Hoylake Photographic Society have been asked to record the Year of Countryside and Coast for Wirral Borough Council and I'll be doing monthly updates on the blog during the Summer of events in the calendar for the information of club members and members of the public.
May 1st - 6th Wirral Walking Festival
A series of guided walks through the countryside and along the coastline of Wirral. Contact 0151 648 4371. www.visitwirral.com
May 6th New Ferry Butterfly Park
Meet at New Ferry Butterfly Park adjacent to Bebington Station car park, Bebington Road, New Ferry.
May 11th - 13th British Open Dinghy Racing Trophy
The Wilson trophy, international team dinghy racing, Marine Lake, West Kirby. 0151 625 5579. www.wilsontrophy.co.uk
May 13th A Package from Africa
Join the local rangers for a walk along the paths and dunes and over scrub grasslands around Leasowe Lightouse to look for the recently arrived warblers who breed there.
May 13th Secret Gardens of Oxton
Visit the beautiful gardens in the lovely soundings of Oxton village conservation area. 07963 248268 or www.oxtonsociety.org.uk
May 13th The Port Sunlight 10k Race
To celebrate Olympic year, Port Sunlight Village museum is reinstating this old sporting event. www.portsunlight10k.com
May 15th (4pm) Fort and Rockpooling
New Brighton shore rockpools and shore invertibrates. Fort Perch Rock and its history. Meet in from of the Fort.
May 19th Museums at Night
Spooky sunlight ghost walks in Port Sunlight, 5.15pm, 7.30pm and 8.45pm. Booking essential 0151 644 6466 or www.portsunlightvillage.com
May 27th Wirral Coastal Walk
15 mile charity walk around the coast of Wirral starting from Seacombe Ferry and finishing at Wirral Country Park at Thurstaston. 0151 203 2111 or www.wirralcoastalwalk.org
May 27th West Kirby Seaside Fair
A traditional seaside fair at Coronation Gardens. www.friendsofcoronationgardens.co.uk
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
A Day At The Races
It's not often that the members of Hoylake Photographic Society get out together which is a shame, but when they do they have a good time. Five members recently shared a car and visited Bangor on Dee racecourse for a spot of sports photography. Club members, George Evans, Rob Devenish, Les Pickstock and husband and wife team Phil and Cynthia Sadler decided to take on the challenge of shooting this fast paced sport and this is the story of their day.
Firstly a little about Bangor on Dee. It's a small, friendly, quiet, picturesque course on the outskirts of Wrexham in North Wales with the coutryside as a backdrop. With free parking it's only £9 to enter the Course Enclosure which gives you access from the last fence to the winning post, and the start to the second fence. If you get there early enough you can park your car on a grassy bank close to and overlooking the start and first fence and picnic from your car.
If you want you can pay an extra £10 for entry to the Paddock Enclosure to photograph in the parade ring and take advantage of the posh hospitality
With the discussions about lens choice and shooting positions over it was time for the first race, a steeplechase, and George Evans decided to take the wide angle approach and shoot from the ground. Now sports photography is a difficult subject to master if you haven't done it before, and horse racing is no different. Not knowing where along the fence the horse is going to jump so that you know where to focus, and how high and how far the jump and landing will be is down to guesswork if you're not experienced and it took George a couple of attempts to get this blind shot with only the sound of hoofs approaching to guide him.
George decided to get around this problem by switching to his fisheye lens for the next race. A fisheye lens has such a large depth of field and a 180 degree view and he could take the guesswork out and rely on the silence of the approaching hoofs knowing that the take off had begun and press the shutter for a burst of shots.
The weather forecast for the day was for showers and it was uncanny how each shower came in between races allowing us to get the shots that we wanted before the next one arrived.
With George and Rob covering the last fence, Les Pickstock decided to take the head on approach towards the winning post with a long lens and captured the horses on the first circuit of the race.
The race card for the day had six alternating steeplechase and hurdle races with a flat chase to finish and with two races down it was time to move on to the first and second fences for a different perspective but not before Cynthia had captured this race for the post.
Things were far more relaxed when we moved away from the final fence and the official photographers as we were able to get even closer to the action and take our pick of the best spots at the first and second fences.
Phil Sadler tried a bit of camouflage as a tactic but the blue jacket gave him away. Still he didn't spook the horses or riders and got this shot of a straggler.
Not all of the horses completed the course unscathed and happily none were seriously hurt but one had to be led back to the start.
Between races there was a 20 minute window of opportunity to grab some general shots of the course and Les Pickstock wandered off to the betting area for a while and captured another incoming shower. Despite the showers the spirits of the punters weren't dampened as they gathered for shelter beneath a tent around the beer trailer and burger bar. Now where else would you go?
There was one more chance to capture horses going over the jumps before the final flat race of the day and Cynthia made sure she got it in the bag with this shot.
With the final race of the day being a flat race, we decided to make for the finishing straight to grab some shots of horse and rider flat out and go out with a flurry of shots.
