Welcome to 2020!
This year has started well for the society and there is plenty ahead to entertain, educate and challenge us all this year.
For those who have attended meetings this year, you will be aware that we have a 4-week meeting cycle for the first 4 Mondays of each month,
Week 1 Practical session
Week 2 Meeting with speaker & Projected Image of the month, & sharing
Week 3 Focus Groups – Portrait/Studio, Street Photography/ Recording Dunedin’s history,
Nature / Macro, Astro / Time Lapse, Honours / Project
Week 4 Pre-meeting Camera Basics (7pm) Speaker & Print of the Month & Letters.
Putting a programme together is not only time consuming but also involves a great deal of coordination. I would like to thank all council members for supporting the development of the programme but particularly the programme committee; Ross, Anastasia, Brian, Ita and Glenn.
In developing the programme we had three aims:
- Increase participation
- Develop collective responsibility
- Learn from each other
After 4 meetings I feel we are well on the way to achieving these goals. As I have said many times now the success of the programme will depend on the contribution of all.
Thank you in advance for agreeing to host meetings, thank speakers, post blogs, lead groups, lead field trips, enter images, hang images and appraise images.
Our first meeting of the year drew 60 attendees and 20 print entries. This is a great result and we want to build on this.
We have again introduced the Letters each month. This is an easy way to have a go and the link to the letter can be pretty tenuous! I understand there are members who have submitted images for the first time in this. Watch out for Anastasia’s reminders.
On Monday this week, we held the first focus groups. There was a buzz of activity in each group and each left with a plan for the future. We look forward to seeing the results of these groups. Thanks to Brian also for organising the Photoshop Basics course which will run concurrently to the focus groups.
Looking ahead we have at least 3-weekend workshop options coming up, 2 Projected Image salons and a Print salon. We have the Dunedin Festival of Photography and running the PSNZ National Exhibition. It will be a busy year and there will be a need for volunteers for all these events.
So – take photos, come to meetings, enter images and put up your hand to make the supper!
Gary McClintock
President, Dunedin Photographic Society
