Following the earlier announcement from Balmoral, Thursday nights meeting began with a minutes silence in memory of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Most of us have known no other Monarch and we will all have our own memories of her reign. You will have seen photographs of the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, taken by Bob Black and Steve Sommerville during a visit to the District just a few years ago, on our opening page. We give thanks for her 70 years of service and offer our deepest condolences to King Charles III and the Royal Family.
Our guest on Thursday night was Neil Scott FRPS EFIAP. With over 1500 images accepted on the international Salon and Exhibition circuit, and the recipient of over 100 such awards, Neil is a prolific exhibitor. The title of his talk was, What Makes A Good Photograph and Neil began by asking, “ what is a good photograph ? “ He cited different types of photographs from Action to Newsworthy and discussed how photographs could be emotive. Still Life, Minimalism and Surrealism were all discussed and illustrated.
Moving on to what type of photographs are successful in Salons, Neil used iconic images from famous photographers to illustrate his discussion. Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothea Lange, Sebastião Salgado and Steve McCurry were all included.
Discussing how to make a good photograph Neil explored Sport, Portraiture and Landscape photography introducing how the photographer can incorporate their own personality into an image. Neil discussed the pitfalls of Street Photography and the need to photograph subjects respectfully. Some fascinating examples illustrated the section on Composites before Neil discussed the effect an appropriate title could have on an image.
The fact that Neil used some of his own excellent photographs alongside iconic images from famous photographers gave the presentation great depth. Add Neil’s advice and humour and we had an ideal opening to our season.
The In The Picture spot in this week’s edition of the Falkirk Hill features a photograph, by F.C.C. photographer Peter Easton, of the countryside near Whitecross.
Looking ahead, Club members will meet in Glasgow on Sunday 18th September to visit some of the locations open on Heritage Open Days while Thursday 22nd September is the final hand-in date for the first Monthly Competition of the season and also the only hand-in date for the Knockout Competition. Thursday 29th September is the final hand-in date for the 5 Way Competition, an annual event involving the clubs of Airdrie & Coatbridge, Cumbernauld & Kilsyth, Kirkintilloch, Stirling & District, and Falkirk. Club members should use the Photo Entry system for P.D.I.’s, and refer to the relevant Competition Secretary for Print arrangements.
Next Thursday night brings a Members Night, preceded by a short business meeting.
Take care, and thanks for looking in.