Morning All
Notices:
Message from Susie (Freeman), last week’s speaker:
Please thank your members for the very warm reception they gave me. I enjoyed the evening.
Attached is the sheet of notes as promised for you to distribute.
Best wishes
Susie
Programme for 2027–2028 – Yes, It’s That Time Already!
Believe it or not, we’re already starting to plan next year’s programme! Yes, we know it feels as though we’ve only just got this year’s programme sorted, but these things don’t organise themselves (although we keep hoping they might!).
To secure the speakers we really want, whether they’re joining us live in person or via the wonders of Zoom, we need to get cracking sooner rather than later. The good ones tend to get booked up faster than a camera club member spotting a bargain lens!
So, if you have any ideas, thoughts, suggestions or burning desires for talks, speakers, topics or themes, NOW is the time to speak up! Please don’t wait until the programme is finalised and then announce, “I wish we’d had a talk about that!”
You can email your suggestions to info@garstangcameraclub.co.uk or have a chat with Mike or Ian at one of the next couple of meetings. They’re all ears (and no, you don’t need to bring your own microphone).
Remember, this is YOUR club, and talks and speakers make up around 50% of our programme. That’s half the year’s entertainment, inspiration and photographic wisdom — so you really do have a say in what we get up to!
No idea is too big, too small or too unusual. Wildlife, landscapes, portraits, street photography, creative techniques, something completely different – we’re open to suggestions. If you’ve ever thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could have a talk about…?”, then we want to hear from you!
So, put your thinking caps on, dust off those wish lists and let us know what you’d like to see in 2027–2028.
After all, we can’t promise to arrange a talk on photographing Bigfoot… but we won’t know unless you ask!
Get your suggestions in soon — the planning starts NOW!
Image Critiquing: On 28th October:
Don’t forget to send in those photos!
All images submitted and shown will be anonymous.
The idea is for any club member to submit a maximum of 3 (ish) images for a constructive critique by Stan and he will guarantee that at least 1, if not 2 images, from each member, will be critiqued.
Environment Cup: Our 2nd internal competition:
The closing date for this competition is Wednesday 28th October; 17 days to go.
Description of images allowed:
Landscapes, architecture, dereliction, sculptures, street art, environmental issues and transport.
Please remember – people and animals must show scale or add to, NOT focal point.
If you are a new member, or indeed an existing member and you would like any help and/or guidance PLEASE ask at the next meeting or email me on info@garstangcameraclub.co.uk or phone for a chat on 07340 314408. I’m more than happy to help!
Please also remember all images show and judged are judged anonymously; it is a great way to get appraisal, evaluation and feedback on your photographs. You will learn a lot!
Reminder! Water: Challenge 2 – Splashes into Action!
The brief is delightfully simple: show us photographs containing water.
As before, there are no rules. This is a challenge, not a tax return. Use images from years ago, images taken yesterday, or images captured five minutes before the meeting while frantically spraying the garden hose at a flowerpot.
Use whatever equipment you fancy: DSLR, mirrorless, compact camera, phone, tablet, nautical telescope, or any other image-capturing contraption you happen to own.
The main aim is simply to encourage you, the members, to get out and about, enjoy taking photographs, and perhaps even remember where you left your camera since the last challenge.
So, grab your camera, iPhone, wellies if necessary, and go in search of something wet.
Thoughts!
This challenge is WATER — that well‑known substance responsible for rain, tea, and 97% of British small talk. Your mission, should you choose to accept it (and you do, because we need entries), is to produce an image that contains water in any form, state, mood, or level of chaos.
To help you along, here are some highly professional suggestions!
- Actual water — Rivers, lakes, puddles, or that suspicious drip under your kitchen sink.
- Water behaving badly — Waves crashing, taps leaking, sprinklers attacking innocent passers-by.
- Water pretending to be something else — Mist, fog, steam, or the condensation on your glasses when you walk into Booths.
- Water in domestic captivity — Kettles boiling, washing-up bubbles, or the bath plughole (for the truly avant-garde).
- Water in emotional turmoil — Tears, sweat, or the rain that arrives precisely when you’ve just set up your tripod.
- Water in unexpected places — Dew on a spiderweb, droplets on a car bonnet, or the pint you accidentally knocked over at the Royal Oak.
Please remember: You do not need to get soaked for this challenge. You do not need to submerge your camera. You do not need to recreate the Titanic. But if you do, please film it horizontally.
Time is beginning to get short! Entries to be shown on Wednesday 28th October
Coffee duty:
Coffee/tea duty for Wednesday 14th October is Ian and Bob – thank you gentlemen, in advance!
Up and coming programme of events:
Wednesday 14th October – Our first internal club competition ‘The Events Cup.’ This will be judged by Carol Watson. We have 50 images to be judged.
‘Cos we will have some spare time……….!
NEW: Adrian (Harlen), one of our new members, has very kindly offered to give a talk after our coffee/tea break and this talk will be titled ‘Composition.’ Many thanks to Adrian for stepping in at short notice!
Wednesday 21st October – Our speaker this evening is Phil Durkin and his talk is titled ‘A few seconds makes all the difference’ – long exposure. A Few Seconds Makes All the Difference
Phil writes: My seascape presentation, “A Few Seconds Makes All the Difference,” explores the art of seeing the world through the lens of long and extreme long exposure photography. The collection journeys mainly across the UK – from the North West Coast, along the East Coast and Humberside, to the wild beauty of the North West of Scotland and the tranquility of the Inner and Outer Hebrides before reaching into Europe with a small selection of overseas images. The presentation includes elements of minimalist photography and through this approach fleeting moments are transformed into images of stillness and surrealism. It features both colour and monochrome pictures.
Phil Dukin | DPAGB | BPE4
Wednesday 28th October – Members evening: Showing of the images chosen for the Fylde 4-way ‘Battle’ plus ’Image critiquing’ by Stan and our 2nd SAT – subject ‘Water.’ See above!
Wednesday 4th November – Our speaker this evening is Duncan Phillips and his talk is titled ‘Black and White Photography.’ Further details will follow next week
That’s all folks, see you Wednesday.
Mike
