Author Archives: Wallace Gilbraith

Well that was exciting. No, not just the fire alarm going off at the start. Although it was gratifying to know that we can evacuate if required. And good to know where not to put the steaming tea urns.

But no – we’re talking about the Main Cup. Bob Humpreys from Donside CC came over the Cairnwell in the dark to talk through our 90 digital images. He introduced himself with a few of his own slides, and it was clear he’s a well-travelled wildlife photographer of great enthusiasm and skill.

He’s also a judge who’s very warm with his delivery and generous with his comments. With an average of around 60 seconds available per image to get over his main points, his commentary was necessarily concise.

His love of wildlife was evident. And a common theme in his observations was on the matter of cropping – where to leave space, and what to leave out.

The standard of entries was high, and, this being the Main Cup competition, what counts is consistency – the scores from each entrant’s three images are combined, to determine the placings.

The three images from each of the top five authors are now on our Galleries page for the new season. Go take a look.

It’s often said there can often only be one winner. However, anyone who came away from last night knowing what they need to do to improve is perhaps the greater winner, and there’s no limit on numbers for that kind of dividend.

Next up, we have the first competition of the season, which as well as being a competition is a great opportunity to hear some learned commentary on our images from a judge accredited by the Scottish Photographic Federation. We’re fortunate to have Bob Humphreys from Donside CC coming to share his expertise for the evening. 

Bob will have his work cut out – we’ve got 90 images to enjoy. Expect to be inspired to think more deeply about how you can better tell the stories you want to tell.

After the event, the top-placed entries will be posted on our Galleries pages for us all to enjoy, and perhaps learn from, again. 

https://www.perthshirephotographicsociety.org.uk/2024/08/programme-2024-25/#week07

Our Member’s Night ran exactly to plan, thanks not just to our four speakers, but also to our skilled members for assistance with such issues as sharing a presentation to a second screen, and using our new lapel microphones.

Alan Edwards outlined how the various SPF external competitions are judged and ranked 

John Boyd talked through the SPF’s advice, published on their website, on what their accredited judges should be looking for when judging club competitions

David Hay provided expert commentary on our PPS entry to the 4-Way local derby which will be held this year on Wed 20 Nov in St Andrews  

To finish, Ian Mackay told of his workflow for photographing landscapes in the classic wide angle, sharp front to back style.

Lots there to inspire us.

On Wed 06 Nov we have an evening of insights into club competitions (optional background reading linked from here, https://www.perthshirephotographicsociety.org.uk/competitions):

• Alan Edwards – how the SPF external competitions are judged and ranked 
• David Hay – a long-time SPF judge’s comments on our PPS entry to the 4-Way local derby which will be held this year on Wed 20 Nov in St Andrews  
• John Boyd – talking through the SPF’s advice, published on their website, on what their accredited judges should be looking for when judging club competitions

The evening is intended firstly to inform what we’ll see the following week, at our first internal competition of the season, and secondly to fire everyone up to enter everything that’s going. We’re bursting with ideas, now let’s make those images and bring glory on ourselves and on the club!

Another treat – Lakeland-born Peter told of how a pause for a rest during a Perthshire walk led him to notice wildlife around him that had hitherto gone unseen.

An introduction to the location of a nearby osprey nest piqued his interest. It wasn’t long before he was sharing tips with attentive locals, and following the movements of ospreys, dippers, beavers, otters, deer, foxes, and more. Almost all of this along a stretch of the Tay, from Willowgate to the Almond. You don’t have to go far; but it helps to go quietly.

Peter’s wildlife photography makes great use of fairly fast shutter speeds to freeze action, apertures towards the wider end of range to minimise background distractions, and auto-ISO to ensure the sensor records enough light to make a good image. All the images he shared included these settings details, including one rushed shot at ISO 50 that still worked out!

With the weight of a long lens, Peter favours a versatile monopod. He’s also been known to use a tripod, such as when setting up very close to a kingfisher perch and triggering the camera remotely from further away.

Peter’s also a keen photographer of sports (local amateur football) and travel/ architecture. He was an outside speaker when whe was booked, but he’s a PPS member now, and we look forward to seeing more of Peter and his work in the coming months.

