Newsletter
Cricklade Camera Club display in the council office window.
Are you interested in photography, or do you just want to take better photographs?
If so, why not come along to Cricklade Camera Club. Visitors and new members will receive a warm welcome – you don’t even need a camera. Everyone is welcome. Come and try us out, your first evening is FREE. We meet on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm in the Cricklade Town Hall Annexe and there are a range of talks, workshops and Zoom presentations throughout the year. To see all our activities take a look at the programme page of our website https://crickladecameraclub.org/program/
On Tuesday 7th October at 7:30pm in the Town Hall Annexe, Matt Emmett will be visiting us to give his talk “Rediscovering our forgotten heritage (Part 2)” which should be a great evening. Everybody loved is first talk when he came a few years ago.
On 8th October we will join bh Photography Club for their Zoom meeting when an external speaker will be giving a presentation.
On Tuesday 21st October at 7:30pm in the Town Hall Committee Room we will be holding a Critique evening. An opportunity for members to show their images and gain opinions and advice before entering Round 1 of the League Competition; it is open to everyone, whether you show images or not, it’s a great way to help understand what makes a good photo.
On Tuesday 4th November 7:30pm in the Town Hall Annexe, is the first round of the club’s annual league competition. Members will have entered up to 3 digital images and 3 printed images, they will be scored by an external judge on the night. Even if you haven’t entered any images come along, it’s a great way to learn what makes a good photograph.
On Wednesday 12th November at 7:30pm we will join bh Photography Club for their Zoom meeting presented by Andrew Moss Photography, “He shoots, he scores”
On Tuesday 18th November at 7:30pm in the Town Hall Committee Room we will be holding a Workshop, an opportunity for members to improve their skills.
Summer Outings
Planned photo outings for this summer….if you are interested in joining us please let Ian know, via: competitions@crickladecameraclub.org
All are welcome, including non-members, free of charge, just share car travel costs, and pay for entrance tickets where relevant. If you prefer to travel direct to the location let Ian know and he will forward details. All outings are weather forecast dependant!
Tuesday 19th August – evening outing to Barbury Hillfort to shoot the Milky Way [if conditions suit] – [subject to weather forecast – some concerns that skies may not be clear so final go/no go decision on Saturday evening] Meet at Town Hall at 7.30pm or at the castle at 8.15pm [details of how to get to layby for parking to – use SN4 0QZ postcode as a guide. This should lead you through Wroughton High St , turning right onto Priors Hill. Follow this road for a couple of miles passing Viable Training on RHS. Keep on the road which is quite narrow until you come to a cross roads with the Castle visible ahead and on your left. Straight over at the crossroads and then park in the rough layby on your right. Pass through the swing gate and go up the steep path onto the Castle mound. We should be visible on the top of the Mound which is the South Western corner of the Castle. Don’t use the main castle car park and try to walk to our position – this car park closes and is locked at 9.00pm. Suggest you bring warm clothes, camera with wide angle lens, tripod, torch, and walking shoes. Camera settings – try ISO 1600, F2.8 or 3.5, shutter speed 15secs, auto focus off – manual set focus to infinity. Moonset is 8.45pm/Milky Way core visible in S/SW from 10.55 to 11.45pm approx. ]
Saturday 23rd August – full/half day outing at Foxhills [Swindon] for the Motocross Event – Saturday’s trip to the Vets Motocross at Foxhill [SN4 0DR]- meet at the Town Hall at 9.30am or at the track at 10.15 am [call Ian on the day, Telephone number provided in the email sent to all members, to agree a meeting place at the track]. Suggest you book your ticket online to speed up entry at the track. Please let me know if you plan to attend.
Past Outings
5th June – Cherhill White Horse: evening photographing the white horse and the monument
10th June – Fairford Poppy Field : evening photographing the poppies and wild flowers
14th June – Abingdon Air Show : full day shoot at the airshow
17th June – Avoncliff and Dundas : afternoon shoots at the Kennet and Avon Canal aqueducts
21st June – STEAM Comicon Event : Full day event in Swindon
3rd July – Snowshill and Broadway : Full day photographing the Cotswold Lavender and Flower Fields, and Broadway Tower.
