Club News

The Carmarthen 4 way Battle was held on the 4th March . No road trip to Carmarthen this time but there was a 60 plus audience on zoom . The judge for the night was Dennis Russ who worked his way through 40 images. There was a wide range of styles and genres to be enjoyed . Tenby had 4 images scoring the maximum points from Charlie Kidd, Cheryl Hewitt, Jo Wakeman and Paul Richards. The final result was that Tenby gained 189 points out of 200 and was in first place . Cardigan Camera Club came a close second with 183 points . Newquay in third, scored 177, with Carmarthen in 4th with 177 points.

On the 25th February we held an adapted for Zoom competition “The Fourtograph” . Usually the Hexagon, a competition with 6 themes, this was changed to 4 themes. The themes chosen for this year were Reflections, Circles, Paths and Abstract.
There is no critique or score from a judge for this event but the images are scrutinised & scored by the Zoom audience of club members . A super selection of images to look at, with some great interpretation of the themes.
The Reflections category was won by Cheryl Hewitt with “Emperor” , Circles was won by Dave Bolton and “Little Smiler” . Paul Richards and “Gannet Flight Paths” won the Paths section and the Abstract section was won by Dave Bolton with “Behind the Mask”

The points for all the categories were added up for each entrant so an overall winner could be announced . This was Dave Bolton in first place with 24 points, Cheryl Hewitt , 2nd, with 20 points and Liz Wallis, 3rd, with 17 points.

Tenby Camera Club had a Street Photography Presentation on the 11th February. A genre that is gaining popularity in the photographic world , it was brought to life by Brian Lloyd Duckett. A very experienced photographer, journalist, lecturer and Fuji ambassador who is based in London .
After a run through some classic street images by exemplary photographers, to illustrate candid street photography styles, Brian went on to explain how to proceed. Firstly with the narrative or story telling, then the Aesthetic using unusual approaches , like shooting through a window, taking silhouettes , shooting at night . Finally there is the Moment , making connections , perhaps using humour .
With ten tips Brian covered the basic way to approach this genre, from being observant, watching body language, getting lucky “right place right time” and being patient. Brian gave excellent advice on settings, lighting and legality. He also encouraged us to have an ongoing project to focus on .
Brian was a very practical, down to earth speaker, inspiring many members to have a go in the future.

A well supported Ace of Clubs Competition was held on the 21st February via Zoom . Thirteen talented Welsh Clubs competed with the top 2 clubs going forward to represent Wales in the future UK wide PAGB Battle . Thirty entries from each club, scored by 3 eminent judges, gave a thrilling and closely fought competition. Tenby Camera Club members were thrilled to gain first place. Three members scored a maximum score. They were Charlie Kidd and a Bronze medal , Dave Lewis and a ribbon ,and Dave Bolton, a judge's choice. There were many amazing images and it must have been difficult for the judges to choose the medal and ribbon winners . Well done to Gwynfa Camera Club who came second and also qualified . Afan Nedd Camera Club came a worthy third place .

A big thank you to all the authors who allowed their images to be used

February 11th was a particularly impressive evening when Tenby welcomed Ross McKelvey. A highly qualified photographer, with his achievements being MFIAP, MPAGB,FBPE,EFIAP and over 300 medals in National & International Competitions since 2010 . A member of Catchlight Camera Club based in Belfast, Ross’s presentation, titled, “A Talk of Two Halves” had members spellbound . The first part was a eclectic mixture of images from creative to landscapes but it is his portrait work which sets him apart. Using beautiful professional models, he captured the female form in all it’s glory . Ross gave advice on lighting, both natural & flash, and how to use it to your advantage , as well as posing positions.

After a zoom break, Ross then took the club on an exciting journey through processing in Photoshop and Nik Collection. And my, what a journey ! Advice on shortcuts, blending modes, filters, masking, actions, sharpening and so much more. Using a wide range range of tools to improve the final image. A bit hard to keep up but we were advised that his You tube pages have lots of information and video tutorials to look at .

