Chris Shore "what judges like"

Well what a great night that was, it's always great to have Chris down whether he's judging or giving a talk.

We all hope tonight explained to the newer members what makes a good print/competition photo and some do's and don'ts.

Like a no no to masking tape. I'll admit it was one of my first mounts shown. Shortly after I moved over to using full size backing boards like the club are offering and using double sided tape. I use 2" tape from local craft shops or even wilkinsons.
Another tip I learnt early on by trial and error was not to put a thin cross of masking tape on the back of the print. As this shows through something rotten even on a black image.

I also enjoyed chris's explanation of photo ethics and slowing your self down to concentrate on the photo your taking. If you do spend a little more time on thinking about the photo in hand it really will come out better. Even high speed motors sports. In stead of taking 50 or 60 ok photos of a car or bike with a big blue banner in the side of shot. Walk a few steps round the corner to either miss the banner altogether or include it and and use a wider Fstop to produce a shallower Depth of Field to gently blur it out.

Law of averages dictates the more photos you take you are likely to get a few good photos. But are they just flooks or lucky shots. Quiet likely. Will you have learnt or understood why that photo worked better than the others? Likely hood they will all be taken at similar settings so are more down to good timing or interesting subject.

The more you can learn about your camera, the buttons, Fstops, Shutter speeds. The more you learn about taking good photos.

Controlling the Depth of Field to separate subject from it's surroundings is very simple once you start to understand what a wider Fstop does to your photo. And a fast shutter speed for freezing a motorbike at 120 miles an hour to a slow shutter speed for producing a silky smooth sea even on the roughest of days.

Set your camera up on a tripod aimed at a table with 2 apples on the table say a foot in front of each other but to the side of the front apple. Now take several photos of this setup using the long end of say a standard kit lens. 28-80 or 18-55 so that's the (80mm or 55mm) focus on the first apple nearest you for all shots but for every photo change the Fstop starting as low as your lens allows. Some maybe 2.8 but generally 5.6 then move to 6.3, 7.1, 8, 9, 10, 11, right up to 32.
Now compare you lowest Fstop photo to the highest Fstop on you computer and see how at f32 both apples are sharp but at f5.6 the first apple is sharp but the second is blurred.

Then compare the difference between each Fstop. If you can remember this when your out taking photos you can create more dynamic photos or as Chris said about his aliens photo. A photo from nothing.

Have a play with your camera and different settings read your manuals for explanations of what settings or buttons do. It's a big help.

But most of all take photos you like and not what people tell you to take.

Once again a big thank you for chris's time and knowledge. No doubt we will see him again this season as a judge. And next for another talk.

Kevin