An occasional blog by Alan Keen

Welcome to the sixth “A View from the Serving Hatch” for the 2024/2025 season.

In this issue, I look back on the meetings that have happened since the last edition and look forward to the meetings happening in March

Recent Meetings

28th January – Judging of the Round 3 Prints and DPIs

This competition was judged by Richard Hall, from Sheffield Photographic Society. There was a total entry of 64 images judged, 30 DPIs, 18 Colour prints, and 16 Mono prints. Richardgave a detailed commentary on each image. There was an extremely high standard of entry in all three categories.

4th February – Zoom Meeting – A presentation by Kevin Pigney entitled “Passion for Wildlife” Kevin gave an interesting and detailed presentation highlighting his wildlife photography. He explained the field craft he uses to obtain his stunning images, showing how he would research a site and set filed cameras to monitor the site and identify the best times to try to obtain the best images.

11th February – PAGB Masters of Print Portfolio.

This was a rare opportunity for members to view the 60 print images that were selected for the 2024 Masters of Print Competition. These images were the originals that were submitted for the competition, with a limit of one acceptance per author. The images were displayed in small groups, which gave the members present the opportunity to examine each image very closely.

18th February – A Presentation by Andrew Herston APSA, EPSA, EFIAP entitled “ China Ancient and Modern / South Western USA” – Travel Photography. Andrew Hersom gave a two-part presentation of his visits to China and the USA in the early 2010s. a lot of images presented were digitised from slides. Andrew was certainly able to capture the contrasts between the crowded cities of China with their historic buildings, compared to the relatively empty small cities of the Southwestern USA. Carol Hall was really pleased when Andrew told her that he would do his talk for free!

25 February – Ashley Franklin ARPS, APAGB, BPE2* “The Derwent Valley” – Story of a Photobook Ashley has had an extensive varied career in both broadcasting and photography. His presentation featured the production of a photobook covering the heritage of the Derwent Valley, a world heritage site. The production of the book took almost 10 years to get to print and at 288 pages it is certainly asubstantial book (costing £30 to buy if you are interested). The book had three sections, the heritage – the small towns and villages and the mills that started the industrial revolution, people and places and the wildlife. Ashley, for many years, was a presenter at Radio Derby and his skill atcommentary and presentation resulted in a very enjoyable meeting combined with some very impressive images.

Future Meetings

4th March Judging of Round 4 Images by Steffan Nicholson. Steffan will be judging 64 images (19 Colour Prints, 18 Mono Prints and 27 DPIs) Steffan Nicholson is a talented photographer based in Newark-on-Trent, England. He is known for his keen eye and ability to capture stunning images that resonate with viewers. Steffan is actively involved in the local photography community and has contributed significantly to various photographic societies.

11th March – Stupidity to Insanity a presentation by Christine Hodgson BA Phot, ARPS, CPAGB A two-part talk by Christine, part one documenting a walk in southern Spain, the second part fun with a flatbed scanner, sounds interesting but messy. Christine is known for her creative and innovative approach to photography, often exploring unique techniques and styles. Her projects often involve unconventional methods, such as photographing portions of artworks at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and converting them to monochrome or creating swirling patterns in petri dishes using dyes and solutions. Christine’s work is ischaracterized by its creativity and her ability to think creatively, inspiring others to develop project-based series of images.

18th March – My Year in Photography – Shelly Knight LPRS

Shelly Knight, LRPS, is an accomplished photographer with a passion for nature photography. She is an ex-member of the Doncaster Camera Club, where she was actively involved for several years and has served as the club’s president from 2014 to 2015. Shelly has earned her Licentiateship from the Royal Photographic Society (LRPS), a testament to her technical competence and artistic vision. Shelly’s work primarily focuses on capturing the beauty of nature. She uses Canon equipment and enjoys printing and mounting her own work for various club, inter-club, and Yorkshire Photographic Union (YPU) exhibitions. Her dedication to her craft and her ability to organize and participate in exhibitions have made her a respected figure in the photography community. In 2023, Shelly moved from South Yorkshire to Aberdeenshire, where she continues to pursue her passion for wildlife photography. Her recent work in Scotland has been well-received, highlighting the stunning wildlife and landscapes of the region

25th March – My Vision my Photography – Lee Forrester BA(Hons) Photo, APRS, DPAGB, EFIAP, BPE3* A personal presentation by one of Yorkshires most creative photographers. Lee Forrester is a highly accomplished photographer with a BA (Hons) in Photography. He holds several prestigious distinctions, including Associate of the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS), Distinction from the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (DPAGB), Excellence from the Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique (EFIAP), and British Photographic Exhibitions (BPE3*). Lee specializes in architectural, landscape, and fine art photography. His work is characterized by its striking compositions and innovative use of long exposure techniques. Lee has travelled extensively, capturing iconic modern architecture in cities such as London, Lisbon, Hamburg, Berlin, and Hong Kong. His long exposure seascapes and tree images taken during the “Beast from the East” snowstorm in 2018 are particularly notable. In addition to his photographic work, Lee is an engaging speaker and has given talks to camera clubs and societies throughout the UK. He shares his insights on photography, including his methods of post-production in Lightroom and Photoshop, where he aims to keep things as simple as possible to produce stunning final images.

Important Upcoming Date(s)

• 18th March – Entries for Annual Competition Mounted Prints and DPIThe YPU Exhibition 2025

A big thank you to all those members who attended the sorting day, at Carleton Grange on Saturday 22nd February. I understand it was a successful day. Also, a thank you, in advance, for those who have volunteered to help at the two judging days on Saturday 1st March and Sunday 2nd March. Help will also be needed for the framing of the Exhibition Prints and transportation and delivery to the Museum and Art Gallery in Doncaster on TUESDAY 6TH MAY . This will also be at the Carleton Community Centre from 9.00am AND…. The hanging of the Exhibition on Wednesday and Thursday May 7th and 8th Starting at 10.00am

Alan Keen