Morning All

Big welcome to our 2 newest members, Brenda and Terry; we’re sure they will contribute to the club in the fullness of time – no pressure!

We hope you are all enjoying this all too brief spell of sunshine – weather very variable next week – c’est la vie!

Notices

Lancashire and Cheshire Photographic Union (L&CPU)

The L&CPU individual competition will be held again this year on May13th and 14th. Club members choose and enter their own images, but if anyone has a problem with entering PDIs on line Lewis thinks he will be able to enter them for you.

There are 2 sections.

      PDI with 2 categories-open (including both colour and mono) and nature.

      Prints with 3 categories-monochrome open, colour open and nature.

Entries close on Saturday April 22nd.

Calendar images

Reminder and important!

Images of Garstang for the calendar: maximum of 4 images by Monday April 24th. These images can be historical. We really do need, if possible, all members to submit their images so that the Arts Centre committee have a great choice to choose from for the final 12.

Images of? Well, restricted to Garstang and the town boundary. We just need to use our common sense and judgment on the extent of the boundary!

Images to be in colour, sRGB, within or maximum of 1600 x 1200, ratio of 3:2, and landscape.

If you need any help/information PLEASE just ask – it’s no problem!

Please send them in to info@garstangcameraclub.co.uk

Date and days during the closed ‘season’

Below are some thoughts about the time between May and the beginning of September:

• Combined photo walks with MCC; Thursday May 11th – review on Wednesday May 24th
• Events Cup destinations
• Keeping it all informal
• Main object will to take photos and (possibly) use Lightroom/Photoshop
• Suggest local meets to get us out e.g., canal walks, Kirkby Lonsdale, sunset at Cocker sands, Bluebells at Calder Vale, Brock Bottoms. Several members have said they want practical help with camera, settings etc. and this would be the ideal time to do it.
• No competitive element, just social and helping each other with ideas and techniques. HDR, focus stacking, filters.
• There is a Macro talk – Peter from Preston Photographic Society in the planning stage; possible dates are – July 5th, 19th or 26^th – when the date is chosen, we will inform members.

Up and coming programme events

• Wednesday April 12th – presentation live at the Arts Centre by Alf Myers titled ‘Back from the Streets.’
• Wednesday April 19th – final internal competition, Anything Goes Competition, judged by Nick Hilton EFIAP DPAGB BPE5*
• Wednesday April 26th – presentation by Tim titled “West Africa – Slavery, Voodoo & Gold”; voting on the calendar images
• Wednesday May 3rd – Presentation by Stan titled “Local Sports”.
• Wednesday 10th – AGM.
• Wednesday 17th – Presentation of Certificates and trophies.

On coffee duty for this coming Wednesday are Michael and Samantha

That’s all folks

Mike and Lewis

Morning All

There are 5 attachments in all today. Please read and inwardly digest!

In no particular order, but all important! They are:

• A PDF about the Milky Way from Bob
• L&CPU – the rules for the Annual Individuals Competition 2023
• The Events Cup schedule for 2023
• The competitions table for the 2023/24 ‘season’.
• The ‘Seasonal’ Programme for 2023 – 2024

HUGE thanks to all on the committee for their time, efforts and trouble in putting the camera club documents together and in particular to Michael for the programme – which, incidentally, looks full, comprehensive and, importantly, fun and very interesting!

Bob

Update on astrophotography; obviously the attached PDF but Bob says – “Looking at what the moon is doing, the stars should be visible between 8-24 April if the weather conditions are also good. I’ll make a note in my diary to check nearer the time and let you know.”

So, don’t forget, if you are interested, please email in on info@garstangcameraclub.co.uk and we can plan accordingly.

Morecambe Camera Club

Rhona and in particular Stan emailed Lewis and I about furthering our connection to Morecambe Camera Club following our successful setting up of the recent ‘Battle’ between the clubs; although of course we lost by 1 point!

