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On Wednesday 4^th November Keswick Photographic Society members were treated to two fascinating talks by John and Rosamund Macfarlane titled: “Living with the Nomads and Eagle Hunters of Mongolia, and Lake District Reflections Above and Below the Water Surface” . Both are well known to the Society as Rosamund is a past Chairperson while John remains a member. John and Rosamund have travelled extensively, taking photographs as they go, and they have both achieved many photographic distinctions and awards.

John and Rosamund have visited Mongolia twice and their second visit, in the late winter of 2018, was the topic for the first half of this talk.  John began with a brief history of Mongolia which has been independent for less than 30 years. He described how they travelled in smelly, battered four-wheel drive vehicles, visiting both the central and far west areas of the country and how they stayed with several nomadic families in their traditional homes known as Gers. He went on to talk in detail about the nomadic way of life. This is now under threat, partly because of social pressures, but also because of climate change that is leading to harsher winters and drier summers which make it harder for the livestock, on which they depend, to survive.

 

Rosamund then provided a detailed insight in to the life of the Kazakh eagle hunters. Horses are essential to their way of life and children are taught to ride as soon as they are able to walk. She explained that there is a long tradition of hunting on horseback with eagles for foxes and wolves which provide food during the winter.

 

After a short break Rosamund presented a selection of her images of reflections taken in various locations in the Lake District.

 

John then talked about a number of images that he had taken from the unique perspective of below the water’s surface. John described how he had achieved these original images which involved, in many cases, swimming in the icy waters of the Lake District’s streams and tarns. Definitely only to be undertaken by those with a robust constitution.

 

This was an absorbing evening of two contrasting halves, both illustrated with superb, high quality images taken by Rosamund and John.  Both sections of the talk were full of interest and the more intrepid travellers amongst the society’s members will, no doubt, have been inspired to visit Mongolia while some of our more adventurous photographers may try John’s below the surface techniques for themselves.

Julie Walker

Tonight’s speaker was Bob Given, MPAGB from Northern Ireland who talked about his love of sports photography. Bob lives in Belfast and he belongs to the prestigious Catchlight Camera Club.

Bob began by pointing out that it is useful to have a good knowledge of the sport you are photographing as choosing the right moment to press the shutter is critical. His advice was “if you see it in the viewfinder you’ve missed the shot”. He also advised that thorough preparation for the event is essential, especially ensuring that you have the right equipment with you.

Line Out Mayhem:

 

Bob showed a large number of images during the evening which covered a wide range of sports including athletics, cricket, American football, netball, tennis, table tennis, baseball, cage fighting (otherwise known as mixed martial arts), Australian rules football and rugby. Many of his images had won awards and some had been included in his successful panel for a Master’s distinction with the Photographic Society of Great Britain, the highest award that can be achieved.

Third Change:

 

While Bob’s superb and prize-winning images made sports photography look easy, he made it clear that it is not and there are many pitfalls to be avoided.  The first of these is simply in choosing, and gaining access to, a good position to take images, both to achieve the best angle for shooting the action but also to avoid distracting backgrounds. Bob pointed out that in a number of sports the low level of lighting could be a problem.  Some sports could involve potential for injury if the photographer is not in a safe location. The javelin and hammer competitions, for example, pose particular threats and it is essential to ensure that you stand well out of reach.  Bob’s advice was always to seek permission from the organisers of sports events and to follow their instructions on where to stand.  The dedicated sports photographer also has to go out in all weathers no matter how bad the conditions. Indeed, some of Bob’s best shots were taken in torrential rain.

All Hands:

 

Despite the limitations of Zoom Bob gave us a most enjoyable an inspirational evening which contained much useful information. While presentations given via Zoom are not quite the same as those given in person this technology does allow talks to reach a wider audience and on this occasion the evening was shared with members of Dumfries Camera Club.

Julie Walker