Bunbury Mill-Group Instructional Photo Outing.

Bunbury Water Mill-Bunbury-Cheshire

Instructional Group Photo Outing-Update

I have received formal notification for the group to visit Bunbury Mill, for a photo outing on Saturday 30th MAY 2015. 2.00 till 4 / 4.30.

This is quite an extraordinary opportunity for the group, and I have added this extra visit in MAY as I am not too sure how many can make the North Wales trip on Sunday 17th May.

Bunbury Mill is run today by a local group of volunteers, much like our group, and they are prepared to open the Mill for our group for a full afternoon at a time when they are not normally open to visitors. We will be provided with a 45/50 min’s guided tour of the Mill and shown it’s operations, with the water wheel operating as it would have when it was operational. The cost per member will be £ 3.50 each, paid when at the venue.

We would like to make this a great local photo outing, so please try to make sure you attend, as there is a minimum charge for the group of £ 40.00 for this special open day.

You will need to use flash for some of your indoor shots, as it is quite dark in many of the most interesting places. A tripod will also be useful. There is a Mill pond with ducks as well as many different spring flowers and a visitor centre. (This may not be open).

NOTE: - Access to some of the floors, as you would expect, is via some steep stairs, but has also has been made user friendly for disabled access. However, loads to see and photo anyhow, as both inside and outside is just full of history, and in my view a photo opportunity not to be missed.

Cliff

Bunbury Mill-Cheshire-Potential Visit- Saturday 30th May-2 / 4.00 pm.

Bunbury Mill-Cheshire.

Potential Instructional Group Photo Outing

Just to give advance notification to the group I have requested that they will allow for the group to visit  Bunbury Mill, for a photo outing on Saturday 30th MAY 2015. 2.00 till 4 / 4.30

I will confirm this to members as soon as they have said AOK.

This is quite an extraordinary opportunity for the group, and have added this extra visit in MAY as I am not too sure how many can make the Wales trip on Sunday 17th May.

Want to make this a GREAT local visit so please make sure you try to attend. You will need to use flash for some of your indoor shots, as it is quite dark in places. A tripod will also be useful at times. There is a Mill pond with ducks as well as flowers and a visitor centre. Cost will be £ 3.50 per person.

NOTE :- Access to some of the floors, as you would expect, is via some steep stairs. However, loads to photo anyhow, as both inside and outside is just full of history.

Cliff

Bunbury Water Powered Mill-Photo Outing Opportunity

Bunbury-Working-Water Powered-Corn Mill

Previously recommended by Brian Roberts, I was today in the vicinity of Bunbury Mill, Bunbury-Cheshire, and finding it open, went to investigate the potential of using this excellent working Mill, for an instructional photo outing for the group.

Meeting with one of the volunteers I explained what we would wish to do as a group, and he was very keen to help us out, and gave myself a quick look around to view the potential.

He was prepared to open the Mill for the group to visit on a Saturday afternoon (they are not normally open on a Saturday afternoon), when we have made the proper arrangements with them. It would only cost £ 3.50 per person for a 45 / 50 mins official guided tour of the Mill, and after that time we could then spend all afternoon taking whatever photos we wished.

There is also a visitor centre, that serves tea / coffee and a cake etc, but that would be extra. However, there are NO parking fees, and is just up from a set of staircase locks, also at Bunbury, on the Shropshire Union Canal, which we could visit after the Mill tour, should the weather be kind to us. It will only take some 20 / 30 mins for most of the group to travel to Bunbury, so looks to be a good place to visit.

Additionally, as it is 90% inside for photos, even if the weather is not too good, we could still do most of the photography, as well as seeing some very important Cheshire countryside history brought back to life, in a very striking and personal way, as the volunteers do dress up in clothes of the era, and for a short while you feel as though you are back in the 1800’s. What a place to take some great photos, so would hope for a good number of members to take up this opportunity to take some excellent historical photos.

Cliff

Flash Photography Presentation by Owen Lloyd

Flash Photography by Owen Lloyd

Last evening the group were again delighted with the presentation by Owen Lloyd, of Owen Lloyd Photography, who provided not just another great presentation, but with the amount of photography gear he brought with him in support of his presentation, we could have set up a full photography shop and studio.

Owen’s presentation took members on a very interesting journey from the basics of Flash photography, to using all kinds of studio lighting, and also covered many other topics where the use of the many types of studio lighting made photography a real art form.

