Tag Archives: Competitions

07 December 2023 (Black and White Print Competition)

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Our Black and White print competition took place on 7th December 2023, judged by Fiona Brims, who travelled to us from Central Scotland. Fiona’s work can be found on her web site, where her work on creative portraiture stands out in particular.

https://www.fionabrimsphotography.co.uk/

28 prints had been entered by 10 members, which was fewer than usual, so Fiona had time to comment on each print in detail. She gave some useful, amusing and considered feedback explaining how each of the prints could be improved. Fiona introduced us to three tongue-in-cheek terms. Oomph! A print needs to have an impact. Increasing the contrast and making sure the background gets darker towards the edge all help to keep the eye on the subject. Smidgeon. Lightening some of the shadows by just a smidgeon could help improve the visual impact. Meh! Some of the blank skies, areas of empty grass or open water made boring areas in between areas of interest. Try to minimise the boring areas by changing your viewpoint to reduce their size or by boosting their contrast. Fiona found there was something to like in each of the prints. There were some nice compositions with a good tonal range, some striking and atmospheric landscapes and some studies with an emotional impact. There were some prints which gave a fantastic first impression but Fiona was disappointed to find were not sharp when viewed closely, or they had smudges or cloning faults in the background. Fiona recommended that when photographing an object it is important to have an anchor point to put that object in context. So, for example, a photograph of a typewriter could be improved by showing some of the desk it is sitting on, or a photograph of lights dangling from a tree needs to show where the lights are attached. There were also a few black and white portraits. Fiona explained that she liked to see a catchlight in the eyes, which improves the empathy with the viewer. At the end we had plenty of time to chat and review the prints over tea and sandwiches. The top scorers were (in reverse order):

  • 4th place (46 points)
    • Jim Innes
  • 3rd place (48 points)
    • Jennifer Davidson
    • Mike Clark
    • Carol Edmund
  • 2nd place (50 points)
    • Derek Muller
  • 1st place (55 points)
    • George Todd

The top images were:

  • Man on a Tram (George Todd) – 20 points
  • Suffering for your art (Derek Muller) – 19 points
  • Patiently waiting for prayer to finish (George Todd) – 18 points
  • Exhausted (Carol Edmund) – 18 points

Well done to George Todd, who wins the competition, and to Derek, Jennifer, Mike and Carol, who came close.  Fiona will return next year to give us a talk.

There is now only one meeting left at Fisherrow before Christmas. Come along next Thursday (14th December) at 7pm for our annual quiz night.

 

09 November 2023 (Colour Print Competition)

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This week the club welcomed Kenneth Goodfellow CPAGB LRPS, of Dunfermline Photographic Association, to judge our colour print competition. Ken described how he had transitioned from film photography to digital photography back in 1999, when he bought his first digital camera and started using an early version of Photoshop. You can see a gallery of Ken’s images in Dunfermline’s members gallery:

https://www.dunfermlinephoto.org/members

32 prints had been entered by 11 members. Ken showed that several of the prints had issues with their mounting. There were some ragged edges that could have been trimmed, some mounts were still tacky with glue, and some prints had glue stains on the front. Ken recommended that members check their mounts for excess glue before submitting them. Some prints had air bubbles or ripples, and Ken recommended covering prints with tissue paper and pressing them from the middle outwards to expel air bubbles. He also warned us of “A3 syndrome”: If you have a nice A3 printer and are feeding it with expensive A3 paper there’s a temptation to make sure none of the paper is wasted, so all your prints end up A3-sized. Ken felt that some of the prints would have looked better cropped to a different aspect ratio. Also be careful how you label the mount, as it determines which way up an image will be judged. One of the images was judged upside down as a result of its label. “Why is this image labelled St .Peter’s Square and it shows a lamp, and is Shankar heading to the brickworks or from the brickworks?” Ken also gave us the usual advice about cutting out distractions, watching for lost detail in the highlights and shadows, and making sure the subject of each print is sharp. Despite all the criticism about mounting, many of the prints were of a high quality and achieved high marks. The top scorers were (in reverse order):

