With the continuing uncertainties around COVID & social distancing measures we’re not sure when we’ll be able to meet again, added to which the owners of the church hall have recently advised the Committee that they cannot foresee pre COVID attendance being possible until January 2021 at the earliest. So the committee has decided to continue the Zoom meetings through to at least Christmas, and possibly beyond.

So here is what we’ve lined up for you;

September

3rd - AGM

We should have held our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in May of this year and an email was accordingly sent out on 27th February 2020, but because of the outbreak of Coronavirus COVID-19 the AGM couldn’t take place. The current Committee decided to continue in their roles until the situation was resolved.

With the success of our recent series of Zoom meetings the Committee have decided that an AGM must now take place via Zoom. That decision has been reached because (1) other clubs have held their AGMs via Zoom without any issues and (2) the three Committee members who are stepping down (Chairman, Competition Secretary & Programme Secretary) cannot continue indefinitely and will not be standing for re-election.

An email has been sent to all current members.

10th - Polina Plotnikova FRPS EFIAP

Starting from a Blank Canvas

Polina is a Russian-born UK-based photographer and her photographic style developed through her love and knowledge of art. This talk features images from two of her favourite photographic subjects – Creative Flower Portraiture and Still Life. Both themes are illustrated with images from her studio work. The evening will be split into two very distinct halves and I’ll give you more details closer to the time.

https://www.polinaplotnikova.co.uk/

17th - Damien Hewetson

London in Lockdown

Damien works for Transport for London as a Hazards Inspector and during his work he walks the streets of the inner boroughs of London identifying hazards and street furniture that needs repairing etc.

Throughout the Lockdown however he has also been carrying his Camera and taking some amazing pictures of the deserted streets of London. Several of his images have been published and he was also commissioned by the Savoy hotel to take photographs throughout the hotel while it was closed in the Lockdown.

This evening he will be sharing a selection of those images with us.

24th - Steve Myall EFIAP BPE4*

100 Strangers

Steve shares his project to take portraits of 100 people who are strangers to him at the time He met them. Street photography with permission. There will be lots of tips on how to approach people and camera technique.

October

1st - Internal Competition Round 1

Open Subject

Full competition details will be sent nearer the time but members need to be aware that due to a Microsoft programming glitch the database of user profiles from previous seasons has been deleted, and Microsoft want over £200 to reinstate it! So when entering the first competition you will have to re-register your details in the uploader.

8th - Andrea Hargreaves MPAGB EFIAP/ b BPE3

The Art of Metamorphosis Part 1

Part 1 of this 2 part talk will take us step by step through Andreas approach & workflow, not only the technical details of the manipulations she uses but also her creative vision.

We will be taken from the photoshoot through to the finished competition image detailing how the "Mermaids" & the "Ladies" series developed.

https://www.andreahargreaves.art/

15th - Internal Competition Round 2

Set Subject - Leading Lines

Leading lines refer to a technique of composition where the viewer of your photo's attention is drawn to lines that lead to the main subject of the image. A leading line paves an easy path for the eye to follow through different elements of a photo.

Check out some examples of this at https://www.format.com/magazine/resources/photography/leading-lines-photography

22nd - Colin Harrison

Creative flower photography adventure..

This is very much a work in progress at the moment and we’ll be the first to see it. 18 months and over 40,000 images later and still working on it……

http://www.colinharrisonphotography.uk/

29th - Ian Boulton

Each to His Own Way, I'll Go Mine

Ian takes on a photographic journey of Street Photography and Urban Landscapes.

November

5th - Lee Sutton BPE5*, DPAGB, EPSA, EFIAP, LRPS, ADPS, GPU Cr3, GPU Zeus

My Photographic Journey

It’s hard to believe that Lee first picked a camera up just 8 years ago! This evening we join him on his journey from nothing to today…

https://ldsphotography.co.uk/

12th - Internal Competition Round 3

Open Subject

Full competition details will be sent nearer the time.

19th - Graham Dean

The Camera Doesn't Lie (but Photographers Do!)

Graham takes us on a brief history of photographic manipulation from Victorian times to the present day and this is followed by some of his own manipulated images.

26th - Andrea Hargreaves MPAGB EFIAP/ b BPE3

The Art of Metamorphosis Part 2

In the second part of this talk we continue the creative journey with Andrea exploring how the Valkyrie series came to be and how it inspired her to create Morghanna & the Raven Queens and also her latest image WindSingers.

Andrea will also show why some images don't make the cut and how, with a little thought & imagination, they can be given a new lease of life.

December

3rd - Kylie-ann Martin EFIAP, BPE2, LDPS

My Journey In Photography - So Far...

This evening Kylie will explain how she got into photography, how, being based in north Birmingham, she is restricted with her locations and will show us that local images can earn distinctions.

http://kylie-annmartinphotography.weebly.com/

10th - E J Lazenby

From Paintbrush to Pixels

Following her very successful first visit to us in June we have invited Jane back tell us a little more about her work. We will join her as she takes us from her creative roots as an equine portrait artist through to a successful fine art photographer. Her artwork is now more digital based and hangs in galleries across the UK and Europe.

Join us as we travel on this insightful journey from paintbrush to pixel.

https://www.ejlazenbyphotography.co.uk/

17th - Christmas Bring & Share Social Evening

Fingers crossed that we can actually do this, though we might need to host it online!!

and that’s it for the time being. Hopefully after Christmas we’ll be able to get back into the church hall in Stantonbury, but I’m not holding my breath!