Programme Notes 2024/25

05-SEPTEMBER-2024

'Creative Photography'

Barbie Lindsay MPAGB EFIAP/s FBPE AWPF

In this talk Barbie covers a wide range of creative techniques from the taking stage, through various computer manipulations, to the manifestation of her original idea. Barbie has a creative imagination and will encourage you to 'think outside of the box'.

12-SEPTEMBER-2024

'African Wildlife beyond Safari Tourism'

Peter Warne

For many able to enjoy an African safari, attention is focussed, understandably, upon the big 5. My talk will start with those iconic species but move on to the sounds of the bush, nocturnal discoveries, conservation initiatives and specific habitats and landscapes such as deserts. I will also include several references to the photographic techniques which have proved successful for me.

18-SEPTEMBER-2024

Photo Trek

Club members

The Photo Trek this summer involved choosing eight subjects from a choice of ten and submitting smartphone images that address these subjects. Entries will be judged over Zoom by a panel of club members who have not taken part.

19-SEPTEMBER-2024

Print Competition 1

Harold Mousley LRPS AFIAP

The Club has a print league and a projected digital image (PDI) league. There are six competitions that count towards each league every year. The league competitions are divided into three categories, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. Movement from one level to another is a matter of competition results; when they join the Club, beginners will start in Level 3 and more experienced photographers will start in Level 2. Subsequently, the most accomplished photographers can be promoted to Level 1. In a single competition, although you may submit two or three images, only the image with the highest score counts towards your total. Marks are accumulated through the year and the five best marks are used, allowing for members missing a competition or getting a bad mark but not suffering as a result. The judge, Harold Mousley, is a regular visitor to CCC.

26-SEPTEMBER-2024

'Judge the Winners'

Members are asked to judge some high quality images and compare their results with the judgements made by national judges. There is a prize for the one who gets the most right.

03-OCTOBER-2024

PDI Competition 1

Ken Payne

Marks count towards PDI League trophies at the end of the season. Ken is a regular visitor to CCC.

10-OCTOBER-2024

'How Did I Get Here?'

Malcolm Bumstead

This is a return visit by Malcolm who came to CCC some years ago. His talk is a journey back to when he first started doing creative work, up to the present day. He will give you some ideas and techniques for creating images that stay in the mind.

17-OCTOBER-2024

Mono Print Trophy Competition

Nicholas Bowman

Separate from the league is a mono print competition. This is to encourage Members to have a go at mono printing and to boost the number of mono prints available to the External Competitions Secretary to use in competitions against other Clubs. It is a single competition with no levels and the judge selects a First, Second, Third and a number of Highly Commended prints. The winner is awarded the Dennis Clarke Memorial Trophy which is held for a year. Nicholas judged at CCC last year.

24-OCTOBER-2024

'Landscape & Seascape Photography in the UK'

Roger Hance FRPS AFIAP BPE5*

Landscape and seascape photography is one of the most rewarding areas of photography, as well as being one of the most challenging. In the first half of this presentation I cover lighting, exposure, equipment, preparation and research as well as infra-red photography. I cover the focal lengths of the lenses I use, and how, depending on lighting and composition, which one I choose. I talk about, and show examples of, the use of ND filters, - when they work as well as situations where they will not work. In the second half of the talk I show examples taken in eight of my favourite areas in the UK - Cornwall, the Lake District, the Scottish Highlands, the Peak District, the Northumberland Coast, Snowdonia, Devon and Dorset.

31-OCTOBER-2024

Members' Evening

This is not planned too far in advance but gives members the opportunity to show their work or can be used to address topics of particular interest.

07-NOVEMBER-2024

Print Competition 2

Caroline Preece LRPS

Marks count towards Print League trophies at the end of the season. Caroline is a regular judge at CCC.

14-NOVEMBER-2024

'Underwater Photography'

Catherine Holmes

Catherine has been very successful in national and international underwater photography competitions. The underwater environment offers tremendous photographic opportunities but also some serious challenges. Her talk will cover the equipment she uses and the setup necessary to work underwater. She will show us some of the stunning images she has been able to capture over the last few years.

21-NOVEMBER-2024

PDI Competition 2

David Steel DPAGB

Marks count towards PDI league trophies at the end of the season. David is a regular judge at CCC.

28-NOVEMBER-2024

'Travelling Through India'

Alison Mees

India is a fascinating place to visit, from the streets of Delhi, the temples, Taj Mahal to the wildlife. I will take you on a journey to a few of the amazing places India has to offer - buildings & temples, people & wildlife.