A memorable evening .

Tenby Camera Club held their Macro& Close up competition on the 4th February . The trophy awarded is the Gary Jenkins Memorial Trophy . Gary was a prominent, popular and active member of the club but sadly he died 2 years ago. His wife Sarah joined the Zoom presentation, enjoying viewing the excellent selection of entries.
Well supported with 49 entries, the diverse range of subjects made the judging challenging . Johnny Rodgers was tasked with critiquing and scoring all the images from butterflies to frogs, wildlife and creative.
A very competitive and close finish saw 6 images scoring 19/20 points and 4 scoring 20/20 .
In first place was Paul Richards with an insect “Bush Cricket” . In second was Liz Wallis with “Robber Fly with Prey” . In third place was Gary Mayhew with a creative image “Soap Bubble”

The Hexagon competition has been replace with a fourtograph DPI competition. Four images. One from each category. Circles, paths, abstract and reflections. Please hand in your images by the 11th February 2021.

Tenby Camera Club welcomed on 21st January, Colin Trow-Poole, who delighted the zoom audience with his exceptional talent . Titled, People & Places, Colin showed panels of images, predominately Black & White, set in many UK cities . Visiting museums, art galleries, unusual streets with graffiti using them as setting for the people to wander through to be captured on camera. Many points of techniques were discussed to help achieve a great balanced image. Drama, moods and storytelling jumping out at you .

This was particularly illustrated with a set of images taken in France of the memorial village of Oradour-Sur-Glane . On the 10th June 1944, the village was in Nazi occupied France. It was destroyed when 642 of it’s inhabitants, including women & children were massacred by a German Waffen-SS company . A very sombre event treated compassionately and thoughtfully. Superb images, showing the crumbling buildings and rusting vehicles, capturing a moment in time of a harrowing day .

Following on from such a shocking time, Colin lightened the mood only slightly with his award winning FRPS panel. A study of street life, so seeing poverty and penury, but with kindness and sympathy . A diversity of impoverished street people, musicians, beggars, all captured with creativity. Gritty and realistic showing the darker side of our society.

From his sensitivity to safety advice Colin sustained our interest throughout in a quiet and thoughtful way. A super speaker who was warmly thanked.

Tenby Camera Club has recently been active in two external Competitions.

The first being the Memorial Trophies Day held via zoom with 21 Welsh camera clubs competing. Tenby achieved a respectable joint 4th place in the colour section and a joint 3rd in the mono section.
The Brian Jennings Competition held again by Zoom was hosted by Trostre Camera Club. This was a seven-way Welsh club battle, each club submitting 5 images . It was a stunning night for Tenby Camera Club with 3 of the images gaining top scores. The final score was 488/ 500 so a notable triumph and it meant gaining the 1st place too.

This week, the 28th January we should have had Alyn Wallace stunning us with his “Night Sky Wonders” of astrophotography . Unfortunately due to a family illness it had to be postponed. The talk will be rescheduled as soon as possible. There will an opportunity to book a ticket for the new date if you couldn’t make the last one !

Keep an eye out on the website for information for that and all events coming up .

On the 14th January Tenby Camera Club held it’s 2nd Open Competition. Jenny Hibbert was the judge tasked with assessing and scoring 70 images from 19 photographers . Jenny is one of Wales’s most experienced judges, and she showed this by being detailed and articulate in her comments. Every image was carefully critiqued with suggestions on how to improve it.

The range of genres was extensive with wildlife, architecture, landscapes, street and creatives featuring.
The standard of work was superb and this showed with the awarding of 9 entries with the maximum of 20 points .

There has to be placings though, so in 1st place was Jan Sullivan and a stunning Oystercatcher image titled “The Cockle Picker” . In 2nd place was Ali Rees with “Carefree” and in 3rd place Dave Bundock and ‘Gentoo Penguins, Falkland Islands’ . Congratulations and thanks were given to the winners and to Jenny Hibbert .









