FROM THE CHAIRMAN

The last three months have been most eventful, beginning with an excellent Members’ Day in May. It was good to see the large number of participants, many travelling long distances, taking part in the event. David Robinson opened the day with an excellent presentation on Adobe Lightroom, giving us tips and helpful advice. This was followed by members showing their inspirational Distinction panels, talks by members showing their thoughtprovoking work and ideas, and an interesting talk by Bill Spencer, describing how he created his dramatic award-winning image “Lightning Storm at Port Leven”. The day ended with the Discussion Group members talking about their recent projects.

After a very successful opening of the Exhibition at Wingfield Barns, which finished on one of the wettest Easter Mondays in Suffolk for years, the Exhibition travelled to the Smethwick Photography Society’s Headquarters in the West Midlands and went on display at the beginning of May. At the end of the exhibition the prints were stored away in their boxes, ready for a possible second showing, before being sent to the Edinburgh Photographic Society for its final display. Unfortunately, during the Bank Holiday weekend in May, the West Midlands was hit by flash floods and the Society’s clubrooms, where the Exhibition was being stored, were badly flooded. Due to the quick action of Roger and Judith Parry, who rescued as many prints they could, you will be pleased to hear that we are

Corrections

On page 21 of issue 76 of the Creative Eye magazine, we mistakenly showed the author of ‘A Walk in Time’ as Peter Hallem instead of Jeremy O’Keefe ARPS. Apologies to both Jeremy and Peter.

able to continue with the Exhibition’s planned tour to Edinburgh. Visitors will be able to view the complete exhibition on the monitor.

In addition to our usual venues, the Exhibition will, hopefully, be shown at one of the Society’s overseas chapters’ main meetings at the end of the year. As always, it is almost impossible to find suitable gallery space to display prints. So, to begin, the Print and Projected Image Exhibition will be shown on a screen.

After many years producing the Creative Eye magazine, Barry Freeman retired from his role as editor in May, with the Exhibition edition being his last, and we thank Barry most sincerely for his loyalty and dedication to the Group.

July launched the Group’s first field trip. Jeremy Rodwell did a splendid job of organising a day out at Houghton Hall and Gardens in Norfolk. Many of Damien Hirst’s sculptures and paintings were on display in the Hall and grounds, offering fabulous creative photographic opportunities. As well as a good number of attendees, we were honoured to welcome Past President of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, Professor Brian Falconbridge, who joined us for the day and also judged the photo competition.

Several events will take place before the end of the year. Leigh Preston FRPS will be presenting a lecture at Foxton in October. We also have two field trips in October - one to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the second to Kew Gardens London. A competition, to be judged by Ann Miles FRPS, will open to all participants. Member, Nat Coalson ARPS, will be giving a lecture “Abstract Photography as Fine Art” at Smethwick Photographic Society in December.