OUTINGS COMPETITION 

Well done to Andy for organising so many interesting and varied outings last year. It is a shame that he only told four members about them. Congratulations to Alf, Mandy,Colin and Dave for their successes. Andy told me afterwards that this year he will compile a list of outings and keep them to himself, to give himself a good chance of winning, although I think for a small fee he will pass it on. 

I would like to be a fly on the wall of the Deer household this week, I don't like to stir things but, Mandy tells me that her side of the sideboard is creaking under the weight of trophies compared to Stephen's. I guess hailing a taxi will be easier this week.

I have had an idea for making print nights more interesting. Judge's Bingo. Everyone has a sheet of paper with typical comments, like Marmite Picture, Clone That Out, Too Big in The Frame, Crop It, Letter Box etc.  The person who crosses the most out wins.

My favourite picture of the evening was the candle picture, shame there was five instead of four, then we could have said there not fork handles (apologises to the two Ronnies)

Too Big in the frame (BINGO)

WINNING IMAGES 3rd OUTINGS COMPETITION

DIGITAL PROJECTED IMAGES

1st The Imposter
by Mandy Deer

2nd Well Well Well

by Dave Wilcox

3rd Coloured World

by Alf Ellis

COLOUR PRINT

1st Image is in The Detail

by Alf Ellis

2nd Punts on The Thames at Oxford

by Dave Wilcox

3rd Evening Light on The Thames

by Colin Smith

H.C. Steampunk Gent

by Dave Wilcox

BLACK & WHITE

1st More Coal Required

by Alf Ellis 

2nd Power in My Hands

by Alf Ellis

3rd Battlesbridge

by Mandy Deer

H.C. Shard Reflection

by Colin Smith

JANUARY DPI MONTHLY COMPETITION

The subject of people in pictures came up again this month. Whether to include them or not. I guess if you are a portrait or wedding photographer, then it is a no brainer. After all who wants a picture of an empty chair? "Who is that?"

"It's Uncle Jim". "

"That's a good photo of him, always missing when you want him"

As Wedding photographer, people are only going to buy a certain number of pictures of the flowers and the church.

Once you have decided that a person in you picture and where to stand them, take another without them. When the judge comments that they didn't think the person should have been in the shot, next time enter the one without them, and hear the judge say, could have done with someone in the frame.

So you have got someone in the picture, now do they look/walk away from you into the scene or towards you? I always thought they should be looking into the picture so that your eye follows them into the picture. Apparently that's not the fashion any more. People have got to be walking/looking towards the photographer. This makes sense if you are a portrait or wedding photographer again you will only sell so many photographs of the Bride & Groom looking at the Vicar. 

Now that you have got the people facing you, we don't want them to be smiling at the camera, again no good if you are a wedding photographer, the natural thing at a wedding is to be happy and smiling well, o/k the father of the bride may may not be looking to happy, thinking I've got to pay for this lot.

So next time you are in some exotic place and the local children come running towards you smiling, it's not the image that you want, so take their picture and then refuse to pay them, then as their expression turns to disbelief and anger, take another photo, then either pay them or turn and run.

We did have a few pictures of animals, again there was some discussion as to where the animal should be in the frame and how that affects how you look at the animal.

My favourite picture of the night was the jousting shot. These events are held all over the country, someone said Ohhh Hampton Court, well I guess if you were kicked there with your armour on, your's would be too.

Does my bum look big in this (picture)

   

JANUARY MONTHLY D.P.I. COMPETITION

WINNING IMAGES

ADVANCED

1st Pelican Brawl

by Gordon Bramham

2nd Lets Zoom In

by Andy Taylor LRPS

3rd Snow Leopard

by Gordon Bramham

INTERMEDIATE

1st Spotlight on The Grand Canyon

by David Lund

2nd The Spider & The Wasp

by John Hastings

3rd Very Small Hoverfly

by Richard Saville 

PRELIMINARY

1st Forest Girl

by John Baker

2nd Millenium Bridge

by Martyn Addison-Smyth

3rd Morning Angel

by John Baker

JANUARY MONTHLY PRINT

A new year and a new monthly print competition. Which means the chairman has to appeal to our better nature and get someone to talk about the prints and for six people to mark them. Some agree more willingly than others. We are blessed that those who critique the images are all very good, each has their own style, but the result is the same with good advice on how to improve our pictures.

January's talkers are perhaps our two most laid back. John can always find something good and encouraging to say about any image. If you were to put up a sheet of photographic paper and he would say "I like the use of negative space, could it be improved with a point of interest? I don't know. I like the choice of paper I think gloss works better than lustre would".

Peter always keeps it light-hearted he would try to convince you that lustre would be better and that he has got some spare (about two hundred sheets) that he could let you have for a reasonable price. 

Such is his enthusiasm about talking about the images, I wish he would allow me to call out the score before he starts talking.

Next week is monthly digital, and time for two other speakers to give us their pearls of wisdom.

 

JANUARY 2016 MONTHLY PRINT WINNING IMAGES

ADVANCED

1st Stealing Bear Food

Gordon Bramham

2nd Indian Elephant and Calf

Gordon Bramham

3rd Thaxted Mill

by Kevin Sykes

H.C. Southend Pier

by Kevin Sykes

INTERMEDIATE/PRELIMINARY

1st Stormy Day

by Lin Ping

2nd Go Faster

by Lin Ping

3rd Hadleigh Ray Creek

by Martyn Addison-Smyth

H.C. Hornchurch Country Park

Martyn Addison-Smyth