Guest Presentation – John Barlow – 17-01-17

On Tuesday 17th January, Ribblesdale camera club welcomed John Barlow as their guest speaker, a photographer with a real passion for wild bird photography. John started his love of birds at an early age and began compiling and creating records of his sightings as his hobby developed. Once he got his first digital camera he started to take record photographs of the birds that he saw and soon became quite adept at capturing these images and joined a local camera club to develop his camera skills further. John is now a leading member of Chorley Photographic Society where he regularly provides images to their successful national and international competition entries.

John began by sharing with his audience the equipment that he uses from his choice cameras and lenses to the hides that he uses whilst out in the field.

The first set of photos that were shown comprised of the typical garden birds that we often see in our own gardens and included, various Tits, Robins, Finches and Jays shot in all seasons using perches some of which were natural and others that were put in place. One of John's projects was to photo a Wren that frequented the garden and seemed to be quite a poser, featuring in many interesting ways for the camera. The second set of images were taken out on, or close, to the reservoirs and included Egrets, Herons and various Ducks both common and rare.

A hallmark of John's images is the interaction captured between birds as they bid to survive and defend their home territory. The quality of images on show were consistently outstanding and set a high standard for club members to aspire to in their own photography. The members asked questions on technique throughout and the presenter willingly shared his knowledge and ideas, hopefully we all learned a little on how to improve our own images.

All in all this was a very enjoyable evening featuring a knowledgable and interesting speaker in John Barlow. More of John's excellent images can be seen on his website at www.jrbarlow.co.uk.

The club programme continues at 7:30pm on Tuesday nights at Grindleton pavilion. Over the next few weeks we will be hearing from club members sharing their latest projects, holding our final monthly Competition and hosting more interesting guest speakers. Feel free to come and join us.

Clitheroe Advertiser – Graham Currey Lecture – 19-02-17

Chairman, Steve Proctor with guest Graham Currey

Chairman Steve Proctor promised members that the invited lecturer for January, Graham Currey from South Manchester Camera Club, would be showing some photography probably never seen at this club before. This turned out to be a recording of a form of free-style professional wrestling which made impressive images from Graham's privileged ringside position. As the wrestlers received very little money, most of their income came from sales and souvenir photos and t-shirts which Graham was able to supply, having developed the commercial side of his business to include posters, for which his photographic skills are crucial.

 

Graham retired from work in 2006 when he found his travel photography was in great demand for brochures and then expanded into music gigs, travel industry assignments and eventually wrestling. He then turned to his travel pictures, describing how he achieved his images. A shot at Capel Curig was merged from three different exposures; the use of tone mapping on a picture of the Snowden Horseshoe - and the use of large format cameras to produce startling detail of landscapes. However composition was equally important as finding unfamiliar landscapes.

Clitheroe Advertiser – Torevieja Competition – 01/12/2016

Gengis And Einstein

Gengis and Einstein by Jessica Moyle

While She Sleeps

While She Sleeps by Gary Williamson

Ribblesdale Camera Club members took on and defeated a Spanish competitor, Torevieja Camera Club, in a 20 image challenge.

This friendly, but hotly contested, event occurs biennially as a result of local photographer, Raymond Greenwood, who has a foot in both camps. The UK is one of the more successful countries on the international stage and Ribblesdale fare well in the Lancashire and Cheshire Photographic Union, which itself is one of the strongest areas in the country.

 

Chairman Steve Proctor welcomed Nick Hilton, a well respected and recognised Warrington-based photographer, as the independent judge for the battle. The competition was well judged by Mr Hilton who gave scores for each entry along with critique and advice where it was appropriate, he even offered to judge the return leg in Spain as he expected that it would be warmer than our local autumnal weather.

The photographs on show were of a high quality and its fair to say that both clubs shared images that were even better than previous encounters. Ribblesdale fielded images by 13 of its members in the 20 image selection where each image was scored out of 20 points. The local club attained the seven highest scoring photographs featuring six different photographers in the course of amassing 322 points against 260 for the opposing team.

Congratulations go to Gary Williamson whose image, While She Sleeps was deservedly judged the best of the night by the judge. The evening was recorded so that it can be shared with Torevieja at one of their club nights over the winter period. This was an enjoyable evening which was well attended by the membership featuring some great images from home and abroad. The season continues with guest speakers, competitions and folios of prints at 7-30pm on Tuesday nights at Grindleton Pavilion. New members are always shown a warm welcome.

Mary's Shell

Mary's Shell by Pam Kent

Before the downpour

Before The Downpour by Francine Critchley

Clitheroe Advertiser – 1st Open Competition – 03/11/2016

The local camera club held its first monthly competition which was judged by the colourful Tremaine Cornish who joined us from the Wirral. Tremaine is an experienced judge who has reviewed images at the highest levels in the UK and abroad and he offered some really interesting insights into the images on show. There were two sections as usual; prints and digitally projected images with 60 images on view across both sections as the membership attended in good numbers.

