East Gippsland Photographic Society Photography Seminar

By Darren Stones

Had the pleasure of attending the Spectacular Photographic Seminar hosted by the East Gippsland Photographic Society in Bairnsdale Victoria on the weekend of October 8 and 9, 2011. The venue was St Mary's Church Hall and the seminar was great fun.

Friendly members from the club greeted Bronwyn and I, and we enjoyed making many new friends from the local club and various other photography clubs in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

During my visit, I had little time for taking photos due to the busy program, however during the lunch break on the Saturday, I was able to take this shot of the stunning interior of St Mary's Catholic Church.

St Mary's Church at Bairnsdale by Darren Stones

The seminar provided an excellent learning and interactive experience, with a good variety of speakers covering a wide range of topics.

The program consisted of:

Saturday

• Welcome by Bruce Jennings, EGPS President
• Official Opening by Fred Everett VAPS President
• Outline of activities by Elden Marshall
• People in your photos from Portraits to Travel by Marg Huxtable and Jim Weatherill
• Composition with Landscape by Elden Marshall
• Judging Competition Photos: an interactive panel discussion with VAPS Judges - Pete Davies, Adrian Smith, Tuck Leong, Rob Sloane and Jim Weatherill
• Photojournalism by Rob Sloane
• Concept and Production of Digital Photos

Sure was an interesting program on the Saturday, and without doubt the Judging Competition Photos discussion sure stirred up some interesting debate.

All presentations on the Saturday were entertaining and I learnt a few things, too. It was a good opportunity to ask questions and interact with guest presenters.

Day One ended with about 20-25 guests enjoying dinner together at the Bairnsdale Sporting Club. That was a good opportunity to meet some more friendly folks and discuss various photography related topics.

Sunday

• Still Life by Adrian Smith
• Photographing Nature and Understanding Its Definitions by Tuck Leong
• Presentation Skills - How To Present to a Camera Club or Group of Photographers by Sue Rocco
• Travel Photography - Travels With My Wife by Rob and Lyn Sloane
• Thank You - VAPS Presenters and Seminar Guests by Bruce Jennings EGPS President

I have to make mention of East Gippsland Photographic Society club member Ronnie Curtis. Ronnie warmly welcomed Bronwyn and I, and made us feel most comfortable during the two days. She was keen to learn a few things from me and sought some feedback on her photos. I was happy to oblige and share some thoughts and expertise.

Elden Marshall took my rather late booking just a few days before the seminar, and I would like to acknowledge him for being so welcoming, too.

In summing up the seminar, I found it an enjoyable learning experience on two fronts - photographically and professionally. As someone moving towards presenting in the future, the experience was invaluable. I had a great time and met new friends.

Further information:

East Gippsland Photographic Society
http://www.egps.com.au/