Wildlife Competition
Donald Polson was an active club member with a particular interest in photographing wildlife. He was also an avid Audio Visual enthusiast and part of a group of club members who took their AV sequences around other community groups in the district.
When Donald passed away we wanted to mark his great passion for photography, his ability to freely pass on his knowledge to others, and for contributing to the life of Falkirk Camera Club. We came up with the Donald Polson Wildlife competition.
It was called a Wildlife Competition, as opposed to a Natural History competition, because it was originally aimed at new wildlife photographers so the rules were less stringent. It started in 1998 when we still used film so image manipulation, not now allowed under International Natural History rules which are issued by photographic governing bodies such as the Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique ( www.fiap.net ) was not an issue.
The Club approach to the rules of this competition are still relaxed when compared to International Rules in order to encourage participation although, as the years have passed, we now benefit from Club members who have become particularly skilled Natural History photographers. The essence though remains the same, to remember Donald and to follow his ethos in encouraging Club members to try wildlife photography, perhaps for the the first time.
Our thanks to Neil MacGregor from Milngavie & Bearsden C.C. who travelled through to adjudicate at this years competition. The results are:
1st, Fish For Tea by Graeme Barclay
2nd =, Woodpecker In The Rain by Paul Morgan, and Red Eyed Frog On Leaf by Bob Black
3rd =, Sparrowhawk Eating by Paul Morgan, Fly By from Catherine Anderson and Bearded Tit by Ronnie Anderson
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Elephant Family At Sunset by Iain Fleming, A Foxican Standoff by Graeme Barclay, Badgering Through The Wood by Graeme Barclay, and Black Winged Kite Landing by David Jones
COMMENDED
What Are You Looking At ? by Catherine Anderson, Eye To Eye by Ronnie Anderson, Volcano Hummingbird by David Jones, Puffin With Catch Paul Morgan, and Kingfisher On Water Lily by Iain Fleming
Neil also brought his own photographs of the wildlife inhabiting the Isle of May, home to 40,000 puffins plus Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Cormorants and Terns among other species. Neil explained how the Terns are of particular interest, completing an 18,000 mile round trip to the Antarctic each year. Neil’s compositions maximised available light and was an inspiration to club members who expect to visit the Isle of May in June.
John Thomson In China
Our interests in photography vary. Some are interested solely in “ club “ photography, standard for our club operating in a global “ club “ environment. Some have interests in “ contemporary “ photography and some in the history of the medium.
Whichever your interests, photography changed the way in which people saw the world and this latest exhibition is a prime example of that change.
John Thomson ( 1837 – 1921 ) was born in Edinburgh. After schooling he was apprenticed to a local optical and scientific instrument manufacturer, where he also learned about photography. It is thought that he completed his apprenticeship around 1858, a time when Scots photographers were making a real mark on this new medium. He travelled, a lot ! Singapore, Malaya, Ceylon ( now Sri Lanka ) India, Siam ( now Thailand ), Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and China among others. He began publishing his work and between 1873 and 1874 he published a book, Illustrations of China and its People, and was awarded a gold medal by Queen Victoria who with her late husband Prince Albert had embraced this new medium when it appeared in the 1840’s.
Some club members saw an exhibition of John Thomson’s photographs at Heriot Watt University a few years ago and now another exhibition of John Thomson’s photographs is opening at the Studies In Photography Gallery, 6, William St., Edinburgh. EH3 7NH. The exhibition runs from 29th January to 23rd February, open Wednesday to Saturday, 12 noon to 5pm.
Harry Burton
Did you catch The Man Who Shot Tutankhamun on BBC 4 last week. It’s about photographer Harry Burton who photographed Howard Carter’s excavation of the Egyptian King’s tomb in the 1920’s. HB used a large format plate camera and glass plates which he developed and printed in dusty and makeshift conditions. Modern day photographer Harry Cory Wright replicated HB’s work using a Gandolphi ( look them up online ) plate camera with a modern lens and shutter. He was in awe of HB’s ability to produce negatives free of dust. The Man Who Shot Tutankhamun is on BBC iPlayer and also on You Tube.
Take care and thanks for looking in.