  • 5th place (52 points)
    • Joe Fowler
    • Gordon Davidson
  • 4th place (53 points)
    • Jennifer Davidson
    • Carol Edmond
  • 3rd place (54 points)
    • George Todd
  • 2nd place (55 points)
    • Derek Muller
  • 1st place (59 points)
    • John West

The top images were:

  • Pear Shaped (John West) – 20 points
  • Melon-Cauli (John West) – 20 points
  • Knee to the Ground (Jennifer Davidson) – 19 points
  • Shankar Heading to the Brickworks (George Todd) – 19 points
  • Dutch Style Still Life (John West) – 19 points
  • Formidable (Carol Edmond) – 19 points
  • Helenium (Elaine Gilroy) – 18 points
  • Monkey Sanctuary Success Story (Derek Muller) – 19 points
  • Eyes Wide Open (Joe Fowler) – 18 points
  • Three Sisters (George Todd) – 18 points
  • Pettico Wick Jetty Surf (Mike Clark) – 18 points
  • Vulnerable (Carol Edmond) – 18 points
  • Lady of Venice (Jim Innes) – 18 points
  • Eyes on Lunch (Derek Muller) – 18 points
  • Coming in to Land (Derek Muller) – 18 points

John West blew away the competition and earned a fantastic 59/60 points for his expertly-created set of still life prints! Well done also to Derek Muller’s and George Todd.

Our next meeting will be taking place at North Berwick, where we are joining them for our annual “Match an Image” competition. North Berwick Photographic Society will be hosting us at 7:30pm on Thursday, 16th November in the St Andrew Blackadder Church Chapel, St Andrew Street, North Berwick.

23 February 2023 (3-Way Inter-club Competition)

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This week Musselburgh Camera Club welcomed Beeslack Penicuik Camera Club and Haddington Camera Club to the Fisherrow Centre in Musselburgh for our first face to face 3-way interclub competition for 3 years. The previous two competitions had been held by Zoom only.

The meeting was broadcast on Zoom for members who couldn’t make it.  Those who could attend in person were treated to tea, biscuits and cakes, thanks to catering by Jennifer Davidson, Liz Sowler and John West.

The competition was judged by Stephen Lipton who had judged our black and white print competition a few weeks earlier.  Stephen once again entertained us with his stories and invited us to comment on his assessment of each image displayed.  Each club submitted 15 images each, making a total of 45 images.  The competition began with the 3 clubs neck-and neck. After the first 12 images, Beeslack and Haddington had 68 points and Musselburgh had 67 points. When we reached the half way point, Musselburgh were starting to edge ahead on 136 points to Beeslack’s 130 and Haddington’s 131. The trend continued, and when Musselburgh secured the top image of the night with George Todd’s “Durbar Monk” there was no going back. The final scores were:

  • First place (257 points) Musselburgh Camera Club
  • Second place (244 points) Haddington Camera Club
  • Third place (241 points) Beeslack Penicuik Camera Club

The top images of the night were spread amongst the three clubs:

  • Durbar Monk (Musselburgh Camera Club) – 20 points
  • Centre of Heart Nebula in Constellation Cassiopeia (Haddington Camera Club) – 19 points
  • More Than Breezy (Beeslack Penicuik Camera Club) – 19 points

The top Musselburgh images were:

  • Durbar Monk  – 20 points
  • Mountain Hare in the Snow – 18 points
  • Owl In Flight  – 18 points
  • Lovely Cup of Tea – 18 points

It was a delight to be able to entertain Beeslack and Haddington face to face again. Thank you to Stephen Lipton for judging the competition and for timing his presentation to let us finish in time for an early tea break.  Well done to Musselburgh Camera club for a decisive win.

