Tonight’s meeting was the last to be held in 2014 as our next scheduled get together is our Christmas Party at the Willow Farm. After that, we do not meet again until Thursday 15th January 2015.
The agenda this evening was a bit of a recap of the year starting with a presentation by Tony Stevens of the club’s 4 day break to Wales in May.
The presentation was based on an Enid Blyton Famous Five story presented in the style of the film Zulu accompanied by male voice choirs and Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of my Fathers) performed by 50,000 Welsh fans at the Millennium Stadium in 2013 prior to the Welsh destruction of England 30-3 in the Six Nations Championship.
This was followed by an slick and professional video produced by Alan Thompson showcasing the work of club members who have been following and recording the exploits of the Northumberland Lightning American Football Team in their first full season.
Finally, before closing, Alan chaired an informal debate on candid street photography and portraiture, discussing the different techniques and tools available to the photographer and the protocols and good manners to be observed, especially in relation to the presence of children and other vulnerable groups.
This generated a good deal of debate, especially in respect of balancing the rights of the photographer to use his or her camera in public with the need to respect and understand the views and fears of others.
And that was that for 2014.