in focus - cheltenham camera club...follow my husband around the country as an air force wife....

CHELTENHAM CAMERA CLUB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011

ISSUE 127 1

Welcome to the new season at Cheltenham CameraClub and a very warm welcome to those of youjoining us for the first time. The club has been inexistence for nearly 150 years but we are by nomeans stuck in the past. One of its strengths is thatit evolves with the times and develops to meet theneeds of its members. We may not always get itright but I think we must come pretty close.

Among the latest changes is the introductionof a Beginners Section for new members, who havenot been competing elsewhere, to gain from acritique away from a competitive environment.

Members wanted more flexibility in the ‘fouron a theme’ category in the Annual Exhibition and sothis has been accommodated. Some were nothappy with the decrease to 3 rounds in theAggregate Competition so this has been increased to4 rounds. Make sure you read the article oncompetitions in this newsletter and also on thewebsite for further information on the rule changes.

Another innovation is the venture into hiring‘big name’ speakers, normally out of our budget, forticketed events available also to those outside the club. This way, we hope to bring you peoplewho excel in their field (and we are lucky in having our homegrown ‘superstars’ as well of course).There is a great programme ahead of us. Hope you enjoy it.Please let me have any contributions for the next newsletter by 25th November. We’d especiallylike to hear from new members.Sandie Prowse ([email protected])

IINN FFOOCCUUSS www.CheltenhamCameraClub.co.uk

Permission to quote from or copy any material from this newsletter must be obtained from the editor. Opinionsexpressed in this newsletter are those of the contributor only: they do not necessarily reflect those of the club or itscommittee as a whole

DON’T MISS …David Rowley Professional Photoshop demonstrator, will be giving a live show at the Digital

Imaging Group, Cheltenham Civil Service Club 7th November Guy Edwardes The acclaimed photographer talks about how to take better Landscape and Nature photographs at Cheltenham Town Hall 8th DecemberCompetition entry dates 6th October for the first round of the Aggregate

3rd November for the Harry Sedgwick Comp – ArchitectureThe Christmas Party!! 15th December


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COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR

Dear members,

Welcome to a new CCC year. I very muchhope you’ve had a super summer andcaptured magical moments to grace ourcompetitions this year. Whatever our interestphotography to me has the magic thateducates, inspires and provides us with agreat hobby. From our well- establishedmembers to new ones, welcome from me onbehalf of the committee to one of the leadingcamera clubs in the country.

We are a big club but aim to cater foreveryone’s interest and expertise. This yearwe are introducing a new novice section fordigital projected images as well as a buddysystem to support you feeling at home atCheltenham. For me it sees my fortieth yearas a member and over that time the club hasgrown and the world of photographychanged forever. Then the club met at theCheltenham YMCA, with a row of sofa chairsat the front reserved for elderly membersand the rest sat on very hard chairs!

The old Leica Projector projected myfirst ‘Dixon’ Slide transparencies through thegloom and for those doing darkroom printseverything was flush mounted. The club wasa friendly bunch and the ‘young’ one soonfelt at home.

The 1970’s also saw the introductionof this our ‘In Focus’ newsletter, edited firstby our great member Jim Stevenson. Withover 125 issues it has been a great successwith members sharing expertise, commentsand keeping all informed. It is interesting tonote that in its first issue in August 1976 theBBC had announced that, “Due to theOlympic Games coverage our slides will notbe shown in September but will be screened

two weekslater.” Iremember thatas one wasmine! It was also the year that thecommittee introduced the Harry SedgwickTrophy Competition and they were indiscussion with Cheltenham Art Galleryregarding projecting all the slides at the nextannual exhibition. Some 3461 people hadvisited the previous year’s exhibition!

Now to 35 years later a much bettervenue and photography is affordable to all.Again Richard has planned a great lectureprogramme that will cater for all needs andwe still have those competitions that help usto share our work and develop our skills. Theannual Exhibition continues and this year willremain at All Saints Church but with reducedentries to cope with the club’s size. Howeverits future as I mentioned at the AGM is underreview. How do we get more people toattend? Have times changed that theexhibition is no longer needed? Please doshare your thoughts with committeemembers.

