2015 PPC Rally Special

Photonews Rally Special 2015

With contributions from: Jon Allanson Sally Anderson Mike Atkinson Gary Barton Richard Bown Roger Edwardes Mandy Foreman Graham Harvey David James Barry Roberts Richard Vale Dave Whenham

2015 Rally Special

Photonews The journal of the Postal Photographic Club

Welcome to a very special issue of Photonews; the 2015 Rally Special is packed with images taken over the Rally weekend by members who attended this year. This issue of Photonews is in addition to the usual quarterly issues, the next of which is scheduled for publication by 1st December and is shaping up to be a bumper edition.

Over thirty members and partners met for the weekend recently at Plas Tan y Bwlch in Snowdonia for the club’s annual gettogether, or Rally, in a superb location with many extremely photogenic locations on the doorstep. As ever it was great to meet up with members of the club, renewing old acquaintances and making new ones too.

This was the second time we have held the Rally at Plas Tan y Bwlch and I’m ashamed to say I still cannot pronounce it properly.

The property is situated in extensive grounds and there are plenty of photographic opportunities on its doorstep. So many in fact that I for one would welcome a third visit!

On the Friday evening in a change to the usual routine we held the presentation of awards and trophies which made for a great start to the weekend. John Kay was Master of Ceremonies and Bill Hughes presented the trophies. Mention must go to Graham Harvey too for kindly “volunteering” to be the official photographer for the weekend who took all of the “mug-shots” you see in this issue. In fact, I did a very successful job over the weekend of encouraging even more “volunteers” so look out for their contributions in future issues of Photonews!

We also enjoyed seeing the projected images from this years TE and Founders Cup competitions. For those who were unable to make the weekend we have placed the presentations online for you to download and view at your leisure. Internet Circle members will find the link in the online Notebooks, forum users will find the link on the forum and we will as ever be circulating the CD in the envopaks over coming months. As ever our grateful thanks go to Jon Allanson for putting the slideshows together and hosting that part of the evening.

If you are wondering where the darkroom workers are in this issue then I can confirm that we are in negotiations for a couple of images from the film users for use in a future issue - watch this space!

If you are wondering who the big, semi-bald guy on the left is shaking hands with our esteemed President Bill Hughes then yes, I can confirm that it is indeed me. Apologies for inflicting it upon you all.

Finally, I would like to extend once again my very grateful thanks to everyone who has helped with this issue.

I hope you enjoy this special edition.

http://www.postalphotoclub.org.uk https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Postal-Photographic-Club/227877620675501 Photonews is published four times a year.

All rights reserved. All materials copyright The Postal Photographic Club and/or the authors. Any opinion or statement expressed by the author of any article published in this magazine does not necessarily reflect the views of The Postal Photographic Club, the editor, or its members.

2 Cover photo: View from Plas Tan y Bwlch © Dave Whenham

Low Tide, Clovelly

Roger Edwardes C19 Winner of the Half Plate Challenge Cup for the Best Print in the Exhibition and the Jack Cowper Tannadice Salver for the Best Monochrome Print receiving his trophies from Bill Hughes, Club President.

The Chase

Keith Hughes CP2 Certificate for the Best Colour Projected Image and the Dorothy MacDowell Salver for the Best General Projected Image seen here with Bill and General Secretary John Kay.

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Barry Roberts

Barry Roberts receiving a Certificate of Merit with John lurking behind.

Clockwise from top right: Sunrise, Snowdonia, Porthmadog Railway, Cwm Orthin, Valley of the River Dyrnyd. All Š Barry Roberts

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Maentrog Dawn Š Barry Roberts

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Sally Anderson

Clockwise from top left: Sword and Crown at Conway Castle, Chest Tombs in the Churchyard at Maentwrog, Portmerion. Š Sally Anderson

What is Sally up to? See overleaf Images above and overleaf courtesy of Mike Atkinson

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1step2step supports children with disabilities in Thailand's only state-run orphanage in Bangkok.

