Diary 2007 

For quicker uploading for viewers without Broadband the diary is divided into yearly quarters

 
"Lighting Portraits"
Following on from lasts week’s session on posing your subject, tonight we look in more depth at lighting them. This will be a DVD presentation, if you would like a copy for home please contact me after the show to book your copy.

 
"Nature of the beast"  
Well it was National Nature Finals time, and we had four entries going into the last race. Unfortunately once again we failed to make a placed finish, although both Stewart and Willie did manage to qualify for the "Semi Final" round. So better luck next year!. This year’s successful entries seemed to rise to the top because they also managed to capture a sense of the environment around the plant or animal, as well as the subject themselves. Once again it all comes back to story telling and the background being just as important as the subject. More food for thought!. Once again members are really encouraged to try and pop along to some of these shows as there is really no better way of learning photography than by seeing what your peer’s are producing. In the end the wining entry was a shot of a herd of elephant, a very simple scene of a common animal, but beautifully taken and with a very strong depiction of their natural environment.
 

 
"Just Hanging Around"  
Colum gave a practical session in posing for portraits, or is that bullying, really depends on how you liked being in the "executioners chair" that is!  Hopefully most people learned a least a little more about getting that killer shot. They will need it as our "Portraiture" Competition is on again at the end of June. So start working on your entries now!

Our practical homework for tonight, "Rustic" , seems not to have stricken a cord with members, with only four people brining in work. Once again Larissa took top honors with an excellent black and white still life and an even better scene with a cat and a chair. The second shot was successful on many levels, with its muted tones and numerous little "hidden" gems. Surely an image to enjoy going exploring in, and a real story of rustic life if ever there was one!.

 
"Wert die Wartezeit"
Well after a year of pestering, we finally were treated to a truly moving slideshow presentation by Ines, on the subject of Nazi Concentration Camps. It was really a tour de force, particularly the subtle counterpoint of the music with the images. It really is so inspirational to see a body of work come to life like this, and must be of great personal satisfaction to Ines, especially considering the amount of effort she put into preparing the show. Die gut erledigte Arbeit, gefallen eher!

 
"Getting the Bird"  
Tonight Paul gave a brief lecture on how to make your own slideshow using Microsoft Photo Story 3, a free download from their website, well as long as you have a legitimate version of Windows that is. Using a selection of his "Garden Bird" photo’s backed by a track of Ian Andersons, "The Secret Language of Birds", I think most people gained at least a rudimentary insight to the opportunities available. Unfortunately there was a general disappointment that the "Birdy Song" was not available to add to the mix! Hey, lesson learned, never over estimate the artistic sensibilities of your audience! J

 
"The Elders – Live at Woodenbridge"
Sort of like Woodstock but without the hippies, either way a kick ass evening of thumping Celtic Rock was had by all!  Follow their Irish tour on www.eldersmusic.com 
 

 
"Plastic" & "Photoshop"  
Project work returned with plastic.  Willie kindly offered to give us another lecture on Adobe Photoshop. He promised to go back to the basics again, so no one could feel left behind on this one. 
 

 
"What a load of VELUX"  
Following on from the success of last years camera school, Colum has once again a sizable crew of egger beavers ready to follow the twenty seven paths to true enlightenment. Now they have been indoctrinated into the cult of the VELUX, there will be no stopping them.
 

 
"Teddy bears picnic"  
Well the three bears, Willie, Colly and Paulie, duly paid a visit to our good friends in Enniscorthy Camera Club. Apart from attending an intriguing lecture from Mark Sedgwick, and seeing some excellent panels by the locals, we were royally treated to a wonderful buffet of tea, sandwiches, cakes and biscuits. Many thanks to Nicholas Egan for the kind invitation, and we earnestly hope to be able to provide a reciprocal welcome when Enniscorthy makes a return visit.
 

 
"Stuck in the middle with you!"  
So the results were tallied and the scores announced. Mallow Camera Club, the home team, swept the board. Little TBPS finished a creditable 8^th overall out of 14, but unfortunately being outside the top five means we fail to make the National Finals.  All three panels equated themselves fairly similarly, 7^th Monochrome, equal 7^th Colour and 8^th in Slide. On the upside we were singled out for particular praise from the National Secretary of the I.P.F., Mr. Sean Casey, as being "a club of only two years standing who exhibited a huge improvement in the quality of their work". Paul’s colour print "Goldfinch" also received a special commendation.

 
"Love me do, Love me don’t"  
Well tonight was the final shoot out saloon. Some would stay, some would go, to Mallow that is. Many thanks to the members that provided images on the evening, many apologies to those that missed out. In the end the images fairly well picked themselves and the consensus was that we had three pretty reasonable panels. Onwards to battle!
 

 
"Extra Time and Bridesmaid's"
Tonight was our first big club competition of the year, "Monochrome", and once again many thanks to those members that entered a high quality field of over thirty entries. Our guest Judge for the evening was Adrian O’Brien, and as always we remain exceptionally grateful for his support of the Society. Members were treated not only to fair and knowledgeable judgement but to an individual evaluation photo by photo, what a service we provide here at the TBPS!

In keeping with our record of first time winners, this time Julie came first with a wonderful composition "Girl and Birds". Second was Willie Doyle, with Stewart and Colum in joint third. A special word of commendation must be mentioned here for Willie Doyle, hence forth called the "Bridesmaid", who to my record, has now finished second in "Portraiture", "Nature" and "Monochrome". Any decent Competition Secretary would surely have a photographer of the year prize, at this rate Willie would surely be deserving it. See you in the winner’s enclosure soon!