Finally, another exciting venture thisyear is the photographic lecture organised bythe club in Cheltenham Town Hall inDecember. This evening we will beentertained by one of the leading wildlife andlandscape photographers, Guy Edwardes (asseen on Countryfile recently). I met Guywhile lecturing with him and Brian Swinyardat the Welsh Federation Annual Event atLampeter and left very inspired. I am sureyou will be also.Enjoy the club

Martin FryChairman


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Member Profile: Linda Kirkhope, Hon Secretary

Born in Hong Kong, with a father who ran a portrait studio aswell as being an auctioneer, I had an early introduction tophotography. Over the years I’ve owned a succession of camerasincluding a small Kodak, a Halina, a Mamiyaflex, a Pentaxspotmatic, even an APS before going digital with a Fujicrossover. A couple of Canons later, I invested in a 7D earlier thisyear.

I worked for a short time as a Medical Photographer atSt Thomas’ Hospital in London back in the ‘70s before leaving tofollow my husband around the country as an Air Force wife.Photography slipped to just happy snaps and records of familyand holidays.

All changed in 2004 when Sandie Prowse suggested wetry out the local Camera Clubs. We never got as far asGloucester as CCC ticked all the boxes. I found the lecturesstimulating and the members encouraging and friendly. I have still to develop my own style,having a go at most genres but particularly enjoy wildlife and macro work.

Finally, to get the best out of your Club, I would recommend new members get involved inthe Club by joining the subgroups, entering competitions, going on outings and helping out.I wish you all an enjoyable and successful new season.

Linda does a huge amount of work behind the scenes as Club Secretary keeping tabs on everythingthat is going on. She even kept in regular touch with club matters while on an extended holiday toAustralia this year. Linda is also involved with the Young Photographer of the Year competition atour Annual Exhibition, setting up the display, producing all the labels etc and she can be seen atclub meetings every week on the front desk, with Jean, welcoming members. You will have seenher lovely daughter, Claire, as a model for Ian Gee’s Studio Photography demonstrations.

Outside the club, Linda has a very full life. She is a volunteer with Marie Curie Cancer Careand recently organised an event that raised a substantial sum of money for them. She is a memberof Friends of Chosen Hill, helping to keep the footpaths maintained and safe for walkers and is alsoTreasurer for the Churchdown branch of the National Women’s Register. Amongst her otherinterests are looking after her large garden and all things horticultural, skiing and scuba diving.Phew!

Free e-book!

‘Going Candid’ by Swedish photographer ThomasLeuthard is an excellent little book on StreetPhotography. It tells you all you need to knowabout the genre from choice of equipment andhow to get your shot, to what to say if you arechallenged. Googling ‘Going Candid e-book’ shouldget you to the site where you can do a freedownload of the book.

Passer-by Sandie Prowse


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Digital Dabbling – Dave Hyett CPAGB AFIAP BPE1*

Since the inspirational presentation by CliveHaynes and Martin Addison, I decided toexplore the Topaz Plug-in filters which theyrecommended. Initially I was just interestedin Adjust 4, Detail 2 and Simplify 3 asdemonstrated by Clive. I have in the pastdownloaded a number of free Plug-ins andthey have always been disappointing but theTopaz Plug-ins were clearly much moresophisticated though not free. There wasthen a question as to whether to buy thebundle of 8 Plug-ins or just thoserecommended three. As I investigatedfurther and with feedback from Tony Parsonswho was also evaluating these filters, I waspersuaded that the Remask 3 Plug-in madethe price of the bundle very attractive.During the summer I have been using theTopaz bundle of filters though one has to besparing with the use of filters. Previously, Ihave had considerable difficulties cutting outpeople (usually to change the background).Hair and veils present a challenge wellbeyond the capability of Photoshop’s oldExtract Plug-in but Topaz Remask 3 copesreally well. The main advantage with Remask3 is that, after the initial selection iscomputed (which is usually a pretty goodstart), you can use the tools to improve theselection.

