Introduction
Our club was established in 1902 and is one of the larger clubs within the EAF and the UK. We are a membership of around 200 enthusiastic amateur photographers. Our club is based on education and much of our activity is within our Specialist Interest Groups with Practical Workshops, Critique evenings, Technical sessions and we give help and guidance to those working towards photographic distinctions and much more. These activities are underpinned with weekly meetings of photographic talks and competitions. There is an Annual Exhibition of Prints and PDIs, which will next run in October 2024, with awards presented by the Mayor and our sponsors, to whom we are extremely grateful.
I am excited to announce that the new Club season is upon us. Our regular Monday evening meetings run from September through to May. That does not mean that for the rest of the year things are quiet or that during the rest of the week there is nothing to do - there is usually at least one other Special Interest Group meeting every week, on a different evening and they carry on throughout the year. Plus a variety of trips and outings that are organised as well. As a club we warmly welcome everyone with an interest in photography, whether that is taking images or enjoying images. If you are at the beginning of your journey with photography, as a Club we can help you increase your skills. If you have been taking photographs for many years you will find our members eager to chat about all aspects photography.
We have a wide ranging programme of talks and presentations from speakers with a wealth of experience, ready to share it with us. There really is something for everyone. For those who like to hone their skills through competition we also have a full programme of Print and PDI competitions throughout the season. If you are reading this, you're already here. Please take a look around our public website to see literally 100s of inspiring images from our members, and perhaps take the next step by following the membership link below, or contact our membership secretary to learn more. Debra Bennett, President
Membership for Season 24/25 is now OPEN: If you would like to join us, please fill in a Membership Application.
A video, made by Tim Marchant and originally shown at the opening of the 2022 Annual Exhibition, gives an excellent overview of the club and its activities.
See below for results of Club Competitions
PDI Panel Competition 2024-25 Results
On Monday, we had this annual competition in which members present a panel of 5 images, arranged in up to 3 rows. The 5 images must be good in their own right, but also look good as a set - the 6th image. They can tell a story, or have a common theme e.g. colour, shape, subject etc.
Congratulations go to Barry Badcock (former Club President) on his winning images titled "Playpark Shapes". Our excellent Judge Nick Ackers, appreciated how well these images had been seen - simple objects, so cleverly captured as eye-catching designs, which also really came together so well as a set. We thank Nick Ackers for his excellent critique of all 36 panels entered. Click on the above image to see the other top-scoring panels. Great inspiration!
Serial PDI Competition 2024-25 Round 2
This is a serial competition of 3 rounds. Points from each round accumulate until the Winners are revealed after Round 3. For the second round it was pleasing to see so many entries - 47 Colour; 45 Mono).
Our thanks to Chris Palmer FRPS DPAGB APAGB EFIAP for judging this round for us and providing such excellent critique of each image, which is so helpful to the authors.
Our congratulations go to top scorers (20/20)
Colour: Jim Bennett, John Bulpitt, Andrew Colgan, Martin Johnson
Monochrome: Philip Earl, Nick Bowman
Enjoy the competition gallery with all the high-scoring (18+) images, by clicking on the image above.
Points of View 2024/25
This is a fun competition open to all members. There are 5 themes, a location, a date and and certain hours of the day in which the members must take their images. This year the location was Ely and the themes were Cathedral View from a Distance; Riverways; Market Day; Old; 3 or 5. As last year's winner, Sue Badcock organised the event and gave her critque of the entries at the meeting on 21st Octover. Congratulations Don Fleet🏆 (Don's images are above) and Runners Up - Jenny Collier and Penny Reeves.
Our Exhibition in Cambridge Independent
The Cambridge Independent have once again highlighted just a few of the fantastic images on display at our Exhibition this year. Do not miss your chance to see this rare photographic event - to gather inspiration on subjects, composition, post-processing techniques and the art of printing. We are fortunate indeed to have the support of all our Sponsors. Visit St Andrews Street Baptist Church, Cambridge CB2 3AR, in the centre of town.
Serial PDI Competition 2024-25: Round 1
For the first round of the Serial PDI competition we enjoyed a good field of 100 images (52 Colour; 48 Mono). We thank Dave Stewart for judging this round for us - always a popular visitor to CCC.
Our congratulations go to top scorers (20/20)
Colour: James Dudley, Sally Freeman, John McDowall.
Monochrome: Philip Earl; Malcolm Brown, Clive Downes.
Enjoy the competition gallery with all the high-scoring (18+) images, by clicking on the image above. This is a serial competition of 3 rounds. Points from each round accumulate until the Winners are revealed after Round 3.
