Hello to all…….just where is this year going ? July has seen the completion of our second year’s “freebie”, four weeks of tuition for members of the public who, having a camera, but not knowing how to get the best out of it, Digital cameras have a programme known as the green square ie you just point and shoot, the camera doing all the work. This course is to make the owner to become more proficient and creative. It has been very well attended with an average of around 15 places each week.

Thanks must go to two people particularly, our Chair, Mike who I think must have some Swiss genes in his persona, his organisational skills on the nights run on time and are like clockwork ! Secondly to Stan Pearson for the hard work and preparation of the course content, not forgetting his knowledge. Well done the both of you. A very big thank you, also,  to the membership as a whole for their conviviality, tuition and refreshments . Well done everyone !

We continue to use our “quiet period “ with our Events Cup Competition and on the free nights (something about hen’s teeth) to visit local places of interest, more on a social basis.

As you are reading this, it will only be four weeks until the start of our new season which begins on Wednesday, 3rd.September.

Ther are still many photograph opportunities left during the summer with the Garstang Show, 2 Air Shows, both free, Blackpool Aug 9-10^th.  Southport Aug 30-31^st.and a number of local Village Shows, why not enter the photography section IT’S FUN. Not as Bill Shankley was asked if football was a matter of life or death, his reply  “ oh no! It’s much more important than that ! “

Maurice Barker

garstangcameraclub.co.uk

This will be a brief report since we are now into our “ close season “ although it’s hard to believe.  We continue to meet each week although on a less formal basis.  We have had three successful outings during the past month to Heysham,  Kirby Lonsdale and Sunderland point, each blessed with good weather and well attended.

By the time this goes to print there will be three out of the four weeks remaining on our free tuition course  “ YOUR CAMERA, LEARN IT, LOVE IT “ and so if you missed the first, there is still time to catch up.

JULY 2cnd / 9^th. 16^th.  held at the Arts Centre, High St. Garstang beginning at 7.00pm – 10.00pm and the important word is FREE !  Just turn up.

For all information regarding the Club, go to the website below, or ring Mike our Chair on     07340  314408 .

Maurice Barker
garstangcameraclub.co.uk

June already ! Regular meetings have ceased until September  BUT……. for non- members, we are again offering a FREE 4 week course to anyone with a camera or thinking of buying one.
The meetings take place at the Arts Centr on the High St. on Wednesday evenings on the following dates;
– 25th June
– 2nd July
– 9th July
– 16th July
Meetings begin at 7.00pm prompt and finish at 10.00pm.  The technicalities are broken down into easy to grasp stages, starting with  how a camera works/what it can do, composition with images, being creative and editing with software.  Do avail yourselves of this superb offer, where else do freebies exist without a catch ?  I must add that we are a very friendly club so, come test the water.
By the time this goes to print, we will have completed our year’s programme, social evening and prizewinners being given their awards.
Finally I look forward to meeting up in June, and also for our new year in September .

Maurice  Barker
garstangcameraclub.co.uk

Hello to all.  I hope all is well.  Here is the copy for May.

Hello readers and as I write this, what glorious weather we are having, let’s hope this is not our summer !  We are nearing the end of another season which has been a most successful one. It culminated in a win for Garstang with our annual battle with our link club in New Zealand at Rangiora. There remains only one presentation  to go, this is by Steve Proctor presenting THE WILDSIDE and takes place on Wed. May 7^th at 7.30 pm.

Our presentation evening is on  May 21^st. when, a meal will be followed by the presentation of certificates along with trophies.  Although this is the last programmed meeting, we are again running our summer course entitled  YOUR CAMERA, LEARN IT , LOVE IT.  for non members

It will run for 4 weeks from  June 25^th. and is FREE.  We are aiming at beginners or those with a camera, maybe still in it’s box !  You need to bring it along. We are a very friendly club with members encouraging and helping out each week. If you are thinking of buying one and need some advice, perhaps we can advise you on such a purchase. I will be giving specific details of course content/times etc in the next issue of this magazine so, mark it down in your diary. With very little free in these times without a catch, please avail yourselves of such an opportunity.

