sept 2015 photonews

WCC Photonews: Digital Edition 3

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Photonews

Worcestershire Camera Club

Autumn/Winter2015-16


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Contents

Outgoing Chairman’s View - Paul Mann ARPS CPAGB

Editor’s Corner - Stewart Bourne ARPS

Retro Rides Again - Bob Oakley CPAGB

Hunting the Snark - Stewart Bourne ARPS)

Contemporary Photography, a personal viewClive Haynes FRPS

Lost and Found - John Burrows DPAGB, Club Archivist

The Personalities Behind Club AwardsClive Haynes FRPS, Chairman

Which Tribe Are You? By Geoff Harris


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It has been an interesting experience for me as Chairman. I reluctantlyagreed to fill the post, more from fear of the unknown than any otheremotion, & I am pleased to say that I have enjoyed my time. In conclusion Ifeel that despite a slight drop in membership this season the Club remainsvibrant, friendly & interesting. I also feel that the Club is entering a period ofgradual change in deciding what sort of Photo club to be. This decision mustcome from the members.

Do we continue doing things the same way because that is how it hasalways been, or, do we reinvent ourselves, perhaps not too drastically , &adopt a less competitive stance in favour of a more assessment & experi-mentally based regime .The greater use of digital media is inevitable, as inevery day life, no matter how painful & confusing it might be to somemembers. Help is always available, all you have to do is ask. I look forwardto this season & the 125th anniversary of the Club together with the celebra-tions & events to mark the occasion. I must give a big thank you to you, themembers, for making the Club what it is & for your continued support &interest!

I have now taken on the role of Exhibitions Organiser after Douglas Gregordecided not to continue. His will be a hard act to follow as Douglas put somuch effort into promoting the Club, even producing an excellent web-based system for members to organise their work. I was surprised to hearthat some members thought that only pictures that had done well in compe-titions would be acceptable for the Club exhibitions. This is not the case;indeed exhibitions are an opportunity to show work that might not excel in acompetition, for various reasons, but is of sufficient merit & interest to beshown to the public. It is a showcase for Club members’ photographic work.Exhibitions have little to do with competitions. This season do look throughyour photographs again & decide which you would like to exhibit, photos thatyou have not shown before perhaps.

Paul Mann ARPS CPAGB

The Retiring Chairman's View Paul Mann ARPS CPAGB

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Well, I now have just about enough copy to publish an edition of Photonews andmany thanks to those who have contributed. This being the club’s 125th anniver-sary I am hoping that the next edition will be a bumper bundle, so please give itsome thought.

I think that we have some very interesting contributions in this edition beginningwith Bob Oakley and his take on the current fashion for the retro-style process-ing of images. Next we have some thoughts, or some would say, ramblings frommyself; no edition would be complete without it.

Clive Haynes has provided us with a personal perspective on the role andcontext of contemporary photography followed by John Burrows’ intriguingaccount of a lost and found portrait. Not everybody in the club is aware of John’ssterling and immensely professional work as club archivist, amongst manyother roles that he has performed over the years. A club as old as ours has arich and significant history, which itself reflects the history of photography andmembers changing perceptions and interests over time.

When, at the annual club show, the various awards are handed out, have youever wondered about their origins and history? I know that I have. Well, readClive’s second contribution and all will be revealed…

Finally we have a bit of fun in the form of some tongue-in-cheek photographicanthropology taken from an article that I found on the Internet. Be honest, whichtribe do you belong to?

You may notice that the ‘view from the chair’ section has been penned by ouroutgoing president Paul Mann who did a sterling job during his tenure but didnot have the opportunity to have his final say. This was due to Photonewshaving to be postponed as a result of lack of copy.

We have the season ahead of us, a wonderful programme with something foreverybody (well done Maddy!) so let’s get on and enjoy it, whichever tribe webelong to.Stewart Bourne

Editor’s CornerStewart Bourne



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Film once ruled the world of photography. Just when the science of film produc-tion had reached its peak with film emulsions and chemicals to produce thefinest possible print, a new kid on the block comes along – DIGITAL. Manypredicted it wouldn’t catch on and the quality was definitely iffy at first but aftera hesitant start the sales of digital cameras soared and people deserted film indroves. Even the mighty Kodak got into financial difficulties.

Digital is less trouble. No darkroom is required. Quality is now top notch andabove all it’s instant, although I was once accused by an ardent film man ofcheating when I looked on the back of the camera to see the result. In this agewhen some people think nothing of firing off 500 shots in a single afternoon havewe lost something? To my mind the answer is yes and I don’t mean ourmarbles! Individual shots now cost nothing to take so many have lost the skill (ifthey ever had it) of getting the image right in camera. We don’t take the care thatused to be the case with film. We have also lost the thrill of watching a printemerge from the developing tray. It’s something I miss but I have to admit thatit’s a lot easier to produce digital images.

