June 15th 2012Blackburn & District Camera ClubFeniscowles Methodist Church HallPreston Old RoadBlackburnBB2 5EPW ­ www.Blackburncameraclub.co.ukE ­ Secretary@Blackburncameraclub.co.ukXtra now has its own address Xtra@pixelmag.co.uk

This Weeks Cover ImageNike Fashionable Footware By Lynda McIntyre

ContentsClub MeetingsThe Club SurveyPreston Photo Walks

News Events and ActivitiesFrom Blackburn & District Camera ClubTerms and ConditionsPixelXtra and Pixel are the weekly bulletin and monthley magazines of Blackburn & District Camera Club. No part of either documentmay be published, reproduced or stored electronically without permission. The submission of material, unsolicited or requested, istaken as permission to publish in Pixel or PixelXtra e­magazine or print editions worldwide. No remuneration is offered for materialsand any submissions requested or otherwise are provided with the notion of the promotion of the activities of Blackburn & DistrictCamera Club. The editorial staff, committee of Blackburn & District Camera Club and contributors cannot accept liability for purchasesbased on information published in Pixel and/or damage to equipment resulting from articles or recommendations. Opinions expressedin submissions are those of the contributing author and may not be those shared by Blackburn & District Camera Club, its committeeor its members. Readers of Pixel are reminded that locations described in the publication may be remote or difficult to get to andevery precaution should be taken to ensure personal safety. Readers are also reminded that permission must be sought oflandowners when visiting locations. Blackburn & District Camera Club, Editorial Staff and Contributors cannot accept liability for anypersonal injury obtained when visiting the locations described in articles. All work submitted by contributors containing models areassumed to have the models permission for publication. Blackburn & District Camera Club and Editorial Staff cannot accept liability forany image published without the permission of the model.

Editorial StaffPixel Editor ­ Lee JohnsonPixel Xtra Editor ­ Bob SingletonEditorial Assistant ­ Barry NoonBlackburn & District Camera ClubPresident ­ Jim CunninghamVice President ­ Judith MarrPresident Elect/Treasurer ­ John MurraySecretary ­ Bob SingletonCompetition Chair ­ Roy PickeringPublicity & Communication Chair ­ Lee JohnsonProgramme Chair ­ Jim Cunningham

Contact Secretary@blackburncameraclub.co.ukWeb www.blackburncameraclub.co.uk

Next MeetingWe meet each Monday evening(except Bank Holidays) at 7:30pmatFeniscowles Methodist Churchon Preston Old RoadBlackburnBB2 5EP

June 18thAV Night,Preparation and a presentation of an AV using your imagesThis will be a discussion evening.We will show some amateur work and some professionall AVsTalk about the differences demonstate some of the software used to makeAVs and use some of your photographs to construct a presentation.

Coming Soon25thPhotobooksWe will look at commercial books and the selection and productionprocess involved in making a book.We will look at some books made by members and talk about thevarious methods of making your own book including software andpublishing options

JuneThis month the programme isall about your work.The next 2 weeks are all about presentation.We open with a practical night on the theme AV where youwill get to see some examples of this style of presentationand take part in preparing a presentation on the night.The following week we will look at photobooks. We will seesome examples both commercial and those made bymembers and there will be a discussion and workshop tohelp you make your own.

Club ProgrammeNext MonthWe plan to get out and about and make the most of the light evenings andtake some photos

Details are currently subject to changebut we plan to:­2nd July A practical night either in the Town centre or down at BrockholesFurther details next week

9th July Visit to Salford Quays.. Meet 7.30 hopefully for some sun andpossibly go for a drink while waiting for lights to come on about 10.15.

16th July ­ Back at the church hall bring in your best Brockhall/Town/Salfordimages for critique.

CommunicationsCommittee Meeting 11 JulyThis is the mid­point of the year and your committee will be meeting soon todecide on the programme for next year and make plans for the furtherdevelopment of your club.If you would like anything to be put on our agenda please write to mesecretary@blackburncameraclub.co.uk and I will ensure that it is considered atour meeting.