Finally, it cannot go unsaid that the success of the club is due to a good team. Firstly to Mike Jenner as the Chairman, who is said to work the 25 hr day on behalf of the club, ably supported by the committee. To the members of GCC who turn up in all weathers and help out whenever asked. A very big Thank You to one and all.  I wish you all, a good summer.

Maurice Barker
garstangcameraclub.co.uk

Each year, the Club puts on two exhibitions of member’s prints which have been entered for all or any of our internal competitions.The one in September displays which were awarded a !st,  2cnd  or 3^rd place in our big 5 ( for more details see the website ) These are held in the Arts Centre.

We begin with our first display which will be open for viewing from April 5th through to May 1^st. This consists of images which were not awarded a place and may include prints not having been entered for whatever reason. Without the many prints the competitions would not be viable…..thinking back to my marathon days I never assumed a win as the many thousands in front will testify ! The efforts and the satisfaction of a good print  ( it’s not the winning but the taking part ……..! )

Please give us a visit and why not take the weight off and have some coffee and cake, you will be made most welcome.

I intended to publish the results of our annual battle between ourselves and our colleagues in New Zealand , unfortunately it had to be switched to a later date. Next edition…..!

Also soon to be published , our 5 summer outings to various places of interest, these may be entered into one of our big 5, the Events Cup.

Our programme for April is as follows-

April 2nd.    Kas Stone on  Making Meaningful Photographs  (by way of ZOOM )

  ..  .. 9^th.       Paul Dunmall  CPAGB  QCP  on An Iterchangeable Critic Night.

..   ..16^th       the judging of one of the big 5  ANYTHING GOES  Judge  Simon Ray.

..  .. 23^rd      Presentation by two of our Members,  Stan Pearson and Lewis Thompson

..  ..30^th       A G M.

May 7^th        Steve Proctor  on  The Wildside.   ( could this be a walk ? )

Maurice Barker

garstangcameraclub.co.uk

The recent old snap although giving massive opportunities  for superb landscapes, and fell views, does little to encourage photographers of a certain age to grab the kit and get out there in the sub zero temperatures…..nuff said !

Even my dog is quite content to look at the outside from within.

We finished our Autumn term session with a very successful social evening and as we know these events don’t just happen, so a big vote of thanks for all involved .The first two meetings in 2025 were by zoom and on Jan 22cnd comes the third of our internal competitions  CREATURES AND PLANTS.

February gives us BOYD HARRIS  live A  PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY THROUGH HISTORY.

Feb. 12^th. is our 4 way battle between Morecambe /Lancaster and J 26. This will be on ZOOM

Feb.19^th.  MICHAEL  BARKELY  on SPORT PHOTOGRAPHY  via ZOOM.

Feb  26^th.  We battle it out with a a New Zealand club in Rangiora

March 5^th.  TESNI WARD on British Wildlife   via ZOOM.  And so, a healthy collection of meetings should ensue.

The above image shows that there is always an opportunity to capture an image. This was at St. Hilda’s Bisborrow and shows Bilsborrow Young Farmers taking the plough/the seed and the milk to be blessed. An annual event here in Bilsborrow, not so in many other Parishes.

If you are reading this for the first time, and have a modicum of interest in cameras or mobile phones do come along and see what we are about, you will be made most welcome. We meet in the Arts Centre each Wednesday at 7. 30 prompt.

Maurice Barker

Info@garstangcameraclub.co .uk

Hello to all, the club has had a good and varied start to this year’s programmes including a workshop on macro photography ( close ups ), another on portraits and sports shoots, and by the time this goes to print,the first of our club competitions “ the Events Cup ” will have been judged.  The Public Exhibition of prints by members , inclusive of winners and those given commendation awards has been well attended. Thanks to all who displayed their images.

Our programme for November is as follows :-
Oct.30^th.    Member’s evening showing techniques acquired from the macro evening in September.
Nov. 6^th.     Alan Cameron  presents  “ Travels in Southern India.”
Nov.14^th. THURSDAY    Inter clubs 4/5 way battle, this time to be held at Lytham Camera Club.
Nov. 20^th.   Muriel Binnie presents ICM and Me. ( intentional camera movement )
Nov.27^th.   The second of our club competitions, the Environment Cup, will be judged.   All meetings on Wednesday evenings starting at 7.30 prompt.

Looking around the meetings this year, I am finding many new faces who have joined us so we must be doing something right ! Do come and join us, all details are on our website below.  Good shooting !