In July, those of us who Beta TestedOloneo HDR software had to decide whetherto pay 93 Euros plus VAT to buy the finalproduction version. This included a 25%discount for testers but this was ratherhigher priced than expected and hard tojustify for those of us who had alreadybought Photomatix. The main advantages ofOloneo are no halos even on some highstrength settings, ease of use (auto tonemapping has one control), natural lookoption, speed (runs very fast if you haveplenty of RAM), several additional powerfulRaw adjustments and some useful presets.

Both Oloneo and Photomatix can be useddirectly from Lightroom.

If any of you have not bought anyHDR software but plan to do so, then doconsider Oloneo; it is more expensive thansome rivals but currently considered to bethe best HDR software in all reviews I haveseen. However, if you already have HDRsoftware, it is probably only worth buyingOloneo if you are processing a lot of HDRimages or must have the best whatever thecost. As I do process a lot of HDR, I decided tobuy.

I have seen many discussionscomparing the dynamic range of film v DSLR.Dynamic range generally being considered asthe range from the lightest tone to thedarkest tone in an image or scene. I haveseen figures from 8 stops to 14 stops for mycamera and 7 to 15 stops for negative film.Clearly these cannot all be correct. Afterdismissing many articles which offered noevidence, I looked at work by Dr Roger Clarkand Rik Littlefield. Both of these examine thetransfer functions of film and digital.

When considering a DSLR sensor atthe highlight end, the limit is clipping but thedark end it is dependent on the noise level.Some of the variations are due to the authorsaccepting very low signal to noise ratios thusresulting in misleadingly high DR figures. Thecharacteristic “S” curve for film avoidssudden clipping but including all of this rangeis also misleading as there is little or no detailat the extremes. Dr Roger Clark adopted aconservative approach to film and thusobtained typically 8 stops whereas othersinclude this extended range and suggest 14stops.

The real practical range for negativefilm is almost certainly a compromise andaround 10 stops. It was also clear that manyof the lower figures for DSLRs were based onJPEG or did not include the extended


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dynamic range offered by Raw files. Againdismissing the misleading low and highfigures suggested that the figures publishedby Dx0 Mark(http://www.dxomark.com/index.php) maybe about right. This is 11.9 stops for myCanon 5D Mkii.

I thought that I would like to confirmthat these figures make sense. I took aphotograph of my Xrite colour checker whichincludes 6 patches at exactly 1 stop intervalsrunning from a near black to a near white. Inaddition to the mid exposure, I tookexposures 4 stops either side at 1 stopintervals. Examining the files in Adobe Raw Iwas able to ascertain that the basic dynamicrange displayed in Adobe Raw was 8.5 to 9stops. I was also able to show that using Raw

adjustments highlights and shadows couldreadily be recovered by a minimum of 2stops (a commonly accepted figure). Thisconfirmed that the dynamic range was atleast 10.5 to 11 stops.

You may wonder how one makespractical use of this information. For difficultlighting particularly brightly lit landscapeswith snow capped mountains or takentowards the sun, I typically measure a scenedynamic range of 12 stops and sometimes alittle more. If my camera can only cope with10.5 to 11 stops, it means that I need toexpose for the highlights to avoid clippingand accept a some loss of shadow detail ortake multiple exposures and combine themusing editing software or HDR software.

***************************** IN FOCUS ARCHIVE

The first issue of the Cheltenham Camera Clubnewsletter was way back in 1976 with JimStevenson as editor. For many years it was puttogether by a team of people turning handwrittenarticles into type and cutting and pasting (withscissors and glue) the typewritten items andphotographs.

The old newsletters make fascinatingreading - from changes in photographic technologyto pictures of some of our long-standing membersin their youth. Those were the days when theChristmas party featured a Lovely Legs competition– for the men!! Ah yes, times have changed.

Thirty years later the digital revolutioncaught up with us and from 2006, In Focus hasbeen compiled electronically. Over the past fewmonths we have been scanning in all the oldnewsletters and I have compiled them onto a dvd,copies of which are available for a small donationto the Club. Heartfelt thanks to Peter Holt, GrahamWakefield, John White, John Kampe, Sofiya Finbow,Richard McCleery, Alan Prowse, and Wendy andGodfrey Outram for the many hours of work they putin.Sandie Prowse

THE COTSWOLD SALON

The Cotswold Salon is the only nationalmonochrome photographic exhibition. Itwas held this year in the Tithe Barn,Brockworth Court, Gloucester at the endof July. The following CCC members hadacceptances. Graham Hodgkiss ( 6prints), Sandie Prowse (2) and JohnWoodland (1). Congratulations to them.

