evenings, in particular having an informative element, and this will be used to plan future evenings. As in the past, I will be looking primarily at using skills within the club for these evenings. Thank you to all those who completed the survey, and please feel free to make suggestions and provide feedback at any time. Thank you all for your assistance, especially those who have helped with preparations for talks and competition evenings, and those who have taken part in presenting.
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017 Members’ Evening – 3rd January 2018 th
On 13 December Gerald Sorenti, Programme Secretary, sent an email (with attachments) describing the plans for a challenging members’ evening to start 2018: For our first evening back following the Christmas break we will be looking at images which have been edited by members. The evening should be informative and entertaining, and hopefully a bit of fun too. Hopefully this will be an opportunity to take yourself out of your comfort zone and learn a new technique; challenge yourself to try something different! The following four images have been provided by Keith Wellbelove; many of you will be aware of his editing skills. The task is to let your creative ability run wild on these to see what you can achieve. You can use whatever techniques you wish, and incorporate anything from these or other images (as long as they are your own work). The final images must be submitted by 8pm 1st January 2018 in the normal PDI format (see http://www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk/pdi-submission-rules/) to the Cheam PDI e-mail address (cheampdi@gmail.com) with a copy also to cheamccprogramme@gmail.com. On the evening, you will be invited to give an explanation of the techniques you used and why you chose them. The final results will not be marked; the idea is for members to see how images can be interpreted in different ways. If you have any questions, please e-mail Gerald. These are the images which were attached to Gerald’s email:
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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Newsletter – December 2017
Competition Requirements and Deadlines A reminder from the Digital Team: Projected Digital Images The email for our PDI competition is Cheampdi@gmail.com. Most of you know, that as a Club we enter Print and PDI competitions against other clubs in Surrey and South London. The image size now required for some of the PDI competitions is larger than the usual size we prepare at Cheam. In order to help the Selection Committee avoid many difficulties with resizing PDIs please could you prepare images to fit within 1600 pixels wide x 1200 pixels high. This applies to both PDIs for PDI competitions and PDIs accompanying print entries. All PDIs should be prepared in the same way, whatever shape they are, and this link to the Club website shows you how to do it: http://www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk/pdi-submission-rules/ Colour and Monochrome Prints Entry into both of our print competitions requires authors to send an email with the titles to Kevin Austin’s personal email address (KAUSTII@aol.com). Also, to aid the Selection Committee and to keep accurate records, authors should also provide digital versions of the prints if possible. If you haven’t sent Kevin the digital versions for previous print competitions please send them to him. The entry cut-off time for all of our internal competitions is at 8.00pm on the Monday on week of competition and regrettably entries received after these cut-off times may be excluded.
Consent Forms Our Selection Committee, Webmaster, Newsletter Editor and Publicity Officer need to be clear as to whether or not you agree to your images being used in external competitions, on the Website, in the Newsletter and for Club publicity. Therefore we have asked members to complete a consent form to show their preferences. If you haven't completed a form yet and you show images at the club, please could you complete the form which was th attached to Marian’s email dated 14 November and return it to Colin Churcher as soon as convenient. It would be helpful if you never show images, and such consent doesn't apply to you, if you could send Colin an email to this effect. If you change your mind later and start entering competitions, you can always complete a form then. If you have any queries or problems in completing the form, please contact Colin.
Being sociable News from our Social Secretary, Jane McGuire: If you haven’t already had a look on the website, at the blog, about the Leith Hill sunrise trip, there is an article in this newsletter about it- please take a look, it was a fantastic morning. I would like to thank everybody who helped with our Christmas Party and Awards Evening: whether it was donations of food or raffle prizes, helping with the setting up and clearing up, or simply turning up and making it such a good evening, it was lovely to see so many members there. st
On 31 January we have the New Year dinner at Mimi e Coco Italian restaurant in Cheam. I will be confirming numbers with the owner over the holidays, but am fairly confident that any stragglers could be added to the list! Colin or I will need to have your balance for this meal in January if not already paid in full, and I will be circulating a menu for you to choose your food before the evening. I am hoping to organise another trip in the late winter or early spring; a couple of ideas are Highgate cemetery and Lumiere London. If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know. Best wishes to you all for the New Year! Jane
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
Page: 49 of 50
Newsletter – December 2017
In summary Jonathon Bartle (Editorial Team) sums up this fifth edition:
So we’re a third of the way through the 2017/18 season and I hope you’ve enjoyed this edition. As always I thank those of you who have contributed articles and images. To make the preparation of newsletters easier, I would just like to make a plea for you to send digital versions of your prints to Kevin Austin (see page 49); he shares them with me so I can incorporate them into the future newsletters. You take great photographs – please show them off! Also, please ensure that you complete the new Consent form to let us know whether or not the Club can use your images in its various publications. I encourage you to send your feedback and suggestions by email to newslettercheamcc@gmail.com. I look forward to producing the next edition around Easter, meanwhile keep up the wonderful photography.
Just for laughs I’ve run out of photography jokes (please send any you have to me), but here’s a joke to make you groan… A man moves into a tiny village, walks into the pub and promptly orders three beers. The bartender raises his eyebrows, but serves the man three beers, which he drinks quietly at a table, alone. An hour later, the man has finished the three beers and orders three more. The next evening the man again orders and drinks three beers at a time, several times. Soon the entire town is whispering about the Man Who Orders Three Beers. Finally, a week later, the bartender broaches the subject on behalf of the town. "I don't mean to pry, but folks around here are wondering why you always order three beers." "'Its odd, isn't it?" the man replies. "You see, I have two brothers, and one went to America, and the other to Australia. We promised each other that we would always order an extra two beers whenever we drank as a way of keeping up the family bond." The bartender and the whole town was pleased with this answer, and soon the Man Who Orders Three Beers became a local celebrity and source of pride to the village, even to the extent that out-of-towners would come to watch him drink. Then, one day, the man comes in and orders only two beers. The bartender pours them with a heavy heart. This continues for the rest of the evening -- he orders only two beers. Word flies around town. Prayers are offered for the soul of one of the brothers. The next day, the bartender says to the man, "Folks around here, me first of all, want to offer condolences to you for the death of your brother. You know -- the two beers and all..." The man ponders this for a moment, then replies, "You'll be happy to hear that my two brothers are alive and well. It's just that I, myself, have decided to give up drinking for Lent."
About the Club and Contacts Secretary: Chairman: Web:
Karen Begg LRPS 020 8643 7620 Marian Guess 01372 273680 http://www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/ We hold our meetings from 8.00pm until 10.00pm on Wednesdays from September to June. Meetings are held in The Tweddle Hall, one of the halls attached to St Andrew’s United Reformed Church, Northey Avenue, Cheam, Surrey SM2 7HF. The doors open at 7.30pm. The club is open to all visitors, young or old. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced photographer you are very welcome to join us and we are sure you will find our club meetings very inspiring. No worries if you have never been to our club before, you can just walk in and introduce yourself and a warm welcome will soon make you feel at home. If you would like to contact someone before visiting us, you can contact Michael Nightingale (tel. 07989 316624). If you would like a hard copy of the Newsletter please contact us by emailing newslettercheamcc@gmail.com. For information about the content of this document please contact The Editorial Team (email: newslettercheamcc@gmail.com). Except as otherwise expressly permitted under copyright law, the content of this document may not be copied, reproduced, republished, downloaded, posted, broadcast or transmitted in any way without first obtaining written permission from Cheam Camera Club (email: newslettercheamcc@gmail.com).
Cheam Camera Club:
www.cheamcameraclub.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/CheamCameraClubPhotographyForAll/
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