Hi everyone,

The survey mentioned at the AGM and in the Chairman’s last Newsletter is now ready for you to complete.  The idea behind the survey is to try and understand what you want from your club, what you like/dislike, what you’d like to see more/less of … and anything else you’d like to tell us to know.

We would be grateful if you could spend a few minutes completing the survey. It really won’t take you long.

It would be particularly helpful if you could complete the survey via the website wherever possible. The form will be automatically sent to us by email when you click the ‘Submit’ button. Follow this link for the online version, http://www.ssdcc.co.uk/ssdcc-survey-2012/

If you would prefer to complete and return a hard copy of the survey, you can download it here. Details of where to submit your completed form are given in the document.

Competition Secretary, Warren Rodgers, sorted out the trophies with his usual quiet efficiency while his Assistant Competition Secretary, Larry Darby manned the projector to run a continual loop of member’s images entered over the past year. Our thanks to them both for their efforts. Our Honorary Past President, Eric Mitchell, catered for the hot buffet at Landguard Manor and also provided some unexpected and unscripted off-camera entertainment during the presentations.

It was good to see this year’s two dozen or so awards widely spread, not only amongst the usual suspects but to include our more recently joined members for whom our “Class B” eases them into the competition structure. We have been fortunate this year in gaining two new husband and wife teams who have provided us with images of the very highest quality to enjoy.

Next year we will be enhancing the presentation evening to give members a more extended evening as this one drew to a close rather earlier than we might have liked. Thank you, those who attended, for coming along, our congratulations to the trophy winners and I look forward to seeing you all again in September . . . if not before at one of our Saturday Morning Camera Rambles.

For all the results please click here.

Dick Loaring LRPS Chairman.

There is much to absorb the creative photographer. The massive evergreen trees on the lawns fronting the house frame it beautifully while the Italianate terracing and fountains to the North provide a more classic view. A small group of us gave the free bus a miss and stretched our legs down to the Swiss Cottage. Fortunately, the rain held off and the weather brightened so, over a most welcome cup of tea we were able to sit out and photograph a wide variety of local small birds which came to pose in exchange for our cake crumbs.

For Macro work the walled garden and greenhouse are always worth a visit and provide some shelter on a windy day. Beds of tulips were past their best but like oriental poppies, they are still attractive when “blown” out. The greenhouse, too, offers some interesting plants and a chance to warm yourself up on a cold day.

A light lunch at the Folly Inn rounded off another most enjoyable day and we all went home happy to download our images and search for that elusive masterpiece. Watch the website for our next ramble.

Vanda Hopwood – Joint Social Secretary

On his first posting he took along his newly purchased DSLR Canon and on his return treated us to an evening devoted to The Falkland Islands, its rugged scenery and diverse wildlife. Interesting, educational and great fun with the benefit of Stuie’s images and amusing commentary.

This second illustrated talk was based upon an extended cruise of the area that he and his wife took recently, parts of which included those featured in Shackleton’s famous small boat journey in search of help for his stranded vessel and crew. Those who had read that story were able to see for themselves the awesome challenges that they faced.

Darker history presented itself as we visited a disused whaling factory still littered with bones from the 83,000 that were butchered and had their flesh rendered down into oil. A major commodity in those days. When they ran out of whales they started on the penguins whose pitifully small yield eventually proved unviable and the business shut down.

On a happier note, we were treated to images of Albatross with their incredible twelve foot wing span, Penguins of all shapes and sizes and smaller seabirds in abundance. Icebergs presented many fine photo opportunities for Stuie as small groups left the ship and cruised around in a RIB. Chasing a whale provided us with arguably his best shot as it sounded and the giant forked tail rose in the air, dripping water to provide the perfect foreground interest against the distant bergs.

Stuie is a great story teller and after spending so much time down South has built up a vast depth of knowledge and local stories that make an evening in his company unmissable. If you did, watch out for his next.

Dick Loaring LRPS Chairman

Jon is a deservedly popular choice. He engages the audience in his thought process as he goes, making you party to his decision making. This is most interesting for the older members, educational for those who wish to learn and invariably amusing. Jon has a great sense of humour. As in the case of the Print of the Year Competition the previous week, members submitted their very best images, which made for a great viewing experience overall.

The new presentational software worked well with the facility to screen a panel of eight or six, as the knockout competition slowly reduced those held back, making judging a matter of comparison rather than memory.
It was a nail-bitingly close call for entrants at the end and John readily admitted that it came down solely to his personal preference.

Ultimately, it was good to see a winner from this year’s new intake whose infra-red image of Bembridge Mill in mono screened well, without the projector detracting from the subtle tones of the background sky.
A good evening and a closely contested result..

RESULTS

Projected Image of the Year – Bembridge Windmill by Tony Lynch
Runner Up – Winter Sun by Martin Sothcott
Third Place – I Love You! by Ian Pratt

Dick Loaring LRPS Chairman

Nick is an excellent Judge, combining good in-depth analysis of each image with a smooth presentational style and a confident “no dithering” approach to his marking. As usual, Colour Prints and Black & White were displayed and marked separately with the winner in each section competing to determine the overall winner of the Award.

