Virtual Meeting, New Digital Adventure - Tuesday 16th February 2021.
On Tuesday 16th February 2021 Morpeth Camera Club were pleased to virtually welcome Guest Speaker, Colin
Harrison FRPS MPAGB APAGB EFIAP/d3 MFIAP MPSA GPSA FBPE FIPF AWPF who gave a talk entitled ‘New Digital
Adventure.’ Colin is an approved PAGB National and International judge and has also judged online international
Photographic Society of America exhibitions for clubs in Ireland. He has also enjoyed judging for clubs in Australia
and Norway. Colin is one of only three people in the UK to have achieved the FIAP Diamond 3 Distinction but says
that, rather than just collecting letters after his name, these qualifications stimulate and develop his work and
gives him goals to work for.
This evening he concentrated mainly on his montage photography; creative photography combining elements to
create mood and atmosphere. With tongue in cheek Colin said how amazing it was to encounter surfing penguins,
intimidating clowns, nuns with rifles, ghosts on bikes, zombies, and squirrels skiing or busking on the underground.
He loves to experiment with Photoshop, we enjoyed seeing creative images using rotation, twirls, layers, blending
modes, and by using other software. He went on to show the audience his entries into International Salons, which
comprised of Monochrome, Colour, Travel, Natural history, Photojournalism and Creative genres; of First World War,
1940’s, and Ragged Victorian re-enactments, traction engine rallies, shots taken at Arizona’s aircraft graveyard,
and ‘Carhenge’, a car graveyard in Nebraska.
He then explained his techniques in creating panels of one subject which had been given many treatments, textures
and colour to create at set of related images. Replacing cloudless skies with more dramatic, stormy versions can also
transform an ordinary image making the scene come to life, he said. He showed examples of his use of varying types
of monochrome, which each have their own resulting affects and together with the inclusion of smoke, snowfall and
mist application, you end up with a more atmospheric image. He likes to design his own flash synchronising system,
examples from which were colourful macro shots of insects and flowers. We enjoyed a variety of images described
as Golden Oldies, including wrecked London buses in Monument Valley and skeletons playing snooker and draughts.
Colin concluded his presentation with his Diamond Newbie’s; images submitted for his FIAP Diamond 3 Distinction,
of an Indian dancer reflected In bubbles, symmetrical ‘flipped’ portraits, and a petrol pump invasion. Colin ended
by saying that he is ‘collecting virtual air miles’ and in this new ‘digital adventure’ he is enjoying his virtual visits;
he doesn’t have to travel home on dark winter nights, it’s worldwide, it is more sociable and he gets to chat more
with fellow photographers and gets to see people in their home environment. He was hoping that people would get
ideas from this talk and to try out different software themselves. In 2004 there was no one to ask, he said, he had
to learn by experimenting. It was a steep learning curve but now with readily available free software anyone can
achieve these special effects. A short Q & A session followed after which Club Chairman, John Barnes thanked
Colin for a fantastic presentation, with enlightening tips and tricks which provided much needed inspiration in
these strange times.
Steph.
Harrison FRPS MPAGB APAGB EFIAP/d3 MFIAP MPSA GPSA FBPE FIPF AWPF who gave a talk entitled ‘New Digital
Adventure.’ Colin is an approved PAGB National and International judge and has also judged online international
Photographic Society of America exhibitions for clubs in Ireland. He has also enjoyed judging for clubs in Australia
and Norway. Colin is one of only three people in the UK to have achieved the FIAP Diamond 3 Distinction but says
that, rather than just collecting letters after his name, these qualifications stimulate and develop his work and
gives him goals to work for.
This evening he concentrated mainly on his montage photography; creative photography combining elements to
create mood and atmosphere. With tongue in cheek Colin said how amazing it was to encounter surfing penguins,
intimidating clowns, nuns with rifles, ghosts on bikes, zombies, and squirrels skiing or busking on the underground.
He loves to experiment with Photoshop, we enjoyed seeing creative images using rotation, twirls, layers, blending
modes, and by using other software. He went on to show the audience his entries into International Salons, which
comprised of Monochrome, Colour, Travel, Natural history, Photojournalism and Creative genres; of First World War,
1940’s, and Ragged Victorian re-enactments, traction engine rallies, shots taken at Arizona’s aircraft graveyard,
and ‘Carhenge’, a car graveyard in Nebraska.
He then explained his techniques in creating panels of one subject which had been given many treatments, textures
and colour to create at set of related images. Replacing cloudless skies with more dramatic, stormy versions can also
transform an ordinary image making the scene come to life, he said. He showed examples of his use of varying types
of monochrome, which each have their own resulting affects and together with the inclusion of smoke, snowfall and
mist application, you end up with a more atmospheric image. He likes to design his own flash synchronising system,
examples from which were colourful macro shots of insects and flowers. We enjoyed a variety of images described
as Golden Oldies, including wrecked London buses in Monument Valley and skeletons playing snooker and draughts.
Colin concluded his presentation with his Diamond Newbie’s; images submitted for his FIAP Diamond 3 Distinction,
of an Indian dancer reflected In bubbles, symmetrical ‘flipped’ portraits, and a petrol pump invasion. Colin ended
by saying that he is ‘collecting virtual air miles’ and in this new ‘digital adventure’ he is enjoying his virtual visits;
he doesn’t have to travel home on dark winter nights, it’s worldwide, it is more sociable and he gets to chat more
with fellow photographers and gets to see people in their home environment. He was hoping that people would get
ideas from this talk and to try out different software themselves. In 2004 there was no one to ask, he said, he had
to learn by experimenting. It was a steep learning curve but now with readily available free software anyone can
achieve these special effects. A short Q & A session followed after which Club Chairman, John Barnes thanked
Colin for a fantastic presentation, with enlightening tips and tricks which provided much needed inspiration in
these strange times.
Steph.