Blog archive - February 2009
26 February, by Barry Pearson.
Some photo-opportunities during 2009
I have developed and uploaded a new page identifying venues offering photo-opportunities, and describing special events planned for those venues during 2009. This new page is also linked to from the Syllabus and Diary pages. I will add information to it when I learn more - please let me know of other venues and events of interest.
The events currently range from February to October - they are not just summer events. Distances from Hazel Grove, and (rather optimistic) travel times supplied by Multimap, are provided in most cases. It might be thought that there is an emphasis on stream trains - that may give a clue about who has helped me with this information so far!
20 February, by Bill Chadband. (Meeting and event reports)
Annual Exhibition 11-13 February 2009
Another successful Annual Exhibition has ended. It is a pleasing feature of the Society that when there are jobs to be done members come forward to do them, so that most members can feel they have had a hand in the Exhibition’s progress. The Mounting of the exhibition is a team effort, and marvelously, no-one has to be told what to do. Members, who are able, turn up by 9.30am on the Wednesday morning and extract the stands from beneath the stage in the Civic Hall; assemble them; fix the lighting, and proceed to mount the prints. The arrangements of prints on the stands was decided by a sub-group who met at Hawk Green Reading Room on Sunday 1st February; having received the prints back from the Judge on the Saturday 31st January. The Selection committee took the opportunity of viewing the Prints on the Sunday before selecting our input into the Digital Print Competition. As is now usual, the number of prints exceeds the space available to show them, so that the eight prints provided by members is reduced to six on show. It has been suggested that we should therefore reduce the number of prints per member to six, and save us all (and the judge) some effort. Members are invited to number their prints in preference order, but it is an interesting fact that numbers 7 and 8 often do better (in terms of Commendations) than earlier numbers. So obviously either the judge has got it wrong, or members have!! The principal taken in hanging the prints is to include all the commended prints, excluding instead earlier ones not Commended. It would also be unfortunate if the occasion arose when we had a reduced entry so that the space exceeded the prints available.
The Exhibition Slides were presented as a continuous back projected show to the Left hand side of the stage, whilst those prints not on display were photographed and shown as a continuous computer display to the Right hand side of the stage. Peter Redford organised the slide show presentation whilst Tony Redford took the prints away from the Reading Room, to be photographed, and arranged as a continuous projected image display. With the Exhibition set up, there were still the two competitions to be considered. The big screen (which is stored under the stage) had to be extracted and erected, and for the Digital Print competition, the Print Display Box set up in the Hall.
On the first night the 5 prints each of the 23 competing clubs were collected, numbered (randomly), photographed (behind the curtain on the stage) then placed on tables at the back for the judge and the audience to peruse before the competition began. Whilst the judge considered the print on the light box the large digital image was projected on the screen. Peter’s clever software accumulated the results, showing, on the screen, each club’s progression as the evening proceeded. The audience near the front were able to compare the digital image with the print itself and be satisfied that there was a close correspondence. Judge Keith Brown was invited to give 19 marks to those prints he wished to see again, and choose the best print for a mark of 20: In the event he felt obliged to give several 19.5 marks. Wigan 10 were the winners of the Alan Adshead Memorial Trophy, with the Best Print accolade (plus 2 packets of A3 print paper, courtesy of Jessops) going to Margaret Sixsmith of Hoylake PS for her print “Ortolan Bunting Preening".
President Roger Dye and Peter Redford were the only two people available on the Thursday morning to re-arrange the room, removing the back tables, rearranging the front screen, and the Digital Projector in readiness for the interclub projected digital image interclub knockout competition. Twenty nine clubs had entered and we were pleasantly surprised to find that North Cheshire emerged as the winners, closely followed by Wigan 10 and Leek. Thus it was that President Roger Dye invited judge Mike McNamee to present him (Roger) with the North Cheshire Challenge Trophy. The Best image prize was awarded to Graham Ella of Stockport PS for his image "Crested Tit on Larch".
