Club Meeting, Vice Chairs Challenge 2 - Tuesday 14th February 2023.

  

On Tuesday 14th February 2023 Morpeth Camera Club met to hear the comments and view the images submitted for
the Second Vice-Chair’s Challenge. It is customary during their tenure, to set three challenges and the Vice Chair Peter
Downs LRPS, had chosen beaches as his theme for the year, with ‘Rock Pools’ being the subject of his second challenge.

         

Seventeen club members took up the challenge and throughout the evening Peter commented upon and encouraged
authors to explain the location and methods used to create their images. These included an unusual frozen rock pool
with stones half submerged, swathes of seaweed drawn by the outgoing tide, and water meandering through seaweed
draped rocks which had formed a natural barrier.

  

There were pools containing colourful pebbles, winkles and limpets, some surrounded by coal and sand patterns, rock
pools within a landscape, in half mono to create a metallic feel, stylised in bas relief to create a pattern effect, golden
eroded stones with edges of seaweed peeping out of the water to create white circles. Also featured were rocks and
stones stylised in pink and grey hues which were outlined to simplify the shapes, creating a soft but graphic image,
and rock striations stretched to resemble Japanese art.

  

Infra red photography was used to capture seaweed which resembled silver fronds, there was a vibrantly coloured
image using adjustment filters, a lone wader reflected in pink and blue ripples reflected from the sky, rock pools
nestling within limestone pavements and pools in eroded dips in rocks. Also shown was a vibrantly coloured multi
exposure pattern picture of dappled light on water causing rippling shadows on the sand below.

  

Images were taken at Cresswell, Foxton, Alnmouth, Hauxley, St Mary’s Lighthouse, Boulmer and Buston Links and a
very low tide in Lynemouth revealed rarely seen eroded sedimentary iron stained rocks, in red, bronze and grey. One
member interpreted the subject of rock pools in an alternative way; with atmospheric sepia toned images of the Lido
at Whitley Bay, ranging from the early 1900’s to colourful images of the present day.

  

Throughout the evening the audience commented upon what they could see within some of the images; creatures,
animals, faces, monsters and one resembled a volcanic crater taken from a great height. Some shots had story telling
qualities, were mysterious and imaginative, which made for a successful and interactive meeting at the club. Co Chair
Roseanne Robinson thanked Peter for hosting the evening after which refreshments were served.

Steph.