Amongst the prints were some excellent examples of traditional landscapes, portraits, wildlife and a number of creative images that had been processed in different ways. Tremaine commented on all the images in a constructive manner to help the members develop their knowledge and skill, he then selected seven images to which he awarded placings and commendations. The placings were: 1st – ‘Ink and Iron’ by Steve Proctor; 2nd – ‘Woodland Red’ by Steve Proctor; 3rd – ‘Wildman’ by Clare Drew.

The Projected images also included a wide range of subjects that showcased the member’s artistic and technical knowhow, there were some outstanding mono images amongst them. Again, the judge commented on each offering with advice where it was beneficial and gave each a score out of 20. The final selection was held back and again a number of commendations and placings were awarded. The placings were: 1st – ‘Sparrowhawk Aggression’ by Steve Proctor; 2nd – ‘Hello Boys’ by Gary Williamson; =3rd – ‘Stare Case’ by Lesley Marklew and ‘Point of Contact’ by Stephen Robinson.

During the evening both Clare Drew and Steve Proctor were awarded certificates for their successful mono entries in the Inter-Club Photographic Alliance annual competition, Clare won the section with Steve coming second.

Next week the club is holding an international competition with Torrieveja from the southern Spanish coast when each club will have twenty images judged with points awarded for each and the winner the club with the highest aggregate score. Ribblesdale currently hold the trophy for this competition and are keen to hold on to it.

All non-members are invited to attend the club where they will be offered our best welcome along with coffee and cake afterwards. Meetings are held at Grindleton Pavillion at 7:30 pm each Tuesday night.

Ink and Iron

1st - Steve Proctor CPAGB BPE3

Woodland Red

2nd - Steve Proctor CPAGB BPE3

Wildman

3rd - Clare Drew CPAGB

Top 3 Placed Digital Images

Clitheroe Advertiser – Melvin went to Iceland…for some hot pics – 10/11/2016

Photographer reveals secrets of his success behind the camera

Melvin Nicholson on location in Scotland

An inspirational photographer was in the frame to pass on some top advice to budding snappers.

Melvin Nicholson was the guest of Ribblesdale Camera Club and he took along a selection of work from his own personal collection. Melvin's approach is to think through the best kind of light to suit the subject, often leading to spectacular dawns and sunsets.

His idea of a typical photographic mission is to drive to Northumberland or Scotland in the evening after the traffic has quietened, have a few hours sleep in his car and set the alarm for before first light.

Particularly striking was a series of night photographs of the Falkirk Wheel and a selection of lighthouses, bridges and rivers were given new life and interest.

To disprove the theory that his photography was good because he knew every rocky seashore and valley in the British mountains in detail, Melvin, who runs a series of workshops, showed a series of stunning pictures he had taken in Iceland just a few days before... on his first visit there.

Clitheroe Advertiser – Season Begins – 13/10/2016

The 2016-17 programme at the Ribblesdale Camera Club has to be the most interesting to date.

The club is now into its fourth week of the new season and members were invited to show their submissions.

Almost  all pictures from the North West were on the theme of the countryside and farming and provided the backdrop for an enjoyable evening. This was followed by the Lancashire & Cheshire Photographic Union folio. These were very high quality prints, with many featuring wildlife and of high standard as would be expected from an area which includes not only Lancashire and Cheshire, but also Manchester and Liverpool. There were two prints from Ribblesdale selected, both from Chairman Steve Proctor, "Sparrowhawk and Kill" and "Idol".

At the next meeting, members will be asked to show three related prints or projections, for discussion with no judging. The following week will be competition for digital projections with an invited judge. The rest of the season will feature regular talks from invited lecturers.

Meetings are at Grindleton Pavillion at 7:30pm on any Tuesday between now and the beginning of May. Potential new members may try a few evenings before deciding to join.

Sparrowhawk and Kill

Sparrowhawk and Kill - Steve Proctor CPAGB BPE3*

Clitheroe Advertiser – Tryptych Report 06/10/2016

Wide range of subjects 'almost bewildering' in photo competition 

Ribblesdale Camera Club invited members to bring sets of three related images for discussion.

Prints were seen first, either as three separate mounted enlargements or as three images on a single sheet of paper. These were followed by digital projections. Each member spoke briefly about their ideas and inspiration which led to the submissions.

"Fruit Bowl" by Stephen Robinson

"Fruit Bowl" by Stephen Robinson

On the night, the diversity of approach, subjects and quality were almost bewildering.

Subjects ranged from almost abstract dancers , a street scene photographed from above where the shadows of the pedestrians made the picture; rock music at "the Grand" and three similar portraits. Also vintage aircraft doing aerobatics with girls "wing walking" and even "secret tunnels" at Cliviger. Sport entries had a twist, one showed a trio of surfers, all incongruously smiling broadly, to distorted cyclists taken with a very wide angle lens from a couple of feet.

"Shadow People" by Gary Williamson

"Shadow People" by Gary Williamson

After the presentations, the prints were set out on tables for closer examination, while the projections were shown again, looped to play continuously. The club was then asked to choose their favourite three entries. Not to judge them in any way, just to tick in a box.

The most popular was Stephen Robinson's "Fruit Bowl", while not far behind was Gary Williamson's "Shadow People".