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Tonight’s (16th Jan) 2nd Open Print Competition was judged by Jim Welsh, from Blyth Photographic Society, who provided constructive criticism on each entry, pointing out the positives as well as the negatives on each image. Due to the low number of entries the colour and mono prints were combined with Jim awarding the top five places and five highly commended images, although Jim said there were a number of images that were close to being highly commended. Jules Colin Livingstone Cherry Blossom at Grangetown Cemetery Bob Finlay No.50 on the Kielder Rally Bob Finley Going Home to Nest Colin Livingstone Misty Morning at Tigh Mor Ray Barnes Highly Commended Going to Greggs Colin Livingstone Nutty Snack Ray Barnes Etive Mor Paul Dunn Pillars Peter Moody Autumn Reflections Ray Barnes Paul Dunn (Print Competition Secretary)
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It was a cold evening for our first meeting of 2025 and Colin Livingstone led a session about photographing and focus stacking. Focus stacking is a technique designed to achieve a deep depth of field by blending, or stacking, a number of images together. Each stacked shot is focused on a different spot, so the combined depth of field is deeper than the depth of field produced by any of the individual images. The combined result is a much sharper image throughout. The technique can be used in many genres of photography, from landscape to macro photography and optimal microscopy. The number of images stacked can vary from 2 or 3 to, quite literally, hundreds. It's essential to use a tripod for photo stacking.   Colin had set up 2 scenes, illuminated by LED lights, which he used to demonstrate the technique. Members were given the opportunity to try it out using their own cameras.    The next step is to stack the images using appropriate software. Using a projector and screen, Colin showed us how he stacks his images on Photoshop. It's a technique which requires some know-how and perseverance but is not too difficult to learn and practice. Although Colin uses Photoshop, other software packages, such as Affinity Photo and Luminar Neo, can be used.
The final step was to clear the frost off our cars and a number of us headed off to the pub for the first drinks of the New Year together. Ray Barnes Programme Secretary We had a good turnout for Peter Moody's talk about producing AV presentations. Every active member was in attendance at our last meeting of 2024.
Good AVs are more than just a sequence of photographs accompanied by music. The effective presentation of complementary images in a compelling manner, following the rhythm of relevant and sympathetic music, requires real skill and a good deal of time and attention. Peter uses AV Studio version 10.1 to produce his presentations although version 11 is now available. Peter projected a short AV onto a screen which he had made using photographs of one of CCC's practical evenings with live animals in September. He went on to demonstrate on the screen how he develops an AV from scratch, using the software and music which he had himself selected. There are many ways in which photographs used in AVs can be introduced on screen and combined with preceding images. The impact of changing photographic images can be strongly affected by setting the timing to coincide with changes in the pitch or rhythm of the music. Peter's presentation to us demonstrated that there are a lot of moving parts and many considerations when it comes to producing an impactful and successful AV. However, despite the challenges, a number of us realised that we had photographs of subjects and themes which could be brought to life by AVs. Thanks to Peter, some of us may well be tempted to give it a go! Next Thursday will see us getting together for a Christmas Social Evening and our next meeting will be a practical evening with Colin Livingstone on 9th January 2025. Ray Barnes Programme Secretary In advance of our meeting, an image produced by Colin Livingstone was circulated to all members. Colin told us he was to explain how to capture and post process such an impressive image. He also said that if we brought our cameras to the meeting, we could try it out there and then.  Many of us thought that the production of such an image would probably involve multiple exposures, focus stacking and advanced photoshop techniques. In the event, we were surprised and pleased in equal measure. Although Colin did use studio lighting, a camera boom arm and a Swiss arca plate, the production of the image was quite different and much simpler than many of us had imagined. It also involved, quite critically, an optical illusion. Using our own cameras, a number of us took some photographs using the set up Colin had provided and then watched as Colin showed us, on a projected screen, how he had then used some fairly straightforward Photoshop post processing techniques to improve and manipulate the image.       The view of many members was that even after such a short period of tuition, we could now produce such a photograph ourselves and, as we discussed with Colin, the techniques he had exhibited could be applied to other images we may wish to produce. In fact, so keen was one of our members to try out and exhibit this technique that he had used it and posted a similar image on Facebook whilst we were still enjoying a post meeting drink in the pub!!
Ray Barnes Programme Secretary There was a good turnout of members for our 1st PDI Battle of the season. Members had submitted more than 40 PDIs (Projected Digital Images) which were paired against each other in a round-by-round knockout format. The members in attendance voted for which one of the pair of images they preferred. The losing image was knocked out of the competition and the winning image progressed to the next round of the Battle. The preferred images progressed to the quarter final, semi-final and final stages. The last 2, very different, images were a motor cross capture by Bob Finlay and a picture of a fire eater by Malcolm Booth. The winning image was the motor cross image by Bob Finlay, who also had an image called The Artist which progressed to the semi-final. In the absence of our President, Bob Finlay presented the evening and at the start explained to a potential new member that the Battle format was a bit of fun and light relief, rather than a more serious photographic competition. However, the evening was enjoyed by all in attendance and in the pub afterwards, a number of our better photographers commented that there had been some good images on display. Next Thursday we will have a Studio Night, presented by our own Colin Livingstone. Colin will explain how he produces some complex images and members will be invited to bring their own cameras and try to replicate the technique. Ray Barnes Programme Secretary On 26th November a group of members represented Cramlington Club at the North Tyne Prints Competition hosted at Gosforth Camera Club.