New Members are still being accepted for the remaining talks and competitions which run up to the beginning of May , with a reduced rate of £12.50 .

Tenby Camera Club joined forces with the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales for a brilliant presentation by Dr Julian Cremona. The talk was titled “The Rocky Shores of Pembrokeshire” a superb insight into this temperate environment of special biodiversity . Pembrokeshire is one of the best examples of this, having small sheltered coves & rough Atlantic exposed beaches.

It was a perfectly pitched explanation of the ecosystem found here and the relationships between the many organisms both microscopic to large. Many excellent photographs illustrated the diversity and intricacy of these creatures. Julian explained with humour and detail how to explore the rock pools, even in winter to find vast numbers of species from limpets and barnacles to seaweeds and lichens.
Julian explained some of the photographic techniques he uses, lighting, camera settings and photo stacking.

Tides, tidal zones & waves are fundamental to the diversity and abundance of wildlife around Pembrokeshire. This fragile but expansive ecosystem is full of strange species and Julian brought them to us through images, and his description of their life cycles. Who knew limpets use a tongue bristling with tiny teeth to scrape food off rocks and into their mouths and that dog whelks drill into the limpets to eat them. Wonderfully unusual names of seaweeds and anemones, star fish and worms , sea spiders and crabs all photographed in detail.
Battered by waves & scoured by tides, the Pembrokeshire rocky shores are dramatic and impressive destinations, offering a wealth of opportunities for exploration and discovery . It will be wonderful to be free to potter amongst the seaweed and rocks again in the future with our newly acquired knowledge !

This presentation was held by Tenby Camera Club to raise funds for the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales. This was done by charging guests ( many from the local wildlife groups ) for a zoom seat and by donations . An outstanding sum of £307 was raised for this worthy cause .

Many thanks to Julian Cremona and all our guests who made the evening fun and worthwhile .

Tenby’s presentation on the 10th December was a fascinating talk by Alun Richardson. Alun is a Pembrokeshire professional photographer, and an IFMGA mountain guide. Titled “Greenland and my journey to capture better images”, we were shown how much he loves wild, harsh and isolated places . His 8 day journey through Greenland in winter, by dog sleds, skis and boat was superbly illustrated with images and words bringing to life the beauty of this stark and remote terrain. Greenland is the world’s largest island with approximately 80% of it permanently covered in ice. You will find one of the world’s smallest populations in Greenland and they mainly live along the coasts.

Peppered throughout were many tips and advice how to deal with the cold, the winds. the snow, the ice and the risks of polar bear attacks. Yes , rifle at the ready as well as your camera !

Alun also talked about his favourite photographers who inspire him, and spent time advising on avoiding photography pitfalls, giving lots of encouragement too. He really emphasised that you should find your own way and style to enjoy your photography, not always copying what is fashionable or current. A very inspiring and influential presentation which rounded off this year’s talks admirably.

Wishing our members, followers and friends of Tenby Camera Club a safe and happy Christmas and a more normal and special New Year .

One more event to round off an exceptional series of talks and competitions for 2020 and that is The Christmas Zoom Party on the 17th December !

Judging Nature 2020
On the 3rd December Tenby Camera Club held its annual Nature Competition. Tenby has an excellent reputation for its wildlife photography and this competition illustrated this very clearly.

Judge Andy Leslie was entrusted with the daunting task of critiquing and scoring 77 entries from 21 photographers. A wide range of nature was represented from birds, fungi, insects, mammals and amphibians . Images from gardens to far flung places, all the seasons meant the variety was excellent.





Eight images were given the maximum score of 20 with eleven scoring 19 points. So as you can see a tight fight for the top places.

The final score was in first place Dave Bundock with Fur seal pup sheltering from wind , taken in South Georgia. In second was Charlie Kidd with Dalmation Pelican landing at Lake Kikini and in third was Neil Thomas with Osprey (pandion haliaetvus) .

