Camborne & Redruth Camera Club

The Audio Visual Group of the Camborne-Redruth Camera Club (C-RCC) met on Tuesday 21^st October at the Treleigh Church Hall for the first meeting of its Winter Programme. With several new members in the Group but also for the benefit of everybody, Mary Poad (Competition Secretary) spent the first half of the meeting revising the basics of A/V programming using the popular software Pictures to Exe.

For the second part of the evening the Club’s 2007 entry ‘The Colours of Eden’ in the Western Counties Photographic Federation’s A/V Competition was reviewed and discussed taking into account its content, quality, where it could have been improved and the judge’s remarks. Mary Poad, to finish the evening showed one of her A/V sequences.

The next meeting of the Group will take place on Tuesday 18^th November when the topic will be ‘Creating a Soundtrack’ and the showing of and discussing members’ A/V sequences (length restricted to 3 mins).

The full Club met last Thursday evening (23-10-08) again at Treleigh when Mary Poad answered some of the technical questions that arose at the previous A/V meeting but were applicable to general digital processing. The points covered were adding clouds to a bland sky, composition – moving too central images to ‘on the thirds’ by resizing, replacing backgrounds, the use and theory of Photoshop’s Magic Wand tool and adding lighting effects to a woodland scene.

After the break there was a discussion about Camera Bags. Some members favoured shoulder bags whereas others preferred the ‘Back Pack’ type. The following members, Reg Poad, Jenny Goodman, Bob Morgan, Richard McGee, Charles Charlton, Andy Davies and David Johnson brought along their bags and showed how they stored their equipment and accessories. Some elected to take only equipment necessary for the job in hand where others carried equipment to cover any contingency. There was also an emphasis on weather gear, not only for oneself but to protect the equipment, and finally - always leave room for sandwiches.

To finish what has been a busy week and despite an unfavourable weather forecast there was a reasonable turnout of members on Sunday (26-10-08) for the field trip to Golitha Falls. Reg Poad gave a tutorial to those who were new to photographing fungi. Later the weather improved and they were able to take, as well as fungi, pictures of the river and the trees in their autumn colours. On their way home the group stopped off at the Lanhydrock Estate to photograph ink cap mushrooms.

Both Reg and Mary Poad have had acceptances and work hung in the recent Saltaire Festival World Heritage Site Competition. In the 2008 Plantlife International  Competition, out of 500 entries Reg Poad (C-RCC Chairman) had three images accepted for its calendar and ran out overall winner with his picture of ‘Porcelain Fungi’ earning him £300 in photographic vouchers.

Tonight (30-10-08) at Treleigh starting at 07.30pm is the return match between C-RCC and Blandford C.C. The judge is John Murray.

Next week (06-11-08) is the second Open prints and projected images competition and the judge will be Muriel Somerfield (Helston C.C.).

The proposed visit to Jessop’s of Truro has had to be changed from Sunday 2^nd to 9^th November. Weather permitting, members are asked to meet on the ground floor of the Moorfield Car Park at 03.00pm with the intention to photograph Truroscapes from the top storey and to move on to Jessop’s at 04.00 pm. Afterwards, again weather permitting, it is planned to take night scenes of Truro.

Last Thursday evening (16-10-08) at The Treleigh Church Hall the Camborne-Redruth Camera Club (C-RCC) met the Penryn Camera Club in an Inter-Club Print and Projected Images Competition. It was a very close fought battle, the Penryn Club coming out victors with a five point margin over the Home Club.

Reg Poad (Chairman) welcomed members of the Penryn Camera Club and introduced Jeremy Northcott from the Wadebridge Camera Club, the judge for the evening, who was making his first visit to the C-RCC.

Jeremy Northcott in his introduction gave a brief biography of his background, as a primary school teacher, vice-president of the Wadebridge Camera Club and an active member of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Photo-Group. He also admitted that unlike many judges on the circuit his photographic background was purely digital.

Jeremy said that he was delighted and even astonished with the quality of work he was presented with to judge and that he based his judgement on the following points – Composition, Lighting, Sharpness, Impact, Pattern and finally his own personal choice. During his commentary Jeremy always found something positive to say about each image in the first instance but went on in many cases to talk about features where the work could have been even further improved.

Results

Individual

Prints

1. Mir & Sedon (Tall Ships) - Derek Godridge - Penryn CC

2. Under the Arches - Mary Poad - C-RCC

3. Taking a Break - Clive Kingsley - C-RCC

H/C Owl - John Coward - Penryn CC

Projected Images

1. Let me Out - John Coward - Penryn CC

2. Crocuses - Derek Godridge - Penryn CC

3. Robin - Mary Poad - C-RCC

H/C Tools - Clive Kingsley - C-RCC

Results

Overall

Prints: C-RCC - 57 pts Penryn CC - 59 pts

Projected Images: C-RCC - 54 pts Penryn CC - 57 pts

Totals: C-RCC - 111 pts Penryn CC - 116 pts

Clive Kingsley gave a vote of thanks to Jeremy Northcott for his interesting remarks and he felt that many in the audience would have been helped by them. He also congratulated Penryn CC on their narrow win.

In reply Derek Godridge also thanked Jeremy and also C-RCC for its customary hospitality.

Reg Poad also thanked Jenny Goodman and Christine Hocking for organising the refreshments.

Tonight at the Treleigh Church Hall starting at 07.30pm there will be a digital tutorial evening and a discussion about the different types of bags for carrying photographic equipment.

