Last week Irvine Camera Club held its annual Prize Giving evening at the Irvine Water Sports Club. This was the culmination of a fantastic and somewhat remarkable season of competitive club photography. This was a very different year, not only because of the lockdown restrictions we have had to operate in, but also because of the spectacular success of two of our newest members who we are specifically celebrating this week.
Those of you who have been following the club’s articles in the paper this year will by now be very familiar with Michele Campbell’s work. Michele was a beginner at Irvine Camera Club over 10 years ago before moving on to try other clubs in Ayrshire. Michele has her own studio which she had built in her back garden and she has taken full advantage of the facility to hone her craft and develop her incredible and very recognisable fine art style. Irvine Camera Club welcomed Michele back to the club in a year where she has excelled at the highest level, winning medals and getting acceptances in salons across the UK.
It is no surprise then that Michele did very well in our small club’s trio of league competitions where she picked up the trophies for Best Overall Mono Print Photographer, Best Overall Colour Print Photographer and Best Overall Digital Projected Image Photographer. Michele also picked up the award voted for by members for the best image in our end-of-season competition, the Ian Davidson Memorial trophy.
In her first full season with the club and starting out as a complete beginner in photography, Tracy Ross, threw herself completely into her new hobby. Tracy had bought a new camera before joining and came along to the club to get some inspiration and guidance. She listened to our guest speakers as well as our competition judges and began to apply what she was learning to her photography. More than that, Tracy got out with her camera. She attended workshops and outings, listening to what the experienced members were saying, asking for feedback on her work and rapidly learning to see what worked and what didn’t. What this led to was Tracy producing a remarkably consistent high standard of photography across all of the competitions that she entered. As a result of her perseverance and determination to do the best she could each time, Tracy not only achieved Best Beginner for the year but also the coveted Best Overall Photographer award, “The President’s Quaich” for the season.
Michele & Tracy success this year illustrates really well how a small camera club like ours has something for everyone. Whether you are a total beginner or an experienced photographer looking to develop your own unique recognisable style, we can give you the platform to learn, improve and excel.
Irvine Camera Club continue to meet over the summer on Wednesday evening for photography outings and informal get togethers. If you are interested in joining us you can find all our details on our website www.irvinecc.co.uk
