Suffolk East WI Camera Club Autumn Meeting 10th Oct 2024
Needham Market Village Hall 12 noon
Camera Club members were pleased to meet up again for the third meeting of the year on 10th October. 10 members were joined at Wickham Market Village Hall by SEFWI guest Alice Robertson and the brilliant speaker, wildlife photographer Kevin Sawford.
Chair Jane Connell Smith welcomed 10 members and SEFWI guests Alice Robertson and speaker Kevin Sawford and started by recalling the Club trip to Thorpeness in July. There we had the opportunity to take wonderful photos of the unusual architecture, the House in the Clouds, boating lake and the beach, some of which may soon appear as entries in our next annual competition.
Next on the agenda, speaker Kevin Sawford followed with an excellent presentation of his wildlife images, mainly birds, butterflies and bees which may be found amongst our garden plants and flowers. Kevin made the point that we should decide what we want from our photography; whether that is to use an SLR or bridge camera and control the settings, or a digital compact on the auto setting or a mobile phone. Whatever we are happiest using, they can all produce great images and he gave us help and advice on applying those methods.
He also gave us some great tips. One suggestion was to use props in the garden, such as fork handles or bird feeders. By placing these in a position with a suitable background and light, you can get your camera set up and pointed in that direction ready to click, while taking cover behind a shrub or in a summerhouse, and wait for the birds to perch. It doesn’t usually take long for them to appear. Butterflies and bees are best photographed in the cooler parts of the day, as warmth and strong sunshine make them more active and difficult to capture on camera.
At the end of an enjoyable meeting, Kevin judged our competition for the day – ‘Taking a Dip’ – which was won by Mary Harden’s photo of a sea bird. 2nd was Barbara Mack’s portrait of a bather and 3rd Vivien Hartill’s zoo animal.
SUFFOLK EAST WI CAMERA CLUB – AGM 2025
Members of the WI Camera Club enjoyed another day out to Wickham Market Village Hall for this year’s Annual Meeting on Thursday 10th April 2025. They were greeted with refreshments and a fine display of photos entered for the annual competition by the February deadline, judged by Simon Page.
In the absence of Jane Connell-Smith (Chair), Vivien Hartill then opened the meeting by welcoming members and special guests, SEFWI Vice Chair Kate Peacher and Diana Totten. Jane’s report was read, which included a review of our outing to Thorpeness in the summer and a fascinating speaker in the Autumn meeting, the wildlife photographer Kevin Sawford. After annual reports, election of the Committee and the new Chair Vivien Hartill, it was time for a lunch break and a chat among friends and like-minded photographers.
Simon Page, who is a very talented amateur photographer himself, having photos published regularly in the local press, then gave an excellent presentation of this year’s Club competition results. He also gave tips and advice on applying the rule of thirds, leading lines, horizon placement, foreground interest and cropping.
The winners for 7 categories were announced and certificates and trophies awarded. Special congratulations went to Carol Skeates for her stunning photo in the Clouds category, which was awarded the Madge Davis Cup for the Best Overall Print. Simon commented that this was technically the best picture.
This year’s Club Outing is planned for Thursday 3rd July to Felixstowe Ferry and the next Autumn meeting is on Thursday 9th October 2025 at Wickham Market Village Hall. If you have any interest in photography at any level, you are welcome to join our friendly group. For details of next year’s competition or more information about joining the WI Camera Club, please contact Jean Scruby (Secretary) on 01206 299546, email [email protected], or view the Camera Club page on the SEFWI website or Facebook.
