PRACTICAL IMAGE PROCESSING
Wednesday 2nd May, County Hall, 7 to 9 pm
John Gordon will continue his demonstration of the skills and techniques you need to continue on a path of excellence. Tools and techniques will be covered from basic to intermediate level.
Topics:
Adobe Lightroom 4
Includes open session where members can request help
And more ...
All members are welcome. Please feel free to come along. DPS Digital nights are usually on the first Wednesday of each month.
An essay by John Cogan
“The gods of weather and photography smiled upon the gathering. From their lofty position on top of Penshaw Monument they felt, for once, benign. Rain earlier on had settled the dust and cleared some of the atmosphere. The sun shone from a sky sufficiently cloudy to provide a decent amount of contrast should we chose to use a yellow lens filter. However, no-one has told the gods we now have Photoshop. Still, they thought they were doing us a favour.”
So begins John’s report from the front line of Beamish Museum’s Great North Steam Fair photographers’ night April 2012.
For the full story, go to the Articles page on the DPS website. http://www.d-p-s.org.uk/articles.htm
See also Hot Dates Blogger, Stephen Bell’s report on this page.
Colin Armitstead APAGB writes:
“Happy hello to all who went to the races, the viewing evening is Wed 16th May at 7.00pm, County hall. As I didn't set a subject to catch let’s say that you can show up to six A4 prints instead of four.”
Saturday 28th April 2pm Free
Arab Spring: Egypt and Libya by Guy Martin and Ivor Prickett is now on at the Side Gallery in Newcastle until 9th June. Side Gallery are extending a warm invitation to attend the opening event. Guy and Ivor will be present to talk about their work and answer questions. As usual no booking is required and complimentary snacks and drinks will be provided.
http://www.amber-online.com/sections/side-gallery/pages/current-exhibition
Assignment Barford Raceway
It was a great day out! The thrills and spills of stock car racing. There will be a congenial revue session to show and discuss prints (up to 4 A4 size each) Wednesday 16th May, County Hal, 7.00 pm. A gallery of images (8 each) on the DPS website will follow.
Digital Night Wednesday 2nd April
County Hall 7.00 to 9.00 pm. Free to members. John Gordon will demonstrate the delights of new to market Adobe Lightroom 4 which has new a raw imaging processing engine, which will also be in the forthcoming CS6 (which is currently in the beta stage of development), and other new features
Annual Exhibition Galilee Chapel
All you have to do at this stage is register your interest in showing up to two of your very best prints, taken in the last year or two, in this most magnificent of settings. You can put your name down at the club but hurry! Space is limited to around 100 prints.
HELP DESK - Loans
In addition to a Spyder Elite 3 screen calibrator and a Nikon scanner, members can now borrow Ken Holland’s excellent book, Looking at Photographs. Of great interest to anyone thinking of becoming a photography competition judge, or seeking to understand how judges think, or wanting to add to their knowledge of photography.
Suggestions Box
By popular demand, Angy has launched a Suggestions Box scheme designed to fast track members’ ideas and/or concerns direct to the DPS committee. HAVE YOUR SAY!
Hot Dates this weekend
WHITBY GOTH WEEKEND: Whitby 26th-30th April. www.whitbygothweekend.co.uk
HARROGATE SPRING FLOWER SHOW: Harrogate 26th-29th April. www.flowershow.org.uk
See Stephen Bell’s Hot Dates, April Update on this Blog for more events of great interest to photographers
Beamish Museum
Following the success of the recent photographers’ night, there will be an after hours in the pit village event, 18th May 6.30 to 9.00 pm: http://www.beamish.org.uk/museums-at-night---after-hours-in-the-pit-village-18th/
The following update has been made to our web site since the last update message and all can be accessed via:-
1. International Salon
These pages have been upgraded in preparation for the launch of this year’s Northern Counties International salon of Photography.
(NB:- there will be local entry arrangements for members of NCPF clubs, which will be circulated separately via this circulation system)
2. Diary/Stop Press
Information and links for the Solway Salon, run by one of our own clubs, West Cumbria PG
Dave Coates
(NCPF Webmaster)
Time for Change
Like a lot of people in the Society, for many years I’ve been using 20x16 inch mounts when entering print competitions. For some time I’ve known there was an alternative size - 50x40 cm (slightly smaller than 20x16) – but I didn’t see any real need to change, especially as the club has been accepting both sizes for a few years now. However, the NCPF and PAGB are both switching to the smaller size of mount for their competitions. (The NCPF has accepted 20x16 mounts in the Annual Competitions this year, but it looks probable that they won’t next year).