We seek to develop the skills of the children on Ratchprut Ward and through love, care and therapy encourage the children to develop to their full potential and grow up to be valued Thai citizens with their own individual character and personality.

Join us in making a real difference to the life of these children and the staff who work with them. http://1step2step.org

A note from Sally on her Zip Wire Experience for charity All completed and a wonderful experience. [She did a few more two days later! Ed.] The weather was OK, no rain or wind, although not sunny.

If you haven't donated and wish to you can go on MyDonate page and enter my name or 1Step2Step on the sponsor a fundraiser link or even easier cut and paste this: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/sallyanderson2 If you know friends who support the work of 1Step2Step, ask them to sponsor me and contribute to the work Nicola my daughter (also a PPC member) does in Thailand with the children and staff at the orphanage.

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Tom Dodd FRPS, FIPF, DPAGB

http://www.tomdoddphotography.com

At Saturday’s Presidents Dinner we were very fortunate to have Tom Dodd (pictured here on the left with John Kay) as our guest and he treated us to a superb presentation which many members later commented was one of the most interesting President’s Dinner speakers they have seen.

Tom’s first serious interest in photography came in the early 1960’s with discovering the darkroom and related monochrome processing and printing, and eventually colour printing as well. Since then national and international exhibition photography have provided a challenge, with, as he modestly says, “the usual smattering of acceptances, and rejections”. However, he says that one of the greatest privileges he has received was to be invited to select at salons and exhibitions on a fairly regular basis, and also to be asked to lecture to clubs and societies throughout the UK. In 1979 Tom gained an RPS Fellowship and more recently the Fellowship of The Irish Photographic Federation and a DPAGB! Even more recently he was awarded the Fenton Medal for services to the RPS so he has some strong photographic credentials to say the least.

More than that though he is a superb photographer and I for one will not forget the black and white scans from Nepal which formed one section of a varied and interesting selection.

Tom tells us that he tries not to become too narrow in his approach to photography and if possible he likes to to photograph anything which appeals. This is undoubtedly helped by a continuing involvement with mountaineering and travel throughout the UK, Alps, Nepal and the Arctic.

This approach was amply demonstrated by the variety of work that Tom showed us from stunning Snowdonia scenery to a fascinating set of images from his travels in Nepal which he recently scanned and if my memory serves correctly he had only had printed the week before. Tom is partly sponsored by Permajet so as you’d expect his prints were excellent.

Roger Edwardes proposed a well-deserved Vote of Thanks on the night on behalf of all of us present but the last word here must of course go to Tom: “The ‘digital’ revolution has now taken over – and I am loving it but my approach to photography has not changed very much!”

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Richard Vale

The trains ‌ and the people.

Both images Š Richard Vale Victorian Railway Weekend, Porthmadog The Ffestiniog Railway is a living museum. They have been running passenger trains since Victorian times and many of those older vehicles have been lovingly preserved so what better way to show them off than to have a weekend dedicated to that wonderful era?

But this event wasn’t just about trains, or even just the railway. Porthmadog is a Victorian town with its port built to serve the slate industry, just like the Ffestiniog so this event stretches out into the community with decorated shops, special events in the Maritime Museum, period fairground rides and stalls....and the costumes.

Several members captured images over the weekend, which coincided with our Rally, and the two here were sent in by Richard Vale (pictured left receiving his Certificate of Merit).

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Mike Atkinson

Lincoln Cathedral won The Singleton Rosebowl for the Best Architectural Picture in the TE for Mike Atkinson whilst Goldfinch (above) was awarded The Dick Ogden Shield for the Best Natural History Picture.

Mike is seen here receiving the Shield from Bill on Friday evening (before the bar opened).

