This evening’s subject matter took a wee turn for the new with our first Photo Hunt which meant that we could take advantage of the glorious weather and get out and about with our cameras.  This is based on the old game of treasure hunt whereby competing teams must attempt to take photographs which best match a number of  the clues given on the evening by the ‘Hunt Master’, (or Dave Brennan as we know him best) within a certain period of time.

In this case, the teams were given a list of 20 subjects to photographs and be back at the West Moor Community Centre within 1 hour.

The contestants were allowed to take as many photographs as they liked, however only one image per subject could be submitted for judging.

Points would be awarded for each photograph taken with points added for originality, creativity and sheer nerve.  Points would however be deducted for poor composition, focussing, exposure etc.  Additional points would be deducted from each teams score for every minute over the allocated hour the team returned to the Centre.

The members soon sorted themselves into teams and set off to capture images ranging from  a person wearing a hat (not a club member), a spiders’ web, a flock of birds, a plane and/or train (but not an automobile), a red traffic light, something new, orange right through to the inevitable and ubiquitous team selfie.

At the appointed time grasping their cameras and lists, the teams took off like the drivers at the start of the Le Mans 24 hours race to identify and photograph their given subjects.

All teams managed to return within the allocated time period, two teams having managed to snap all 20 subjects.

The photographs were then downloaded a projected onto a screen as the judging went ahead.

The variety of the interpretation of the given subjects was wide and varied including the prices of cars for sale to represent numbers over 50, a paper aeroplane thrown and flying past the  front of a sculpture in Killingworth representing an early steam train, a climbing frame in a children play park representing a letter in the landscape and the evidence of a raid on the fruit ‘n’ veg department of a local supermarket department in order to depict the subject ‘Orange’

The Hunt Master discussed each image in turn, aided, abetted or hindered by good natured banter from the competing teams.

Finally the winning team was named and awarded their prize of liquid refreshment.  Club rules prevent me from naming the company who produced the prizes, but if they made cameras, they’d be the best camera in the world

This evening, members were asked to demonstrate their multimedia skills for one of our popular Audio Visual Nights.

No themes had been set for the presentations allowing contributors free reign to express themselves in whatever subjects or skills they wished to demonstrate.

Tony started off the show with a montage of images, video and time-lapse sequences representing a typical day at the Newcastle upon Tyne Quayside from sunrise to sunset.

Joe Sheridan followed this with a visual treat of photographs of classic cars and hotrods from a meeting at Gateshead accompanied by a soundtrack of roaring v8 engines.

He also introduced us to his more serious side with beautiful but moving slideshow record of his visit to Auschwitz & Birkenau concentration camps.

Dave Fletcher then showed a film taken during the 2009 DVLA Bike Photographer of the Year competition which took place on the Northumberland coast and which Dave quite deservedly won with some fantastic images of motorcycles framed against some of England’s finest scenery.

On a more topical theme, Dave Brennan demonstrated his street photography with a slideshow record of the return of The Hoppings to Newcastle and his portraiture skills with a sequence of images taken during a wide variety of plays and musicals produced by a number of local theatre groups that he is associated with.

Last but by no means least was Alan Thompson who reminded us of a previous visit to the Tanfield Railway with a clever and amusing mix of photography and animation, a theme he carried on to his second presentation of Newcastle in the grip of winter.

Once again, the evening demonstrated the diversity of interests held by the club members and acted as a showcase for their skills not only of their photographic abilities, but also of their skills in the processing and presentation of their work