IPF NATIONAL NATURE COMPETITION 2012

MID-WEST REGIONAL QUALIFYING ROUND

(The competition is for INDIVIDUALS)

The Regional Qualifying Round will be held in Athlone Institute of Technology on Saturday 11th February (the same day as the Print & Projected Images Final).
Entrants may submit up to 3 colour prints and/or up to 3 digital projections.

Entry Fees:
One category - €10
Two categories - €15

Entrants must submit prints / disc with images, entry form and entry fee by 10.30 am on Sat. 11th February.
Images will be judged on the day and the top 60% of entries in each category will qualify for the national finals.

Prints must be mounted on 20”x16” card, and must be no smaller than 10”x8” and no larger than 16”x12”.

Digital images must be saved as JPEGs and must be max. 2400 pixels on the longest side.
The files must be named in the following format;

Club_photographer_Image Number (no gaps)
e.g. Mullingarcc_A.N.Other_01

The NATIONAL FINALS will be held in the Westport Leisure Park Auditorium on Saturday 10th March - Judge: Colin Stafford Johnson.

Also ...

National Club Championships

The date has been set for the 2012 National Club Championships, which return to the midlands this May.
This year’s National Club Championships will take place on May 19th & 20th at Athlone Institute of Technology.
This major weekend event will see clubs from around the country battle it out for the Rose Bowl and the honour of being named as the top photography club in the country. There will also be a distinctions sitting over the two-day event.
Rules and entry forms for the National Club Championships will be posted soon, as will the full programme of events for the weekend. Further details on the distinctions applications process will also be posted as soon as they become available.

Photo Shoot - Roscommon 22nd January 2012

The first photo shoot of the year took place in Roscommon Town on Sunday. Led by Desmond O'Dwyer, members initially spent some time about the majestic ruins of Roscommon Castle and after some well deserved refreshments at Gleeson's Cafe, continued to the beautiful Sacred Heart Church. Thanks to Desmond for organising the day which went on much longer than anticipated ... we simply didn't find the time passing. Participating members are encouraged to send a selection of their best images to info@boylecameraclub.com. Members photos can be seen HERE.

Watch this space for information on next month's photo shoot which will be led by Geoffrey Percy to Streedagh Beach and the Horseshoe Glen area of Sligo.

Meeting for Members going forward for IPF Distinctions

Their will be a meeting in Daly’s Bar, Boyle at 8pm on Tuesday 24th January for members interested in going forward for the IPF licentiateship. Members should bring a selection of images they hope to include in their panel in printed format - 6" x 4" for critique and discussion. Advice on assembling a panel of 10 images will be the priority. Attendants will decide on the night the frequency of follow-up meetings. We hope to have interested members ready to submit for the next IPF licentiate award sitting.

52/52 BOYLE CAMERA CLUB PHOTO CHALLENGE

At the January Club Meeting, the Advanced Group discussed the possibility of opening a 52/52 Photo Challenge for club members.

Basically, a 52/52 challenge requires participating members to take ONE PHOTO PER WEEK for all 52 weeks of the year and post them on Flickr. Photos will be compiled in a ‘Set’ on members personal Flickr sites and the completed portfolio of 52 photos reviewed at the end of the challenge.

The aim of the challenge is to encourage members to make a conscious effort to take more photos and develop a habit of posting them regularly. Members can decide to follow a definite theme over the course of the challenge or simply compile a visual diary, the choice is up to the individual photographer. Should anyone wish to consider a thematic approach, here are some I have seen used in the past; The Bridges of Ireland, The Water Pumps of Ireland, The Royal Canal, Self-Portraits, Barmaids of Dundalk, Irish Forged Gates …. the variety is endless. Remember, a theme is NOT necessary but it can be helpful if motivation or inspiration is flagging.

Participants should attempt to present their images appropriately, not just snap-shots but effectively edited (colour-corrected and composed) and titled.

We hope to commence the challenge at the beginning of February with interested members registering their intention to participate on the CLUB FORUM. See rules of the challenge there also.

Should you decide to participate, your first submission must be posted by mid-night on FRIDAY 3rd FEBRUARY and subsequently every Friday for the following 52 weeks!

Summer Weekend Photo Shoot - CLARE ISLAND

Keeping with the tradition of Island locations, this year Boyle Camera Club's Summer Photo Shoot will take place on Clare Island, Co. Mayo from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th May.

Previous trips included Achill, Inis Oirr and Inishbofin, all of which were hugely successful and enjoyable events. The annual weekend photo shoot not only provides an opportunity for members to indulge their passion for photography but is equally an important social event where like-minded photography enthusiasts can enjoy the beauty of our native countryside.

To assist with planning the event, we need members to express their intention to participate by including their name on the related thread in the Club Forum HERE. Details of accommodation, ferry times and costs will follow once we can determine numbers. I hope as many people as possible can attend.

