Club Meeting, Image Assessment Evening - Tuesday 25th September 2018.
An image assessment evening was the theme of Morpeth Camera Clubs meeting on Tuesday 25th September 2018.
Members were requested to bring along prints and digital images with a view to getting some feedback/constructive
comments and where appropriate, suggestions on how they might be improved. The photographs could be of any
subject and those who wished to could bring along more than one version of an image (e.g. alternative compositions
and monochrome versus colour versions) to establish which version was considered to be the most popular.
The discussion was led by John Thompson ARPS EFIAP CPAGB a long term member of both Morpeth & Alnwick clubs
who opened by saying that although this was not a judging evening, the very act of discussing an image is a form of
judging. John referred to a mantra used by many photographers that an image should contain Content, Composition
and Communication and by melding these three aspects together, one should et good results.
He opened the evening with a series of three of his prints placed together, firstly scenes taken at Alnwick Garden of
plants, pots and blossom on a branch, asking the audience which of the three they preferred, the blossom was chosen
for its good composition. Three more followed of a bandstand and deckchairs, one low key and minimalist, one detailed
in monochrome and the same scene taken from a lower point of view thus enlarging the deckchairs in the foreground.
Although some of the audience preferred the subtle symmetry of one, the image which attracted the most conversation,
where there was a more emotional response and wider range of views was the image taken from a low perspective, and
its unusual composition. The final three in Johns set were Venetian scenes. A crowded St Mark’s Square, colourful canal
side houses and then a scene depicting people waiting for a water taxi. The favourite in terms of composition was the
water taxi scene, the least popular was the image of the crowds in St Mark’s Square, but the audience had much more
to say about the people in this image, their expressions and questioned why they were there which suggested that the
content held more interest.
Glyn Trueman’s prints followed with a colourful Tyneside factory scene, stylised flowers, and a seascape. There were
differing thoughts on cropping the landscape, appreciation of the movement in the flowers, but the overall opinion of
the audience was that they liked the way that the eyes were drawn back and forth to the blocks of colours in the factory
scene.
The digital images followed with new member Emily Parkins’ chosen four, of white and cerise lilies, taken from different
angles. Comments were made on good focussing on the stamens and sympathetic positioning that allowed space in the
frame. The use of one flower, it was considered, added drama, but a group of flowers placed the predominant flower in
its environment.
Gordon Hine was next with a sand yachting shot, taken into the sun forming shadows. The audience liked the detail in
the figure even though it was in shadow, the cropping of the sail added drama but he was advised to raise the saturation
for added interest. His highly detailed image of a swan and her cygnets, a close up of a horse and a tank on the moors,
followed with advice from the audience on improving lighting and levels.
John Barnes’ images followed. ‘The Couple’ on Newbiggin beach with big skies and a lone seagull in the top corner,
brought about much debate on composition and space. John had defied ‘the rules’ but the fact that the audience had
such differing opinions proved that rules can be successfully broken. His next image was set in South Shields in the rain,
with globules of water on steel curved seating. It was a high key image and some thought that it should be darkened.
A racist protest march was the subject of his third powerful commutative image; one could almost feel the atmosphere
of anger in the expressions on the faces. Taken at close quarters, this image could make the viewer uneasy, such was
the drama. In contrast, his final image was taken at St Pancras station of an in focus piano player surrounded by people
blurred by movement; his aim being to create a centre of tranquillity surrounded by bustle.
Peter Downs concluded the evening with a backlit common tern in flight with feather detail which the audience agreed
had good composition and was well taken considering the difficulty in taking birds in flight. A high key, soft focus image
of veils, hearts and items hanging from coat hooks, made for a pleasant still life image and was followed by a surreal
composition of an orange glowing tailors dummy set against a black background. Peter’s abstract in stark monochrome
of black hills, white lake and black silhouetted trees on an island, led to much discussion on content and composition,
which after all was the aim of the presentation. John succeeded in encouraging a good humoured and constructive
debate from club members, and Chairman Mark Harrison thanked him for getting everyone involved.
