Category: News (WPF)

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Jenny Hibbert Steps Down

Dear Member,

It is with huge regret that Jenny has decided to step down from her role as President of the WPF and from the WPF Executive Committee.  Jenny has some personal health issues and feels if she is to manage and recover from these, she needs to relinquish her WPF responsibilities to ensure she can concentrate on getting well.

The Executive Committee fully appreciate Jenny’s decision and very sadly accept her resignation.  Jenny has given many years to the WPF in her various roles on the Executive Committee and in particular the last couple of years when as Past President, Jenny stepped into the breach when Sue had to step down from the Presidents role and then agreed to complete another year whilst our Vice President Ron Lines found his feet.  The Executive Committee can’t thank Jenny enough and are hugely appreciative of her time and commitment to the WPF.  She leaves a huge void in the team and will be greatly missed.

Ron Lines as Vice President will take up the reigns as President until the point of the AGM and David Del Jones has agreed to fully support Ron as Interim Vice President subject to his nomination at the AGM in March.

On behalf of the WPF Executive, and the Membership, we would like to congratulate and sincerely thank Jenny for her many years of service and commitment to the WPF and convey our very best wishes for a quick and speedy recovery.

Very best wishes Jenny from all your Friends across the WPF.

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A Convention Thank You!

A thank you to all who supported the WPF weekend at the Heronston in Bridgend.

Riccardo Beghini with superb atmospheric prints from the heritage coast and surrounding areas (the feel of a photo).

Nick Upton with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Wildlife re-introductions (who could forget the Cranes’s parents?)

Paul Sanders the boy who failed at everything including photography yet became photo editor of The Times before leaving the rat-race to become his own man.

Simon Brinkworth who socked it to us with the history of medical imaging and NHS organisation then went on to hold us riveted with medical prints. (everybody checked their moles?)

Thanks to Jenny Hibbert WPF President for the formal opening and welcome to the event and to Ron Lines Vice President of the WPF for the formal closing address. Jenny also expressed our appreciation of the work of Nick and Ron that of Simon. Leigh Woolford of Gwynfa and Julie Morgan of Abergavenny thanked Riccardo and Paul respectively.

The range and excellence of the presentations has been captured through phrases like “you could hear a pin drop” and “and merited a standing ovation”.

Thanks to the working team of Ed Cloutman (projection and computing), Les Loosemore (equipment and especially for use of his illuminated stands that do so much to show prints to the best advantage), Gareth Martin (event publicity and advertising), Dave Condon (ticketing, badging and finance), Pat Hollis (raffle organisation and ticketing), Martin Smith (also raffle and event photos). Dave Lewis (coordination).

Many thanks to all executive members who so generously donated raffle prizes (you know who you are). Similarly, thanks to all who entered a print for the WPF Convention Trophy – the winner of the shield was Pat Hollis with “End of Summer”; selection was by Paul Sanders.

My thanks also to Trevor Waller and Jeff Howe of Cardiff together with Huw Edwards of Aberdare for providing consultancy on convention issues. As ever, Fotospeed and PhotoProlab (Cardiff) supported with discounts on their products and services. Fotospeed (Tim Jones) together with Les Loosemore held an “after-hours” print surgery. The Heronston also kindly provided two spa vouchers for our raffle.

Last but most important our thanks to you who make it all worthwhile and possible through your attendance and appreciation of the event, of the speakers and the work behind the scenes.

We hope to see you again next year at the 53rd WPF weekend event!

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Congratulations to Pat Hollis

At last weekend’s WPF Convention, the winner of the delegates Print Trophy was Pat Hollis of Barry CC.

Thanks  all the delegates who entered their prints which were judged by Paul Sanders. Pat & Paul are pictured below.

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The Story of ‘Electric City’ by Paul James

We’ve received this from Paul James, via Gary Shinner,  the new PSA Country Membership Director for Wales. If you are interested in anything pertaining to the PSA, please feel free to contact Gary.

‘Electric City’ by Paul James AWPF, CPAGB, EPSA, BPE 1, L.APS/G

Every year, the Photographic Society of America (PSA) run a number of competitions for its members.  One of these is the Annual Landscape Competition.

I have entered the Portrait competition a number of times and done quite well up against stiff competition but this was the first time that I had entered the Landscape Competition.

I was pleased to learn that my image “Electric City” had been voted the winner in the popular vote category and would be featured in the June 2024 PSA Journal.  This award is given to the image that had most votes from PSA members.

