Posts in Special Presentation
Little Print Show by Jonathan Vaines
Little Print Show by Jonathan Vaines

This presentation was billed on our website as 'one man's artistic approach to photography, stepping out of the club mainstream'. This description proved to be true as Jonathon explained to us his methodology, his craft and his extreme enthusiasm for his subject matter.

 So, is he a photographer or is he an artist?

 Not my question but his, and we were left to decide.

 He invited us to think inside the box he explained his deep interest in shapes, colours multiple exposures and with the image - reduce, reduce, reduce. But follow that by build back! He led us through his treatment of work by Henry Moore and his love of light flowing through stained glass. He follows his heart and his eye. He told us of his visit to Great Yarmouth (Premier Inn on the promenade) and getting up at 4.15am to photograph the outer harbour. His shots did not show the real look of the harbour but their desaturated colours and the overall composition certainly produced images which were eye-catching and beautiful.

Read More
Special PresentationMaurice Youngphoto-talk, prints
The Photography of David Morris
The Photography of David Morris

Last evening's presentation was by the internationally known photographer David Morris. David, who lives in Cromer, began by talking about how his career in photography began. He called the opening part of his presentation 'Made in Hull'. He told of how he studied graphic design at Hull College of Art in the early seventies and how this course taught him something but at the time of his graduation he found that he knew more about photography than graphic design! This because of a good photography tutor.

 We saw some pictures taken at the time of his studies in and around Hull, the streets, the bomb damage, demonstrations and pub interiors often featuring Hull fishermen.

Read More
Special PresentationMaurice Youngdavid morris, bar life, hull, street photography, circus
Photography on the Dark Side - the Gateway to Urban Nightscape Photography
Photography on the Dark Side - the Gateway to Urban Nightscape Photography

This was a shared evening with our colleagues of Sheffield Photographic Society projected into the Academy by Zoom.

 Peter describes himself as a 'very keen urban nightscape photographer' and the tone and delivery of his presentation certainly bore out this enthusiasm and commitment to night-time image capture.

 Peter began with a short history of photography beginning in the nineteenth century up to the present moment and he tied this history into the lives of his family in Germany from his Great Grandparents through to himself today. He described his kit of tripos, camera and lenses and how he bracketed shots and made much use of luminosity masks in Photoshop.

 After this technical information he took us on a tour of London. Beginning with the Pool of London. He said that September to April was the best period to take these kinds of images and he explained how he used Google Street View not only to give him a taste of viewpoints but also as a way of choosing safe places to be.

 We saw stunning night -time views of Tower Bridge, the Shard, the Tower of London and St. Paul's Cathedral before he ushered us down to the West End. His top tips were to drive to Mile End Road, station car park and use public transport from then on, and making sure that the Thames was at slack water with no craft spoiling the reflections.

Read More
Special PresentationMaurice Youngurban exploration, night photography, london, cityscapes, sheffield
The Green Road Between Two Woods - an evening with Andrew Rafferty
The Green Road Between Two Woods - an evening with Andrew Rafferty

Andrew Raffety; photographer, head teacher, and polymath. He may disagree with that last adjective but Andrew's knowledge of ancient history, presenting and photography is immense.

He began his presentation by sketching out his childhood where cameras were extensively used by mum and dad and his brothers and sister. An early lesson in understanding camera technique, film work and getting film developed by Boots the Chemist! There are too many things to photograph - what you need is a project.

 He trained to be a teacher, he fell in with a 'witch', she had divining rods, so together they visited megalithic spiritual sights, and he began to build a body of work. He felt that a series of images should form a narrative and could be accompanied by words. This belief led to an association with Kevin Crossly-Holland, an author and poet, who eventually wrote the words for Andrew's publication The Stones Remain, now both available as a printed book and an ibook.

Read More
Special PresentationMaurice Youngicm, poetry, seahenge
Landscapes of Victorian Alpine Regions (Australia) by Mieke Boynton
Landscapes of Victorian Alpine Regions (Australia) by Mieke Boynton

Last evening NDPS hosted a special presentation by the landscape photographer Mieke Boynton, from Bright, Australia. The presentation was shared with members of the Sheffield Photographic Society.

At eight o'clock about forty members of NDPS settled into their seats in the studio of Norwich Academy and a similar number from Sheffield logged in to watch on Zoom. Mieke is no stranger to NDPS, this is her third presentation to us, and it was good to share the work of such an outstanding practitioner with our colleagues from Sheffield. For Mieke it was six o'clock on a hot, summer morning, hence her summer dress, and for us it was winter with gales and rain.