So, from a few emails and meetings we have decided on the following:

• Another ‘Battle’ with Morecambe but also including J36 Camera Club; this three-way competition between the clubs has been scheduled for Wednesday 10^th January and, as we are hosting, it will be held in the Arts Centre. This is on the attached programme for 2023/24.
• Combined photo trips. In essence this means that Morecambe members come to Garstang on Thursday May 11th 2023 and, with us, photograph Garstang and the immediate area. Images are then submitted and a review of said images will be shown on Wednesday May 24^th 2023 at 7.30 in the Arts Centre. The whole purpose of this is to mix with other members of Morecambe, help, if necessary, with location and technical ‘stuff’ and to socialise. It is not a competition!
• A ‘return’ trip is being organised by Morecambe on Thursday 31^st August, photographing the Heysham area and reviewing the images on Thursday 28^th September. Again, this is not a competition, it is a get-together with likeminded people in a different location with the same purposes as before.
• There is another idea in the offering but this has yet to be finalised.

We really hope that as many members will support this new idea to make it a success and

we can build on this cooperation in the future.

Notices

Minimalistic Challenge

6 (ish) minimalist images by Tuesday April 4th the images could be ‘one-offs’ or in a series – your choice. Please send them in by email to: info@garstangcameraclub.co.uk thanks.

Print exhibition – very last call

We have extended the deadline to Wednesday 5th April. Please ensure each print is mounted, has a title and your name on the reverse. Many thanks.

Lancashire and Cheshire Photographic Union (L&CPU)

See attached item on The Annual Individuals Competitions for 2023

The L&CPU individual competition will be held again this year on May13th and 14th. Club members choose and enter their own images, but if anyone has a problem with entering PDIs on line Lewis thinks he will be able to enter them for you.

There are 2 sections.

      PDI with 2 categories-open (including both colour and mono) and nature.

      Prints with 3 categories-monochrome open, colour open and nature.

Entries close on Saturday April 22nd.

Calendar images

Reminder!

Images of Garstang for the calendar: maximum of 4 images by Monday April 24th. These images can be historical. We really do need, if possible, all members to submit their images so that the Arts Centre committee have a great choice to choose from for the final 12.

Images of? Well, restricted to Garstang and the town boundary. We just need to use our common sense and judgment on the extent of the boundary!

Images to be in colour, sRGB, within or maximum of 1600 x 1200, ratio of 3:2, and landscape.

If you need any help/information PLEASE just ask – it’s no problem!

Please send them in to info@garstangcameraclub.co.uk

Up and coming programme events

Wednesday April 5th – members evening – Minimalistic images from all members to be shown plus updates from the Lancaster Night Walk, Bird Photographer of the year and some other wildlife and landscape images.

Wednesday April 12th – presentation live at the Arts Centre by Alf Myers titled ‘Back from the Streets.’

Wednesday April 19th – final internal competition, Anything Goes Competition, judged by Nick Hilton EFIAP DPAGB BPE5*

Wednesday April 26th – presentation by Tim; voting on the calendar images

Coffee duty for this coming Wednesday are Freda and Robin; thanks in advanced.

That’s all folks Mike and Lewis

Morning All

A big thanks to Adrian and Sue for their excellent AV presentation last Wednesday. A lot of time, trouble and effort must have gone into preparing this talk and we really do appreciate it; so, thanks again!

Thanks also to those who had a go at the BMX track on Thursday evening. We really enjoyed it though it was a different and difficult experience under lights! ISO so high! Still, a good laugh and a big learning curve!

Could be snow next week, so get your camera ready, you never know!

Sarah Kinghorn

We sent an email to Sarah the other day ‘cos we hadn’t see her for sometime either in the Arts Centre or on zoom.

She thanked us for emailing her and said “I’m struggling physically currently; I’ve possibly picked up my camera once since Christmas I’ve felt so bad!

Since my stroke I’ve had left vision field loss but I’m currently suffering with really bad double vision, waiting to see the eye consultant in May! Which possibly isn’t doing much to help my energy levels trying to decipher vision and not crash into too many door frames is taking so much out of me I’m exhausted by the evening.”

News Flash!

Night photography walk in Lancaster led by our local professional photographer Lee Metcalf.

An opportunity to be guided by Lee though various parts of Lancaster and ending up around the castle. Lee will be on hand to offer his guidance, help and support where needed, from technical to composition and all in between!

If you need any help with transport, I’m sure some car sharing can be organised.