These are fast changingtimes.A short while ago we relied on announcements at meetings to communicatewith you our membership.Now we have our website which is now established in its new homewww.blackburncameraclub.co.uk and our club forum which is used by somebut not all our members.Other clubs have different means of communication.They use Facebook, Flickr, Google+ etc.Our forum is quite active but there are less than 1/2 a dozen regular users outof a membership of more than 50. Would you prefer it if we were to makemore use of facebook?We do have a facebook page but very few members post to it.If you have any suggestions about how we should improve clubcommunications please write.Secretary@blackburncameraclub.co.uk

The results of the club surveyThe survey asked a number of multiple choice questions and also had somequestions requiring a text reply.The results of the multiple choce questions were as follows:­

I would like to thank everyone who gave a little of their time to complete thesurvey sent out to paid­up members last week.We had quite a lot of replies and I attach the results. We can be quite pleasedthat most members are satisfied with most things. However there is no roomto be complacent.12 1/2% of the members expressed slight dissatisfaction with the standard ofour meetings and almost 20% were slightly dissatisfied with the programmecontent.50% of our members found the content of workshops and talks to bemoderately useful or better but that left 50% of the respondents less satisfiedand the largest individual score on that question was for finding the talks onlyslightly useful. Similarly over 30% of respondents considered that presentersare not very knowledgeable.A significant number of members around 20% are less than comfortable aboutasking questions at meetings.No­one thought that meetings contained too much information while 20%considered that talks and presentations were inadequate in their coverage.The consensus must therefore be could do better.As well as the tick box questions there were also a number of questions whichasked for a written response. Most people took the time to provide that andagain the full text of the answers is in the appendix.A number of themes very quickly become apparent from a reading of theresults and I have summarised that as follows:­

1. There is a substantial demand for information and hands­on activities.2. Members would like instructions, workshops and activities on photographictechnique, camera handling and how to override automatic settings3. There is a significant demand for tuition on portraiture, studio lighting etc.4. There is a demand for an opportunity to take photographs5. And finally there is a request for computer skills with instructions onPhotoshop Lightroom and similar programs.The question we now need to consider is how can these requests beaccommodated and fulfilled.A side issue which is raised in the response is the question of multipartmeetings chitchat and respect for speakers.To some extent this must arise because around 20% of respondents areunhappy during meetings and consider that the content is deficient.

On Monday night 11 June I was able to briefly outline the results of the surveyto members at the meeting. We had a short discussion and I gained theimpression that those members who attended had different views to themembers who responded to the survey.Some members present asked for helpwith technical photography issues andcomputer skills, after the presentation ofthe folio and a discussion of masking etcthere did seem to be a demand for sometechnical information.There was a strongly held view that theclub is a get­together for enthusiasts andnot a teaching institution.But our constitution makes education the club's 1st priority.The question of taking photographs was raised. There was general supportamongst the members present for some tuition concerning the studio lightingsystem and members will be pleased to know that a meeting for that is alreadyin this year's syllabus.This enthusiasm did not however extend to other photographic opportunitiesand whilst there was some interest in a trip to Salford Quays there was littleinterest in other photographic outings.So the question is how should your committee proceed?The club membership is divided. It was obvious from the discussion at ameeting that the majority of members do not want the club to present technical

lectures or to offer organised trips and outings.On the other hand I have received responses to the survey and separateapproaches in person and by e­mail which show that a number of membersfeel very strongly that it is a function of a camera club to improve thephotography of the membership and offer precisely that technical guidanceand opportunity for hands­on assistance.

Speaking personally I am disappointed that ourclub does not produce better quality work andbe more successful in competitions. It is clearfrom viewing the entries to competitions that wedo have a number of potentially goodphotographers amongst our membership andthat they could with assistance produce verygood work.But our membership is quite diverse with a range of skills and interests and itis therefore impossible to keep everyone happy at the same time. In myopinion, like them or not multipart meetings look like they may be part of thesolution.The suggestion made by President that on some evenings the second part ofthe meeting after the break is given over to talking about images and othertechnical issues might be something to consider.Some subjects such as camera skills are either be far too advanced or far toobasic for much of the audience and as we have found when we haveattempted to teach Photoshop the audience starting point varies so widely thatit is virtually impossible to teach anything useful in a full club meeting.

2. Objectives of the Club.2.1. To educate and encourage all members toadvance their photographic knowledge andextend their creative talents by lectures, tuition,discussion and debates, competitions and in anyother way deemed suitable by the Committee.

Perhaps we can consider small workshops for a limited number of people.Another way to address the demand for technical instruction is to use our clubmagazine pixel which carrys technical articles each month.It is also possible that members are not fully aware of the extent of the clublibrary and the range of photography books available to borrow.We also have the club forum via the internet where anyone can ask a technicalquestion and will almost certainly receive advice and assistance from severalmembers.

