Southern Photographic Federation Exhibition

If you live anywhere near Salisbury (we're talking UK here) get along to the main library in the Market Place and take a look at this exhibition. All of the individual camera clubs in the Federation are exhibiting six prints - 38 clubs, 228 prints. There are many outstanding prints, some by way of conception, some composition and some are technically excellent - a few combine all of these!

There are also supposed to be 272 projected images, but I couldn't find these and ran out of time to explore.

See if you can spot mine! The exhibition ends on 29th January.

Putting it into practice

As I went to church yesterday and the sun was shining for a rare change, I engaged in the blessing of recreation with my camera along the Dorset coast today. New piccies posted on my Flickr page - click the link opposite.

Enjoying the beach at Lulworth

A frustrating evening!

Tonight's judge was without doubt a competent photographer and many of his comments were very helpful. However, as an ARPS he is no doubt used to moving in higher circles than our humble little club. He spent most of the first half of the evening critiquing the quality of the mounts people had chosen or the quality of the mounting itself. It would have been so much more helpful if he'd spent as much time sharing his undoubted wisdom about the actual photos!

I was quite perturbed by many of his comments so when he came to comment on my single entry I was braced for a full onslaught! True to form, he did not like the colour of the mount I had chosen. The truth is, when I hurriedly came to select and print off a photo last night for the competition, it was the only colour of mount I had! I know that I also rushed the cutting of the aperture and parts of it are not acceptable - but he had obviously detected we were all getting a bit fed up with comments about mounts and he didn't mention it!

Instead, he waxed lyrical about the compositional qualities of my entry and ended up giving it 2nd place! Wow. It's a good feeling. Afterwards, some other club members were quick to come up and say how much they liked the colour of the mount and how they felt that anything different would have negatively impacted its presentation. There you go. What do I know?

Here's the photo:

At anchor

Pictures at an exhibition

For the first time ever, one of my photos is being exhibited! Feels good. The exhibition is on for this week only at the Winchester Discovery Centre hanging on the way by the IT suites. The exhibition is of work by members of the Wonston and Worthies Camera Club.

Mine is the second one from the left - a stylish shot of a TGV in Zurich station. Tonight just happens to be camera club evening and I hope to enter 2 pictures in a competition. It's just for fun - I'm not expecting to win anything! I'll let you know.

Some new pictures on flickr

I've been away a lot recently without web access so I have not been able to post - apologies.

I've just put some new photos on Flickr from my trip to Jersey last week (I had a couple of free hours). The weather and scenery were beautiful - I never tire of the sea. The quality of light is phenomenal - great for photography.

New pictures on flickr

One of the photo magazines I subscribe to had an article sent in by a reader of photos he took at this location. As it's only 5 miles down the road, I decided to check it out this morning. This and some others are on my Flickr photostream - follow the link to the right.

Deep and crisp and even

We have been enjoying a period of unusually cold and snowy weather - or should I say enduring? It's all very pretty and a walk this morning produced some pleasing seasonal images - I might even may my own Christmas cards next year!

It may be nice to look at, but the British are ill-equipped to cope with it all. The roads grind to a halt and grid lock ensures - either through accidents blocking the way or by gridlock and abandoned cars.

Wherever you are this Christmas - enjoy yourself!

More photos on Flickr

I had great fun looking through my archived photos on disc and uploading some of them to Flickr. Here is one from Tangier in Morocco - he really is snake charming - I have more photos that include the Cobra that is dancing to his music. Check this image out, and others here.

The power of these photos to evoke memories is very strong. The colours, the sounds and the smells - not to mention the warm African sunshine. I have also uploaded a picture of Mallaig harbour taken on a summer holiday in a dfferent year in my native Scotland.This was about the only sunny day in a three week holiday in August! This one evokes a completely different set of feelings!!

Wiesbaden Christmas Market

I'd heard a lot about German Christmas Markets - so I decided to check them out and see what images I could manage to create. This is my favourite. You can see more photos at http://www.flickr.com/

photos/duncanstrathie/

sets/

I am staying with friends in Wiesbaden and have visited Frankfurt, Mainz and Wiesbaden markets so far. This evening I hope to add Rudesheim to the list. There is an excellent website that shows all the markets - catch it at http://www.germany-christmas-

market.org.uk/ and then click on the locations on the left to get the details.

I must say that visiting a market at night is completely different experience. Apart from there being many more people, the lights completely transform the character into something very special. Of course you get the great smells whether it's day or night - the air is heavy with the scent of cinnamon, melting cheese, grilling sausages and much much more. A truly memorable experience.