It's a Knockout 2024-25
The Long Journey
Our first competition of the season is a very relaxed and demoratic event, where all the members attending get to vote for their favourite image. The entries are all matched randomly with another image and the audience votes. The winner goes through the next round and so on, until we get down to the last two images. This year, congratulations go to Helen Cherry with her winning image . Runner Up was David Trent with Gordon Brown and Andrew Colgan joint 3rd.
Print Panel Competition 2024
Dave Hipperson was our judge and brought not only excellent technical critique and advice to each and every panel, but also added more than a touch of humour. The field was of 26 quality panels of 5 images, on a wide range of topics. It is often said that it is a good idea to work on sets of images and projects, and panels can come out of that way of working.
Congratulations go to Martin Parrat who won the competition
Click the image above to view all the top scoring panels.
Serial PDI Competition 2023-24 Round 3
For the third round of the Serial PDI competition we enjoyed a good field of 90 images (48 Colour; 42 Mono). We thank Pauline Martindale, for judging this round for us.
Our congratulations go to top scorers (20/20)
Colour: Robert Ellis, Helen Cherry; John Harvey; Jane Moore; Clive Downes.
Monochrome: Eleni Paliginis; John Harvey; Sue Badcock; Jane Moore; Alan Linsdell; Bob Coote.
Enjoy the competition gallery with all the high-scoring (18+) images, by clicking on the image above. This is a serial competition of 3 rounds. Points from each round accumulate until the Winners are revealed after Round 3.
Serial Print Competition 2023-24 Round 2
Click the above image to see the gallery of high-scoring images.
Entries reduced a little: Colour 31, Monochrome 26. It was expertly judged by Chris Forster DPAGB FBPE MFIAP, who commented that the 'high quality of the work overall has made the judging all the more enjoyable'. Chris is unusual in that he picked up every print, so as to be able to judge the choice of paper and mounting as well as the image itself. We now know he is not a fan of 'matt' paper! :) He had some of the highest praise for those images which not only engaged the eye, but also the mind and made the viewer think. Images of frequently photographed iconic landscapes or scenes he asked the photographer for 'something more', 'something extra or different'. His critique was full and helpful to all and we thank him for it.
Our congratulations go to those who impressed Chris to gain the top mark (20/20):
Colour: Peter Baker.
Monochrome: Sarah Kelman.
Please enjoy the competition gallery with all the high-scoring (18+) images, by clicking on the image above. This is a serial competition of 3 rounds. Points from each round accumulate until the Winners are revealed after Round 3.
A number of CCC Members have their own websites, and a list of these can be found here. Shown below is a small selection of Member sites (CCC is not responsible for the external links).
Annual Exhibition 2024 - NOW ONLINE
The 2024 Annual Exhibition might be over, but the images are still available for viewing online. It is the gift that keeps on giving! If you were unlucky and missed the Exhibition, there is a huge amount of inspiration that you can take from viewing the whole Exhibition online. Click on the carousel above to explore further.
Close-up Photography - Dr Peter Warne
Monday, 19th November, Peter Warn delighted the members with his detailed talk on close-up photography. Peter is a biologist by training and from an early age had an interest in wildlife and its appearance under the microscope. His macro photography therefore, is mainly concerned with capturing pictures of things to be found in the garden, forest and his second home, the restoration project of Copped Hall just below Epping. The start of his talk described the challenges of close-up/macro photography and the tools to help overcome them. He generously gave us the benefit of all his experience and research, and provided extensive notes on the tools he described. All this was interleaved with some cracking macro photography with all the details of his approach and settings, plus equipment used on the day. The second half addressed specific techniques and compositional ideas by which the subjects may be converted from a record into a photograph. Thoroughly enjoyable.
The Art of Sports Photography - Marc Aspland FRPS
Monday 11th November, Mark gave a spell-binding talk, to a packed room. As chief sports photographer of The Times, Canon Ambassador Marc Aspland has shot some of the most memorable sporting moments of the past 30 years. He is widely regarded as one of the best British sports photographers working today. The younger Marc's first taste of sports photography was fittingly inspiring. "I was 13 or 14 when my brother and I went on a coach journey to a famous automobile endurance race in France," he explains. "A couple of the guys were very keen amateur photographers, and I was given this tool that would let me take pictures.
"In those days, it was pretty obvious and basic stuff, but it was the spark of something. It quickly became far more than a hobby; more than skateboarding or surfing. It became the real focus of what I wanted to do."