  • George Todd is collecting prints for the Human Portrait print competition this weekend. Please contact George if you are planning to enter and haven’t yet given him your prints.
  • George has his work cut out, as this Thursday, 2nd March, he will be judging our final set subject competition on “Landscape”. Come along on Thursday to see the conclusion to this competition.
  • I have been informed there is also a Wex Photographic Open Day taking place in Edinburgh at 10am-5pm on 2nd March.

See you on Thursday,

Steven

05 January 2023 (Set Subject Competition A – Castles)

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We returned after the Christmas break to the first of our 3 set subject competitions: competition A on the subject of “Castles”.  The competition was judged by Joe Fowler, who had won the competition in 2022.  Joe explained that he judges photographs based on two factors: composition and light. Composition is important. Don’t just point a camera at a castle and press the shutter, walk around the castle and see how it looks from different angles. Can you avoid any distractions by using a different viewpoint? Lighting is equally important. How is the light shining on the castle, and which viewing angle would make the best use of the lighting? Choose your time of day carefully, as bright lighting can overexpose your sky, and dull lighting can make the sky boring (although some members had got around this by using sky replacement).  Joe recommended everyone be their own judge. Look at your work and imagine how you would describe it as a judge.

45 images had been entered by 15 members.  Joe commented on the composition and lighting of each image. There were some images where the prime subject (the castle) was too far away and not prominent enough. Some images could have been taken from a better angle, and Joe pointed out examples where the direction of view didn’t match the direction of the light, which created a “one dimensional” image with only half the castle properly lit. There were also some distractions, such as a modern ice cream van in front of Edinburgh castle or an ugly white gun in front of Eilean Donan castle. In some cases the sky replacement had created a conflict. If you add a new feature to an image make sure the light and shadows match, and if you add a new sky check that it matches the reflection in the water.  Joe also pointed out that many images had trees and bushes blocking the foreground and detracting from the view of the castle.  So, next time you photograph a castle you have a choice: either take some walking boots so you can walk around and find the best view, or take a chainsaw so you can remove any trees that block your view!

The scoring was very close, and the top scorers were (in reverse order):

  • 5th place (48 points)
    • Stephen Williams
    • Derek Muller
  • 4th place (49 points)
    • Malcolm Roberts
    • Gordon Davidson
    • John West
    • Jim Innes
  • 3rd place (50 points)
    • Carol Edmund
  • 2nd place (52 points)
    • Steven Beard
    • Mike Clark
  • 1st place (55 points)
    • George Todd

The top images were:

  • Through the Valley to Dunnotar Castle (George Todd) – 20 points
  • Tantallon Castle (Carol Edmund) – 20 points
  • Edinburgh Castle Lights (Mike Clark) – 19 points
  • Eilean Donan (Jim Innes) – 19 points
  • Dunottar Castle (Malcolm Roberts) – 18 points
  • Hailes Castle (Steven Beard) – 18 points
  • Sunset of Tantallon Castle (George Todd) – 18 points

Well done to George Todd, who wins the right to judge yet another competition next year.  This is the first of a 3-part competition, with the final result depending on the total score from the best 2 competitions; and with so many members getting good scores this still leaves the trophy open to anyone. The next part of the competition takes place in 3 weeks time, on 26th January 2023.

And on that subject, I have to point out a mistake in my previous message. This week is not the hand-in date for the human portrait print competition. It is the hand-in date for the next set subject competition. Please send your 3 JPEG images on the theme of “wildlife” to George Todd as soon as possible. (Human portrait prints are not needed until 23rd February 2023 – panic over).

Next week we are hosting the “Match an Image” competition, with North Berwick Photographic Society as our special guests. This competition is too complex to host by Zoom, so I hope as many members as possible will join us in room G6 at Fisherrow. The session starts at 7pm on Thursday, 12th January 2023.