On the 10th December we have the return of Alun Richardson . Alun will take us on a journey through Greenland on skis. He will talk about the challenges of capturing images in adventurous environments, his approach to capturing spectacular images and the lessons he has learned .

On the 26th November Tenby Camera Club were treated to a Intriguing presentation by Sleepy Robot. Steve & Jen Milton are the talent behind the name . Llanelli based, their creativity and originality produces images that are innovative and unique . Photographs were shown of their portraiture work expressing their interpretation of a weekly theme , set by their camera club. Certainly not conventional or lacking in resourcefulness when designing sets or garments. Dresses of fishing nets and colourful multi jumpers showed their ingenuity in design. Great care was taken with making of props, using lighting techniques and choosing locations. They predominately prefer to create the effects desired in camera with only small adjustments afterwards in software.
They have worked with Ballet Cymru, creating a publicity portfolio for the company to use for their upcoming productions. Wonderful images portraying strength and dynamics of male & female dancers. Steve & Jen were warmly thanked for letting us into their world of photographic creativity.

Our next zoom meeting on the 3rd December is the judging of the Nature Competition . Always a hard fought and gripping competition with many entries to be assessed.

Tenby and District Camera Club held its annual Panels competition tonight, our members submitted a total of 31 panels, each consisting of 5 images, that’s a total of 155 images, a mammoth task for any judge, but we had Roy Thomas, Roy is one of Wales most experienced judges, and a past President of the PAGB, he did a fantastic job in judging, critiquing and advising on panel layout of our images, and in good time.
Roy chose five panels in the final frame, each scoring 20 points, any one of them could have won first place, after a nail biting wait, he awarded joint
4th place to Lizzie Wallace for her panel Indian life
4th place to Jo Wakeman for her long eared owl in flight.
3rd place to Paul Richards for his Banded Demoiselles



2nd place to Dave Bolton for his Working Women.



1st place to Al Rees for her panel He’s got the Moves.



Congratulations Al Rees, on a stunning panel of a Surfer at the top of his game.
and to all our winners, tonight, Roy also awarded a further 10 Panels, 19 points. A very close contest.
Thank you all for entering our panels competition and everyone for your support.
Our grateful thanks to Roy Thomas for all his hard work in preparing, and judging.
Next week we have “The Sleepy Robots” an incredible presentation, one not to miss.
Don’t forget it’s Hand in for our 2nd Open Comp on the 3rd of December.

12th November

There was another enthralling presentation on the 12th November . Simon Stafford visited us via Zoom to transport us to Namibia exploring the landscape and wildlife. Simon is a professional photographer, specialising in wildlife, as well as being an accomplished author of books and magazine articles. He is an ambassador for Nikon & runs wildlife photography tours and workshops. His experience and enthusiasm shone through when the slideshow began.



Namibia, on the west coast of Africa, is well protected by it’s government who are trying to preserve the diverse and unique environment and wildlife.

Exploring several reserves, the wildlife was photographed very much in it’s natural surroundings . Simon explained how patience and anticipation is so important, to be ready for that spontaneous moment of behaviour. Simon advised on dealing with dust, working with the light you have, camera settings and equipment and most of all, on respecting the wildlife itself by not being intrusive.

Exploring the reserves, the wildlife included white rhino, wild dogs, cheetah, elephants, giraffe, zebra, lions and so many more of the African mammals. The landscapes were extraordinary too. Images were shown of the huge dune systems of Sossusvlei, some higher than the Shard in London, deserts ancient and arid, savannah and dried out river beds like a martian landscape.

We had a quick visit to other African countries to observe the stunning mountain gorillas, hippo , wildebeest, baboons, hyenas, zebra and leopard .

Amazing wildlife and terrain all fantastically captured on camera by Simon, who then answered many of the interesting questions with patience and skill. Simon was warmly thanked for his remarkable presentation.

