Last Week

On Monday we competed for the W Fry trophy against Oakley and Farnborough (who have won the trophy most years). This time we were successful, winning by a single point. The panel was taken to the club on Thursday and those present were able to see it. It is the same panel being entered for the SCPF Championship later in the month. An image of the panel can be seen on the club website, under News.

On Wednesday, Linda achieved the LRPS distinction, so congratulations to her. Linda has agreed to bring her successful panel in to the club on Thursday.

On Thursday we had the AV competition which featured presentations from Andover to the United States, via Iceland and France. It was very enjoyable and closely contested. In the end four photographers came joint 3rd, Chaz with Marders Yard, Mike Tozer with Champions, Steve Amey with Fire and Light and Gavin with Iceland. Will was 2nd with Parks of The American West and Steve Govan was 1st with Oradour. John was the judge and as always had some good points to put across.

Next Week

Monday 9 March we have the next committee meeting.

Thursday 12 March, I will give a presentation featuring some of the images I have taken over the years. The presentation will be a blend of travel photos and documentary images. There will be images from Africa, Hong Kong and the far east, particularly Thailand.

Coming Soon

Thursday 19 March we have Andrew Mills giving a presentation “My Version of Street Photography and Shots Taken in Japan”. Andrew Mills gave us a fantastic talk last season entitled “What Makes a perfect Photograph”. We have invited him back to give us his version of Street Photography together with a glimpse from his visit to Japan. Note: Andrew is judging the mono competition on 10th October. (http://www.photomills.co.uk/)

Bring a guest

Technique Tip

In Lightroom, when using the crop overlay tool you are normally presented with the “Rule of Thirds” grid overlaying your image. Very useful, but if you want to see other overlays as an aid to composition pressing the (letter) ‘o’ key will cycle through others such as the Golden Ratio, Triangles, Diagonals and the Golden Spiral.

Thanks to Steve Davis for this one. Club members who remember Sandy Wilson, a long standing and much respected friend of ours who died a couple of years ago, will remember Sandy’s regard for the Canadian photographer and teacher Freeman Patterson. On several club nights across several years Sandy – in showing his own images – paid tribute to the influence of Patterson on his own creativity. A first and brief dip into Patterson’s work will have us think of him as simply a “nature photographer”. However, a longer linger in one of the many web sites out there about him and by him will discover that Patterson is as much interested in creativity and the spirit that shapes a photographer’s vision and style, in ways of looking and seeing the world, as he is in the techniques and technologies that transform ideas into photographs.

A google search will link us to a myriad of sites, but try out these three, the first and second of which are “old-school” in their manner but none the poorer for that:

• https://www.kruger-2-kalahari.com/freeman-patterson.html
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HDWkCAsgb8
• http://bermangraphics.com/press/patterson.htm

Please also note that there are a number of essays written by Sandy now available on the club website under the heading ‘About the Club’, and a link is provided under the News.  Or here.

Non-APC Photo Opportunities

(Covid-19 permitting) The Photography Show will be held in the NEC 14-17 March. These shows provide great opportunities to see new equipment and to attend talks and demos given by some of the best (including Sebastao Salgado). If you have not bought your ticket yet there are many sources of discount codes, but please consider using the code “PAGBTPS20” which will give a discount of 20%.

I was not aware of PAGB enews but it is a showcase for some of the best photographs in the organisation. It can be seen at: http://www.pagbnews.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/en248%2014%20Feb%2020_0.pdf

The Willis Museum in Basingstoke has an exhibition of micro photography. I have yet to see it, but plan to do so before it closes in April. Details at:
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/microsculpture

Last Week

On Monday we had the Focus group met and we shared different interpretations of Will’s images. Really interesting and a good learning opportunity. On Thursday 27 February we hosted the SCPF Print League, it was a good evening and the judge had some interesting points. Despite a pretty good result on the night, we have propped up the league, coming last in the league. We are better than that and must do better next season.

Next Week

On Monday we have an away match at Oakley. These are always enjoyable to attend and it is another opportunity to see other clubs work and hear what an independent judge thinks of them, and our own images. Should you be able to attend, it is worth getting there early as parking is difficult there.

On 5 March we have the AV competition. It would help if you could let me know if you are planning to enter, although this is not essential. The more entries the merrier. So far we have not had many entries, so each member can enter 2 AVI’s. Please either load them to the Dropbox (details issued by Will), or bring them on a memory stick or SD card, (ideally nothing else on the stick/card to make it easy to identify. Will has put out further guidance.