The Salon is a member of the BritishPhotographic Exhibitions (BPE).Acceptances can be aggregated andcount towards a BPE crown award.

It is organised by members of theCotswold Monochrome Group whichmeets monthly in Upton-St-Leonards.www.cotswold-monochrome.co.uk

IN FOCUS ARCHIVE DVDHOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT !

CERTIFICATE PGAVAILABLE FROM SANDIE PROWSE


ISSUE 127 6


ISSUE 127 7

COMPETITION RULES

There have been a number of changes to theRules again for next season but beforesummarising them, we thought that you maybe interested in the role of the Rules Panel.The Cheltenham Camera Club Rules Panelhas two main functions:

a. To adjudicate on any query regardingthe rules or matters not covered bythe current rules.

b. To develop new and update theexisting rules at the request of thecommittee.

The current Rules Panel members areGodfrey Outram, Michael Krier, Nicki Gwynn-Jones, Dave Hyett, Mike Walker and PhilStapleton who are appointed by theCommittee.

Requests for changes to the rulesnormally come from the Committee who willusually outline the requirement in principle.The Panel can examine the requirement indetail and consider options and try to achievethe best result within the constraints.

The Panel make recommendationsand the full Committee decide on rulechanges. The Club has responded to manychanges in the last decade including theintroduction of digital images, a growingmembership, digital projection, new webbased competitions and external definitionchanges.

This has resulted in the need toreview and update the rules virtually everyseason. This year we have made a number ofchanges but also rationalised the variousrules into a single web based document. Aprinted copy will be made available for thefew members without web access.

The main changes are:

Aggregate

There is a new Beginners Section forPDI for members in their first 3seasons

The aggregate has been extended to

four heats (the season has beenlengthened to accommodate this)

We have clarified the rule preventingthe same or similar images beingentered in the same heat

Annual Exhibition

The maximum number of entries hasbeen reduced to ten prints and tenPDI’s

Sections on “Four images on a theme”has been redefined as MultipleImages on a theme

The “Cotswold” area for section 5E is

now defined as the current CotswoldANOB

General

The Print mount size is limited to 500mm by400mm, which is consistent with nationaland international competitions. The Club willstill accept old stock of 16” by 12” for theforeseeable future but we cannot guaranteethat all external competitions will.

The Beginners section is for thosewho wish to benefit from a judge’s critiqueaway from a competitive environment. It isaimed at new members who have not beencompeting elsewhere.


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The increase to 4 heats is a response tomembers who were disappointed that theAggregate was cut from 5 rounds to 3 due tothe volume of entries.

For the Exhibition we have beenforced to cut the total number of entries perentrant due to the increased membership.However, a member can still enter up to 4images in any one section thus allowingflexibility. The “four images on a theme”section has been increasingly popular andsuccessful but there have been queries aboutwhether an image is composed of 4 images(or 3 on a background or even 4 plus abackground). Rather than curtail thiscreativity we seek to encourage variations

from a diptych to a collage (but we dorequire at least two images to be used).

The Cotswold area will be the currentCotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beautyas defined by the official map, which is moreprecise and covers a larger area than ourprevious definition. Please note thatphotographs must be taken from within andof this area.

If you do have any queries with therules, please contact one of the Competitionsecretaries, initially Phil Stapleton or MikeWalker.

Rules Panel

SHOOTING THE PAST

Some of you may remember the 1999Stephen Poliakoff film, ‘Shooting the Past’,about a photo collection in danger of beingbroken up and sold. The curator was able tokeep the archive together by searchingthrough the vast (uncomputerised) collectionto show how images of seemingly randomevents in the past were linked with eachother and to the present day.

On a personal level, it was thoughtthat all of my grandmother’s photographshad been destroyed, however after the deathof a cousin recently over 400 of her photoswere discovered. I was thrilled to see, for thefirst time, my great grandmother, mygrandfather, and my father as a child.