24 November 2022 (Black and White Print Competition)

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This week we had the second of our three print competitions. Stephen Lipton travelled all the way from Greenock to judge our Black and White Print Competition. Stephen said that he always judges prints by looking at them in daylight and recommended that we do the same. The appearance of a print depends not only on the quality of the original image, but on the quality paper and on the lighting under which it is viewed. Never submit a print before first viewing it in daylight. Stephen also wondered how many of us setup our cameras to capture raw black and white images, rather than taking a colour image and converting it to black and white. This allows you to see what a scene would look like in black and white as soon as you capture it. A good place to see excellent quality black and white images is in the work of American photographer, Ansel Adams. He was a master of black and white photography and invented an exposure technique know as the zone system. You can see some of Ansel Adam’s work in his gallery:

Welcome
The Ansel Adams Gallery

There were 39 prints to judge, entered by 13 members. Stephen displayed each print and invited members to share their opinions. Stephen said that the eye usually takes a journey though a print, starting at the edge, following a succession of points and ending at a focal point. He liked to see some space around a print to help the eye along that journey, and he felt some of the prints submitted were a bit too tightly cropped. He also disliked the overuse of vignettes. Some of the prints submitted lacked contrast, and he referred to Ansel Adams’ zone system. Make sure that each print covers all the zones. Dodging and burning can help bring out details across the full tonal range. Some of the prints lacked detail in the sky, and he suggested darkening the blue areas to enhance the contrast. This lead to a discussion about sky replacement, which Stephen was not in favour of. The top scorers were (in reverse order):

  • 4th place (47 points)
    • Gavin Marshall
    • Stephen Williams
    • Elaine Gilroy
    •  
  • 3rd place (51 points)
    • Mike Clark
    • Carol Edmund
  • 2nd place (54 points)
    • George Todd
  • 1st place (56 points)
    • Joe Fowler

The top images were:

  • A Cup of Tea (Joe Fowler) – 20 points
  • The Forge (Joe Fowler) – 19 points
  • With Gritted Teeth (George Todd) – 19 points
  • Bath Time Before School (George Todd) – 18 points
  • My Beard and I (Carol Edmund) – 18 points

Well done Joe Fowler for a well-deserved win, and to George, Carol and Mike. And thank you to Stephen for judging the competition and telling us his fascinating stories.

Next week it is quiz night, with Stephen Williams as the quizmaster. Bring your thinking caps.

 

03 November 2022 (Colour Print Competition)

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This week Neil Scott FRPS of Edinburgh Photographic Society visited us to judge our Colour Print Competition. The club is always delighted to welcome Neil, as he brings us amusing stories about photography. Neil had previously entertained us with two interesting talks, in 2017 and 2019:

Keep It Simple Stupid

The Camera Never Lies

Neil had 39 prints to judge, entered by 13 members. It was apparent that some members were out of practice at mounting prints. Neil recommended that prints be mounted centrally on the mount board with slightly more space underneath the print than above it. However, Neil congratulated the photographer who had made a mount out of a recycled “PermaJet” box. It doesn’t matter what’s round the back of a print, as long as the front looks good.

Neil judged each print based primarily on what the photographer had added through their own creativity. A photograph of a well-known subject, such as Bow Fiddle Rock or the Aberlady submarine, is better when the photographer chooses their own unique viewpoint. The same is true when photographing a beautiful garden or artwork that someone else has created. If the photographer hasn’t added some creative input of their own then the photograph becomes a “record shot”. Neil liked Ross Robertson’s shot of the V&A in Dundee because it wasn’t just a picture of the building: it showed the contrast between the stark lines of the building and the soft, natural flowers in the foreground. He also liked John West’s photograph of a glass vase reflected in a window. An artist had made the vase, but John had captured the distorted lines cause by the window and vase together. Ed Robertson’s “Stained Glass” print also showed a unique view of coloured glass bottles, photographing them from underneath to create a perspective view.