Maurice Barker

www.garstangcameraclub.co.uk

Hello to all, members, and a hearty welcome to new members along with non- members. First of all. I would like to apologise for the incorrect title in  some copies of last months magazine. The aircraft is a Lightning/ F-35 and does not “do” regular air shows as yet. I shot this at a Family Day at R.A.F. Marham in July. Within an hour, the pilot had parked up and went on to play lead guitar at the evening gig ( he reminded me of one of my sixth form pupils ! )

Now, down to business. The summer period has seen the club involved in two new ventures. The first one invited non members /beginners, to a series of five  presentation evenings followed by practice sessions under the tuition of one of our members, Stan Pearson . I should like to thank the members who joined in on the nights to assist , the common denominator in both ventures was Stan , so a big thanks to him for the hard work and efforts ! The second was a competition for “outsiders “ to enter one digital image for judging.

Our first evening of the new year was, a very busy, but well organized one, in which the digital winners were presented with their prizes. Their efforts and success will be displayed along with our club winners for ’23-’24 which runs in the Arts Centre from September 21^st. through October.  Our first presentation the following week saw Alan Walker showing us how to get the best out of our holiday images, ably accompanied by his wife Julie.

October’s programme is as follows ;-

Oct. 2nd.  Eddie Leach live  on a mixture of Sports, Portraits and Composites.  ( live, means not zoom )

Oct. 9^th.    Steve Walker live . My personal experiences of paid photoshoots.

Oct.16^th.    First internal competition being judged. ( Amen )

Oct. 23^rd.  Bernard Rose live  on  1970s and beyond .

All meetings take place in the Arts Centre and begin at 7.30 prompt.

If you are new to the area or are the recipient of a new or oldish camera, come down to test, the water’s great ! You will be made very welcome.  ( Image title…….” don’t ask “ ! )

Maurice Barker

info@garstangcameraclub

Since the last letter, we have, I think ,what is called Summer. Not wall to wall but some good short bursts of sun. In spite of being in July/August the club has been busy. We completed our Events Cup season with a visit to Skipton and Settle alongside our regular attendance at the Garstang Show which was blessed with an outstanding sunny day.

The “Getting off Auto” sessions throughout summer have been a huge success thanks in part to Stan Pearson  who spoke at length on the topics along with the rest of the members for giving it their support. It has been well attended with double figures on each occasion.

Also blessed with good weather has been the Blackpool Air Show, two free days of splendid photo. Opportunities

We have also seen the introduction of the new Canon R1 and this seems to have been quietly but frequently used in Paris for the Olympic Games, this is the new Flagship for the marque, and so lottery winners take note ! By the time you read the next edition, we shall have started our new programme on September 4th.  Why not turn up and see what we are about. We meet each Wednesday at 7.30pm in the Arts Centre. Come and give us a coat of looking at .

Maurice Barker

info@garstangcameraclub

Here we are in what should be the middle of summer, certainly the climate change seems to be with us. Camera manufacturers ought to be paying more attention to making all cameras, and not just the more expensive ones more waterproof to combat the ever increasing deluges we seem to be getting more of.

By the time you take delivery of the next magazine we will nearly be at the start of our next season of meetings which kick off with first on Wednesday  September 4th at 7.30 in the Arts Centre. This will be a mixture of a welcome and various activities. If you are interested in joining us, then come and see who we are and what we do. You will be made very welcome, of that I can assure you,

Two reminders.  One is the last of our meetings for newcomers to photography entitled Getting off Auto ( sometimes known as the Green Square ) and takes place on August 7th 7.30 in the Arts Centre. . Also the open competition for anyone (other than professionals and members of other camera clubs ) closes on Sunday August 11th. Rules digital images only along with title, any theme or subject e mailed to  stanley.pearson@talktalk.net 

A few members of the club recently visited Chester Zoo as part of the Events Cup Challenge . Well worth a visit with all the animals having been bred there over many years. Best to visit  before the end of school term to avoid large school parties.

Finally, the last of our summer outings takes place on Sunday August 4th, or Tuesday August 6th.  The venue is Skipton and Settle.

That’s all folks, enjoy the summer if we get one !

Maurice Barker
info@garstangcameraclub