Astrophotography 101 – Thursday 26th March 2026

Jenny Hartman

We have two upcoming workshops on night photography, first up will be an introduction presented by club members Belinda Kerr and Fiona Jones:

Topic: Astrophotography 101
Presenters: Belinda Kerr, Fiona Jones
Date: Thursday 26th March 2026
Time: 7.30pm – 9.00pm
Venue: Lounge, Mount Waverley Community Centre

Learn the fundamentals of astrophotography in this beginner-friendly workshop designed to help you confidently capture the night sky, Milky Way and Aurora.

The workshop will cover:

  • Understanding essential gear and ideal camera/lens setup for night photography
  • Simple, proven camera settings for Milky Way and Aurora photography
  • Manual focus techniques to achieve sharp stars every time
  • Planning tools and apps to prepare for successful night shoots

There will be both theoretical and applied components, with several hands-on indoor activities Cameras and tripods are required.

The second workshop will be on Saturday 18th April 2026 at a rural location.

Colour Theory workshop with Paul Robinson

Jenny Hartman

Our next workshop will cover Colour Theory Basics, Colour and Composition, Still Life Backgrounds and Interactions. There will be both theoretical and applied components. Cameras are not required.

Presenter: Paul Robinson
Date: Saturday 21st March 2026
Time: 10am – 1pm
Venue: Craft Room, Mount Waverley Community Centre (across from the Main Hall)
Co-payment: $10 made via TryBooking, see email for link

This will be a great session and another piece in the big jigsaw of photography skills.

March 2026 “Street photography (monochrome)” results

Stephen Edmonds

Judge: Craig Wetjen

Set Subject EDI

Joanne Rowley - Modern Tradition
Intermediate: Joanne Rowley – Modern Tradition

Stephen Jude - Just out walking
Advanced: Stephen Jude – Just out walking

Open EDI

Ross Eddington - Just Lion around
Intermediate: Ross Eddington – Just Lion around

Jill Shaw - Decimated
Advanced: Jill Shaw – Decimated

Open Print

Joanne Rowley - East Asiatic Company
Intermediate: Joanne Rowley – East Asiatic Company

Alan Bennett - Osprey lookout
Advanced: Alan Bennett – Osprey lookout

Set Subject definition:

This Is a non-formalized genre of photography that features subjects in candid situations within public places such as streets, parks, beaches, malls, political conventions and other associated settings. Images can often be ironic or emotionally detached from subject matter, focusing instead on a particular context or detail. Framing and timing are key aspects of the craft, with the aim of creating images at a decisive or poignant moment. (APJA)

Dahlia Farm Outing – Macro and Closeup SIG

Leanne Poole

The next Macro and Close-up outing will be on Friday March 6th 2026.

The plan is:

  • 7:30am – Visit the Dahlia Farm of Pam Albutt (president of the Dahlia Society of Vic)
  • 10:30 – Cranbourne Botanic Gardens – meet in the café at 10:30 with optional lunch after we photograph

All are welcome to attend either, or both venues, whether you are photographing macro or not.

If you know that you will be attending the Dahlia farm, please RSVP via email.

Natural Light Portraiture in the field

Jenny Hartman

As an extension of our workshop last year, Keith Costello taught us about managing light for effective portraiture in outdoor settings, including using shade, reflectors and dappled light as well as general posing and posing to utilise light. We worked in groups with the three models and could see an improvement in our images as the session progressed.

Sim Chong - Through the leaves Nihal Basnayake - Nihal Basnayake image 2 Steve Hilton - Georgina 1 Elaine Whitton - End of day

More images can be viewed in our Natural Light Portraits gallery.

Tyabb Airshow outing – Sunday 1st March 2026

John Crawford

With the aim of having a range of different Club Outings, the March Outing is one for those who enjoy the challenge of capturing high speed machines and/or just the sight of the power and pilot skills of the aircraft on display.