Photographs have a habit of turningup in unexpected places. I came across abook about my home town and on flickingthrough it saw a photograph of myself as a14 year old standing with my mother outsidethe Town Hall on election night waiting forthe results. I was looking into the camera anddistinctly remember the flashes going off and

the shot being taken but never thought I’ddiscover it many years later. A book on thehistory of Grimsby revealed a photograph ofmy late mother-in-law as a young womanworking in the braiding sheds where shemade fishing nets for trawlers by hand.

There are some strange coincidences.A friend in her 30s was having a clear out anddecided to get rid of her old school notes.Looking through photos she’d taken for aproject on her town centre, she was amazedto see on one of them, looking straight ather, her future husband years before theyhad actually ‘met’.

When we take a photograph there isusually a purpose in mind but we never knowits significance or what will happen to it. Thesnapshot of daily life today is the archive oftomorrow.

If you have experienced anyphotographic coincidences please send themin to the newsletter.

Sandie Prowse


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A VISITOR TRUMPETS SPRING ON LUNDY by Ian Gee

The ship from Ilfracombe was crowded withmany passengers carrying cameras andtripods. While our club trip to Lundy Islandhad been booked for over a year, for many ofthe other travellers it had been a quickdecision following news over the internetthat two very rare birds — a Golden Orioleand a Trumpeter Finch — had been seen onthe island, and they were twitchers, anxiousto see these unexpected visitors and to tickthem off their lists.

When we arrived the former bird hadmoved on but during the four days there ourparty of twelve from CCC had plenty ofsightings of the pretty red finch, sadly way offits normal route and unlikely ever to see itsbreeding ground in the Canaries again.

After spending Friday night in B&Bs thetwelve of us met up at the quayside onSaturday morning for the two hourIlfracombe to Lundy sailing on the 53 yearold, 288 ton MS Oldenberg, the sea describedby the purser as “moderate, becomingslight”; several were happy to take advantageof Terry Kirkhope’s offer of an anti-sicknesstablet. While only a few miles off shore in the

Bristol Channel, in some respects Lundybelongs to another era having escaped theinroads of development that haveencroached elsewhere.

We were to stay in Millcombe House,the grandest property on the island havingbeen the home of various owners in yearsgone by. Naturally it is situated in one of theisland’s prime spots, a wooded valley on theeast coast. Nowadays everything is managedby the Landmark Trust. This house has avariety of bedrooms and sufficientbath/shower rooms to accommodate us allspaciously and is well supplied with

Photographers in the Mist: l to r David Elder, Howard Sylvanus- Davis, Ian Gee, Martin Kannruether,John Kampe, Terry Kirkhope, Anthony Siddall, Suzanne Siddall, Helen Dewbery, Claire Kirkhope, AnneGoodenough, Linda Kirkhope.

Trumpeter Finch David Elder


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comfortable sitting rooms and a large kitchenand dining room, although we did not use thelatter, opting to frequent the excellent oneand only hostelry, the reasonably pricedMarisco tavern serving Lundy lamb and fishfrom Bideford Bay in its varied menu.

We managed to all eat together thefirst day, thereafter we were all passing likeships in the night, with some rising as early as4.00 a.m. to catch the sunrise while otherswere still outdoors as evening became night.There is, of course, no light pollution.

Thanks to sailing times, our three nightsgave us a generous part of four days on theisland, more than enough you would think tocover the three mile long by a half mile widearea in some depth. However none of ustraversed every path nor saw all themultiplicity of features, both natural andman- made - from the medieval gravestones,the earthquake of 1755 and the Victorianchurch to the relics of bombers, British andGerman which crashed there during WW2.

Lighthouses, a castle, ruins andrestored buildings; wild horses, soay sheepand goats, Sika deer and numerous seabirdswere all subjects for our cameras and wewere fortunate to experience all conditionsfrom clear skies to very misty. Unlike Skomerwhich several of us visited in 2009 and wherepuffins are literally under your feet, anyonehoping for puffin pictures had a hard time -the birds were scarce and way down the verywindy eastern cliffs.

Vegetation including the Lundycabbage, unique to Lundy, and lichensprovided more subjects but anyoneexpecting to see Lundy’s one time mostprolific plant was disappointed. After eight

years of work the wardens and volunteershave finally eradicated the most invasiverhododendron which had been introduced inthe 1920s with disastrous results, the highacidic soil and shelter of the eastern sideproviding it with ideal conditions.