This was discussed at the last Committee Meeting and it was decided not to create a deadline for switching to 50x40 mounts, but rather to inform members that this is the preferred maximum size for the future. In other words, if you have a 20x16 print, used for example in the first Progress competition and you want to use it in the Valente Cup later in the year, then that’s fine – but if you want to use that picture on its 20x16 mount in next year’s NCPF Annuals, you won’t be able to.
So I’m changing my mount size - and the recommendation is that we all present our prints on mounts no bigger than 50x40 cm, in order to keep them eligible for competitions outside the club.
With regard to the numerous exhibitions we have using the Society’s 20x16 frames, 50x40 cm mounts are fine as we have perfected a simple method of adding a slim additional matte.
Joe Grabham
Issue 65 of e-news from the PAGB contains profiles of PAGB executives, and features the popular and talented photographer Anne Swearman from Whitley Bay PS. Also:
News from the PAGB AGM and EC Meeting, April 2012
Diaporama by Howard Bagshaw
Judges for the Awards for Photographic Merit 2013
Howard Tate and Don Langford (Meet the EC)
Advance Information for FIAP Awards 2013
Invitation to the Inter-Club PDI Championship (Warwick) 14th July
And more ...
Read the whole issue, including notices and ads here:
http://www.pagbnews.co.uk/e-news/en65250412EC_Swearman_MeetEC_APM%20judges.pdf
Register to receive e-news from the PAGB by email here: www.pagbnews.co.uk
There were thrills and spills aplenty as DPS photographers and family members gathered at the Barford Raceway on Sunday for a great afternoon of Stock Car Racing. This meeting lived up to the Barford Raceway bi-line, “Action is the Attraction”! Assignmenteers competed to find the best vantage points around the oval track to capture the excitement. In between races there was plenty to photograph in the “Pits”.
“We had a fantastic day – thoroughly enjoyed it” Joanne
“Thrilling!” Tony D
“Great day out :o) ” Alison
“My 30 years in Speedway has served me well. These are my kind of people!” Colin
“The roar of the engines, the intoxicating smells of fuel and farmyard, the colours, the dashing drivers – what’s not to like?” Marie
Follow up session looking at results will be soon. Plus 8 images each for the Assignment Barford Raceway gallery to David Forster asap
The RPS Northern Region annual Distinctions Workshop took place at Backworth Hall, Backworth, Tyne & Wear on Sunday. This sell out event was organized by Jane H Black ARPS FPSA HonPAGB and was led by three universally admired Fellows of the Royal Photographic Society - Leo Palmer, Sandy Cleland and Rikki O’Neil - who gave invaluable feedback and advice to photographers planning to submit panels for Licentiateship and Associateship of the RPS honours.
During the day photographers from all over the country, including Durham PS member John Cogan LRPS, showed work and received helpful comments and suggestions from the distinguished panel that will help them in their final submissions. John, who was so recently awarded his LRPS, is already on the trail for an ARPS.
Several DPS members were there also to observe and learn and were suitably inspired, excited and daunted!
Several successful panels were shown as examples including our own Neil Maughan ARPS DPAGB’s superb 15 print ARPS panel. Co-incidentally, the RPS Northern Region’s Spring newsletter has just been published with a colour version of one of Neil’s ARPS panel images on the cover and an article by Neil on the Whitby Goth Fest inside.
The story of Neil’s ARPS journey is here: http://www.d-p-s.org.uk/pdf_docs/ARPS_Article.pdf
John Cogan’s witty, moving even, story of his LRPS success is here: http://durhamps.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/news-rps-distinction-awarded-to-john.html
More on RPS distinctions is here: http://www.rps.org/distinctions-introduction
Many and varied, and popular, are the photography workshops and holidays you can go on these days. Witness Dave and Sheila Coates trip to Utah as we saw on Thursday!
Closer to home, John Clarke reports:
“The Photographers’ Place Residential Workshop on Documentary and Environmental Portraiture at Wirksworth in the Derbyshire Dales was attended by your esteemed President and myself.
Paul Hill, the organiser, was the first person in the UK to set up such workshops and in the early days had many of the American greats attending as course leaders On this occasion we had Stephen McLaren who co-edited the book on Street Photography that accompanied last year’s successful London exhibitions. He gave an illustrated talk on the Saturday evening, and we were left speechless by his incredibly well caught shots of life in the big city, and in particular the financial square mile.
The preceding evening all the attendees, about fourteen of us, had shown a few examples of our work. This was a rather traumatic experience as there were some quite outstanding images on display. I managed to select the wrong images on the memory stick and had some rather second rate stuff on offer ... cue deep depression on Friday night!