More people were available on the Friday morning to clear the stage and re-arrange the Hall, in readiness for the Friday Music at an Exhibition evening. We were slightly taken aback to find that all of the chairs had been removed and Age Concern had set up half a dozen stalls. The Caretaker assured us that he would replace all of the chairs before the evening. Had there been a good response to Age Concern these same respondents would have been able to view the print exhibition as a bonus. But the only visitors appeared to be the NCPS contingent.
Friday evening came and Romiley Operatic Society arrived in good time to assemble in the Worth Room and then, on the dot of 8.00pm, troupe onto the stage for their part. They gave a robust performance of songs from their previous shows, ending with a Pirates of Penzance sequence (their next big show at Romiley Forum in March).
After the interval Hawk Green Brass Band assembled on the stage. They have a new conductor who clearly had a rapport with his young players. He encouraged his young soloists, and then encouraged the audience to join in with claps, and for the finale, with bursting balloons to represent cannon shots. He even brought a photographic joke to share with the audience, who warmed to his humour and gave the band rapturous applause at the end.
On Saturday morning, I thought I would get there early by 9.00am, but discovered several club members already there eager to dismantle the exhibition.
So how can we possibly improve?
The refreshment team organized by Jill Hargreaves worked efficiently to give coffee, tea and biscuits to the large audiences with the minimum of fuss. Hilary Turnbull and Brian collected and arranged the raffle on each of the three nights. Members were again generous in providing the prizes. To minimize the delay/boredom of a long raffle draw, after the first night, numbers were drawn in quick succession so that winners had to be quick to get to the front to choose the best prizes. This seems to be an acceptable model for future raffles. John Ade ensured that all the lights were working for the display. Joyce Robson, Sheila and Fred Edwards manned the door desks each night to ensure that all entrants paid. Bill brought the microphones (one a radio mic) to ensure the judges remarks would all be heard; though it seems that we might have to send the judges on a short course in holding these mics closer to the mouth. We tried to get all of the stage lights on, for the Friday show but apparently we have to book them in advance and pay £25 extra – weird!!
Tony Redford took charge of the competitions, sending out the invitations, and with his team, on the Wednesday night, processing the Competition prints (and with Phil Riley and Dorothy Redford handling the prints on and off the light box for the judge). The Digital images for the Thursday Knockout Competition had been received in advance. Peter Redford’s clever program kept us all informed as images were knocked out over the several rounds. We are particularly indebted to Peter for the work he puts in to ensure a successful exhibition. I know he says he enjoys it and it keeps his dad up to scratch.
Several visitors have commented on how smoothly the competitions run and how much they enjoy the Friday Music Night. We shall have to wait a little to see how we did financially, but there was no damping the members’ enthusiasm when 41 members and wives arrived at the Tarantella Restaurant at 1.00pm on Sunday 15th February to finally put the 2009 Annual Exhibition to bed. We were especially pleased that Exhibition Judge John Smith and his wife Gillian were able to join us for this occasion.
Just about everyone in the Club had an input to the exhibition, too numerous to mention by name and still keep this report a reasonable length. We witnessed a virtual full house on each evening providing a pleasing and exciting ambience to the large hall
So what shall we do for the 2010 exhibition …………?
20 February, by Bill Chadband. (Meeting and event reports)
Changes in Press Photography – A Retrospective
Pauline Neild, of Bramhall PS, was our speaker on Tuesday 17th February 2009. Amazingly Pauline told us that she had only been doing photography for 19 years. When she and her husband moved to Manchester she joined the Bramhall Club and enrolled on a local Photographic Course, It appears that early on she had a yen to be a Press Photographer. She learned to process Black and White film and made herself known to several photographers who helped her on her way. She noted that Tony Redford was the judge at the 1st Club competition she entered at Bramhall and she had been pleased with his positive comments; and also that George Beaumont had opened her first exhibition.
A Press Photographer is mainly concerned with people and events. She meandered around Salford and Bolton looking for images and local news stories. Her aim was to get images into the Manchester Evening News, the Manchester Guardian, and the new publication – the Courier. Pauline showed us a variety of her early monochrome work, including images that had made it into one or more of these publications. Having become established she found work in illustrating plays (Catalogues) and Galleries (eg the Chapman Gallery at Salford University).