Once creativity had been taken into account, Neil awarded extra marks based on the overall quality of the print. Some prints were let down by their composition and needed more space in the frame. Other prints had shadow areas that needed to be lightened, and some looked too soft and could have benefitted from sharpening, or from a faster shutter speed if the softness was caused by camera shake. The highest marks were awarded to prints that showed both creativity and a high quality. Neil encouraged everyone to keep trying, regardless of their score this evening. Some members showed a good eye for what makes an interesting image, and they could do well in the future with a bit of practice. The top scorers were (in reverse order):

  • 5th place (51 points)
    • Stephen Williams
  • 4th place (52 points)
    • Elaine Gilroy
  • 3rd place (53 points)
    • Joe Fowler
  • 2nd place (54 points)
    • John West
  • 1st place (58 points)
    • George Todd

The top images were:

  • Brown Hare At Rest (George Todd) – 20 points
  • Durbar Monk (George Todd) – 20 points
  • Black Knight’s Shadow (John West) – 20 points
  • Horse Trials (Joe Fowler) – 19 points
  • The Blacksmith (Joe Fowler) – 18 points
  • Walter The Woodturner (George Todd) – 18 points
  • Helenium (Elaine Gilroy) – 18 points
  • V&A (Ross Robertson) – 18 points

Well done to George Todd with an unassailable 58/60 points! Also congratulations to John West and Joe Fowler. And thank you to Neil for judging the competition and entertaining us with his witty stories.

Next week Jean Manson will be visiting us to tell us her “Wildlife Tales from Home and Abroad“. The week after that we have another “Sets of Six” evening, so start thinking of what you would like to bring along.

 

Change of date for 4-Way competition with Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy and Stirling

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Please note that the 4-way competition is not due to take place this coming Monday, 15th November 2021, as originally advertised on your programme. It is taking place 2 weeks later on Monday, 29th November 2021.

The arrangements will be the same. The meeting will hosted by Edinburgh Photographic Society by Zoom. We will circulate the Zoom information a few days before the meeting. Members can choose to join the meeting from home or to watch the meeting from the Fisherrow Centre.

16 September 2021 (Introduction to Photography)

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This week I gave my introduction to photography presentation for beginners, this time as a combined face to face and Zoom presentation. This was the first use of the club’s new wireless microphone, which we found was good for picking up the speaker but not so good for picking up the chat from within the room. Next time we will switch to a different microphone for the questions and chat.

Here is a collection of downloadable notes, if anyone would like more details.

01HowDoesACameraWorkDownload
02ChoiceOfLensAndGadgetsDownload
03ExposureApertureDepthOfFieldDownload
04CameraExposureSettingsDownload
05DigitalInformationAndHistogramDownload
06DynamicRangeRawAndHDRDownload
07LightingAndCompositionDownload
08ImageProcessingDownload

The following downloadable notes and give more information on club competitions.

mcccompetitioninformation2021Download

After the presentation there was a technical hitch, where the club laptop struggled to manage a Zoom meeting and play a Dingwall DVD at the same time. After a few minutes delay we eventually showed some inspirational images from the Dingwall Camera Club National Projected Image Exhibition.

Set Subject Competition A – This Thursday

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Happy New Year to all Musselburgh Camera Club members!

A reminder that our first set subject competition of the year, on the theme of “Nature and Wildlife” takes place at 7:30pm this Thursday, 7th January 2021 by Zoom. The competition will be judged by Joe Fowler.

I hope you all had a good Christmas break, and I look forward to seeing you.

 

Human Portrait Competition – Change of Date

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I have been informed that we had the wrong date for the Human Portrait competition on the syllabus. Simon Wooton could not make the original date of 28th January 2021. The competition was moved to 14th January 2021 but the syllabus on the web site was not updated. George informs me that the closing date was this Thursday, 10th December, but as this is too short notice for everyone Simon has agreed to receive our images next week instead.

So please start preparing your human portrait images and submit them to George by 17th December 2020.

Apologies for the mistake on the syllabus. It has been corrected.