The day time on Saturday was either spent in the town and its station (which has steam trains running and under repair), or at an Eco-Centre where there was a craft fair, with plenty of photo opportunities. Later that evening the files were processed and we each chose 3 to 5 to discuss with the tutors.
Sunday offered a choice of activities - Blurb books, off camera flash, Lightroom etc. By 3.30pm we were all ready for home, carrying many good ideas and new resolutions.
The tutors and the meals were excellent. Accommodation in the Centre was youth hostelly (old type with bunks!). Staying at the centre gave one more time to socialize with the tutors and fellow photographers. The wine was very affordable, but then Tony was doing the driving!!”
Looking at Photographs: Ken Holland ARPS DPAGB
Help Desk, forever helpful, is offering DPS members a chance to take a look at “Looking at Photographs, A Personal View of Appraising and Judging Photographs” on short term loan. Ken Holland has written the only published guide to judging or, as he prefers, appraising photographs. This slim volume is invaluable for anyone interested in becoming a photographic judge or seeking to understand the principals of good judging.
DPS’ Colin Armitstead APAGB writes:
“After many years developing my methods of judging it gives me a good warm feeling to find that Ken never missed a syllable when I dictated the book to him! Joking apart, I have never met anyone who spoke from the same bible as me to this extent. This is not a cry for greatness but one of profound relief to find that the distillation of the years enables the pair of us to come to the same conclusions.
Long may we take pictures that say something personal that gets through to the viewer. This gem of a book is highly recommended”
· Looking at Photographs can be purchased at www.blurb.com
· Useful articles on judging photographs can be found on the NCPF website: http://www.ncpf.org.uk/index.php?id=judging
· The Judges Sub-Committee of the NCPF are planning to host a seminar for potential judges to be held in the autumn of 2012. Details will be reported on this Blog when confirmed.
· HELP DESK seeks to fast track access to the vast talent bank and incredible collective knowledge base of our willing and ever helpful members. Need help? Just ask ...
Yes, CS6 is coming! You can download Photoshop CS6 beta for a preview of some of the performance enhancements, imaging magic, and creativity tools currently being worked on here:
http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/photoshopcs6.html
Su Stewart
Assignment Barford Raceway
Sunday 22nd April. Racing starts 1.30 pm but there is plenty of potential for photography well before that. There is good access to the “pits” areas as the crews somehow keep the battered stock cars, hot rods etc into racing order. Shots of the actual racing can be had from the raised up banking all around. A longish lens would be useful, 200 mm or more.
http://www.barfordraceway.com/
It’s a golden opportunity to bag cracking images for the Fillingham Trophy – set subject “This Sporting Life”
Assignment Stockton
A fascinating gallery of images taken on the day are on the DPS website now in Assignments from the home page. Don’t miss Angy’s barber shop picture!
2nd Progress Prints
The entries are now all in. Please email digital files to Alan now for projection on results night
Annual Exhibition Galilee Chapel
All you have to do at this stage is register your interest in showing up to two of your very best prints, taken in the last year or two, in this most magnificent of settings. You can put your name down at the club but hurry! Space is limited to around 100 prints.
HELP DESK
Simon would like to borrow a Canon fit macro lens for a couple of weeks for a GCSE project. Contact Simon, Angy or Roger.
Members Digital AV Night 26th July
It’s coming up fast! We want to see your masterpiece. Please sign up with Mavis Ord who is the organiser. Mavis can offer technical support if required
Hot Dates Saturday 21st April
Bishop Auckland Food Festival www.bishopaucklandfoodfestival.co.uk
High Bridge Quarter Festival, Newcastle www.highbridgequarter.co.uk
Beamish Photographers Night
Quite a few DPS members were there and had a good time ( see Stephen Bell’s Blog Beamish ‘Tog’ Night Revisited). The plan is to set up a gallery of images taken on the night. Send 5 of your best by email to Ian Stafford ASAP
Kodak filed for bankruptcy earlier this year in a bid to survive a liquidity crisis after years of falling sales related to the decline of its namesake film business.
Durham Photographic Society’s John Cogan writes:
“The reports of Kodak’s demise are a little premature, yet the future does not necessarily look bright for a company that employed over 145,000 people worldwide in 1986; that had 90% of the US domestic film sales and 85% of the US domestic camera sales in 1976, yet now boasts 18,000 employees globally and is over $billion in debt.
So, what has happened to this once-venerated company whose yellow boxed rolls of film were available in just about every nook and cranny throughout the world?”
