Helderberg Photographic Society » Events

PSSA National Congress 2012 – Langebaan

Steve Crane — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:09:52 +0000

The PSSA National Congress 2012 is being held at Club Mykonos from 25-31 August 2012. Having seen a teaser of the great photographers that will be presenting, it’s worth your while to attend. But with such a stunning venue it’s sure to fill up fast so book early to avoid disappointment. See the PSSA site for more info or download a copy of the registration form, which includes some accommodation suggestions, using the link below.

PSSA National Congress 2012 Registration Form

RC Air Show

Steve Crane — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:31:02 +0000

As mentioned at our meeting this evening, Helderberg Radio Flyers are hosting a radio-control air show this coming Sunday. Take a look at the poster below and visit their web site for more information.

Wheel of Excellence: Last Week

Steve Crane — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:40:11 +0000

The Wheel of Excellence at the V&A Waterfront will cease operating at the end of February before being taken down and moving elsewhere.

So if you’ve been putting off photographing it or riding on it, now is the time.

For details of operating hours and ticket prices, visit capewheel.co.za.

Thanks to Paul of the Cape Town Daily Photo photoblog for the reminder.

Gordons Bay Photowalk

Steve Crane — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 10:32:48 +0000

I have signed up as leader of a photowalk to take place in Gordons Bay on 24 July 2010, forming part of Scott Kelby’s third annual Worldwide Photowalk. Click here to learn more, or to sign up and join me on the walk.

‘Master of Light’ Challenge Photo Competition

nettie28 — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 09:16:28 +0000

Go to www.masterthelight.com to check out a new photographic competition

Audio-Visual Salon

nettie28 — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:10:59 +0000

Please check the Magalies Foto Fun Club website http://www.magaliesfotofunclub.co.za for details of their 2nd Audio Visual Salon taking place soon.

Competition Meeting Wed. 10th Feb. 2010

nettie28 — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:07:43 +0000

More than 50 people arrived for the meeting – quite a few were there for the first time and applied to become members. Bernard welcomed everyone, and asked us to spare a thought for Paddy and Graham Howes, whose farm in Franschhoek was very badly hit by the recent fire.

The outing this month takes place at the Wijnland Auto Museum (entrance R50) which is situated next to the Cape Garden Centre (Exit 34 on the N1). Meet there at 9.30am and bring all your lenses, as well as a hat and a bottle of water!

With reference to the Rally which was to have taken place on Sat. 13th March - please note that it has been moved to Saturday 27th March – meet at the parking area of the Taal Monument in Paarl at 9.30am. Everyone will receive a list of clues/subjects to photograph (only one image per clue allowed!). We are hoping to receive ‘throw-away’ cameras (with film and a certain number of pics), but please bring your normal camera anyway.

Another outing planned, for next month, is the ‘Cape Carnival’ outing on Saturday 20th March – meet at the Adderley Street entrance to the Company Gardens (next to St. George’s Cathedral) at 2.30pm.

Our normal audio-visual evening will be held on Wed. 24th February – everyone is welcome.

The judges for the evening – Mary, Andre, Frank and Gail – had prints, slides and over 100 digital imgages to judge! They moved it along at a good pace – results will be posted separately by Steve.

After tea, Roger Lee gave us a very well thought-out talk on the basics of understanding the technology of digital cameras – we thank him for being willing to give us this lecture, which, I am sure, helped many of us understand things we are too scared to ask!

Next month’s competition set subject is ‘Urban Decay’ … so let’s get clicking!

Franschhoek Motor Museum: Concours & Time Trials

Steve Crane — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:34:12 +0000

I’m sure that some of our members will be interested in attending, and photographing at this event.

The Franschhoek Motor Museum will host the FMM Concours and Time Trial, a glamorous celebration of classic cars, on the L’Ormarins wine farm on 27 & 28 February 2010. Showcasing the most coveted cars, all produced between 1900 and 1980, it’s a not-to-be-missed event on the social and motoring calendar.

