Club News

Our first meeting in a new venue, the Village Hall in Thakeham was held in a bright airy room on a site with adequate parking. Along with regulars some new and potentially new members were welcomed by Janet Brown the Club Chairman who also reminded members of the club's Flickr sites for members' photographs. Displays of seventeen members' photographic activities over the Summer with commentary then followed. A diverse range of images from landscapes to townscapes, birds, people and vehicles as well as examples from a photoshoot of the Milky Way led to lively discussion.

I know, everyone can't wait to attend an AGM, and this year we had an excellent turn out, thank you to those who came. The usual business was conducted, but this year we also had to decide how we would run competitions. It was a choice between continuing to mark out of twenty or abandon scores and have highly commendeds and a judges pick. Given the somewhat contentious nature of this ths discussion we had was very constructive and the move to abolish scores was passed by a large majority.

Prior to the proceedings I presented the trophies.

Our final competition of the 2021-22 season was our “Best of Year Competition” in which members submitted their best entries from throughout the year. It took place on 28 April; a physical meeting with additional Covid precautions, instead of being a virtual meeting on Zoom. The judge was Bob Webzell ARPS EFIAP, a past president of Brighton and Hove Camera Club and a member of the “Nature Photographer’s Portfolio”.

As might be expected, the standard was high, with everyone doing their best to achieve “Best of Year”.

Graham Devenish ARPS knew Chris Peet, a resident of Hove and an internationally renowned photographer who photographed Sussex landscapes amongst others in a distinctive monochrome style. A contemporary of Bill Brandt he had a similar style and was influential to many current photographers including Iain McGowan FRPS, who spoke to us recently. After his death in 1997 Chris's images were seemingly lost until on a chance encounter at Gatwick airport; in 2015 Graham's colleague Frank Bull met a couple who had 150 of them and gave them to Frank and Graham.

Our 5th competition of the 2021-22 season took place on 14 April; a physical meeting with additional Covid precautions, instead of being a virtual meeting on Zoom. The judge was David Hughes ARPS CPAGB BPE2*, based in Surrey. David’s primary interests are photographing wildlife and landscapes, though he has also photographed many other genres – quite fitting for reviewing our images!

If you want something different in photography, go to Ian McGowan FRPS, a professional photographer since 1993. Never one to have been bogged down in the technical aspects of photography, he has always believed in keeping equipment simple and thoroughly understanding all of its uses. At present he is using a series of digital compact cameras small enough to keep in a coat pocket and which Iain finds gives him a delicious sense of freedom in taking his photographs. The camera, a trusty printer, matte paper and an extensive knowledge of locations are his tools. No computer is in sight.

Diane Seddon provided a fascinating presentation via Zoom Illustrating her activity largely begun during lockdown to create images that were different and even odd. She was not out to please the judges although she has had much success with her images and is herself a judge. She had been a professional photographer often making images of celebrities but is also an active member of a camera club and often uses club members in her projects.

Our 4th competition of the 2021-22 season took place on 3 March; a physical meeting with additional Covid precautions, instead of being a virtual meeting on Zoom. The judge was David Eastley LRPS. From Sussex, David describes himself as having a wide range of photographic interests, from portraits to landscapes, from travel to flower photography – quite fitting for reviewing our images! David is well known to Storrington camera club; having judged for us many times.   

Beyond the club photographic circuit are numerous inter-club, county level competitions and on this occasion we were hosting the sixth round of the Southern Counties Photographic Federation digital image league. Seven clubs from Gibraltar, Isle of White, Southampton, Andover, Fareham, Sandhurst and Basingstoke joined us with each providing eight images that are judged over eight rounds.

Paul Mitchell FRPS gained his distinction with a set of pinhole camera images and visited the club to show us his panel and to talk about woodland photography. This was only his second face to face presentation in two years. Paul is a graphic designer by profession but has always also been a photographer plying his craft in many genres.