Pauline showed us her early home darkroom (the Pantry) to be replaced later by a purpose built darkroom at the bottom end of their Garage. After 1996 the Evening News wanted Colour pictures only. She spent long hours with the newspapers, and on one memorable occasion she and a friend found themselves locked in. The only way out was through a window of the Gents Toilet, across a well, and over an iron balustrade. Fortunately her friend was able to photographically record the Great Escape.
She was fortunate to be inside the police cordon when John Major visited the North, and raised the interesting question of whether or not it was still legal to photograph policemen guarding scenes of the crime. (See Note below).
Her later colourful work took on a more surrealistic approach, starting with a Pigs Can Fly sequence. Some of these images can be seen at her website.
Joyce Streets proposed the Vote of Thanks. We had all been enthralled by Pauline’s narrative. Joyce thought that waiting for a suitable image could be a lonely affair, yet Pauline seems to have made many friends through her photography. The audience clapped loudly in approval.
Note:
The note is in the full article.
The note is a small summary of a more extensive article: Is it now illegal to photograph police officers?
19 February.
New galleries uploaded
Galleries for prints and slides in the Exhibition have been uploaded to our galleries page. These represent over 45% of the prints that were displayed, and over 35% of the slides that were displayed. They are large galleries! |
|
|
|
19 February. (Awards and acceptances)
The Welsh International Projected Image Salon 2009
- FIAP: International Federation of Photographic Art | FIAP Patronage Service | FIAP Patronage 2008
- PSA: Photographic Society of America | PSA Competitions and Exhibitions | PSA Exhibition Forms
AwardsGeoff Robinson: Highly Commended for: |
|
|
|
AcceptancesMartin Currie: |
|
|
|
Alan Saunders: |
|
|
|
Geoff Robinson: |
|
|
|
18 February, by Barry Pearson. (Notices and news)
Is it now illegal to photograph police officers?
In her fascination talk about press photography (etc), Pauline Neild mentioned the new law about photographing police officers. It isn't (yet) known in what circumstances amateur photographers will get into serious trouble for taking photographs of police officers. Here is material about the new law, including extracts and commentaries.
The new law is the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008, and the relevant sections commenced on 16 February. Older laws also cause problems. The question is: what are photographers' rights? No doubt we will discover more in future.
(Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. But I was a close witness as government, blinded by ideology and thwarted by the law of unintended consequences, drove major legislation to inevitable disaster. I am somewhat cynical about government's competence to make law fit for purpose).
Counter-Terrorism Act 2008
Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 defines the offence of collecting information (which can include a photograph) likely to be useful to a terrorist. Section 76 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 amends section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to include information about people including "a constable". So it is now an offence (with imprisonment up to 10 years) to collect information, including a photograph, about a police officer, likely to be useful to a terrorist. (These Acts do not state that intent to assist a terrorist is necessary).
- The relevant section (76) of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 online:
- Section 76: Offences relating to information about members of armed forces etc
- Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 that is amended by the above section:
- Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000: Collection of information
- The relevant Commencement Order (for 16 February):
- The Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2009
If Wikipedia is accurate on this topic, it is illuminating:
The Parliamentary debate on this law was limited owing to the fact that the offence of eliciting or publishing information "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism" only applied to people who were or had been members of Her Majesty’s Forces when the Bill was first published as well as throughout the debate in the Standing Committee.
The law against eliciting or publishing information "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism" was extended to encompass police constables in a raft of unscrutinized amendments that passed into the Bill at the end of the debate when the Parliamentary timetable (which had been voted on earlier in the day) expired.
When this clause was scrutinized in the House of Lords, and in all subsequent debates, no reference was made to the extension of the law to include police constables.