Mieke took us on a landscape photographer's tour of the Australia where she lives - the Victorian High Country. She began by reminding us of the size and scope of Australia, a huge continent with an incredibly diverse geography, animal and plant life. Throughout her presentation she showed us beautiful captures of deciduous trees in autumn colours, apparently brought from England!

Read More
Special PresentationMaurice Youngalpine, australia, landscape, lond exposure, mist, fog
Flowmotion by Rob Witworth
Flowmotion by Rob Witworth

Well! There it was. The opening scene for the latest Planet Earth III programme with David Attenborough. On the screen at this evening’s NDPS meeting. And the man who took the film operating his laptop and presenting his flowmotion technique.

A packed house of members and guests watched in awe as Rob showed us examples of his finished work and examples of how the film was first shot. It’s difficult to find enough superlatives to describe his enthusiasm for his art, his attention to detail and his ability to capture scenes in an unforgettable way.

This was an evening of action and drama filmed in a style that could only be Rob’s. We were treated to many examples of this wonderful technique, not just Planet Earth footage but commercial footage for companies who have something to sell – now I want to fly to Greenland! I want to work in that centre of commerce in London!

Read More
Special PresentationMaurice Youngflowmotion, timelapsed, bafta, emmy
Tales of a Storm Chaser by Chris Bell
Tales of a Storm Chaser by Chris Bell

Chris is Chief Communications Officer and Forecaster at Weatherquest Ltd, a commercial weather forecasting and analysis company based in Norwich. He is also a Lecturer in Meteorology at the University of East Anglia, lecturing on meteorological topics across Year 1 and Year 2 modules in Environmental Sciences at UEA, specifically the Atmosphere and Oceans, first year module, and Weather and Weather Applications modules in second year. He is a part time weather presenter for BBC Look East and a public speaker for Meteorology and Climate related topics.

Chris came originally from Houston in the American south but now lives in Norfolk at Foxley.

He is a 'storm chaser' and weather photographer and it is those trips to the Great Plains of America which formed the kernel of his talk. There is no doubt that he is addicted to understanding and analysing the weather, he was quick to explain that as a child of 4 he can remember being fascinated by storms and vowing that he would spend his life working with meteorology!

Read More
Special PresentationMaurice Youngstorms, great plains, weather hurricane, tornado, night photography
Wildlife and Landscape Possibilities in Epping Forest by Peter Warne
Wildlife and Landscape Possibilities in Epping Forest by Peter Warne

Peter began his inspiring talk by describing the Forest which covers an area of 6,000 acres and is 12 miles north to south, 2.5 miles wide and represents the remains of an ancient royal hunting forest.

 He began with descriptions of water features. First up was Highams Park, accessed from a train line from Liverpool Street or parking on the road. The drain from the lake provided photo opportunities with lots of water birds: black headed gulls, moorhens, coots, cormorants and herons. Lots of colourful birds also; parakeets and green woodpeckers. There are even lots of rats living in the area.

 Then Connaught Water, on the River Ching. This area you have to drive to and it is very, very popular and there is a charge for car parking. Again, there are interesting birds - nuthatch, tree creeper, kingfishers (who fish the ditches), green and great spotted woodpeckers and grebes. In addition there are 5 pairs of breeding herons and, oddly, terrapins!

 The third pond was Wake Valley Pond. From the Wake Arms roundabout the Wake Valley car park in Lodge Road is accessible. Here Peter mentioned dragon flies, the Downy Emerald, emerging in May/June. These form food for ducklings and wagtails. Also in this area is a piece of heathland, a great backdrop for dawn landscapes, grass snakes, adders and lizards.

Read More
Special Presentation, Wildlife, Nature, LandscapeMaurice Youngepping forest, landscape, atumn colour, birdlife, fungi
Undiscovered Essex by Justin Minns
Undiscovered Essex by Justin Minns

Justin, a well-known photographer, long-time friend of NDPS and now a Society member, opened our 2023/24 season with a brand new presentation. Undiscovered Essex was based on his experiences gaining Licentiate and Fellow qualifications from the Royal Photographic Society.

Justin began with a short biography going back in time to when he began his career as a professional photographer. Interestingly he said that initially he wanted the qualifications only for him to be able to add letters after his name and thus gain not only kudos but an aura of professionalism which could, perhaps, further his career as a photographer. He described how ten years ago he put together his submission for a Licentiate qualification and how he achieved this through taking lots of advice. But now, with the qualification in the bag and the letters after his name, his view of the RPS qualifications changed. He found that the exercise had made him scrutinise his work more carefully. He saw that his photography was benefitting from his careful examination - there were added benefits to be had from those letters after his name!

