MID Cheshire Camera Club is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Fifty years ago the popular club started life as the Winsford Camera Club in 1974 and now has 34 members.
Budding amateur and professional photographers meet at St Andrew’s Church in Winsford every Wednesday evening at 19.45 from September to the end of April.
Club member Karen Swift said: “Founded in 1974 as the Winsford Camera Club.
“We joined L&PCU and PAGB in the early 1980s and in 1986 changed its name to Mid Cheshire Camera Club to expand its catchment area.
“In the 1990s the club met at the Arts Center on Dene Drive, where they built their own darkroom, but moved to The Dingle Center when the town center was redeveloped in 2002.
“When the Dingle Center closed due to Covid-19 we moved back to our current home, St Andrew’s Church.”
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the club held regular Zoom competitions and featured guest speakers each week.
Attending meetings via zoom is still an option for some camera club members.
We spoke to three members of Mid Cheshire Camera Club to find out what sparked their interest in photography; We learned that their most important point is taking photos and seeing their favorite photos.
Anyone who wants ice cream from Richard Breland
Richard Breland lives in Middlewich and has been taking photographs for five years.
He said: “I think there are two sides to human nature; the scientific/technical side and the artistic/creative side.
“I come from a technical/computer/scientific background and really wanted to see if I could develop the artistic side of my brain; photography is a great way to do that.”
Richard’s favorite places to photograph are the Peak District and North Wales for landscapes and seascapes; for street and architectural photography it is New Brighton on the Wirral, Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester.
Richard said: “We are so lucky to live in Cheshire and be within a two hour drive of all these wonderful places.
“I really love landscapes and seascapes and we are spoiled for choice in the UK.
“I think my next trip will be to Scotland for the stunning views and great views.
“One of the places I’m really interested in visiting is Iceland because of its unique features and amazing photo potential.”
Richard’s favorite photo is ‘Anyone who wants an ice cream’ photo taken at Black Rock Sands near Porthmadog in North Wales in April 2018.
Richard said: “It’s a really simple photo with great colours.
“The blue sky matches the blue ice cream van, the clouds are in just the right position in the frame, and the orange-toned sand complements the turquoise blue sky perfectly.
“Looks great printed large and hung on the wall!”
Lone tree on Colleen Ashley’s limestone sidewalk
Colleen Ashley lives in Winsford and has been photographing for more than 20 years but didn’t ‘get serious about recovery’ until the start of the Covid-19 pandemic when she retired.
Colleen saw the advert for Mid Cheshire Camera Club and is just coming to the end of her third season.
Colleen said: “My photography has improved immensely with the feedback from the competition judges and the support of some of the more experienced members, who are thankfully happy to act as a sounding board and answer some of the more obscure questions our members are considering.
“My favorite place to take photos is when I’m traveling.
“Thanks to face-to-face and Zoom meetings, I have been able to attend club competitions from all over the world, including Scotland, Montenegro, Croatia, Spain and France.”
Colleen would love to take long exposure landscape photos in the West of Ireland, but her favorite photo is of a lone tree on a limestone pavement in the Yorkshire Valleys.
He said: “I love this photo for two reasons; I had to find and climb out of nowhere to take this photo, and I think it’s amazing that this little tree has managed to survive against all odds in such a harsh environment.”
Into the Mist by Petar Sobic
Petar Sobic has lived in Tarporley for over 40 years and has been interested in photography since the age of 12.
Petar said: “My interest in photography was encouraged at the age of 12 by my father, who was a post-World War II immigrant from the former Yugoslavia and worked as a wedding photographer alongside his main job.
“My first camera was a simple 35mm film Kodak camera with fixed focal length as a ‘reward’ for having my tonsils removed!
“Although my father did his own development and printing business, that side of the experience never affected me.
“I have dabbled with 35mm format film cameras over the years, photographing my children growing up and on holiday, collecting cans of prints that occasionally shower me in moments of nostalgia.”
Petar’s true passion for creative art began with the birth of digital photography and the use of post-processing technology.
Petar said: “My interest in all forms of the natural world – landscapes, wildlife, trees and birds – was unleashed with literally thousands of images consuming gigabytes of computer memory in search of a unique and magical photo.
“What’s important to me is the emotional connection I have with the natural world; it’s very spiritual and difficult to define, but still almost like the Holy Grail that I try to capture in my work.”
Petar joined Mid Cheshire Camera Club last year and has enjoyed meeting photography enthusiasts and seeing their work.
“There are so many talented people in the club who have inspired me to strive and develop my own skills by branching out into other genres such as portraiture, street photography and more abstract images,” said Petar.
Petar’s favorite photo was taken with a long telephoto lens looking over Buckley Hill from Tarporley.
“I love the hazy layers and golden light that diffuse the image and make it a little mystical,” Petar said.
“This was a favorite, a spontaneous photo taken by me in my grown dressing early in the morning—and it worked!”