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About Photocraft of Wallington We try to be a little different from some other Camera Clubs by approaching the subject in a slightly more relaxed and light hearted manner. The social interaction and friendly banter amongst like minded club members is as important as the work presented. We even have the odd ‘fun’ evening (related to photography of course) and an annual club outing. Most of our photo competitions are ‘in house’ but with external judges, which greatly reduces the obligation to travel to other clubs, yet our standard is high as the occasional inter-club competition helps to confirm. This ‘in house’ policy helps us avoid one of the problems of inter-club competitions where the same few favourite high scoring pictures tend to be put forward each time. Pictures entered for internal competitions should be new and not similar to those entered before. This helps encourage new and often creative work. The majority of members use digital photography in one form or another but we still cater for all types of photography. The result is what counts, whatever method is used. We try to include some practical evenings in our programme, with ‘in house’ or external experts and have a competition devoted to image manipulation which is popular with those who enjoy using software such as Photoshop. When there is the occasional need to select photographs to represent the club in competition, this is normally decided by having a selection evening when all members can take part in the process rather than having them chosen by a select group of ‘club worthies.’ Our club programme is constantly evolving to best meet the interests of the club members. At the moment, our competitions are usually ‘open’ and we have two levels of entry: Level 1 for members less experienced or less confident about their work, and Level 2 for more advanced workers. The external judges are asked to bear this in mind and try to give helpful and constructive advice to those entering in Level 1. The objective is for members to enjoy the club evenings and if they wish, to develop their skills through friendly competition and advice from other members and visiting experts. Come and visit us. We have a good venue at St Elphege’s Centre, Stafford Road, Wallington (just past the police station, opposite Milton Road). See here for parking info. Transport is good, with buses stopping outside the door, and Wallington Railway station is about ten minutes walk away. We are always looking to welcome new (or potential) members. David Stoneleigh |
Camera Owner? Most people use a camera of some kind whether it is a modern SLR, digital, a simple compact or a disposable. But are you bored with all your holiday snaps looking the same and finishing up at the back of a drawer? Do want to take pictures you’ll want to look at again and again? Contrary to common belief, you do not need complicated or expensive equipment to take good photographs. All expensive equipment does is allow you to take pictures under a wider variety of circumstances; provided you understand the limitations of what you are using you can take interesting and exciting pictures with the simplest of equipment. The most important thing you need is the ability to see a picture - photographers sometimes call this 'the seeing eye'. Some people can do this intuitively, but for most of us mere mortals it is something that has to be learnt. The good news is, anyone can learn it. Taking good pictures is a question of practice and luck. But as with any learning process, the more practice you get the luckier you get. A rewarding spin-off from this is that as your picture-taking improves so does your appreciation of the beautiful planet we live on. The fall of the light on everyday scenes and objects you would otherwise not give a second glance will begin to interest you more as you look for new possibilities for a picture. Evening classes and college courses can teach you a great deal about photography, but there is a more relaxed way where you can progress at your own pace, learn from other people and exchange ideas in a sociable atmosphere. Membership of the local camera club, Photocraft of Wallington, consists of people with a wide range of abilities from beginners to advanced. Members’ interests range through 19th century processes, colour and monochrome printing and slides, to modern digital imaging. Dr David Pelling
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