Category: Outings

Sunday’s Arcades and Alleyways Tour – Another Success

Dave Sumner
Last Sunday’s Arcades & Laneways outing was another club success thanks again to the fantastic organisation abilities of our President, Pete Davies. We’re lucky to have such a keen and conscientious President and I was pleased to see that the members supported his efforts this weekend with a fantastic 21 members turning out.

With the meeting time set for 8am at Federation Square I did have my reservations when I boarded the first train of the day from Glen Waverley to the city. I was off to a bad start because this first train wouldn’t get me to the station until 8.06am that meant I was already going to be late. A quick text to Pete fixed this but sitting on my own waiting for the train to set off had me wondering whether it would just be Pete and I with just a couple of others at Fed Square as it had been on occaisions in the past with these early Sunday morning starts. My fears were soon put to rest with the arrival of Roger and the Fred on the train. We chatted BLOG, Gallery and club most of the way as well as Roger and I trying to outdo each other with our new camera purchases, Roger has bought the new Pentax K7 and I have just bought a Canon 5D Mk2.

As the train picked up at East Malvern we noticed Steven getting onto another carriage and when we arrived at Flinders Street we noticed Leif getting of the train too. When we got over to Fed Square we noticed Pete, Perry, Rachel, Natalie, Sue & Albert all waiting for us. Whilst we just waited another 5 minutes I rushed into the Seven, Eleven store to buy some breakfast which consisted of a sausage roll and a coffee. This provided us with the first humour of the day because to say that the coffee was awful would be an understatement, it was disgusting and the sausage roll was like cat food (whatever that tastes like). Anyway two sips of coffee and into the bin we headed off accross Flinders street into the well grafitti’d lane that is Hosier Lane.

After much photographing and deliberation of whether graffitti is art, we met Andy & Rosie Armitage and continued on to ACDC Lane. This lane seems to have some seedy establishments along its length and a look through one broken window confirmed this. Back onto Flinders Lane and we headed along and up Exhibition Square where we found that we we’re well ahead of schedule so it was into the coffee shop and some breakfast (I didn’t throw that one away).

Restarting our trip we picked up Ross Vaughan and John Hadfield and continued along and stopping at Benson Lane where I thought Roger had laid himself down for a rest. In fact as the picture here shows he was actually using a well practised photography technique called laying down and looking up. You must agree though that he does look very relaxed.

We continued on picking up Don & Kathy Boyle as well as the early bird himself Pete Myers with his poor wife Jill who obviously would have preferred to be there at 8am with the rest of us. We wound our way through several alleys towards Chinatown eventually entering into Coramandel Place, home of a famous golf course architects, Thomson Wolveridge & Perrett. This got Peter Davies really excited as he is a golf course nut (shame he can’t play as keenly).


Coromandel Place


Don at Dean Alley

We wound our way down towards the old post office on Elizabeth St and Pete announced that we would take some shots here and then go to Melbourne Central for lunch. All of this time Jill Myers had been in touch with Sophie Zhao’s daughter by mobile phone. As you will probably all have guessed, Sophie doesn’t speak much English and was relaying messages to Jill via her daughter whilst she was attempting to meet up with us. Unfortunately after many attempts to try to arrange a meeting place and Jill going to where we thought Sophie was, Jill still couldn’t find her and we unfortunately couldn’t catch up with her. I think a volunteer to take Sophie to the next meeting would go a long way to helping her integration to the club. Language isn’t a barrier in the photography world and neither should it be in our club so any volunteers would be appreciated.

Lunch was had and we met up again to proceed through the Royal Arcade and onto Block Place and the Block Arcade eventually reaching Degraves Street and eventually back to Fed Square for coffee and cake or in the case of a couple of people, beer.

Stephen and Natalie trying to discover how Natalie’s Olympus camera works in manual mode. They failed as her camera has a mind of its own. Natalie, there is a good Canon for sale in an article below 😉

To summarise, we had a great day which was well attended by 21 members and in the case of at least one person, more than 750 images were snapped off. The only unfortunate event for the day was that Perry slipped over in Degraves Street and although he tried to break his fall, his lens hit the floor first. Given that he has a Canon 5D mk2 and an L Series lens in his hand it sounded and probably was an expensive fall. His UV filter had dented and smashed and he couldn’t undo it. He seemed to think that the only damage was the filter and we all hope that this is the case.