ProFoto 2012 - Dublin 14th & 15th February

Annual Trade Show set up over 20 years ago for photographers. Whether you are looking for lighting, cameras, printers, albums or frames ProFoto is the place to be. See local Irish suppliers display the latest products from the best innovators of the photographic industry.

Full Details HERE.

Club Meeting - Tuesday 10th January

Presentation

Pictorial and Photographic Composition was the theme of this month's presentation. Tony Murphy discussed the issue under the headings of formal and informal approaches to composing images. He started by defining the Golden Ratio and it's relationship to organising lines, shapes and forms in architecture, art and product design - from the time of the ancient Egyptians right up to today. The Rule of Thirds and Diagonals, Lead-in Lines and other devices were mentioned along with Depth of Field, Symmetry and Contrast - all these have their part to play in effective Composition. As enthusiast photographers, Tony encouraged members to consider some of the rules mentioned and also explore ways to break them!

This month's category winners are Desmond O'Dwyer, Maeve Cormican and Jason Mallard

Motivation

Joe Kennedy judged and presented this month's Motivation 'Silhouettes'. The winners in each category are;

Advanced

1. Jason Mallard - 'Hitcher'

2. Brian Munnelly - 'He's Been'

3. John Walshe - 'Christmas'

Intermediate

1. Desmond O'Dwyer - 'Skedaddle'

2. Anthony Troy - 'Turbines on the Hill'

3. Susan Duffy - 'Silhouettes'

Beginners

1. Maeve Cormican - 'Dubrovnik'

2. Marion Noone - 'Masai Lady'

3. Laura Laugere - 'Ireland 3'

Congratulations to you all. The Motivation for February is 'COMPOSITION'. Members are encouraged to interpret the theme in the context of the presentation at the meeting.

Submissions to info@boylecameraclub.com on or before FRIDAY 10th FEBRUARY.

Group Sessions

The Advanced Group discussed initiating a photography challenge that would see participating members take and post on-line, one image each week for a year, beginning in February. Details will be posted in the club Forum where anyone interested can sign up. There will be a €5 entry fee and the completed portfolio of images will be judged externally for a prize when 52 weeks are completed.

In addition to this, some interesting future Motivation themes were identified, among them; a disposable film camera challenge and photoshop make over where all members would get the same photo to process in an imaginative way.

The Beginners and Intermediate Groups discussed the new Motivation categories in an attempt to establish their positions for subsequent motivation submissions.

Photo Shoot

The photo shoot this month is to Roscommon Town. As the Sacred Heart Church is one of the main venues and mass times will prohibit early access, departure time from Boyle will be 10am. Meet on the Crescent in Boyle for car-pooling. It is hoped to take in Roscommon Castle also and arrive at the Sacred Heart Church for 1.30pm approximately.

Other Items

• The club's calendar for 2012 is now completely sold out - excellent news indeed.
• Boyle Camera Club Committee will meet on Tuesday 17th January 2012.
• Next club meeting Tuesday 14th February 2012 at 8pm in St. Joseph's Resource Centre, Boyle. Dublin photographer Podge Kelly will be giving the main presentation.

Photographers Needed!

Are you a budding photographer looking to break into sport photography?

Responding to a rapid growth in the sport of triathlon, Triathlon Ireland are seeking photographers on a voluntary basis to ensure the ongoing exposure and support of their races.

Triathlon Ireland is aiming to establish a network of voluntary photographers who will support races throughout the country in the same spirit as race organisers, race marshals and other volunteers. This role will provide keen sports photographers access to triathlon events, and open up networking opportunities for like minded photographers with an interest in sports photography.

There will be triathlon photography workshops held for interested photographers.

More info HERE.

Club Meeting – 10th January 2012

The club chairperson and committee would like to wish all members a Happy New Year. We look froward to seeing you all once again on Tuesday. As usual, we have a full and busy schedule prepared.

The Agenda for our January club meeting is as follows;

• 8pm - Chairperson's Address

• Presentation - Tony Murphy will discuss the issue of Pictorial Composition. This will outline the aesthetic principles that govern effective composition in art and photography, the accepted rules ... and how to break them.
• January Motivation - SILHOUETTES, presented by Joe Kennedy. Submissions available to view HERE shortly.

• Tea/Coffee

• Group Sessions - Advanced, Intermediate and Beginners groups to discuss relevant issues. This month, the groups should initially focus on defining the criteria in the context of the Motivation Document presented by Tony at last month's meeting.

Other Items to Note

• Proposal for a club 365 / 52 photo competition (one photo per day for one year or one photo per week).
• Printing Photos for one Motivation in four.
• January Photo Shoot to Roscommon Town - Sunday 22nd January.
• Summer Weekend Photo Shoot to Clare Island, Co. Mayo.

House Keeping Duties

• Setting out the room in advance of the meeting.
• Taking charge of refreshments.