Coming Soon

Monday 9 March we have the next committee meeting. If there is any issue that you think the committee should address, please let me know.

Thursday 12 March, I will give a presentation featuring some of the images I have taken over the years. The presentation will be a blend of travel photos and documentary images. There will be images from Africa, the Falkland Islands, Hong Kong the far east.

SCPF PDI League

7 of the 8 league matches have taken place. The good news is that we are still in the lead, albeit by only 1 point. A quick look at the results shows some interesting points, we have not won a single round, but are still in the lead. The table can be seen at https://southerncountiespf.org.uk/league/pdi-league/#toggle-id-6

Technique Tip

I think that we all understand the importance of emotion in art, including photography, we want our images to create a response in those viewing them. A response beyond ‘that’s nice’ or worse ‘I see what the author is trying to do…’.This clip discusses light and emotion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8czWZTqtmM

Non-APC Photo Opportunities

The Photography Show will be held in the NEC 14-17 March. These shows provide great opportunities to see new equipment and to attend talks and demos given by some of the best (including Sebastao Salgado). If you have not bought your ticket yet there are many sources of discount codes, but please consider using the code “PAGBTPS20” which will give a discount of 20%.

I was not aware of PAGB enews but it is a showcase for some of the best photographs in the organisation. It can be seen at: http://www.pagbnews.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/en248%2014%20Feb%2020_0.pdf

The Willis Museum in Basingstoke has an exhibition of micro photography. I have yet to see it, but plan to do so before it closes in April. Details at:
https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/microsculpture

Last Week

On Thursday we had an outstanding talk by Matthew Emmett on our Forgotten Heritage.  The photography was truly exceptional, the information useful and some of the anecdotes very amusing. Matt has another presentation, so we may get him back in the future.

Next Week

On Monday we have a Focus Group meeting in the backroom at the club. Will has put out a separate email on the subject. Have a go at the photos he has provided, and bring along any image or issue that you would like to get some help with.

On Thursday 27 February we are hosting the SCPF Print League. A good opportunity to see how we get on in the print league. The judge is Chris Hutchinson, (https://www.flickr.com/photos/8669165@N08/).

Coming Soon

5 March we have the AV competition. It would help if you could let me know if you are planning to enter. The more the merrier.

SCPF PDI League

7 of the 8 league matches have taken place. The good news is that we are still in the lead, albeit by only 1 point. A quick look at the results shows some interesting points, we have not won a single round, but are still in the lead. The table can be seen at https://southerncountiespf.org.uk/league/pdi-league/#toggle-id-6

Technique Tip

Another portrait tutorial by Gavin Hoey, this time on a winter theme:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7xsAQqV5JU (Gavin Hoey indoor winter portrait)

Non-APC Photo Opportunities

The Photography Show will be held in the NEC 14-17 March. These shows provide great opportunities to see new equipment and to attend talks and demos given by some of the best (including Sebastao Salgado). If you have not bought your ticket yet there are many sources of discount codes, but please consider using the code “PAGBTPS20” which will give a discount of 20%.

I was not aware of PAGB enews but it is a showcase for some of the best photographs in the organisation. It can be seen at: http://www.pagbnews.co.uk/sites/default/files/newsletters/en248%2014%20Feb%2020_0.pdf

Last Week

Monday’s Focus Group meeting had to be cancelled because Will was unable to make it back to Andover due to a traffic incident on the A34. On Thursday we had an exceptionally good, creative team competition which produced some very odd images and revealed some mild S&M tendencies amongst our number. Scoring was done by voting between two images until finally a winner was chosen. The final 4 images are reproduced at the end of the newsletter.

Next Week

On Thursday 20 February we have Matthew Emmett as a guest speaker. He is a very accomplished photographer who has published a book “Forgotten Heritage Photography” which looks great.  His website is http://www.forgottenheritage.co.uk/.

If you are thinking of not attending, take a look at the links provided below and I think you will see that this is going to be very special.

A link to the book on Amazon is https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forgotten-Heritage-Jonglez-Publishing/dp/2361951622/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488538950&sr=8-1&keywords=forgotten+heritage you can see some images from the book.

He also had an interview published by my Modern Met with several images: https://mymodernmet.com/matt-emmett-abandoned-places-photos/

He won the first Historic Photographer of the Year Award 2017.