It is really rewarding for all of us on the committee when people join in and make the day a huge success and we all hope that the next trip to the Ballarat Photo Bi-ennial and the Point Nepean Sunset in October are just as huge as this trip was.

Thanks to everyone who was involved and especially to Pete for putting it together and making a great day out for all.

Sunday’s Arcades and Alleyways Tour

Dave Sumner

This Sunday WCC heads off on it’s much anticipated Arcades and Alleyways tour.

It will kick off at 8am when those brave/silly enough will have congregated outside the info centre at Fed Sq.

We will head over the road to Hosier Lane/Rutledge Lane and come out onto Flinders Lane. Turning right we will head to ACDC Lane/Duckboard Place where we will be at 9am.
From there we will continue on Flinders Lane up to Exhibition St and then turn left. The aim is to be in Coromandel Lane at 10am. Coromandel Lane runs off Little Collins St between Exhibition and Russell Streets.

Proceeding via Melbourne Place and on to Bourke St we’ll cut through to Little Bourke via Brien lane which is just west of Market Lane. On Little Bourke between Market Lane and Brien lane is another lane called Paynes Place. Go down here to a lane by the name of Croft. We should be here at 10:30am.

After Croft Lane it’ll be back onto Little Bourke and west into Chinatown. There’s a fire hydrant in Celestial Av which is off to the right and I think it’ll be about 11:10 by the time we get there.
Tattersall’s Lane is the next one down the road and also the next stop. 11:30am
Out on to Lonsdale, across Swanston and left into Caledonian Lane, west on Little Bourke into GPO lane.

Stop at the GPO at about 12:15pm for some more photos and then lunch. At 2pm we head into Royal Arcade followed by Block Arcade and through to Centre Place and Degreaves St, which could be a good spot for a coffee to end the afternoon.
It’s pretty hard to say exactly when we will be at certain places but as always you can ring me on 0403 803 299. The whole tour is contained within nine blocks and the distance walked will be 2 – 2.5 km.

Thank you to Ross Vaughan and Dave Sumner for their help in putting the itinery together.
See you there,
Pete

http://www.whereis.com/vic/melbourne/267-flinders-la?id=9000A38FCB3968&intref=emailmap

I was looking for a map I could download and mark the route on but had no luck – this is the best I can do.

Warragul National

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A few members ventured out to Warragul on Sunday to see the Warragul CC National Exhibition, here’s Pete’s account of it.

A few members ventured on over to Warragul to have a look at the Warragul Camera Club’s 37th National Photographic Competition last Sunday and enjoyed viewing the acceptances on display.

Congratulations to Tuck and Leif who both had acceptances being exhibited.

The mystery that seems to surround these “Nationals” was explained to those who were there and the next National in Pakenham should see some more members of Waverley entering into competition. For a gold coin donation you can’t get much more of a photography exhibition, the standard was generally excellent and there were plenty of images to look at.

After the exhibition Dave, Philip, Beth, Leif and I hit the road (in glorious sunshine) and headed for Noojee. By the time we got there it had been raining for 15 minutes (Noojee is only 30 mins from Warragul) but when we stopped at the trestle bridge the sun was almost peeking out again. A few shots of the bridge and into town to the Latrobe river and then on home. The light was poor so it was an opportunity to concentrate on composition and see how much could be rescued in Photoshop. On the way home I stopped to do a panorama using Peter Myers pistol grip tripod – an interesting experience! I stitched eight pics together in this shot. Once again a most enjoyable afternoon.

Warragul National & Other National Competitions

Dave Sumner

A quick message from the President regarding the Warragul National and other national competitions.

Outing this Sunday.

This Sunday (the 12th) I propose we go to Warragul and have a look at the Warragul National.