Steph.
Members were requested to bring along prints and digital images with a view to getting some feedback/constructive
comments and where appropriate, suggestions on how they might be improved. The photographs could be of any
subject and those who wished to could bring along more than one version of an image (e.g. alternative compositions
and monochrome versus colour versions) to establish which version was considered to be the most popular.
The discussion was led by John Thompson ARPS EFIAP CPAGB a long term member of both Morpeth & Alnwick clubs
who opened by saying that although this was not a judging evening, the very act of discussing an image is a form of
judging. John referred to a mantra used by many photographers that an image should contain Content, Composition
and Communication and by melding these three aspects together, one should et good results.
He opened the evening with a series of three of his prints placed together, firstly scenes taken at Alnwick Garden of
plants, pots and blossom on a branch, asking the audience which of the three they preferred, the blossom was chosen
for its good composition. Three more followed of a bandstand and deckchairs, one low key and minimalist, one detailed
in monochrome and the same scene taken from a lower point of view thus enlarging the deckchairs in the foreground.
Although some of the audience preferred the subtle symmetry of one, the image which attracted the most conversation,
where there was a more emotional response and wider range of views was the image taken from a low perspective, and
its unusual composition. The final three in Johns set were Venetian scenes. A crowded St Mark’s Square, colourful canal
side houses and then a scene depicting people waiting for a water taxi. The favourite in terms of composition was the
water taxi scene, the least popular was the image of the crowds in St Mark’s Square, but the audience had much more
to say about the people in this image, their expressions and questioned why they were there which suggested that the
content held more interest.
Glyn Trueman’s prints followed with a colourful Tyneside factory scene, stylised flowers, and a seascape. There were
differing thoughts on cropping the landscape, appreciation of the movement in the flowers, but the overall opinion of
the audience was that they liked the way that the eyes were drawn back and forth to the blocks of colours in the factory
scene.
The digital images followed with new member Emily Parkins’ chosen four, of white and cerise lilies, taken from different
angles. Comments were made on good focussing on the stamens and sympathetic positioning that allowed space in the
frame. The use of one flower, it was considered, added drama, but a group of flowers placed the predominant flower in
its environment.
Gordon Hine was next with a sand yachting shot, taken into the sun forming shadows. The audience liked the detail in
the figure even though it was in shadow, the cropping of the sail added drama but he was advised to raise the saturation
for added interest. His highly detailed image of a swan and her cygnets, a close up of a horse and a tank on the moors,
followed with advice from the audience on improving lighting and levels.
John Barnes’ images followed. ‘The Couple’ on Newbiggin beach with big skies and a lone seagull in the top corner,
brought about much debate on composition and space. John had defied ‘the rules’ but the fact that the audience had
such differing opinions proved that rules can be successfully broken. His next image was set in South Shields in the rain,
with globules of water on steel curved seating. It was a high key image and some thought that it should be darkened.
A racist protest march was the subject of his third powerful commutative image; one could almost feel the atmosphere
of anger in the expressions on the faces. Taken at close quarters, this image could make the viewer uneasy, such was
the drama. In contrast, his final image was taken at St Pancras station of an in focus piano player surrounded by people
blurred by movement; his aim being to create a centre of tranquillity surrounded by bustle.
Peter Downs concluded the evening with a backlit common tern in flight with feather detail which the audience agreed
had good composition and was well taken considering the difficulty in taking birds in flight. A high key, soft focus image
of veils, hearts and items hanging from coat hooks, made for a pleasant still life image and was followed by a surreal
composition of an orange glowing tailors dummy set against a black background. Peter’s abstract in stark monochrome
of black hills, white lake and black silhouetted trees on an island, led to much discussion on content and composition,
which after all was the aim of the presentation. John succeeded in encouraging a good humoured and constructive
debate from club members, and Chairman Mark Harrison thanked him for getting everyone involved.
Steph.