Our new 2024-25 season is well under way, for anyone with an interest in Photography, and living within Perth, Perthshire, Perth and Kinross, and surrounding areas in Scotland. 

Next up we have our third Speaker: Peter is a local Perth photographer who documents the amazing wildlife to be found on our doorstep – from Ospreys and Otters in the Tay to the Quarrymill Kingfishers
https://www.perthshirephotographicsociety.org.uk/2024/08/programme-2024-25/#week05

Newcomers are very welcome to register online, and come along to meet us for a couple of weeks, with no commitment. That gives you the chance to decide if you like what you see.
Or you can jump straight in with new or renewed membership.
Either way, go to the online form on our Membership page to register.
https://www.perthshirephotographicsociety.org.uk/membership/

We were fortunate to host Espen Helland, wildlife photographer based near Dunkeld, for an evening of insights into capturing images of black grouse, other birds, and even some mammals large and small. Espen is an experienced YouTuber with a sizeable following, not least amongst our own PPS membership, and he’s also an ambassador for OM Systems.

He spoke of early starts, climbs in the dark, setting up in hides before sunrise, and remaining there for as long as it takes. But the rewards! – to witness the black grouse engage in competitive displays and courtship rituals, where it all happens so fast you can’t really tell what’s going on until you see the 1/1600 sec images when you get home.

He told us of how he likes to isolate his subject with some out-of-focus foreground, such as this front row head.

And how exposing for and shooting into the sun allows for some rim lighting around his sillouetted subject, perhaps lighting up the wing structure of a bird in flight, or the furry outline of a recognisable mammal.

He spoke of how to use the features of the camera to capture the images he shared, with tips on how to not miss any of the action, and how to maximise image quality in poor light. Most of all, he shared a love for his subject, being both the creatures he photographs with care and respect, and the greater great outdoors itself.

Only later did we learn that this was actually Espen’s first live speaking engagement, and he was glad of a convivial half hour at the Grampian Hotel in which to wind down before the drive home. Our pleasure!

Our new 2024-25 season is under way, for anyone with an interest in Photography, and living within Perth, Perthshire, Perth and Kinross, and surrounding areas in Scotland. 

Wikipedia tells us: ‘A lek is an aggregation of male animals gathered to engage in competitive displays and courtship rituals…. ‘ So – an evening with potential for sex and violence as well as photography!

Our second speaker, Espen Helland, is a Norwegian ecologist working in Scotland. He is an expert on Black Grouse, and leads photography workshops to leks in Perthshire. Espen is an OM System (Olympus) Ambassador.

https://www.perthshirephotographicsociety.org.uk/2024/08/programme-2024-25/#week04

Newcomers are very welcome to register online, and come along to meet us for a couple of weeks, with no commitment. That gives you the chance to decide if you like what you see.
Or you can jump straight in with new or renewed membership.
Either way, go to the online form at How do I join? to register.
https://www.perthshirephotographicsociety.org.uk/membership/

Little people, amidst normal-sized everyday objects – that’s one of David’s specialities, and last night he told us how he goes about it.
More of his work, here: https://davidgilliver.com/portfolio/little-people/

Big thanks to David for coming up from Glasgow to speak to us at short notice,it was an absolute delight to host him for the evening.

Are we inspired? Let’s see what miniature landscapes we PPS members can conjure up.

Our new 2024-25 season is under way, for anyone with an interest in Photography, and living within Perth, Perthshire, Perth and Kinross, and surrounding areas in Scotland. 

Next up, our first Speaker: David Gilliver from Glasgow specialises in, amongst other things, macro photography (‘Little People’) and has become one of the internet’s best known names in those fields. He will tell us about his approach to Miniatures photography. 

https://www.perthshirephotographicsociety.org.uk/2024/08/programme-2024-25/#week03

Newcomers are very welcome to register online, and come along to meet us for a couple of weeks, with no commitment. That gives you the chance to decide if you like what you see.
Or you can jump straight in with new or renewed membership.
Either way, go to the online form at How do I join? to register.

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