A National is a photographic competition open to all Australians and here in Victoria we have three – Ballarat, Warragul and Pakenham. There is also an international comp held every two years in Geelong known as Vigex.

A National is broken up into sections. For example the Pakenham National (which is still open if you want to enter) has the following sections: Open, People/Portraiture, Creative/Experimental, Monochrome, Photojournalism/Social Documentary, Rural Aust., Architecture and Landscape/Seascape.

A National will typically receive in excess of a thousand entries and these entries are all judged in their sections and those with high enough scores (acceptances) are displayed. It is a fantastic opportunity to see some great photography and while we’re in the area we could take some shots ourselves.

We can meet at the exhibition which is at St. Pauls Anglican School, 150 Bowen St, Warragul at 1pm and then go from there to somewhere like Noojee to do some photography of our own.

And keep the 6th of September free as well because that is the date of the Pakenham National.

Mt Macedon Outing

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Sunday the 5th of July was scheduled to be the club outing to Mt Macedon no matter what the weather and the weather was such that only five people braved the cold and slightly damp conditions. Stephen was in shorts (as usual) so it couldn’t have been too cold! The temperature gauge in my car said that it was 3 degrees up at the Memorial Cross, but we also had some welcome patches of sunlight.
First stop of the day was a lake in Macedon and I honestly thought I would be the only one there but Natalie soon rolled up and we went for a stroll around the lake. Fish were jumping out of the water but not in slow motion so neither of us got a shot. We did find an abandoned kids bike in amongst the pines which I found to be an interesting subject.

Next port of call was supposed to be the Forest Glade gardens but it was closed so Nat and I went to a waterfall in Mt Macedon where we caught up with Stephen. This was the first time shooting a waterfall for all of us and while it wasn’t the most spectacular fall it was a good learning experience.

The Memorial Cross was the next stop and as is usual for a camera club trip the view was obscured by clouds. There were large patches of sunlight travelling across the landscape teasing us but nothing came of it except for some frosty noses. It was at the Cross that we caught up with Perry and Rachael and the touring party was complete.

After a hot chocolate in the cafe it was off to Woodend for lunch but along the way we stopped to look at some funky cows (which have a proper name – Belted Galloways) but they were off in the far paddock and the light was pretty dull so we continued on our merry way.
The Victoria Hotel is an extremely popular place for lunch and we hadn’t booked so it was off down the road to Keatings Hotel for lunch. Having warmed up with some good food we ventured out once again and headed off to Hanging Rock. We got there about three and headed on up the hill stopping at several places to take some photos. Naturally the sun hid behind some clouds when we got out of the cars and didn’t come out again until we had descended but we were rewarded with a very nice rainbow at the end of the day.

Driving back back to Mt Macedon we had to pull over to try and take advantage of some of the most intense late afternoon light I’ve ever seen. We had about three minutes before it was gone but it was good to see. We drove back past the paddocks where the funky cows were and they were all up on the fence close enough to touch but by this time it was practically dark so they will have to wait for another time. I doubt I’ll be able to retire on the strength of the images I took on this trip but that was hardly the point. Yet again I thoroughly enjoyed myself due to the people I was with and I’m already looking forward to the next outing.

Pete

Macedon Outing

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Outing on Sunday the 5th of July.

The outing this month is to Mt Macedon and surrounds. There is a wealth of fantastic locations in the area and we will struggle to get through even a few of them. There will be a number of meeting points throughout the day so you can turn up whenever suits you best.

The first is in Macedon (not Mt Macedon) at a lake that doesn’t have a name. We’ll meet there at 8:30am. To get there take the Calder Highway towards Bendigo. Get off at the Macedon exit and turn left onto Black Forest Drive and head towards Woodend. Turn right into Nursery which isn’t all that far past the Black Forest Motel. Head towards Macedon on Nursery until you see the Nursery on the left. Just past the nursery you will see a railway bridge going over the road, the lake is on the left before you go under the bridge. It’s not sign posted but it’s hard not to miss.