9th July – Hackpen Hill : Evening and sunset shoot including the white horse
12th July – Millets falconry : Weekend day shoot at the falconry and butterfly centres
Wednesday 23rd July – Furze Knoll and Green Lane/Morgan’s Hill
Disappointing weather conditions on Weds night limited our photographic opportunities at Furze Knoll, Green Lane and Morgan’s Hill to landscape scenes and a few insect close ups….but it was an enjoyable evening nevertheless.
Sunday 27th July – half/full day visit to Crofton Beam Engines for the “Steaming Day” when you have a chance to see the remarkable ancient steam engines working.
An enjoyable outing yesterday saw us visit Crofton Beam Engines for their Steaming Day, and then Wilton Windmill for their Family Day event.
The Beam Engines are always worth viewing in action, and their volunteers are always keen to explain the workings of each part of the engines in great detail, including their current testing of traditional coal replacement materials!!
Wilton Windmill is still without 2 of its sails – but the good news is that all 4 sails should be replaced by the end of this year. Their Family Day had a range of stalls including falconers, woodworkers, plantsmen, pottery and jewellery displays, and hot and cold food. Children were well entertained with traditional games and a fairground ride.
Tuesday 5th August – Wilcot Canal evening/sunset walk along the Kennet and Avon canal – Moved to August 19th – Our next outing is scheduled for Tuesday 5th August, when we will visit the Avon and Kennett Canal at Wilcot for an evening wander along the canal footpath [subject to weather conditions]. This is a tranquil wooded section of the canal and offers shooting opportunities featuring the Bristow Road Bridge [no 115]. We will also visit the Alton Barnes White Horse at Walkers Hill around sunset. Meet at the Town Hall at 6.30pm or at Wilcot at 7.15pm [SN8 4JF – take the A345 south towards Pewsey from Marlborough. After 6 miles where the road bears sharp left turn right onto a minor road signed “local villages only”. Park at the unpaved layby on the left after 300 yards, and walk another 100 yards to the bridge then turn right onto the towpath.] The postcode for Alton Barnes White Horse is SN8 4LD….parking is at the roadside opposite the White Horse and quite limited!
A pleasant but somewhat disappointing outing, since the weather was dull for our visit to the Kennett and Avon Canal at Wilcot and Honeystreet, and no evening sunshine to illuminate the Alton Barnes White Horse. Some reasonable images may still emerge after post processing!
Tuesday 12th August – full day visit to Puzzlewood ancient woodland park and Perrywood Miniature railway.
Another good session at Puzzlewood Nature Reserve and Perrygrove Miniature Railway in the Forest of Dean.
Sunday 17th August – full/half day visit to Fairford Steam Fair.
Yesterday was a hot one at Fairford Steam Fair, but an enjoyable day photographing Steam Engines, Classic cars and bikes, Stock cars, tractors and other mechanical machines! For those who were interested there was also the chance to photograph the crazy people who ride motorbikes on the Wall of Death.
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League Competition Rules
A copy of the League Competition Rules, can be printed out, from the “Download” section under “Members Links”. (I had a problem downloading these PDF’s on some Android devices, using Google Chrome, but found that MS Edge works fine). You can download both Annual and League Competition Rules and the latest user friendly 2024-2025 Programme.
For those of you who missed the first meeting, we have a new President – Graham Light, who prior to retiring as a professional photographer, was the main club sponsor.
If you would like to improve your photography, or share photography with like minded people, why not come along and join the club.
Please Note – A new section has been added to “Members Links” with a link to useful YouTube videos suggested by members. Please take a look and if you have any that you have found to be really good, please let the Webmaster know.
We regularly run workshops in the Committee Room at Cricklade Town Hall. These cover things like: “Critiqueing images and What Judges look for”, “Camera settings and getting off Auto”, An intro to Photoshop” and “Photoshop for Improvers”
Outings
In July and August we hold regular free outings for club members and guests both during daytime and evenings – see the separate Outings section in this website for more info.
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Photography Training:
Fancy some photography training – please go to “Club News – Notice Board” for details on Graham Light tuition.
For non members, if you wish to view our programme, please go to the ‘Programme’ entry on the menu of this website.
