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Our first 2013 Hot Dates calendar of events, by our new Hot Dates Bloggers Marie Predki and Tom Heslop, will appear on this Blog tomorrow
PLUS: the Go-Live date for our sparkling new web site is Thursday 3rd January!
DON’T MISS: our first night back Thursday 3rd January. It’s President’s Night. What he is going to show us by way of scintillating photography is unknown at present even to himself!
Salons to enter:
Closes 27th Jan - 100th Southampton International, for prints and pdi's. More details at www.southamptoninternationalexhibition.co.uk
Closes 30th Jan - 2nd Port Talbot, for pdi's only. More details at www.porttalbotcameraclub.org
Closes 11th Feb - GB Small Print Circuit, for prints only. More details at www.westcumbriaphotogroup.co.uk
Recent Results:
From the 2nd Novi Sad, Serbia
Angy Ellis 7 acceptances (Puffin, Puffin In The Wind, i-Pods Growing Wild, Self Portrait-Hyperactive, The Horse Washer, Among Silent Screams, Come To The Ball) and Jed Wee 4 acceptance (Puffin Portrait One, Waiting for the Train, Singapore Twilight, Days of Steam). Well done folks!
Neil Maughan ARPS AFIAP DPAGB
3rd January
President’s night
10th January
The London Salon of Photography Annual Exhibition 2012.Closing date 1st Progress Projected Images
17th January
An evening with Will Cheung FRPS
24th January
Stephen Byard DPAGB, AFIAP “Before and After”.Closing date 1st Progress Prints. 
31st January
An evening with our own Assignment Group
7th February
John Webster ARPS, MPAGB Northallerton CC “Chasing the Light” 
14th February
Results 1st Progress Projected ImagesClosing date Dunelm Trophy, Leazes Bowl and Sterling Award DP
21st February
Christine Widdall EFIAP, DPAGB Oldham P.S. “In My View” presented jointly with the RPS
28th February
Results 1st Progress Prints
7th March
Anne & Steve Toon “Out of Africa” (professional wildlife photography) 
14th March
An evening with Mavis and Alan McCormick LRPS of Hexham P.S.
“A Dance With Seagulls”
by Mavis McCormick
“Spot on Time”
by Alan McCormick
21st March
Results Dunelm Trophy, Leazes Bowl, Sterling Award DPI
28th March
Ivor Robinson, Hartlepool P&DG, “My View” 
4th April 
Roy Elwood FRPS, MPAGB, EFIAP, Whickham P.C. “Enjoying Monochrome”Closing date 2nd Progress Projected Images
11th April
Results Des Kelly Trophy, Lambert Hedley Cup and Sterling Award Prints
18th April 
Reed Ingram Weir “Landscapes & Auroras”.For more about Reed you may like to view this YouTube video about him http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH_l7BfjYDM.
25th April
Neil Scott FRPS, EFIAP, DPAGB, of Edinburgh “In My Mind’s Eye” 
2nd May
NO MEETING- hall in use as polling station
9th May
Results 2nd. Progress Projected Images
16th May
NCPF Awards & Alliance Entry 2012.Closing date Hon. Members Cup, Iris and Fillingham Trophies
23rd May
Results 2nd Progress Prints
30th May
David Williams ARPS, ASINWP “Images of Wildlife”David Williams said about his presentation,
“I will be showing a number of my wildlife images, mainly birds, from many different locations and each image is annotated with exif data detailing the exposure, camera and lens used to achieve that image. Birds of local interest will include images of Black Grouse on a Lek. In addition, my RPS Nature “A” panel prints will be on display.”
6th June
The PAGB Great British Cup- the best of GB club photography
13th June
Franco Manfredi, Dave Richardson APAGB and Richard Spoors of Ryton C.C. give us “Three Photographers in Venice”
20th June
Results Hon. Members Cup, Iris and Fillingham Trophies
27th June
Print & Digital Knock-Out(max. size of print+mount is A4)
4th July
Paul Alexander Knox “The N.E.: Industrial Past & Current Community” 
11th July
Members’ Night- a chance to show and to speak about your own pictures.
18th July
Jed Wee, Durham P.S. “Camera Eclectica” 
25th July
Members’ Digital A.V.
August no meetings
From Neil Maughan:
Check out BBC News In Pictures to read about how pro photographer Owen Humphreys took his award winning image of Mo Farah powering to gold at the Olympics. There are also loads of other "back stories" to some amazing images which are also worth checking out.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-20775270
Note: this item first appeared on the Durham PS Facebook group. It’s for members only. Contact Sarah Hewitson or Joanne Gray to join.