Next stop will be the Forest Glade Gardens in Mt. Macedon. We will meet there at 10:00am and it’s a $6 donation to get in. It is on the road from Mt Macedon over the top to Woodend. It’s on the right hand side of the road roughly three kilometres from the antique store with the red petrol pump out the front. The antique store is on the left as you travel to Woodend. Parking for the gardens is on the side of the road.

Next stop as we make our way to Woodend is the Memorial Cross. We will be at the Cross at MIDDAY. Parking is free at the Cross which is easy to find as it is well sign posted.

Woodend is the next port of call where lunch will be had at the Victoria Hotel at 1:15pm. The Victoria Hotel is the white pub on the left hand side of the road as you head north.

From the pub we will head off to Hanging Rock for the rest of the afternoon. As it’s $10 per car to leave Hanging Rock (entry is free) it might be a good idea to carpool from Woodend if indeed you aren’t already carpooling.

We will leave for Hanging Rock from Woodend at 2:45pm. The picnic area at Hanging Rock closes at 5pm (I think) at which time everybody heads home having had a splendid day out.
As usual you can call me if you want to know where to find us.
See you there,

Pete

Club Outing to the Botanical Gardens

Dave Sumner

Below is a report from the President, Pete on last Sunday’s club outing to the Botanical Gardens.

This past Sunday (the 3rd of May) a bunch of intrepid photographers braved the frosty weather and closed freeways to meet in the Melbourne Botanical Gardens. The early morning light was fantastic so some of the crew wandered off to shoot some backlit oak leaves while others took a trek into the fern gully. It was still reasonably dark in the fern gully but there were patches of lovely light streaming through and I managed to get some nice fern fronds brilliantly lit from behind against a dark background. Next up was the lake where initially we shot we shot into the light before moving around to the other side. There was pelican feeding in the lake which we were told is quite a rare occurrence. Unfotrunately it spent most of it’s time with its head under water.

Somehow all the disparate groups all happened to meet up at the cafe where cake and coffee became the order of the day. After that we splintered off again and I slowly made my way back to my car in the company of Anne and two prospective new members – Natalie and Mary, who both happen to be Olympus users. We stopped at a view looking up a hill into the city with Government House and Eureka Tower poking their heads above the trees and it was really fascinating/frustrating to see how two fairly similar cameras could produce very different results.
Despite a fairly chilly start to the day it turned out that it really couldn’t have been much better but I have to say that once again the highlight for me wasn’t where I was but what I was doing and who I was doing it with.

See you at the next one – Montsalvaat on the 7th of June.

Club Outing – Sunday 3rd May 2009 – Botanical Gardens

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Just a quick reminder from the President, Pete Davies regarding Sunday’s club visit to the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne.

This Sunday we are going to Melbourne Botanical Gardens.

I will be at Gate F at 7:30am, yes it’s early.  If you want to get there later and can’t find me hiding in the bushes somewhere then give me a call on 0403 803 299 to find out where I am.  I have to leave at 11 to go to Frankston for a VAPS meeting so I won’t be able to join you for lunch.

If you plan to be there later and stay for lunch then perhaps do a reply all with your plans and mobile number included.  That way we won’t all be completely scattered about the park wandering around looking for someone to explain why their shots are all blurry.

You can find a map of the Botanical Gardens which shows gate F here: http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/__data/page/1437/GardenMap_2007.pdf

See you there.

Pete

WCC Attendees Meet Members of Ivanhoe Photographic Society at Phillip Island Seminar

Dave Sumner

WCC members, Pete & Jill Myers, Vicki Moritz & Dave Sumner met up with Ivanhoe Photographic Society members Dianne, Jolanta, Cindy, Bernie & Barbara at the Phillip Island Camera Club’s Image Evaluation Seminar’s evening meal.

A great evening was had discussing clubs, memberships and what clubs should offer for their members.

As the evening went on it became more apparent that the Ivanhoe club was very similar in size to WCC. They were in the same position as WCC 18 months ago. They told us that although they had a great beginners course which was open to the public, the retention rate of converting students to members was very poor. We discussed newsletters and member communication, and of course with the help of modern technology such as the iPhone, WCC was able to not only show them our Blog and Galleries, we were also able to post this article whilst talking with them.

