Programme 2011-2012
September	6	Welcome, Intro to the year’s programme, Member Q&A The Club met for the new season; there was a good attendance with three new faces. The programme was debated and the question was 'What form should the practical evenings take?' Lively discussion followed, with many suggestions: how to get the perfect exposure, the use of lenses, photographing movement, working with filters, and of course, digital editing. These ideas, and others, were readily adopted for the committee to organise.
	13	Open Competition - Judge Sue Dobson The Club held an open competition of September 13th. Three pictures per entrant were allowed, of any subject. Sue Dobson as judge assessed a good number of submissions, and made many constructive comments. For example, unimportant features in a picture must not distract from the main subject. Warren Cohen's print of a white lily, and Charles Gauton's of a model with windswept hair, achieved maximum points, as did Richard Navin's haunting digital image of the Highgate Mausoleum.
	20	Guest Speaker - Philip Shaw - “In Search of the Magnificent 7” (Wildlife and Landscapes of North America) - KA The Club was entertained by a presentation of projected wildlife images by Mr. Phillip Shaw, entitled 'In search of the Magnificent Seven'. Philip had photographed seven animals from North America, mainly Alaska, for their outstanding splendour. We saw breathtaking pictures of Polar Bears over ten feet tall, Bald Eagles in full flight, Brown Bears catching salmon, Moose with huge antlers, Bison encrusted in snow and ice, and Wolves and Cougars as handsome as anything in nature. The scenery alone made stunning pictures.
	27	Print Knock out Competition - 6x4 - “The Summer of 2011” - Bring in your end prints for fun knock-out competition. The Club held a knockout competition of 6x4 prints. The seating was brought forward, and members acted collectively as judge by voting for one or other of the two prints displayed. A good number of prints were offered. The pace was brisk, and the proceedings, which were often hilarious, continued until all but one of the images were eliminated. Tracy Walters won, with her print of Raindrops on a Window. It was an image with abstract qualities, simplicity of design and good colour. Don
October	4	Practical Portrait Evening Practical Portrait Evening With Model 'Lisa Marie' & Guest 'Rianna Reid' At 8 Grainger Road, Southend On Sea, SS2 5BZ. All members to meet outside the Millenium Centre at 7:00pm
	11	AGM On 11th October the Club met for its Annual General Meeting under the chairmanship of its President, Mr. Martin Reid. He reminded us that he had been a photographer in the Police Force, and photographed murder victims. Nobody requested a demonstration. The chairman's comments and the treasurer's report were received, the committee elected for the year and the members in turn looked forward to a challenging new season of photography.
	18	Open B&W Comp to select prints for 8 Nov - Judge Peter Crane On October 18th the Club held a monochrome print completion, a lively, friendly and at times very amusing evening under judge Peter Crane. His dictum that a picture, like a story, should have a beginning, a middle and an end is worth pondering upon. Six of the many prints submitted, three of which were by Stevie Reid, achieved maximum marks.
	25	EAF Portfolio Presentation DVD On October 25th, the Club met to view the DVD of award-winning images from the 2011 East Anglian Federation of Photographic Societies' annual exhibition. As always, the photographs were of high technical merit, sometimes serious, sometimes amusing. There were action shots, as with the racing greyhounds and the tennis player's volley, and stillness as in the dreamlike bridge over a river, and the seascape at sunset. A candid photograph taken in the carriage of an underground train was of lasting interest. Wildlife photography was well represented.
November	1	Guest Speaker - Mike Logan-Wood (RSPB) - “BEAKS & BILLS” - PH On November 1st, the Club was entertained with a talk by Mr. Mike Logan of the RSPB on "Beaks and Bills". He surveyed the bird species of the British Isles and showed, from his collection of slides, that every beak is adapted for a particular food. Birds with short, compact beaks usually feed on insects, seeds and berries. Those with longer beaks, notably the Snipe, may probe for worms. The talk was grist to the mill for wildlife photographers.
	8	B&W Invitational Competition at Moulsham Mill It was a big night for the club on 8th November, when the Monochrome Invitation Competition, sponsored by the Baddow Camera Club, took place at Moulsham Mill. Nine Essex clubs entered, with Peter Crane as judge. Some excellent work was shown. It was a hard-fought contest, and to Baddow's delight, they won by half a mark. Chelmsford and Clacton tied for second place. The Best Print Award went to Jean Pain of Clacton Camera Club for her delicate and refined image "Lilies and Candles".
	15	Final 2010/2011 POTY Open Competition - Judge Mike Fuller The Club met on November 15th for the last Open Competition of the year, to determine the winner of the title 'Photographer of the Year'. Thirty-three images of all kinds were set before the judge, Mr. Mike Fuller, who particularly welcomed work that was unusual or of high technical merit. When both were combined, he was generous in his praise. The year's award was won by Ken Apsey, with Brian Pavitt second and Trevor Meacock third. Only one point separated these contestants in a very close finish.