Just when film has become a very endangered species we are starting to realisewhat has been lost and some who never used film are now interested inre-creating old film processes. This takes two forms. For some it means there-awakening of interest in film cameras including such cameras as Lomo andHolga. The other direction involves is attempting to imitate old processes usingdigital cameras and software.

Very inexpensive Holga and Pinhole lenses are now available for many DSLRsand system cameras. There are members in the Club who have them. Theresults are not pin-sharp and there are other “defects” but that’s all part of thecharm.

There is no shortage of software that can try to re-create old techniques. TopazBlack & White Effects has a vast range of customisable presets to producetoning effects that were once possible only with expensive and sometimesdangerous chemicals. Fancy a Cyanotype or VanDyke Brown – look no further.

Retro Rides Againby Bob Oakley CPAGB


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If what we seek is a result that gives an image that looks as if it came from a bygoneage then Analog Efex Pro (part of the Nik by Google Suite) is the one for us.This module allows you to introduce Vignettes, Dirt & Scratches, Light Leaks, Bokeh,Lens Distortion & Blurs as well as textures that recreate those produced by a wetplate process..

DXO Film Pack 5 has presets created from original film to give digital images thelook that was possible from a wide range of named old films. Kodak, Agfa, Ilford,Fuji , Rollei and some you may never have heard of. All the presets are fullycustomisable and the range covers B&W, Colour Slide & Negative film. The grainand strength can be carefully controlled and adjusted.

The choices don’t end there. If you fancy a Lith Effect, Gum Bi-chromate look, adigital “slide sandwich” or a Polaroid Transfer there are Actions that can meet yourneeds and are free if you search the web. The majority will only work in the fullversion of Photoshop because they use Curves and sometimes other features not inElements. Gavin Hoey, writing in a back issue of Digital Photo, gave a tutorial on howto reproduce the look of an old Bromoil Print whilst Nettie Edwards gave a talk at ourClub last season on taking pictures with an i-phone and using the Instagram app.This was for me one of the most interesting talks of the season and I don’t even havea mobile phone of any sort.

What may be surprising is that people would want to produce work that has “defects”inherent in old cameras and 19th-century film processes. It’s a bit like paying £1,500for a top quality lens and then deciding to produce blurred pictures. It’s the fascina-tion of something different from the perfect, some might say too perfect world of 21st

Century digital.

Old-school purists will no doubt throw up their hands in horror. It all depends on yourpoint of view. Do you want to produce the perfect clinical record shot or show a bitmore imagination? Retro can help to give images atmosphere and convey yourfeelings about your subject. Both views are perfectly legitimate choices that onceagain bring us to the question of whether photography is a science or an art form.I’ve always been in the second camp. My father hated anything that smacked of artso he regarded photography as science whereas I thought of it as art but didn’t daretell him ! For me Retro is so fascinating. The work of such turn of the 20th Centurymasters as Stieglitz and Steichen is just magical. Long may the Retro revival last.


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This image was produced using the Rawimage action “Holgaroid”


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Hunting the Snark by Stewart Bourne ARPS

“Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice: That alone should encourage the crew.

Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice: What I tell you three times is true."

When attending club meetings and groups over the last few months I havedeveloped an increasing awareness that I am an imposter. As a result of this Ihave arrived at the sobering decision that I am not a photographer. Over the lastfive years or so I have learnt to use a camera and understand most of the craft,science and technology associated with the production of a photograph. I havelearnt the basic rules of composition and 'ring-fenced' some of the aestheticsensitivities required to make an image generally acceptable to other photogra-phers. This was what I set out to achieve when I took up 'photography' as apost-retirement hobby, and I was carried along with the whole process ofleaning, and steadily increasing levels of skill and competence.

Confession time! Sometimes when we have a guest speaker, especially oneshowing a particular type or ‘school’ of print, all that I can concentrate on is theslowly reducing pile of images like some ominous bar chart representing thetime to tea break and playtime; I used to spend a lot of time staring out of thewindow at school.

The remaining bit of photographer, buried ever deeper within me, recognisesthat these speaker images are usually technically flawless. They often representthe sublime; a glorious sunset, a breathtaking mountain vista, a dramaticseascape, the list could go on and on. So why don't I, with a few notableexceptions, really appreciate some of them any more? The same goes for othergenres and subject matter and I often feel deeply ashamed of my reaction. Is ita belief that I could do better?, Most certainly not, because I couldn't I fullyrecognise that most of these people, and in fact the majority of club members,have forgotten more than I have time left to learn. Is it then a loss of interest inthe taking of photographs? Again, I don't think so, because using a camera toproduce images is a fundamentally important part of my life and continuingpersonal development.


