BLUE MOUNTAINS PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
FORMED APRIL 1926
Friday 2 April 1926 Page 4 - The Blue Mountain Echo (NSW)
Those interested in the formation of an Amateur Photographic Society assembled at Katoomba School of Arts last night, (Wednesday), and subsequently the meeting was transferred to a room kindly donated by Mr. A. Manning, Mr. C.L. Good was elected to the chair, and C.E. Witheford appointed Hon.Secretary pro tem. Apologies for unavoidable absence were received from Mr. B. Scheicher, of Hazelbrook, and Miss Livingstone, of Katoomba. Both are keenly interested, and stated that they would support any decision arrived at by the meeting. It was decided to form a society to be called the Blue Mountains Photographic Society. Various important proposals were brought forward and discussed, and altogether a very successful beginning was made. It was arranged to call a general meeting at Katoomba School of Arts on April 14. Further particulars may be secured from Mr. Witheford, High School, Katoomba.
Friday 23rd April 1926 Page 5 - The Blue Mountain Echo (NSW)
All desirous of joining the Blue Mountains Photographic Society should get in touch with Mr. C.E. Witheford, High School, Katoomba.
Friday 23rd April 1926 Page 5 - The Blue Mountain Echo (NSW)
BECOME A PHOTOGRAPHER
The third business meeting of the Blue Mountains Photographic Society was held on Wednesday night, when a record attendance included four ladies.
The rules and constitution of the Society were approved and adopted.
A dark-room proposal is to be forwarded by the Hon.Secretary to the management committee of the School of Arts for their approval next Monday night.
The next meeting is fixed for Wednesday next at 7.45pm at the School of Arts. At this meeting it has been decided to combine pleasure with business. After officers have been elected, several members will read papers on elementary photographic topics. Intending members would be wise not to lose tho opportunity, of taking part in those early discussions.
Friday 14th May 1926 Page 2 - The Blue Mountain Echo (NSW)
Question of Grant
TO PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
Katoomba School of Arts has fostered a number of clubs during recent years, conspicuous among which are the cricket, radio and athletic clubs.
At Monday's committee meeting a communication was received from Mr. C.E. Witheford, secretary of the newly-formed Blue Mountains Photographic Society, stating that the rules had been accepted, and requesting the Institution to allow free use of a meeting room, and to grant the sum of £28, for the construction of a fully equipped dark room in the basement of the building. The Secretary explained he had no hesitation in making this request, as the club would be a useful adjunct to the Institution, besides assisting it to fulfill its object of encouraging educational projects. A number of tenders for the erection and fitting up of the dark-room also were forwarded for consideration.
Mr. T.N. Ayling remarked that he had attended last meeting of the club, and had assisted in drawing up the rules, which were now before the committee. He felt sure that the society would be a success, for it possessed members in practically every Mountains center. He had impressed upon the meeting the necessity of commencing from the foot of the ladder in all experiments, and he could safely say that the Society would prove a useful branch of the Institution's activities.
Mr. A.M. Soper thought the object worthy of support, but he felt that the School of Arts should not be called upon to supply the full cost of the renovations. He suggested that the institution grant £20, on condition that all work specified be carried out; and said it would be a wise thing if the secretary and president represented the School of Arts as ex-officio members on the Society's committee.
Those proposals found a ready supporter in Mr. P.V. Tabrett, and the meeting voted its approval. A sub-committee, comprising Messrs. W.J. Rumble, K. Lucas, and T. N. Grimsley, was appointed to meet the committee of the club, and discuss arrangements. It was decided to make a charge of 5/- a month for lighting and rental.
Friday 14th May 1926 Page 3 - The Blue Mountain Echo (NSW)
Photographic Society
ENCOURAGING SESSION
A meeting of the Blue Mountains Photographic Society was held on Wednesday night at the Katoomba School of Arts. Among the new faces were Misses B. Crook and H. Campbell, Messrs. A.M. Soper, W. Moss, and A. Robinson, and Masters Dowton and Day.
The election of officers for the ensuing twelve months resulted: Patron, Mr. W.J. Rumble; president, Mr. C.L. Good; vice-presidents, Messrs, T.N. Ayling, A. M. Soper, and E.W. Thomas; Hon.Secretary, and Hon. Treasurer, Mr. C.E. Witheford; committee, Misses R. McMasters and B. Crook, and Messrs, A. Manning, A. Beale and C. Robinson.
It was agreed unanimously to co-operate with the School of Arts, and to affiliate with it. Members expressed gratitude to the Institute for its generous offer of assistance, which was accepted with acclamation. A meeting will be arranged between the respective sub-committees, to finalize arrangements concerning the early construction of a darkroom.
The committee of the Blue Mountains Photographic Society is meeting at an early date, to arrange a syllabus. The date of the next meeting has not yet been fixed, but will appear in next weeks "Echo".
At the completion of business, Mr. Ayling read a paper, entitled "The Camera and How It Works". Papers on "The History of Photography", and "Silhouette, and How the Name Originated", also were read. The president gave a short talk on elementary topics, and invited queries. The invitation was accepted with enthusiasm, and numerous problems were submitted and discussed.
Friday 28th May 1926 Page 5 - The Blue Mountain Echo (NSW)
SYLLABUS OF MEETINGS
Wednesday's meeting of the Blue Mountains Photographic Society was well attended, and proved very successful.
Tenders have been accepted for the construction of a dark-room, and within three weeks it will be completed.