Throughout our stay those near thechurch were regaled, or otherwise accordingto taste, by an almost continuous pealing ofthe bells of the church by a party of bellringers from Wales who worked in relays,and like ourselves were effectivelyimprisoned on the island for three days.

The ecclesiastical history of the island islong but the present church had beenconstructed in the 1890s. With more seatsthan the island’s population the vicar, theRev. Hudson Heaven (elder son of the island’sowner) was optimistic enough to believe thatthe crews of stormbound passing ships,seeing the church, would call in and augmenthis congregation. Apparently they did. Likealmost everything else on the island, the roofof the church tower was open for thosehappy to ascend the narrow steps and stepout into the Atlantic breeze to photographthe landscape below.

We are indebted to David Elder whoorganised the trip and had the foresight tobook the best available accommodation overa year in advance. All who went had a mostenjoyable time and obtained photographsthat are unavailable to those who only visitthe island on a day trip.

All that remained was the returncrossing in a little rain, a fish and chip supperin Ilfracombe and the drive back to thetwenty-first century.

IDEAS FOR CREATIVE PROJECTSLearn to train your photographic eye by doing a project on a theme. Don’t worry too muchabout the technicalities or getting that award-winning shot, just keep looking. Some ideas:

Lost and Found Reflections Looking UpShoes Urban Angles Looking DownTake One Colour Numbers Letters


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Is Autofocus Micro Adjustment really necessary? Rob Duncalf (not a pixel peeper)

Earlier this year I was doing my best to take some pictures of ‘birds in flight’. The results wereexcellent; well they would have been if the bird images had been sharper...

To try and get a sharp image I upped the shutter-speed and as a consequence reduced thedepth of field. This meant some parts of the bird were in focus, however, for my taste, if the eyewas blurry it was not a keeper. Delete, delete, delete...

I was happy with my technique(s), tripod, autofocus method, panning, autofocus pointsetc. Three magazines had kindly published my bird images so I hoped I was progressing along theright track. I am a Canon user using a 7D and a 5D Mk2 with a variety of lenses. Mostly a 500mm f4and 70-200mm IS f4 - sometimes with a 1.4 converter. The errors in focusing must clearly be a‘front focusing / back focusing’ problem. In other words, that the focus point I think that thecamera is focusing on is not what actually ends up in focus. Rather, somewhere slightly in front ofor behind that spot is the actual point of focus. Now both these cameras have a clever autofocusMicro Adjustment feature built in. Cameras with micro-adjustment include: Canon 1DIII, 1DIV,1DsMkIII, 5DII, 50D, 7D, Nikon D7000, D3, D3s, D3x, D300, D700, Sony A850, A900, Pentax K20D,K7D.

At the time Spyder (famous for their colour calibration solutions) was bringing out aLensCal device. According to the advertising blurb: “SpyderLensCal provides photographers with afast, reliable method of measuring the focus performance on camera and lens combinations. Itallows photographers to obtain razor-sharp focusing, using modern DSLR autofocus micro-adjustment”. I watched the company video(http://spyder.datacolor.com/learn_videos_spyderlenscal1.php).This looked like a perfect solution - so I bought one.

Canon advice to calibrate:1. Mount the camera on a sturdy tripod.2. Position a reference target for the camera tofocus on. The reference target should havesufficient contrast for the AF system to read,should be flat and parallel to the camera's focalplane, and should be centred with respect to thepicture area.3. Lighting should be bright and even.4. Camera-to-subject distance should be no lessthan 50 times the focal length of the lens. For a50mm lens, that would be at least 2.5 meters, orapproximately 8.2 feet.

5. Set the lens for AF and the camera for One-Shot AF, and manually select the centre focusingpoint.6. Shoot at the maximum aperture of the lens via manual mode or aperture-priority AE, and adjustthe exposure level if necessary to achieve an accurate exposure of the reference target. Use a lowISO setting to reduce noise.7. If the lens has an image stabiliser, shut it off.8. Use a remote switch and/or the camera's self-timer to release the shutter. Use mirror lock aswell.


