HAPPY NEW YEAR

... to all our readers

2012 here we come!

INTERNATIONALS – 2012 update

From our Internationals correspondent

For those members keen to enter an International Salon in 2012, here is advance notice of the UK based salons for the first 3 months of the year. Please have a word with me on a Club Night if you'd like any information about non - UK based salons.

99th Southampton International - for prints and pdi's.

Closing date: 4th February

Details at: www.southamptoninternationalexhibition.co.uk

4th GB Small Print Circuit - for prints only

Closing date: 5th February

Details at: www.westcumbriaphotogroup.co.uk

66th Bristol Salon - for pdi's only

Closing date: 10th March

Details at: www.bristolphoto.org.uk

Neil Maughan

2012 Fillingham Trophy -This Sporting Life

The set subject for the Fillingham Trophy changes every year. For 2012 it is This Sporting Life. Entries have to have been taken between the announcement date, 1^st December 2011 and the closing date of 17^th May. Members can enter up to three images and this year titles are allowed.

Tony Griffiths said, “The sports photographers may have a field day with this one but there is also plenty of scope for humour and English irony. It’s all about interpretation. I hope everyone will have a go and enjoy taking on the challenge”.

Here are more sporting life pictures to enjoy from webmaster John Brown.

           

         

         

e-news of the PAGB issue 54

Click on this link to see Issue 54 of e-news from the PAGB:

http://www.pagbnews.co.uk/e-news/en54281211SmithObitAPMComplaints.pdf

IN ISSUE 54:

GB CUP – Call for Entries

Awards for Photographic Merit

Inter-Fed PDI 2012 + Featured Photographer David Venables

Colin Smith 1937-2011

Notices & PermaJet Free Draw Winners

How do you receive visitors?

Notices for the RPS

Notices and "An Exception to the Rule"

PAGB AV Awards Consultation.

… and Finally ... Police Compensate parade-ban teenage photographer

Register for free e-news from the PAG at www.pagbnews.co.uk

A Message from the Blog Team

HOT DATES SPECIAL: Festive Edition

Boxing Day Dip: Seaburn beach, Sunderland. Registration on the day is from 9.30am to 10.30am at the Seaburn Centre. Fancy dress judging will be held between 10.45am and 11am, with the parade and procession to the sea at 11am.

Boxing Day Meet: Braes of Derwent Hunt. Meeting at Queens Head, Front Street Lanchester. 10.45 for 11.00 am

New Year’s Eve: The New Year’s Eve Winter Carnival Parade congregates at Monument from 3pm on New Year’s Eve. Nordic characters and Ice Queen, music and performances. The parade sets off at approximately 5.15pm, heading from Monument to Newcastle Civic Centre along Northumberland Street. The annual fireworks finale at Newcastle Civic Centre begins at 6pm. All timings are approximate and should be used as a guide only.

The 2012 Hot Dates Calendar, chock full of exciting and popular events for photographers will follow soon.

Your Hot Dates Blogger, Stephen Bell

The Story behind the Picture: latest posting

Finished by David Trout

David’s picture, Finished, which has been widely seen and hugely successful, is the latest to appear on the new DPS website feature, The Story Behind the Picture. We now have ten very diverse images with the photographers’ fascinating insights into their creation and more to follow.

Any DPS member who would like to have one of their images featured in this way should contact Tony Griffiths in the first instance.

IMAGE FILE SIZES – New for 2012

A notice has been posted on the home page of the DPS website regarding the new image sizes for PDI competitions. Follow the Important information for members link at the bottom of the home page, or follow this link: http://www.d-p-s.org.uk/notices.htm

“A guide to preparing digital image files for competition and web use” has been updated and can be found under Downloads on the home page

Note the closing date for 1^st Progress digital is 12^th January, our second meeting after the Christmas break, and images can be prepared to the new standard.

The Story behind the Picture: latest

The Story behind the Picture series that has appeared on this Blog in recent months has been so well received, the images now form a new, more permanent collection on the main DPS website.

