Click here to see the above photograph. Swan Take-off by Jeremy Hayden
In March, Alan Fretten returned to the Society to give a presentation entitled ‘So long and thanks for the fish’. Explaining that this title embraced a variety of photographic topics, Alan proceeded to introduce his audience to a spectrum of images. Starting with his travels in Mexico and Guatemala, the landscapes of Inca ruins and some spectacular waterfalls, he then took us to the Greek Island of Santorini and demonstrated the influence of light on building architecture, the use of monochrome to enhance the visual impact, and the unique relationship between sunset and water. An experienced athlete, Alan continued by showing a number of action photographs taken at various field sports events, including the 2012 London Olympics, and closed the first part of his presentation with a discussion on the use of exposure bracketing to capture images of rock band artists during live performances.
After the interval, Alan examined the art of studio photography. Emphasising his preference for natural light or floodlights, as opposed to the use of electronic flash, he showed a wide range of still-life and glamour images. Finally, Alan turned to the techniques he employed for street photography, showing a range of images taken in the Olympic Park and during his recent holidays in India. Overall, this was a most interesting presentation by an articulate and extremely competent photographer, that was much appreciated by his audience.
The next meeting of the Society is the AGM at 7.00pm on 1 April, followed by a members’ presentation entitled ‘My attempts at abstract photography’. On 15 April, there is a Skills Workshop on ‘Sensor sensitivity and white balance’. Both events start at 7.30pm, and will be held in the Cartwright Hotel, Aynho. Just come along and enjoy a very warm welcome.