CLUB OUTING

PORT LYMPNE WILDLIFE PARK

A small, but select group of keen photographers took themselves down to Port Lympne Wildlife Park last Saturday. Surprisingly ,they were all classed as advanced primates and given an 'access all areas' pass, reliant on good behaviour.

The crisp but dry weather was kind to us and we were able to explore the 600 acre reserve on foot and in a safari truck, which trundled and bumped along tracks resembling the depths of the maasai mara  or the Serengeti.

Gorillas were undoubtedly the stars of the show, but we also saw and photographed (with great difficulty in some cases), Rhinos, Tigers, Wolves, Zebras, Baboons, Ostriches, Giraffes and many more quite rare species which The conservation work at Port Lympne is successfully helping to preserve and increase for future generations.   

Spot the camera club members.

Thanks to our official photographer Andy Brett for the triptych (no one likes a smarty pants)

Unfortunately you will only be getting paid the £1,200 for one image and not £3,600 you were expecting for the three photos (ed)

COMMITTEE MEETING

Our meetings are held at Dave and Lin's stately home. They give the servants the night off  so they can keep the tradition of the Chairman and Treasurer serving the refreshments alive.

We meet in the great dining hall around the grand banqueting table.

The first item on the agenda is apologises for absent. Our President could not make the last meeting due to inclement weather where he works. He was snowed in our under something like that.

Next we go through the minutes of the last meeting. Alf takes each item in turn and we update him on how they are progressing. If we report that we have made no progress then we get one of Alf's looks. If you are worried about upsetting Lin that is nothing to upsetting Alf. That tut and look over his glasses could leave you a gibbering wreck.

We next have reports from each of the secretaries. 

This month Alf updated us on the insurance claim after the break in. All seems to be going well and we should all have a good Christmas. So, remember if you get a call from the insurance company, you keep your top of the range Nikon/Canon and their marque lenses in the cupboard at the club. However, I'm a bit worried that Alf's claim for a new lounge carpet due to a leaking radiator will go through. He really should get his own house insurance.

We then take our refreshment break, served on the antique family silver with the Wilcox coat of arms of crossed tripods engraved on it.

We then discuss the most important item on the agenda. Who is providing the cake for the next committee meeting and what will they be making our buying. If you like homemade Bread Pudding see Dave about being on the committee.

After discussing other items on the agenda and any other business we set the date for the next meeting.

We make our way home, being careful to not to wake the servants on our way out as they have to be up at 3:30 to prepare Dave's cameras for that day's photography Cleaning the lenses, fresh batteries, empty memory card etc. Thankfully gone are the days when they had to load each camera with film.

Enjoying a well earned break in proceedings.

Chimp's tea party springs to mind.

Thanks to Andy Brett for the image, he has now become the club's official photographer. He is hoping to get £1200 that our guest the other week gets for his images as he has included a couple of burnt out highlights.

WINDMILL TROPHY

SCORES & RESULTS

THE WINNING IMAGE AND WINNER OF THE SAM TOY TROPHY

SURVEILLANCE NATION

by PAUL MEE (LOUGHTON)

PDI ENTRIES BY CLUB

ROMFORD

BLACK WIDOW  (16)

CARDINAL BEETLE  (19)

STARLING  (20)

THE MAN ON THE STEAM TRAIN  (18)

UPMINSTER

GREATER FLAMINGO AND STILT (20)

EXHILARATION (18)

SPECKLED BUSH CRICKET  (17)

GREAT GREY OWL IN SNOW (17)

MOULSHAM LODGE

ALBATROSS  (18)

UP TO DRUIDS (18)

CREATIVE SAND (17)

MOORED FOR THE NIGHT  (16)

DAGENHAM

STREET ARTIST  (18)

ROBIN (16)

FROG IN THE RAIN (17)

DELIGHT IN

 WHITE SATIN  (18)

LOUGHTON

SURVEILLANCE NATION (20)

DOVERCOURT LOW LIGHT (17)

DANCER (17)

NOT A GOOD PLACE TO BE (14)

HARLOW

CORNISH STORM (19)

RED KITE (18)

HOLD TIGHT (16)

THE VIEW FROM SOUTHEND (15)

HORNCHURCH

GRASSES  (17)

110 BISHOPSGATE  (17)

MR. BARN OWL (15)

COUNTRY PARK INHABITANT (14)

HALF YEARLY P.D.I.

WINNING IMAGES

ADVANCED

1st Greater Flamingo & Stilt

by Reg Mellis

Joint 2nd Great Grey Owl in Snow

by Reg Mellis

Joint 2nd Owl

by Eric Bush

3rd Sunset Eagle

by Gordon Bramham

H.C. Exhilaration

by Howard King

H.C. Brown Hare

by Howard King

H.C. Speckled Bush Cricket

by Brian Clark

H.C. Palm Trees and Sunset

by George Kaim

H.C. Mushroom

by Dave Wilcox

INTERMEDIATE

1st The Monument & The Shard

by John Hastings

2nd WW1 RAF Huts at Stow Maries

by Richard Saville

3rd Time & Tide

by Richard Hallam

PRELIMINARY

1st Pondering The News

by John Baker

2nd Salisbury Cathedral

by Peter Owen

3rd Buddhist Buddies

by John Baker

CLUB TRIP TO DORSET

Recently a number of club members visited Dorset for their annual Autumn trip. In glorious weather,they enjoyed an interesting few days, based at a 250 year old coaching inn, the Black Bear Hotel in Wareham.

In addition to photographing some of the delights of Dorset, such as the Purbeck Hills, Brownsea Island, the Jurassic Coast, Kimmeridge Bay, Poole, Portland Bay, Chesil Beach and so on, they hosted a friendly competition with the Wareham Camera Club.

Twelve of our members and sixteen from their club met in the conference suite of The Black Bear to select the best print and the best DPI from each club, for which memorable medals were presented.

Dave Wilcox judged the Wareham entries and John Tilesley, chairman of the Dorchester Camera Club, judged ours.

Upminster winners were David Lund for his image of a Cayman Crocodile with Catfish, and Mick Bendish for his print, Grafitti Artist.

The following images were captured by a preliminary member, in very difficult lighting conditions, although it could be said that some of our members benefit from a touch of soft focus.