12 Feb 2024
My Photography Week
My photography efforts this week have mainly centred around an assignment for my RPS "Creative Photography in the Home" course. experimenting in "a home studio", also known as our dining room table! I have also been taking some photos for the residents website.
My final assignment task was "Take a photo of any item with a mirror" which proved to be harder than I expected. My first attempt using a model of a golden retriever produced a good but "yawn inducing" image. Thinking how I could be more distinctive led me to attempt a "kaleidoscope effect" using some flexible acrylic mirror tiles from Amazon. "Sticky back plastic in a cardboard box", come back Valerie Singleton!
This did not work straight away as mirrors have a nasty habit of reflecting what is looking at them, leading to a series of "abstract selfies"! (I have shared 1 with you, be kind!). My revised setup needed a coloured background sheet behind the camera and a remote shutter release from my iPad to keep me out of the picture. After a lot of experimenting I managed one shot I was completely pleased with (see above). I suspect its abstract nature will generate controversy!
My favourite shot from the portfolio is the bunch of flowers in the gallery below; this was the result of a mistake. Auto ISO gave it a very grainy background that had to be edited in PhotoShop leading to something that surprised me, though again it tends towards the abstract.
Wadswick Green Calendar 2024
You may have noticed the absence of a Wadswick Green calendar this year but we have been asked to produce pictures for a 2025 calendar to mark WG's 10th anniversary. Scenes of life in WG, the village itself, and the local area are wanted.
We will start building that portfolio now, another incentive for you to take and share photos.
Creative Photography in the Home
Changes of Club Meeting Day/Date
Slots in the Village Hall are getting harder and harder to schedule and our slot on the 4th Thursday is making it difficult for the art group(s) to expand into other Thursdays. This is a little unfair of us as we only use half our slots as we are out taking photos on the other days. There are also photographers who want to attend both and and photography groups.
To avoid overlap with the art groups, I propose moving our regular slot to every 4th Wednesday afternoon at 3.00pm with a preferred venue in the Royal Arthur room. Please let me know if that suits you.
I had planned an initial Digital Photo Club on Wed 14 Feb but had not realised that is Ash Wednesday so I cannot make it.
Our next 2 meeting dates are:
Photo Outing, Corsham High Street - THUR 22 Feb
Depart reception 1030
Return by 1430
Please let me know you are attending so I can book transport and lunch.
Digital Photo Club WED 28 FEB 1500 - 1540
Google Photos, Uploading, Sharing and Organising
Optional online meeting for those who need help on these topics.
Provisionally, the following "regular" meeting (subject to your opinions) will be Wed 27 March at 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm
Please let me know what you think about meeting on Wed afternoons.