Dave & Sheila Coates

Pictures all around, Dave & Sheila Coates
13/02/20

Today guest speakers Dave and Sheila Coates displayed a number of their prints from around the UK, Tuscany and North America. Both Dave and Sheila are keen landscape photographers and their prints showed that they have an eye for both composition and light, two essentials for good photography. As well as charting their travels, the prints also showed their transition over the years from film and slides to digital photography with a number of prints produced from scans of slides.

The talk started in the UK with images from Yorkshire and the Lake District, some images being of ‘classic’ well known locations and some not so well known but all demonstrating the natural beauty of the area. On a number of occasions Dave and Sheila showed images taken in the same area but minutes apart demonstrating how a scene can be transformed by the rapidly changing light during sunrise or sunset. Highlighting that a few extra minutes spent shooting with changing light can make the difference between a good shot and a great shot.
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As a short diversion from landscape prints Dave also showed a number of prints of wild orchids most of which could be found in one area while some others could only be found in certain parts of the country. One tip that Dave shared when developing images of flowers to make them stand out in the print – don’t brighten the flower as this could also change the colours instead darken the background.

Next we were off to North America, a trip Dave and Sheila like to make every couple of years. Here we were treated to the wonderful scenery of Yosemite and Yellowstone. Once again the prints showed the importance planning ahead to be at the right place at the right time to capture the changing lighting conditions.

Next it was back to the UK and a number of limestone pavement and winter snow images showing that sometimes you have to suffer for your art. For one of the images Sheila had to kneel down on the cold, hard and uneven limestone to get the right angle for the tree branches in the foreground to mimic the curve of the hills in the background.

Following a brief jump to Tuscany and a number minimalist shots showing how the patterns made by the undulating bright green fields with a single point of interest, a lone tree or farm house, could be used to produce an interesting image, it was off for a final visit to America. When Dave and Sheila got the offer of a photographic trip promising to boldly go where no UK photographer had gone before they jump at the chance. The reward was the opportunity to photograph some outstanding scenery with both Dave and Sheila’s images, taken in the early morning light, definitely having that wow factor. 

Following the talk a number of prints were displayed allowing members to have a closer look at the images.

Thank you to both Dave and Sheila for sharing their images of ‘Places all around’.

Paul Dunn (Secretary)