Having achieved Licentiate he discovered that he could leapfrog the Associate level and go straight into Fellowship. And so he did. His Fellowship panel was entitled 'Undiscovered Essex'. The title of his presentation this evening.

Read More
Special Presentation, Photo-talkMaurice Youngessex, lrps, arps, frps, landscape, distinctions
Expect the Unexpected by Jo Bradford
Expect the Unexpected by Jo Bradford

This evening around 50 of us, including a visitor from as far away as Portland, Oregon in the United States, settled down to 'expect the unexpected'. And we certainly enjoyed the journey through Jo's work life and her photographic voyage with its unexpected twists and turns.

 Jo spoke to us from her, living off the grid, Dartmoor home. She explained her early days making photograms and cyanotypes and her master’s degree in photography from Falmouth. While at Falmouth she produced images of stars and outer space without using a camera! She sprinkled meteorite dust onto light sensitive paper and used sunlight to expose the image.

 She was awarded her master’s and reality kicked in when she had to repay her student loan. So, back to commercial photography and work for a production company in famous gardens, and faraway places, India, and the jungles of Bangalow. With the loan paid off she returned to her real interest as a colourist, making artwork without a camera. The Getty library asked if they could license her work and she began to look for a house on Dartmoor.

 She bought a house that needed and awful lot of work and just to make life even more tricky she had two children!

Read More
Special PresentationMaurice Youngsmartphones, creative photography, dartmoor, projects
Wildlife Photography 2 by Tracey Lund
Wildlife Photography 2 by Tracey Lund

We finally got to see Tracy in person for part two of her story which followed on from her Zoom presentation during lockdown.

Alaska, Canada, Yellowstone, India, Zimanga and UK Hides. An inspirational evening with wildlife and nature photos from these areas as well as some anecdotes of her travels and trips.

Tracey Lund is from Hull. Her photographic journey began after an inspiring trip to Africa in 2004.

After returning to the UK, Tracey wanted to develop her photography and so joined three Photographic Societies and submitted her favourite images as entries to some of the major worldwide Wildlife Competitions. Tracey is also a permanent display as she is a ‘gallery photographer’ at the famous Joe Cornish Art Gallery.

Tracey's presentation was a whirlwind trip around the world calling at Alaska, Canada and Yellowstone. Then we moved to India where we were treated to a bewildering array of birds, squirrels and mongooses, not to mention the spotted deer - top of the fast food menu!

In Africa we were taken to Zimanga, the hotel and wildlife hides. Another whirlwind of birds, snakes, jackals and others. She even had a story about walking with cheetahs.

Tracey described the opportunities, Lagoon Hide, Bee Eater Hide, Scavengers Hide and startlingly the Overnight Hide! Into the hide in the afternoon and stay for 17 hours till breakfast.

But what a beautiful collection of wildlife photos Tracey showed to illustrate what was possible - eye to eye with water buffalo and a herd, yes a herd, of elephants.

Read More
Special Presentation, WildlifeMaurice Youngalaska, canada, india, yellowstone, uk hides
New York Street Photography by Phil Penman
New York Street Photography by Phil Penman

Tuesday 17 January 2023

 This was a shared evening with Old Coulsdon with over 70 people present.

Phil led us through his life as a photographer and he began his presentation by talking about his birth in England, in Dorset and his education at Berkshire College of Art and Design before he moved on to his first photographic job with the Wokingham Times.

 He wanted to work and live in New York and on a stakeout in England he got an introduction to a celebrity news agency Splash News was offered a job and moved to Los Angeles. As a celebrity photographer he was lucky enough to shoot people like Bill Gates, Jennifer Lopez and Christopher Reeve while he was also covering news stories. His news pictures were published in English papers like the Guardian, Independent, Daily Telegraph and in Paris Match.

 Then suddenly on September 11 he was asked to go immediately to the Trade Centre. The aeroplane terrorist attack. His first thought was to find a vantage point, not close to the towers because he was to take photos of the height of the towers. Phil's description of his photography of this outrage was quietly dramatic. The rumble as the towers came down, being grabbed by a policeman and told to sprint, the black sky and utter weirdness of the scene. Should he take pictures of distressed people without asking? Yes, that's why he was there. He ran for shelter into a music shop while outside was a parallel universe with paper 'raining' from the sky with people walking towards him out of a cloud of dust.

