September 2021 7th New Season Opening Night As always this is a varied evening and there are no entry fees, so if you’re thinking of joining WPS it’s an ideal time to join us and meet our members. Amongst other things there will be an overview of the coming season and a range of short presentations which should be interesting and useful. 14th Faces & Places - Gary Langley Gary will be giving us a talk on his 13 year photography career covering everything from portraits to landscapes and almost everything in between. His talk will be interspersed with stories and anecdotes behind many of his images. This will undoubtedly be a really entertaining evening so make sure you do not miss it! 16th WPS Photography Workshop with Rob Cowell A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. This is a recurring event roughly every two weeks on Thursday evenings. 21st The Wildlife & Work of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy - Glyn Edmunds The Ol Pejeta Conservancy works to conserve wildlife, provide a sanctuary for great apes and to generate income through wildlife tourism, including complementary enterprises for re- investment in conservation and communities. Glyn’s images were captured whilst working with the Ol Pejeta Conservancy and his general images of African wildlife just have to be seen to be appreciated. Whether wildlife is your thing or not, this will be a superb evening of stunning photography! www.glynedmunds.co.uk Entry of images for PDI Round 1 28th Competition Evening - PDI Round 1 The first round of our Projected Digital Image internal competition. This is divided into two sections - Novices and Advanced - and each entrant may submit up to three images in either monochrome, colour or a mixture of the two. Please make sure your images conform to WPS requirements as explained here. Guest Judge: Paddy Ruske October 2021 5th An Insight Into My Photography - Paul Hassell Paul’s photographic journey started ten years ago, initially looking at how to use and get the very best out of his camera. He will expand more on this during the evening, but his main aim tonight will be to share his journey and explain how photography "grabbed me from the start" and led to many great experiences with awards and distinctions gained along the way. Paul very much hopes he might point the way and offer a little inspiration to your photography. www.paulhassell.co.uk Entry of titles/previews for Print Round 1 7th WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. 12th Competition Evening - Print Round 1 The first round of our Printed Photographs internal competition. There are two categories - monochrome and colour photographs - and in each category there are sections for novices and advanced photographers. Each entrant may submit up to two colour and two monochrome and entries should conform to competition requirements for the mount size etc. Guest Judge: Mike Sharples MFIAP.MPAGB.FBPE.EFIAP.ARPS 19th The Opportunistic Photographer - Colin Walls Colin did wonder if this evening should actually be titled '100 Imperfect Pictures' because this is his personal critique of his photography over the course of a decade. Each picture has a story: why he took it; how he took it; what happened to it and so on. This should be a varied and interesting evening in which Colin invites audience interaction and questions. www.drawingwithlight.com www.makemypicturesbetter.com 21st WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. 26th Born Under a Bad Sign - Ken Hudson A member of Aldridge Photographic Society, Walsall Wood & Brownhills Camera Club and Wallasey Amateur Photographic Society, Ken is also a Judge for local clubs and has his own studio in Birmingham - a busy man indeed. Having been seriously into photography since 2009, he started doing street photography in 2014 simply to 'get him out of the house' and in 2018 he converted his loft into a studio, so you may have already guessed this evening will feature both street and studio images. 28th WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. November 2021 2nd WPS In-House Critique Evening Submit your photographs for constructive critique by fellow members, but fear not because WPS members are kind, caring and considerate so there is no need to bring the tranquillizers. In reality, it is a fun evening which simply should not be taken too seriously. 9th To ‘L’ and Back - Geoff Hicks Geoff will take us on his journey to becoming a Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society (LRPS) and beyond. He first picked-up a camera at around the age of nine and achieved his LRPS in February 2008, which was a long and continuing journey. Geoff talks tonight about joining Chesterfield PS, how he came to do an AS level in photography at Derby University and how he prepared for, and achieved, his "L" assessment. Finally, he talks about the work he is continuing in preparation for his ARPS. www.geoffhicksphotography.net www.flickr.com/photos/rockhunter 11th WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. 