Photography News Issue 46

Photography News | Issue 46 | absolutephoto.com

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CameraClubof theYear in associationwith

Great Notley Photographic Club

©DaveGreenwood

gnpc.co.uk Number of members: 35

Why join? We are a friendly ‘no pressure’ clubwhichwelcomes newmembers of all abilities

Dave Greenwood External competitions secretary

After doing the first scenario we settled down and got into a rhythm of completing the tasks. We thought therewere toomany ‘people’ shots and not enough broader subjects, and found scenario five the most challenging. Fujifilm has an excellent range of gear and we were all impressed with it, especially the medium-format, although it took some getting used to using a different camera for each scenario. We did find some of the scoring to be a little out with judges not following the briefs specified, especially scenario two. Other than that, hats off to the Photography News team for a great day’s experience; to Fujifilm for supplying the equipment; the fantastic studio location; The Booksmith for the free coffee and the Depot for putting up with us. We’d definitely do it again if we got the chance.

Great Notley PC finished in fourth place having delivered a consistent performance and doing best in scenarios 3 (the depot) and 5 (the aerial artist).

Harpenden Photographic Society

Peter Stevens HPS’s chairman Having to produce images under time pressure was a real test. It made for a long and tiring day, but it was definitely fun. Preparation before the event was essential, particularly in terms of getting the computers updated with the latest software, working out the timings, processes, who does what, and doing some preparatory work on lighting and poses for some of the tasks. Many aspects of the day were challenging – the time pressure, new and unfamiliar cameras, five different shoots with subjects we were not always familiar with. But the biggest challenge was the need to be decisive. It was necessary to know when to stop shooting because you have got a good shot, and alsowhen to stopprocessing because there is only so much that can be done and time is short. The subjects were fine and provided some variety, but were definitely skewed towards studio-type themes. It would have been good to have included street or landscape, for the town’s largest art fair. We cater for all levels of interest and skills, and provide a club that is fun and encouragesmembers to develop and improve their photography. harpendenphotographicsociety.co.uk Number of members: 80+ Why join? We’re passionate about photography, and provide something for everyone – a varied programme, special interest groups, competitions and exhibitions, andwe’re involved inmany of the cultural activities inHarpenden, including organising

example, but I’m sure this would cause logistical problems. Maybe if the event started midday on Thursday, then the afternoon could have been in a landscape or street photography location, with the Friday at theDepot.  The qualifying rounds involved all club members, and winning through to the final provides a fun day and some prestige and pride for the club, which incidentally also helps with our recruitment of newmembers. We enjoyed the opportunity to use the range of newFujifilmcameras. They produce excellent image files and it was clear how much smaller they are in comparisonwith a typical DSLR.  We also liked the idea of the prize of Fujifilm X-photographer visits to the winning club, since this allows all members to benefit.  

Harpenden PS came third overall and top scored in scenarios 3 (the Depot) and 4 (the Bookmiths).

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