Shaftesbury Camera Club

Following on with the theme celebrating this lovely weather, this week’s challenge is ‘In my Garden’ and please remember your image should have been taken during this lockdown.

The deadline for this challenge is Thursday Noon, next week (4th June already!) although we don’t expect to show and vote on them until the AGM on 25th June.

As we our two next meetings both have external speakers, just advance notice that our next Zoom Challenge #7’s deadline will be Thursday Noon on June 18th with the topic “Something to make us smile”.

When uploading, please ensure you tick the correct Zoom box!

Deadline Thursday 28th Noon! And please remember that we would like you to keep to recent photos taken during lock-down.

This week we are trying out an entirely new way of setting Challenges – at least to us! Each week we will pick a letter of the alphabet and our member’s task is to upload one or two PDIs that portray something beginning with that letter and that ‘makes’ the picture – so it has to be interesting and have photographic merit! So far our Zoom weekly challenges have provided some good fun and enjoyment and the quality and number of entries from last week were great. Thank you!

The choice for this week is “W” and the deadline is noon on Thursday 21st May. For example, you could make a photograph with water as the key element in the composition. Of course you can choose anything else that begins with “W” but we do need you all to start thinking also about the subject “Water” which is the subject also set for our first PDI and Print competition next season – whenever that will be!

Note: Thursday 21st is also the upload deadline for our PDI of the Year competition (maximum of two images). Also note we require your PDI of the Year entries to comply strictly with our well-established PDI sizing and file naming: details of these are on the upload page but please ask Chris if you are new to our formal competitions.

The winners from ZC#2 “Rembrandt” (as voted by our members) were “Red Apple” by Helen P and “Makeshift studio flash” by Chris W as equal first, and “Contemplative” by Alan W.
The ZC#3 “Macro or Close-up” winner was “Bumble bee” by Catherine B with “Dungflies mating” by Jeffery B and “Leaf” by Debi S in 2nd and 3rd places. Congratulations!

This week’s challenge again follows the topic of the meeting last Thursday when we had Tony North with his prize-winning macro shots. Ideally, we would love one or two macro photos but in recognition that you may not have the right lenses, accessories or whatever for this, we would be equally pleased to see your shots of “close-up” objects close to the minimum focus distance.

There are a lot of possibilities for improvisation to get macro type shots: too many to cover here but the important thing is to have a go. The upload deadline is again 12 noon on Thursday and we expect to show and vote for the three top entries later that day, along with the entries for ZC #2 (Rembrandt) Challenge.

Following Mike Weeks talk about lighting and in particular, “Rembrandt Lighting“, this week’s challenge is to submit a photo demonstrating this form of lighting. Rembrandt lighting is characterized by an illuminated triangle under the eye of the subject on the less illuminated side of the face. Mike explained how this could be done using a simple light source such as a window.

For a sample image, follow this link https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27577442

A 10 minute Youtube video by Gavin Hoey (a South Coast photographer) describes the arrangement very well but note you can easily substitute his flash lighting with the sun coming through a small window in the late afternoon. See his video via this link How to get Perfect Rembrandt Lighting: Take and Make Great Photography with Gavin Hoey.

For this week’s challenge, you don’t have to have a portrait of a face – someone we know is going to use his teddy bear! The essence of the lighting is to use the nose or another protuberance to create a shadow on the less illuminated side while the light catches and emphasizes the curves of the cheek. Kettle? jug? – have fun!

The deadline is next Thursday noon but we will hold images over to probably the 14th May for scoring by members. Late entries cannot be accepted.

We have a set subject each season which forms part of our first Shuffell Round each season for both Prints and PDIs. The best are selected by our committee to go forward to the annual Bradford Abbas Shield competition normally held around October/November time.

This year, SBA have selected “Water” as the set subject for this five-club competition so please start thinking!

OUR ZOOM CHALLENGES are fun, creative challenges with deadlines set as late as we can – sometimes on the day of the Zoom meeting but be warned we may hold the competition scoring at a later time depending entirely on logistics of the day, e.g. not enough time or perhaps not enough entries!!!

Sometimes we may ask our guest speaker to do the judging if he’s willing and time allows, or we will use participants to score or select their favourites. And be warned – we will make the rules up as we go along!

Please don’t be discouraged from entering just because you haven’t managed to prepare the images correctly but please do try to name your images as normal. If not, upload as normal but select the HELP option so we know to check your image(s).

ZOOM PDI Challenge #1: 30th April: Advert. Brief is to create an advertising shot for a bottle of sauce together with a strapline of text suitable (say) for a weekend magazine. If you can’t add text to your photo, we can accept the strapline as your image title. Maximum of four (just one or two would be preferred but if you get carried away… ) but PDIs per member and we will try to use at least two so number them in your preferred order. Deadline for upload 12 Noon, 30th April. NOTE: We may have to judge the competition at a later Zoom meeting depending on the number of entries received! Remember, this is a fun competition, so conventional rules might not apply!

During the next month, Affinity are currently offering 100-day free trials of their Affinity Photo software as well as their other related Designer and Publisher products. Until 20th May, purchasers can buy the software with a 50% discount – less than £25!

For full details, follow this link Affinity Photo

Dear Members,

Shaftesbury Camera club will resume meetings Thursday April 23^rd at 7.00 for 7.30pm in the comfort of your own home. For the first meeting we will have about an hour on Zoom with Bill presenting the weekly programme of talks and competitions he has arranged for the next few weeks, a bit of social chat and any questions you may have hopefully answered.

An email invitation will be sent out a day or two beforehand containing the Zoom log-in details. Most users can just click on the password protected link and will go straight to the meeting. If that doesn’t work, just open Zoom on your machine and join meeting by typing in the meeting ID and password. If neither works phone Chris 01963 370900 or Val on her number given in the email.

If you and your partner are using 2 or more devices make sure that the sound and microphone are turned off entirely on one of them or take one to another room to prevent acoustic feedback. Please remember that any background noise in your home will be broadcast to the meeting!

If you wish to try this out beforehand there will be a test meeting on Tuesday 7.00-8.00pm. Do just join Chris to check the technology works. Same phone number if you need help.

We would like to hear from you with new ideas and new ways that we can engage with photography over the lockdown. We may be able to offer additional sessions for small groups depending on the level of interest. We already have a self-help group learning Affinity Photo on Monday mornings.

 We already have ¾ of our members on Zoom and look forward to seeing you all on Thursday if not before.

Best wishes

SCC Committee