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So why do I feel this insistent decline in my interest in photography? And how,or should, I seek to remedy it? This is not just some photographic equivalent of‘writer's block' but rather knowing what you want to say, but the keyboard keepschanging where the letters are placed, so you press an 'a' and a 'z' appears onthe page and next time a 'd'. Therefore the images that I produce never quitesay what I intended and I know that no amount of improved composition,metering, exposure or post-processing will cure this. I also know that becominga better photographer will not cure it either. It goes deeper than that.

I can already hear the cries of 'For God's sake man, it's a hobby, just go out andtake a few pictures that please you, and maybe other people'. I have tried that,and it doesn't relieve the itch, or the worm in my mind that whispers 'There'ssomething out there, some quality, some state, some ripple in reality, and it'syour job to hunt and capture it'. The rational part of me knows that this can neverbe done, because it will always be just beyond my extended reach, which is thefirst reason that I no longer consider myself a photographer. Photography isessentially a rational pursuit, the application of science, craft and technology tobring about desired results, be they artistic, conceptual, journalistic or whatever.Since I have not got a clue what my desired results are, or even what they maylook like when I see them, I believe that excludes me somewhat.

For many photographers, but certainly not all, the photography comes first andis the main reason for creating images, regardless of the subject matter theychoose. This is the second reason for my not considering myself a 'real'photographer. I don't mean this to sound trite. I believe that one of the marks ofa true photographer is a realisation that it is a distinct medium which shouldideally explore those things that best suit it, which are, by definition, visual.Something I feel that I no longer do, because I am not even sure that what I amlooking for is visual; I just live in hope that it may be.

My actual photography is now playing second fiddle to the hunt and carried outmore in hope than expectation, somewhat of a doomed quest. Should I beconcerned about this state of things? I think not, I am not hurting anyone, and,as obsessions go, it's a relatively innocuous one. Our club is, thankfully, a broadchurch. For people who wish to celebrate and share their images there are avariety of opportunities through special interest groups, competitions, exhibi-tions and other forums, depending on their personal interests, ambitions anddefinitions of success.

It is a tribute to the club community that the terminally bemused like myself canfeel both welcome and at home. Long may this be true because I know of otherclubs which seek to define and enforce the notion of what a 'legitimate' photo-graph should be, and where people like myself would not be welcome. There is,as in life, a need for tolerance and understanding within photographic clubs and


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societies. Everyone should be free to 'do their thing' as long as they don't try tomake it compulsory, or claim that it is the only true thing, and the yardstick bywhich everything else should be judged.

So all in all, I have decided that I am an image-obsessed, confused andfrustrated non-photographer who has somehow finished up using a camera tomake images that will always fall short of what was intended.

If you have taken the trouble to read this, I thank you for your forbearance andtolerance of my ramblings. I have no intention of stopping taking photographs, Imay even inflict them on you at a time, after all you are usually a captiveaudience. I just thought, that in the interests of honesty, you deserved a peekinto the somewhat bemused mind of your new Vice-Chair. In terms of Ruth'sYorkshire philosophy ''Think on”, you may wish to change your minds and findsomeone more suitable.

'In the midst of the word he was trying to say,In the midst of his laughter and glee,

He had softly and suddenly vanished awayFor the Snark was a Boojum, you see'.

The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll is a nonsense poem alluding to a quest forthe unattainable.


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Contemporary Photography, a PersonalView by Clive Haynes FRPS

It’s now some 18 months since Tessa Mills and I inaugurated the ContemporaryPhotography Group (CPG) as a Specialist Interest Group (SIG) within the Club.The thinking behind its inception was two-fold: to act as an antidote to thefrequently formulaic and predictable nature of typical club competition photogra-phy and to provide a platform and outlet for a whole gamut of photography andself-expression for Club members at any level. From a purely personal point ofview I sought to expand my photographic horizons and to share a wider anddeeper understanding about our art and expression.

Tessa and I have been most encouraged by the support and enthusiasm for theCPG. Each meeting is a veritable Box of Delights with members contributingpictures that represent a wide range of personal expression. There’s a strongsense of liberation as people realise that conformity to so-called ‘rules’ andconventions about what might be a ‘winning image’ doesn’t apply. Images arepresented for honest responses from a peer group. Frequently, fascinatinginsights are revealed into the motivation and story behind the pictures. Theformat is open, that is to say there’s no regulation about shape, size or style ofpresentation: so long as you can get it in through the door, that’s OK. Projectedimages can be anything from street photography to art-based explorations, andAVs. It can of course also be work in progress for discussion.