 In 2015 he donated all his work from the event to the 9/11 museum.

 Phil went on to give us a view of his work that followed, more celebrity photography plus full length street pictures making sure that you are not looking down onto the subject. Then a show of his work during the Covid pandemic showing what life was really like on the streets of NY and telling some of the stories of the people who are homeless.

In fact, he said, that Covid lockdown period was his busiest ever!

 He summed up by running through his life from Dorset through celebrity photography, selling prints and publishing his first book, doing what he wanted to do!

 An entertaining and instructive evening. Lots of excellent information from the question time.

Read More
Special PresentationMaurice Youngshared event, zoom, street photography, mononchrome, new york
Storytelling for Photographers by JP Stones
Storytelling for Photographers by JP Stones

Yesterday evening's presentation by JP from his home in Mexico, where he has lived for about the last ten years, was shared with Sheffield Camera Club so more than 60 people tuned in to a very interesting presentation.

 JP explained that he worked with the Mexica people whose roots are in the prehispanic periods of meso America. He showed a picture of Linda, one of his models, in a costume relevant to the myths of her culture and he made the point that she had produced the costume herself and how expensive it was, but all the details mattered to be sure that the costume was factually correct for the myth.

He said that when he first started full time photography he only wanted to take pretty photos, but he found that his interest in making narrative photos resulted in a different kind of picture and he was surprised to find that his photographs were copied on to tattoos and murals! He even gave permission to have one of his images used as a Hells Angels logo!

This change of direction from pretty pictures to storytelling photos had produced a much greater reaction to his work. It was clear to him that the story comes first, and the photo follows. As an example of narrative pictures JP used the early Christian church of western Europe. The first followers of the Christian faith could neither read nor write so to give them an understanding of the legends and stories the interior of churches and the stained glass of the windows were covered with pictures showing the religious messages and histories - iconography.

Read More
Zoom, Special PresentationMaurice Youngculture, portraiture, storytelling, mexico
An Indian Adventure by Alan Cameron ARPS
An Indian Adventure by Alan Cameron ARPS

This week at our Tuesday meeting Alan Cameron recounted his pre-pandemic holiday in India, he described it as his travelogue. And what a feast of art, history and photography this presentation proved to be.

 Alan divided his presentation into two parts, part one featured the north of India, the 'Golden Triangle' and Ranthambore National Park, and after the break he moved south to Karnataka and Kerala.

 After a late arrival in Delhi Alan showed us pictures of the terrible traffic and driving manners, highlighting the Tuk Tuk donkeys, sacred cows and the ubiquitous camel!

 The India Gate, commemorating the fallen of both world wars and the mosque were beautifully photographed and presented. These formal photographs were contrasted with pictures of street markets including artisans with tools of their trades, and collections of foodstuffs, nuts, cloves and so on.

 e Gandhi monument built on the site of Gandhi's cremation was an interesting building. World Heritage sites are abundant in India and the tomb of the second Mogul Emperor with its Paradise Gardens with its rivers of water, honey, milk and wine. A land flowing with milk and honey!

 In Agra Alan showed pictures of the famous Taj Mahal with its tomb and paradise gardens.

 In Ranthambore Alan found the famous Indian Tigers and he took some great pictures but not without some trepidation because firearms are not allowed for the guides in their open jeeps.

 Thanks Alan for a wonderful evening.

Read More
Special Presentation, Cambidge Inter-Club, ZoomMaurice Youngindia, trravel, culture, people, landscape
How I take my portraits by Lee Sutton
How I take my portraits by Lee Sutton

Tuesday evening's Special Presentation came from Blackburn in Lancashire and was delivered by Lee Sutton who has a list of achievements after his name stretching almost to Norwich!

Overall his talk was easy to follow and informative, full of explanations and examples. He began with a very short outline of his camera and lenses before moving on to the thought provoking 'reasons why your pictures are not as good as they could be'.

There then followed a list that all photographers have to grasp if they are to improve their images: know your camera; practice, become part of your camera; understand the basics of exposure; pay attention to composition; study other photographers, not just the greats but others in your club; understand light; if possible include a story in your picture; hold the camera properly and finally get your photos critiqued.

Lee continued with examples of composition including the importance of 'thirds'; cropping; filling the frame; leading lines; triangles; backgrounds and so on.

He showed us many examples of shots taken in a studio where he had total control of the lighting the pose and properties and followed with a set of shots taken in natural sunlight.

Then he showed how he edited a headshot in Photoshop, slowly clearly and succinctly.

