Club Meeting, Two Speakers - Tuesday 21st January 2020.
Morpeth Camera Clubs meeting on 21st January brought together two club members; Chairman John Barnes with a talk
entitled ‘Protests and Parades’, and Print Secretary Peter Downs with his presentation ‘Take a Picture and Then What?’
Protests and Parades.
John began the evening by explaining that as a police officer he had been in the front line of public order for many years,
but now retired he was on the other side of the ‘blue line’ taking photographs of demonstrations. Using his experience, he
is sometimes able to get in close and take the action shots that he enjoys most. He finds it good to take images of not only
flag bearers but to capture the emotions of the day. He said that on most occasions hooligans latch on to peaceful marchers
with their own agenda and these add ons provide a different aspect to a march. When there are opposing factions both are
kept apart, he added, each one starting from a distant point and meeting in the city centre. With police horses and dogs
deployed, events are well covered with CCTV and considering the numbers involved, there are rarely any fights or damage
incurred. John went on to described one occasion when the police escorted one faction from Washington Services, and after
routine security checks for prohibited articles, were given instructions on where to start the march and generally read the
riot act. On arrival in the city centre Police Liaison Offices integrate with opposing factions to resolve any possible issues.
We saw marchers representing the Veterans and Football Alliance, Newcastle Unites, Anti Trump, May Day parades, union
brass bands, communist and socialist flag bearers, the Blue Beard Party, Front Line Patriots, Free Palestine and Fighting
Islamophobia. There were rude banners and posters, tattooed characters, photographs of police cordons and portraits of
emotional demonstrators, all of which captured the atmosphere. It is not until he views the images afterwards that he sees
the raw emotion in characterful people, some of which pose and are just there to be photographed. To some, he added, it
is simply a big game. It is not easy photography, one has to be fast, to get ahead of the march approaching, to consider
the appropriate shutter speed and to focus correctly but it certainly makes the adrenalin pump, he concluded. With plenty
of interaction from the audience, we enjoyed hearing about behind the scenes’ preparation by the police and John’s narration throughout.
Take a Picture and Then What...
Peter Downs followed with his presentation entitled Take a Picture and Then What? He explained to the audience that he
didn’t show normal pictures, what makes him happy is to play around on the computer to produce something original and
different. With the use of computer software, such as Photoshop, Fractalius and Nik Effects, he can achieve a painterly or
line drawing effect, and many other effects to achieve the result he desires. Raw files are just the beginning, he said, all
images are record shots, it’s what you do with them that matters. Photography is art and he likes to transform his images
into minimalistic, abstract works of art, with a Japanese influence. Japanese artists consider space to be a positive and use
it for effect, but in the west there can be visual uneasiness with space in a photograph. He went on to list some of the world’s
successful artists and photographers, saying that all photographers should study their work and gain inspiration from them.
We saw images of Arctic tern silhouetted by golden sunset colours, St Mary’s Lighthouse resembling an etching, rust patterns
flipped horizontally to create eerie landscapes, sweet peas transformed into abstract shapes, architecture given an ethereal
effect, mock up military scenes sepia toned to add age and street scenes enhanced with HDR. In conclusion he said that he
has to create a reaction or his image has failed. His advice was to use your imagination and produce something that you like,
and to not worry about it being judged.
The presenters were thanked for an interesting evening of photography, after which coffee was enjoyed
Steph.
entitled ‘Protests and Parades’, and Print Secretary Peter Downs with his presentation ‘Take a Picture and Then What?’
Protests and Parades.
John began the evening by explaining that as a police officer he had been in the front line of public order for many years,
but now retired he was on the other side of the ‘blue line’ taking photographs of demonstrations. Using his experience, he
is sometimes able to get in close and take the action shots that he enjoys most. He finds it good to take images of not only
flag bearers but to capture the emotions of the day. He said that on most occasions hooligans latch on to peaceful marchers
with their own agenda and these add ons provide a different aspect to a march. When there are opposing factions both are
kept apart, he added, each one starting from a distant point and meeting in the city centre. With police horses and dogs
deployed, events are well covered with CCTV and considering the numbers involved, there are rarely any fights or damage
incurred. John went on to described one occasion when the police escorted one faction from Washington Services, and after
routine security checks for prohibited articles, were given instructions on where to start the march and generally read the
riot act. On arrival in the city centre Police Liaison Offices integrate with opposing factions to resolve any possible issues.
We saw marchers representing the Veterans and Football Alliance, Newcastle Unites, Anti Trump, May Day parades, union
brass bands, communist and socialist flag bearers, the Blue Beard Party, Front Line Patriots, Free Palestine and Fighting
Islamophobia. There were rude banners and posters, tattooed characters, photographs of police cordons and portraits of
emotional demonstrators, all of which captured the atmosphere. It is not until he views the images afterwards that he sees
the raw emotion in characterful people, some of which pose and are just there to be photographed. To some, he added, it
is simply a big game. It is not easy photography, one has to be fast, to get ahead of the march approaching, to consider
the appropriate shutter speed and to focus correctly but it certainly makes the adrenalin pump, he concluded. With plenty
of interaction from the audience, we enjoyed hearing about behind the scenes’ preparation by the police and John’s narration throughout.
Take a Picture and Then What...
Peter Downs followed with his presentation entitled Take a Picture and Then What? He explained to the audience that he
didn’t show normal pictures, what makes him happy is to play around on the computer to produce something original and
different. With the use of computer software, such as Photoshop, Fractalius and Nik Effects, he can achieve a painterly or
line drawing effect, and many other effects to achieve the result he desires. Raw files are just the beginning, he said, all
images are record shots, it’s what you do with them that matters. Photography is art and he likes to transform his images
into minimalistic, abstract works of art, with a Japanese influence. Japanese artists consider space to be a positive and use
it for effect, but in the west there can be visual uneasiness with space in a photograph. He went on to list some of the world’s
successful artists and photographers, saying that all photographers should study their work and gain inspiration from them.
We saw images of Arctic tern silhouetted by golden sunset colours, St Mary’s Lighthouse resembling an etching, rust patterns
flipped horizontally to create eerie landscapes, sweet peas transformed into abstract shapes, architecture given an ethereal
effect, mock up military scenes sepia toned to add age and street scenes enhanced with HDR. In conclusion he said that he
has to create a reaction or his image has failed. His advice was to use your imagination and produce something that you like,
and to not worry about it being judged.
The presenters were thanked for an interesting evening of photography, after which coffee was enjoyed
Steph.