Franschhoek Motor Museum: Concours & Time Trials

February and March 2010 Outings

nettie28 — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:49:40 +0000

Please make a note of the following outings, organised by Paddy:

‘OLD CARS’ (Wijnland Auto Museum) next to the Cape Garden Centre on the N1 on the way to Paarl – take Exit 34. Meet there at 9.30 am on Saturday 27th February. R50 entrance fee payable at the museum. This is an ideal opportunity to do abstracts, graphics (set subject), macro. Bring bottled water – it tends to get hot!

RALLY : Saturday 13th March meet at 9.30am in the parking area of the Afrikaans Taal Museum in Paarl. Directions: once you turn off to enter Paarl (the Main Road exit) from the N1 (60kmh!), take care in looking for a road to the left (not really well signposted) which weaves through a residential area before getting to the parking area. The rally takes the form of ‘clues’ which you have to photograph … in the good old days of slides we were allowed to make only one shot of the subject … these days, a digital camera allows you to surreptiously delete an image which you think is not successful, and take another one! But you are earnestly requested to not do this! There is a possibility of particpants receiving a free ‘throw-away’ camera (with film!) which JJ will process – thereby allowing only one shot per subject! You will be kept informed!

CAPE TOWN FESTIVAL/CARNIVAL takes place over the weekend of 20th March. We plan to meet at the Adderley Street entrance to the Company Gardens, between St. George’s Cathedral and the Cultural History Museum, at 2.30pm, on Saturday 20th March. Remember one of our set subjects is ‘Carnival’.

Please diarise these dates! See you there!

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2009

nettie28 — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:27:10 +0000

Iziko Museum, Company Gardens, Cape Town. Until 13th March 2010.

I visited the exhibition recently and marvelled at most of the photographs. Being a bit of a photographic purist, I could not appreciate the 2008 and 2009 winners receiving accolades for photographs that had been ’organised’ by the setting off of trap-beams, instead of physically pressing the shutter.

The winner this year ‘Storybook Wolf’ has now been disqualified because it is believed that the animal was a ‘tame’ one … an explanation follows:

Wildlife Photographer’s storybook

wolf has sad end

The Natural History Museum has disqualified the winner of the Wildlife Photography of the Year 2009 prize

By Tim Edwards

LAST UPDATED 11:45 AM, JANUARY 21, 2010

The stunning picture of an extremely rare Iberian wolf jumping a gate, which won the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year award in 2009, has been disqualified after judges decided a Spanish photographer had staged it.

In a statement, the Natural History Museum said: “It saddens us to confirm that after a careful and thorough investigation into the image, ‘the Storybook Wolf’… the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide have disqualified the winning entry of the photographer José Luis Rodríguez.”

The move confirms what a dossier of evidence sent to the judges by a group of rival Spanish photographers had claimed: that the wolf in the photograph was probably a tame model. Specifically, they said the wolf is called Ossian and lives at Canada Real, a zoological park near Madrid.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition rules clearly state that photographs of animal models may not be entered into the competition. Louise Emerson, a spokesperson for the competition, said the judging panel had reconvened and determined that the wolf in the photograph was likely an animal model that could be “hired for photographic purposes”.

Rodríguez strongly denies the wolf in the image is tame.

The disqualification means that for the first time in its 46-year history, there will not be a winner for Wildlife Photographer of the Year and that ‘Storybook Wolf’ is to be removed from the exhibition. Rodríguez will not get his £10,000 prize money, but he will be allowed to keep the £500 he received for winning his category, animal portraits. This is in lieu of the royalty payments that would be due to him for the use of the photograph in memorabilia relating to the competition.

The news is particularly unfortunate for the annual photography contest, which this year has been criticised for a lacklustre selection of entries. For the first time in several years, the overall winner was clearly the standout best photograph – even if it was “too good to be true”, as one of the judges, Mark Carwardine put it.

However, there are many more wonderful photographs to view. Lee Slabber from Fish Hoek has a portrait of a leopard accepted – Congratulations, Lee. Do make the effort to get there. Parking is generally available in Queen Victoria Street – about R10 per hour …