Waverley Camera Club

The next scheduled Sunday outing and the last before Christmas and maybe even for the year, will be to Werribee Open Range Zoo on the 4th of December.

If everyone who said they would like come actually is able to come it promises to be a great WCC turn out. Check your iPods and iPhones for the weather. I only hope the weather will hold out for us. Rosie and I will try to be there by 10.30am, however if we are not, buy your tickets and go on the first available bus. The theory is that animals get sleepy as the day goes on, we dont have to look too far.

These outings are not designed to be either workshops or outdoor classrooms folks but rather another opportunity for us to get to know each other, get together as people with a similar interest, exchange ideas, show off our kit and take some pictures too.

In the past the experienced shooters at WCC have been on hand, and eager, to help us mere mortals; Sometimes with a small but important detail that goes on to make us better image makers in the long run; words like “Dont lean on your tripod Andy it makes shakey pictures” still ring in my ears everytime I go out with a tripod, so dont U feel bad about asking for advice.

There will be at least one great natural history, macro and black & white shooter ‘On Safari’ with us although getting an admission might be difficult, and a member of your club.

The cost of this little jaunt is what U want to make it. There is a charge for entering the zoo ($25.40 per adult, or less) and I understand this includes a 45 minute ride through the park in a safari bus that supposedly takes as many as 40 people. Rosie and I plan to take our lunch so do bring yours too if U like – but there is a cafe where U can buy lunch, drinx, souvenirs and stuff. I dont think there will be room on the bus to take and use a tripod effectively but there is no harm in carrying your tripod if it doesnt weigh too much, U never know when U will need it.

So see U all there on Sunday and dont forget spare batteries.

Cheers Andy

Rosie and I had a great day out at the Club Outing at Chesterfield Farm on Sunday.

As it was both of us had been ill for several days with a malady U don’t really want to hear about. Be-that-as-it-may we both hauled ourselves out of bed on Sunday morning feeling sufficiently adventurous to make the decision to join the group on the Sunday Outing.

We got there just after 10:30am and we made up the numbers of WCC members waiting. Included in this group was none other than Natalie. Natalie has been swamped with work recently and it was great to see her again resplendent in her hall mark red top. Great for photographs. Thanks for coming Natalie.

It was also wonderful to see 2 ladies from the Novices Group Elizabeth and Michelle who spent the day assiduously following Pete Davis’ instructions on how to shoot images in poor light conditions – Right ladies?; John was there, as was Paul. It is great to see the new members taking advantage of an opportunity to make images with some of the more experienced ones.

Among the oldsters were Diana, Anne and Leo, Leif, Rosie and I of course. Leif was a great help to anyone who cared to listen and the first thing we did was up the iso rating on our cameras to match the poor light conditions of the afternoon.

Interestingly enough the roosters, turkey gobblers, peacock, guinea-fowl and other critters didn’t seem to mind the weather which through the late morning and into the afternoon got darker and more threatening – they say it rained in East Bentleigh but we were quite dry all day.

Some hours later we wandered off to the steam engine museum but there was nothing exciting happening there so after a quick walk we decided we would leave and return to the comfort of our respective rocking-chairs and hot-chocolate. And by the way if you believe this last bit then I you might also be interested in this block of land in Brisbane I havnt seen since the floods!!

Cheers Andy