Next week on the 19th November, there is the judging of the Panels Competition .

Well the 5th November certainly was celebrated with a “banging” talk from Julian Cremona . Julian is a naturalist, photographer, teacher and explorer. Head of Dale Fort Field Centre for many years in Pembrokeshire, he is now retired but has taken on Zoom to deliver insights into some of his wildlife trips.

A welcome return to Tenby Camera Club, he enthralled his audience with stunning photography of the natural & wonderful wildlife of Costa Rica. Costa Rica is only one fifth the size of the UK but but it is brimming with awesome wildlife. A slideshow of 300 images was shown, each one capturing the unique and incredible biodiversity of this tiny central American country. Habitats of coasts, rain forests, marshland and rivers were explored showing the adaptive behaviour of nature.



Travelling by car & water taxis a large portion of the country was covered & Julian expressed praise to the delightful local people, a good cuisine and special accommodation.
The wildlife was just remarkable, with day & night time shots, we saw an abundance of birds, butterflies, frogs, spiders, bats, lizards, crabs and snakes. All sorts of colours and sizes, many endemic to Costa Rica or Central America,

Not only were we guided through the wildlife, but the photography metadata was freely shared so we could see how the image was captured . Many of the images were taken in very difficult conditions, rain, mist, low light, at night and with heavy leaf cover . Good to see how you can cope with those conditions and still get a remarkable photograph. Cameras and associated equipment was discussed with advice on what to take on such a trip.
The praise for Julian from all the attendees was notable and it is great to know he will be returning in the New Year via Zoom for another presentation.

Julian was happy for Tenby Camera Club to open up the event to non members whose ticket payments and donations went totally to The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. Many members also donated so an excellent final total of £400 was raised.
This fundraising event was kindly sponsored by the Tenby business of Paul Deverson Photography.


Sunday night, the 8th November, we held an extra social event on zoom . Our last evening of Firebreak Lockdown was celebrated with a fun Quiz. Charlie Kidd and Pauline Boswell compiled an interesting set of questions which made members laugh and groan in equal measure . A very relaxed time was had by all . Many thanks to Charlie & Pauline and congratulations to the winners Ray & Jan Hornett.

The last zoom in October was an exceptional Landscape competition . Incorporating land, sea & urban images we were treated to a phenomenal 94 images from 26 photographers. The judge facing this mammoth task of judging was Gareth Martin. Gareth is an old friend of Tenby Camera Club, having judged and presented many times over the years. He kept a tight rein over the critique offering useful hints and advice to all the images. We were grateful for that as we weren’t prepared for an all nighter ! Gareth was warmly thanked and praised for his efforts in the rather daunting event .

The images covered a wide range of landscapes, many local, with us being so lucky having stunning countryside. Sunsets. sunrises, autumn, trees, heavy seas and waves. lakes, mists and buildings, cottages, all covered in a range of styles .

Eleven images were held back to be scored at the end. Eight of those were given a score of 19 but the remaining 3 achieved the top mark of 20.

In first place was Harry Gardiner with his “The Hidden House” an unusual aspect taken in Tenby.
In second place was an atmospheric image “Miner’s Residence” by Neil Thomas and in third was John Whitehurst and his “Scott Free Misty Morning Newport”.

There was an excellent standard of photography and the choices must have been very difficult .









Next Week, on the 5th November, Tenby is hosting in conjunction with the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales, a fundraiser for the trust , sponsored by Paul Deverson Photography. The speaker is the brilliant Julian Cremona who will be talking and captivating us about Costa Rica .
If you are quick, there is still time to get a ticket , take a look at the Tenby Camera Club website .

Tenby Camera Club had an interesting but poignant talk on Thursday 22nd October . Graham Harries, from Llanelli, has been widely published in magazines, newspapers and on TV.
After a brief introduction about himself we were launched into the world of dereliction and sadness. that is Chernobyl .