As to be expected with members submitting their very best efforts, the standard was high, Nick commented favourably on this and although there could be only one winner, it was a very enjoyable evening.

RESULT
Winner of the “Print of the year” and The Mike Penrith Salver
Guard Dog by Peter Bridle (Vice-Chairman)

Dick Loaring LRPS Chairman

Tractors too. Ancient old workhorses, rescued from the barn for their annual outing, worked side by side with the latest and shiniest as they slowly turned the meadow into a patchwork of freshly furrowed soil. The drivers sat sideways with a crick in their neck from keeping a straight line then turning to watch the plough. At least they had a ride all day.

Unlike the horse ploughmen who gripped the plough handles and reins as they strode along behind their pair, manually controlling both. The deep understanding between the farmer and his horses was incredible. Just a quiet word now and then to keep them in line. One had the help of the farm dog, an Alsation, that ran ahead of the pair encouraging them on. Another, a Jack Russell that was so small that it almost disappeared in the furrow. It looked as though he was using it as a depth gauge!

A light lunch at the Crown Inn rounded off another most successful morning camera ramble. Shire Horses, a blue sky and white clouds proving irresistible.

Vanda Hopwood – Joint Social Secretary

The following is from Karen-Jane herself.

Have Just returned to a freezing UK after a month in the heat of the African bush , a heat wave in the UK ????? after 39 degrees upwards anything under 25 degree’s at the moment feels like Antarctic conditions lol

Thought I would just drop you a quick email regarding this latest trip and to forward details to you .

I have just hosted the first Ethical wildlife Photography tour in support of The Global White lion Protection Trust and it has proved to be a Roaring success !!!! with all six guests wanting to rebook for next March ,

Due to the successful launch and high level of enquiries on further trips , we have now announced a second tour in October 2012 .

As you will know the Tsau conservancy is not accessible to the public due to the sensitivity of the White Lion reintroduction programme but as a charity it is also important that funds are raised and the Ethical Wildlife Photography tour has been three years in the making , No camera’s are allowed inside the project so this is totally exclusive and a rare chance to photograph the founding white lion prides in their natural endemic range of the Timbavati .

As Sandown and Shanklin Camera Club members have been such a wonderful support for the WLT over the past few years I am forwarding the full colour PDF brochure for you to be able distribute to members .

Each tour will only take 6 guests at any given time so spaces are very limited and these new dates are yet to be released to the general public . Proceeds raised in aid of WLT.

Each tour will take in daily lion monitoring sessions with a wealth of photographic opportunities ,

also included are a full days photography –Kruger National Park ( inclusive of conservation tariff )

Cultural evening at Shangaan village and afternoon visit to White Lion School of Hope

Early morning game drive at a local 5 star Game Reserve – Camp Jabulani

Panoramic tour – Drakensberg mountain range – Gods Window – Pilgrims Rest

Accommodation and all meals

Transport from OR Tambo International Airport to The Tsau Conservancy –Timbavati

If anyone would like any further information please do not hesitate to contact either myself or Stella Horgan ( WLT direct )

karenjane@onwight.net
stella@whitelions.org

or get the brochure by clicking here.

I very much look forward to sharing lots of exciting news from the project with members in September.

With warmest regards

Karen-Jane

After our cuppa and raffle, we held our usual “Open Forum” which we kicked off with a presentation of the changes that our Competition Secretary, Warren Rodgers, has in mind to ease the pressures that we have been experiencing in judging our increased entries within the time slot available. Questions from the floor were dealt with and it was soon 9.30 and time to make our way home.

Our Hon. Secretary will be circulating the Minutes of the meeting in due course so it only remains for me to thank the Officers and Committee again for all their hard work over the past year and you, the members, for supporting this your Club by coming along on Tuesday nights and joining in our occasional Saturday morning Camera Rambles.

Kind regards

Dick Loaring LRPS Chairman

A number of members who had bought or were considering purchase of the excellent Sigma 10-20mm wide angle lens had requested advice on this and so I had put together a short powerpoint presentation. This, together with the demonstration of a fine range of prints, taken with the lens by Peter Bridle, gave an insight into the advantages and potential problems encountered when using this lens. Dramatic architecture and panoramic skies to impress your friends, fat tummies and distorted noses to infuriate your portrait subjects!

The evening closed with questions from the floor, fielded by as expert a panel as we could muster. Paul Tucker, at the computer, showed how to re-size thumbnails in Photoshop, Martin Sothcott gave advice on panning the camera with fast-moving subjects and use of predictive focussing, Warren Rodgers on tripod-mounted Remote Shutter firing to avoid camera shake and I waffled on as usual in response to questions on the use of the camera’s Programmed Auto mode and everyone’s favourite topic of conversation . . . Hyper-focal focussing. That started them drifting off to sleep in readiness for the warm beds that awaited them after their drive home. A good humoured and hopefully instructive evening.

Dick Loaring LRPS Chairman

RESULTS  

Digitally Projected Images Class B

Tony Lynch – Tin Mine – 10
Tony Lynch – Squirrel Nutkins – 9.5
Karen Lynch – Storm Over The Pier – 9