He outlined some of the problems associated with location shoots, the weather, locations and unhappy models.

His recap included the advice to talk to the model, keep poses simple, check backgrounds for distractions, use suitable depth of field and finally he talked of camera care. If your camera is not clean and dust free there will be problems with the pictures you take.

We are grateful to Lee for an evening of down to earth advice and endless tips for producing better photographs.

Read More
Special PresentationMaurice Youngportraiture, portraits, models, photoshop
Seeing in Black and White by Eileen Rafferty
Seeing in Black and White by Eileen Rafferty

This evening from the far north of the United States, not so far from the border with Canada Eileen delivered her lecture on seeing in black and white. Her background was in film, and she was a full time darkroom technician in her early work life, and she mused how black and white was still an alluring form after 200 years or so.

Eileen was keen to point out at the very start that black and white conversion was definitely not a way to 'save' a picture! She said that a photograph was in two parts - form and content, the form is visible, and the content tells the story or concept or meaning. Inspiration can be drawn from early photos.

Using these old pictures we can ask 'Why black and white?', what is contrast and where is the eye of the person looking at the picture being drawn and why. Black and white images eliminate the dominance of colour and bring attention to content. The image is more homogenous in black and white, more dramatic! Obviously black and white is a departure from reality because colour is 'everyday'.

Read More
Special Presentation, Special EventMaurice Youngphoto-talk, zoom, black & white
Autumn Season opens with outstanding new talk by Ruth Grindrod
Autumn Season opens with outstanding new talk by Ruth Grindrod

Opening Presentation for the new Autumn season = Scotland - Looking Beyond and Within

Norfolk base landscape, the inspirational Ruth Grindrod opened the new season of NDPS photo-talks with a bang! Ruth had prepared a new presentation and we were the first camera club to receive it. A real privilege and a real feast for the eyes.of the 56 members and guests who where there in our new home at the City Academy Norwich.

Ruth began, and indeed ended, with a rousing short audio visual presentation which introduced her photography, her thought processes and her technical tips. This was a 'no bullet point' start to an evening of Scotland north, south, east and west!

As usual with Ruth she began with a brief list of her kit - the cameras she uses, her filters and tripod. She followed this with her first piece of advice, advice which she has found invaluable over her photographic journey - get it right in the camera!

She said that printing your picture is by far the best idea and to help get the printing to your satisfaction you should print sample sheets on ordinary photo paper and then consider the best paper, the most suitable paper, for each particular image.

Ruth showed a series of breath-taking photos to illustrate composition. Offsetting an image by using a pebble - she didn't place it! It was there naturally! She showed the horizon in the centre of a picture, normally against the rules of composition but . . . Rules can be broken.

Read More
Special PresentationMaurice Youngscotland, landscape, coastal, seascapes, initimate, grand vistas
Rome - In Pictures and Words by Chris Ceaser
Rome - In Pictures and Words by Chris Ceaser

On Tuesday evening Chris Caesar led us through the streets of Rome and treated us to a potted history of the Eternal City beginning from the 9th century BCE up to today. He talked of the seven hills of Rome, the myths surrounding the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, their falling out and Romulus' victory. Chris mentioned the Sabine women from the next door hill and the arrival of the Eutruscans.

We saw pictures of the Circus Maximus, the chariot racing arena, and Chris explained the meaning of the ubiquitous logo 'SPQR' (Senatus Populusque Romanus) the Senate and People of Rome, to be seen on so many structures in the city.

Julius Caesar made an entrance and his well known sound bites explained - 'The die is cast!', 'Crossing The Rubicon', 'I came, I saw, I conquered'.

Then on to The Appian Way, its construction and its bloody history of punishment of the slaves of the Spartacus rebellion, 6,000 prisoners nailed to crosses every 60 yards!

The emperor Trajan his column, a carved history of war and invasion, his building of what is believed to be the first supermarket and the first use of concrete in construction.

After the break we saw some beautiful pictures of the Pantheon and its oculus, its eye in the roof open to the sky. In the 1400's Piazza Navona was constructed and this breath-taking open area still retains the shape and dimensions of the original circus on which it was built.

Piazza del Campidoglio, beautifully designed by Michelangelo, is the masterpiece of the Capitoline hill and beautifully photographed my Chris. More excellent views of the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and Piazza del Popolo.

We walked along the banks of the Tiber on Lungo Tevere and admired the bridges, the Ponte Rotto and the Vatican church and state.