On the 26th April 1986, Chernobyl, in Ukraine, became the infamous place of the world’s worst nuclear accident. The nuclear reactor, no 4 at the VA Lenin power plant exploded during a safety test. 49,000 people were ordered to evacuate from the city of Pripyat and the surrounding area in just 3 hours. They never returned . The massive exclusion zone has been left to slowly disintegrate and crumble, returning to woodland slowly.

Graham has visited the exclusion zone twice, in March 2018 and October 2019 . Although the trip is an organised one, photographers are given plenty of time and appropriate freedom to roam the huge area . There are, of course, procedures which must be followed for safety, not touching things for instance, because of radiation contamination .

Graham’s photography and commentary took us into a different world of desolation and abandonment. It was thought provoking seeing school rooms with books, desks and chairs and the hospital with equipment and beds still in place . We toured through the city , seeing swimming pools, fairgrounds, parks, stadiums and churches . All silent now, decaying but not forgotten . Graham tried hard to capture his images from a less touristy angle, searching out places not so much on the normal itinerary.
He also visited the Duga radar complex which is deep in the forests of Northern Ukraine, a huge Soviet installation built at the height of the Cold War. Now it is a dilapidated structure, left to decay in the radioactive winds of Chernobyl. Interesting images of industrial neglect, turbines, antennas and vehicles brought the scene to life for us .

It was a fascinating presentation full of facts, human interest stories, and stunning, thought provoking photography. The audience was absolutely fascinated and with the many questions asked, showed their interest in this unique talk.

Tenby was pleased to be joined on Zoom by several members of Pyle & Porthcawl Camera Club.

Next week we are back to competitions. A popular one, the judging of Landscapes by Gareth Martin.

On the 14th October Tenby Camera Club was treated to a special presentation by Julian Elliot.



Julian, from Salisbury, has gathered an excellent reputation since starting his photographic journey in 2005. Zooming from France he explained he became professional in 2010 and has travelled all over the world , selling his work in over 40 countries, through Getty Images and magazines like “Hello Magazine”.
Speaking in a very relaxed style, he enthralled the online audience with his “Mongolia from Steppes to Eagle Hunters” presentation .

Members had very little knowledge about this part of the world. Mongolia is the 18th largest country in the world by area, but its population of just 3 million makes it the world's most sparsely populated country. Bordered by Russia to the North and China to the South, it is landlocked with a high elevation, so has a cold and dry climate.

Julian captivated us with his encounters in this vast land with a landscape of spectacular tundra, sparse vegetation, dramatic mountains and frozen lakes. Julian’s landscape photography, often taken at sunrise or sunset, utilised panoramic techniques, to capture the expanse before him. Dramatic, beautiful and austere, the vistas took your breath away. Transport to travel to these unique locations was often by horseback with local guides.

After seeing the country, then we were introduced to some of the people. Julian wanted to photograph The Eagle Hunters, a nomadic group based in the Altai Mountains of Western Mongolia. Their falconry customs involves hunting with golden eagles on horseback, primarily hunting foxes. Each year Kazakh hunting customs are displayed at the annual Golden Eagle Festival . The portraits of these proud people, traditionally dressed in colourful handmade clothing with furs and leather, were striking . The Eagles proudly held, showing the bond between the hunter and the bird. These nomads have a relationship with eagles going back thousands of years.

It was interesting to gain an insight into this culture through Julian’s words and photography. He also spent time giving photographic advice, on techniques & camera equipment. He encouraged us to learn some local language, words & phrases to show respect and interest to the local people. A superb evening and warm thanks to Julian Elliot.


Next week on the 22nd October at 7.30 on zoom ….
At 1.23 am on 26th April 1986 Chernobyl in Ukraine, hit the world headlines when a nuclear reactor exploded. Llanelli photographer Graham Harries visited the site 32 years later and his talk brings to life the exclusion zone with it’s silence and desolation . A very special presentation .