Passionate Photography

Meeting Report

This evening we were treated to a show of superb artistic talent by Diana Goss MSc UKCP ARPS who specialises and thoroughly enjoys Night Photography. She was going to be accompanied by a gentleman who partners on her night adventures, but unfortunately he was unable to attend. Diana emphasised that for personal safety it is unwise to venture out alone at night and in any case her partner works with her (and sometimes with more assistants as well) to enable her to get the results she is seeking. She, like Rosie Armes who also came to us from Chichester CC, never sets out with her camera to take random pictures (as I do, and I suspect most other SCC people do!?); all her images are thought up in advance and the appropriate props taken along with her.

When Diana arrived with us, she set out all the kit she takes with her on her night photography on a table for us to examine. She told us that none of it was costly. It included, apart from her camera, a fisheye lens; flash gun; wire wool; electro-luminescent wire; stencils; coloured gels, to name but a few of the items, several of which were purchased on e-bay.

We were then shown a presentation entitled 'Me, myself and my pictures' which started by showing us a picture of a caravan in which her father used to produced his photographs, ably assisted by his young Daughter, agitating developing trays etc. It then moved on showing Diana's very early pictures of the sky at night working up to much more recent images showing how her work developed.

Diana has led a very interesting life being a qualified Consultant Psychotherapist and also being involved with the retail motor trade with a partner importing exotic models, not to mention raising two children.

Diana explained some of the techniques she uses to obtain some of her images which involves 'stacking' a great many different frames; using torches and other light sources to 'paint objects with light' during long exposures and using illuminated wires to produce coloured lines in specific places within the images. Peter Picthall was amazed to hear that a lovely picture of the old Western Pier in Brighton had an exposure of 50 minutes! The longest Peter has ever taken was 1/25th of a second!

Then Diana showed us more of her more recent work which included a series of images in which she posed herself, selfies, but very, very much more elaborate!

Diana possesses the most amazing artistic talent to bring together all the different facets of her images forming a finished masterpiece. She has had many acceptances by different Salons and she recently was awarded her ARPS with a panel of prints which we were able to admire at the tea interval. I thought that the prints brought out the beauty of her images much more than the PI versions.

We really were treated to some amazing pictures, which I for one would never in a million years be able to begin to produce, so thank you Diana for sharing your talent with us.

Submitted by Derek Grieve on