Details:

• Monday 13^th March and Monday 20^th March
• If you are interested and to help us, please, if possible, say either Monday, if you can; because we would like to run both Mondays with the maximum members on each evening. However, if you can only do one of the evenings, we will do our best!
• Limited to 6/7 members – first come first served.
• Email in to info@garstangcameraclub.co.uk
• 6pm – 9pm
• £10 per member
• Besides a camera you will need definitely a tripod; nice to have will be filters, spare batteries, a cable release.
• Adequate clothing (could be chilly!) and footwear – will go ahead even in rain – unless it is absolutely pouring down!

If you have any questions, please ring Mike on 07340 314408

Notices

Last call: Queen Street Mill – (x8 members booked, so far) a film crew are in from mid-March so the suggestion is a date towards the end of April; so, it’s Monday the 17th or Monday 24th because the museum is closed to the public, (no interruptions) then coffee and tea after? This is the last chance to book on if you haven’t already. When final numbers are confirmed, we will select the date and inform everyone about the cost.

Print exhibition

Our bi-annual print exhibition is now from 8th April until 4th May and Maurice is, very kindly, coordinating this.

This print exhibition is open for any member to display their images and is for prints that were not awarded 1st, 2nd or 3rd, or highly commended or commended.

So could any member interested please bring their images in by Wednesday March 22nd at the latest; bring in earlier if you want. Each print must be mounted and have a title and member’s name on the reverse.

We do need about 30 images in all because we only have the ‘back’ wall in the Arts Centre to show the prints.

Wednesday May 17th – Members ‘Presentation Evening’. This did prove very successful last year so please support the club (partners of any persuasion all welcome!); so, speak to Freda! The cost this year is £15 per member.

This is our end of season social get together with catering form ‘Betty’ and her team. Menu: cold meats, quiches, salads and hot new potatoes and a choice of 3 desserts; if you are interested, please speak to Freda who is taking reservations. The main event is, of course, the presentation of certificates and trophies.

Final internal competition: Anything Goes: Any image on any theme.

Deadline to submit entries (both prints and DPI’s – Projected Digital Images) is this coming Wednesday, March 15th.

Up and coming programme events:

• Wednesday March 8th – Judging of the ‘Humanity Competition’, arbitrated by Steve Proctor DPAGB BPE5*. Zoom available; please email in if you would like an invite.
• Wednesday March 15th – ‘Live’ in the Arts Centre – Paul Dunmall with a presentation on ‘Speed and Motion’. Zoom available; please email in if you would like an invite.
• Saturday March 18^th – the club is running the coffee morning in the Arts Centre; Please, any donation of anything edible, for us to sell to help our funds, would be VERY welcome! Get that recipe book out!
• NEW: Wednesday March 22nd – Bob Sapey – ‘Live’ in the Arts Centre with a talk on Astrophotography
• Wednesday March 29th – No Meeting – Committee meeting
• Wednesday April 4^th – members evening/workshop – Minimalistic images from all members to be shown plus other topics. Watch this space.

Challenges

We have, just to remind you all, 3 challenges currently running:

1. Minimalistic Challenge – 6 (ish) minimalist images by Tuesday April 4th the images could be ‘one-offs’ or in a series – your choice. See above.
2. Images of Garstang for the calendar: maximum of 4 images by Monday April 24th. These images can be historical.
3. Year challenge – 1 image per month; by Monday 4th September.

If you need any help/support/advice on the above PLEASE ask.

On Tea and Coffee duty on this coming Wednesday are Claire and Ted – many thanks in advance.

That’s all folks

Mike and Lewis

Afternoon All

Many thanks to all who got to the Arts Centre early last Tuesday for the NZ competition! And, big thanks to Freda for the bacon butties!

I’ve had a lovely email from NZ thanking us for taking part, marvelling that it actually worked, not being too smug that they won (albeit by only 10 points) and lastly, they want to do it all again – sucker for punishment? Us or them? Answers on a postcard please!

Message from Paul

Baylight Festival – Morecambe Bay

Visit: https://exploremorecambebay.org.uk/whats-on/baylight-festival/

All info there! Might make a good trip out. Check it out!

