Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone. 

There's a free Wednesday in our programme this week so it's a good chance to pick out some photos from your collection for next weeks Portraiture evening.

If you've already got your photos picked out why not look at this link Martin W has sent in. It's an article he's found useful when thinking about that perennial question. Buy more expensive camera kit in the hope that yours photos will turn out better or spend a more time learning how to use the kit you have to get by without them?

http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-great-game-changing-photography-techniques-that-allow-users-to-become-better-photographers

(You will need to copy and paste the link to your browser. I'm not sure why but the hyperlink doesn't work)

New 2015 Programme

It's here, the new programme for next year.

As we head into Christmas, have a thought for the New Year and all the photo evenings the Photocraft committee has organised for next season.

There's a good diverse selection this year covering a wide range of subjects from indoor table-top photography, pixel counting and sharpening, to our Where in the World evening with built-in quiz and the Coach trip to Chatham Docks in June. 

In between all these there is the usual spread of competitions exposing us to some honest and objective feedback from the experienced judges but also giving us the chance to have a bit of a moan about the marks meted out.

The first meeting in January is a portraiture evening so what better time than Christmas to capture that something special in the people around us.


Happy Christmas everyone,

For the programme, use the menu on the right of this screen or the link below.


http://photocraftwallington.blogspot.co.uk/p/photocraft-programme-september-to.html

Projected Image Competition No. 2

Judge :  Darren Pullman



The second PDI competition of the year saw a good sized field of 18 photos in the Level 1 competition and 24 in Level 2.

The judges comments as always were helpful and encouraging for the Level 1 contestants and still helpful but a little bit more blunt for the Levels 2's

Composition seemed to be a recurring theme this evening with the judge clearly liking to see the different objects positioned in a nice triangular shape, coaxing the viewers eye in a little journey around the frame. Not always that easy if the photo is a snatched opportunity but even better if it all comes together. 

The judge also pointed out the effect of clean and busy areas in the photo and whether they compliment or distract from the photo's message.

I guess these two things come through on the two winning photographs. Radoslaw H's Seaside photo was praisesd for its simple and clear composition and its vibrant colours. 

 

Dave C's photo of a market seller is a good example of where everything can work together, the layout of wooden ties, the seller and the backdrop all complimenting each other. The judge chose it over two close contenders due to its technically flawless execution and it's original and unusual subject.

Well done to everyone for another successful competition. I hope everyone has taken home some new nugget of advice from the evening. 

Next week we have the chance to see how these photos were made as the owners can explain how they set up the shot and then processed them into the final submitted photo. 

Portrait Photograhy

A talk and demonstration by Lee Townsend from Lenses in Croydon.

"Find you and have fun"

Lee's opening advice to the group was a bit unusual for a technical talk of studio type lighting. It was backed up with his next line

"Portraits are 75% personality and 25% technical skill. "

OK, so it's no quite as extreme as the Einstein quote of 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration but still quite telling.  Lee's belief is that once the lights and the camera have been set up anyone can press the shutter and get a well exposed photo. The essence of a good portrait though, is to catch something about the person, and that's where the personality of the photographer comes in just as much as the subject. 

The photo records the mood of the person at the time. The general atmosphere in the "studio" and the photographer's interaction have large parts to play in capturing that something extra.

That's not to say the technical aspects were not covered. The settings were called out and everyone in the room had a chance to take some photos with the big lights. Many members benefitted from this, it being the first time they turned the mode dial on their cameras to the "M" position. 

Many thanks to Lee from Lenses in Croydon for coming over to share his knowledge and his enthusiasm. 

In case you were wondering ......   Lenses is a "meet-up" group of photographers/models and general art minded people based in Croydon. They often do photo shoots with models. If anyone is interested he is also planning more trips out and about.  He did mention photographing the ice sculpting at Canary Wharf in the new year. Meet-up is free to join. 

http://www.meetup.com/LensesOfCroydon/

And if you are on Facebook you may want to “Like” the Lenses of Croydon page

https://www.facebook.com/LensesOfCroydon?fref=ts