The Camborne-Redruth Camera Club met last Thursday evening (09-10-08) at Treleigh Church Hall for a talk by its President Malcolm Jenkin on the subject of ‘Judging Photographic Competitions’. He felt that one of the most important things from the competitors’ point of view was to take pictures for oneself and enter pictures that one is pleased with. From the judge’s point of view it is not an easy task as he could be faced with entries on a wide range of subjects, some of which are outside his range of experience. Malcolm said that in making his final decision in any competition he is judging, it always came down to his personal choice.

There can be inconsistency from judge to judge depending on their qualifications, experience and personal preferences. Also they could have different views on the same print presented for competition at Club, Inter-Club, Alliance, Federation and International Salon level.

Malcolm then showed images from the previous week’s C-RCC’s Open competition and discussed their merits or otherwise in relation to the marks given. He thought that to enter local scenes in competition locally it was going to be inevitable that an experienced local judge would immediately compare that scene with the best he had previously seen and unless it proved an exceptional picture it would almost inevitably be given a low mark. Yet the same picture entered in an Open competition in the North of England and in particular abroad could prove to be successful.

Malcolm Jenkin then talked about the international method of judging for instance the Western Counties or say the Bristol Salon where there would be an entry of a couple of thousand and these would have to be whittled down to say 150 images. There is a panel of three judges and every picture in the first instance is considered but only for about ten seconds and voted upon, each judge giving marks up to five points. The picture therefore has to be a strong impact image to move on to the second stage where the pictures remaining are considered further but at a slower pace. The judging is completed in a day. This method was then compared to judging in Cornwall where the judge has at least a week to consider the entries and therefore the more subtle pictures have a better chance.

He then revealed that he has, along with his wife Barbara, since they are frequent travellers to the USA, joined the Nevada Camera Club. He explained in detail the Nevada Club’s method of judging working with a panel of five judges with only three voting at any one time. He showed a series of their pictures that have been successful, gaining Blue, Red and White Ribbons of Merit, the colours relating to the level of marks gained. Other pictures from the Nevada Club’s Master class were shown.

He encouraged members to be aware of the websites where the results of major salons are posted and thus to become familiar with the current trends and techniques such as infrared monochrome pictures.

In all it was a very interesting and thought provoking evening particularly for newer members entering competitions for the first time.

Barbara Jenkin was the projectionist. 92 year old Reg Sweet gave the results and judge’s comments of a recent away match with the Blandford Camera Club (Dorset), the home Club beating C-RCC by 17 points. A return match will take place on 30 October at Treleigh when the judge will be John Murray who will assess the same prints and slides.
Richard McGee (Vice-Chairman) gave the vote of thanks.

Tonight(16-10-08) is an Inter-Club Competition with the Penryn Club at Treleigh Church Hall ,starting at 07.30pm

The C-RCC Audio/Visual Group formed last year meets on Tuesday 21 October again at Treleigh starting at 07.30pm. The evening will take the form of tuition on the popular software PtExe and showing A/V sequences. This is an open meeting and anyone interested in this subject would be welcomed. Two further meetings are planned for 2008, meeting on 18 November and 16 December.

Members of the Camborne-Redruth Camera (C-RCC) met last Thursday evening (02/10/08) at the Treleigh Church Hall for the first Open Competition of Prints and Projected Images of its Winter Programme. In the absence of Mary Poad (Competition Secretary) due to illness, Jenny Goodman took over the helm to record scores and to project the digital images.

Reg Poad (Chairman) introduced the judge for the evening, Adrian Rowlands of the Truro Camera Club.

Adrian opened by saying that from his judging photography around the County this year he had noticed that there had been a significant improvement in the standard of print quality as photographers had got to grips with digital camera use and the latest inkjet printers. It was particularly noticeable there had been a big increase in the quality of monochrome prints. Adrian in his commentary gave a very helpful critique on the 102 images displayed and always managed to find something positive to say about each entry. He felt though that with some images there was considerable bias towards art which in his opinion was not photography.

Results - Prints.

Intermediate – Monochrome

1. Carn Brea Castle - Jim Tarbox

2. Carn Brea Castle - Jim Tarbox

3. Robin - Alec Weyman

Advanced – Monochrome

1. Pendeen Lighthouse - Jenny Goodman

2. Abigail (Yawl) - Charles Charlton

3. Pigeons’ Rest - Paul Davis

H/C Woodland Walk - Mary Poad

Intermediate – Colour

1. Red Fox Vixen - Mark Ormerod

2. Godrevy Gold - Mark Ormerod

3. Spray of Gladioli - Noel Ellis

H/C Pretty Boy - Jim Tarbox

Advanced – Colour

1. Apprentice - Jenny Goodman

2. Under the Arches - Mary Poad

3. Solitary Tree - Delia Trathen

H/C Helmsman - Charles Charlton

H/C Derwent Water - Clive Kingsley

Results - Projected Images

Intermediate

1. End of the Day - Andy Davies

2. First Five Years - Val Burtenshaw

3. Bald Eagle - Jim Tarbox

H/C When All the World is Quiet - Martine Levy

H/C Disused Mine - Christine Hocking

H/C Fish and Ships - Richard McGee

Advanced

1. Tools - Clive Kingsley

2. Leaf Detail - Jenny Leathes

3. View from Haystacks - Clive Kingsley

H/C Kaffir Lily - Charles Charlton

H/C Damsel Fly - Jenny Goodman

H/C Rainy Shopping Day - Mary Poad.

A vote of thanks was given by C-RCC’s President Malcolm Jenkin who is giving tonight’s talk starting at 07.30pm again at Treleigh and his subject is ‘What a Judge looks for’.

Events for the Diary:-

26 October – Field Trip Golitha Falls Meet Car Park 10.30am.
2 November – Jessops – Truro, Meet outside 04.00pm followed by evening Field Trip – Truro.

Projected Images winners