Hundreds of brave people of all ages made a mad dash for the sea in the biggest Boxing Day dip in the North East at Seaburn in Sunderland. Mostly in fancy dress and doing it for charity, and some in memory of loved ones, as well as for fun, a great time was had by all including the thousands of happy spectators. Needless to say, Durham PS members were among the many photographers getting their feet wet in capturing the heart-warming event.
From Competition Secretary, PDI – Su Stewart
Happy Christmas everyone -
Just a "heads up"
The deadline for the 1st progress DPI (Digital Projected Images) is 10th Jan, so if you want to beat the rush, you can send me your images (1400 x 1050, medium (7), sRGB jpeg)
email: su.stewar(at)live.co.uk
Note: This notice first appeared on the Durham PS Facebook group for members. The full 2013 competitions schedule will appear on the DPS website soon and, of course in your printed programme 3rd January.
WEST CUMBRIA PHOTO GROUP PROUDLY PRESENTS
5th GREAT BRITISH SMALL PRINT CIRCUIT
4 SECTIONS 4 JUDGINGS 64 ACCEPTANCE CHANCES
FULL DETAILS AND ENTRY FORM CAN BE FOUND AT
http://www.westcumbriaphotogroup.co.uk/?page_id=13
1. 4 sections open colour; open mono; nature and travel
2. easy entry system
3. paypal payment
4. approved by FIAP and PSA
closing date 11th Feb 2013
Remember that from June 2013 10% of your FIAP entry for AFIAP and EFIAP must be in prints start collecting acceptances for them from
2013 Great British Small Print Circuit
The following updates have been made to our web site since the last update message and all can be accessed via:-
1. Northern Focus
The 2012 Winter edition of Northern Focus On-Line has now been received and published on the web site.
2. Links
The International salon links have been updated and brought up to date..
3. Diary
An Item relating to the Great British Small Prints Circuit has been added and members should note a 25% discount for NCPF club entries (poster attached).
4. News Items
News items added including congratulations to a number of our members who have recently gained awards.
Please note that this is the last update until well into the New Year. A merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
Best wishes,
Dave Coates
(NCPF Webmaster)
From the Front Line of Roger’s Quiz Night
First up, numerous certificates, a ribbon and a gold medal from the NCPF were presented to award winners which reminded us of the outstanding photography produced by members in 2012.
Tribute was paid to retiring DPS webmaster John Brown. The current much loved web site will only be on line for a few more days. Created by John, nurtured and developed over 13 years it has been a glorious success story with many admirers. With John’s blessing a new website will appear in January if (sorry when!) all goes well. Over time will break new ground, be developed by a team of members and be community, as in the community of Durham PS, based.
On to the breathtaking, brain-scrambling quiz with, it has to be said, stunning projected visuals. It was won by the “All the President’s men and a woman” team. The president himself made a telling contribution, knowing the answer to at least one question. No trophy or prize was forthcoming but it was the winning that was the thing.
It was the last day as General Secretary for Colin Armitstead after 36 years in the job during his 49 years as a member (though he will continue to be of service to the Society in many other ways). Past President David Trout paid a moving and entertaining speech of appreciation for the monumental contribution Colin has made over so many years. A vote of thanks was warmly affirmed by the acclamation of all present. There was a presentation of an engraved memento of the occasion. In his speech of acceptance, Colin was his usual no-nonsense yet gracious self, though visibly moved as were the audience.
Roger, too, received a vote of thanks and a presentation, this time from Su Stewart. It was not only for putting on yet another amazing quiz night but also that it was his last night as PDI competition secretary, an office he has served with distinction for many years. Roger first master-minded the quiz night some 18 years ago when the visuals had to be produced on slide film. Today things have moved on with Photoshop and digital projection yet still involving considerable work for Roger.
The party continued with Veronica’s delicious, succulent Christmas cake and Don’s wine (orange juice for the driver’s of course). A good time was had by all.
In concluding, the president thanked the committee and all the members for their contributions to what has been a great year for the Society and looked forward to meeting again on the first night back, 3rd January.
Roger’s Quiz Night
Yes, the time honoured and eagerly awaited Roger’s Quiz Night is back!
It’s fun, into the Christmas spirit and it’s the taking part not the winning ...
The format is simple, members and guests form into teams, each team trying to entice Bill Swinburn to join them, and off we go.
Afterwards, there’s Veronica’s Christmas cake and Don’s wine to complete the night and, come to that, reflect on what has been a great year for the club.