Since that moment, Marc has gone on to photograph some of the sporting greats, including Tiger Woods, Mike Tyson, Pele, Lionel Messi, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Roger Federer. He also lists many sports stars as friends, the closest being former England rugby player and 2003 World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson – who was, according to Marc, "a nightmare to photograph"
While Marc has been privileged to photograph many of the iconic players and decisive moments in recent sporting history, he admits there have been times when he would have liked to put the camera down and simply marvel at the drama unfolding in front of him.
One of these occasions was the 100m sprint final at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where Usain Bolt bounded across the finish line in a record-breaking 9.69 seconds to win the gold medal. Of course Marc, ever the professional, kept the camera to his eye.
Marc is as highly regarded for his unique perspectives as for his ability to capture the defining moments and emotion of sporting events. He famously gave a 'miniature' spin to the England versus Kazakhstan 2008 clash in London by taking to a television gantry and recording the match through a Canon tilt-shift lens. He continues to explore unusual angles and create distinctive pictures by using a wide range of EF lenses, from an older Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye through to the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x.
In 2014, Marc's achievements were recognised by the Royal Photographic Society, which awarded him an Honorary Fellowship. In the same year, Marc published his first book, The Art of Sports Photography, something he was encouraged to do by a colleague, Keith Blackmore, former deputy editor of The Times. The retrospective features more than 100 vivid images spanning Marc's incredible career and includes a foreword by Jonny Wilkinson.
Along the Stour and ... Liz Cutting ARPS DPAGB BPE5*
White-legged Damsel
Liz Cutting gave not one by two talks to our members on Monday 28th October. "Along the Stour" and "Wildlife Photography During the Pandemic"
Liz claims not be be a wildlife 'expert', and yet she not only identified her subjects, she gave information on their habitat and behaviours. Her delivery was effortless as you would expect from someone who has in depth knowlede and a passion for her subjects. One anecdote stood out - a barn owl settled on a fence post close by. She took her images but did not want to scare the owl by moving and so she stood still for 25 minutes, until the owl left of it's own volition. So her passion for photography is only surpassed for her respect for wildlife. If you visit Liz Cutting's website, you will be treated to some lovely images and may also be assisted in identifying your own subjects.
From Ordinary Photography to Fine Art Print - Chrissie Hart ARPS DPAGB
Week beginning 14th October, members were treated to an insight into what inspired Chrissie Hart, as she pursued her ARPS distinction. The lesson she illustrated so well, was that you don't need to go very far from home to find interesting subjects. Her ARPS panel was photographed entirely in her garden. Chrissie modestly described herself as a 'failed watercolourist'. When she had gone as far as she could with painting, she discovered that she could go so much further with photography and many years on, finds that she is still learning all the time. Her images, whilst based in the natural world, are developed using layers, textures and blending modes in Photoshop, into abstracted and painterly images of a fantasy world. A very good talk and many beautiful images (projected and in print) plus step by step through the processing of a single image. An excellent evening.
"In Search of ...."
Bill Ward - Actor and award-winning photorapher, comes from Newcastle and was given an Instamatic camera at the age of 7 years and loved it. Looking back, he was clearly drawn to water as a subject, and it continues to this day. He went into advertising for 6.5 years, but something was missing for him and he took a break, travelling, with a new Pentax and reconnected with his love for photography. He returned and decided to retrain as a stage actor. His profile sky-rocketed when he was cast in Coronation Street, where 13.9million people watched his last episode. Having become so well known and recognised, he turned to photography, often in remote places, again, often around water to ground himself and restore some calm to his life. His first project was 'Winter on the Coast of England'. He says that you need to take time, to get under the skin of a place, to really see what is happening around you and it is the time he so enjoys in between his acting roles. He now loves to use ICM and a little infrared. "Use your camera like a brush." He goes out in all weather, connecting and working with what Mother Nature provides on the day. His acting career continues successfully, alongside his award-winning photography and his galleries provide a great deal of inspiration.
Infrared Photography - Debra Bennett
Our new season was kicked off by our President with her current passion for infrared photography. Debra has long enjoyed creative photography, often using textures in post-processing. However, a few years ago, she decided to try infrared and purchased her first infrared camera, secondhand, and it has really fired her imagination. "You never quite know what you're going to get, which makes it very interesting and exciting." Having experimented with her first camera for some time, she took the decision to convert another camera to 'Full Spectrum' which gives her the most flexibility, as she can now apply filters to remove either the red, green or blue light. Some of her beautiful images were very ethereal and 'other-worldly'; some she had converted to pure monochrome. She took us through all the infrared options, showing us the result of restricting the different light channels. All in all, a very entertaining evening and at least 2 members have decided to covert their old cameras and explore the world of infrared.