16th First Steps in A/V - a virtual talk at our live meeting - Andrew Gagg Following interest by members to learn more about how to create A/V presentations, Andrew is stepping-up to provide help and guidance. He is a very well respected A/V creator with many national and international awards under his belt. Using the 'PicturesToExe' software, he will explain and demonstrate the basics of producing an A/V, so this is an ideal place to discover the magic and a great opportunity to provide some useful skills so members can create their own Photo Harmony presentations for the competition on 25th January. This is a virtual talk and a new experience for WPS. Andrew will not actually be with us in person, but will be present in our meeting offering us a virtual presentation using Zoom. It is worth turning up simply to find out how that will work! 18th WPS 2020/21 Annual Dinner & Awards Evening It is usual for our annual dinner to be in May but these have not been usual times, so we are aiming to hold last season’s dinner and awards event tonight. Following immediately after our Annual Dinner, Mike Piper, our Competition Secretary, will be announcing the winners and awarding the cups and prizes for our internal competitions. The winning images will be shown during an evening which celebrates our members’ successes during this season. 23rd WPS Five-a-Side Print Competition WPS members divide into teams for a friendly battle of printed images. There are usually four or five teams competing with membership of a team determined by names drawn from a hat. There is a small prize for members of the winning team. Guest Judge: David Lowe ARPS.DPAGB 25th WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. 30th Tettenhall Wood Photographic Club versus WPS A friendly print and PDI battle hosted by TWPC, which means our meeting will be at the Tettenhall Institute, Wood Road, Tettenhall and not at the ALTC as normal. Check out our competitors at: www.twpc.org.uk Entry of images for PDI Round 2 December 2021 7th Competition Evening - PDI Round 2 The second round of our Projected Digital Image internal competition. This is divided into two sections - Novices and Advanced - and each entrant may submit up to three images in either monochrome, colour or a mixture of the two. Please make sure your images conform to WPS requirements as explained here. Guest Judge: Peter Gennard MFIAP.EFIAP/p 14th WPS Christmas Party Good company, great home-cooked food and fun. Hey, it’s Christmas after all. January 2022 4th The Art of Zoo Photography - Tal Chohan Tal aims to share over ten years of experience of photographing animals in Zoos. He will highlight the challenges that must overcome in this environment, such as coping with fences, removing reflections when shooting through glass and working with un-aesthetic enclosures. Zoos are often the only opportunity which many photographers have to shoot exotic wildlife so the aim here is to teach you how to maximise the opportunities available in some of the best zoos and wildlife parks in Britain. www.tcwildlifephotography.com 6th WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. Entry of titles/previews for Print Round 2 11th Competition Evening - Prints Round 2 The second round of our Printed Photograph internal competition. As before, this is divided into two sections - Novices and Advanced - and each entrant may submit up to two photographs in monochrome and up to two colour photographs. All entries must be mounted so please make sure they conform to the competition requirements. Guest Judge: Graham Walton DPAGB 13th WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. 18th WPS In-House Presentation Evening Tonight a few members become presenters to pass on their thoughts, skills and insights into their photography. There is always a wide range of topics covered which in the past have included pretty much every aspect of photography but, the great thing about these evenings is the insight you get into the photographic world of fellow members. Already booked is John McCormick, who will be telling us about his North Coast 500 trip in Scotland last summer. 25th WPS Members’ AV ‘Photo Harmony’ Evening AV presentations with judging and voting by members. Those wishing to enter should refer to entry guidelines and liaise with Gordon Uprichard regarding submission deadlines. 27th WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. February 2022 1st Endless Skies - Malcolm Cook Malcolm's love of photography began over 40 years ago and over the years his zest has continued to grow to become a real passion for capturing an exceptional sky. He started photographing trees then progressed to a wide subject range, from Fungi to Children. He has even photographed the occasional wedding for close friends and family, including his daughter's. However, his real love is landscape photography with an unrivalled drive, remember, for capturing that exceptional sky! www.endlessskies.co.uk Entry of images for PDI Round 3 8th Competition Evening - PDI Round 3 The third and final round of our Projected Digital Image internal competition so tonight we will find out the winner of the PDI trophy. This competition is divided into two sections - Novices and Advanced - and each entrant may submit up to three images in either monochrome, colour or a mixture of the two. Please make sure your images conform to WPS requirements as explained here. Guest Judge: Dave Tucker DPAGB.EFIAP/s.BPE3 10th WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. 15th WPS versus Great Barr Photographic Society A friendly print and PDI battle hosted by WPS. Guest Judge: David McGuire Check out our competitors at: www.greatbarrphotographicsociety.com 22nd The Annual MCPF Portfolio An evening of photographs together with a recorded commentary by MCPF judges. Entry of titles/previews for Print Round 3 March 2022 1st Competition Evening - Prints Round 3 The third and final round of our Printed Photograph internal competition. This is divided into two sections - Novices and Advanced - and each entrant may submit up to two photographs in monochrome and up to two colour photographs. All entries must be mounted so please make sure they conform to the competition requirements. Tonight we discover the overall winners in this competition. Guest Judge: David McGuire 3rd WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. 