I was particularly pleased that this image had done so well as I’ve worked out that it cost me a fortune to take. The image is of the Dubai skyline at night with the Burj Khalifa in the background. I had planned my trip to Dubai on a stop over on the way to Australia in 2023.  I’d seen images from this place before and a little research told me that the image would need to be taken from the roof terrace at The Shangri-La hotel in Dubai’s business district.  My wife Jackie and I were staying in Dubai for 10 days and in order to get the image I booked us in to the Shangri-La for 3 nights.  The view from the roof terrace didn’t disappoint and I managed to get plenty of images from there at different times of the day and at different angles.  This one that did so well at the PSA landscape competition has just enough colour left in the sky to compliment the vibrant orange, yellow and red lights from the cityscape.

I think that the slow shutter speed has managed to bring even more ‘life’ to the image which along with the colours, complements the feel of a bustling and vibrant city that is the match of any in the world for us cityscape photographers.

As an aside, the same image won various international salon awards as well as the Bridgend Camera Club Landscape DPI competition in 2024 which was judged by none other than Ian Ledgard the outgoing PSA Director for Wales.

So it was one of the most expensive images that I have taken but as it turns out, well worth the cost. It was taken on a Canon 5DS R. Settings: f7.1,  8s, ISO 100, focal length 16mm).

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Masters of Print Exhibition Opens

The 7th PAGB Masters of Print Exhibition is now open at Bedwellty House and Park. It is the first time the exhibition has visited Wales.

Address: Morgan Street, Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, NP22 3XN. 
Closing date: 17th September.
Opening Hours: Bedwellty House is open daily from 9.30am – 4.30pm.
The Orchid House Tea Room is open daily from 10.30am – 4.00pm.
Parking: Please note that only disabled parking is available on-site.  Public, free parking can be located on Morgan Street, before the main gates of Bedwellty House and Park, and on Stable Lane. More information here.

We urge you to pay a visit and enjoy the very best of British Club Photography. You can also enjoy the Cafe & Gardens of this beautiful venue.

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Pembrey & Burry Port Open Day

On Saturday 7 Sept, Pembrey & Burry Port Photographic Society will be holding an open day when you are invited to come along and see what we as a club have to offer.

There will be a small exhibition of prints and a projection of images from 2023/24. Tea and coffee will also be available together with the opportunity to meet and speak to some of the members.

It will be held at our regular meeting venue in Hermon Chapel, Pembrey between 10am and 4pm.

Everyone welcome.

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Malcolm Downes Exhibition

Malcolm Downes of Barry Camera Club is holding his first ever Exhibition at the Art Central Gallery in Barry. It opens Saturday 17th August and runs until 14th September.

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WPF Conference – Book Now

WPF Conference – Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September, 2024, Heronston Hotel, Bridgend. CF35 5AW.

The Convention Brochure can be seen here.

Reserve tickets by emailing convention@thewpf.co.uk and pay by bank transfer to our account:

Name  of Account  Welsh Photographic Federation
Bank Name  HSBC
Sort Code  401323
Account Number  12320800

Other forms of payment available if needed.

Please put your name or initials in the comment box together with ticket type (in BOLD below):

* Weekend  (both Saturday & Sunday) WEND (£35)
* Day ticket  (Saturday) SATD (£20)
* Day Ticket (Sunday) SUND (£20)
* Session Ticket (Saturday Morning) SATM (£15)
* Session Ticket (Saturday Afternoon) SATA (£15)
* Session Ticket (Sunday Morning) SUNM (£15)
* Session Ticket (Sunday Afternoon) SUNA (£15)

On the day / at the door purchase of tickets by cash only. Tickets will be issued on arrival at the Conference.

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Vince Penticost AWPF FWPF

We are very sad to report the passing of Vince Penticost who passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of July 10th. He will be sadly missed.

Vince was a well-respected club member who was well known across the camera clubs of South Wales as a presenter and judge.

He served as chairman of Western Valley Camera Club for a total of 23 years (1997-99, 2002-2007, 2009-2021 and 2024).

He also served on the WPF Committee and was President between 2015 and 2017 and as Past President until 2019.

He was particularly known for his sense of fun and good humour. The author of this post particularly remembers him coming to Gwynfa to judge a ‘match-a-slide’ competition dressed in his full referee kit, complete with yellow and red cards.

We’ll let you have the funeral arrangements when we know them.

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