05-DECEMBER-2024

Print Competition 3

Jim Bennett

Marks count towards Print League trophies at the end of the season. Jim judged for us last year.

12-DECEMBER-2024

'The Little Print Show'

Jonathan Vaines LRPS CPAGB AFIAP

This talk comes with artistic approach to photography, stepping out of the club mainstream. Along with individual images we see motivational benefits of working with Projects, Sets and Groups of image . Most of my images are created using 'in camera' techniques and the focus of the evening is about 'Thinking Inside The Box'. The talk is primarily a print talk but presented via PowerPoint with 60 prints to display in the evening.

19-DECEMBER-2024

Christmas Social

The Club provides food and there is a bar at the venue. Some entertainment will be organised, a quiz, maybe, and it's always an opportunity to have a chat.

02-JANUARY-2025

PDI Competition 3

Pauline Martindale

Marks count towards PDI League trophies at the end of the season. Pauline is a regular visitor to CCC.

09-JANUARY-2025

'Japanese Winter Wonderland'

Robert Snary

I will be covering winter in Japan including Snow Monkeys & Ice Festivals. I will cover some of the history and culture including Geisha, Temples, & Mount Fuji as well as mentioning camera shops.

16-JANUARY-2025

Themed Print Competition (4)

Tony Bramley FRPS

As part of the league there are themed print and digital competitions. Themes are chosen at the start of the season and each image is judged against the additional criterion of meeting the theme. To enter, each member must provide three prints, one for each theme, and on the night there will be three sub-competitions; there are no separate competitions for the different levels of experience, so everyone is in it together. The winner of the trophy is the member with the highest combined score, with the judge arbitrating in the case of a tie. The themed competition marks are also included in the league totals, so the league rules also apply. This year's print themes are 1- Abandoned Buildings, 2 - Circles and 3 - City Skylines. Tony is a regular visitor to CCC.

23-JANUARY-2025

'A More Artistic Style of Photography'

Peter Lake BA (Hons) Photographic Arts

Peter was a professional photographer for 35 years covering a range of genres. However, his personal photography does not conform to the requirements of the Royal Photographic Society and similar bodies. Without changing his style he was offered an exhibition at the Casson Gallery, Marylebone, London and also the Pentax Gallery, Vigo Street, London. So this talk covers a different style of photography.

30-JANUARY-2025

PDI Competition 4

Ian Ryall CPAGB

Marks count towards PDI League trophies at the end of the season. Ian judged for us last year.

06-FEBRUARY-2025

'Medical Photography'

Nicola Riley LRPS & Jackie Kelly

This talk draws on experiences gained during a career in medical photography.

15-FEBRUARY-2025

Print Competition 5

Naomi Saul ARPS DPAGB APAGB EFIAP ASINWP

Marks count towards Print League trophies at the end of the season. Naomi is a regular visitor to CCC.

20-FEBRUARY-2025

Photofold Battle

Andy Smith LRPS CPAGB

An annual PDI competition between Chelmsford and Photofold, this year hosted by Chelmsford. Each club enters 24 PDIs and each PDI is judged without the judge knowing to which club it belongs. Scores are added up to determine the winner of the trophy. The judge also nominates the best PDI. Andy is a regular judge at CCC.

27-FEBRUARY-2025

Practical Evening

This is a mixture of demonstrations, discussions, etc. on techniques, equipment and software and maybe a 'Bring and Buy' sale.

06-MARCH-2025

Panels of 2 and 3 Prints

Roy Essery MPAGB

Panels are a useful way of presenting images. This is a competition for the best panel of three prints that hang together as a set. This means that they will have a common theme, maybe similar post-processing, and they complement each other such that they look as if they belong together. This adds an extra dimension to the photography and makes for an interesting evening. The winner is awarded the Burley Cup. Panels of two prints were trialled last year and so these are included as well as the panels of three. Roy is a regular visitor to the Club.

13-MARCH-2025

'Smartphone Photography'

Jet Lendon

During this talk Jet will show you how to get the best out of your smartphone camera. She will talk about how she went from running her photography business of 14 years, to now solely providing smartphone photography workshops, with 14 people around the country and Europe working under the Jet Black Squares banner. The talk is very interactive, and you are advised to have your phone with you so you can see how to set them up correctly, how to control the exposure, focal point, etc, as well as picking up lots of tips and tricks. It is suitable for both iPhone and Android phones.

