(Kite by Nick Pitt did well in the first half of the year)

Swindon Photographic  Society

Review of the Year

Part One

I have heard many of our members saying that they thought last season’s programme was especially interesting. This is an attempt to give you, in as few words as possible, a flavour of the exciting, varied, and entertaining programme that Swindon Photographic Society puts on. We have been doing it since the end of the nineteenth century, so I suppose we should have got it about right by now, as it always includes lots and lots of new and different images. Anyway, let’s start with the first half

(The Path by Yulia Todd, winner of the Summer digital competition)

September to Christmas

We kicked off with a welcome night; meeting friends old and new, plus lots of information and photos. Interactive evenings included everything about entering competitions, from available software to how to mount a print, with all stops in-between. There was an introduction to Audio Visuals that covered what software to use, sources of sound, how to try it without spending, and a guide to putting an AV together. We are lucky that a leading exponent of AV making and judging is a member of our club. We had three monthly competitions, as well as; summer, portrait, and monochrome competitions. All Judged by David Southwell, Chris Palmer, Sandy Watson, Andy Beel, and the members themselves.

(Aquilegia by Jim Bullock winner of the Monochrome digital competition)

Gill explained about her thoughts on the competitions, “As a new member unsure of my relative standard, the thrill of having my images consistently chosen to represent the club in battles, and consistently doing at least as well as those of established members.”

Your opportunities to use your camera evenings included, live raptors in our clubroom, fireworks and night light patters, using candlelight, and improving your Christmas snaps.

( the gifted keeper with one of his hawks. Image by Nic Jansen)

Our visiting speakers seemed to impress everyone. Robert said, “I enjoyed some very imaginative speakers, different from the usual camera club mould.” They were Philip Joyce with a retrospective of his best work. Robin Gregory with amazing digital art. Matt Emmett of whom Malcolm said, “Forgotten Heritage Photography” or as we came to know it Urbex.  After 30 years of coming to “camera club” an aspect of photography I was unaware of, full of useful information and photographic images to die for.”  But that is not all; Tom Grimes talked about how to get the best out of a photographic safari, and David Lewis Baker on the history of Abstract photography.  All that and a battle with three other camera clubs and a Christmas party.

Part two; January to May and beyond coming soon!