What is of core interest to the group is what the work ‘is about’ rather than ‘whatit’s of’. However as we’re a photographic club there will, quite naturally, beconcern about good photographic skills and practice. A better-crafted image willconvey the message more effectively than one with distractions from question-able technical skills. That isn’t to say that deliberate low-tech looking andapparently wayward-appearing imagery isn’t acceptable or to be avoided as itcan be an effective, deliberate ploy. Think of it this way. To become a goodpianist one must understand the basic structure of musical form and constantlypractice scales and arpeggios. One can play a piece of jazz by simply followingthe notes, but as confidence is gained a personal style can evolve. There’s awhole world of difference between reading the music for, say, a piece of ragtimeby Scott Joplin and understanding the seemingly wayward atonality of Theloni-


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ous Monk. However Monk couldn’t have developed his expressionist personalstyle without being conscious of the conventions of musical form. Whether onelikes Monk or prefers ragtime (or neither) isn’t the point. The point is that onemust have an established root in craft conventions to be able to grow andbecome more expressive. Despite personal tastes and preferences, allowingtime to experience something new will nourish and enrich our being.

Getting back to the plot. Tessa and I have seen CPG members increase bothin the confidence and the stature of their work. We’re also gratified by thegroup’s involvement in understanding and interpreting the work presented.Some pictures are very open inviting a wealth of responses, whilst others arebrought to life by the opening statement by the author. Always, however ‘intent’is of significant importance. Our meetings are always spiced with good humour,fun and the desire not to take ourselves too seriously. We’re doing this forenjoyment after all!

My journey through Contemporary Photography has been one of explorationand revelation. As I hoped, the new challenge has expanded my horizons andI’ve been able to pursue themes which otherwise wouldn’t have found an outlet.I’ve had the opportunity to view scores of images from beyond WCC CPG andI’ve found many to be fascinating and sometimes deeply affecting.

I certainly admit to occasions when to my mind a ‘new-wave photographer’ has,with great pretentiousness and extensive reasoning to support the piece, smug-gled something in under the radar with some pretty mundane and poorly craftedwork, and that despite my willingness to understand what I see, the sensationof the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ comes to mind. I’m quite willing to accept thatit’s my insensitivity on these occasions of incomprehension and that ‘I’m just notgetting it’. I certainly don’t expect to enjoy everything any more than I would fallinto raptures with every piece played by Thelonious Monk. It’s not what theseartists are doing that’s important but the fact they are doing it.

It’s important that we take time to absorb an image whether it’s a print or a PDI.The instant ‘Like’ syndrome of the Internet (Facebook, Google+, Flickr and thelike) has its place for some work (in fact they’re useful opportunity to practise ourphotographic scales and arpeggios) but meaningful pictures are meant to bedigested, revisited, interpreted and reinterpreted.

Pictures presented in groups, a series or in a book possess both energy andsynergy – an added value – and they’re strengthened by association. I realisethat many photographers, particularly at club level, have become used to theinstant in / out, “is it any good?” five-second response time to an image as a sortof Pavlovian conditioned response. However we have only ourselves to blamefor this self-imposed and ever-tightening spiral of formulaic imagery and predict-able reaction. A more considered response is the equivalent to fully appreciat-


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ing and taking time to digest a gourmet meal with afine bottle of wine enjoyed in good company, as op-posed to bolting fast-food washed down with a Coca-Cola at a solitary table in MacDonald’s. Yes, bothexperiences provide food and sustenance but which isthe more satisfying, enjoyable and memorable? Cer-tainly there are times when a ‘quick fix’ hits the spotbut when we want to communicate rather than tomerely participate then more chewing and improveddigestion is the preferred route.

I very well understand that many people say they don’thave the time to look at a picture so that they canabsorb and reflect upon its intention or meaning. Fairenough. However the exercise is very worthwhiledoing. I suggest that you try it, just for a few imagesat first. The more you practise the better you’ll get.This is another form of photo or ‘visual scales andarpeggios practice’ – it’s interactive - and more funthan piano keys too! I recommend you to try it. Lookat a picture and consider what it means to you. Thinkabout the elements within the frame, the colours cho-sen or the mood of monochrome, the signifiers andindicators within the composition. Imagine this is apainting where every brushstroke is considered forgood purpose. Coming to an image with an open mindis suggested but it’s going to be impossible for most ofus. Any picture will inevitably create associations andresponses based upon our life’s experiences, the bookwe read last week or what we saw on TV news fiveminutes ago. But then this is art and how it should be.We are reactive creatures, human beings full of foiblesand predilections and not automata.

