Weekly News #04 18February2024 – Melbourne Camera Club

Call out to Women Photographers – Final week to enter MCC’s IWD Exhibition!

MCC is celebrating 2024 International Women’s Day by curating our 6th exhibition of photography from female photographers, to be on display 8–10 March in our clubrooms.

We are excited about the opportunity to bring together women in photography and explore our theme ‘The Female Gaze’. We encourage and invite all women photographers from the Club to exhibit your images alongside photographers from outside the club. If you are unsure about printing or matting your images, please get in touch and we can help.

For full information about the Exhibition and the Terms and Conditions: Click here.

Important Dates

Entries close: Sunday 25 March, 11.59pm
Print drop off: Thursday 29 February, 6-8pm
Opening event: Thursday 7 March, 7.30pm
Exhibition dates: 8–10 March

Roster Request

This year the exhibition will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday over Labour Weekend in early March. Members and exhibitors are requested to help out to welcome our visitors, we have 2 hour shifts available, please email Nicole Andrews with your preferred time and date.

Save the Date: All members are warmly invited to attend the Opening Night event on Thursday 7 March and bring your friends and family to the exhibition over the weekend 8-10 March.

Image: Frances Egan

News Updates

This weekend’s events:
1. Saturday 24 February: Photowalk
2. Sunday 25 February: Nature Group

Photowalk: Polo at Werribee – Saturday 24 February, 10.30am

Our first outdoor activity for the Photowalk group for 2024 will be on Saturday 24 February at the Werribee National Equestrian Centre where we will try out hand at capturing fast paced images on a polo field.

We will commence with some safety instructions and spread ourselves around the polo field to capture some stunning activity.

All members of the Melbourne Camera Club are welcome.

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOWALK DETAILS

Nature Group Outing: Western Treatment Plant – Sunday 25 February, 10:00am

Our first activity for 2024 will be a visit to the Western Treatment Plant (WTP). To get to the WTP, travel down the M1 (Princes Freeway) until you get to Point Wilson Road, Point Wilson. We will meet at the gate at the corner of Point Wilson and Paradise Roads at 10am.

As the WTP requires a key and permit, we will ride share once we get to the plant. To ensure we have enough keys, can you please RSVP (email link below) by 20 February if you are planning to attend. Please specify when responding whether you have a key.

We will mainly be photographing birds so be sure to bring a telephoto lens if you have one. Also bring sunblock, mosquito repellent, water (no fresh water available at site) and good boots (though we will mainly be remaining inside the vehicles). If staying for lunch, remember a chair, food and beverages. There are toilets at the meeting point.

SEE ‘WHAT’S ON’ SECTION BELOW FOR RSVP DETAILS FOR NATURE OUTING

Volunteers Needed

We seeking members who would like to volunteer in the following areas:

Competition Committee
Additional volunteers to assist Ian Bock with our library collection
Assisting Des Crossley with our Archives
Preparing and tidying up the Tea & Coffee on Thursday club nights

Please email Sally, MCC Secretary, if you are keen to help out.

Board Update

On the 31st of January, Joanne Rinaldi resigned from the MCC Board. Her contributions as a board member have been greatly appreciated. Joanne will continue to contribute as a valued member and guest speaker for the club.

Upcoming Guest Speakers

Darran and Pearce Leal from World Photo Tours are presenting at the club on Thursday 30 May. Prior to their presentation they will be running 2 local workshops that members may be interested in.

Grampians Workshop 20-22 May
Book Making Photo Workshop Melbourne 23-25 May

Please visit the External Photographers’ Workshops page on our website to view the flyers, information and contact details.

External Photographers’ Workshops page

MCC Workshop: Body Sculpting and Rear Curtain Sync Workshop with Julie Powell

In the first segment, delve into the art of body sculpting. Explore the interplay of light and shadows to capture intricate forms, focusing on creative lighting techniques and the artful sculpting of the human body. Transition to the second part, where you’ll explore Rear Curtain sync with studio flash.

Workshop Dates: Saturday 4 May or Sunday 5 May

Workshop link

MCC Workshop: The Art of Still Life with Julie Powell

Learn the art of creating & capturing beautiful still life images. Julie will show you how slowing down will enable you too create beautifully simple still life images, with a combination of constant controlled studio lights as well as soft natural light and creatively placing and staging objects to create a myriad of beautiful serene art.

Workshop Dates: Saturday 6 July or Sunday 7 July

Workshop link

Interclub Nature Competition

Camberwell Camera Club is again coordinating the Interclub Nature Competition, previously known as The Glennie, for participating Australian clubs.

We would like to invite you to enter your best nature photos for consideration as part of the MCC club entry.

There are seven categories:

Landscape/Seascape
Botany
Birds
Mammals
Invertebrates
Other Nature
Urban Wildlife

Please read the definitions under Terms & Conditions carefully before submitting your images.

Entries can be uploaded via the Club Competitions page on the MCC website – upload link.

Cut off for submission is midnight on 3 March 2024

Only one image will be selected per MCC member for judging and a maximum of ten images for the club.

The judge will be Georgina Steytler – an outstanding nature photographer and author based in Western Australia.

Awards night will take place on Monday 13 May by Zoom – details to follow.

