Mark Wright about Bracknell Camera Club

Why did you join Bracknell Camera Club?

I joined because I was approaching retirement and had more time on my hands.  I’ve always had an interest in photography, so it was a way of actually building a new network of friends, because up until then most of the people I knew were people I worked with and of course, once you stop working you lose the connection.

How have your photographic skills developed since you joined BCC?

I’ve become far better at the post-production element, and I can use that to really enhance the images I take. It’s an opportunity to take something which could have been a mediocre shot and make it something really interesting.

Listening to the assessments of competition judges has made me question if there might be a tighter crop which might make the subject stand out more.

Going for a ‘letter box’ crop wasn’t something I had considered before and now I can see it can be very effective.

Why do you enter competitions?

I think part of it is to get a different view on my images.  With feedback from judges, you may learn what works and what doesn’t.  It’s gratifying to have an image commended by more than just your family.

What Special Interest Groups have you joined?

I joined The DarKnights as I’d always harboured an ambition to do a night shoot in London and The DarKnights gave me the opportunity to do precisely that.  I particularly enjoyed an evening trip to Oxford where there was plenty of interest with the old buildings, the lighting, the people, and the buses giving me an opportunity to photograph light trails.  It gave me something on which I could build.

I also joined the Portrait Group.  I was keen because I’ve done very little portrait work other than family photos. This was an opportunity to start honing that, developing a new skill.  More experienced members have helped hugely, enabling me find ways to light effectively.

What is the advantage of joining the club committee ?

I think it gives you a greater understanding of the challenges that we face as a club. It’s an opportunity to give something back to the club.  It is a voluntary organization, and we need to have people who are going to help steer it. If you don’t have a committee, you don’t have a club. It’s a privilege and a nice way of giving back something and helping bring the club forward.

I would encourage everybody at some time to participate either on the committee or any of the subgroups that we have because we need to have feedback from members to make certain that we continue to deliver a club people want and enjoy.  When you have new people coming on to the committee, they bring in fresh ideas and it’s an opportunity to look at the way that we do things and provide constructive criticism to help the committee do what they do better.

Can you tell me a little about the image you have chosen to share?

I took this image on the night shoot we had to Canary Wharf.  Coming from the tube station there is an interesting, enclosed footbridge which offers a great photo opportunity because it’s got some very strong, bold lines, which focus you down to the end.  I was able to capture it just as two people were walking towards me giving the image the ideal focus.  I feel it’s very simple, but effective.  This was the first image I entered into the exhibition competition, and it was commended, so I was quite chuffed by that.

Member since: 2020
Camera: Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Nikon D7100.
Favourite subject:  a broad range

 

Gladys Perrier
Publicity Officer