Arrangements are very informal. Club members will be on hand to assist with photography tips and we will do our best to set up a small group location with a good view of the action, with the WCC WhatsApp group the best way to connect. Otherwise the Outing is self directed.

Family and friends are also welcome.

Details are as follows:

  • Tyabb 2026 Airshow
  • Sunday 1st March 2026
  • Gates open at 8:30am
  • Show starts at 10am and concludes at 4pm
  • Entry ticket must be purchased Online, BEFORE the event
  • Adults $80, Children 13 – 17 years old $15, 12 years old and under free, Family $175 (2 Adults and 2 Children aged 13-17)
    (Note that the Airshow will not provide refunds on purchased tickets.)

What to Bring:

  • Suitable clothing, including hat & sunscreen
  • Food & drink trucks will be on site, however, bring water & a snack to avoid queues
  • Telephoto, or zoom, lens with focal length of 200+ mm for action in the air
  • Short focal length lens/zoom, for photographing static aircraft displays and street style photography of the event

Black & white portraits using cheap lighting

Jenny Hartman

At our recent workshop, David Williams, a renowned portrait photographer, shared concepts, tips and tricks to inspire and enhance our portrait photography. These included studying art, using everyday lighting and unique methods of developing engagement.

The setup of how these excellent photos of Doug Porter were taken:

Geoff Shaw - Behind the scenes

For more details see Portraiture with DIY lighting on our resource site.

Portfolios for 2026

Jen Fawkes

The WCC portfolio program will commence on Thursday 26th February 2026 with our welcome/review meeting. I would like to invite all portfolio participants from 2025 to bring along their work, and each will have 3-4 minutes to talk about their portfolio:

  • What was the portfolio theme?
  • Where did the inspiration come from?
  • How did you put your portfolio together?
  • What worked, and what didn’t?

All members are welcome to come along, hear about the portfolios and be inspired to join in for 2026. At the conclusion of the presentations I will talk about this year’s program and answer any questions.

Westgate Park outing – Saturday 21st February 2026

Stephen Edmonds

The next club outing will be to the Westgate Park on Saturday 21st February 2026, your hosts for this outing will be John Noble and Mun Chin.

Westgate Park is a 40 hectares (99 acres) park sitting under the eastern end of the Westgate Bridge.  There are walking tracks through the par and under the Westgate Bridge leading to the Yarra River.  It was officially opened in 1985.  The park has two lakes – the Fresh Water Lake and Saltwater Lake, surrounded by smaller ponds and wetlands.  In the right conditions (high salt levels, high temperatures, increased sunlight), the Saltwater Lake may turn pink.

Depending on the subject, you may want to bring a telephoto (birdlife), medium (sculptures, landscapes, structures, river life) or wide angle (structure, landscapes).

Date: Saturday 21st February 2026
Meeting time: 8am
Meeting place: Westgate Park Picnic Ground (near the toilets)

Unfortunately, there is not easy access to a café for morning coffee, there is a bench at the picnic area where we can partake of BYO coffee etc before we head off into the park.

For those who are interested, we can meet for lunch at Pier 35 Bar and Grill at 263-329 Lorimer Rd (open 10am Sat).  Note that it's a bit of a walk (more than 2km from the walking trail under the Westgate Bridge) so a better option is to drive there.

February workshop with David Williams

Jenny Hartman

Our next workshop is Tuesday 17 February at 7.30pm in the main hall where David Williams will give two one hour presentations.

Art Influences in Photography

This presentation shows both direct ‘homage’ images by David, influenced by painting and recent advertising. He will point out how you can create a mental ‘filing cabinet’ to draw ideas from and will make suggestions on painters and photographers to study and more importantly and why.

Lighting from Bunnings?

David will demonstrate how to find good existing lights, determine colour influences, blend flash and existing light, and using on-camera flash more effectively. The last part of the presentation will be a live demonstration (some audience members will be required as ‘human light stands’) where David will make a black & white portrait in 1930’s style using cheap lighting.

There will be a short break between the two presentations and the evening will conclude at approximately 9.45pm