In the news
Amateur Photographer (9 February 2009): Photographers to stage mass protest
However, last week, the Government insisted that the soon-to-be-introduced law will not increase police powers to stop photographers because the rules are already laid out in existing legislation. This is because, under the current Terrorism Act 2000, it is already an offence to 'collect or make a record of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism'. Such a 'record' can include 'photographs' and, by implication, covers photographing police officers, according to a Home Office spokesman.
And the new Act will not change the Section 44 Stop-and-Search rule which gives police the right to stop a member of the public without grounds for suspicion.
Holdthefrontpage.co.uk (10 February 2009): New terrorism law 'could curb press photography'
The new Act is expected to strengthen existing powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 for police to stop and search photographers and prevent them from taking pictures in public.
Olivier Laurent, news editor at the British Journal of Photography, said: "It means anyone that takes images or notes anything about police officers, armed services personnel and Her Majesty's servants.... Officers could be over zealous and stop photographers, especially in places such as a press photographer covering protests and it looks as if a police officer is doing something that he does not want to be seen, he could invoke that act. The fact they will be able to detain that person is of great concern for photographers. A lot of them wouldn't know their rights."
In answer to the question whether it gave the green light to officers to arrest photographers for taking pictures of police or military personnel, a Home Office spokesperson said: "It's down to police forces to interpret whether a crime or offence takes place but that's not what Section 76 says."
PhotoNetCast (11 February 2009): Photographers’ Rights and the new UK Counter-Terrorism Act 2008
My commentary: Includes an illuminating but not exhaustive 37 minute podcast.
Guardian (12 February 2009): Documenting dissent is under attack
When you add this to the comments made by Vernon Coaker, the minister for policing, in a letter to the National Union of Journalists in December, things don't look good.
The Coaker letter laid out when the police could "limit" photography in a public place. He wrote: "This may be on the grounds of national security or there may be situations in which the taking of photographs may cause or lead to public order situations or inflame an already tense situation or raise security considerations. Additionally, the police may require a person to move on in order to prevent a breach of the peace or to avoid a public order situation or for the person's own safety and welfare or for the safety and welfare of others."
Guardian (12 February 2009): Photographers fear they are target of new terror law
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said the law was not specifically intended for photographers and concerns about how it would be used were speculative. It would be the job of the police and the courts to interpret the law.
The Register (12 February 2009): Photography rights: Snappers to descend on Scotland Yard
In line with the model used in related laws, the offence itself is "strict liability": it is the gathering of information that will be deemed to be the offence, and a defence that the person had a "reasonable excuse for their action" is only allowed after the offence has been charged.
BBC (16 February 2009): Is it a crime to take pictures?
The NUJ said some police officers wrongly believed they had the right to delete photographers' images.
The Metropolitan Police insisted the law was intended to protect counter-terrorism officers and any prosecution would have to be in the public interest.... "Taking photographs of police officers would not, except in very exceptional circumstances, be caught by this offence."
BBC (16 February 2009): Photographers angry at terror law
Peter Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, backed a call by Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell to introduce a formal code to clarify the position of both the police and photographers.
Telegraph (16 February 2009): MPs have a duty to protect our freedoms
The clause is drawn so widely that the police will have little difficulty invoking it to prevent the taking of photographs they simply object to - such as those which show them in an unfavourable light.
Telegraph (17 February 2009): Why can't we take pictures of policemen?
According to the Government, while there are no legal restrictions on photography in public places, "there may be situations in which the taking of photographs may cause or lead to public order situations or raise security considerations".
The problem is that there are so many instances of counter-terror laws being invoked to stop perfectly innocent activities, such as trainspotting or bird watching, that many photographers do not believe such assurances.
Times (18 February 2009): How we used to mock the Stalinist control
Every officious jobsworth now has a right to stop you, tear out the film or delete the images and issue charges if you cannot convince the police that you are a train spotter or innocent amateur photographer.
My commentary:
As far as I know no one has the right to delete images nor to force the photographer to do so.
Forums
Needless to say, various forums are discussing this topic!
Other laws - Terrorism Act 2000, etc
NCPS Notice: The law and photography - some useful documents
BBC (17 April 2008): Innocent photographer or terrorist?