	22	Guest Speaker - Leanne Sargeant - Essex Wildlife Trust - KA Wildlife photography is a popular genre for Club members. Leanne Sargeant of the Essex Wildlife Trust gave a vivid illustrated account of their work to preserve endangered species. The native water vole and the otter, for example, are threatened by the introduction of the mink. Much of the Trust's work is in site management, to encourage rare plants such as the bee orchid to flourish. Leanne gave us a fresh impetus to treasure our environment.
	29	Practical Evening CG On November 29th, club member Charles Gauton presented an instructive evening on the use of the digital camera's picture-taking menu. He showed with projected examples how the person behind the camera decides, by the use of settings for aperture, shutter speed and white light, how the final picture will result. Charles proved that the club possesses a good bank of knowledge and experience, a resource we can offer to those new to digital photography, so that no one is without support.
December	6	Awards Evening, POTY & Portrait of the Year Competitions Judge Harry Tabeart LRPS CPAGB On December 6th, the club held two competitions under judge Harry Tabeart. The first was a portrait competition. The judge counselled against anything that might distract from the model's face. The two best portraits were by Stevie Reid. The second competition, the President's Cup, was for the five members who were placed second to sixth in the Photographer of the Year table. Stevie Reid also won this with a fine marine landscape and a portrait of Zac with a guitar. The judge commended Stevie's versatility.
	13	Christmas Meal - Will it be at The White Horse Pub, Baddow High Street for 7:30pm sit down. Members and their guests gathered at the White Horse public house, Great Baddow, for their annual Christmas meal. Enjoyable food, good conversation and a convivial atmosphere marked the approach of the festive season and the mid-point in the Club's year. The next event will be on Tuesday January 3rd at the Millennium Centre, Great Baddow Recreation Ground at 8pm, when there will be an open evening, providing an opportunity to review the past year, consider the future programme and show off any new photographic presents. Visitors are welcome.
	20	Holiday
	27	Holiday
January	3	Open Evening – review of 2011 & prepare for 2012
	10	Guest Speaker - Gavin Woollard The Club met on January 3rd for an Open Evening of discussion and the exchange of ideas, and for the proud display of equipment, gadgets and devices received as gifts. It is the person behind the camera that counts, but some good equipment does help. We look forward to a photogenic New Year.
	17	First Open Competition of the 2012/2013 POTY Season Judge - Caroline Mockett Open Competition. This is a competition when photographs of any subject are allowed. Participating members may submit three images within the prescribed sizes, for comments and marks out of ten. Caroline Mockett was the judge. She showed a particular interest in the composition of a work and its technical excellence, and gave valuable advice. Two pictures gained maximum points: a portrait, and a harbour at night.
	24	Practical Evening Graduate Filters - Ken Aspey We met on January 24th for a talk by club member Ken Apsey on the use of filters. Ken summarised their function as adapting the camera to see what the human eye can see, or sometimes, what the eye would like to see. The polarising filter, for example, can bring out detail in a bland sky or in snow or tumbling water. It is an area for personal exploration. We also discussed the Club's Blog, a tool for sharing ideas and offering support.
	31	Guest Speaker - Ken Pratt - Video "The Bells of St Mary" The meeting on January 31st was named 'The Bells of St. Mary', the title of a short video presented by Ken Pratt, president of South Essex Film Makers. It showed the casting, tuning and installation of a new peal of bells at St. Mary's Church, Prittlewell. Outstanding among Ken's other videos was a pictorial account of the sacking of the French town of Oradour-sur-Glane by an SS Panzer Division in 1944. The inhabitants were murdered and the town destroyed. The town is kept in its ravaged state.
February	7	Tutorial - David Bailes - Digital Editing - Basics of Layers and other tools On February 7th we enjoyed a presentation by club member David Bailes on aspects of digital editing. David gave examples of how digital photography puts the improvement of an image within everyone's grasp. Cropping, brightening, darkening selected passages, and the correction of perspective were among the procedures he demonstrated. Later a DVD was shown, explaining the advantages of the use of "layers" in the computer programme Photoshop. They permit changes to an image that can be reversed.
	14	Open Competition - Judge Howard King The Club met on February 14th for an Open Competition judged by Mr. Howard King. There were 38 entries in all, and of these, 5 were awarded maximum points. Jeff Johns achieved 10 marks each for two images, including the Best Competition Entry for his photograph 'The King', a portrait of a lion. Rachael Walters must be the youngest member of the club ever to have secured 10 points for an entry. This was for her picture 'Brotherly Love', a brother and sister portrait.
	21	My favorite Image The theme of the club's meeting on February 21st was "My Favourite Images". Members presented their own photographs of subjects that meant something special to them and explained their significance. It resulted in an evening very different from an open competition, when photographic excellence is tested. Portraits, locations, an early Alpha Romeo car, wild life and children were among the subjects offered, because of their particular meaning to the photographer.