Check out now from the Home page, including two new postings: Neil Maughan’s Morning Cuppa and Joe Grabham’s Isaac’s Field.

News: For The Birds ... Saturday 17th

Here are a few images from the second Birds of Prey photography workshop this week. This one was blessed with good weather and superb light. The location, the birds, the tuition, the companionship – all good! Grateful thanks go to wild life and sports photographer Jed Wee, who organised the events exclusively for his fellow DPS members, with Sophie of the Swinton Park Birds of Prey Centre Nr Masham, N Yorks. A great time was had by all and everyone bagged loads of good pictures for their portfolios.

TG

 

          

UPDATES to the NCPF WEB SITE

The following update has been made to our web site since the last update message and all can be accessed via:-

www.ncpf.org.uk

1. Competitions/Club Championship Page:-

Information regarding 2012 rules and entry forms has been posted on the NCPF Events page and the Competitions/Club Championship pages .

2. Diary:-

Information of two future “mini” Tours to the Federation Area in November 2012 and March 2013 added.  Also a substantial amendment to the Western Area’s Steven le Provost Lecture.

 

REPEAT NOTICE:-       INVITATION re the NCPF Web site Rolling Banner

As promised when the website was launched eleven months ago, we would like to place a fresh set of photographs on the ‘Rolling Banner’ at the head of our web page.   To do this we have to have sufficient images of the required quality. Ideally we would like to post six images, each depicting one of our Six Areas – Northern, North Tyne, Southern, South Tyne, Wear and Western.  We do have some in stock, which were donated last year, but would like more to consider.  We are therefore inviting members to submit suitable images to the webmaster for consideration. 

Each image should clearly depict an “iconic” feature of the Area concerned and if used a credit will be placed as with the present set of images. Each image must be 1000 pixels by 260 pixels and set at 300 dpi please  (we will reduce the resolution for the web site). Remember this banner is our shop window and we need the very best to show to the world.  I have extended the deadline for for this project. The images should be emailed to the webmaster by no later than the 31^st December 2011 please.

Dave Coates
(NCPF Webmaster)

Exhibition News: Burke + Norfolk at Side Gallery

Burke + Norfolk. Photographs from the War in Afghanistan by John Burke and Simon Norfolk

Side have announced that the 'Burke + Norfolk' exhibition, which first opened in May this year at the Tate Modern, has travelled to Newcastle and will be hosted by Side Gallery from 10th December 2011 - 4th February 2012.

“The first ever photographs to be taken in Afghanistan were made by the Irish photographer John Burke (1843?-1900). His eloquent images form an extraordinary record of the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880), yet today he is virtually unknown. Simon Norfolk recognised in Burke’s photographs a humane and critical eye for the British colonial project and in 2010 travelled to Afghanistan in order to follow in his footsteps.

In what he terms a collaboration with his Victorian forerunner, Norfolk engaged in a kind of rephotography.

Burke’s diverse photographic output included landscapes, battlefields, archaeological sites, street scenes, portraits of British officers and ethnological group portraits of Afghans. Rather than artificially re-staging these compositions exactly, Norfolk identified contemporary equivalents, researching and travelling to Burke’s vantage points and developing a digital version of his wet plate technique.

As the singular ‘War’ in the exhibition title implies, Norfolk’s project is in part an indictment of the unrelenting impact of conflict and imperialism on the landscape and people of Afghanistan over the past 130 years. The echoing images that result from his partnership with Burke highlight points of continuity and change from either side of the twentieth-century in the war-ravaged country.”

http://amber-online.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=955de3497fab00bab7a3b3b00&id=cf5fd3f9bb&e=a0da640e00

The Story behind the Picture - Hyperactive

DPS Treasurer Angy Ellis is well known, not just in this club, for her creative and dynamic approach to photography. Hyperactive, a self portrait, has been well received, most recently being awarded a Highly Commended (along with two more of her prints) by Rod Whelans in the recent, prestige Valente competition.

“My self-portrait ... is it, (a) an in-depth exploration of my own psyche, or (b) simply a picture created for a competition where the model (me) was the easiest and cheapest I could find?. Yes, (b) was the correct answer.