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9. Take three sets of images at microadjustment settings of -5, 0 and +5, ie, three consecutiveimages at -5, three consecutive images at 0, and three consecutive images at +5.10. Examine the resulting images on your computer monitor at 100% pixel magnification.11. Take additional sets of test images at different microadjustment settings if necessary until thesharpest image is achieved.12. Register the corresponding microadjustment settings in the camera.Canon allow AF Microadjustment of individual lenses or all lenses by same amount.

Well, much to the amusement of my neighbours, I spent several hours in the garden calibratingthe 2 bodies with various lenses. I had to use the garden to comply with ‘no less than 50 times thefocal length of the lens’. No problems using the SpyderLensCal.

Back to Cotswold Falconry (nr Moreton in Marsh) to try for some razor-sharp results.Rubbish! So reset all settings back to factory default of zero. Tried again with ‘out of the box’settings, and the number of keepers improved enormously.

What have I learnt? AF Micro adjustment isn't a cure-all for images that simply don't looksharp. The micro adjustment feature is great if you shoot consistently at similar focusing distances.Not jumping from close-up subjects to objects in the distance, especially when changing focallengths with a zoom lens. My mistake was expecting too much from my camera when auto-focusing on a fast moving bird whilst zooming and panning simultaneously. More practice and alittle more luck are required!

Interestingly, according to Canon, there is no "official" Canon method for setting AF microadjustments, so this procedure is unofficial. Furthermore, Canon have chosen not to include themicro adjustments feature in the latest Canon 60D.

Don’t worry if you have a camera that doesn’t include this magic AF micro-adjustmentfeature. If you do have it - be careful how you use it. In the unlikely event, that you have lots ofimages that are consistently out of focus - take the camera back to the manufacturer- let themrecalibrate the AF.

Snowy Owl in the Rain - Cotswold Falconry - June 2011 (1/800s f5.6 500mm ISO1600)


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THE WIDER WORLD by Wendy Outram PAGB RULE

The PAGB intend to bring out a rule for itscompetitions to the effect that:-“Images entered must be entirely the work ofthe photographer. Composite images arepermitted provided all component images meetthis requirement”. It is felt that once aphotographer has given an image a title thatimage and any others generated from it shouldcontinue with the original title. The PAGB werealso unhappy to see titles with a number after egThe Smoke No.8.MCPF were told of the PAGB rule at the AGM inJune 2011 and wholly endorse it.The new President of the Photographic Alliance isPeter Cheetham APAGB of N & EMPF.

PAGB were recommending a lecturer, David KeithJones FRPS of Lichfield – seewww.imagesofafrica.co.uk

FIAP successes.Paul Hoffman and David Ross have been awardedtheir EFIAP.Judith Parry, who lectured here with husband,Roger, has achieved the AFIAP.

MCPF successesAt the recently held Inter-Federation PrintChampionships, MCPF won the Monochrome andColour competitions and Tim Pile of SmethwickPS was awarded a gold medal for his colour print“Pearls”. Irene Froy of Wrekin Arts received aRibbon for “Poplars and Reeds”.

PhotofolioThis event took place from 8th to 11th June andCCC entered a full set of images ie 20Monochrome, 20 colour prints and PDIs. We hadexcellent results – 35 acceptances and one ofGraham Hodgkiss’ prints received an HC.Acceptances were received by Martin Fry 4, GaryGleghorn 1, Matt Halstead 2, Graham Hodgkiss 6,Dave Hyett 5, Michael Krier 1, Tony Parsons 1,Mike Walker 1, John Weston 1, Nicki Gwynn-Jones 2, Ricardo Alarcon 1, Jane Borland 1, MaryCoulson 1, Sofiya Finbow 2, Richard McCleery 2,Ron Pattinson 1, Andy Roberts 1 and AnthonySiddall 1.The prints were on display at Smethwick PS andthe PDIs were projected each evening.

Dates for your diary1) Close date for items for the MCPF

newsletter – 12 August 2011.2) Sat. October 2011 – Inter-club print

competition at Connah’s Quay3) Sat. 24th Sept. 2011 MCPF General

meeting at Smethwick4) Sat 11th February 2012 MCPF GM

Smethwick & hand-in date for Midphotstills.