Owen has almost become a key associate member of the group with his various photography presentations he has provided, and he assures me there are many more to come from him, and others in the future. Next month (Wednesday May 13^th Willowmere-Middlewich-7.00 till 9.30) we will be entertained by a work colleague of Owen’s, who will be speaking about the latest mobile phone cameras, and where this type of photography is heading in the future.

Interested? You may wish to check out the group web site (www.watch-it-and-c.co.uk) for more information on how to join this friendly community group, of like minded technology and digital camera members.

The group also have free monthly instructional photo outings, which are very well attended, with both male and female members taking part. It is not unusual for the group to have 15 to 20 members attending these very popular outings. Make sure you are not missing out!!

Cliff Astles

North Wales-Group Photo Outing.

Photo by Cliff Astles-Llanberis Pass & Stream

North Wales Coach Tour-Sunday 17^th May 2015..........Cancelled

Due to lack of members planning to go on this Coach Tour we have had to cancel :(

Members who have paid for the trip will be re-reimbursed when next at a group meeting at the Willowmere-Middlewich.

HOWEVER..................

A number of members are still planning to go on the trip by using their own cars, and a number also have SPARE SEATS available for members who would wish to take these up!!!

It is therefore suggested that members using their own transport, but with spare seats available for other members, should make this information known to members via the Group Facebook page.

DO NOT PLACE ANY OF THE INFORMATION WHERE OTHERS CAN SEE WHAT YOU ARE PLANNING.

USE THE FACEBOOK MESSAGING SERVICES TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS.

It is suggested that members, wishing to take up these spare seats will need to make contact with the person directly, via the Group FB page to make arrangements with the person providing the transport. It is up to individual members to make their own transport arrangements.

Suggested Plan of Action.

A)    Members with transport place their seats available info onto the 21^st Group Facebook Page.

B)     Members wanting to take up these spare seats make contact with the member using the FB messaging services to arrange to use the spare places.

C)     When the spare seats have been taken up by members, the car owners should delete their information from the Group Facebook Page (or tell me to do this for them).

D)    This way the trip will hopefully take place. One exception. We will NOT be stopping at Llangollen. Parking of cars on a SUNDAY is useless in the town, and we would never get a number of cars to be able to park close by each other.

E)     PLEASE take packed lunches / drinks as food is quite expensive in the area, and we are not planning to stop long at places, unless we are taking photos, or visiting toilets L

F)      Meet at the TOWN HALL (was Civic Hall) Middlewich at 9.00 am, Sunday 17^th May. We will be leaving as soon as all of the cars are full, or 9.30 pm latest.

Hope these new arrangements work as the group have been looking forward to the photo outing for some time.

Cliff

Middlewich Town Council-MFAB Festival-Photo Request.

Photo by Cliff Astles-Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival-Town Wharf

Middlewich Town Council Photo Request

The 21^st Century Technology and Camera Group have been approached by Middlewich Town Council  (Mr Dave Thompson-events@middlewich.org.uk) requesting that the group may wish to help them by providing photos they may take over the weekend in June, when they hold the Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival.

Photo’s requested from members could be used in future years to promote the event and when provided members should state that the photos are to be used for Press and Marketing, as deemed necessary by MTC and are free of any copyright.

This is something I would like to think that members may wish to do for the Town Council, who have in the past helped the group get started by providing financial assistance in the form of a grant last year. It is also something that members have suggested as a group photo outing previously, so it looks like our photos could be put to good use both with the Group Flickr Gallery, and by helping to promote the fantastic event and photo opportunity for the group.

Photos provided should be suitable to be used to promote the event, and can cover ALL topics, and no bigger than 5 Mb and in JPEG format. Attach your photos to an e-mail to Dave Thompson, as above, and state they are from a member of our group and are free from copyright.

Cliff

April Group Meeting Reminder

Photo taken on the group’s visit to Queens Park, Crewe.

APRIL Group Meeting-WILLOWMERE-MIDDLEWICH-Wednesday 15^th April 2015.

Reminder, for members (and guests) that the next 21^st Group Meeting is this NEXT WEDNESDAY, and will feature a presentation and  a practical demonstration by Owen Lloyd, of Owen Lloyd Photography. 

This month’s presentation will be about the use of FLASH in photography, and where and when this is best used to improve your photos and to stop motion in action shots.