With the cat and mouse of the first circuits out of the way it was time to sprint to a finish and George got the spirit of the finish with this shot.
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| Bangor on Dee - George Evans |
If you want you can pay an extra £10 for entry to the Paddock Enclosure to photograph in the parade ring and take advantage of the posh hospitality
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| The winner takes it all - Phil Sadler |
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| Place your bets - Rob Devenish |
If you want a flutter before the racing starts then there are plenty of characters in the Course Enclosure willing to take your money and pay out again if your horse comes in.
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| Happy to help - Rob Devenish |
We arrived at the course two hours before the first race to give ourselves plenty of time to suss out the best spots to photograph and to obtain some guidance on course etiquette when photographing, and we found the staff on the course to be very friendly and happy to advise us on the best places to go.
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| To the final fence - George Evans |
With the advice of the course staff fresh in our minds, we decided to walk past the winning post and take a look at the final fence to decide on the strategy for capturing the action. The only problem we encountered during the day was the presence of the official course photographers who stand on the course at the final fence and get in your shot and they get upset if you take their favourite positions at the fence but with a bit of goodwill on both sides there was plenty of room for us all.
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| Clearing the last - George Evans |
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| To the finish - George Evans |
George decided to get around this problem by switching to his fisheye lens for the next race. A fisheye lens has such a large depth of field and a 180 degree view and he could take the guesswork out and rely on the silence of the approaching hoofs knowing that the take off had begun and press the shutter for a burst of shots.
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| Les Pickstock |
The weather forecast for the day was for showers and it was uncanny how each shower came in between races allowing us to get the shots that we wanted before the next one arrived.
With George and Rob covering the last fence, Les Pickstock decided to take the head on approach towards the winning post with a long lens and captured the horses on the first circuit of the race.
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| The first circuit - Les Pickstock |
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| By a nose - Cynthia Sadler |
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| Cynthis Sadler |
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| Trailing - Rob Devenish |
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| Over the first - Cynthia Sadler |
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| Despondent - Rob Devenish |
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| Towards the second fence - Les Pickstock |
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| Left behind - Phil Sadler |
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| Phil Sadler |
Phil Sadler tried a bit of camouflage as a tactic but the blue jacket gave him away. Still he didn't spook the horses or riders and got this shot of a straggler.
Not all of the horses completed the course unscathed and happily none were seriously hurt but one had to be led back to the start.
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| Down but not out - Rob Devenish |
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| Storm approaching - Les P:ickstock |
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| Bangor on Dee Races - Cynthia Sadler |
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| They're off - Phil Sadler |
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| At the Canter -Rob Devenish |
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| Sprint to the finish - George Evans |
But with half a furlong to go this horse and rider weren't giving up.
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| Pushing on - Les Pickstock |
After a great day out in the fresh air, sunshine and showers the sun came out just long enough to get a group shot at the winning post before going home. From left to right is, Rob Devenish, Cynthia Sadler, Les Pickstock and Phil Sadler. Some-one had to take the photo so George Evans is missing.
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| Rob, Cynthia, Les and Phil - George Evans |
Everyone agreed that it had been a brilliant day out and we're all keen to give sports photography another try by going back to Bangor on Dee and taking more club members with us next time.
If you're interested in photography and want to learn and improve your skills or just socialise with people with the same passion for photography then why not take a look at the Hoylake Photographic Society website to see our program of meetings and events.
Club nights are every Friday, 7.30 pm - 10 pm, from September through to May at Newton Village Hall, Grange Cross Lane, West Kirby. Keep an eye on the blog because there may be some extra club activities taking place during the Summer.
If you're interested in photography and want to learn and improve your skills or just socialise with people with the same passion for photography then why not take a look at the Hoylake Photographic Society website to see our program of meetings and events.
Club nights are every Friday, 7.30 pm - 10 pm, from September through to May at Newton Village Hall, Grange Cross Lane, West Kirby. Keep an eye on the blog because there may be some extra club activities taking place during the Summer.
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Annual Print Competition
Hoylake Photographic Society have two dates for your diaries next week. Friday 27th April is the LCPU (Lancashire and Cheshire Photographic Union) Projected Images Folio. This will be a look at the best images from the north-west clubs Annual Exhibition in 2011 and the images on show will be of a high standard. The evening starts at 7.30 pm and finishes at 10 pm.
The most important date for Hoylake Photographic club members is our Annual Print Competition on Saturday 28th April judged by Dianne Owen, FRPS. Dianne will be doing the judging live on the day without having seen the images before hand. All of the images have been entered in our monthly club competitions during this season and now have a second chance of gaining awards with the best overall print being selected.
The day starts at 9.30 am and usually goes on all morning. If you're a club member we could do with some help with the running of the competition and it's usually a lot of fun watching your prints being discarded in front of your eyes or reaching the awards.
