ILKLEY Camera Club recently held a critique evening which was a chance to share and talk about members’ work.

Wharfedale Observer: Adrian Hendley - Am I Nearly There YetAdrian Hendley - Am I Nearly There Yet

A panel of three members were selected to comment on thirty images submitted in advance.

Wharfedale Observer: Jayne Sanderson Cyanotype Jayne Sanderson Cyanotype

David James, Andree Freeman and Mark Waddington were tasked with commenting on the achievements of the photographers from a technical, aesthetic and storytelling point of view.

Wharfedale Observer: John Chamberlain - Open DoorsJohn Chamberlain - Open Doors

Andree Freeman introduced the event by explaining that this was not a competition and that the club encourages friendly participation and conversation between members. The event aimed to understand more about why the photographers made the work and to encourage members to present a more personalised account of their work.

Wharfedale Observer: John Fontana - StarbucksJohn Fontana - Starbucks

The range of images was broad, including traditional landscapes, architecture, sport and experimental fine art.

Wharfedale Observer: Julia Kay - Winskill, view to Ingleborough amJulia Kay - Winskill, view to Ingleborough am

The session kicked off with an image from Adrian Hendley whose photo of a staircase was admired for its colour and graphic style. Andrew Sutherland offered an engaging image of a boy and his dog beneath Ilkley New Bridge. Jayne Sanderson presented an experimental image using Cyanotype, an historic photographic process pioneered by Anna Atkins in the 1840s.

Wharfedale Observer: Keith Allen - Humber BridgeKeith Allen - Humber Bridge

One of Julia Kay’s images was a view to Ingleborough from Winskill which was admired for its serene composition. John Fontana included a colour photo taken in Keighley which he explained had been taken in black and white and coloured using Artificial Intelligence software.

Wharfedale Observer: Nigel SteelsNigel Steels

John Chamberlain’s photo of a pub interior with a view of a wind farm through an open door was considered to be an intriguing and creative composition. Keith Allen presented three images of the Humber Bridge taken at night. He explained the technical and environmental mud challenges of working at night. Nigel Steels included a nature shot of Damselflies in which he caught competitive mating behaviour. Three creative images presented by Sharon Sawyer were discussed as pieces of art.

Wharfedale Observer: Sharon Sawyer - The Butterfly WhispererSharon Sawyer - The Butterfly Whisperer

The Butterfly Whisperer was an image made up of multiple source images used to create an imaginary story. Finally, Stu Thompson showed the members three black and white photos including an evocative photo called The Path to the Church.

Wharfedale Observer: Stu Thompson - The path to the churchStu Thompson - The path to the church

Ilkley Camera Club is currently meeting on Friday evenings at 7.30pm. Some meetings are held at St Peter’s Church Hall in Addingham and others on Zoom.

For more information visit the Club website at ilkleycameraclub.co.uk or their Facebook page, facebook.com/ilkleycameraclub.

New members are welcome to join the club or to visit meetings.