Latest News
Club member Paul Hutchings received some very good news last week, when he was advised that his photograph, entitled ‘Gotcha’ one of the two pictures currently hanging at Maidstone Gallery representing Bexhill photographic club in the annual Kent County Photographic Association Exhibition had been selected to represent the KCPA in the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain competition /exhibition organised this year by the Scottish Federation in Glasgow on the 8th June. Very well done Paul and good luck.
The clubs annual exhibition of photographic prints and digital images will be held at St Peter’s Community Centre from Friday 27th June ‘til Sunday 29th June inclusive. The Mayor, Councillor Patrick Douart, will open the exhibition at 10amFriday; this exhibition also forms part of the Patronal Festival. Times of opening are Friday 27th-Saturday 28th June 10am-5pm,Sunday 29th 10am-3pm.Light refreshments will be available during the day.
The Bexhill club based at the Friends Meeting House Albert road have now finished for the season.
But we are far from ceasing to promote ourselves because we have our annual exhibition at the end of June and a further smaller exhibition just before we restart in the autumn.
To end this season though we held the prestigious print and slide of the year as our penultimate meeting, each member was invited to forward their three best prints and slides, previously used in a 2007 /2008 competition,,just one of each would be judged as the winner by the experienced photographic judge from Kent, John Devenport LRPS.,He chose three Highly Commended prints as follows
De la Warr Pavilion Curves and shapes by Paul Hutchings
The Lovers by Norman King
South African Bay by Alastair Hazell
Then finally The Print of the Year; - was Norman King's Detail from the Baptistery Door Florence, a beautiful golden panel, one of many that depicted a Biblical scene, the judge enthused about the quality and presentation of the image it was given top place. Norman’s third POTY. Since 1998.
Detail from the Baptistery Door Florence
Once we had completed the break for refreshments John had recovered from judging the 47 prints and it went straight into darkness for him to deliberate over the 21 slides, he was just as enthusiastic commenting on every image, this time the three Highly Commended prizes went to Paul Hutchings, Norman King and Ray Noble.
John chose Slide of the Year which was a super capture of a Male Azure Damselfly photographed on a grass seed head by Brian Reeve [our slide projectionist] this was his 5 th slide of the year achievement since 1985 well done Brian.
Azure Damselfly
After the vote of thanks by our retiring chairman [Mike Pethen], our judge John Devenport thanked all the members for their very high standard of work
Which gave him a tremendous challenge and said he enjoyed that very much
The club staged its penultimate photographic competition on the 3rd of this month. We started the second half of the Slide Set Subject, which was entitled ‘Flower’. All the slide film workers were entitled to enter three images of any flower and we really did have a very colourful first half of the evening.
Sylvia Noble took the 20 points with a beautifully captured single bloom of ‘Nigella’ and husband Ray with 19 ½ was a close second with a nice backlit depiction of a pink Fuchsia. Very well done to the Nobles.
The second half after the tea and social break was entirely different from 2inch slides. We went up a size or so, even up to the amount of a board measuring two feet by two feet six inches, this was to compete for The Annual John Cocker Panel Competition. Five panels were entered with various themes ranging from high key flowers and petals, Shapes and curves from the De la Warr pavilion, how to build a Suzuki motorbike in six easy stages, Waiting at Sheffield Park railway station to Anna Chakvetadze’s losing game at Eastbourne.
David Rossiter’s was deemed to be the overall best panel with his pink blooms and Paul Hutchings with his Shapes and Curves at the De La Warr pavilion with Vanessa Parker in third place with her mono prints of steam engines at the Bluebell railway.
The next meeting at Albert Road will be the last of the competitions when John Devenport FRPS. judges the overall print and slide of the year. This entails the 3 best prints and slides from each member that has previously been in competitions since Oct 2007; these are entered and prejudged giving just one winning print and slide of the year.
Bexhill club is half way through its busy period, and so far is doing very well, having been the successful hosts at the Sussex Federation Print competition held at Hailsham, when Battle Club were eventual winners, with Bexhill club finishing just 5 points behind in 6th place. Very well done to Brian Hazell, Norman King, Julian Morley, Vanessa Parker and Paul Hutchings.