My continuing journey through art, photography andcontemporary photography will I hope continue toastonish and surprise me, to take me to new lands,alien worlds, to be wayward, unsafe and unpredicta-ble. I’m not going to enjoy every particle but I certainlywant the chance to see and to better understand whatpeople’s pictures are all about. – and remember, it’sthe about that’s so very important. I illustrate thisduality to be found in any picture by one of mineherewith.


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‘Cast-Away & Fagged Out’ was taken during a visit to St. Paul’s Hostel for theHomeless. Here’s a desolate pile of cigarette butts and for me the image providesa visual metaphor for the plight of many homeless people.

The image works at two levels:

At first glance, there’s merely factual, what it’s ‘of’: The scattering of butts at thecorner of a building, smoked and cast aside. However, the core of the picture iswhat it’s ‘about’. Each butt is the husk a memory from moments spent outside thebuilding, possibly in the cold and rain, thinking about past events an uncertainfuture, chatting with fellow residents and sharing experiences. This desultoryconcatenation of butts in their variety, sizes, distribution and angles, serves toremind us of the myriad circumstances, particular and individual, that havebrought people to seek refuge at the hostel. They can feel like butts, they’ve beencasually tossed aside and rejected by society. The culmination of circumstanceshere they accumulate, used and exhausted in temporary association. Rather likethe residents at the Hostel, we see only the superficiality of remnants whilst anyknowledge of the one-time original can only be surmised.


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Lost and Found by Club ArchivistJohn Burrows DPAGBMembers may recall that I brought along to the Cluba few months ago a large portrait of one of our mostprominent past members Arthur J. Woodley Hon.FRPS (1886 - 1967).

This painting in its rather ornate frame had hung inone of our previous meeting rooms at the Bishop'sPalace in Deansway for some years. In 1991 whenthe Cathedral required the building for other purposes

the Club was asked to find alternative accommodation. We moved to St Swith-in's Church Hall and the painting was taken down but never re-hung.

As time went by the location of the painting came into question and one of theCommittee members at the time, Bob Tunstall, was asked to make enquiries asto its whereabouts. The search proved fruitless and over the years it wasassumed that the portrait of "AJ" would never be seen again.

However, one day about two years ago we had word from Martin Addison thathe had the painting in the loft of his house where presumably it had been forover 20 years. What should he do with it? As the Club's Archivist I becameinvolved in trying to decide Arthur's fate. I spoke to several long-standingmembers, both past and present, seeking suggestions and information on theWoodley family but in the end the Committee came to the conclusion that therewas only one thing for it and that was for the painting to be scrapped. After allArthur had died nearly fifty years ago, the Woodleys had no family, the artistwas unknown, and twenty-plus years in Martin's roof had not provided idealstorage conditions. Arthur, or rather his picture frame, had suffered a little!

In truth I found it hard to take this painting to the local tip and for some time it satin a corner of my 'office'.

Last year I visited the City Museum and Art Gallery to see what material theyheld relating to our Club. The answer was very little, the bulk of our archivesbeing stored at The Hive. My reason for visiting was our 125-years’ celebrations.I met one of the Museum staff who had been employed there for many yearsand amongst other things he recalled the days when the Club held its AnnualExhibitions in the Gallery.

We had one or two chats about 'old times' and I mentioned that I had a paintingof Arthur Woodley. Was the Museum by any chance interested in having it? Hewas familiar with the name and asked me if I would email a photograph of the


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portrait to him. I did and he replied to say that he thought this could be the workof a local artist Waldron West who, I recently discovered, had painted portraitsof local Mayors and distinguished Worcester people. I took the painting to himand he wrote to say that the Curatorial Team had met, that the portrait wasindeed the work of West, and that the Museum would like to have the painting.

So AJ has finally gone to a good home and I am glad that I held on to him thatbit longer.

Opening of 1950 Exhibition by Alderman T S Bennett


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The Personalities Behind Club Awardsby Clive Haynes FRPS and Chair

It occurred to me recently that few members have any ideaabout many of the people who have contributed awards forphotographic excellence to the Club. I also had the soberingrealisation that I have known each of these people very well,with the exception of one. It’s also appropriate as we enterour 125th Anniversary Year that we recall these members,past and present. Two awards aren’t associated with indi-

viduals. However for completeness of listing they’re included here.

