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© JOHN COE

YOUR PICTURES IN PRINT

Club Join the

This active club in the Staffordshire moorlands is a hive of creativity

When was the club founded? As far as we can tell, a few fellow enthusiasts founded Leek Photographic Club in the 1890s. We are possibly one of the very early clubs still in existence today, and were originally known as Leek Camera Club. We are affiliated to Midland Counties Photographic Federation and the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain.

What does your club offer to new members? New members are welcome to join any time. We ask them to complete a small questionnaire detailing any photographic experience they have, the equipment they use, and what type of photography they are interested in so that we can determine how best to help them with any problems they may have. We are not a teaching organisation, but for example, we help those who seek it by inviting them into our homes to learn Photoshop skills etc. One of our members regularly offers printing and mounting sessions

© STEVE GEARY

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1 Moulting Mountain Hare by John Coe A great subject, well observed with good background bokeh.

2 Chesil Beach by Steve Geary The foreground interest leads the eye nicely to the richly coloured sky.

to enable members who haven’t the necessary equipment to enter print competitions. Visitors are always welcome too, paying £3 on the day.

Describe a typical club evening Our club evenings start at 7.30pm prompt with a welcome from our chairman who outlines the evening, makes any announcements and introduces the speaker or judge as appropriate. We have a varied programme featuring guest speakers talking about and showing a range of photographic topics, competitions for both print and projected digital images (PDI), and the occasional studio or practical evening. Our member evenings where members talk about their images, and how they have achieved the finished result, prove to be very popular. A tea/ coffee and biscuit break at half time gives the opportunity for members to socialise. Our chairman brings the evening to a close with a brief summing up and thank you to the speaker or judge. We aim to finish by 9.45pm but do occasionally run over. This allows packing up time so that we can vacate the room by 10pm.

Do you invite guest speakers? We do have guest speakers, some are local, others have to travel a good distance to show their presentations. It is always interesting to hear speakers talk about and show their images and the club can learn a lot from them. In the winter months –January/February –we try to keep speakers and judges more local owing to the adverse weather conditions we sometimes get in our area.

Do members compete in regional or national competitions? The club is active in entering regional and interclub competitions. These range from just three local clubs competing, to larger events against 20 or more clubs. We have had recent success in the Staffordshire Photo Clubs PDI competition, competing against some of the top clubs in the area, winning by a narrow margin. Irrespective of the number of clubs we compete against, the standard of work is always very high. Some of our members also enter individually at national and international level, salons and newspaper/magazine competitions with an amount of success. Some also actively seek recognised accreditations.

Are trips or outings planned? We do not organise any trips or outings as such. Members are made aware of any photographic opportunities via email or website. We offer car-sharing, or just meet up at an event in small groups –this seems to work.

Do you have any funny stories? Most clubs have numerous funny stories, from people falling over and getting wet, to tripods falling over in streams complete with camera and lens. On one occasion –a day out at a motorcycle race meeting –one of our members had a problem with his viewfinder going black. Then he realised that one of his ‘friends’ was putting their hand in front of his lens. Lesson learnt –keep both eyes open!

What are the club’s goals for the future? Most clubs want to try to increase membership –we all seem to be struggling. But visitors are always welcome, paying £3 admission. We want to learn from each other, make lifelong friends and enjoy our environment in all its glory and of course improve and take great photographs.

© SUE GEORGE

5 Emperor Dragonfly by Bob Howell A well focused and detailed shot that really encapsulates the essence of this incredible insect.

6 Fisherman’s Cottage by John Garrett John has used the natural light hitting the red roof to provide contrast and interest to his image.

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YOUR PICTURES IN PRINT

© BOB HOWELL

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© YVONNE ST CYR

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© JOHN GARRETT

3 The Tree by Mary Emery There’s no doubting the season with this wintry shot. The snow on the tree bark creates natural highlights.

4 Peacock Butterfly by Sue George By making use of the plain green background in this shot, the subject really ‘pops’ in the frame.

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Club essentials

Leek Photographic Club The Dove Room, Moorlands House, Stockwell Street, Leek, Staff ordshire, ST13 6HQ Meets Thursday evenings at 7.30pm from mid-September through to the end of April Membership Membership subscription for adults is £25 per annum, for young adults (16 and 17 yrs) £10 per annum, with £1 admission each club night. Under 16s is £2 per annum but must be accompanied by an adult. A reduction in the subscription is made if joining part way through the season. Visitors are always welcome, at £3 admission Contact secretary@leekpc.org or via the ‘contact us’ page of the website Website www.leekpc.org