Best Picture, ‘Puffin Close-up’ by John Hawke Click on image to enlarge it

The Group met at 10:15 on 8th August with the theme ‘Eye-catching Photographs’. Of the five portfolios submitted, John Hawke’s close up photograph of a Puffin was voted Best Picture. The Best Folio candidates all received one vote – John Hawke’s suggestion to add all individual best photographs from the other four folios to tha Group’s web site was unanimously agreed upon. Members talked about why they had chosen their photographs and it became clear that all photos evoked memories of past holidays and special events – there was certainly a very wide range of subjects.

Subsequent discussion centred on ways of storing photographs ranging from CDs to the Cloud. Also the current changes from camera producers in the near future with the disappearance of some SLRs in preference to mirror-less cameras as well as some manufacturers (Panasonic and Canon) abandoning the pocket camera in the wake of increased sales of Smart Phones with improved camera capabilities.

It was suggested that another field trip be organised in September – the consensus being a trip to Winchester – date to be confirmed.

Pam and Mike Liberson were ‘volunteered’ to give a short presentation at the next indoor meeting of their (2) holidays in Egypt

Best Picture “Mick”

The Group met at 10:15 on 11th July with 6 present. The theme was ‘Quintessentially English’. The resulting photographs were broad in range from a village cricket match via steam trains to old buildings. Best picture was by Pam Liberson of her friend Mick – a prime example of a country gentleman.(Click/tap the picture to enlarge it).
Theresa Twitchell’s photographs were voted as Best Portfolio.

Theresa Twitchell spoke, initially, about portraits she had taken recently of her grandchildren emphasising the need to vary the angle, shoot from below (and above) and be aware of the serendipity of ‘catching the moment’ illustrated by a capture of a furtive/cheeky look from the grand-daughter taken from above at just the right angle. Subsequent discussion prompted her to show some more photographs with some descriptions of how the photographs were taken – concluding with her favourite photograph of a rose, lightly sprayed with water using a black board as a background. This made the rose ‘pop’. It was interesting to view the varied preferences for the photographs that showed the differences in personal tastes!

Evening

Cash Crop

The Group met at 18:00 on 21st June on a farm visit, arranged by Rosemary Crumplin, to Trinley Estate Farm hosted by the Estate Manager Mike Farrell.

Additional U3A members from the now defunct Birding and Natural History, the Lowings and the Kemps, also came along. The weather was idyllic and the light was excellent for photography.

Hare

Thistle

The Estate is making concerted efforts to encourage wildlife by planting hedgerows, seeding areas with wild flowers, sunflowers, etc and water features to attract amphibians and dragon/damsel flies. It was very obvious that Mike Farrell was very enthusiastic about the whole project.

Unfortunately wildlife was elusive. An early sighting of a low-flying Red Kite, the retreating rump of a Hare and the flushing of a Tawny Owl from its daytime roost in a shed were the highlights but there were plenty of opportunities to capture wildflowers, insects and the agricultural landscape on a very big farm.

Most attendees finished off the evening with a splendid meal at the Hare and Hounds on Charlton Down.