​Sad News
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Geoff Eynon. A founder member of FWCC, and an active member and great helper of the Club for over 30 years, Geoff passed away in his sleep on 27th January. He will be much missed by all who knew him, and our hearts go out to his family.

This week's meeting
We are hosts to Frome Video Club. They will show us some of their recent work, and various FWCC members will be talking about prints. A friendly and convivial evening may be expected - perhaps with some delights and surprises - who knows?
This Friday is also the hand-in deadline for the Open Digital competition to be judged by Peter Weaver on 15th February. Your entries, correctly sized and labelled (see https://www.fromewessexcameraclub.com/competition-rules.html) must be sent to [email protected] before midnight on 1st February.
And it's your last chance to book and pay for the Fish & Chip supper next week (8th February). £5 for members, £8.50 for partners, to Criss, please.

Battle news
Please let David have your best images for the coming battle with Mid-Somerset. He has extended the deadline: prints need to be handed in and digital images to be e-mailed by Friday 8th Feb to [email protected]. The selection will be made during the week beginning 11th February.

This week's meeting
Mike Martin is going to share his journey into portrait photography, with some prints in the first half and, after the break, advice on some of the techniques used to create these, in the hope of inspiring us to have a go ourselves. Mike belongs to Kingswood and Bristol Photographic Societies, runs studio sessions for a Photographers with Disabilities Group in Yate, and is also the lead judge for the National Photographic Society's monthly competition. He has enjoyed some success with images across a range of genres, but is particularly successful with his people shots, a mix of studio and location portraits.  His talk will share his journey into portrait photography. 
https://www.mikemartinphotography.co.uk/  

Call to Battle
In the wake of last week's impressive print competition, please don't be coy: bring David your good print images for next month's battle with Mid-Somerset. Digital entries should be sized at 1400 x 1050, and sent to [email protected]. The deadline is midnight on Friday 25th.

Tri-Battle Subjects
Please be thinking about how you can contribute to this challenging battle with Norton Radstock and Frome Selwood. April seems a long way ahead, but there are 15 subjects to be addressed. The list can be found on the Club website at https://www.fromewessexcameraclub.com/tribattle.html

Holiday Update
We're delighted to report that our accommodation at Sennen in June is now fully booked. 23 members and their partners and friends will be going - and one jolly collie.

New Initiatives
FWCC isn't just about Friday nights - that's for sure. The FB members-only page is leading members to street photography in Bath, murmurations at Ham Wall, body-painting at Glastonbury - and that's only this month! Phil's Develop Your Photography Group is fully subscribed and up and running. And this week has seen the launch of the FWCC Distinctions Group: please contact Bill Aven if you wish for further information.

The PAGB offers one-to-one Awards advisory slots at the Photography Show at the NEC in March:.

WCPF Judging Seminar.  This one-day course in April will, of course, give useful insights into the criteria applied by judges.

See you on Friday - Burns Night!
​

​Tonight at The Three Swans
"Stuffing and Tucking" away the 2018 Frome Salon. Please come along at 7.30 if you can: we have many certificates, medals, ribbons and cds to process for posting. It's worth coming along just to see the classiest certificates on the circuit!

This Week's Meeting
Adrian Herring, DPAGB, ARPS, will judge our Mono Print Competition. Many members have already submitted prints, but if you are bringing your entries on Friday, please try to be at Beckington by 7.15, and ensure that you check in your titles with either Stan or Rosemary.

Fish & Chips Supper Evening, 8th February
Criss will be taking bookings on Friday for our annual F&C supper. The cost is £5 for members and £8.50 for partners, and this does need to be paid in advance, please - we shall be confirming the numbers with Whiterow on 28th January.

Catering for the Teabreak
Criss still has some gaps between now and Easter, so please sign up if you can. It's an important part of the Club's infrastructure.

Battling On
David and his team have processed and submitted our entries for WCPF's DPIC competition, and for the Warminster Print Battle. Next up is the Mid-Somerset Battle. This is an open competition, and David is seeking up to three entries per member, either print or digital (digital images sized at 1400x1050). Please get them to him by Friday 25th January. We saw some great photographs last week on the critique evening: submit them for battles!

Diary Dates
Monday 28th January: David Clapp will be speaking on landscape and infra-red photography at the Phoenix Group, West Monkton Village Hall, Monkton Heathfield, Taunton,
TA2 8NE. They start at 7.30, and there is a charge for non-members of £4, which includes a cuppa. There is ample parking space.
Sunday 10th February: judging of the DPIC competition at Exeter Corn Exchange. Tickets are £7.50 from exetercornexchange.co.uk. If you might be interested in car-sharing, please talk to David.
Saturday 16th February: Judging of the Warminster Print Battle, 2pm at the Warminster Park Community Centre (BA12 9NP). £4 entrance.

​This Week's meeting - will be held in the CLIFFORD SUITE at Beckington (walk down the playing-fields side of the building)
"My Photography", a talk by Kevin Mitchell. a Frome-based professional photographer who will be sharing his experience of taking portraits, of fashion shoots, wedding and commercial event photography and much more. https://www.km-photo.co.uk/wordpress-NEW/
Wrap up warm - it's getting colder. But there will be mince pies.....

Mono Print Competition hand-in
Stan will be collecting entries this week and next. So, if you can, please bring yours along. Entries can if necessary just be brought along on the night of the competition (18th), as Adrian Herring will be judging them cold. But it will help Stan a great deal to have as many as possible in before then.

Signing-Up for Tea Duties
If, like me, you think that our tea-break chats are an important part of  meetings, then you will appreciate how vital volunteers are. If you can take an occasional turn, please talk to Criss - she'll be keen to sign you up!

An Important Diary Date - Wednesday 16th January
The last job for the 2018 Salon. Alan has printed our classy certificates, and Mary has the medals, ribbons and cds are all ready to send out. So on at 7.30 on Wednesday 16th we shall meet at The Three Swans in Frome for the process of "tucking and stuffing" these things into envelopes ready for posting out. It's always a cheerful evening, and of course the more hands the lighter the work, so please come and help if you can.

Club Holiday 2019
There is still one double room available for our holiday in Cornwall from 7th - 14th June. Please see the attached flyer, and contact Andrew Washington if you are interested or need more information.  

Larkhill Point-to-Point, Noon on Sunday 6th January
https://www.larkhillracing.co.uk/LRC.html  

David is suggesting this as a members' outing (non-street photography?!). More details at this week's meeting, or on Facebook.