Both meetings take place at Newton Village Hall, Grange Cross Lane, West Kirby.
The most important date for Hoylake Photographic club members is our Annual Print Competition on Saturday 28th April judged by Dianne Owen, FRPS. Dianne will be doing the judging live on the day without having seen the images before hand. All of the images have been entered in our monthly club competitions during this season and now have a second chance of gaining awards with the best overall print being selected.
The day starts at 9.30 am and usually goes on all morning. If you're a club member we could do with some help with the running of the competition and it's usually a lot of fun watching your prints being discarded in front of your eyes or reaching the awards.
Both meetings take place at Newton Village Hall, Grange Cross Lane, West Kirby.
Monday, 16 April 2012
Annual Pojected Images Competition
On Friday 20th April, Hoylake Photographic Society holds the Annual Projected Images Competition for its club members. The competition covers all of the categories competed for in the monthly competitions during the season with members having a second chance to win honours in the Nature, People, Illustrative, Landscape, Open, Simplicity and Creative sections.
All sections in the annual competition will be judged on the night by Adrian Lines, ARPS, DPAGB, BPE3* so images that didn't do so well in the monthly competitions may do better with a different set of eyes judging them. The competition will also determine the best projected image from a club member during the season.
If you want to see the best images that Hoylake Photographic Society members have produced during the season then why not come along to the meeting at Newton Village Hall, Grange Cross Lane, West Kirby. The competition is from 7.45 pm - 10 pm and your first visit to the club is free. Returning visitors pay £2 on the door.
All sections in the annual competition will be judged on the night by Adrian Lines, ARPS, DPAGB, BPE3* so images that didn't do so well in the monthly competitions may do better with a different set of eyes judging them. The competition will also determine the best projected image from a club member during the season.
If you want to see the best images that Hoylake Photographic Society members have produced during the season then why not come along to the meeting at Newton Village Hall, Grange Cross Lane, West Kirby. The competition is from 7.45 pm - 10 pm and your first visit to the club is free. Returning visitors pay £2 on the door.
Sunday, 15 April 2012
Birkenhead Park Exhibition
Hoylake Photographic Society are pleased to announce that they are exhibiting the work of their members for the second year at Birkenhead Park Visitor Center. The exhibition is open, free to the general public and will continue until 6th May.
Club President Mike Waring, Brian and Diana Magor and George Evans framed the photographs for the exhibition with a request that each member submits two of their favourite photographs for display. With a wide variety of photographic interests amongst the members the photographs range from landscape, portrait, sport, wildlife to infrared photography.
If you're interested in photography then why not go along to the Birkenhead Park Visitor Center and take in the exhibition before it closes on 6th May. If you're interested in photography and want to get involved in club activity and have your work exhibited then why not take a look at the Hoylake Photographic Society website and come along to a club meeting. Your first visit is free.
The club program will be drawing to a close at the end of April for the Summer recess but will restart again in mid September but keep your eye out for the Hoylake International Exhibition 2012, a global photographic competition hosted by the club. You will find details on how to enter the competition on the club website with a closing date of 30th June and judging on 13th / 14th July.
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| Mike Waring with Brian and Diana Magor |
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| Ready for Display |
After framing it was down to the helpful staff at the visitor center to erect the display boards, hang the images and credit the author and titles of the photographs with display cards.
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| Ready for opening |
With the exhibition erected it was time to open the doors to members of the public and it didn't take long to find the first visitors admiring the excellent range of photographs in the exhibition.
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| The first visitors |
The club program will be drawing to a close at the end of April for the Summer recess but will restart again in mid September but keep your eye out for the Hoylake International Exhibition 2012, a global photographic competition hosted by the club. You will find details on how to enter the competition on the club website with a closing date of 30th June and judging on 13th / 14th July.
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
"Dragonpix" by Margaret Salisbury
The next meeting of Hoylake Photo Club is this Friday 13th April when Margaret Salisbury, FRPS, FIPF, MFIAP, APAGB gives members a talk entitled "Dragonpix". I haven't a clue from the name about the subject but with an array of dyslexic letters after her name, Margaret obviously knows what she's talking about and it's bound to be entertaining.
If you're interested in photography and want to hear Margaret's talk then why not come along to the club. The meeting is from 7.30 pm - 10 pm at Newton Village Hall, Grange Cross Lane, West Kirby.
This is the last chance to take in a guest lecture before the club closes for the Summer at the end of the month and we've saved the best speaker to close the season. Visitors are welcome and your first visit is free. Returning visitors pay £2 on the door.
If you're interested in photography and want to hear Margaret's talk then why not come along to the club. The meeting is from 7.30 pm - 10 pm at Newton Village Hall, Grange Cross Lane, West Kirby.
This is the last chance to take in a guest lecture before the club closes for the Summer at the end of the month and we've saved the best speaker to close the season. Visitors are welcome and your first visit is free. Returning visitors pay £2 on the door.
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