About time…

I’ve been a bit lax in updating the Blog the past few weeks and I’m sorry about that although it’s mainly been due to all the behind the scene’s stuff that’s going on with the club at the moment. We’ve got the 13 weeks of Summer course that we’re running. I’m trying out a new way of doing the newsletter which does involve more effort in putting it together, but the end result is so much easier to read and pleasing to the eye. Plus there are one or two other things that I won’t bore you with.

Anyway we’re up to week 5 of our 13 Weeks of Summer course. This week you get to find out all about the mysterious but amazingly simple Histogram. Simple? Yes once it’s explained and you realise that it really is that easy to understand you’ll never be confused by it again. We also get stuck into the various Metering modes and talk about exposure. No put your dirty minds back away it’s not that kind of exposure. If your lucky you’ll get to see us turn a picture of a glass of milk into a picture of orange juice right before your very eyes, with just the click of one button! Yes you guessed it. White Balance rears it’s ugly head and we’ll show you how to tame it once and for all.

You will need to bring your camera’s this week as the practical session returns after its week of rest and recuperation.

Newsletter

I’m in the process of revamping the newsletter. If your already on the mailing list you should of received a form asking you if your willing to receive and give feedback on the new format. If you haven’t agreed to that or aren’t sure I’d love you to fill it in and give permission. It won’t get you spammed by loads and loads of email rubbish. It’ll just mean you get the odd extra copy of the newsletter in a full HTML format. What do I mean by HTML. It just means that instead of getting the usual newsletter that is just text with links and headings in it. This new version will allow us to feature members photographs, posters for events that we’ve been asked to let you know about and have a good looking layout. It’s just like visiting a website but you get it sent to you via email. So please do give your permission so I can add you to the tester list. The more people that receive it and give their opinion the more likely it will be to have the content and look that will suit the majority of the club.

If you’ve deleted the email or your not actually a member of Reflex but would like to receive these test emails and continue to receive them once the new version goes live then you can sign up below.

Back in the Day

 

This was the club in 2008. Three years later we now have over 45 men & women that regularly come along to meetings. From 10 year old children to 60+ grandparents. They range in ability from some that have only just started to those that have been taking photographs for most of their lives.

I’ve been going through the club’s laptop to see what pictures are on it in case there is anything that I can use to blackmail club members. Unfortunately, for me, there isn’t but I have discovered some photographs from the 2008 prize giving and for the lottery funding which we successfully applied for in that year and if you’d like to see them just go here.

From Right to Left; Joe Scudamore; David Walters; Roy Williams; Kevin Spiers; Alec Williams; Steve Hallam; Pete Tomlinson; Rosie Tomlinson; Theresa Driscoll; Ian Coombs; Larry Whetton; Arthur Belton; and unfortunately I don’t know the names of the last two people.

From hot houses to wetlands

Well, Skomer failed for a second time thanks to the weather but that didn't deter 5 of us from getting out and about. Barrie, Rich, Kev, Simon and Me all set off to a Butterfly hot house in Swindon. After sweating it in the heat we went out the back to see the Otters and Mearcats. Cafe for lunch then where? Well the weather was supposed to get better so we decided to travel to Ham Wall in Somerset, only 70 miles up the road! High hopes to see lots of wild fowl........

I don't think they had been told the weather was going to improve as they were all hiding in the reeds. So after a stroll from one hide to the next we decided to call it a day. On the way back to the car we did catch glimpse of the illusive Bittern.

Quick refuel at the pub and off home. Enroute via Wells another spur of the moment stop to catch a bit of good sky and idea that will I'm sure raise a smile. Finally back home for a well earnt rest.

13 Weeks of Summer, Week 3

Well weeks 1 & 2 have gone and were up to week 3 of our 13 Weeks of Summer. This Thursday you can look forward to an evening of choices. Which Lens to choose, which focusing point to choose, which drink should you buy from the bar! ah well no not that one. It may seem like it’s only for those with dSLR’s but it’s not. If you use a point and shoot you need to make informed decisions. Do you walk closer to your subject or just zoom in. It does make a difference to your photograph, how? Well come along on Thursday and discover the ancient art of Zen and Lens Compression as told by Chairman Indiana Spiers.

The only other thing to say is WHERE IS YOUR HOMEWORK????? Forgot it again did you? Well if your not careful it’ll be detention for you. Please don’t forget to take a picture. We don’t care what it’s of. What size it is. Or any of the other usual things we ask you to do with it before you send it in. We’ll OK there is just one thing we want you to do and that’s put your name in the filename. Then just either Dropbox it, email it, or bring it in. We will need this picture for one of the coming weeks. So please take it and let us have it.

Red Hot Fun

Hanneke and I went a bit insane last night and went out with some of the Bristol Flickr Group to try out Light Painting and Wire wool spinning.

Wondering just how close my camera was to get this shot? Well if you visit this picture you can see my camera by the pillar on the left and the one on the right is Hanneke’s. Luckily for us they didn’t melt. Yes that was red hot metal flying around. I found out the hard way just how hot it was during this shot when a piece bounced off the pillar, straight through the gap and hit me on the top of my head. Good job I didn’t have enough hair for it to stick to!

So what do you think? Reckon we could do this in the Langton’s Car Park?!!!!!

13 Weeks of Summer

We started our "13 Weeks of Summer" tuition course last week and I'm glad to say it went amazingly well. Everyone I spoke to thought it was well explained and easy to follow. Which is good because this week we're going to be carrying on with the Exposure Triangle and delving deeper into Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO. Don't worry though it's not going to get too heavy. The plan is to give a little talk on them with a few examples of how to combine all three to get the effect you want in your picture.Then for most of the evening we'll split into groups and you'll all be doing plenty of hands on practice.

So you can get the most out of this weeks session we'd love you to bring along your camera, it's instruction manual (if possible) and if you have one a Tripod. Even if you only have a small Gorillapod that's fine. I know not all of you will be able to bring tripods but we should be able to get by if we share the ones we do have.