In the Herald - Summer offers new challenges

Now that the official camera club season has completed, Irvine Camera Club are moving into our summer session.  This is where members of the club meet up every couple of weeks to actually get away from the computer screen to go out and take photographs.  We will be lining up a good variety of destinations and setting challenges throughout the summer months to stretch our members capabilities and to hopefully get those creative juices flowing. 

Last night we headed down to Troon harbour and the Ballast Bank.  Some of the photographs from there will be featured in next week’s paper.  This week I’d like to show you some of the work from our last two competitions which, although it wasn’t singled out by our judge, still demonstrates the breadth of talent and artistry that we have within our club.

Camera clubs run competitions so that we can add a little extra excitement to proceedings.  It’s always fun to watch folk battle away for the end-of-season trophies, and I suppose it does help to push some of us more jaded photographers to try harder.  However, competition can be a bit of a distraction and it can also be demoralising to photographers who struggle to get their work recognised by the judges.  Photography is an art and art is very difficult to judge without being subjective.  Judges are conditioned to look at images very objectively and they sometimes miss the deeper meanings and messages because they are so focussed on evaluating the technical aspects of the craft.

I believe that anyone, beginner or expert, who is brave enough to put a photograph into a competition to be judged, deserves to have their work and commitment to the club recognised and applauded.

I hope you enjoy this small selection and I think you’ll agree with me that our keen photographers are all winners for getting out there and showing us the world as they see it through their eyes.

As always you can find out all about Irvine Camera Club at our website www.irvinecc.co.uk

I hope you have a good week and are able to get out and about with your cameras.  Enjoy the light!