General Notes from the Secretary
Unfortunately I was away in Morocco for the Fur and Feathers fun but it seems that all went well with some stunning photos.
By the time you read this it will nearly be too late if you haven’t got your entries in for the next competition so I hope that you have remembered to bring them on the night.
Our next big external competitions are the Sussex Federation Print Competition at Hailsham Community Centre on the 19th March at 2.30 pm. followed by the Crouch Shield Slide Comp. at Yapton and Ford Village Hall on 22nd March at 7.30pm. Hope that some of you can find the time to go and support the club at these important events.
Peter Picthall
Slide Competition
The second ‘Set Subject’ competition of the season and the results were fortunately rather less controversial than the first. The judge, Steve Coward, had a bias towards creative rather than factual images, which is perfectly acceptable – other judges may have the contrary preference. The entry was down on recent competitions attracting only 15 entries from 5 authors. Derek stormed ahead with the ‘best slide’ and the only 20 of the evening – a great image of a red squirrel, and also a 19 for the second best slide ‘Ruffled Feathers’. Rolf got 18 for his ‘Titfer’. The league table now shows Derek in the lead from Jean by 4 points. He is actually 7 points ahead but under the Club’s rather bizarre system only the highest scoring 9 entries of the season count!
The next inter club event is the Crouch Slide Competition to be hosted by Bognor on Wed. 22 March at Yapton and to be judged by Ian Platt. I think we have a strong entry.
Ian MacWhirter
Print Competition
Storrington’s old friend Steve Coward was our judge for this competition. He started by telling us of the difficulties in judging a set subject and said that he had enjoyed looking at our pictures. He said that there were two sorts of entries, those that had obviously been taken to suit the subject, and those that had been found by looking through members existing shots. He clearly favoured the former before the tea break, but was kinder afterwards to one or two of us with the slides!
Mike Davison was the evening’s star getting not only First place, but ‘second equal’ and ‘third equal’ as well! A really splendid result, especially as he told me when he brought his prints, that as programme secretary, he thought he might remove ‘set subjects’ as they were such a pain! What a difference a ‘road-kill’ pheasant makes!
The winning picture was of his cat asleep with lots of pheasant feathers all round it entitled ‘Dream On’. Steve really liked it a great deal as it had clearly been really well thought out. As was his 19 called ‘Pheasant Feathers’, which had a wonderful variety of colours and textures and all very sharp. His final picture was a frame in diamond format filled with carefully arranged small feathers. Another cracker.
There was a second 19 from Peter Picthall of some feathers beautifully arranged with a rose called, would you believe, ‘Rose and Feathers’. Quite simple but very effective.
The other two 18s were from Paul Hayward with ‘Indian Chief’, another still life of an Indian head dress and from Derek Hyde ‘Harris Hawk’ which was a close up of the hawk’s head with its wicked beak and steely eye. Another very striking shot from our latest member, who, incidentally, is President of Cheam Camera Club up in Surrey.
So we are honoured yet again with a very good photographer from another club. Welcome Derek.
I must mention Ian, (who like me came into Steve’s second category), who got three 17s. One of his pictures was entitled ‘King Penguin inspection’ and was of six King Penguins with all their heads, wings, beaks and bodies all in the best arrangement that anyone could ever wish for. I reckon that that picture will appear elsewhere and be given top credits; mark my words.
The results of the season’s cumulative results are now getting more interesting as we have reached the stage when some of the lowest marks given to us are removed. This shows Ian MacWhirter well ahead of all of us no surprise there, and very well done Ian (I find his pictures a total joy). He has not had one mark below 18 until ‘Fur and Feathers’. Mike Davison is in second place and I am clinging frantically to third place. After this there is a small bunch of members all within a point of each other Peter Picthall, Paul Hayward and Martin Tomes. Watch this space!
The En-print competition got the judges full attention for a change and I think he talked briefly about every entry. He was able to spend the time because we had less slide entries.
Our reigning champion Paul Hayward got the winner with his picture of a painting on an easel, with the scene that was being painted behind it. It has appeared in the main print competition enlarged and I liked it a lot then. Second came Sue Jahan (another star in the ascent) with a portrait of a very handsome man entitled ‘Hubby’. Well done Sue. Third was our champion again with ‘St Pauls’ a really good shot of the Cathedral with the ‘Millenium Wobble’ as a lead in on the right of the picture. Well done Paul.
As the table following shows, Paul is set fair to becoming Champion again, congratulations.
En-print totals so far.
Paul Hayward 10 Sue Worsfold 6 Peter Picthall 3 Jane Coward 2 Sue Jahan 2 Margaret Gregory 1 Alf Taylor 1(These may be not in order for the evening but the totals are Correct “Peter Picthall”)
Our thanks to Steve Coward for his tips and helpful comments which should help us all become better photographers.
Derek Grieve