	28	Open critique from past practical evenings The club met on February 28th for a critique of portrait images given by club member Stevie Reid, whose professional work includes portrait photography. It was a learning session, often with advice on matters of detail. Some digital images were projected, and through the computer it was possible to show the "before and after" effect of enhancement. It was emphasised that photographers should set out to develop their own styles.
March	6	Guest Speaker Phil Chatfield - Thames Barges - KA The meeting on March 6th was a presentation on Thames Barges by Mr. Phil Chatfield. Besides being a qualified Mate, Phil is an experienced photographer, and began by showing his early black and white darkroom prints. Following this, his collection of colour slides traced the construction of barges and how they were employed. Today they compete, and we saw a photographic portrayal of a typical day at a barge race.
	13	Portfolio Competition Judge Peter Crane An Open Portfolio Competition is a particular challenge. Judge Peter Crane took it in his stride when assessing portfolios of three images each from members on March 13th. Peter judged diverse pictures with wisdom and humour, selecting three sets for further consideration. Richard Navin gained maximum points for his flower study, Stevie Reid scored 10 marks each for two portraits; Jeff Johns was the outright winner with 10 marks for all three works: portrait of a lion, a picture of sea and rocks, and an "Old fashioned thug".
	20	Create your own Advert - table top work - David Bailes On March 20th, the club's project was to create an imaginary advertisement, to be illustrated photographically. Members worked in pairs to set up and photograph an item of their choice. Among the images to appear on the computer screens were advertisements for a cool drink, and a pin-sharp study of a wristwatch. The cool drink, complete with caption, was judged to be the best. The evening was a valuable exercise in careful planning and crafted camera work.
	27	Tutorial - Stevie Reid - Which lenses are best for different situations On April 27th, Stevie Reid gave a presentation on The Choice of Lenses. He did not shirk the technical issues raised. He also acknowledged the expense that could be incurred. But he was down to earth. The essential questions are 'What do you want to do?' and 'What is the best lens for the job?' Close-up work, portrait and sports photography were among the genres considered. With experience, a photographer can produce excellent results from modest equipment. Everyone was reassured.
April	3	Guest Speaker Nicky Hayes - Sports Photographer. Don't forget to prime yourselves with sporting questions.
	10	Jack Levett Challenge - Judge Phil Chatfield LRPS The Club's Jack Levett Annual Challenge Competition, inaugurated by a past president, was held on April 10th. The three subjects, set by the previous year's winner, were 'Water, Watching, Working.' The judge, Mr. Phil Chatfield LRPS, assessed a good number of submissions and was generous in his praise for the quality of work. He eventually decided that Stevie Reid's sporting shots for 'Water' and 'Watching', and a study of a weaver for 'Working', won him first place and the right to hold the trophy for the year.
	17	Open Forum Q&A The Club considered the merits of RAW and JPEG files. It sounds technical, and it was. But interaction by members and an informative video put the information within everyone's grasp. Briefly expressed, RAW (unprocessed data files; not an acronym), is like a film negative. It retains all visual information that enters the camera. JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a compressed file, set in the camera. It is simplified, and requires less space on the memory card. More on this topic on May 22nd.
	24	Practical Portrait evening with Dee Posing for Casual shoot & Belinda Going for a 50's Theme At The Club held a portrait evening at Rawlight Studios, Southend. It was an opportunity for members to use the space and facilities of a professional studio, with model Dee posing for a casual shoot and Belinda representing a 50s theme. The two photographic areas allow two different backgrounds to the models. The evening provides an opportunity for members to prepare for the Portrait Photographer of the Year Competition.
May	1	Open Competition - Judge Ron Tear On May Day, the Club held an Open Competition, with Mr. Ron Tear as judge. A good range of subjects was submitted including landscape, close up (macro) photography, portraits and architecture. Ron offered many words of wisdom, and reserved his highest praise for pictures that expressed atmosphere or emotion. It was a stimulating evening, and a number of images were awarded maximum points.
	8	On May 8th, the revised programme, following a cancellation by a visiting speaker, was of projected digital images from a recent competition between 9 local camera clubs, including ourselves. The set subjects were Working, Water and Glass, with an additional Open Category. Many images were ingenious and provoked debate on how they were achieved. The highest-placed picture was 'Dogged determination,' from Chelmsford Camera Club, of greyhounds at full speed, with the action 'frozen' by a fast shutter speed.
	15	The Best of Danbury Common - This Event has been cancelled due to weather / ground conditions.
	22	Camera RAW  'What is the process'
	29	Open Competition - Judge Mike Fuller
June	5	Bank Holiday
	12	Print Knockout - 6x4 - Danbury Images taken on 15 May evening
	19	Summer BBQ