Apparently a self-portrait is a projection of one’s self, so after some deep thought , numerous cups of tea and packets of ASDA ‘extra special’ stem ginger biscuits (other extra special stem ginger biscuits are available, Ed) I decided to present myself as I am seen by others closely around me, hyper active.

Truth is I never stop, if my body isn’t moving then my mouth probably is. My mind is constantly running wild with ideas, plans, reflection and life in general. There was no other option than to show how hyperactive I need to be to get all things done. To relay this in a photograph was the next hurdle.

I saw a picture at the club once, by John Attle I think, with motorcycle helmets in separate boxes. I saw a piece of art in a gallery with body parts in boxes – the fact that in life my lack of time restricts me so much the idea to place me in a box which symbolises restrictive time in this case was the only way to go.

I set up my tripod in my spare room, set the timer then took a few shots of me with my arms up on a white background. On the monitor they looked quite boring, so I fiddled with the tools and really liked result that the threshold/stamp combination created. Unfortunately the result it looked less like a body because of the outline of the clothing. So only one thing for it I had to get naked, all in the name of art. This worked really well; I was able to take about sixty different moves in about 2 hours.

Editing took another 3 hours to convert them all into what I called body stamps, create the boxes template then individually copy and paste all my separate images into place. Yep, it was a pain but the result I loved. Then I thought how are people going to recognise it was me? So I cleared 4 boxes and put inside my face cropped tightly around the eyes.

The result, my image ‘Hyperactive’ that you have seen in a few competitions this year achieving very good results. I will be putting it to bed after the New Year - or should I say letting it rest on my wall at home. “

Angy Ellis

2nd International Street Photography Award

Chris Oliphant reports:

There are three weeks left to enter the 2nd International Street Photography Award and the organisers are looking for international photographers who display a unique style and depth of work in the genre of street photography.

There is so much more to the genre than street scenes. The festival’s definition of street photography is “candid, photography which captures, explores or questions contemporary society and the relationships between individuals and their surroundings.”

First prize value: £10,000

• £2,000 cash

• A solo exhibition in London as part of the festival in June 2012 (including venue hire, printing, framing and installation, and your very own private view event)

• Trip to London (including travel & expenses)

Application Deadline: 05 January 2012

For more information visit

www.londonstreetphotographyfestival.org/competitions/international-award-2012/international-award-2012-info

CLUB NIGHT NEWS 15.12.11

ROGER’S FAMOUS QUIZ NIGHT

There was a huge gathering of members and guests to enjoy Roger’s famous quiz night party - a longstanding tradition for the last night of our club year. Outgoing President, David Trout, having come to the end of his two year term of office, bowed out to huge acclaim and warm applause in appreciation for the great work he has done for the Society, not least in leading from the front with the excellence of his own photography. David now becomes Immediate Past President and joins the roll call of honour of Past Presidents since 1947.

There is an updated profile of David with new images on the DPS website here: http://www.d-p-s.org.uk/profile_david_trout_page.htm

AWARDS PRESENTATION DINNER

Our annual awards dinner is on 27^th January 2012 at Bowburn Hall Hotel. Good food, good company and the warm feeling of awards being presented, including the Vice President’s Award for outstanding service to the club which will be announced on the night by new Vice President Ian Stafford.

All members and guests are invited to attend. Angy asks that you put your names down on the list at the club so we know how many to book for.

NEXT CLUB NIGHT

There is no meeting next Thursday, 22^nd December (due to Christmas!). Our 2012 programme starts 5^th January with the traditional President’s night. New President Tony Griffiths will be showing pictures and talking about his photography with a theme of One Thing Leads to Another.

For a tantalising glimpse of the delights of the year to come, go to http://www.d-p-s.org.uk/programme_2012_preview.htm

News: For The Birds ... Latest

The first of two Birds of Prey photography workshops, organised by top wild life and sports photographer Jed Wee exclusively for his fellow DPS members, took place this week at the Swinton Park Birds of Prey Centre Nr Masham, N Yorks.

