Southwold on a Cold, Windy Saturday

Yesterday a group of us from Cambridge Camera Club went on an outing to Southwold in Suffolk.  The forecast wasn't great - various different densities of cloud, strong(ish) wind and rain in the afternoon - so I decided to have a go at some long exposure shots.  The coach dropped us off at Southwold harbour, and the first two pictures are from there.

It's not possible to go to Southwold without photographing the iconic beach huts, of course, but the only difficulty is finding a new angle on this well-worn subject.  I thought it might be fun to do a couple of panoramas, along with the more usual close-ups and detail from selected huts.

Being England at the end of October, there were the inevitable hardy souls playing on the beach and walking along the promenade.

Lunch comprised a stonking plate of Haddock & Chips at the Sole Bay Inn - a great pub which serves superb food and beer, benefitting as it does from being a stone's throw (literally) from the Adnam's Brewery.

Unlike Mr Badcock, who claimed to have had a "freebie" in the lighthouse, I contented myself with photographing the exterior.

By the middle of the afternoon the rain had set in, so it was time for a well-earned coffee and cake on the pier while other people got wet outside.

The rain eventually eased off, so I spent the final hour or so as it got dark taking photographs of, and from, the pier.  The final couple of shots were taken after the pier lights had been switched on, at which point it was getting very gloomy indeed.  Reminder, if one needed it, that the clocks were about to be put back and winter wasn't very far away.

RPS East Anglia Exhibition at Wingfield Barns

I spent the whole of yesterday at Wingfield Barns, near Diss in Suffolk, stewarding at this year's RPS East Anglia Members' Exhibition.  Wingfield is a wonderful venue for an exhibition, given its large rooms, white(ish) walls and diffuse lighting; but, given its remote location, there isn't much in the way of "passing trade"!  Still, lots of people made the effort to come and see the exhibition, which looked absolutely stunning thanks to the efforts of Moira Ellice (the Region's Exhibition Co-ordinator) and her team.

As can be seen in several of the pictures, Amber (aka "The Dumb Blonde") was also on duty as a steward, paying particular attention to anyone who happened to be eating a biscuit!

This is Moira, looking justifiably pleased with the way the exhibition looked.

Amber "on duty" by the biscuit box.

There was a second exhibition of East Anglian nature and landscape prints by local RPS members in the entrance hall.

A couple of final shots showing the two exhibition rooms.

There are some absolutely superb images on show, and well worth the journey to deepest Suffolk.  The exhibition itself is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00-16:00, and runs until Sunday 25th October.

LRPS Print Assessment

I've been away from home for most of the first half of September, but it was "business as usual" when we held an LRPS Print Assessment in Foxton yesterday.  These are fascinating days, although incredibly tense and stressful for the candidates themselves.  The day ran extremely smoothly, mainly down to the professionalism of the assessment panel (Roger Force, Ron Tear, Richard Walton, Rosemary Wilman and Peter Yeo) all under the watchful eye of Trevor Gellard and Roy Robertson.  Of course, such a day would be incomplete without the incomparable double-act of Andy Moore and Ben Fox from the RPS Distinctions Department.

It was a particularly satisfying day for me, as there was a 100% pass rate for all the candidates I had helped personally or via the Cambridge Camera Club "Aperture" Group.  Many congratulations to everyone concerned, and I hope they enjoy that well-deserved good feeling which comes from achieving their distinction.

Since the day was run by the assessment panel, for once I was allowed to wander around taking pictures.  Here are a few snaps from the day, showing some of the key players.

First, the LRPS Panel Chair, Trevor Gellard, explaining the proceedings at the beginning of the day.

Ben Fox in contemplative mood.

The first panel up was from Nick Bowman, chairman of Ely Photographic Club, who I have been helping over the past 6 months or so.

 Ron Tear discussing one of the submissions.

Roy Robertson, the moderator from the Distinctions Advisory Board, whose job it was to maintain a consistent standard across each LRPS assessment.

Trevor discussing another panel, this time from Jane Murphy who I had also helped.

Rosemary Wilman.

Roy and Trevor, deep in thought.

The assessment in progress.  This time the candidate was Dave Oates, who had been helped by the Aperture Group.

Peter Yeo, Roger Force, Ron Tear and Richard Walton, each discussing submissions in their own inimitable way.

In Richard's case, it looked like he was using magic to get his point across!

Ben putting another submission onto the print stand for assessment.

Another successful submission, this time from Lynne Blount who is a Cambridge Camera Club member.

Trevor explaining the finer points of the system.

Peter, both on and off duty.

Richard talking about "Cat Lady" from Andrew Wilkinson, another of the people I've been helping.

The assessors having a good "sniff" of the images in another submission.

The day of reckoning, as Roger fills in his score sheet.

It may have looked as if Andy Moore was seeking divine intervention, but in reality he was looking to catch glimpses of the nearby Duxford Air Show through the hall's Velux windows!

Roy and Trevor looking at a submission from Carol Paes, who is one of the photographers I know from my travels in Guernsey (see future posts to this blog).

Finally, Trevor and Roy checking the paperwork for the day.

We repeat the whole thing in about 12 months, but this time in Swaffham, Norfolk.