Monthly Competitions

Edwards Trophy - Monthly Competitions Advanced Section

Ted Edwards joined the Club about the same time as my brother Malcolm andme, in the early 1960’s. Ted and JeanEdwards were stalwart members, bothserving on the committee, with Ted asChairman and Jean as Secretary, apost which Jean occupied for severalyears. Now an elderly widow, Jeanremains a Life Member of the Club. Inthe years when our Club organised thevery successful Worcestershire Inter-national Exhibition of Colour Photogra-phy, Ted was for a time Chairman ofthe event. Ted was a fluent Spanish

speaker and he and Jean enjoyed many holidays in Spain. A lyrical and sensitivephotographer, he will always be remembered for his beautiful studies of childrenin rural Spain. Ted was also a keen local historian and collected many old scenesof the city to add to our heritage.

Wood Trophy - Projected Images – Intermediate Section

Richard Wood DPAGB continues to be a keen and activemember of WCC. He served on the committee for many yearsand has twice been Chairman. Richard’s beautifully craftedpictures frequently appear at our exhibitions. The WoodTrophy was originally awarded to the Best Enprint (small-sizeprint) in an annual ‘Enprint Competition’. With the coming ofthe Digital Age the trophy was reassigned.


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Duggan Plaque - Colour Prints – AdvancedSection

Anne and Bob Duggan were keen and veryactive members during the 1980’s and 1990’s.They each had their distinctive styles. Bobtaught photography at Hereford College of Artuntil his sudden death and Anne, ever keen toexperiment, enjoyed the new challenges ofdigital photography. They were both earlymembers of the Infinity Plus Fine Art Photogra-phy Group. Following Bob’s death and alsobeing passionate about Egyptology, Annemoved to Egypt and is now known as ‘Safi’.We hear from her from time to time.

Westwood Trophy - Colour Prints Intermediate Section

Sid and Molly Westwood joined the Club in the early 1960s. As ChristineAvenue residents, in Rushwick, they were close neighbours of Ted and Jean

Edwards (and just around the corner fromwhere Malcolm and I lived). Sid was a techni-cally accomplished pictorial photographer. Irecall his words to me soon after I joined WCC.He said "don't be brainwashed by the Club!"Advice I’ve certainly followed! As hard workingcommittee members Both Sid and Molly werealways at the core of the Club’s activities. AfterSid’s death Molly received Life Membership.She died a few months ago.

Lewis Jug - Winner - Monochrome Prints

Past Chairman, John Lewis was a schoolteacher and keen monochrome photographer.He favoured medium format cameras and hissubjects frequently featured lovely studies ofchildren in the classroom and at play. Onewonders how this style of photography couldpossibly survive in the present restrictive cli-mate of child protection polices and worriesabout the dissemination of images.


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Annual Nature Competition

The Bick Trophy - Best Projected Image

Joining WCC during the early 1980s Arthur Bick was a local businessman andentrepreneur whose ventures included Bickerline Steamers and an antiqueshop. He was an intensely active photographer and Club Chairman beforemoving with his wife Betty to run their gite enterprise in France. Sadly, shortlyafter returning to the Worcestershire, he died from cancer.

Gervis Trophy - Best Print in Annual Nature Com-petition

Contributed by our very own wide-ranging worldtraveller, prolific photographer and past Chairman,Tony Gervis FRPS. Tony’s work includes many finestudies from around the world and particularly theUSA. His huge prints of Antelope Canyon (Arizona),seen by many at our Crowngate display, are magnif-icent.

Worker of the Year Trophy

Not ascribed to an individual

Annual Club Show – Best in Show Awards

Malcomson Cup - Best Colour PrintIan Malcomson ARPS was one of the finest pictorial photographers the Clubproduced. Ian was a most gentle soul and absolute gentlemen. His quietdemeanour and stoical presence graced many a committee meeting and werethe founding principles of his time as Chairman. His beautiful landscapes of anidyllic rural Worcestershire countryside will be remembered by all who knew him.


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Horniblow Cup - Best Monochrome Print

The Horniblows, father and son, owned a chemist’s shop in Sidbury. I recallthem both but my impressions are now sketchy. Both were black-and-whitespecialists.

Morrall Plaque - Best Projected Image

Joining WCC in the early 1950s, John MorrallARPS had a great photographic spirit and hiscontribution to Club life was immense. Anotherlyrical and eloquent photographer, his work in-spired many to emulate his pictorial approach.John worked tirelessly on the committee andwas also Club Chairman, Chairman of theWorcestershire International Exhibition andPresident of the MCPF. In the years before hisdeath John became an accomplished painter.