Angy Ellis Reports:

“Whether you are a beginner, keen hobbyist or professional, this day would have rewarded you in some shape or form. For many people, myself included, capturing a crisp image of a beautiful wild bird is wonderful. Those of you who have attempted to snap these birds will know that bird photography is a challenge. So we were really lucky to have Jed who arranged for us privileged close-up access to these beautiful birds. We were presented with outstanding opportunities to capture wonderful shots in different locations around the land. This was combined with Hints and Tips designed to help improve our photographic techniques and results. I personally increased my knowledge about histograms, ISO and shutter speeds from various members which resulted in me capturing some cracking shots. Nothing was too much trouble for Jed & Sophie the bird owner. Yes it was cold, Yes it was raining, Yes it was muddy…..but did I come away an abundance of great shots. YES I did! Thanks Jed. “

Angy

 

            

The next For the Birds ... is Saturday 17^th December

CLUB NIGHT PREVIEW, 15th December

Roger’s Quiz Night

It’s the last night of our club year. There will be a best ever pub quiz style quiz, Veronica’s Christmas cake (home-made) and even a glass of Don’s wine (supermarket, not home-made).

Ho, Ho, Ho!

p.s. Don’t forget to bring your 2010 Trophies – they need to be engraved with the names of 2011 winners

News: Joe Grabham Impresses Turkish Salon

Neil Maughan reports:

“Just in from the wires....

Joe Grabham helped fly the flag for the UK when he had his super image "Isaac's Field" accepted into the mono section of the 5th Mersin International Salon of Photography. This is a Salon based in Turkey that is notoriously difficult to get anything accepted into. Across 5 sections (mono, colour, creative, nature and photo-essay) there were only 22 images accepted from the UK.

Well done Joe on your success.”

NM

UPDATES to the NCPF WEB SITE

The following update has been made to our web site since the last update message and all can be accessed via:-

www.ncpf.org.uk

1. Diary:-

Additional Executive and events dates, details of forthcoming Ashington Co-op Exhibition, and Western Area event in March 2012 (Poster included for Club Secretaries to display on Notice Boards please)

2. NCPF Events:-

Page updated with brief details of 2012 events.

3. News Items:-

Yet more cause to celebrate members’ success with the results of the November PAGB Awards for Photographic Merit Adjudication and once again further recognition of Northern Focus from PSA.

NOTICE:-        NCPF Spectacular – A reminder to book early, the majority of tickets have been purchased already, but there still some left.  Check out the “NCPF Events Page” on the NCPF Web site to get your tickets.

Dave Coates
(NCPF Webmaster)

From the Front line of Assignment Tanfield

An intrepid band of Durham PS enthusiasts assembled in the Tanfield Railway car park at 10.00 am, 10^th December. It was a crisply cold, clear morning and some minutes were spent comparing equipment. Not cameras - winter clothes, which ranged from the ripped jeans look (he’s a hard man is John C 1) to an extreme weather ensemble that would have graced the slopes of a fashionable ski resort (yes, it was John C2 at his most elegant).

Soon enough, we were into the delights of Tanfield – the iconic engine shed, the acres of railway sidings with the delights of dereliction and decay – to the railway station, busy with Santa North Pole Express excursions (fully booked for 2011).

Many a happy hour was spent, doing our own thing, pausing for convivial fat-chewing and watching the masters (photographers and railway engineers) at work. There was a special challenge to enliven things still more which your correspondent mis-remembered to be “Up Close and Personal”. After several fruitless hours trying to capture a Brief Encounters scene through the steam wreathed station, realised it was in fact “Close up and Interesting”. At least one member, inspired by the work of Lilian Blot, sadly not with us on the day (Oh how we miss him!) was thinking Triptychs. And several others were impressively seeming to know what they were doing.

