Page 42 - Phonebox Magazine December 2016

Olney Camera Club
Local Myopia
instance a picture of a lake is enhanced if a boat or water bird or sherman forms part of the picture.
If you have a local wood or copse remember that in normal light a wood can look muddled, the problems are chaos, contrast and complexity. The scene can be improved by choosing the best light to simplify the picture, backlighting, the sun low in the sky or mist will all improve the scene.
Local events offer an opportunity to see familiar places in a new light. In a recent competition at Olney Camera Club, we had a category titled “From Olney Market Place”. All the images were taken standing in the market square and we had an interesting and varied selection of pictures. Some were close-ups, some views and some portraits. The winning image is our picture this month. It was by Michael Clarke and titled “Happy Street Player”.
So don’t despair if you cannot visit exotic locations – make the most what is available locally. Beauty (and a good picture) is in the eye of the beholder.
Our next meeting: Wednesday 14th December at the Olney Centre 8.00pm. Print competition evening. All welcome.
Photographers often feel that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. If only we lived in the Lake District, by the sea, in
London.... Then we would have plenty of opportunities to take wonderful pictures. It is certainly true that some places are much more photogenic than others and familiarity with one’s surroundings can make us blind to a place. But the point of taking a picture is to see something that you want to show to others, something beautiful or strange or seen from a different viewpoint.
In a recent talk at the club by Chris Shepherd we were shown how by going out and actually looking, photographic opportunities are there in your neighbourhood. The pictures Chris showed and his talk gave us all plenty of ideas for making the most of our local environment. The advantages of taking pictures locally are time and availability. One can always just pop out quickly to a local photo opportunity if the weather or light is advantageous, and there is minimal travelling time. Take some time walking around your area to identify photo opportunities. Identify those features and areas that have potential, such as interesting trees, panoramas, water features,
architecture etc. Try to go at different times of the day, especially dawn and dusk to establish when is optimum. Once you have spotted where looks good, wait until the weather is right and go back with your camera.
Ansel Adams said “A good photo is knowing where to stand”. So explore your chosen spots, look for places to take your pictures from that allow the subject to stand out from its surroundings and also eliminates unwanted items from the composition. At the same time look for secondary elements that will boost the theme of the main subject. For
CRMK - Your local radio station
CRising like a phoenix
RMK is rising like a phoenix and hopes to be back on air test transmitting in December. A full service is planned for January and work is on schedule converting an old public convenience in Newport Pagnell into a fully
equipped radio studio
We are at the point where walls have been removed, doors and windows replaced, plastering and decorating is nearing completion and a big day for us was when the electricity came back on.
Our next tasks include the tting of broadband and phone lines and the studio equipment to be installed
A team of volunteers have done a sterling job working incredibly hard to ensure we’re in a position to of cially go on air in January. Twenty ve radio presenters will be broadcasting on CRMK with local news, sports coverage and an eclectic mix of music, from 70s rock to Jazz, Soul, Oldies and modern stuff. We aim to encourage local musicians to come and play live on air at CRMK Towers as the studio is unof cially known.
Do you fancy yourself as a radio presenter or would you like to learn about the industry from behind the scenes? If so contact the Programme Controller at: mike.barry1@btinternet.com or visit out website www.crmk.co.uk.
We’re a friendly bunch of people who just love radio. Do join us.
42 Phonebox Magazine | December 2016