Ted commented that the last photo (above) showed how much the credit crunch was affecting the dancers!

To this end, Norman went on location to photograph a local beekeeper.

Beekeepers have to wear protective gear and so do the photographers who shoot them, so Norman was duly togged up in the necessary garb:

Some of Norman’s photos from this assignment can be seen on his blog Norman Crabb Photographer (www.normancrabb.com).

Great stuff!

The Great and the Good, dressed in Victorian costume, were the judges:

Pictured here, beside the winning photograph, are Mayor Malcolm Boustead, Mayoress Dru Gurzynski, Mayor-elect Jane Smith and Philip Torjussen, Sherborne Station Master.

The winning photograph, of Bow Arch, was taken by Sherborne School pupil A. Broughton, who wins some free train tickets. Congratulations, that boy!

During the day the steam train 35028 Clan Line thundered through the station at speed. Camera Club member Betty Deavin snatched this quick photograph as the train approached the station:

A jolly day was had by all!

The Camera Club and Sherborne School have been invited to supply a series of photos depicting landmarks of the town which are to be displayed at Sherborne Station.

These images, illustrated here, have been printed on 60cm x 60cm marine ply and have now been mounted on the walls along the west-bound platform 2 of the station.

These are semi-permanent, weather-proof, vandal-proof displays which form a welcoming and informative series of illustrations to passengers and visitors to the town.

Let’s hope they’ll still be there in another 150 years time!

Our judge this year was Jim Eastaugh, one of the area’s prominent photographic judges and a leading light in the WCPF (Western Counties Photographic Federation).

Each member was limited to three entries which could be either colour prints, black and white prints or digital projected images.

Subjects portrayed included landscapes, seascapes, wildlife, still life, aircraft, panorama, architecture and portraiture.

Jim discussed each picture in each category, explained what he liked and didn’t like about the image, and narrowed each category down into a short-list from which he picked 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.

The winners in each category were:

Best colour print: Brian C.

Best black and white print: Gillian

Best projected image: Roger

Most unusual photograph: William

Winners each received a cup.

Thanks to everyone who entered, congratulations to the winners and thanks to Jim for being such an astute judge!

The event was accompanied by a photographic competition open to both adults and children and the entries were judged by members of the club.

There was a raffle with prizes donated by well-wishers:

Visitors to the exhibition were able to rest their feet by taking refreshments provided by the volunteers:

Thanks to all members who helped to organise the event and exhibit photos!

Caz is a local historian and she has been undertaking this research in preparation for a book she is writing. Norman has been taking the photographs to illustrate the book.

Caz’s aim is to document the whereabouts of all the war memorials in all the towns and villages of the Blackmore Vale and to record the names of the men and women inscribed upon them. Wherever possible she has been researching the background and military history of the names on the memorials and to set them in the context of their home communities.

Much of Caz’s work is primary research as no-one has attempted this before. In the course of her work she has consulted many original sources  including Census information, Parish Registers, Electoral Rolls, Newspapers, Diaries, Parish Council Minutes and Church magazines as well as local people.

Norman has been taking the photographs, not only of the war memorials, but also of the landscapes around them.

He showed us an evocative presentation of the memorials where his photography often conveyed the pathos of the sacrifice and tragedy of the first world war.

In the discussion following the presentation the members all agreed that Caz and Norman were undertaking a vital task to preserve the memories of the men and women of the Blackmore Vale whose lives were lost in the conflict.

Caz’s book, with Norman’s photography, will be a fitting tribute to the fallen.

Compton Abbas Poppies by Norman Crabb

Our Vice Chairman, Brian Clarke, gave us a run-through of the basics of using Photoshop CS4 using his own laptop. He demonstrated setting up Photoshop’s colour settings, followed by a quick discussion on how this would affect a full colour managed workflow. This was followed by a short demonstration on making selections and the importance of feathering. Next was how to use the ‘Curves’ and ‘Levels’ tools.

After the break Brian showed the club members a method of converting colour images into monochrome. This method of working has, to the best of his knowledge, never been published in the photo press. All those present agreed it was a very different way of working.

To close the meeting Brian showed those present some of his most recent monochrome prints using this method of working.

Thanks to Brian for a very stimulating and informative evening: we clearly have an expert in the dark arts of Photoshop in our midst! Several members have requested a ‘part 2′ follow-up evening to take us on from where we left off and we will do our best to add such an event to the programme as soon as possible.

This has a couple of very interesting articles: one about exhibiting photos in empty shop windows and another on rights of photographers. There’s also some interesting comments on the judging of photos.

The newsletter is in PDF format. When you click (or right-click) on the link above it should display on your screen. You can read it from there or save it to your computer and read or print it out later.

We had a real treat on Tuesday evening when we had a presentation of photography by Dr Mary Slingo.

Mary refers to herself as an enthusiastic amateur photographer who, in her spare time, is a doctor. The photography she showed us certainly demonstrated her skills!

She is an accomplished camerawoman with an artist’s eye and she showed us a range of stunning photographs from around the world.

Most of the photographs were landscapes and seascapes taken on her travels: some from family holidays, some taken on an expedition by the British Schools Exploring Society to the Himalayas and some in her local area. She also showed us some excellent close-ups which she said she tries to compose as abstract shapes which make it ‘almost apparent what it is’.

Here are some examples of the stimulating images which she included in her talk.These images link to Mary’s website which is well worth a visit:

Mary’s presentation illustrated her seven rules of photography:

1. Plan ahead
2. Know your local area
3. Wait for the right light
4. Move in close
5. Move in closer
6. Tell a story
7. Break all the rules and hope for the best!

This was a truly inspirational, revelatory evening and we thank Mary most sincerely for her brilliant presentation and enlightening talk. Unforgetable!

(all images © copyright Mary Slingo)