The Judge David Ord had the difficult job of grading 60 prints up to a maximum of 30 points. Because of the high quality of the entries from all clubs it meant that the final results were very close. The print awarded with the top score of 30pts was 'The Velvet Touch' from Gosforth Camera Club. The highest scoring print for Cramlington was 'Red Arrows' by Adam Burness. The scores on the doors are: 6th - Cramlington 204 pts 5th - North Shields 210 pts 4th - Whitley Bay 212 pts Ponteland 212 pts 2nd - Gosforth 214 pts 1st - Tynemouth 217 pts PDI Competition Secretary Colin Byrne David Stout is an enthusiast about both travel and photography, and this came over very clearly in his talk to us on a cold night in Cramlington about a trip he took with his wife, Carol (who is also a keen photographer) in 2019. David explained that they don't go on holidays; they go on photography trips. David is always accompanied on his trips by his Canon camera, a few lenses (although he mainly uses his 24-120 mm lens when travelling) and a monopod. Their trip in 2019 (one of many which David has made), was arranged to celebrate a "significant birthday" for David and started in Singapore. They then went to Thailand, a lengthy stay in Myanmar (previously called Burma) , Vietnam and then back for a few more days in Singapore. David conducts detailed research before undertaking his journeys to ensure that he had the opportunities to take the best photographs. His research certainly paid off and his excellent photographs included landscapes, Buddhist temples and striking portraits of some of the locals he came across. In addition to showing PDIs, David also had some prints on display. When it comes to finding photographic opportunities David's philosophy is: " if you don't ask, you don't get" and that it sometimes pays to have "a brass neck". He illustrated this philosophy a few times, including in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam when, having watched for 20 minutes a group of Chinese tourists take selfies and photographs of each other in front of a palace, he very politely spoke to them in a few words of Mandarin and asked them to step back to give him the opportunity to take shots without anybody in front of him. The Chinese group and their guide were somewhat taken aback but accepted his request without quibble and David was able to secure the photographs he was seeking!
It was a very enjoyable, entertaining and informative evening of photography and travel from a true enthusiast. Ray Barnes Programme Secretary Tonight Morpeth Camera Club held the first leg of the 4 Way inter-club Competition.
The club chairman Peter downs welcomed the members and guests to Morpeth and introduced the guest judge George Ledger, ARPS DPAGB. George got straight into the “show” and explained his style of judging our images. He gave his insight on each image with some helpful and positive critique, and marked them out of 30 points. The highest score with 30pts on the night was“Winter Summit Glen Coe” from Gosforth Camera club. Final scores were;- 1st place Gosforth with 243 points 2nd Place Morpeth with 225 points 3rd place Gateshead with 206 point 4th place Cramlington with 192 points So its all to play for in second leg when the print competition is staged. Colin Livingstone Interclub Secretary Brian Sidney, one of our longstanding members, delivered a talk to us on Thursday 14th November entitled The Outer Limits. As Brian is also the President of the Newcastle Astronomical Society, we knew we were in for a high quality and authoritative talk about photographing the night sky.
Brian didn't disappoint as he spoke to us and displayed great photographs he had taken in North America, the UK and elsewhere of eclipses of the sun and moon, constellations, meteors and comets. He also showed us photographs he had taken, including some taken recently and locally, of the aurors borealis. Brian explained to us some of the astronomical phenomena and the camera settings he used for his night sky photographs. Processing night sky photographs from both film and digital images were a particular point of interest. We enjoyed an interesting evening and some of us were able to continue the discussion later in the pub, when Brian had his customary pint of Carling in front of him. Ray Barnes CCC Programme Secretary A good contingent from Morpeth Camera Club joined us at Doxford Methodist Church Hall, Cramlington on 7th November. Our friends from Morpeth put on an excellent evening, with a range of audio visual (AV) displays and other images. We were impressed by the number of their members who produce high quality AVs and their presentations to us showcased an eclectic mix of topics from milk drops to Costa Blanca to nuclear facilities in Scotland from the Cold War days. The AVs were all accompanied by music, which had been carefully selected to be sympathetic towards, and to provide further visceral feelings about, the subject matter.
As our President Chris Houghton commented at the end of the evening, we appreciated the amount of work which had gone into producing the various presentations and for the efficient and effective way in which they had been organised and coordinated for us to view and appreciate. Before and after the meeting it was good to catch up with our visitors over coffee and tea. In the pub afterwards, some of us from CCC agreed that Morpeth had set a high standard for us to meet in our reciprocal visit to them on 11th March 2025. However, work will soon begin on the challenge we have set ourselves! Ray Barnes CCC Programme Secretary |
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