REMEMBER: it’s last call for trophies to be returned ...
and, you can pre-pay next year’s subs and awards dinner to save time on our first night back on 3rd January. Simply fill in Angy’s handy proforma.
The following updates have been made to our web site since the last update message and all can be accessed via:-
1. Competitions/Annual Club Championship
The 2013 NCPF Annual Club Championships 2013 are fast approaching (Sunday 10th February 2013) and full details, including Registration Forms, Rules, Entry forms, Timetable and Directions are now posted and available for downloading. Please note the website is now the sole method of circulating information about this competition. Details are no longer sent out be post.
2. News Items
Reports and pictures from the recent Wear Area and South Tyne Area Inter-club competitions, as well as from NCPF presentation day are now posted.
3. PAGB e-news
Issues No. 80 and 81 have been uploaded, once again with much interesting and useful information.
Dave Coates
(NCPF Webmaster)
Trophy Returns
Most are now in. Remaining need to be returned to the club next meeting 20th December.
Annual Awards Dinner
Bowburn Hall Hotel, Friday 25th January, 7.00 pm for 7.30 pm. All members and their guests are invited - £18 per head. Angy will be taking bookings and you can pre-pay. Cheques will not be banked until mid January
2013 Membership renewal
The good news: still only £38 pa. To save time on the first night back next year, you can pay next week on Roger’s Quiz Night. Simply fill in Angy’s pro-forma. Cheques will not be banked until mid January 2013
Assignment “Evening in the City”
Enjoy something different. Durham City at night: Tuesday 18th December. Meeting in the Market Place, 7.00 pm. Colin’s challenge: Reflections
Next week – Roger’s Quiz night
20th December: Roger’s Quiz Night. It’s fun and enjoyment all the way – Don’s wine and Veronica’s Christmas cake laid on and guests are welcome.
Exhibitions
Town Hall for the month of January: we will be showing the top seven sets of prints from the Valente Cup competition
Newton Hall Cafe, January: Barry is organising a display of 10 prints
Botanic Gardens 2013: good news, our exhibition will be on for the whole of March. 47 prints by 47 members
AV night, July 2013
Mavis is encouraging members, particularly new ones and those new to AV to start planning now: story, music, pictures. Picture size is important as is copying as exe files. Become familiar with picturestoexe software. Aim for maximum 5 minute shows. Mavis can offer advice and tutorials and you can contact her by email.
Neil Maughan reports
Three Durham PS photographers have been racking up the acceptances in some recent salons. Results are as follows:
SMETHWICK INTERNATIONAL
David Trout LRPS
Face Of The Fringe
A Wet Fringe
Running Late
Joe Grabham AFIAP
Island Of Lost Souls
A Bird In The Hand (awarded a UPI Silver Medal)
Somewhere In Time
WREKIN SALON
David Trout LRPS
Birmingham Graphics
Running Late
Joe Grabham AFIAP
A Bird In The Hand
Rochester
See You Soon
Jed Wee ARPS (acceptances in all 3 sections: open, nature & photo travel)
Handing Off
Looking Back
Daylight Robbery
One Of His Kind
Open Wide
Wet & Wild
All That Remains
Still Singapore Sunrise
It is also worth mentioning, as he's far too modest to mention it himself, that Joe has also being doing very well indeed in quite a number of foreign based salons, for example he recently had 15 acceptances in The French Digital Tour, 13 in the Tourism Circuit in Serbia and Bulgaria and 5 in the Ciudad de Villajoyosa (Spain). Jed too has just had 6 acceptances including an HM in the Global Salon (Hungary) and a “First Place” in the nature section of the Exposure 2012 Salon in India too.
A very well done to all three photographers.
Neil Maughan ARPS AFIAP DPAGB
Judge, Anne Swearman ARPS,DPAGB, APAGB, EFIAP,APSA
Valente Cup
1st Place. Michael Watson
2nd Place. Neil Maughan.
3rd Place. Mavis Ord.
Leslie Buss Trophy.
Winner Joe Grabham.