Cliff Astles

Queens Park Crewe-Instructional Photo Outing

Instructional Photo Outing-Queens Park-Crewe-Cheshire-April 11 2015

I would like to thank members for an excellent group turn-out, yet again, for the latest photo outing at Queens Park Crewe. The morning’s rain had cleared by the time we arrived, and although it was cold and a tad windy to start with, it soon cleared and the day was a very good day for photos.

Not quite as many flying birds as I had anticipated, but as this is the time for the male birds to strut their stuff, there were many of the male Canadian Geese doing just that, and making their presence well know to the other male geese. There were plenty of other photo opportunities, in particular this year’s crop of spring flowers and with a total of 16 members on the photo outing, these photo outings are still proving to be very popular, with numbers attending growing all the time.

Member photos taken during the visit will no doubt be soon available for all to view, on the Group Web Site Flickr Galleries.

Cliff Astles

Saturday 11^th April 2015.

Queens Park Crewe-Instructional Photo Outing

Photo by Cliff Astles-Sunrise along Warmingham Lane-Middlewich

Instructional Photo Outing-Queens Park-Crewe-Cheshire

Just a reminder for members that the next Group Photo Outing will be taking place TOMORROW!!

Meeting at the Cafe' at the centre of Queens Park, for 2.00 pm, so we may then proceed around the park to get some more shots for inclusion in the Members Group Photo Presentation, next Wednesday 15th April.

Looks like the weather will also be kind to us, yet again, with forecast of some rain in the morning to make for clear photos, and loads of sunshine during the afternoon. Are we lucky or not? :)

Looking forward to seeing you all again, and the day looks to be a tad warmer than when at Marbury Park.

There will be a number of skilled members on hand to help our newer members get the best photos, using their own cameras, and answering your questions on photography and technology.

Cliff Astles

Tags and Titles!

 

HI everyone,

 Hope you are all enjoying the wonderful Easter weather!

I just thought I would take some time during the rain to discuss a couple of points in the use of Flickr.

Flickr, like Facebook and various blogs etc. has a ‘tag' feature. With tags you can add information to a picture or blog that may help you group or organise your photos (or blogs) when you want to view or share them.  For instance, if you want to view all of the group blogs that are about photo outings then you can search the website blog page by typing ‘photo outing’  (without quotes) in the search box. This works because we add a tag for photo outing on all of the blogs about photo outings. (There are several different tags we use in addition to this one, feel free to investigate – I will be adding ‘Flickr’ to all of the ones about Flickr, including this one).

In Flickr, you can edit your tags on individual photos by clicking on the photo and then selecting ‘add tags’ which is displayed under the photo.  You can edit the tags on a group of photos by selecting the group (ie. go into an album ) and click on ‘edit’,  then ‘batch edit’ and finally, ‘add tags’ . Either way, at this point you will have the opportunity to enter the tags you want to add, separating each different tag by a comma eg. photo outing, cliff astles, photo opportunity. This would be useful to identify your pictures by a particular topic ie. sunset or Christmas so you can easily find the ones you want.

We would like members of the group to tag their photos for the monthly slideshows  by adding a tag with the month and year the slideshow is for ie. March 2015. You might also like to add the topic although this is not necessary for the photo to be included in the slideshow, the month and year is.  The date taken, which is part of the EXIF data is not a suitable substitute as we could pick up other photos which are not for the slideshow.

Titles

It would also be useful for you to add meaningful titles to your pictures as the title is displayed prominently on Flickr. Also, it adds another dimension to the photo if you can get creative with the title, particularly if it provides a connotation for the photo.

Happy Flickring,

Mel Smith

PS. I have added this as a discussion in the members’ only group on Flickr so that you can add comments on this topic.

Flickr-Now being used for Group Photos

Photo by Cliff Astles-Business end of a Pirhanna Fish



Member Use of the new Group Flickr Photo Galleries

Great to see that many of our group members are signing on to Flickr, and creating a personal account for use of their own photos, and are then adding photos themselves onto the group Flickr account for the three topics for APRIL's member photo presentation.

You will no doubt see for yourselves that the presentation, clarity and facilities for the use of photos using Flickr, are so much better for the group than when we were using Facebook.

Hopefully, more members will do the same, so that we have plenty of photos for APRIL, and loads of time to get the photo presentations compiled using the new group Flickr accounts.

Topics for this month’s member presentation are:-

Still Life

Family Pets

Queens Park, Crewe.

We will progressively be making more use of the Group Web Site, with less activity on Facebook, so members need to start to use the Web Site as the main group activity and information centre.

Cliff 

Thursday 2 April 2015.