Notices

Please don’t forget:

2 photographic trips suggested by Michael

1. An ‘un-official’ small group onto Ainsdale Dunes
2. Queen St Mill, Burnley; 3 hour shoot, cost (depending on numbers) roughly between £10 – £15 each.

If you are interested, please email as soon as, if you haven’t already, ‘cos we need to organise.

L&CPU

As per Lewis’s input last Wednesday if you are interested in taking part, please submit your entries by Saturday 18^th February.

When sending in your entries please order them numerically in order of preference.

Please also remember if you are a new member you will need to register using the following web address:

https://lcpu.org

Once you have opened the website click on Information Portal

It then says:

Important Information.

To access these services, you will require an ‘approved’ individual personal account. Shared Club accounts are no longer permitted.

As login is now via a personal account, we would strongly advise against the use of generic email addresses (eg.secretary@someclub.co.uk).

To access Club competitions and Club services, you will need to be registered as an Individual and Registered and Approved as a Club officer.

If you had an ‘individual’ account on the previous system, your existing credentials (email address and password) will still work on this website.

Club Logins using a Club Code and Password do not work on this website. Please Register a new user account.

Please use this button (PROCEED) to login, register a new account, recover a lost password, or ask for support.

Summary below:

• Only doing the 2 PDI sections, prints get more involved with delivery etc.
• PDI (Projected Digital Images) must be within 1600 px (horizontal) x 1200 px (vertical) in jpeg format, in sRGB colour space (including mono)
• The entry system will not accept a file size of more than 2mb.
• PDI: there are two categories in this section – Open (which includes colour and monochrome) and Nature.
• Entries: a) PDI – Open = up to 16 images from not less than 5 photographers; no photographer may enter more than 4 images in the Open.
• Entries: b) PDI – Nature = up to 8 images from not less than 5 photographers; no photographer may enter more than 2 images in the Nature.
• Composite images are not accepted in the Nature sections
• Club members may only enter images for one club.

Please don’t forget we need a minimum of 5 members to take part or we can’t submit any entries.

Up and coming programme events:

• Wednesday 15th February: Presentation ‘Live’ in the Arts Centre by Martin Jump on ‘Lancashire landscapes, flora and fauna.
• Wednesday 15^th February: Humanity Cup: Last day for entry (prints and DPIs).
• Wednesday 22nd February: Members evening including:
• Talk by Michael on ‘Extracting Video Stills’.
• Talk by Stan on ‘Exporting from Lightroom using different Colour Space settings for both DPI and DSCL Prints, Mono and Colour.’
• Talk by Lewis on filters.
• Up date on Topaz Photo AI – lots of updates since last time we looked at it.

If any other member would like to give a talk/presentation PLEASE get in touch.

• Wednesday March 1st: Talk by Adrian and Sue using ‘AV Presentation’
• Wednesday March 8th: Judging of the ‘Humanity Competition’, arbitrated by Steve Proctor DPAGB BPE5*

Minimalist challenge

Following on from the minimalistic images shown last Wednesday we are setting up a challenge! Oh no, I hear you cry!

We are inviting members to send in 6 (ish) minimalist images by Tuesday April 4^th and I’ll put them in a PowerPoint presentation. These can then be shown in the usual way and you can either comment on them from ‘the floor’ if you like or from the front.

Just to remind you, if it helps, there were 12 categories, listed below, to give you a guide; but the challenge is ‘open’ so you may want to submit images that aren’t in those groups. 

Categories were: Abstract, Aerial, Architecture, Conceptual, Fine Art, Landscape, Long Exposure, Night, Open, Photomanipulation, Portrait and Street.

I can send a copy of the minimalistic presentation out to anyone who wants to look at it, possibly again – it may help with composition ideas. If you missed the last meeting I can, of course, send you the presentation; just the images not the commentary!

The images could be ‘one-offs’ or in a series – your choice.

Anyway, there it is – please have a go; good, bad or ugly it’s all good practice!

Any questions just email in or chat to us at the next meeting.

That’s all folks Mike and Lewis

Morning All

Spring is in the air, the sun has got his hat on, though a tad chilly first thing this morning; went out hoping for a lovely sun rise but didn’t develop here at Forton! Hey ho. Though I did hear a Greater Spotted Woodpecker.