A syllabus of meeting has been arranged for the ensuing three months, as follows:
June 2nd, Beginners Troubles, and how they are Overcome, C. Witheford;
June 9th, Development of the Negative, A. Manning;
June 13th, Field Outing to the Coal Mine;
June 16th, Reduction and Intensification, C. Good;
June 23rd, Exhibition Evening, Critic, C. Good;
June 30th, Daylight Printing;
July 7th, Gaslight Printing and Choice of Paper;
July 11th, Field outing to Wentworth Falls;
July 14th, Open Evening;
July 21st, Exhibition Evening;
July 28th, Use of Shutter and Aperture;
August 4th, Artistic Treatment of the Negative;
August 8th, Field outing to Hartley Vale;
August 11th, Toning of Coloring;
August 18th, Exhibition Evening;
August 25th, Trick Photography.
The activities of the Society thus date actually from next Wednesday, when the first syllabus meeting will commence at 7.30pm, in the Katoomba School of Arts. The Committee is anxious to hear from photographic enthusiasts in other centers who desire to link up.
Friday 4th June 1926 Page 5 - The Blue Mountain Echo (NSW)
INTERESTING LECTURE
Last Wednesday night a very enjoyable evening was spent at the meeting of the Blue Mountains Photographic Society. The attendance was good, and included seven ladies.
It was announced that the darkroom would be completed much sooner than was expected, and should be open to members after next week's meeting.
A lecture was given by Mr. C. Witheford on the subject of the correct handling of the camera, and how beginners' troubles are overcome. Interesting points from the lecture were:
Every camera is limited in its use. The owner often is unwilling to admit this to himself, and continually will attempt pictures which are impossibilities with his particular camera. If beginners take care to keep within the limits set by their instruments, they will save expense and disappointment.
Many failures of beginners are due to not understanding the instrument. To eliminate these failures, a photographer is advised to examine his empty camera thoroughly — view-finder, spool-winder, aperture, focus, timing. Many useful principles will be picked up in this way. In this connection the speaker likened the camera to an eye, and explained the phenomena of depth of field, hypo-focal distance of a lens, and depth of focus.
The majority of beginners errors are traceable to improper manipulation of the camera. The solution in this case is the formation of certain habits of standing firmly, holding the camera firmly, and taking care that fingers are not in front of the lens. In releasing the shutter, a photographer should form the habit of keeping the hand rigid with the camera, only one finger moving to release, as in firing a rifle. When preparing to take a picture, the preparations should be made in a definite order till this sequence of events becomes fixed. No preparation will be omitted if this habit is formed, and only by this means will the maximum speed and thoroughness of preparation be attained.
The order advised by the speaker was: Fix any attachment, focus, determine the exposure to be given, fix the timing, then set the aperture.
With regard to exposure, the speaker emphasized that the timing should be arranged, as far as possible to suit the movement of the subject, and then the aperture adjusted to suit the light. Beginners too often attempted short exposures and large apertures, when they should "slow down and stop up".
This rule was laid down emphatically: "Immediately you have released the shutter, without hesitating, wind on to the next number. Form this habit, and you will never make two exposures on the one film".
The speaker concluded the lecture by exhorting all members to take the subject seriously to be inquiring over matters about which they know little, and enthusiastic in imparting advice on matters about which they knew much. He then passed round, for the inspection of members, some of his own negatives, to illustrate mistakes in manipulation and technique.
A cordial vote of thanks to the lecturer was carried by acclamation. Next Wednesday, Mr. Manning will chat about "The Development of the Negative". As Mr. Manning speaks with very intimate knowledge, beginners and others are advised to attend and learn.
Friday 18th June 1926 Page 4 - The Blue Mountain Echo (NSW)
INTERESTING LECTURE
Members of the Blue Mountains Photographic Society, including the president, Mr. C.L. Good, Mrs. J. Goldsmith and daughters, Miss Skinner, Messrs. A. Manning, T.N. Ayling, C. Robinson and C.E. Witheford, held a picnic excursion to the Colliery and Katoomba Falls on Sunday. A number of test photographs were taken, which shortly will be exhibited before the Society.
On Wednesday night, the usual meeting was held in the School of Arts and the president delivered an interesting lecture on the reduction and intensification of negatives. He concluded by explaining, and giving a a practical demonstration of the methods employed in these processes.
Friday 18th June 1926 Page 7 - The Blue Mountain Echo (NSW)
School of Arts Entrance
CHURCH OBJECTS
Recently the Committee of Katoomba School of Arts gave permission to the Blue Mountains Photographic Society to utilize portion of the basement of the building as a dark-room. The entrance to the basement is from a small quadrangle, to which access is gained through the church grounds, owing to the remainder of the building extending to the boundary. A gate in the dividing fence opens from the church right-of-way.
At Monday's meeting of the School of Arts Committee, a letter was received from Rev. J.C. Leese, intimating that the church authorities objected to the use of the right-of-way, and insisted upon removal of the gate.
A member stated that the action was very arbitrary, whereupon the Secretary explained that he thought the church people were afraid that use of the lane would convert it into a permanent right-of-way.
Mr. T.N. Ayling: They could avert that by charging us 1/- a year for use of the lane.
The President: Quite so; a peppercorn rental, with permissive occupancy, would fix it.
After a desultory discussion, it was resolved to nail up the gate and to construct a flight of steps either from the card room or the ping-pong room, whichever Messrs. Grimsley and Tabrett decided was more suitable for the purpose, at a cost not to exceed £10.