Member photos-Marketing & Press.

Winter Sunrise-Over the old ICI Lime Beds-Middlewich-Cheshire.

Group use of member photos for Marketing and Press.

It is now some time since we asked group members for their permission for the group to use any of their photos submitted for use in order to create marketing and press interest. With the recent move to Flickr by the group to better display photos, I thought it was worth mentioning again.

We would obviously wish to continue to use member photos, but ONLY if members have no objection to them being used in this way. Therefore, would members not wishing for their photos to be used, please let me know via e-mail, so I do not make any mistakes.

The group has been able to gain many more members by using photos in this way, and we will continue to use them in the future.  Additionally, it is in the group’s future interest to gain more members and I would like to think that members will continue to send photos to any of the local papers, as they continue to request local photos to be submitted to them, where a mention of the group would not go amiss.

Cliff

Photo Topic Reminder for MAY 2015.

Photo by Cliff Astles-River Wheelock from the Bridge on Forge Mill Lane-Warmingham-Cheshire.

Member photos-May Group Meeting-Willowmere-Middlewich.

Reminder-TWO TOPICS for photos are CHESHIRE COUNTRYSIDE and MACHINES.

Make sure you use your own and the group FLICKR Galleries to place your photos on-line, and to make them available to be sorted and placed into a photo presentation.

The quality of Flickr for photo presentation is allowing for some GREAT member photos to be shown, and is so very much better for the group to use than just using Facebook.

Cliff

Group members working together.

Photo by Paul Macready

Photo by Paul Macready

Group members, working together to improve their photography.

One of the main objectives when initially forming the Group was for the more skilled members to offer help, and give guidance to other members, who were just, perhaps starting to use a digital camera, and wanting to get up to speed quickly. We believe we have achieved this in no short measure, with many new to photography, quickly creating photos of merit.

It was very satisfying therefore to see recently, that Paul Macready (using his excellent photos above) was helping member Donna, to also try to achieve a similar quality photo by providing photo settings and other advice, for her future use when presented with a similar photo opportunity.

With the move from placing group photos on Facebook, to members now  using Flickr, we can not only now see members photos in much better quality, but Flickr also provides all of the  technical information regarding photo settings for members to see for themselves, so they may use the information in order  to improve their own photo skills. A BIG step forward for the group members. 

The group continues to grow with new members and the more conversations that take place of this nature, the better and stronger the group becomes. Thanks to members like Paul, Mal Wetton, Brian Roberts, and others that help in this way, we are achieving one of our main goals with the group.

Getting members to shoot quality photos, all of the time J

Cliff

Two pictures (see wingtips) are to show what happens when you use a shutter speed of  1/640 sec. 

Heron............ slight blur at the wing tips), which does give a nice motion effect, that you may wish to have?

Seagull...........when you use a much higher shutter speed (1/2000 sec). The wing tips are quite clear, with no motion to speak of.

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