19 and 20 May

http://www.rwt.org.uk/festival/2012
http://www.rwt.org.uk/festival/gallery

Looks brilliant 

It appeared to work quite well 

Could have done without the downpour  , but it cheered up later and turned out to be a fine day.
Maybe next summer we can manage something similar to catch the meadow flowers and more flutterbies and dragonflies etc. Unfortunately, events were against me around that time.

The turnout was great and the staff there did a fab job preparing info and giving us the talk. Not bad for a first attempt 

Glad you enjoyed the day Graham. Wow! Top damselfly photo there, not such an "attempt" - head through to tail in focus!  Aren't they wonderful creatures?
I was photographing a Willow Emerald yesterday in a huge bush of nettles 

Is that where we went last year Phil?

It is interesting to hear what other clubs do. I love the fact that our club doesn't have a sense of preciousness, so it is all relaxed and friendly - very important. For me, the main benefit of having some kind of schedule of competitions keeps me in step as I juggle a full time job with a time consuming hobby. It gives me those regular targets, that help to prevent me falling victim to the 'I'll get round to it some time syndrome' causing another interest to fall by the wayside. "The housework can wait - I need to prepare an image for Tuesday!"  far more satisfying

I also believe we can make our annual exhibition more beneficial to our club. It is our only showcase of what we can do and who we are. The thinking cap is on...

Hi Monish,

I don't have a 'judge hat', but here are a few things I may consider experimenting with.

I have to agree with Chris. Maybe a mono would have the most impact. Then playing with some contrast or doge and burn accentuate the bark shadows? To make a feature of the texture in the bark, maybe a slight left crop. Lots of possibilities to play with 

We all come to the club for one common interest - photography. But we all have different priorities within this interest, so we have the unavoidable dilemma of any group of pleasing some all of the time and all some of the time.

Yes, we do have a lot of competition nights, which can be useful when a judge acts as your critical friend and doesn't spend alotted time talking about themselves and giving you nothing thought provokingly useful to take away. I often feel that I am sitting in a room surrounded by all this wonderful knowledge and experience and hear an opinion from one person. I see brilliant images and will never find out the 'hows' and 'whys', which doesn't feel complete. Socialising is important as it is informal learning. I also fear I don't know all the members' names - how embarrassing  .

I guess practical evenings are not so well attended as people will not attend a subject in which they are not interested. Likewise when it revolves around specific technique for which they have no personal use. Having said that, I attended the studio lighting night, which was completely different compared to my usual outdoor lighting technique and I did enjoy it.

Summer is nearly here How's about going to a venue like a local WLT Visitors Centre for a photography/picnic outing? Variety of subjects, amenities, accessible, cheap. We can chat and learn - maybe have a few laughs too... just an idea to get the ball rolling

I think this is a good approach. No additional software purchases and not too much to go wrong.

Why do I enjoy photography so much?
Since childhood I have always lost myself in something creative, whether art or music based or experimenting with some pretty shocking hair colours .
 
My journey into outdoor photography satisfies my creative itch alongside my love for animals, birds and pretty flying things (including my annual dragonfly obsession). It combines creativity with fieldcraft, discipline, learning, some techy know-how and appreciation of the subjects - and gets me outdoors.
It is a complete experience - even when the shutter finger is not used (I have learned to concquer my disappointment !). There are times when an image cannot be caught, so I have learned when to look up from the viewfinder and just enjoy the moment - maybe an exchange of glances with a wild creature. I have also become quite attached to certain favourite locations. Being outdoors with my kit makes me listen and see much more and become more aware of my environment.

I read a book by Niall Benvie, in which he discussed that what is perceived as the patience involved in nature photography, could actually be better attributed to stubbornness and, when an image is captured, produce an adrenaline rush. I have to agree. The final rush when you get the shot after sitting about for 6 hours in a bag hide or in -4 degrees drinking dodgy luke warm flask tea is worth it . Of course, there are times when after 3 hours of nothing, the temptation to read that niggling text message takes over and my subject appears as if by magic, dances a can-can and and all I get to see are tail feathers disappearing out of the frame. I can only laugh at myself  .

I just find it an all encompassing experience from doing the research, preparing the kit, getting out, seeing my subject and seeing the final image. Of course, somewhere in all of this I hope I apply something artistic.

We never finish learning and sharing knowledge. The eclectic mix of styles and subjects within the club keeps it fresh and interesting and chatting with fellow photographers is always enjoyable.