Hertford and District Camera Club

syllabus / programme

Programme of Meetings 2023-2024 season

Most meetings are held online using the Zoom app, on alternate weeks from September to May, on Friday evenings on Friday on Friday evenings at 7:45 for 8:00pm.

To attend a meeting as an online visitor please click its VISITOR button if shown

September 2023

22

lecture

Living The African Dream

Alison Mees ARPS CPAGB

Alison has been working and living in Africa for 16 years. Tonight’s journey is packed full of photo­graphs and stories from the bush, her community work and cheetah conser­vation. She is currently a volunteer for Cheetah Conserva­tion Fund UK, working to help keep cheetahs safe in the wild. This is an amazing evening that will transport us to Africa.

October 2023

6

lecture

I Can't See the Wood for the Trees:  A Guide to Woodland Photography

Edward Hyde FRPS

Eddie gained his RPS fellowship in the landscape genre with images of Surrey woodland. He describes how he found his way into this quite challenging subject and grew to really enjoy it. He has explored a variety of photo­graphic genres and styles over the years and this helps him as a Judge with the Surrey PA. But he always comes back to the landscape, never feeling more alive than when outdoors, anticipating the moment when magic happens and the light, weather and landscape combine to create art in front of his eyes.

20

Club competition No 1: open PDI¹

Judge: Alan Taberer

November 2023

3

lecture

Photographing People – Cultural and Social Photography

Trevor Cole

Widely travelled and published, and describing himself as a geographer photographer, Trevor aims to capture people, wildlife and landscapes – and the interactions between them – in the light of a world in transition. He promotes an ethical and considerate approach to photographing people with other cultural traits, building trust, rapport and mutual respect.

17

lecture

The Best Camera is the One You Have With You: your Phone

Tom Peck LRPS CPAGB

A presentation at our hall in Hertford. First Tom looks at the types of photography that the phone is good for – from portraiture to landscapes, architecture to cityscapes – plus how to use the phone to ‘sketch’ before getting out the ‘proper camera’. Illustrated by a mix of his own images and some from the world’s leading phone photographers. Then a practical session linking Tom’s phone to the screen to show how to get the best out of taking your photos and how you can process them. Bring your own phone and images!

December 2023

1

lecture

The Expressive Landscape

Colin Westgate MPAGB FRPS MFIAP APAGB

Why is it that our landscape pictures are often disappointing and don't convey how we felt when we took the shot? Probably because our images lack the mood, atmos­phere or emotion we experi­enced at the time. The camera can't record how we feel, so most images need an element of interpre­tation and enhance­ment to make them ‘expressive’. Colin will illustrate various methods of achieving ‘expression’, where by using basic techniques a rather ordinary image is transformed into something much more satisfying.

15

The Malcolm Unwin Trophy

The Projected Image of the Year Competition, 2022-2023. Submissions by invitation of the Competition Secretary, based on the scores gained in last season's competitions.

Judge: Roger Poyser

22

no meeting

29

no meeting

January 2024

5

lecture

Tools, Not Rules

Caroline Preece

Caroline’s objective is to introduce us to a different way of thinking about photography and composition. First she covers photography as a visual language and how to communi­cate our personal take on the world through our images. In the second part she explains the psychology behind how people interpret visual elements, and the impact of compo­sitional choices on how the viewer experi­ences the image. It‘s about empowering us to make informed decisions as opposed to worrying about rules and whether to break them.

19

Technical Challenge Competition

Follow-up from ‘The Best Camera is the One You Have With You’ on 17 November

Judge: Tom Peck LRPS CPAGB

22

 monday  inter-club competition

3-way ‘Mix and Match’ battle v Hoddesdon and  Ware, hosted by Hoddesdon.

Judge: Ben Pike

February 2024

2

lecture

Blowing Hot and Cold, Up North to Down South

Rene de Heer

This presentation covers Rene’s nature photography travels to Scandinavia in winter and to Spain in spring and summer. Scandinavia is a very special place, and the journey covers bird and landscape photo­graphy along the Finnish-Russian border around Kuusamo, and to the Varangerfjord. Spain in spring, summer and autumn is a superb place to be for bird photo­graphy, and we will visit some of the most special places to photograph birds from hides and hydro hides.

16

Club competition No 2: open PDI¹

Judge: Kathy Chantler

March 2024

1

lecture

Life and Culture in Ecuador

Robert Snarey

Robert’s presentation will cover his journey from Quito, the capital of Ecuador, via the equator and Cotopaxi to Cuenca and Guayaquil. He talks about Ecuadorian culture and Spanish influences, and about living life at both low and high altitudes. He includes aspects of Incan life – and a section on the history of chocolate! The climates covered include desert and cloud forest.

15

Club competition No 3: open PDI¹

Judge: Malcolm Rapier ARPS CPAGB

22

lecture

The Great Silk Road Today

David Smith

David describes his long photographic journey along the Great Silk Road from Xian – first capital of China – to Istanbul, though Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Armenia and Turkey. The 4000 mile Silk Road was the main East-West trading route from the 2nd century BC to the 14th century AD, originally connecting ancient China to the Roman Empire.

April 2024

5

lecture

But Is It Art?

Dr Keith Snell LRPS EFIAP EPSA

Keith explores the contro­versy over photo­graphy being a true art form by looking at ways in which the subject of a photo­graph can be more than just a record of what the lens is pointing at. The approaches might still involve a represen­tational interpre­tation of the subject, but he also looks at the more creative techniques of intentional camera movement (ICM) and in-camera multiple exposure (IME).

19

Club competition No 4: open PDI¹

Judge: Peter Prosser APAGB

23

 tuesday  inter-club competition

2-way PDI battle at Southgate

Judge: Dr Julie Hutson

May 2024

3

lecture

The Greatest Showman

Lisa Rendall

 

17

Set Subject Competition: ‘A Sporting Moment’

Judge: Nick Akers ARPS BPE3*

31

CLUB DINNER

key
meetings
regular comps
other comps
not Friday
outings etc

¹ Competition entries are due the week before each competition.

² The dates of weekend outings may change if weather conditions dictate.

d Projected Digital Images evening.

p Print evening.

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