Article and picture packed Issue 81 contains:
GB Cup 2013
Awards for Merit
Featured Photographers
Wigan 10 winning panel (featuring Joe’s favourite photographer)
And more
Read the whole issue here, including ads and notices:
http://www.pagbnews.co.uk/e-news/en81151212_APM_InterFedRibon_Ilkley.pdf
Register to receive e-news from the PAGB by email here (it’s free and a must for all keen club photographers): www.pagbnews.co.uk
The following is an extract from a review of the Arthur Smith lecture to Durham Photographic Society 29th November by John Cogan. The full article will be published on the new Durham PS website in January 2013
“Arthur's images and his choices are eclectic. Nothing seems to be beyond him nor the subtle way he works. I admire a man who has never used a Layer in PhotoShop. I no longer feel quite alone. The difference being that I am sure it won't be long before Arthur masters that particular facility and then what an explosion of work. Over the length of the evening you come to feel that this is the autobiography of experimentation. Arthur, for all his avuncular appearance, is the epitome of the absent minded professor who just happens to know exactly what he's doing and develops the magic potion. Every print becomes the next step as he expands his fund of knowledge further and further, wider and deeper. His use of the enlarger and old printing methods, combined with scanning and a multiplicity of other skills probes the possibilities and sets a trail that others will, As a tribal kin of Captain Kirk Arthur will boldly go where no man has gone before but whether Betty will be with him as his Uhuru is another question.”
Editor’s note: Betty, otherwise known as Manic Betty, is a rather beautiful mannequin famously carried around in Arthur’s car and appearing, to huge acclaim, in many of Arthur’s photographs.
The Camera, The Negative and The Print by Ansel Adams
In the second of our series on recommended books Joe Grabham has come up with a real classic: Ansel Adams's The Camera, The Negative and The Print. Now available from Amazon and probably everywhere else in three discrete volumes. When I asked Joe his immediate reaction was John Hedgerow's Fun in the Dark Room but, apart from the 1970s feel of the book with its weak spine and tatty dusk cover there were also moral issues over just what fun one could have in a dark room.
Some may argue that, in this age of digital cameras and PhotoShop, there is no need for Ansel Adams and his zone system or the intricacies of a view camera. However, though I don't possess any of the three books, my research reveals that the wisdom of Adams is still relevant on many levels. To really understand the workings of a camera, especially in relation to the subject to be photographed, there are few writers capable of presenting the material with such care and clarity. If anything, the diagrams and the text take the reader deep into what some with a fanciful imagination might call "The Soul" of the beast.
To have a book devoted to the negative (what's that mister? I can almost hear some youngster ask) is rare. To treat the subject with reverential attention, as Adams does, is to provide the photographer with a technical basis for much of what s/he will strive for over the lifetime of his/her sensor.
As for The Print, the technique Adams writes about may be so very different from what we now use that those of us who caught a faint, residual perfume from Arthur Smith's developed photograms and had our memories shaken awake realise how foreign darkroom work must seem to those who know only digital processes. The hours spent in a tiny, dark cell bent over the three trays or fiddling with a Johnson's tank hoping that our roll of unprocessed film is properly wound on is almost monastic. It's all done by touch until the red light can be switched on and we fire up the old Durst (I should be so lucky... Russian technology was all I could afford).
But the print is really what photography is all about: that final statement of our original intent. If the gentle, meditative rocking of the tray is now a thing of the past then it has left us a legacy which is never to be forgotten or denied. It is to the past and the work of men like Adams that we should be grateful. They are our ancestors and we constantly need reminding that we are where we are because of them. The prints that Adams made are masterpieces of their genre and have set the standard for all of us to strive to emulate. Why then should we not follow in the Master's footsteps and experience the heart of photography; a heart that will remain always true to its subject. Besides, there are enough photographers turning back to film to justify its continued production. The medium format cameras we once lusted after are now available for just over £200. Buy a Leica film camera for under a £1000 and ignore the Nik Silver Efex Pro software that emulates the old film stock. Yes, you can now BUY a roll of Tri-X 400!!!!! Students graduating from Colleges and Universities have experienced the challenge of the darkroom and the alchemic magic of transferring a scattering of light from an idea briefly caught by an arrangement of glass discs to a final print. They will probably turn to the convenience of the digital camera and the ease with which you can manipulate an image. This is contemporary photography. But never let us forget that there was a time when Ansel Adams was the cutting edge of contemporary photography and his three books mark a milestone along the road to where we now find ourselves.
Thanks Joe for being our conscience and part of our collective memory.
John Cogan
"The storm, the bridge, and the sheep house". Taken on my way back from Ashgill Force, last picture of the DPS assignment in Middletom-in-Teesdale. Later this week, I will put more images on my facebook page dedicated to photography”
Lilian Blot
http://www.facebook.com/lilianblotphotography
Note: This news first appeared on the Durham PS members Facebook group. Don’t miss out! Sign up now to receive up to the minute news and enjoy the great photography being posted every day.
