Masham Photographic Club
Programme Notes
The main aim of the 25-26 programme is to provide as much variety as possible. The choice of speakers covers a wide range of photographic genres. By implication therefore, there is probably something for everyone. I have managed to include most, if not all of the genres fed back to me from the questionnaire I sent out last September, but if there’s something missing that you would like including in the future, please tell me. Zoom presentations have been chosen for the darker evenings of the Autumn and Winter months, to avoid asking speakers to make journeys in the dark and in less favourable weather conditions. In exceptionally bad weather conditions, this may also help you to avoid travelling to Masham, by using the zoom function on your own laptops at home. The total cost of the speaker programme is estimated to be less than £600, which is the equivalent of twelve membership subscriptions. Finally, please remember that there is usually a risk factor involved in booking any speaker – their quality may be excellent, but there’s no guarantee of this. If we are not willing to take chances however, we will not discover the gems.
Guest Speakers – black Members’ Evenings - red
2nd September - Members’ Show and Tell from the Summer Break
All members will be asked to bring along five digital/printed images from the summer break, to show and tell us a little about when/where/with whom they were taken and what they were doing. Other than selecting the images and saving them on to a memory stick, no preparation will be needed. Alternatively, images can be sent to me by WeTransfer.
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16th September – James Herriot’s Yorkshire and Beyond – Derry Brabbs
Derry will describe his experiences of taking and contributing his photographs to the world famous James Herriot Books of the 1970s and 80s. This is anticipated to be an extremely popular event, to which a limited number of members of the local community will be invited to attend. More information to follow…
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7th October – Sport & Action – Bob Given
This will be a zoom presentation, as Bob lives in Northern Ireland. Bob’s personal circumstances are a little uncertain, so this event may not take place, in which case, plan B will kick in. However, Bob has kindly agreed to be included on our programme and we hope his presentation will go ahead.
21st October – AGM + Award of Trophies + Sheep Fair Exhibition Results
4th November – An Introduction to Infra Red Photography [& Two Members who will present their ‘Preferably Monochrome 10 in 10s’]
One of our newest members, James Hoare, will be introducing us to Infra Red Photography.
Following on from James, Len Shepherd and Jane Ramsdale will share their monochrome digital photographs and tell us why they chose to take them in this medium or maybe why they’ve converted them from colour.
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18th November–Norwegian Group Photo Trip - Gordon Wilson and Clare Watkinson
Clare and Gordon will present images from their group trip to Norway, under the tutelage of professional photographer Mark Banks. This promises to be a fascinating look at some stunning parts of this Nordic country and may be of particular interest for those of you interested in learning more about this popular genre of photography.
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2nd December – Is This Art? – Keith Snell
Keith has a professional background in medical research and university teaching, both here and in the United States. He has been a keen photographer for over fifty years and currently lives in Cumbria, where the nearby Lake District tends to act as a magnet to his photographic interests. Some of Keith’s photographs have attracted international recognition. His talk will feature comparisons of his work with modern artists and how similar artistic styles can be achieved through photography. This talk has won excellent reviews from many cameras clubs throughout the country.
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16th December – Christmas Quiz – More festive fun with this annual event.
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6th January – Industrial Architecture – Simon Sugden [Suggy]
Suggy is a Yorkshire based photographer who delights in exploring different locations in search of stunning images, whether they be of rural or urban landscapes or inside abandoned buildings. He sees beauty in decaying architecture and has explored forgotten and neglected premises in search of stunning images, both with and sometimes without permission. His achievements have been recognised with awards from the National Media Museum in Bradford. A delightful chap to talk to…
20th January – Favourite Famous Photographers
Following on from last season’s excellent presentations by Matt McCulloch and John Gibb, we look forward to being entertained by Kate Tench and Andy Burns who will share a few thoughts about their own FFPs. We hope to learn something about the photographic styles that have perhaps shaped a small part of history.
3rd February – Desert Island Discs [+ photographs!]
Members will be asked a few non-intrusive questions and introduce three of their favourite tracks of music {which may be faded out before the end], as well as presenting some images which are perhaps associated with their musical choices i.e. the 1970s, memories from my twenties, my hobbies. The images do not have to be taken by the members themselves. Volunteers please!! This is new, so further details will follow.
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17th February – Urban Minimalism – Stuart Allen
Stuart loves going for a walk with his camera and is happiest strolling around an urban environment. He’s always in search of subjects that are hidden away [sometimes in plain sight] in order to capture his minimalist style of photography. His pursuits have taken him to a number of contrasting countries, where he has been able to take advantage of their different urban features.
3rd March – ‘What to Photograph at the Coast’ – Alison S Taylor
Alison will share with us some of her excellent coastal images, many of which have been taken in Yorkshire and Northumberland. She is naturally attracted to the outdoors and finds that the changing moods of the sea offer some wonderful opportunities for both colour and black and white photography. The second part of Alison’s talk will home in on our beloved county’s coastline – what a way to round off an evening!
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17th March – RED SPOT EVENING – this is a return of our biennial old chestnut.
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7th April – Mountains, Myths & Moorlands – A Photographic Journey through a Mythical Landscape – James Elkington
James’ photographs are mainly of the Yorkshire Dales and Moors, where he lives and works. His images have appeared in both the national and international press and in particular, the Times, the Guardian, the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Sydney Herald. He has also illustrated several books but fortunately, he is not too busy to come and pay MPC a visit. This is certainly an evening to look forward to.
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21st April – Photojournalism, - Children in War - John Gibb
John will call upon his past experiences as a photojournalist, to present what are often the distressing realities of war. These are often hidden from us as we enjoy our relatively safe lives in this beautiful part of the world.
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5th May – Life on Set – TV Stills – Helen Williams
Helen is a Harrogate based photographer who specialises in taking unit stills and portraits on TV sets. She has done a great deal of behind-the-scenes work with her camera for programmes such as Vera, Emmerdale, Heartbeat and A Touch of Frost. She has also found time when not at work, to take part in Triathlon Championships and Ironman events. It is possible that Helen may not be able to fulfil this evening’s booking, due to the nature and irregular timings of her work. Fingers crossed, but another plan B will be standing by!
19th May – Best Fives
Each time we step out of our homes, there are photo opportunities that await us. With that in mind, it’s time to see our group’s favourite digital images or prints from the past year. We look forward to seeing [any] FIVE images in a few minutes from ALL of our members, so please don’t hold back folks!
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2nd June – Minature Worlds – David Gilliver
David is a specialist in Macro work. After graduating in Fine Arts, this Glasgow based photographer and his ‘little people’ figurines have travelled extensively and have found their way into publications around the world. This is intricate and painstakingly precise photography at its very best.
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16th June – A summer walk in the great outdoors with our cameras
I wonder where it will be this time…. Will the weather be kind to us? Suggestions welcome!
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