Our presenter tonight is Michael Berkeley ARPS ASISEP ASISLP who is based in Salisbury.

He is the photographer for Hampshire County Cricket Club, Salisbury Football Club and Druids Lodge Polo Club. He has photographed almost 40 different sports and always looking for more.

This talk provides an insight into the life of Michael Berkeley as a freelance sport photographer.

We will discover how he prepares before going out on assignment (e.g. his kit, doing homework, clarifying requirements etc); what happens during the shoot itself (arrival routine, camera settings, shooting plan); then what he does after the assignment (post production workflow, what to do with the photos, charging etc.)

[caption id="attachment_18017" align="alignnone" width="225"] Michael Berkeley[/caption]

The first competition of the season. This is a PDI-only competition (i.e. no print section).

The theme is “People” and we have decided this season to give a steer on what is intended so that you can more easily judge whether your entries are acceptable or within scope for this theme.

For “People”, images can focus on individuals or groups, highlighting human expressions, emotions, culture, or interactions. The scope includes posed portraits, candid shots, and documentary styles, aiming to tell stories of the human experience.

The judge for this competition will be Miles Turnbull CPAGB, BPE1

Good luck!

Enter Competition Here

Motion Capture with Eddie Hyde FRPS

A comprehensive guide to the creative use of shutter speed.

Two very interesting and diverse talks by members.

Bill Griffiths “Darker Vision” by Nick Brandt.

Peter Edwards “Abstract Street Photography” Olga Karlovac.

The talk tonight is presented by Martin Annand in-person at the Community Centre. The talk is entitled “Time-Less”.

The Scottish minimalist photographer is renowned for his captivating minimal imagery and expertise in long-exposure photography. Martin has earned multiple awards for his distinctive work, and his artistic vision is a testament to the beauty found in simplicity. From landscapes to urban scenes, his work captures the essence of stillness and time through his unique perspective.

Timeless, Martin’s journey into minimalist photography has emerged not from the abundance, but from the scarcity of time he has to devote to photography. As everyday life offers fewer opportunities to shoot in the field he’s become more deliberate with composition, relying on negative space, clean lines, and the reduction of visual elements to convey meaning. Combined with improving his processing skills what began as a response to these constraints has evolved into a refined aesthetic, compelling him to focus on the essentials. In this quiet discipline, he’s discovered a visual language that speaks through simplicity, where absence becomes presence and restraint fosters clarity. Minimalism, once a necessity, has become his chosen lens through which he now sees the world. This is a little insight into his journey thus far.

He hopes to share a little of what he does, how he does it and the reasons why.

A fascinating talk awaits, don’t be late!

This evening’s talk is by a fantastic macro photographer, René Krekels. The talk is described here in his own words:

LITTLE CREATURES, SEEN DIFFERENTLY
A performance by René Krekels

René Krekels from the Netherlands graduated in biology and also studied photography. A fruitful combination, especially when we are talking about small animals. With macro photography he brought his favourite subjects in front of the lens. Of course, biodiversity in all its beauty was already a challenge. Later René saw and read about the behaviour of small animals. That made photography more interesting and intensive. For example, to take pictures of flying creatures, which many insects do, he used high-speed photography, like your Stephen Dalton who had technically achieved it much earlier. In this way René Krekels was also able to show why blue-winged grasshoppers had been given that name.

René writes and publishes images in magazines. Last year he won the 1st prize in the CUPOTY photo competition ‘Close-up Photographer of the Year – category insects’ with an image of acid-spraying wood ants.
In addition to publications, René likes to give performances at nature organizations and photo clubs.

The evening is then filled with a lot of images but also with music. Everything is then focused on the experience that the viewers take home with them. That is why he will also delight the audience with parts of his performance “Bedroom secrets of Small animals”. Beauty but also functionality are depicted. Since the performance takes place at FRODSHAM & DISTRICT PS, René Krekels will regularly discuss ‘the making of’ during the lecture.

We continue our Mix and Match battle with Ellesmere Port this evening.

The judge for the evening will be James Hardy CPAGB, LRPS, AFIAP, Hon LCPU

If there’s a night to be partisan, then tonight’s the night! Don’t miss it!

The first talk tonight will be given by Nicky Higgins on “Scapes”. This will be followed in the second half of the evening by a talk given by Maggie bullock.

This evening’s presentation is by Hendrik Lohmann.

He will cover street photography very generally before showing us his TTPP project.

Hendrik started with an analogue camera and switched to a digital one in 2009. For some years now, however, he has been using both types. In the beginning landscapes and architecture were the focus of his photographs. Nevertheless at some point, he discovered street photography and developed a great love for it.

One of his greatest influences in the beginning was Marius Vieth. It was the moment when he saw one of his photographs that depicted a guy with an umbrella running through the rain, that he decided to become a street photographer himself. A candid moment shown in a very fine and sensitive way.

“I am fascinated by humans” – a sentence summing up my thrill. Their uniqueness and versatility at the same time, impresses him. It drives him towards trying to catch these moments and immortalise them on pieces of paper.

Besides street photography, where he tries to seize not only the special moments, but also the casual everyday-life situations, there is also the street portraits.

Hendrik addresses an unknown person on the street, that catches his attention, and asks to portray him/her. It happens on the spot and usually never takes more than a few minutes. Since it all happens fairly quickly, he still achieve unselfconscious facial expressions. That is how many of the portraits for the “What the hell…?” and the “beard-series”, as well as others, developed.

During the past three years Hendrik has been photographing the “What the hell…?” series. The project combines the portrait with the question of what the hell are they doing on this planet…

His personal motivation is the fact that he has a lot of fun doing it, nevertheless he also love bringing joy to the people that he portrays, with the photographs that he takes.