A Sample of Club Meetings from the 2023/24 Season
The articles below are brief summaries of just some of the interesting talks members enjoyed over the 23-24 season.
Street Photography: Light and Life on the Streets - Damien Demolder
A former editor of Amateur Photographer and a regular contributor to photography reviews and journals, Damien runs street photography workshops in London. He gave a very entertaining talk on his take on street photography. He started by explaining what his approach was when on the street - looking for that decisive moment, looking for the light, giving the sense of 'being there', capturing something 'different' - something that others will not have seen. He demonstrated this focus with a set of sillouettes - high contrast shots with the subject sillouetted against a bright, colourful background, and not just there, but there at the moment that the subject is cleverly framed as well - the decisive moment! Then he moved onto shadows - again, a different take on street photography, where the shadows are the subject, when the subject is not actually even in the shot. Damien certainly got us all thinking and seeing street photography a little differently. A very enjoyable talk. You can see more of Damien's excellent work on his website.
Macrophotography - Ann Miles FRPS EFIAP FBPE
70-80 members filled our hall to listen to our very own Ann Miles, one of our longest-serving members and very much an inspiration to the whole club. She shared her considerable knowledge of equipment, settings, fieldcraft and the subjects. It was a masterclass. Ann's website is well worth visiting, whatever type of photographer you are. You cannot fail to be inspired by something there. From her profile: I trained as a biologist and spent my working life in scientific publishing; this enabled me to keep abreast with all the changes from traditional to digital photography and printing. I have been an active photographer all my life and, for about 10 years, taught general and nature photography at university degree level. I am a Member of The London Salon which keeps me in touch with the best of pictorial photography around the world. I gained an Associateship in Nature and a Fellowship in Visual Arts and served as Deputy Chair of the Fine Arts Panel for 8 years. I now sit on the Natural History Distinction Panel. This reflects a wide spectrum of photographic interest. In my photography, I enjoy images that depict the interactions of people, architecture, nature and landscape. I have lectured all round Britain and give workshops and individual tuition.
CCC Success at 50th Smethwick International Exhibition
We congratulate three members who all had great success with acceptances in the 50th Smethwick International Exhibition. From thousands of entries, we had Sally Freeman - who had 4 images accepted and won a judges medal; John McDowall had 3 images; and Peter Baker great success with 7 images. So an amazing 14 images in total from Cambridge and a judges medal. Click on the image above to enjoy all the images and zoom in on individual images.
Calling Young Photographers - 2024/25 Competition
The new competition details are now available on the Rotary Club of Cambridge website It is easy and FREE to enter. Please encourage all young people you know to get involved.
This year's theme is "Wonderful Water". Entry closes 31st January, 2025
Thanks to our fellow sponsors.
Peter Baker wins Medal at London Salon
Congratulations to our member - Peter Baker, who won one of the 10 Medals that are awarded by The London Salon of Photography at its Annual Exhibition for his image Warrior Queen.
Prints of all the accepted images will go on tour to various galleries around the country including Edinburgh.
The whole Exhibition can be seen on this link 110th Exhibition 2024 – The London Salon of Photography
Young Photographer 2024 - District Success
Eden Project Biomes
The New Swiss Laundry.
Our hearty congratulations go to
Horatio Martin - (Intermediate Winner 2024 and a previous National Junior winner 2022) and
Jamie Brown (Junior Winner 2024) have both done very well at the East Anglia District Competition
An excellent result for Cambridge Rotary, paricularly as there was some very strong competition. The judges found it particularly difficult to choose the winning images and debated for some considerable time. These winning entries have been forwarded to RIBI and will be entered into the National Final.
EAF Exhibition 2024 - Cambridge Success
John won the Best Print Mono and Best Print Colour at this year's EAF Exhibition Selection. It is a pretty rare event and could even be the first time this has happened. One longtime member of the organising committee could not remember it ever happening before. John is a very accomplished landscape photographer and this is not the first award he has achieved. We are fortunate to have him as a member and very pleased for him. John also wanted to thank Nick Bowman, who organised the Cambridge entries for this exhibition, and other external competitions. You can see more of John's photography on Facebook.
Cambridge Success at A45 2024 Competition
A45 Gallery (please click on the image)
There were 9 clubs competing in the A45 competition, held in Bury St Edmunds, 4th April, 2024.
We are very proud to report that Cambridge won with 134 points followed by Ely with 131 points and Stowmarket 3rd with 125 points. In addition, our member Jane Moore won "Best Image" with her Masked Weaver Bird image. Our images and points gained are listed below.
With thanks to our members who offered their images for the competition. Congratulations to all!