8th In-house Learning and Doing An evening of two parts: first, a look at improving your photography and processing for improving your success in competitions. The second half will be an informal practical session. More details will be in the newsletter. Entry of images for the PDI Best of Season competition 10th WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. 15th Best of Season Competition: PDI Members submit their three best images from this season’s PDI competition rounds. Guest Judge: Paddy Ruske 22nd Smethwick International Photo Evening This evening includes AV presentations showcasing hundreds of inspiring and award winning images. Presented by WPS member John Holt ARPS.DPAGB.BPE5* 24th WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. 29th Exploring the Great Bear Rainforest - Simon Coates This evening showcases the journey taken by Simon and Anita Coates through British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest searching for the elusive Spirit Bear - one of the world’s rarest mammals. There are stunning photographs and video of a wide variety of animal life amongst the beautiful landscapes of Northern Canada. www.simoncoatesphotography.co.uk April 2022 5th Stafford Photographic Society versus WPS A friendly PDI battle hosted by Stafford Photographic Society which means our meeting tonight will not be at the ALTC, but will be at 7.30pm at the New Beacon Conference Centre, Stafford Education & Enterprise Park, Weston Road, Stafford ST18 0BF Guest Judge: David Lowe ARPS.DPAGB Check out our competitors at: www.staffordphotosociety.org.uk Entry of titles/image previews for the Best of Season Print and Outings Cup competitions 7th Stourbridge Photographic Society versus WPS (Thursday) A friendly PDI battle hosted by Stourbridge Photographic Society at 7.45pm at The Bonded Warehouse, Canal Street, Stourbridge DY8 4LU. Guest Judge: Dave Tucker. Check out our competitors at: www.stourbridgeps.co.uk 12th Best of Season Prints and Outings Cup Members submit their two best monochrome and two best colour photographs from this season’s Print Competition rounds. Members also submit their best photos/images taken whilst on official WPS outings and visits. Judge: Heather Woodhams LBPPA 14th WPS Photography Workshop A two-hour photography workshop for fully paid-up members which aims to improve your skills and knowledge in all things photography. The workshop starts at 7.30pm and there is free coffee/tea and biscuits during the break. Venue details etc will be in the newsletter. 19th Keeping Safe in the Digital World - Rob Cowell Tonight Rob will be looking at how to keep safe in our modern digital world, giving an overview of the pitfalls and risks now we all live in an Internet- connected environment. Traditional computer viruses have all but gone because the scammers have realised your bank and savings accounts are much more juicy targets than simply making your life hell on Friday 13th. What are the possible threats? What should you do to protect yourself against the persistent onslaught from hackers and scammers? Which is the best software to purchase to protect your precious data and keep you safe? Is Internet banking okay? Are there any special tips or tricks you can employ to make sure your digital world doesn’t fall apart? 25th Trinity Photography Group versus WPS (Monday) A friendly Print and PDI battle hosted by Trinity Photography Group at The Royal British Legion, Rectory Road, Sutton Coldfield B75 7AL. Guest Judge: Paddy Ruske Check out our competitors at: www.trinity-photography- group.com 26th WPS Annual Themes Competitions - ‘Texture’ and ‘Canal Life’ Both themes will be judged tonight and members may submit three PDI entries for each theme (six images maximum) which may be any mix of colour or monochrome. Please read the entry guidelines for these competitions to ensure both yours and the judge’s interpretation of what’s allowed is roughly the same! Guest Judge: Peter Gennard MFIAP.EFIAP/p May 2022 3rd WPS Annual General Meeting Your chance to comment on how WPS is being run and choose the Committee members for the 2021/22 season. 10th WPS 2021/22 Annual Dinner & Awards Evening Following immediately after our Annual Dinner, Mike Piper, our Competition Secretary, will be announcing the winners and awarding the cups and prizes for our internal competitions. The winning images will be shown during an evening which celebrates our members’ successes during this season. WPS Summer Programme Once again this year, WPS are planning events during the summer months including social meet-ups and visits and photography workshops. A list of events will be published in the WPS members’ e- newsletter.

Events Programme 2021 - 2022

Useful Information The club meets at 7.45pm on Tuesday evenings during the season, unless stated otherwise in the Programme. It is best to arrive by 7.30pm to allow time to park, pay the door fee and take your seat. The bar is open prior to the start of the evening and during the break at about 8.45pm. For events not marked with a ticket symbol a door fee is payable towards running costs: Members: £3.00 Guests: £4.00

Calendar File

Some WPS events require tickets or attract a higher door fee: Price is set when tickets go on sale. Increased door fee: Members: £5.00 Guests: £6.00

Programme Leaflet

Don’t Forget On most Tuesday evenings during the summer months many WPS members meet informally in the Albert Lawn Tennis Club lounge from 8pm onwards.