For many years Syd Cumbus has provided a brief review of the week’s meeting to the Lancaster Guardian for their social scene column. We’re now very happy to be able to also present these round ups on the website.

The President of the Society, Christian Cable introduced Lee Metcalfe of Lancaster to present his lecture entitled ‘Perfect Light’ Lee is a local professional photographer who specializes in landscape photography and has enjoyed successful exhibitions of his work in the Ashton Memorial and local galleries plus cover photographs for Lancashire Life and articles for the Outdoor Photography magazine.

He showed a total of 37 images showing Lancaster, the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. With each photograph Lee explained his reasons for taking the shot and spoke of his selected locations. Many of the exhibited photographs were taken at dawn and dusk and this is a feature of his specialist approach to landscape imaging. Panoramic images of Buttermere were often multiple frame shots which were then stitched together in Photoshop. Many of the Lancaster images featured the Ashton Memorial with one set showing the memorial building in each season of the year.

The vote of thanks was given by Allan Hartley.

For many years Syd Cumbus has provided a brief review of the week’s meeting to the Lancaster Guardian for their increasingly irregular social scene column. We’re now very happy to be able to also present these round ups on the website.

Ruth Wood, a long standing member of the Society presented a lecture on her recent visit to the Antarctic entitled ‘Penguins, Penguins and more Penguins’.

The trip commenced in Ushaia in the far south of Argentina and Ruth started with a short tour of the town before the cruise which included the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Orkney Islands. Ruth explained how the January temperatures varied with Ushaia about 17 degrees C, South Georgia 5 degrees C and the Antarctic Peninsula zero degrees Celsius. The talk was well illustrated with with exceptional digital images of the bird populations of the area including the Patagonian Finch, the Wandering Albatross with a 10ft wingspan, the Giant Petrel and the Blue-eyed Shag.

Visits to the islands were made by Zodiacs from the cruise ship and included Carcass Islands and West Point Island where the party hiked across. On South Georgia a visit was made to Grysviken to view Shackleton’s grave and later to Stromness to see the former whaling station. On the islands the group viewed many Fur Seals and some Elephant Seals, but perhaps the highlight of the tour was to be able to view King Penguins, Chinstrap Penguins, Rockhopper Penguins, Adelie, Penguins, Macaroni Penguins and to be able to photograph them at close quarters.

On the Falkland Islands a visit to the capital, Stanley was arranged and here thee party had the opportunity to walk some of the local trails. The final call of the cruise was to Antarctic Peninsula where the group viewed Killer Whales. Later a trip in the Zodiacs around the many icebergs enabled Ruth to see the colours and sculpted patterns on the icebergs, created by the prevailing Antarctic winds and these were recorded in a series of stunning photographs.

The vote of thanks was proposed by Chris Thoume.

For many years Syd Cumbus has provided a brief review of the week’s meeting to the Lancaster Guardian for their increasingly irregular social scene column. We’re now very happy to be able to also present these round ups on the website. This week’s column was guest written by Christian Cable

This week at Lancaster Photographic Society the Society reviewed, discussed and critiqued the latest colour print portfolio from the Lancashire & Cheshire Photographic Union.

The portfolio was made up of sixty of the best images produced by photographic clubs across Lancashire, Cheshire and the Isle of Man. The images showcased a variety of styles and techniques with subjects ranging from stunning landscapes to gothic portraiture.

As always with any artistic discussion the evening was full of lively debate. Members discussed what makes a powerful image and what they would have done differently in the place of the photographers. Viewing the work of other photographers is a great way to improve your own photographic eye and these discussions are always popular.

Lancaster Photographic Society meets 7:30pm each Wednesday evening at Greaves Methodist Church.

The next meeting will be after the Christmas break on the 4th of January.

More information can be found at http://www.lancasterphotographicsociety.org.uk

For many years Syd Cumbus has provided a summary of the week’s meeting to the Lancaster Guardian for their increasingly irregular social scene column. We’re now very happy to be able to also present these round ups on the website.

‘Lancaster’ was the themed subject for the second Society competition of the season. The judge was Simon Ray L.R.P.S. from St. Annes.