Fairy Glen, Snowdonia Š Mike Atkinson

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Where members feared to tread

Jon Allanson

Plas Tan Y Blwch, where the rally was held is about 4 miles from the Cwmorthin Valley. The valley which was a major slate quarrying area in the middle of the 19th century, was brought to prominence by our Saturday night speaker Tom Dodd, in his 1997 Creative Monochrome book, with his photographs of the ruined barracks and chapel and the huge slate tips that encroached in to it. Nearly all of the members who decided to visit it only climbed up the steep trackway to the first ‘barracks’ ruin, the stone ‘Miners Bridge’ and the lake.

To me the real interest in the valley is above this point, as one follows the track around the side of the lake to where it starts with its slate fencing and the remains of the chapel, which has now completely lost its roof and serves as a shelter from the wind for some of the sheep. Progressing on along the track to the head of the valley, one comes to Plas Cwm Orthin with yet another ruined building that provided accommodation for the miners and a nearby abandoned farm house. In part of the ruins a local farmer has constructed a circular sheep sorter.

At this point the track turns left and starts to rise sharply up nearly 400 feet in just over half a mile to the Rhosydd complex with its abandoned barrack blocks, remains of the slate trimming and some rusty old machinery, and the archway featured by Tim Rudman in his books.

Cwmorthin Chapel © Jon Allanson

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Where members feared to tread

Jon Allanson

Rhosydd Š Jon Allanson

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Where members feared to tread

Jon Allanson

Cwmorthin Chapel Š Jon Allanson

Jon Allanson receiving the Harry Ridgway Cup for the Best Portrait in this years TE Print competition.

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Richard Bown

Richard receiving a Certificate of Merit from Bill with John, once again, lurking behind.

Coed y Brenin (top) Boathouses at Llyn Dinas (bottom) Š Richard Bown

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Llyn Cregennen Š Richard Bown

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Cwmorthin Š Richard Bown

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Mandy Foreman

Above: Mystery Tree Left top: The Kings Head, Middle: Unhoused Boat, Bottom: Waiting for the zip wire Š Mandy Foreman

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Above: There’s Always One Right: Some serious exposure practice © Mandy Foreman

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David James

David James (left, with Bill) deservedly won the Certificate for the Best Portrait in the DPI section of the TE this year with his fabulous portrait of Fred .

On this page we showcase some of his portraits from the Victorian Railway Weekend in Porthmadog (see page 9) from which it can be seen that he has his eye on retaining the title in the 2016 competition.

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Cwmorthin Chapel ruins (right) and the Slate steps "monument" at Blaenau Ffestiniog (above). Š David James

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Graham Harvey

Graham Harvey is known to many as the long-suffering Circle Secretary for C1 and IC1. The fact that the Editor is in both Circles is just a coincidence.

Clockwise from top left: The Non-Commercial Inn, Cwmorthin Slate Quarry waterfall, View from the Top, Coffee Break.

All images Š Graham Harvey

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Fuel Stop Š Graham Harvey

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Roger Edwardes

A railway themed submission from Roger. Sue Atkinson (right) gets to grips with a tricky composition whilst Mandy Foreman (below) up close and personal in third (don’t try this at home kids!)

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Gary Barton

Gary Barton (above) receiving the award for Best Portrait in the DPI Founders Cup competition. This was Gary’s first Rally and like many others he commented afterwards that he had really appreciated the opportunity to get to know some off the other members face to face.

Just don’t ask to see the images of Fairy Glen he took with his phone ….

Top: Quarry Lake Reflections. Bottom from left: Derelict Church, Little Waterfalls of Cwmorthin Quarry. Old Slate Quarry Building. © Gary Barton

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Clockwise from top left Bill Martindale (Best Wet Print), John Kay (Certificate of Merit), Steve Terry (the Maurice MacDowell Cup for the Best Colour Print and the Andrew Emond Trophy for the Best Landscape Picture), Stephen Yates (the Thomas Langley Trophy for the Best Natural History Image)

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