With several hundred images in the bag that would not otherwise have been taken, Assignment Tanfield ended convivially in the nearby Black Horse. Once again, a good time was had by all.

http://www.tanfieldrailway.co.uk/santa.html

El G

Results; Valente Cup & The Leslie Buss Trophy. Judged by Rod Wheelans MPAGB FRPS MFIAP

1st Place. Michael Watson

 

          

2nd Place. Neil Maughan

3rd Place. Ian Stafford

The Leslie Buss Trophy for the best single print was awarded to Neil Maughan.

CLUB NIGHT NEWS 8.12.11

BIRDS OF PREY PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

The first one of two for DPS members is this coming Wednesday, 14^th December. Car sharing is organised. In the event of cancellation/postponement due to extreme weather, you will be phoned or emailed. The venue is Swinton Park Birds of Prey Centre, nr Masham, N Yorks, HG4 4JH and the day will be from about 10.00 am to 3.00 pm.

Refreshments are available at the luxury castle hotel or in Masham, a short drive, or even walk, away.

http://www.swintonpark.com/

www.swintonpark.com/events/birdofpreycentre.html

http://birdsofprey.me.uk/

ASSIGNMENT TANFIELD RAILWAY

Tanfield here we come! Take time out from Christmas shopping and enjoy a great day of photography with fellow members and lunch in the nearby Causey Inn. Saturday 10^th December, meeting in the car park at 10.00 a.m. Special challenge, Close-up and Interesting

2010 COMPETITION TROPHIES

If you haven’t already done so, please return to the club so they can be engraved with the names of the 2011 winners.

PRESENTATION DINNER

The 2011 winners will be presented at our annual awards dinner which is on 27^th January 2012 at Bowburn Hall Hotel. All members and guests are welcome to attend. Please put your names down on the list at the club

2012 SUBS

Once again, Angy is running a scheme whereby you can pre pay on the 15^th December, Roger’s Quiz night. Simply complete the form provided. Cheques will not be banked until January. This is to avoid massive queues on the first night back

NEXT WEEK - ROGER’S QUIZ NIGHT

‘Tis the season to be jolly! Roger’s Quiz, Veronica’s cake, Don’s wine ... can’t wait!

INTERNATIONALS NEWS: 28 more Acceptances for DPS Members

From our Internationals Editor

The results of 3 UK based Salons have recently been announced and again, Durham PS photographers have had success.

Congratulations go to the following:

The 7th Swansea International

David Trout - 1 acceptance

Joe Grabham - 2 acceptances

David Forster - 1 acceptance

Neil Maughan - 4 acceptances

The Wrekin Salon

David Trout - 3 acceptances

Joe Grabham - 2 acceptances

Neil Maughan - 7 acceptances

The 37th Smethwick International

David Trout - 1 acceptance. David's shot "Blizzard" was given a Highly Commended award.

Joe Grabham - 2 acceptances

Neil Maughan - 5 acceptances

If anyone else has any International acceptance, please let me know so we can announce on the Blog.

 

         

Finally

The final UK based salon of 2011 - the 1st Port Talbot International  - closes on 31st December. More info at www.porttalbotcameraclub.org.

Neil Maughan

CLUB NIGHT PREVIEW, 8th December

Results Night: Valente Cup & Leslie Buss Trophy

It’s the final results night of our year and it’s the big one! Check the programme for the rules. Traditionally, members’ best pictures of the year are put up – that could be prints that have already done well in other competitions or completely new, previously unseen work. The photographer with the best entry wins the coveted Valente Cup. In addition, the Lesley Buss Trophy is awarded to the best single print in the competition.

As a bonus, the judge is a good friend of the club, Rod Wheelans FRPS MPAGB HonPAGB MFIAP who members will remember fondly from previous visits. He is editor of the e-news of the PAGB which has a readership of well over 10,000 subscribers, and currently Print Competition Secretary of Dumfries CC, one of the most successful clubs around. A gallery of some of Rod’s photography can be seen here: http://www.dumfriescameraclub.co.uk/gallery/rod-wheelans

Rod’s own website is here: www.creative-camera.co.uk

So, one of the best judges around plus the best prints we can muster – it’s not to be missed!

Pictured: Valente Cup winning entry 2010 by David Trout