Results as follows:-

Colour Prints – Highly Commended

• ‘Melting ice in Dalton Square’ – Sheenagh Crumley
• ‘Skerton Bridge’ – Syd Cumbus

Colour Prints – Commended

• St. Peter’s Cathedral – Syd Cumbus

Monochrome Prints – Highly Commended

• ‘Ashton Memorial Steps’ – Sheenagh Crumley
• ‘Towards Ashton Memorial’ – Allan Hartley

Monochrome Prints – Commended

• ‘Icebound at Haverbreaks’ – Syd Cumbus
• ‘Quay Reflections’ – Sheenagh Crumley
• ‘Lancaster Market Weights’ – Allan Hartley

Digital Projected Images (Colour) – Highly Commended

• ‘Fire in the Sky’ and ‘A Night in the Park’ – both John Aldred
• ‘Williamson Park Fountain’ – Sheenagh Crumley

Digital Projected Images (Colour) – Commended

• ‘Bowerham Skyline’ and ‘Waiting for the Sunset’ – both Christian Cable
• ‘Canal at Moor Lane’ – Sheenagh Crumley
• ‘Ashton Memorial’ – Nick Dagger
• ‘Skerton Bridge’ – Mandy Foreman

Digital Projected Images (Monochrome) – Highly Commended

• ‘Ashton Memorial, Williamson Park’ – Mike Atkinson
• ‘An Unhappy Bear’ – Christian Cable

Digital Projected Images (Monochrome) – Commended

• ‘Howdy, Neighbour’ – John Aldred
• ‘Lancaster Moor Hospital’ – Mike Atkinson
• ‘Prospect of Lancaster’ – Syd Cumbus
• ‘Queen Victoria’ – Mandy Foreman

The vote of thanks to the judge was proposed by Vic Crumley.

For many years Syd Cumbus has provided a summary of the week’s meeting to the Lancaster Guardian for their increasingly irregular social scene column. We’re now very happy to be able to also present these round ups on the website.

The President of the Society Christian Cable, welcomed Dave Willis from Shap, a photographer of some 20 years experience and who who specialises in outdoor sports action images.

A well travelled man, Dave has worked in Chile and Patagonia as an expedition photographer with Operation Raleigh and is also a visiting photographic tutor at Kendal College. Dave presented his lecture ‘An Eye for Adventure’ with 35mm images taken both on film cameras and with digital equipment. The opening sequence was a series of 61 images in both colour and monochrome of action shots of cyclists, mountaineers, yachting, kayaking, many with landscape features taken in the Lake District and the Cairngorms in Scotland.

Part two involved Dave explaining how each picture was taken, his technique of using ultra wide angle lenses at close distances to moving cycles and snowboarders. Dramatic images of yachts at Cowes Week and the Dolomites. He liked to include figures in many of the photographs by using people as actors and directing them into the correct position for the best image and to skilfully use flash guns to provide a different aspect to a picture. Members were able to choose an image and Dave would provide the reasons for taking it.

The vote of thanks for an interesting and informative evening was provided by Mandy Foreman.

Details about the photography courses that Dave teaches can be found on the Kendal College website.

For many years Syd Cumbus has provided a summary of the week’s meeting to the Lancaster Guardian for their increasingly irregular social scene column. We’re now very happy to be able to also present these round ups on the website.

The President of the Society, Christian Cable introduced Rod and Margaret Smith from Horton-in-Ribblesdale and who are members of Settle Photographic Society to present their lecture entitled ‘Making Images’ – the Art and Craft of Photography. Both Rod and Margaret are teachers of Photography in Skipton, Settle and many of the villages of the Yorkshire Dales.

Part 1 consided of projected digital images in colour and monochrome to illustrate the art of the medium using the construction tools of making a good picture. These included looking for lines, shapes, patterns, form, light and texture and being in control by skilful use of the lens focal length, shutter, aperture and depth of field. Rod demonstrated using Photoshop CS3 how contrast makes impact on an image, especially in black and white. Margaret then showed members how to change the perspective by firstly taking a photograph with a wide angle lens and then a second of the same image from a different viewpoint and then combining the two images using layers Photoshop.

Part 2 used members projected images and the speakers demonstrated how they could be improved and altered by various techniques in Photoshop, especially by reference to levels. Members commented upon the results and whether or not they liked the changed photograph.

Bill Wilcockson proposed a well deserved vote of thanks for a most interesting and instructive evening.