Image: Whistling Duck in Flight – Kyffin Lewis (Highly Commended – Open A Grade PDI – Oct 2023)

Contact Nicole Andrews, Nature Group Coordinator

Club Competitions

The Competition program (Print and PDI) will be pushed back a month and will commence in March. There will be no competitions held in February.

The Set Subjects will remain the same, with Landscape (Landscape, Seascape, Urbanscape) now being the Set Subject for March. The upload deadline will be midnight Wednesday 13 March.

Find out more

Supplier Discounts for MCC Members

Spicers are offering MCC members a discount on selected paper products: 30% on their range of Hahnemuhle sheet paper and a 45% discount on their 17” rolls of paper.

Photography Studies College (PSC) are offering MCC members 20% discount on for all Fine Art Papers – Ilford, Canson, and Hahnemuhle papers.

Photobooks: Momento Pro offer for Club members: once registration is setup, you will have access to Momento Pro services (only open to professional photographers or camera club members), 15% discount on all orders.

Full details of these special offers are on the Resources and Links page in the Members area of the website.

Website link

What’s On

Digital Editing Group

Monday 19 February, 8pm

As the level of understanding of digital editing techniques varies enormously among members, we will aim to provide information to members at basic, intermediate and advanced levels in each meeting.

This week we will be looking at:

Lightroom vs Lightroom Classic – recent changes may make Lightroom more appealing to you.
Refining “Select subject” in Lightroom versions and Camera Raw.
Photoshop hidden tricks.
If time permits, a start to finish edit

Mid-Week Outing

Tuesday 20 February, 10:30am

Outing to the NGV Triennial Exhibition.

The exhibition occupies all the exhibition space of the St. Kilda Road building. The exhibition shows the work of 120 contemporary artists from all parts of the world. And, it includes a couple of rich photographic displays: an exhibition of large photographs by the Irish photographer Kevin Abosch illustrates how you can post-process photojournalistic images to increase their dramatic impact, and on the top floor there is ‘Megalopolis’, in which 10 photographers from cities as diverse as Tokyo, Sao Paulo and New Delhi show how they see their home city.

Free admission.

The NGV is located at 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne.

Time: 10.30am – meet in the cafeteria, on the ground floor behind the information counter on the left.

Introduction to Photography Course

Tuesday 20 February, 7:30pm

For registered participants.

Course link

Conceptual Photography Group

Wednesday 21 February, 7:30pm

Imagine a meeting where you are really, really welcome. Now imagine a meeting where you are even more welcome than that! That will be your experience as a newbie coming along to the first meeting of the Conceptual Photography Group for 2024 (or any of our subsequent meetings).

We will start with an interactive discussion on the topic “What is Conceptual Photography?” You may join in or just listen, as you prefer. We will try some colour matching by mixing paint (bring a pinafore), and then discuss the different connotations of colours in different cultures. Also, learn where you can see some conceptual art in Melbourne.

Club Member Speaker: Russell Spence “The Art That Nature Makes”

Thursday 22 February, 8pm

Nature is Russell’s photographic mantra since he was a country lad living and working on the land.

Nature is never far from Russell, and neither is his camera.

Come along and share his passion.

Members can attend the presentation at the clubrooms or via Zoom.

Link: See Newletter

Photowalk: Polo at Werribee

Saturday 24 February, 10:30am

We will commence with some safety instructions and spread ourselves around the polo field to capture some stunning activity.

All members of the Melbourne Camera Club are welcome.

Date: Saturday 24 February

Meeting Time: 10.30am

Address: K Rd Werribee South Polo fields at Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre (170 K Road) – enter through the boom gates turn right go past the open horse stalls. Two polo fields located at the end of the road, and they back on to K Rd.

Details and meeting location

Nature Group Outing

Sunday 25 February, 10:00am

RSVP to Nature Group

Analogue Photography Group

Monday 26 February, 7pm

Guest speaker Paul Marsland: Shooting 8x10 colour and making colour prints In my home darkroom

Show and Tell, feedback on printmaking, Passion Projects, Work In Progress, sharing of interesting cameras.

What’s On Outside MCC

VAPS Information

VAPS CONVENTION & EXHIBITION 2024: BERWICK

The VAPS Committee is pleased to announce this year’s annual convention will be held 14-16 June 2024 at Federation University Australia in Berwick. Program and registrations will be available on the VAPS website.

VAPS NEWSBRIEF

Monthly issues of VAPS Newsbrief are available online, published at the start of each month.

Newsbrief link

Celebrating MCC Members’ Photography Success

If you have any recent results you would like to share to inspire other members in their photography journey, please email the Newsletter team so the website page can be updated and shared in the Weekly News.

To have your nomination included in the Sunday newsletter please submit it before the end of the preceding Friday with details of the Competition Name, Award, Category (if any) and image title. If possible, please also send the image or a link to the image, award or gallery.

MCC does not endorse any competitions/exhibitions that are listed, the content is for informational purposes.

See past awardees

Editorial Committee: Sally Paterson / Mark Devaraj / Vitas Anderson

Email articles and news items for Weekly News to: newsletter.group@melbournecameraclub.org.au

Submission cut off: 12pm Saturdays
Material may be subject to editing for content and length
Include an image where possible