Trophy Returns
Calling all 2011 trophy winners! We need all trophies to be returned to the club by 13th December (20th latest!) so they can be engraved with the names of the 2012 winners.
Annual Awards Dinner
Bowburn Hall Hotel, Friday 25th January, 7.00 pm for 7.30 pm. All members and their guests are invited - £18 per head. Angy will be taking bookings and you can pre-pay. Cheques will not be banked until mid January
2013 Membership renewal
The good news: still only £38 pa. To save time on the first night back next year, you can pay next week or on Roger’s Quiz Night. Simply fill in Angy’s pro-forma. Cheques will not be banked until mid January 2013
Assignment “Evening in the City”
Next up, something completely different: Tuesday 18th December, Durham City. Meeting in the Market Place, 7.00 pm. Challenge: Reflections
Only two club nights left in 2012
It’s been a great year and we finish up with two of our most popular nights:
13th December: Valente Cup and Leslie Buss Trophy results night. It’s our premier print competition judged by Anne Swearman. We can hardly wait to see what members have come up with for this hotly contested competition.
20th December: Roger’s Quiz Night. It’s fun and enjoyment all the way – wine and cake laid on and guests are welcome.
Michael Watson reports:
Reuters have their 2012 photographic awards out. Unbelievable. There are some very, very strong, disturbing images of death included as well as a lot of sport. Some very brave photographers out there showing how beautiful and kind yet horrible and evil humans can be.
http://blogs.reuters.com/fullfocus/2012/11/30/best-photos-of-the-year-2012/#a=1
WARNING: SOME IMAGES CONTAIN GRAPHIC CONTENT OR NUDITY
Note: This item first appeared on the Durham PS Facebook Group. Sign up now to receive up to the minute news, debate and great images too. You need need to be a DPS member, have a Facebook account and administrators Sarah Hewitson and Joanne Gray will give you access to this members only site.
WORKERS: ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE INDUSTRIAL AGE
by Sebastiāo Salgado
One of the soundest pieces of advice gleaned from the Members' Profiles is to view as many exhibitions as you can and absorb the styles, composition and techniques of the masters. Failing that, why not build up a library of photobooks to become surrogate exhibitions when the weather is bad and there's not much on the Telly. Oh, the joy of drawing the curtains and making sure the fire is banked up, the hot toddy is on the coffee table and the lights are subdued. Then, as the wind whistles around the house end and the snow piles up against the back door you can be safe in the knowledge that you are enjoying the peace and quiet whilst furthering your photographic knowledge.
This is the first of a regular series when members of the DPS suggest a book that might be of interest to fellow members; a book that has given them great pleasure and has repaid the purchase price many times over.
The first in this series comes from John Clarke, and is that masterpiece of reportage: WORKERS: ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE INDUSTRIAL AGE by Sebastiāo Salgado. First published in 1998, it includes some of his most iconic images including the awesome prints of ant-like miners scrabbling up and down the mud-slopes.
A master of the monochrome, Salgado spent time, his preferred method of working, slowly embedding himself with the workers of whatever industry he was concentrating upon. Once the "structure" of the work was understood, he constructed his images to expose the true nature of the work whether it be miners or agricultural workers, men capping an oil well or others working in metal.
The book that was the culmination of this project is 400 pages of pure joy and eye-watering spectacle that is guaranteed to excite and satisfy even the more demanding of photographers. Yet, this is not just a book for the photo enthusiast. It is an honest record of what it sets out to achieve: a record of how people around the world were working in the latter years of the 20th Century. So, part history book, part social record, the book has established itself as a classic piece of reportage and one that will remain so for many years to come. If it becomes as rare and valuable as Cartier-Bresson's "The Decisive Moment" then buying one now could be an investment for your old age. Try finding HCB's "Decisive Moment" for under £600!
John Cogan
Would members who won trophies last year please return them on Thursday 13/12 or 20/12 latest so they can be engraved with the names of the 2012 winners in time for the Awards Dinner in January.
Thanks in advance,
Colin
Action and picture packed Issue 80 contains:
GB Cup 2013
“Landscapes never do well in big competitions” – the debate continues
A day of observation at an APM workshop
Read the whole issue here, including ads and notices:
hthttp://www.pagbnews.co.uk/e-news/en80011212_IFOpen_YPUwork_Landsc_APM1.pdf
Register to receive e-news from the PAGB by email here (it’s free and a must for all keen club photographers): www.pagbnews.co.uk
