Virtual Meeting, Members Evening - Tuesday 23rd March 2021.
A virtual meeting of Morpeth Camera Club on 23rd March took the form of a members evening entitled ‘Four
Members, Four Talks’. Four of our members with varying degrees of experience and different approaches to
photography, presented some of their work we had not seen before.
First was Dave Atkinson, who with his passion for taking portraits, showed the audience lovely examples of
classic model poses, Whitby Goths and Steam Punk characters. We then enjoyed seeing silhouettes at sunset,
a girl busking, various Morpeth scenes of the Promenade and Stepping Stones in snow, the Courthouse and
Bluebell Woods. Atmospheric live band images, beach scenes in North Berwick, Scottish waterfalls, Belgian
architecture were followed by vibrantly coloured Bougainvillea, Lilies, Lupins, and still life images of glass.
Graham Sorrie followed with a talk entitled Travels with my Camera; Wanderings of a Happy Record Shot
Snapper! His main interests are landscapes and birds and we enjoyed an array of lovely birds photographed
in Northumberland Park, North Shields, and on the coast, explaining their flight path, behaviour and plumage,
adding that he had spotted 251 species of birds in Northumberland in 2020. Birds with intriguing names such
as the, Temminck’s Stint, Wood Sandpiper and Water Rail, were followed by birds photographed in America of
the Blue Throat, Red Neck Phalarope and Red Flanked Blue Tail. We then enjoyed dramatic landscapes taken
in Nevada, Utah and California and those taken on a photographic Safari in Kenya and Tanzania. He concluded
his presentation with Sri Lankan landscapes and a wonderful array of colourful birds, thirty four species of
which are endemic in the country.
Karin Jackson was next with a video of Wallington through the Seasons; A Year in lockdown. In spring, exterior
shots of the building, displays of crocuses, opening buds, small irises and orchids, led us to summer, with roses,
vibrantly coloured border plants, butterflies, chicks, and water flowing over stepping stones. Autumn scenes with
mist over lakes, autumn foliage, fuchsias, fading seed heads, berries and woodland fungi led us to Winter with
gargoyles and sheep in snow, white oak moss, skeletal gnarled trees, snowdrops, emerging catkins, robins and
ducks. Karin provided us with a delightful journey through the seasons.
John Thompson concluded the members evening with a talk entitled ‘Any Colour you want as long as its Black
and White.’ John had an old camera converted to take Infra Red images which was fitted with a new sensor and
filter. However, there was no information given on the nine different settings, so it was definitely a trial & error
project. Following his journey, he showed examples of the raw image and how it can be developed, he described
the workflow of his first attempts, changing and adjusting settings, moving towards and getting te exciting effect
he was looking for. There are many ways to convert coloured images to black and white, John said, adding that
he had tried to achieve a balance between white, as in snow, and black as in tar. The lens sees what you cannot
see, like the intensity of clouds. It brings out the brightness of grasses which provide good foregrounds, but he
was keen to avoid issues like grass resembling snow. The audience enjoyed beautiful examples of his Infra Red
Photography; alternative views of Bamburgh Castle and dramatic Cheviot and Coquet Valley landscapes with
amazing billowing clouds. John concluded his presentation with examples of using Infra Red photography in
coastal light, of dramatic cloud formations reflected in water and of woodland scenes with sunlight pouring
through the trees.
Vice Chair, Roseanne Robinson thanked all who took part, adding that, if you photograph subjects which are
your passion, the resulting images are bound to be better and have individuality.
Steph.
Members, Four Talks’. Four of our members with varying degrees of experience and different approaches to
photography, presented some of their work we had not seen before.
First was Dave Atkinson, who with his passion for taking portraits, showed the audience lovely examples of
classic model poses, Whitby Goths and Steam Punk characters. We then enjoyed seeing silhouettes at sunset,
a girl busking, various Morpeth scenes of the Promenade and Stepping Stones in snow, the Courthouse and
Bluebell Woods. Atmospheric live band images, beach scenes in North Berwick, Scottish waterfalls, Belgian
architecture were followed by vibrantly coloured Bougainvillea, Lilies, Lupins, and still life images of glass.
Graham Sorrie followed with a talk entitled Travels with my Camera; Wanderings of a Happy Record Shot
Snapper! His main interests are landscapes and birds and we enjoyed an array of lovely birds photographed
in Northumberland Park, North Shields, and on the coast, explaining their flight path, behaviour and plumage,
adding that he had spotted 251 species of birds in Northumberland in 2020. Birds with intriguing names such
as the, Temminck’s Stint, Wood Sandpiper and Water Rail, were followed by birds photographed in America of
the Blue Throat, Red Neck Phalarope and Red Flanked Blue Tail. We then enjoyed dramatic landscapes taken
in Nevada, Utah and California and those taken on a photographic Safari in Kenya and Tanzania. He concluded
his presentation with Sri Lankan landscapes and a wonderful array of colourful birds, thirty four species of
which are endemic in the country.
Karin Jackson was next with a video of Wallington through the Seasons; A Year in lockdown. In spring, exterior
shots of the building, displays of crocuses, opening buds, small irises and orchids, led us to summer, with roses,
vibrantly coloured border plants, butterflies, chicks, and water flowing over stepping stones. Autumn scenes with
mist over lakes, autumn foliage, fuchsias, fading seed heads, berries and woodland fungi led us to Winter with
gargoyles and sheep in snow, white oak moss, skeletal gnarled trees, snowdrops, emerging catkins, robins and
ducks. Karin provided us with a delightful journey through the seasons.
John Thompson concluded the members evening with a talk entitled ‘Any Colour you want as long as its Black
and White.’ John had an old camera converted to take Infra Red images which was fitted with a new sensor and
filter. However, there was no information given on the nine different settings, so it was definitely a trial & error
project. Following his journey, he showed examples of the raw image and how it can be developed, he described
the workflow of his first attempts, changing and adjusting settings, moving towards and getting te exciting effect
he was looking for. There are many ways to convert coloured images to black and white, John said, adding that
he had tried to achieve a balance between white, as in snow, and black as in tar. The lens sees what you cannot
see, like the intensity of clouds. It brings out the brightness of grasses which provide good foregrounds, but he
was keen to avoid issues like grass resembling snow. The audience enjoyed beautiful examples of his Infra Red
Photography; alternative views of Bamburgh Castle and dramatic Cheviot and Coquet Valley landscapes with
amazing billowing clouds. John concluded his presentation with examples of using Infra Red photography in
coastal light, of dramatic cloud formations reflected in water and of woodland scenes with sunlight pouring
through the trees.
Vice Chair, Roseanne Robinson thanked all who took part, adding that, if you photograph subjects which are
your passion, the resulting images are bound to be better and have individuality.
Steph.