The following evening Bexhill travelled to Little Common for a three way print competition with Ore and St Helens Club. Bexhill took 15 prints for evaluation from the judge Peter Walker LRPS. (5 of the prints from the previous days Sussex competition) Bexhill scored 5 20’s from their set of 15 images, scoring 285 from a maximum of 300. In second place with a score of 268 was Ore and St Helens with Little Common coming a credible third with 266 1/2 very well done Bexhill.
Three days later Bexhill enjoyed a captivating evening with Gavin Hoey a master of digital imaging, and has been since his first computer, a ZX Spectrum in the mid 1980’s.He now uses top of the range equipment and software. He told us how he and friends instigated a breakaway group of digital photographers from his local club in Mid Kent who met in secret, and were rebuked by the other club members.
He is now a professional tutor and the members and guests enjoyed his slick tutorial, and art of digital imaging which was portrayed simply and easily for everyone to enjoy.
David Rossiter gave the vote of thanks.
Bexhillphotoclub.co.uk has been rejuvenated and is running side by side with the previous site, which has been newly constructed by Alistair Hazell and is being continually updated by our digital experts Paul Hutchings and Paul Carrington. All the latest news and winning images can be found on the new site.
Anyone interested in visiting the club with a view to joining us, or needs any further information regarding the club please contact our chairman Mike Pethen 846973.
Bexhill members are in the midst of probably their busiest month for 60 years. Ray Bridges LRPS.CPAGB delivered a very interesting lecture and showed us many of his competent digital images. Last week was the clubs final competition for slides and prints. Last night (March 13th) was purely a digital evening, enhanced by our only titled photographer, Eddie Sturgeon LRPS who gave a tutorial and practical tips to our digitally inspired members.
This coming Sunday March 16th 2.30pm we host the Sussex Federation Print competition at Hailsham Community Centre, all are welcome. Exhibited will be the best prints from 21 clubs and societies of the Federation. Three trophies will be presented after the judging has been completed.
The following evening Monday 17th Bexhill travel to Little Common and will be involved in a three way print Contest to include Ore and St Helens Club, the quality and edge will be no different than the previous day.
This will be the sixth event in a month for our members, who are growing in strength and numbers.
The results of last week’s club open print and slide competition judged by Bob Webzell ARPS of Brighton and Hove Club are as follows,
Prints;
General.
Alastair Hazell; South African Beach Scene.
Small.
Brian Reeve; Broad Bodied Chaser
Joint Winner
Norman King;Detail of Golden door panel of Baptistry Florence.
Portrait.
David Rossiter; Jessica Judged Best Print of the Evening.
Slides General;
Ray Noble; Ready for action.
Landscape;
Norman King; Swallowed up and replaced.
Nature;
Brian Reeve; Azure Damselfly.
The above winning images will be displayed in the window of the Bexhill Observer this week
Further information regarding the club please ring Mike Pethen 846973.
7th February 2008 Lecture
Last Thursday Ian Betts visited us for a lecture entitled, ‘Woodland Photography’ .Ian is a devout conservationist and a group founder member of his local wildlife trust. He lives near the beautiful woodlands near Chanctonbury Rings.
Ian embellished his woodland talk with many top class colour slides of flora and fauna. Members sat in awe enjoying his images from Snowdrops to Butterfly Orchids, damselflies to the industrial Nuthatch.
Mike Pethen our chairman gave thanks on behalf of the club for a super lecture emphasising ‘Woodland Photography’ and the delightful enthusiasm of Ian, which worked wonders for two hours without a crib or script in sight.
Bexhill’s next meeting will be on Thursday 21st February. When local photographer Ray Bridges LRPS will be giving an illustrated lecture entitled ‘Thinking in digital Themes’
Anyone interested in becoming a member should contact Mike Pethen on 846973 or just come along to the meeting next Thursday at The Friends Meeting House Albert Road.
1st February 2008 Inter Club
Bexhill members were welcomed to the Eastbourne Photographic Society on Friday February 1st,for a three-way competition between hosts, guests and Hailsham Photographic Society by Trevor Wood Eastbourne’s Chairman. Each club was asked to enter ten slides and ten prints, neutral judge Ted Moon (from Seaford Club) adjudicated the sixty images randomly. He started with the prints and Eastbourne took an early lead after just 10 prints. At this point Bexhill were 12 points behind and Hailsham only 2. Bexhill did very well with the judging of the next 20 prints and eventually landed up only 3 behind Eastbourne’s score of 180 leaving, Hailsham a further 3 behind Bexhill.