We showed them the monthly galleries, the critique gallery and the 4-Club gallery. Lin Richards our 4 club gallery was a guest speaker at the seminar, and spoke very positively about out WCC and our online galleries.

It was made apparent through this exchange of information that WCC had come a long way in the last 18 months giving the Ivanhoe members much to think of.

I like to think we successfully passed on some helpful hints and tips to help them with their club and its future, as well having a great night with some lovely people.


Cindy & Jolanta


Jill talking with Dianne.


Barbara & Bernie

A few quick notes from Vicki Moritz

Just adding a bit more to Dave’s information about the Philip Island weekend- as sadly Jill, Dave and Pete couldn’t make the Sunday sessions.

Adrian Smith presented information about what judges look for, and encouraged those present to think about becoming judges.

Portrait photography was presented by Jim Weatherill and Marg Huxtable showing their images and discussing various aspects of portrait photography (skip the expensive stuff, 2 bunnings lights are fine!)

After lunch Ron Cork and John Commin presented 2 different views of travel photography. It was entertaining watching Ron unpack his travel bag- 2 camera bodies, about 6 lenses, portable hard drive, tripods, bag for len changes, flash….over 12 kg. On the other hand John travels with one camera and two lenses!

I also spoke with the Ivanhoe Camera club group, it would be good to do something with them in the future.

Vicki

Click here http://pjmphoto.blogspot.com/ for a detailed description of the Anzac Day, weekend.

Puffing Billy Trip – Sunday 29th Mar 09

Dave Sumner

Here is the write up and pictures for the Puffing Billy trip as told by some of the participants.

Pete Myers said: A beautiful sunny morning saw eight hardy phortographers up early in time to photograph the first Puffing Billy service to leave the station and pass over Selby Bridge. Unfortunately the light was not great, too many harsh shadows!

Undeterred the group moved up to the lakedide station at Emerald where a few more latecomers joined the group. By this time, over a dozen strong the group tried valiantly to get some decent photos despite the harsh light and strong shadows.

At one stage we had both a steam train and a diesel train in the station so we had no shortage of photo opportunities…just harsh light. Still, we persevered and rewarded ourselves with a picnic lunch under the shade of a lakeside tree and enjoyed by all.

Pete Davies said: Sunday the 28th of March was a lovely day to be outside but unfortunately the bright sunshine meant that there were some harsh shadows and blown out highlights. “Never mind” I thought, “there’s always a photo to be had regardless of the situation” so I went hunting. First stop was the Selby bridge where we arrived about 45 mins before the train. Plenty of time to dip my waterproof camera in the little creek running under the bridge. I’m sure there are more than a few shots of me bending over dunking my camera in the stream. I staked out a spot that I thought would be a good vantage point for the the passage of the train and waited for Puffing Billy to arrive. When it did I snapped off a few shots and immediately regretted my choice of position. What I should have done was take the harsh light into consideration and use it to my advantage, some silhouette shots for example.

Next up was Emerald Lake Park where everybody eventually arrived (some hours later than others but I’m sure Beaconsfield was nice too!) and we again shot the train in motion as it pulled into the station. Once again the light was against us, it was a camera club trip after all, and now there were people everywhere as well. Even so I still spent a good hour or more snapping away and chatting to fellow members before retiring under a lovely shady tree for a spot of lunch.
After lunch I again went on to the platform, this time to shoot a different engine. Whilst doing so a few of us got chatting with the crew and a couple of us even got into the engine’s cabin and were able to take some pics from there.
Next stop was my house where Dave, Fred, Ross and I sat around and had a couple of drinks and got to know each other better. Naturally the kangaroos didn’t show up until everyone was getting ready to leave but Dave and I still managed to fire off a few frames. There was some quite nice back lighting to highlight the kangaroos outlines and with the help of Dave’s monster lens I got my best ever roo shot.
All in all it was a top day out despite the conditions (for photographing) and I am very much looking forward to the next one. Botanic Gardens in the city on the 3rd of May.