Anyway, more importantly – last episode of ‘Happy Valley’ tonight; I’m sure I saw Tommy on Cleveleys promenade Friday morning!

Notices:

Big thanks here to Michael for his ideas, time and effort:

Two from Michael about possible future camera trips:

1. Michael says – “I have been in touch with Trevor Devanport, experienced photographer from Southport Club. He has years of experience of capturing insects, flowers and fauna.

He would be available to take out an ‘un-official’ small group onto Ainsdale Dunes. It’s about an hour in the car.

It’s one of the largest sand-dune complex in England covering an area of approximately 2100 ha; that’s around 5,200 acres.

It is a fascinating and ever-changing habitat with many photographic

opportunities throughout the seasons. Spring / summer is usually when the dunes are richly rewarding for both botanic and entomological subjects.

If we could get a list of interested members, then we can re-approach Trevor for cost & further details.”

So, if you are interested, please get in touch

2. Queen St Mill, Burnley. Michael emailed Sarah Stewart, the assistant Museum Manager, in the first instance to see if the camera club could visit for a ‘shoot.’ Her reply below:

“Unfortunately, as we are a very small team, we wouldn’t have any staff available in period costume, I do apologise about that! We have staff on site from 9am till 5pm so anytime between that would be fine with us, we would just need to confirm in advance what time you would like to arrive so you don’t clash with other bookings!

As we have a few events, school bookings and filming coming up, it would be useful to know if you have any dates in mind? Until the end of March we have staff on site from Tuesday to Friday, and from April we will be onsite from Tuesday to Saturday.

For photoshoots we usually charge £500 for a full day which is between 9-5, which works out roughly at £62 an hour. We could arrange for you to have 3 hours for £150 if that works for yourselves? We can include tea and filter coffee within that price.

We would also just need yourself and your members to sign a licence just to say that the photos won’t be used for commercial purposes and they are for personal/educational/research purposes only. If they were to be used for commercial purposes you would need to sign a separate agreement and there is an extra fee.”

So, Michael replied:

“Obviously, I would be interested in the 3 hour shoot – which I think is an ideal time frame on which to explore the site.

I think we would need a minimum of 10 (equating to £15 plus tea & coffee). If we could get 12 (£12.50) or the maximum 15 (£10).”

So, again, if you are interested, please get in touch

Reminders:

Tuesday 7^th February: NZ ‘Battle’ at the Arts Centre; 7.15am arrival, latest; bacon butties, toast and sparkling ready! Big thanks here to Freda for organising the catering.

Tuesday 7^th February: up to 6 ‘Long Exposure’ images; these to be shown, along with, if poss, a commentary of where, why and how. All images to be sent to me, Mike, via Wetransfer or email. I’ll put together a PowerPoint presentation and he will present them (anonymously if required)! Please have a go!

Preston Pirates BMX Club

Evening ‘shoot’ on 2^nd March 6pm – 8pm. The sun sets at 17.49pm. We had a great time when we first visited and this time will be under the floodlights – certainly a challenge! Please get in touch, if you haven’t already, if you are interested.

Wednesday 15^th February Humanity Cup: Last day for entry (prints and DPIs).

Many thanks to all members who have managed to put on their respective thinking caps for possible destinations for the Events Cup destinations for this coming spring/summer. More ideas still needed PLEASE.

Up and coming programme events:

Wednesday 8^th February: Presentation of members long exposure images; plus, minimalistic images with commentary.

Wednesday 15th February: Presentation ‘Live’ in the Arts Centre by Martin Jump on ‘Lancashire landscapes, flora and fauna. Humanity Cup: Last day for entry (prints and DPIs).

Wednesday 22^nd February:  Members evening – Talk by Michael on ‘Extracting Video Stills’; talk by Stan on ‘Exporting from Lightroom using different Colour Space settings for both DPI and DSCL Prints, Mono and Colour.’ Details of further activities will be forthcoming soon!

If any other member would like to give a talk/presentation PLEASE get in touch.

Wednesday March 1^st: Talk by Adrian and Sue on ‘AV Presentation’

Wednesday March 8^th: Judging of the ‘Humanity Competition’, arbitrated by Steve Proctor DPAGB BPE5*

That’s all folks Mike and Lewis