Austin Mitchell MP has tabled a motion in the Commons that has drawn on cross-party support from 150 other MPs, calling on the Home Office and the police to educate officers about photographers' rights....
"There's a general alarm about terrorism and about paedophiles, two heady cocktails, and police and PCSOs [police community support officers] and wardens and authorities generally seem to be worried about this". Photographers have every right to take photos in a public place, he says, and it's crazy for officials to challenge them when there are so many security cameras around and so many people now have cameras on phones. But it's usually inexperienced officers responsible.
The Register (23 June 2008): The war on photographers - you're all al Qaeda suspects now
Stephen Carroll is a keen amateur photographer, with an interest in candid portraiture: "street photography", he calls it. In December 2007, he was in the centre of Hull taking photos. Unfortunately for him, his actions were spotted by two local policemen. They stopped him in the middle of Boots and asked him to accompany them outside. There they told him that he had been taking photographs of "sensitive buildings". One said: "I am taking your film".
Mr Carroll requested an explanation. He asked whether he was "obligated" to hand over the film. In vain! Every time he asked, back came the same response: "I am taking your film". Robocop is alive and well and apparently working in Humberside. When he eventually handed over his film, he was asked to turn out his pockets and to show what other films he had on him.
BJP (28 January 2009): Jail for photographing police?
Tallis, a London-based photographer, was covering the anti-BBC protest on Saturday 24 January when he was approached by a police officer. Tallis had just taken a picture of the officer, who then asked to see the picture. The photographer refused, arguing that, as a press photographer, he had a right to take pictures of police officers.
According to Tallis, the officer then tried to take the camera away. Before giving up, the officer said that Tallis 'shouldn't have taken that photo, you were intimidating me'. The incident was caught on camera by photojournalist Marc Vallee.
Photographers' rights - useful reading
NCPS Notice: The law and photography - some useful documents
The Register (23 June 2008): So, what can you photograph?
As far as I know no one has the right to delete images nor to force the photographer to do so.
(Voice from a hospital bed: "I was in the right ... I was in the right"!)
14 February. (Awards and acceptances & Members' exhibition results)
Members' work at the 2009 Exhibition - lists and awards
Our Annual Exhibition provides a showcase of members' work. 75 slides, and 154 prints (more than ever before), were on display this year, and more than a third of them can be seen on this website. Here are the full lists of work on display, with links to images:
All submitted work was judged by John Smith and he awarded various certificates and trophies. John will return to explain his judging on 24th February.Here is ongoing material on this website about members' work in our exhibitions:
- Results for members' entries in Exhibitions (the "master index" of members' work from 2000 to 2009)
- Awards & trophies for members' work in exhibitions
- Galleries of members' images in Exhibitions
Best prints
Geoff Robinson Best Print in Exhibition: From Dawn to Dusk |
|
|
|
Katie GarnerBest Intermediate Print: Lance Armstrong, 7 Times Tour de France Winner |
|
|
|
Martin CurrieBest Monochrome Print: Amitav |
|
|
|
Barry Pearson Best Photojournalism Print: Miss Lola Lamour |
|
|
|
Alan SaundersBest Natural History Print: Red Deer Portrait |
|
|
|
Best slides
Geoff RobinsonBest Slide in Exhibition: A Slender Lead |
|
|
|
Martin Currie Best Portrait Slide: Sadhu |
|
|
|
Phil RileyBest Photojournalism Slide: Biaggi |
|
|
|
Gordon Robson Best Record Slide: Italian Chapel, Orkney Isles |
|
|
|
Proposed new section in the 2010 Exhibition
We piloted a new "Miss Lola Lamour" section in this year's exhibition to determine its popularity. There appears to be the critical mass needed to go ahead with this new section next year.