FEEDBACKThe next committee meeting is scheduled for 11 July and the content ofmeetings will be discussed then.As always members are at liberty to submit subjects for discussion and if youhave any strong feelings about the conduct of meetings please put them inwriting and I will ensure that they form part of the brief impact given to thecommittee ahead of that meeting. Your views will then be properly considered.It is also possible that I might issue a further survey prior to that meeting onceI have drawn up an appropriate set of questions.Address as ussual secretary@blackburncameraclub.co.uk The textual answers given to the other questions follow ....

1. I think the meeting are a bit disjointed2. Still photography3. Portrait, studio setup, basic work flow for Lightroom, PS or any other photoenhancement program. How to move from AP, SP to manual mode on everyday or night shoots. Just how to use a variety of things that are useful to mostphotographers.4. It would be nice to get some more practical advice on Photoshop5. Portraits,& lighting workshops. Talks from pro photographers.6. I have enjoyed every topic since joined in January. Would be interested inwhat photo equipment people use to achieve their results?7. how to get the best out of a Dslr camera or compact camera8. New and different techniques in photography9. Layers10. Anything, except holiday snaps.11. Back to basics camera topics. How to do specific types of photography eghigh speed12. Camera techniques: a. Making a reference list on 'best settings' forspecific camera situations. b. How to take 'very fast' action shots. c. Creating'atmospheric' night time images. d. Using 'Lightroom'. e. How to get the bestout of a 'lens'. f. More 'members participation' events. g. Create a 'location

map' that members can use to find good photo opportunities.13. How to use my camera­ how to set it up­which setting to use for allapplications14. Photo editing15. Use both rooms for 1­2­1s at meetings more. And not too many analizingother clubs photo's and if the weather is good to get out more on club night'sso people do not have to "sneak out" and be made to feel like outcasts.16. It would be nice to get some more practical sessions going.17. More practical sessions.18. Sometimes don't just catch everything speakers say ­ maybe its becauseI'm just getting old and deaf!19. Consideration for speakers and less secondary meetings within theaudience.20. Single meetings, no offshoot meetings which are noisy, disturbing and rudeto our official speakers. Except on designate multi­meeting nights. Go back toold Summer off schedule with evening and a day outing.21. Less content for each evening.22. I've just noticed you have a Facebook page and yes, I would be veryhappy if you were to make more use of it as I would probably keep in touchbetter with what's going on.

23. Re your request in Pixel Xtra for suggestions for instruction nights, I wouldlike to see comprehensive modules for all genres with everything spelt out sowe can either make notes for the future or maybe accompany the talks withinfo sheets. For instance, I have had a few rather unsuccessful tries at sportsphotography. Maybe you could give sample shots of say football, cycling,motor racing and talk about the best camera settings/equipment for these. Forbeginners, it's very helpful to have a starting point and adjust from there.When I was on the Photography course at Preston College, whatever thepractical we were doing we were told to set our cameras to particular settings,try it and then alter x,y or z until we got the best result. I know that this will betedious to experienced photographers, but then they won't be interested inthese sessions anyway. A reference sheet would be very useful because themore advanced stuff goes over your head until the basics have been grasped,but could be used in the future.24. There are lots of basic rules like F11 for overall clarity, F8 for portraits thatcan improve skills no end, but sometimes these little gems pass us byunnoticed or it assumed everyone knows. I think that most of us probablyhave a favourite genre which we know well, but stepping out of our comfortzone sometimes leads to frustration and hundreds of bad photos! If I hadshortcuts into other kinds of photography, I would experiment more.

Starting from the summer of 2012, we are looking to help photographers get social around the cityof Preston in Lancashire, UK.These photowalks will be fun, for everyone, and free.If you have a compact, DSLR or large format camera, come along. We don't care what you shootwith as long as you are friendly, considerate and not going to bore everyone with your latest ( veryexpensive ) lens!These photowalks will be an opportunity for like minded photography enthusiasts, ( professional,amateur or novice ), to meet up and wander around safely in numbers.Please keep an eye on here for info ­ we're aiming to have the first one in the evening of the 3rdJuly 2012 probably around the Docks for ease of access ­ and please register interest either byemail prestonphotowalk@gmail.comThere is also a flickr group where images can be shared after each walk for us all to look at andpost constructive comments.

These walks are not designed to compete or step on the toes of local camera clubs and all thegood work that they do, this is an addition to those groups in a city which we are sure can cater formore!

Photo OpportunityAs part of the Guild Celebrations Preston CityCouncl are running some free events.The walks will be lead by a very good localphotographerThe website is athttp://www.prestonphotowalks.blogspot.co.uk/For times and dates please register atprestonphotowalk@gmail.com