This evening, we had the second of our three critique evenings, where members enjoyed a small selection of images from fellow members and shared their thoughts about what was on the screen.

Forgive the repetition but again I want to say that the idea of these evenings is to help each other appreciate and enjoy our work. It is not about making any form of judgment and certainly not scoring or sorting into some sort of order. I hope those involved understood my aims when asking for everyone to chip in with a comment or view.

Our theme was “WINTER” but, as before, it was not a rigid rule and we had some excellent images of other subjects. With 14 photographs to look at, we had time to dwell on each and get a good spread of members offering their insights.   

So, in order of presentation, here are the images and some of the comments:

Dave S kicked us off with what we all agreed is a great winter scene. The fragile snow resting on the tree trunks, the flashes of oranges and green with the overall feel of a bright winter morning made this one really stand out. Dave S gave us a real insight of how he viewed and composed this as he struggled with the complexities of…looking out of his bedroom window and pointing his camera at the scene! I think many of us would welcome such an outlook during winter.

Roshan could not make it but he shared this great 3D effect seasonal “card”. All of us agreed the robin was presented in detail, with the light working well. Again, the detail in the snow looks great and this fits the winter theme perfectly.

We then had this true winter-feeling scene from Christine, now officially our newest member 😊. Taken in Painshill Park on a walk with friends, Christine told us she had not been in the mood for a walk but was persuaded to get out – so often the case and look at the result! This one was praised for making us all feel cold. The monochrome works and the detail kept in the faraway tree branches, through the cold mist, help the overall feel of this.

Martin D then took us off to Slovenia and Lake Bled. All enjoyed this fine image and Martin sang the praises of the country and the lake, it being easy to get to from the capital city, Ljubljana. The photo again made the cold seem almost real and we appreciated the limited colour palette, along with the varied buildings and skyline. Martin did get up to the castle on the rock and felt rather unwell as he made the trek. No wonder as it turned out he had covid!

David M shared a fine food shot – for the wildlife. This work was enjoyed for the colour and feel, with the berries looking most appetising alongside the waxy leaves. The spider’s web also stands out and adds a nice touch of the natural world.

Chris R then whisked us off to Brighton and the fabulous Pavilion. We all liked the colour in the image and the way it spreads out across the bottom half of the photograph. Chris had waited for a bit of action to start on the ice as it was just opening for the session. The colour of the sky is also a perfect match for the foreground.

Michael S also could not make it on the night. He did however give us a storyteller. This one had us all thinking. What was the story? What is the young lad on the right looking off to see? Why does the younger girl look distracted? (Had she heard the story before?) An image that got us all intrigued and that makes it one that works very well.

Alfred then shook us out of our winter torpor and gave us this multiple exposure beach scene from Weymouth. Just the two images but lots to enjoy and certainly lots of very typical British beachlife captured across the two images. Alfred said he did move around between shots and a short debate ensued about how many images can be used to make a multi exposure. Many cameras allow you to blend as you take each image. Others may prefer to simply post process a selection of work into one image after individually editing each one. Whichever method, this one made us forget winter for a short while.

Martin D made an early morning visit to Nymans and got this great panoramic scene – eight images stitched together in a third-party software (Not Adobe) whose name escapes me. The lovely light, gentle morning mist and colour all add up to something we all enjoyed seeing. Considering this was Martin’s first visit to Nyman’s, I am sure we will see more as he gets to know the layout of the place – there being so many photographic opportunities all year round.

David M found this gem of an image just up the road in Wallington, by the now closed tapas restaurant, El Nido. The lovely textured wall and vine are well detailed – almost Banksy looking –  and I enjoy the top of the frame, with the splash of colour. We had a few views about whether this one would benefit from a crop but all agreed it was well seen.

Michael S then gave us a sporting moment with this great action image. Panning is a great skill and those who master it get results the rest of us only dream about. This one captures the speed of the rider and bike so well and the detail in the rider’s kit means you can read every word of his sponsors. Being able to get side-on with this kind of event opens up many more panning opportunities and Michael certainly made his count!

Alfred took us back to summer by the Yorkshire coast at Scarborough. This image is a great match up of monochrome – to highlight the older part of the town in the image – and the colour of the children’s caps and tops. A very atmospheric photograph and very well thought through.

Dave S saw this character in Carshalton and said he had to carefully compose to not include the various shop fronts, etc. Those who know will recognise Olaf from “Frozen”. Many local post boxes have such knitted figures adorning them and Dave angled his image just so whilst still making sure we can see the features.

To end, Christine shared this from a walk in the Grove at Carshalton. Again, winter is perfectly caught and we can enjoy the almost monochrome look – but see that the tree trunk is its natural colour. A suitable image with which to conclude.

Thanks to all who shared their work and to all who tuned in. I hope you enjoyed both looking and listening to each other and that we can make our third and final critique evening go as well as this one.

Bye for now.

Author: brianconnollyphotos