He won Architectural Photographer of the Year 2016:  https://www.dezeen.com/2016/11/21/matt-emmett-arcaid-images-architectural-photography-awards-2016-brick-reservoir-finsbury-park-london/

You are very welcome to bring a guest free of charge

Coming Soon

On 27 February we are hosting the SCPF Print League. If you plan to enter the AV competition later in the season, please do not leave it until the last minute to start work on it. AV presentations are time consuming to put together, but very rewarding.

SCPF Championship

Thanks to all the members who have offered up images for the Championship.

Technique Tip

Slawek Staszczuk is a UK based landscape and cityscape photographer who has captured some wonderful images. The article linked below explains why he uses the settings he does and it provides several images and details of the settings he used. I do not do much landscape photography and found his article very interesting and informative, I hope you do too.

https://www.photoss.net/what-camera-settings-should-i-use-for-landscape-photography/

Non-APC Photo Opportunities

The Willis Museum in Basingstoke has an exhibition of micro photography.

FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

The startling photography of Levon Biss reveals the astonishing and stunning detailed form of insects with breathtaking clarity. The images, created in collaboration with Oxford University Museum of Natural History, present insect specimens as never before, using large-format photographic prints to expose their beauty at microscopic levels. Combining art with science, visitors can view the images up close and discover more about these fascinating creatures through their shape, colour and sculptural forms.

Top 4 Images from Last Thursday

(Click on the image for a larger version)

Last Week

On Thursday we hosted our round of the SCPF PDI league competition. We came third on the night. This was unfortunate as we were leading until the judge awarded one of our images only 4 out of 10. This was underserved, but the judge simply did not get the image. However, the good news is that after 4 rounds, we are now leading the league.

Next Week

On Monday there will be a Focus Group meeting. The first half of the evening will be an opportunity for participants to show what they did with the images made available by Will.  The second half will be a digital surgery, any member can bring in an image that they want help with developing.

On Thursday we have one of the informal, fun competitions. Participants will be take part as teams and there will be stands with items to photograph. Please bring your camera.

Coming Soon

On Thursday 20 February we have Matt Emmett delivering the talk which he was unable to give earlier in the season.

If you plan to enter the AV competition later in the season, please do not leave it until the last minute to start work on it. AV presentations are time consuming to put together, but very rewarding.

SCPF Championship

For the first time in years we plan to enter the SCPF Championship. To do so we need 15 high quality PDIs and 15 High Quality prints. We need to upload our entries by the end of the month, and I do not want to leave it until the last minute. A small panel of committee members will select the images from those entered on 13 February. Any PDI scoring 10 so far this season will automatically be entered. If you have other PDI images that you would like to be considered, please send them to the PDI secretary in the normal way, in the normal format by 10 February. Please remember that the PDIs must be a maximum of 1600 pixels wide by 1200 pixels high. For example, 1600w x 1200h is obviously fine, but so is either 1600w x 993h or 993w x 1200h.The required filename format is [Title]_[Author].jpg.

If you have prints that you would like to be considered please deliver them to John or me by 13 February. It would be best if they were already mounted in a 400x500mm mount, however if you have suitable images, but have not mounted them correctly or at all, you can still have them considered. Later we will also need a digital image of each print selected for the championship, formatted as if a PDI entry. Please do not forward them unless requested. Each member may submit up to 3 prints and 3 DPIs.

The images must not have been entered in previous years. Full rules can be found at https://southerncountiespf.org.uk/championships/championship-rules/

Technique Tip

Two clips from Gavin Hoey on film noir portraits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx7b4eqCgM0 Gavin Hoey Film Noir

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9o1Pc6uDRU Gavin Hoey Film Noir

Non-APC Photo Opportunities

The Hawk Conservancy Trust opens again on 8 February.

Last Week

On Thursday we had the annual Christmas social event along with a panel competition with the theme of “Food and Drink”. As before there was a small number of entries, only 8, but if the number of entries was a little disappointing, the quality was excellent. There were some first class macro images. The prize, voted on by those attending the evening was won by Linda Gates with a superb panel. Today we had the last of the displays in the Artisan market, run by Jim and volunteers from the club, and there was a good response.

Next Week

There are no organised club activities until after the Christmas Break. No further newsletters until after the break.

Coming Soon

The first session after the break is on 9 January where we will have Will and Chris’s Post Christmas Lecture.

Technique Tip

As we are in winter it seems appropriate to have a winter themed tip. Here is a clip by Gavin Hoey exploring winter and snow portraits in the studio – you don’t even have to get cold! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5QU9Jvc7v8Merry

Christmas One and All

Last Week

On Thursday we were due to have a guest speaker Matt Doggett and we were disappointed that he had to cancel on the morning due to ill health.  We moved the planned session from 23 January “You’re the Judge”.  Our very own judge, John Randall gave an interesting brief on the challenges of judging and then each member who wanted to critique an image had the opportunity to do so.  It was interesting, and there was a robust exchange of views on some images and on competition images in general.

