Weekly Reports by Steve Wells
(Older reports in Archive)
2024-2025 ProgrammE
9th June 2025
Gallery Evening
Andy Warhol is said to have claimed that everyone could have fifteen minutes of fame. A photograph often achieves even less than this. An image presented to a club competition has about two minutes in the spotlight before being removed from view, perhaps never to be seen again.
This, the final meeting of the Thornbury Camera Club season set out to remedy this. Members were invited to bring images, both projected and prints, to show to the club. The prints were arranged on stands round the room, the projected images were shown in a repeating loop on a large screen television.
Members looked at the images, chatted about them and consumed a light buffet. The chocolate tray bake went down well! It was good to see these images again. Several people said that they enjoyed the evening. So, perhaps the club will again find space in the programme to allow images their full fifteen minutes of fame.
Meanwhile, the club will meet over the summer to take photographs. After all, what else would you expect a camera club to do?
Gallery Evening
Andy Warhol is said to have claimed that everyone could have fifteen minutes of fame. A photograph often achieves even less than this. An image presented to a club competition has about two minutes in the spotlight before being removed from view, perhaps never to be seen again.
This, the final meeting of the Thornbury Camera Club season set out to remedy this. Members were invited to bring images, both projected and prints, to show to the club. The prints were arranged on stands round the room, the projected images were shown in a repeating loop on a large screen television.
Members looked at the images, chatted about them and consumed a light buffet. The chocolate tray bake went down well! It was good to see these images again. Several people said that they enjoyed the evening. So, perhaps the club will again find space in the programme to allow images their full fifteen minutes of fame.
Meanwhile, the club will meet over the summer to take photographs. After all, what else would you expect a camera club to do?
2nd June 2025
The Last Competition
As the end of the season approaches, the last of this year’s internal competitions took place in early June. This was an “Open” competition so members could enter images on any subject. The judge, Peter Crane (ARPS) had to separate images of completely different style: “Sport” and “Still Life”, for example.
In the “projected” section, Mike Ashfield came first with “Riding the Wave”. Gary Wood took both second and third places with “Three Protected Female Waterbuck” and “Red Billed Cranes Dancing”. Other images noted by the judge were from: George Collett, Martin Cooper, Rodney Crabb, Ann Foster, Andy Kemp, Vincent Mann and Steve Wells.
Overall, across the five competitions, in the “projected” competitions, Robert England came first, Gary Wood and Mike Ashfield were joint second.
In the “print” section, “River Mouth” and “Packhorse Bridge” gave first and third places to Peter Haworth. Mike Ashfield came second with “Returning with Catch”. Other images noted by the judge were from: George Collett, Robert England and Edward Kilmartin.
Across the five “print” competitions, Mike Ashfield was placed first. Edward Kilmartin was second and Peter Haworth third.
The Last Competition
As the end of the season approaches, the last of this year’s internal competitions took place in early June. This was an “Open” competition so members could enter images on any subject. The judge, Peter Crane (ARPS) had to separate images of completely different style: “Sport” and “Still Life”, for example.
In the “projected” section, Mike Ashfield came first with “Riding the Wave”. Gary Wood took both second and third places with “Three Protected Female Waterbuck” and “Red Billed Cranes Dancing”. Other images noted by the judge were from: George Collett, Martin Cooper, Rodney Crabb, Ann Foster, Andy Kemp, Vincent Mann and Steve Wells.
Overall, across the five competitions, in the “projected” competitions, Robert England came first, Gary Wood and Mike Ashfield were joint second.
In the “print” section, “River Mouth” and “Packhorse Bridge” gave first and third places to Peter Haworth. Mike Ashfield came second with “Returning with Catch”. Other images noted by the judge were from: George Collett, Robert England and Edward Kilmartin.
Across the five “print” competitions, Mike Ashfield was placed first. Edward Kilmartin was second and Peter Haworth third.
19th May 2025
Thornbury Camera Club: A Bit of Fun
As summer is at last just around the corner and as the club approaches the end of the 2024-25 season, it is time for a bit of fun.
For the first part of the evening, members were challenged with an unfamiliar camera: one that was loaded with slide film! Each member challenged to take just two images before passing the camera on. Until this evening they have had no idea how their images would turn out. Their images were shown to the club using an old slide projector! All very much a “Blast from the Past”. It reminded me of how far we have come in this digital age. Here were images which we would have been impressed with a few decades ago. Today they are just a starting point.
The second part of the meeting consisted of a series of short audio-visual presentations. The only constraints were a recommendation for a maximum two minute duration and the ability to run on the club laptop. The resulting shows included several holidays including a trip to the north of Norway. Others stayed closer to home with images from the Bristol area.
Thornbury Camera Club: A Bit of Fun
As summer is at last just around the corner and as the club approaches the end of the 2024-25 season, it is time for a bit of fun.
For the first part of the evening, members were challenged with an unfamiliar camera: one that was loaded with slide film! Each member challenged to take just two images before passing the camera on. Until this evening they have had no idea how their images would turn out. Their images were shown to the club using an old slide projector! All very much a “Blast from the Past”. It reminded me of how far we have come in this digital age. Here were images which we would have been impressed with a few decades ago. Today they are just a starting point.
The second part of the meeting consisted of a series of short audio-visual presentations. The only constraints were a recommendation for a maximum two minute duration and the ability to run on the club laptop. The resulting shows included several holidays including a trip to the north of Norway. Others stayed closer to home with images from the Bristol area.
12th May 2025
Bristol International Salon
The Photographic Salons were originally set up in over one hundred years ago to showcase artistic photography. This remit has widened since but they remain an alternative to the “establishment” represented by the Royal Photographic Society.
For this evening, Andrew Marker (FRPS) introduced an audio visual presentation of the acceptances for 2025; the 79th International Salon. Nearly 5000 entries were received from 43 countries: many from the Far East.
The styles of photography from across the world are very similar. This is, perhaps, not surprising given the sharing of images across the internet. What remains different is the subject matter. Celebrations of fireworks in China and Hong Kong remain wilder, and more dangerous, than the rather sedate bonfire night celebrations in the UK. However, as people travel more, these differences are becoming less significant. An image of Chinese fireworks may have been taken by a British photographer.
What struck me about this presentation was not the international aspect, but the eyes. In portraits and sports alike, the eyes were shining; drawing attention to the faces. In the sports images the effort in the faces was visible as the peak of the action was reached.
Bristol International Salon
The Photographic Salons were originally set up in over one hundred years ago to showcase artistic photography. This remit has widened since but they remain an alternative to the “establishment” represented by the Royal Photographic Society.
For this evening, Andrew Marker (FRPS) introduced an audio visual presentation of the acceptances for 2025; the 79th International Salon. Nearly 5000 entries were received from 43 countries: many from the Far East.
The styles of photography from across the world are very similar. This is, perhaps, not surprising given the sharing of images across the internet. What remains different is the subject matter. Celebrations of fireworks in China and Hong Kong remain wilder, and more dangerous, than the rather sedate bonfire night celebrations in the UK. However, as people travel more, these differences are becoming less significant. An image of Chinese fireworks may have been taken by a British photographer.
What struck me about this presentation was not the international aspect, but the eyes. In portraits and sports alike, the eyes were shining; drawing attention to the faces. In the sports images the effort in the faces was visible as the peak of the action was reached.