A J Woodley Cup - Best Print ofthe County of Worcestershire

With his membership dating from1920 Arthur Woodley FRPS wasone of the stalwarts of WCC and Ifeel very privileged to have knownhim. Very much the elder states-man and highly revered, his visits tothe Club became less frequent asage took its toll. I well recall visitinghis home in Vernon Park Road, St.John's during the 1960s when hedescribed taking photographs of the Victoria Falls, lugging a plate camerathrough dense jungle and tropical heat. Arthur was a darkroom wizard and hislarge romantic landscape prints were frequently the product of two or three largeglass plate negatives expertly managed, with his hands 'painting with light',beneath the enlarger. Arthur’s elegiac and lustrous prints of Worcester and thecounty graced many an exhibition and publication.

Nickson Cup - Best Projected Image of the Countyof Worcestershire

Joining WCC in the 1950s Tom Nickson ARPS and hiswife Hetty LRPS were both long-standing and staunchmembers of WCC. Tom owned a barber’s shop at theBullring in St. John's and Hetty had the wool shopbusiness next door. Both Malcolm and I had our hair cutat Tom's shop with many chats about photographyduring our tonsorial sessions. Tom was Chairman onmore than one occasion and his photography was the

quintessence of pictorialism. Tom and Hetty were both early exponents of AudioVisual. Indeed Tom was a dab hand at electrical gadgetry and made manypieces of AV equipment in those days of DIY. I recall many a tobacco tin beingconverted into a case to house one device or another. Tom and Hetty's AV,'Married to Colour', ran for many years, being constantly updated with new slides.

Harold Stanley Cup - Best Nature PrintThis is one member I never knew; he was way before my time at the Club.Despite research, I’ve been unable to find any record of the man and his activities.

Lycett Trophy - Best Creative Print

Gordon Lycett FRPS also joined the Club in the 1960sand with his wife Lorna they were a formidable photo-graphic partnership. Gordon occupied several commit-tee posts, including that of Photonews Editor. Indeed hewas Editor before handing over the role to Malcolm andme. I remember him staggering up the drive to our homeat Rushwick with the heavy Gestetner duplicator ma-chine. All inky it was! Gordon was also twice Chairmanand Lorna fulfilled the post of Secretary for severalyears. Gordon’s approach to photography has alwaysbeen creative and adventurous. A great visual experi-

menter he’s prepared to push at boundaries and this free attitude has encour-aged many to be as bold. As a club judge his approach was admirably clinicaland meticulous. A close neighbour of both Martin and Bob, Gordon continuesto be active in photography and although he dips in and out of being a member,we continue to see his images appearing on Google+


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Andrew N. Gagg Award - Best Audio Visual Sequence

Andrew Gagg FRPS of course needs no introduction.Andrew is passionate about the art and practice of AV.He’s won numerous awards in this medium and he’salways ready to offer advice to anyone seeking to dis-cover more about the marriage of pictures, words, soundeffects and music. Andrew also has a well-deservedhigh reputation for his fine photographs of alpine plantsin their natural habitat.

Portman Building Society Trophy – Best Nature Projected Image

No individual to describe. Our thanks to the Portman Building Society.

Worcestershire Camera Club Annual award for Best Projected CreativeImage

Not ascribed to an individual.


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WHICH TRIBE ARE YOU? By Geoff Harris, recent editor of Digital Photog-raphy Magazine and re-printed from the Wex Photography website.

Indigenous people are perennially popular subjects for photographers, as thesuccess of Jimmy Nelson’s book Before They Pass Away demonstrates. Theirony, of course, is that photographers themselves also congregate in a rainbownation of colourful tribes. Here’s a quick and very silly anthropological guide tohelp you spot the main tribes, and identify which ones you belong to…

The Landscape Tribe

Natural habitat: Beauty spots up and down the UK, particularly the PeakDistrict, the Scottish highlands, Northumberland, and a sacred site down on thesouth coast called ‘Durdle Dor’.Tribal markings: Easily spotted by their waterproof gear, expensive boots,heavy-duty tripods and clanking bags of lens filters. Constantly sore backs andnecks give this tribe a distinctively stiff gait.

http://www.wexphotographic.com/

http://www.wexphotographic.com/


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Strange customs and taboos: Landscape photographers have a fetish forboulders, which they get in the foreground of their images at almost everyopportunity. Possibly an offering to their gods?

The Travel Tribe

Natural habitat: All over the world, but commonly found in South East Asia(particularly Thailand, Vietnam and Burma) and picturesque European citiesfrequented by budget airlines.Tribal markings: Sunhats or bandanas, photographer’s vests/gilets with bulg-ing pockets, water bottles and army surplus gear. Many want to look like a tribalelder called ‘Steve McCurry’.Strange customs and taboos: Compulsively drawn to temples and smellymarkets. This tribe also finds Buddhist monks, sadhus and cigar-chompingCuban pensioners impossible to ignore.