Next Week

No focus group on Monday, instead members are encouraged to support the club in the Mix and Match competition at Oakley commencing at 7.30pm.  There is limited parking and car sharing is advisable.  This is a great fun evening.

On Thursday we have our annual Christmas buffet and panel competition.  The subject for the panel is “Food and Drink”.  Bags of scope for interesting panels.  The requirement is for a panel of 4-6 images.  Images can be individually presented or mounted on a board maximum size A1.  As there is a general election on the same day, we will be in the Lounge Bar of the Enham Club (the room sometimes called the back room).

Coming Soon

Christmas!  Swiftly followed by New Year. The first session after the break is on 9 January where we will have Will and Chris’s Post Christmas Lecture.

SCPF League Update

We are competing in the PDI league and Print League within the SCPF.  We are in League

5 (of 5) in the Print competition.  So far success has eluded us and we have come last in both rounds held so far.  We are in League 6 (of 7) of the PDI competition, we are doing better here and are lying in 2^nd place after one round.

Technique Tip

Photographing birds is not something that appeals to everyone, but I like it! I have come across a series by Tim Boyer. First one is Photographing Birds in Flight, which I found useful, if interested it can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5118DRKbp4

Distinctions

Part 3: RPS

The image below shows a summary of judges’ comments at RPS distinction submissions.

Last Week

On Monday a small group assembled to do some fire painting.  Some excellent images have been posted on Facebook.  On Thursday we had the second of the bi-monthly competitions.  The judge was not afraid of awarding scores of 6 and 61/2.  Quite unusual, but it gives the judge a wider range of scores allowing him/her to differentiate between images.  The important thing is to take note of the judge’s critique and learn from that.  When I first started in the club I assumed that judges were infallible and all judges would score an image the same.  I was soon put right when one of Phil Evans’s wonderful images scored 61/2 and 9 (or was it 91/2 in the league).  At that point I realised judges did not all have the same tastes, and when it comes to photography as an art, it can be very subjective.  Some images scoring 10 on the night are reproduced at the end of the newsletter.

Next Week

No focus group on Monday.

On Thursday we have Matt Doggett presenting on “Marine Life of Dorset and Hampshire”.  As he was British Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2012, we can be sure that the standard will be very high, and if you check out the images on his website http://www.mattdoggett.com, you will get a taste for what is in store for us.  I am looking forward to this very much.  You are welcome to bring a guest.

Coming Soon

On Monday 9 December we have an away Mix and Match at Oakley.  These are great fun and the more supporters (hecklers) we have the better.  Parking is limited so please car share if you can.  12 December we have our annual Christmas social event and themed competition, which this year is “Food and Drink”.  The requirement is for a panel of 4-6 images.  As there is a general election on the same day, we will be in the Lounge Bar of the Enham Club (the room sometimes called the back room).  We were a little light on entries last year, so please make an effort to produce a panel. 

Technique Tip

This clip is a little more ethereal than being simply a “how to do” some technique.  I was fortunate enough to hear David Duchemin speak recently and he was brilliant.  In this clip he is talking about vision and it is well worth viewing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFe4YdMS3oc.

Distinctions

Part 2: RPS (ARPS)

The second level of RPS distinction is the ARPS, the A being Associate.  This involves a slightly different approach to the LRPS.  The candidate must produce a panel of 15 images, with a statement of intent in one of the following categories: Applied, Conceptual & Contemporary, Fine Art, Natural History, Travel, Documentary. 

Associate Criteria

• A Statement of Intent that defines the purpose of the work, identifying its aims and objectives.
• A cohesive body of work that depicts and communicates the aims and objectives set out in the Statement of Intent.
• A body of work that communicates an individual’s vision and understanding.
• A high level of technical ability using techniques and photographic practices appropriate to the subject.
• An appropriate and high level of understanding of craft and artistic presentation.

There are specific criteria for each category.  More detailed information can be found at:  https://rps.org/qualifications/arps/

2^nd BiMonthly Competition.

Images from the second bi-monthly competition scoring 10:

PDI

An Autumn Stroll by Steve Randall

Chipmonk by Richard Mason

Pembrokeshire sunset by Melanie Fisher

Prints:

Tulips by Linda Gates