The "Miss Lola Lamour" pilotJoyce Streets: The Singer |
|
|
|
14 February. (Interclub competition results)
Results of the Interclub Competitions in the 2009 Exhibition
- History: Alan Adshead Trophy, digital prints competition
- History: North Cheshire Challenge Trophy, slides then projected digital images knock-out
Wednesday 11 February - Alan Adshead Trophy (digital prints competition)
Results: Alan Adshead Memorial Trophy (digital prints competition)
Winning club: Wigan 10
Best print: "Ortolan Bunting Preening" by Margaret Sixsmith of Hoylake PS
| North Cheshire Photographic Society entry (10th equal out of 23 clubs) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Geoff Robinson:  |
Dorothy Redford: |
Alan Saunders:  |
Graham Johnston:  |
Gordon Robson: |
Thursday 12 February - North Cheshire Challenge Trophy (projected digital images KO)
Results: North Cheshire Challenge Trophy (projected digital images knock-out)
Winning club: North Cheshire Photographic Society
Best image: "Crested Tit on Larch" by Graham Ella of Stockport PS
| North Cheshire Photographic Society entry (first out of 29 clubs) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Paula Martin:  |
Dorothy Redford:  |
Geoff Robinson:  |
Alan Saunders:  |
Martin Currie:  |
13 February. (Awards and acceptances)
Great Lakes Digital Salon of Photography 2008-09
Sponsored by PSA, Photographic Society of America.
- Great Lakes Digital Salon of Photography
- PSA: Photographic Society of America | PSA Competitions and Exhibitions | PSA Exhibition Forms
AcceptancesMartin Currie: Village Elder, |
|
|
|
5 February, by Bill Chadband. (Meeting and event reports)
Members Images – Tuesday 3 February
As a change from talks, members, particularly the newer members, were invited to bring along images to be projected by the Digital projector, or else as prints to be illuminated by the Digital projector. The response was good and we had an interesting evening looking at new images and thinking what we would say about them as Judges. To get the ball rolling Tony Redford, Frank Hutchinson and Brian Bower were prevailed upon to make the opening remarks for each image. The image authors were invited to make their own remarks, and the audience generally were invited to join in.
It was immediately obvious that much of the audience were tongue-tied when invited to comment. Apart from saying that one liked or was indifferent to an image, making a suggestion as to how it could be improved is not generally straightforward. In listening to the judge’s comments one could conclude that, with competition pictures, besides trying to make an immediate impact on the judge, the other great art is to remove all the standard objections which might be raised. Is the composition according to the rules? Are there distracting elements on the edge of the image? Is the main subject large enough and bold enough in the frame? Making the main subject bright and strong with the background paler or out of focus seems to be a standard response. We all seem to be encouraged to use the Gaussian filter to make the background less intrusive. Else a colourful main subject with a monochrome background seems to do the trick.
But the main fun of the evening derives from seeing new images by members and how these members have chosen to present their images.. Brian Turnbull produced several before and after images, inviting the audience to say which treatment they preferred. President Roger Dye ran the evening using Lightroom as his preferred program. He thanked the three judges, and the members for bringing the images and making it another successful evening.
At the conclusion Martin Currie ran a short workshop for new members on resizing images to be digitally projected.
5 February. (Awards and acceptances)
Correction: PSA Gold in the Minnesota Nature Salon
Martin Currie has been informed that he received a PSA Gold Best of Show for "Gannets Feeding" in the Minnesota Nature Salon, part of the 2008 NorthStar International Circuit of Nature Photography.
2 February, by Tony Redford.
Unhung prints from the Exhibition entry & Poynton Library display
A library display at Poynton was erected today as another means of publicising the Exhibition. The display consists of prints which were kindly brought in by members for that purpose, augmented by a selection from those Exhibition prints which will not be hung for lack of space on the stands.
ALL unhung prints have been copied with a view to displaying them digitally during the exhibition.
1 February, by Barry Pearson.
This will make you go "Aaaaaaaah!" or "Aaaarrrggh!"
It depends on whether you like cute cats!
- "A Cat's Life" by Jane Burton (Telegraph)
- "A Cat's Life" by Jane Burton (Daily Mail)
- "A Cat's Life" by Jane Burton (Amazon.co.uk)
If you prefer something less cute, this is a book I had for Christmas and can personally recommend:
| News and blog archives | January 2009 | ||