The Wildlife Tribe

Natural habitat: Similar to landscape photographers, but also congregatearound bird reserves, moorland and the coast.Tribal markings: As well as expensive outdoor gear, this tribe also has a yenfor big telephoto lenses, wax hats, outlandish camouflage jackets, and evenGhillie suits – making them look like a cross between a sniper and somethingfrom a folk festival.Strange customs and taboos: Often seen cursing at the sky as they haven’tgot the shutter speed fast enough, or lying prone in undergrowth. Never, eversuggest they simply Photoshop the bird in.

The Street Tribe

Natural habitats: The ‘hood, whether it be urban centres big or small.Tribal markings: This tribe does its best to avoid being spotted, so its membersfavour anonymous looking coats and jackets that can also conceal cameras,baseball caps and running shoes (should they get chased by a security guard).


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Strange customs and taboos: Often paranoid and twitchy, this tribe is surpris-ingly well-versed in legal matters. Adept at whipping out cameras very fast andoften heard cursing other pedestrians who’ve ‘spoiled their nice background.’

The Wedding Tribe

Natural habitat: Traditionally found around churches, temples, registry officesand wedding venues up and down the country, but can pop up in all manner ofplaces now licensed to marry (even skydiving events, if they’re unlucky).Tribal markings: Depends on whether they’re seasoned veterans or ‘weekendwarriors’, but cheap suits and shoes chosen for comfort rather than style aretell-tale signs. Also watch out for bulky bags that annoy the other guests,crumpled shot lists and forced smiles.Strange customs and taboos: Suddenly start sounding like drill sergeantswhen they need to organise group shots, and often display hostility to anothertype of photographer called an ‘Uncle Bob’.

The Sports Tribe

Natural habitat: Sports venues – from mega stadiums to local pitches.Tribal markings: Easily spotted by their unfeasibly long lenses and monopods.Also favour bulging photographer’s vests or tabards. Despite hanging aroundsport venues all day, tribe members rarely look like they do much sport them-selves.Strange customs and taboos: Where they are allowed to stand is a sure signof their seniority and status within the tribe. Often found yelling at their phonesas a significant other has called seconds before an unforgettable moment.Motorsports specialists are often hard of hearing.

The Baby and Pet Tribe

Natural habitat: Studios and domestic premises all over the UK.Tribal markings: Favour colourful, casual garb that makes them look likechildren’s TV presenters. Often carry around a wide range of props to keepyoung kids and pets happy, including plenty of confectionery and ‘poop’ bags.


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Strange customs and taboos: Can find it hard to communicate with otheradults after spending all day with their bored, easily distracted subjects. Highlyskilled at ‘oohs’, ‘ahhs’, and whistles.

The Plant and Flower Tribe

Natural habitat: Gardens, whether public or domestic, botanical gardens andnature reserves.Tribal markings: Sunhats, waterproof trousers and knee pads. Also favourtripods and a peculiar fetish object called a ‘Wimberly Plamp’, designed to keepplants still in the breeze. Horticultural society memberships aren’t a necessitybut they’ll have them anyway, especially considering how often they’re lovinglygiven as gifts from unimaginative friends and family.Strange customs and taboos: Often found crouching in the undergrowth,peering at foliage through macro lenses. Highly skilled at shooing away slugsand curious dogs.

The Glamour/Boudoir tribe

Natural habitat: Studios and boudoirs.Tribal markings: Favour funky, relaxed, slightly hippyish garb, in homage totribal patriarchs David Bailey and Austin Powers. Male members of this tribeoften have a slightly sheepish and guilty look, the result of long years of justifyingthis pursuit to suspicious partners. These photographers prefer their work bereferred to as art rather than photography.Strange customs and taboos: Can be heard uttering curiously dated phraseslike ‘Oh yes, that’s perfect, simply beautiful!’ And they often have a especiallycurated music playlists to help get clients ‘in the mood’.

*none of that is true


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Work for your Club and be a hero, thereare always positions to fill

www.worcestershirecameraclub.co.uk

Bishop Allenby HallSt. Stephen’s ChurchDroitwich RoadWorcester WR3 7HS

Editor: Stewart BourneTel : 01905 776533E-mail [email protected]

We meet at the above address on Tuesdays at 7.45 pm. All visitors and new members willreceive a very warm welcome. Why not have a look at our programme and contact details onour web site and select an evening to visit us?

For further information please contact:-Secretary: Jenny Rees Mann (tel 01386 793995 ) or [email protected]: Clive Haynes FRPS (tel 01905 356405 ) or [email protected]

www.worcestershirecameraclub.co.uk

http://worcestershirecameraclub.co.uk/

sept 2015 photonews

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