5) Sat 28th Jan. 2012 Midphot AVcompetitions at Braunstone Leics.

6) Wed. 14 March to 18 March 2012MIDPHOT

MORE FROM THE ARCHIVES

The history of Cheltenham Camera Club isnot well recorded, especially the early years.However, one good source for a few yearswas a publication called The CheltenhamLooker-On. All the following informationcomes from this source between the years1905 and 1918. In 1909 the Society wasCheltenham Photographic Society but by

1910 it had become Cheltenham AmateurPhotographic Society. Then in 1930 itbecame Cheltenham Photographic Societyagain before changing to CheltenhamCamera Club in 1936.January 1909 saw theSociety meeting in the Town Hall, presidedover by Dr. ET Wilson as the designatedPresident was ill. The Society was having

problems because of this and the meetinghad been called, in part, to put things onto a

stable footing. Dr. Wilson reminded themembers of the beginnings of the Society 44


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years previously and the very eminentmembers, who brought kudos to the Societyduring those early years. The Society wasnow reorganised and a new set of rules hadbeen drawn up. There were 3 sets of darkrooms in different parts of the town, aportrait studio at Cambray Spa and muchapparatus and reference material at theSociety’s HQ at No. 1 St. Luke’s Road, BathRoad. The following month a lecture onGloucester Cathedral was given in the supperroom of The Town Hall.

September 1909 saw the Winterseason commence at the Rotunda with alecture on record photography. The speaker,from Warwickshire, stressed the importanceof recording objects and places before theydisappeared or became unrecognisable. Heexplained how the Birmingham Society wasphotographing their city, as required, for theBirmingham Corporation so that 25 volumesof prints had been deposited in BirminghamArt Gallery. The Birmingham Society’s workwas so appreciated that they were givennotice of any demolition work scheduled sothat they could go and photograph it forposterity. Exhibitions of these records wereshown in the Art Gallery. Other cities,notably Glasgow and Bradford, were going toeven greater lengths than Birmingham.

Besides a change of name in 1910 theclub now had its HQ at College Pharmacy,Bath Road. An Elementary Course was heldduring 1910/1911. There were 12 sessions inall and the cost for members was 2/6d whilenon-members paid 5 shillings.

In February 1914 HG Ponting FRGSexhibited photographs of Captain Scott’s ill-fated expedition to the South Pole in theNew Art Gallery of WH Smith & Son in thePromenade. Later that month a picture wasprinted from and old photograph taken manyyears before, by Mr. JA Jeffrey, during an

outing to Raglan Castle. Only the author, DrET Wilson and Mr. Beetham were still alive in1914. (This photograph is different from theone we know and shows 5 gentlemen in frontof the castle.)

The Cheltenham Looker-On for 27th

April 1918 published an obituary to Dr. E.T.Wilson FRCP. Dr. Wilson’s recent death andfuneral were reported at some length allwithout mentioning his connection withphotography. His obituary, rightly, stressedhis work and service in the field of medicine.Besides professional appointments in thetown he established the Delancey FeverHospital and the Victoria Nursing Home (nextdoor to St. Gregory’s church). Mothers of myage will remember it still being used as anurses’ home in the late 1950s. Mention was made of his interestand support for the Naturalist Associationand the old School of Art. He was buried inLeckhampton churchyard, aged 86, havingbeen bedridden for the last few years. Thismore or less coincides with the death of hisson Dr. Edward Adrian Wilson, who died withCaptain Scott in the Antarctic. It was statedthat Dr Wilson, senior, never recovered fullyfrom the blow of losing this son.

Travelling PortfolioIn the archives are 4 notebooks used bymembers of the monochrome print portfoliofrom about 1935 to 1953. The membersbelonging to the portfolio were not all basedin Cheltenham and so the portfolio waspostal. The notebooks were used to discussphotographic techniques and equipment, toreport on personal matters and expressviews. It seems that most members wrotesomething in the notebook each time thatthe portfolio came to them and sometimes atconsiderable length.

Wendy Outram

in focus - cheltenham camera club...follow my husband around the country as an air force wife....

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