Chris ended his Roman Holiday with a brief tour of the fountains, the 'typewriter' monument and the 'bocca della verita'. You know, the drain cover which bites your hand off if you don't tell the truth!

Great photos, great explanations and an evening to remember. Our thanks to Chris.

Read More
Special Presentation, Virtual MeetingMaurice Youngrome, landscape, hitoric buildings, monuments
The Carnivores of the Serengeti by Bob Johnson ARPS
The Carnivores of the Serengeti by Bob Johnson ARPS

In February, after his first visit to NDPS, he 'Exit(ed) pursued by a bear'! An ice bear, at the end of his Svalbard presentation!

This evening his presentation suited the arrival of English summer! We were transported to much warmer climes, the Serengeti, Tanzania, home of the great migration.

Bob began by explaining his love affair with Africa which followed a family trip where he became hooked on wildlife photography and has resulted in fourteen subsequent visits!

On to the Serengeti (Serengeti means 'endless plains') and is a huge national park in Tanzania. Bob changed his cameras from Canon to Olympus before the trip so there was something of a learning curve, but he began with pictures of a cheetah, up in a tree, with a dead sheep she had caught.

Next was a cheetah and her cub on a hunting trip in woodland! Very, very unusual situation to see a cub helping and in woodland. Then they caught an impala, another rarity! This sequence of photos showed all the action, including the kill, and Bob suggested that even though this was fast moving it is still worthwhile changing settings during the action, to improve the shutter speed and reduce noise - something of a conundrum.

Then, with a non-photography group, they saw a pack of 16 wild dogs, again, never seen before. Then a cheetah, nicknamed 'Patch' by the visitors with her four cubs only three months old and very vulnerable to attack. This means that mum was very busy indeed looking for food. All the animals looked in good condition and, indeed all four reached adulthood. A tribute to Patch because this was her first family and such success has rarely been achieved.

Bob began the second half with some astonishing statistics about lions - the numbers have dropped from 200 thousand to 20 thousand, of which 4 thousand are males and of these only ten percent will mate in their lifetime!

Bob then showed four lions killing a young hippo and a lioness killing a young giraffe for her sister and their eight cubs! Those cubs hadn't eaten for two weeks and they were very hungry.

Bob rounded off his presentation by recommending 'Remembering Wildlife' to us, a series of books published to help in the conservation of species.

Another exciting presentation from Bob Johnson with not too much blood but some good examples of the law of self-preservation and the law of the bush.

Read More
Special Presentation, WildlifeMaurice Youngwildlife, big cats, cheetah, lions, wild dogs, serengeti
A Bit of a Journey by Mark Gilligan
A Bit of a Journey by Mark Gilligan

Yesterday evening's presentation from an absolutely outstanding photographer kept over forty members enthralled for the whole evening.

Mark introduced himself and ran through his early life from his schooldays, when he was in the football team, to his retirement! He made no apologies for this journey which included several references to his father who he described as his inspiration. His dad was a photographer and Mark had never known a time in his life when there was not a camera around, and a good camera too because his dad allowed him to use the newspaper camera from work!

Mark explained how he rose to the heights of working for the Daily Mirror and, importantly, working in the Mirror dark room. From 1972 - 1975 he worked for an ad. agency and then he was recruited by the Home Office.

In this job he was responsible for training photographers and AV people when the Home Office was interested in the inner city riots - his images followed this route, Acquisition, Assess, Protection and Court! This led to film production and even more pictures of city centre riots, but he was always able to escape for short periods to the lake district for landscape photography.

1984 and Mark was involved in the miner's strike, flying pickets and Mr. Scargill. 1985 saw him photographing and recording the Heysel Stadium disaster and Bradford City disaster.

The Home Office needed a system to deal with English football hooligans at home and abroad and Mark helped in devising and putting this in place. This is now known as the National Crime Agency.

He covered the Tottenham Riots of 1989, the prison riots of 1990 and went on to make counter terrorism films.

This whistle-stop tour of disasters brought us to the break. When we resumed Mark shared how he makes a photo - assess, compose, expose and click! He said that he used Lightroom but doesn't take more than a couple of minutes in post processing. In addition to Lightroom he used Nik Collection Silver Effects.

He had an interesting way of dividing a day into sections. First, sunrise, then daytime (yes you can take pictures during the day!), Grim and finally Dusk. An interesting assessment of a photographic day but all the time he wove his fabulous landscapes of the Lake District and North Wales through his explanations.

Read More
Special Presentation, Photo-talkMaurice Younglandscape, snowdonia, wast water, lake district