John’s nostalgic report can be read in full in Articles from the home page of the DPS website: http://www.d-p-s.org.uk/articles.htm
Judge Peter Yearnshire LRPS
Lambert Hedley Trophy (Portraits)
Ist Place: Happiness is, Ian Stafford
2nd Place: Red Rubies for Tears. Michael Watson
3rd Place: Tupilek, Angy Ellis
Des Kelly Trophy (Durham)
Ist Place: The Transfiguration Window, John Gordon
2nd Place: Cathedral Lectern, Don Bennett
3rd Place: As the Crow Flies, Angy Ellis
Sterling Award, Prints (Imagination/innovation)
Ist Place: ipods Growing Wild, Angy Ellis
2nd Place: The Clay Pigeon Target Shoot, David Forster
3rd Place: A Warm Glow, David Trout
In addition, there were 31 Highly Commended awards.
From the front line of Beamish’s Great North Steam Fair Photographer’s Night
By Stephen Bell
“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more”. For some reason the words of Shakespeare’s Henry V were ringing in my ears as we set off to England’s most popular outdoor museum armed and ready to take on the world. Well actually I travelled quite light with 1 camera, 2 lenses, a tripod, and daughter in tow.
Arriving at Beamish we were ushered into the coffee area for a briefing session. It was there we met up with a bunch of guys from the club all primed and ready for action.
We could be transported to either the town on a tram or the colliery village on a bus. Most of us opted to go into the town as the feeling was there would be more action there. As it turned out some of us detoured to the station for our first port of call as an engine was in steam on the tracks and the light seemed good.
We eventually arrived at the town where the organisers were setting up shots for us. I was not sure if this would work but the idea was to have the participants on one side and the photographers on the other so that no photographers were in peoples shots. This to me seemed a bit regimented but there was still plenty of room to move around the willing characters.
A butcher named Paul proved very popular and obliging as did 2 other young lads Stephen and Cal who were regulars at the event. A chap on a bicycle and another in an old car were well documented also. My thanks go out to them all.
We then decided to have a look down in the colliery village where there were a few vehicles and a guy who had been running an engine up and down the tracks. Unfortunately he had put the engine away when we arrived but happily posed for some pictures.
With only a short time left we had a walk back to the exit passing Davy’s coal fired fish shop that was featured on BBC 2 the previous night. The lights were on and you could catch a tantalising whiff of chips fried in beef dripping but alas it was closed for the day.
Maybe next time ...
Stephen Bell
The following update has been made to our web site since the last update message and all can be accessed via:-
1. News Items
Results and pictures from the recent Northern Area Themed PDI Competition.
2. About the Federation/Executive Members
Rather belatedly, for which I apologise updated details of the Executive Officers following the AGM in March. Please advise or any errors or omissions.
3. Home Page
A reminder to clubs regarding booking the NCPF portfolios.
Dave Coates
(NCPF Webmaster)
Just some of the photographs from the DPS Assignments visit to Stockton on Tees in March are now on line and can be viewed in Assignments on the home page of the DPS website. The special challenge was “Roofs and chimneys”. The next outing is to Barford Raceway, Sunday 22nd April. Racing starts at 1.30 pm.
Assignment Stockton
A gallery images will appear on the DPS website soon in Assignments from the home page
2nd Progress Prints
Closing date is next Thursday 19th April. Please email digital files for projection on results night to Alan also, sized 1024x768 px
Assignment Barford Raceway
Sunday 22nd April. Racing starts 1.30 pm.
Fillingham Trophy
Closing date is 17th May, coming up fast! Set subject is the imaginative “This Sporting Life” which opens up possibility of humour and irony as well as sport photography. It’s a PDI competition and members can enter up to three images each sized 1400x1050. i.e. max 1400 px width, maximum 1050 height.
Members Digital AV Night 26th July
Don’t delay – start working on your masterpiece now! If you would like to take part, please sign up now with Mavis Ord who is the organiser. Mavis can offer technical support if required
Brick by Brick - Rebuilding our Past, will be aired on BBC2 at 9.00 pm on Friday, 13th April 2012, and tells the story of our (Beamish) coal fired Edwardian fish & chip shop, including its re-building at Beamish. Some of the shots should include photos and time-lapse filmed by Julian Harrop and Andy Martin.
The functional exterior is made from old colliery bricks and the interior features a colourful mass of reflective tiles and gleaming coal fired ranges. Attached is a “Saloon” made of corrugated iron clad timber.
Julian Harrop
NB the Great North Steam Fair is at Beamish Museum this weekend, 12th to 15th April, with the Photographer’s night on the 14th. See previous Hot Date Blogs for details