20-MARCH-2025

Themed PDI Competition (5)

Julie Hutson ARPS DPAGB

As part of the league there are themed print and digital competitions. Themes are chosen at the start of the season and each image is judged against the additional criterion of meeting the theme. To enter, each member must provide three PDIs, one for each theme, and on the night there will be three sub-competitions; there are no separate competitions for the different levels of experience, so everyone is in it together. The winner of the trophy is the member with the highest combined score, with the judge arbitrating in the case of a tie. The themed competition marks are also included in the league totals, so the league rules also apply. This year's PDI themes are 1- Song Title, 2 - Isolated and 3 - Closeup. Julie is a regular judge at CCC.

27-MARCH-2025

'Tales from the Bush'

Andy Skillen

Andy Skillen is a journalist, photo-journalist and wildlife photographer whose work has taken him all over the world on commissions for global institutions. He is also and excellent speaker and so we can be assured of an entertaining evening with plenty of stories and award-winning images.

03-APRIL-2025

Print Competition 6

Graham Parry

Marks count towards Print League trophies at the end of the season. Graham is a regular visitor to CCC.

10-APRIL-2025

PDI Competition 6

Vic Hainsworth ARPS DPAGB APAGB

Marks count towards PDI League trophies at the end of the season. Vic is a long term friend of CCC.

17-APRIL-2025

'Storytelling for Photographers'

JP Stones

JP has spent the last decade photographing the same group of Mexica, or Azteca, dancers. In that time he learned how connected the Mexica are to their mythology, to ancient stories passed down across generations. That's when he realised that, as these stories were so vital to Mexica culture, they needed to play a bigger role in his portraits. This is a photography talk is about what happened next. About how a desire to tell stories visually, ended up changing his entire creative process, and the way people react to his photos. Using examples from his cultural photography work in Mexico, JP Stones explores different ways to improve that emotional connection. Including how myths and character archetypes can be harnessed for better storytelling.

24-APRIL-2025

'Imaging Reality'

Tom Peck LRPS CPAGB

Imaging reality - a history of documentary and street photography. Images show what has happened, don't they? They depict reality, they are 'proof'. Documentary photography gives insight into events and street photography allows us to glimpse other people's behaviour. This talk will take us through the history of documentary/street photography using well known photographs liberally mixed with the author's own photography. We will ask the question: is what we see in the photographs actually reality? Can we trust these 'documentary' photographs?

01-MAY-2025

'People and Places (Part 2)'

Colin Westgate FRPS MPAGB APAGB MFIAP

Colin is part of the Fotospeed Photographers lecture team and gives talks at Camera Clubs and other organisations anywhere in the country. He is widely experienced and has been a regular speaker for some 45 years. This is a follow-on from Part 1 of the same title and covers some of the people and places he has been privileged to photograph over the years, including Namibia, Bangladesh, Iceland, UK and the rest of Europe.

08-MAY-2025

AV Trophy Competition

Keith Leedham FRPS EFIAP FIPF

For something slightly different there is an annual Audio Visual competition for the AV Trophy. This involves putting together a sequence of images and video with an accompanying soundtrack and may use a proportion of the images from other sources such as the internet. The most popular package used to create an AV is Pictures to Exe which will take jpgs, video clips and soundtracks and combine them together to produce a single executable file. Keith Leedham, this year's judge, has had many years of experience with AVs and has judged our AV competition several times before.

15-MAY-2025

Annual Awards

Jonathan Vaines LRPS CPAGB AFIAP

At the end of each season the Annual Awards look to recognising some of the best work of the year. Members enter their best images in the different classes and a judge is invited to pick out the best ones in each class. The only limitation to entering an image is that it hasn't been used in the Annual Awards before. Across the board the judge then nominates the best print and the best PDI, and finally, the Image of the Year is chosen by the members from these two images. We normally get several hundred entries so the judge assesses them all ahead of the Annual Awards evening. The ones shown on the evening are the best from each class and trophies are presented to the winners. Jonathan Vaines is the EAF Judges Secretary on the EAF Executive Committee and is becoming a regular visitor to CCC.

22-MAY-2025

Annual General Meeting

Members can voice their opinions, choose the Committee and decide on the future. Presentations will also be made to winners of the leagues, Photographer of the Year competition and the Nice Cup which is presented to the member who has made a particular contribution to the Club this season.