Upminster Camera Club: September 2015

Monday, September 28, 2015

HALF YEARLY PRINT

WINNING IMAGES

ADVANCED

1st Waiting

by Stephen Deer

2nd Nuclear Mud Race

by Dave Wilcox

3rd Ullswater Boat House

Stephen Deer

H.C. Croyde Bay Sunset

INTERMEDIATE

1st Zulu

by Colin Smith

2nd The Red Chair

by Eric Morley

3rd Lime Street, City of London

by Len Adshead

H.C. Swallow Tail on Dames Violet

by Gella Ladner

H.C. Looking Up Dunwhich Heath

by Gella Ladner

Thursday, September 17, 2015

PHOTOSHOP & MORE

The evening started strangely with our guest revealing that he chose photography over his wife. I thought that this was a shortsighted view. You can buy ready meals that you can put in the microwave, you can eat out of the container so there is no washing up. why make your bed? you are only get back into it in a few hours. So why short sighted? Who is going to carry his camera equipment and set up his tripod?

The first photoshop trick he showed us was to add mist to his images to improve them. I have scoured through my images to see how I could use this new found "trick". I have decided that they could nearly all do with a bit of help. However, rather than a hint of mist, my pictures could with a large blanket of fog.

His second tip was to how to change a photo to look like a sketch. I think that the model had a say in this. After looking at the original she insisted that he did something to hide her grey roots.

Sadly he did not have time to complete his final task. So straight after tea w traveled to Venice and the festival. Our speaker thought he had struck lucky when he found a model with long gold lame` legs and thought here is a woman that can carry a camera bag around all day with out getting tired. Oh well the best laid plans etc.

More Work Needed

Monday, September 14, 2015

THEME IN A HAT

Another evening of interesting images well handled by our judge. She even managed to out pun Dennis.

Pairs seemed to be the order of the day. With our judge being mesmerised by the 16 pair of Pears. At one point I thought she was hallucinating. I don't know what pain killers she was taking but I would like some. Then there was the other "pair" now the author might have his "knockers" ( I don't mean man boobs) for thinking out of the box, but I think it was the most commented picture of the evening.

Apart from Eric's History shot, how did he know 62 years ago (considering the camera club wasn't formed) that a Theme in a Hat competition would be part of the programme let alone as subject titled History would be part of it.

Talk of thinking out of the box. I could not work out the connection between the couple getting married and happiness? Still I suppose you can't be happy all your life. Or how does that joke go? My wife and I were perfectly happy for twenty years. Then we met.

My favourite image of the evening was Hidden. well done to Stephen for getting a person peering through the leaves. I would have just taken a picture of some foliage and said there is someone hiding in there, just prove there isn't.

Eric & Heather 2015 Style

Sunday, September 13, 2015

THEME IN A HAT

WINNING IMAGES

1st Environmental Trash

by John Purvis

2nd Pairs

by John Purvis

3rd Bad Weather

by Brian Clark

H.C. Night Time

by John Knight

Monday, September 7, 2015

PANEL BEATING

I always knew that the members of Upminster camera Club were quicker on the uptake than other photographers but to fit in a four day course in two hours was quite something. I'm sure we all kept up.

I had come prepared, I left my camera at home and brought my ball hammer and tools and my dented car just in case we did some practical work. and to save on my car insurance, even though the lamp post stepped out in front of me.

I was hopeful when I saw the images on the screen before the evening started I was soon disappointed, with all the talk of book-ends and flow I soon became a bit confused. A bit like Bob Hope in "Son of Paleface". If he leans to the left, draw to the right, if he draws to the right then lean to the left until he is completely confused.

His tip about hanging your prints to the back of the loo door is one I have been using for several years now, this probably explains the piles. Still if you do decide that you do not like a particular print you can always put the paper to a more practical use. Especially if it is crap. A word of caution however, do not use if it is on glossy paper, as it can slip.

Loved the mounting of the prints, not sure if black glossy mounts will catch on though, especially with the red border. Perhaps Colin could ask our supplier if he can help. If we all used them it would confuse visiting judges. How can they mark down or give different comments about the mounts if we all used the same?