Unfortunately we were unable to score a single maximum (20 points) from our 10 prints, however, after the tea break we scored two 20,s from our slide entries with Eastbourne and Hailsham only managing 1 each. Very well done Bexhill, as Eastbourne and Hailsham are both very strong clubs. The final aggregate scores were.
Eastbourne 366
Bexhill 352
Hailsham 346
Latest Club Competition
Bexhill Club members had another fun evening on the first Thursday of January, members’ submitted 2,3,4 or 5 images depicting their best and most intriguing observations of the famous art deco building ‘The De La Warr Pavilion.’ Members displayed a few unusual shots and also a lot of traditional ones, even a medley of pictures displayed on one board from a member who was at home sick with flu. All of the pictures were approved and gave members food for thought for the future.
In the second half of the evening our treasurer and slide film specialist Sue Clarke gave us a treat with her showing of ‘Around Bexhill ‘a nostalgic view of Bexhill some slides going back to the 1960’s. This travelogue concluded a very pleasant laid back evening.
Last Thursday was competition night; the judge for the night was Nick Wiseman from Seafordclub who is a very experienced and proficient critic. The first half of the evening was devoted to slides;
General Class:- winner Norman King ‘RhossiliBay’
Landscape :-winner Brian Reeve 'Langdale'
Natural History:-winner Dorothy Reeve ‘Sycamore in flower’
Nick congratulated the authors of the 22 slides. He broke for tea and biscuits and then continued in the second half to judge 52prints.( his break was well needed )in the General Pictorial class, he determined that Alastair Hazell to be the winner with ‘The Blacksmith’ which was just half a point ahead of his father Brian who portrayed ‘Red Colonnade at moonlight’
The small print class that included 14prints 7x5 or smaller was next to be judged. Norman King was the winner with ‘De La Warr downpour’ just a point ahead of Dorothy Reeve’s ‘Black white and red’.
The Portrait Class attracted 11 prints and was won by Paul Carrington with ‘Frank 2’ just a point ahead of new member Vanessa Parker’s ‘Luke’
Mike Pethen gave the vote of thanks to Nick, for all his comments. Who responded by saying he had enjoyed his first visit to the Bexhill club and was pleased with the very high standard of work that he had had to appraise.
The next meeting at The Friends Meeting House Albert Road is a digital studio
Evening on the 31st Jan. All those interested should phone Mike Pethen 846973 or just pop along on the evening.
Handley Shield - September 2007
The club had its best result in the Kent photographic Association Handley Shield last Saturday, at Chatham. The competition included 22 clubs predominantly from Kent but 4 from East Sussex. Each club submitted 8 colour transparencies Bexhill’s entry was as follows; -
Paul Hutchings holding the George Gibbs Shield
Hairy Dragonfly by Brian Reeve scored 19 West Quay Reflections Salford by Norman King scored 17 Gotcha by Paul Hutchings scored 20 Pied Kingfisher by Sylvia Noble scored 18 Work Place by Dorothy Reeve scored 17 Male Orang-utan by Paul Hutchings scored 20 Rhossili Bay Shipwreck by Norman King scored 18 Evening Light over the Himalayas by Chris Martin scored 17.
The total score of 146 from a maximum of 160 gave Bexhill P.C. their best ever result of overall 3rd. This was only 5 points behind Ton bridge camera club who were only a single point behind the winning club Ashford. This was an excellent team effort but their was a star amongst the authors who not only scored two 20’s, one of which gave Paul Hutchings a Highly Commended Award but with his second 20 entitled ‘Gotcha ’a brilliant capture of a well known Welsh forward being tackled from behind during a downpour at Twickenham. This image was emblazoned on the front cover of the results catalogue given to us as we left Chatham,s Brook theatre thus giving Paul the Premier Award The George Gibbs Shield (as seen above) well done Paul congratulations this was the best slide from 176 others.
Gotcha By Paul Hutchings
The Bexhill Photographic Club who meet at the Friends Meeting House Albert Road every other Thursday use and exhibit colour and black and white prints, digital media as well as slides. Anyone who wishes to partake in the club activities in the future can get further details from our chairman Mike Pethen by phoning Bexhill 846973. Paul’s winning picture will be displayed in the Bexhill Observer window shortly.
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