Club Meeting, Letterbox & Panorama's - Tuesday 31st October 2023.
Morpeth Camera Clubs’ meeting on Tuesday 31st October was a members’ evening on the theme of ‘Letterbox &
Panoramic Images. Led by Glyn Trueman, the object was to discuss what makes a good panoramic or letterbox
image and to see the varied ways in which members of the club responded. Seventeen members took up the
challenge, entering up to four images on any subject that had to be projected in the requested formats.
Glyn opened the evening by explaining the different ways to produce a letterbox image from simply cropping the
top and bottom off an image to stitching several images together to make a panorama. The results covered a wide
variety of subjects, taken on i phones, tablets and conventional digital cameras.
Antony Vaudrey opened with landscapes of the Chain bridge at Berwick on Tweed and upstream revealing Paxton
House. Brian Morris came up with a silhouette of benches and a minimalistic Lakeland jetty scene and Ursula Pearce
included scenes taken at Seaham and of beachcombers searching for sea glass.
Stephen Perry gave us a sharp vertical letterbox of a teasel, and then seaweed on sand with plenty of what is known
as ‘negative’ space. This encouraged discussion on whether space can enhance an image. It was agreed that space
has to be useful to the composition and work together with image placement. Stephanie Robson followed with a
panorama of walkers following the path on Catbells and a sweeping Derwentwater landscape. Club Chairman Peter
Downs’ contribution included scenes taken at Beamish and Woodhorn Museums which had been sepia-toned.
Paul Appleby's images included a panorama of Langdale Pikes, colourful scent bottles and bright vistas of Lake
Garda. Destruction of Lemmington Woods after Storm Arwen was the theme for Pat Woods, with images of broken
branches, log piles and wood transporters, which was followed by Scottish seascapes, Seaham beach in the mist
and Keilder Dam panoramas by Dave Bisset.
Martin Goble gave us something different with a collection of colourful sand pit toys and angular modern architecture
and Karin Jackson followed with atmospheric storm waves at Seaham and a misty Druridge Bay. John Thompsons take
on panoramas included Pont Vecchio with its blend of ochre-coloured buildings and a Blyth beach viewpoint of a lone
wind turbine and tanker.
Swans on Bolam Lake, a sweeping Newbiggin beach and an array of purple poppies were presented by Jeremy Cooper.
Graham Sorrie contributed with his landscapes featuring El Capitan at Yosemite and a Lakeland scene taken from Red
Pike. Then Sue Dawson gave us colourful seaside boards at the Metrocentre, symmetrical coloured phones in a shop
display and a Bamburgh Church interior panorama.
Davy Bolam followed with stylised poppies, Tynemouth Pier and Lighthouse and an intentional camera movement shot
of dunes, sand and sea. He said that all his images had been cropped with the intention of leading the eye through the
image. Glyn then gave us examples of his panoramas which included views from Newcastle castle over the Tyne, Belsay
roof coverings during renovation and a glowing HDR shot taken inside St Cuthbert’s Cave.
Chairman Peter Downs thanked everyone who took up the challenge. John Thomson kindly brought along a selection
of his panoramic prints which were viewed and enjoyed over coffee which concluded an informative and interactive
evening at the club.
Steph.
Panoramic Images. Led by Glyn Trueman, the object was to discuss what makes a good panoramic or letterbox
image and to see the varied ways in which members of the club responded. Seventeen members took up the
challenge, entering up to four images on any subject that had to be projected in the requested formats.
Glyn opened the evening by explaining the different ways to produce a letterbox image from simply cropping the
top and bottom off an image to stitching several images together to make a panorama. The results covered a wide
variety of subjects, taken on i phones, tablets and conventional digital cameras.
Antony Vaudrey opened with landscapes of the Chain bridge at Berwick on Tweed and upstream revealing Paxton
House. Brian Morris came up with a silhouette of benches and a minimalistic Lakeland jetty scene and Ursula Pearce
included scenes taken at Seaham and of beachcombers searching for sea glass.
Stephen Perry gave us a sharp vertical letterbox of a teasel, and then seaweed on sand with plenty of what is known
as ‘negative’ space. This encouraged discussion on whether space can enhance an image. It was agreed that space
has to be useful to the composition and work together with image placement. Stephanie Robson followed with a
panorama of walkers following the path on Catbells and a sweeping Derwentwater landscape. Club Chairman Peter
Downs’ contribution included scenes taken at Beamish and Woodhorn Museums which had been sepia-toned.
Paul Appleby's images included a panorama of Langdale Pikes, colourful scent bottles and bright vistas of Lake
Garda. Destruction of Lemmington Woods after Storm Arwen was the theme for Pat Woods, with images of broken
branches, log piles and wood transporters, which was followed by Scottish seascapes, Seaham beach in the mist
and Keilder Dam panoramas by Dave Bisset.
Martin Goble gave us something different with a collection of colourful sand pit toys and angular modern architecture
and Karin Jackson followed with atmospheric storm waves at Seaham and a misty Druridge Bay. John Thompsons take
on panoramas included Pont Vecchio with its blend of ochre-coloured buildings and a Blyth beach viewpoint of a lone
wind turbine and tanker.
Swans on Bolam Lake, a sweeping Newbiggin beach and an array of purple poppies were presented by Jeremy Cooper.
Graham Sorrie contributed with his landscapes featuring El Capitan at Yosemite and a Lakeland scene taken from Red
Pike. Then Sue Dawson gave us colourful seaside boards at the Metrocentre, symmetrical coloured phones in a shop
display and a Bamburgh Church interior panorama.
Davy Bolam followed with stylised poppies, Tynemouth Pier and Lighthouse and an intentional camera movement shot
of dunes, sand and sea. He said that all his images had been cropped with the intention of leading the eye through the
image. Glyn then gave us examples of his panoramas which included views from Newcastle castle over the Tyne, Belsay
roof coverings during renovation and a glowing HDR shot taken inside St Cuthbert’s Cave.
Chairman Peter Downs thanked everyone who took up the challenge. John Thomson kindly brought along a selection
of his panoramic prints which were viewed and enjoyed over coffee which concluded an informative and interactive
evening at the club.
Steph.