Motherwell Photographic Society

09/10/2026

The judging of the first print competition of the season took place at last night's club meeting. The judge for the competition was award winning photographer Libby Smith from Carluke Camera Club. Libby is a regular visitor to the club and she is always made very welcome. There were two sections for Libby to judge – the advanced landscape and general section and the portrait section. There were 29 entries in the landscape and general category and 13 portraits.

The entries in the landscape and general section were a variety of subject matter with similar subjects vying against each other for points. There was a large number of high-quality landscapes. In the portrait section Libby was looking for engagement with the subject and a storytelling element that conveyed the subject’s character. Libby’s feedback for both sections included ways in which she felt the photographs could be improved at both the taking and editing stages.

The top scoring landscape and general prints were “Point to Point Rider” by Dominic Smith, which scored the maximum 20 out of 20 and was awarded first place, “Classy Rush Hour” by Dominic Smith and “The Old Man” by Paul Meany both scored 19 points and “Eyes on You” by Rodger Shearer and “Eilean Donan” by Paul Meany both scored 18 points. In the portrait section the top print was “Veteran Paratrooper” by Linda Greenhill, which was awarded 20 points. “Street Performer” by Iain Ferguson scored 19 points and “Colourful Fashionista” by Linda Greenhill scored 18 points.

Club Vice-President Iain Ferguson thanked Libby for judging the prints and for providing constructive, helpful feedback.

05/10/2026

The judging of the first print competition of the season will take place at this Thursday's meeting. The judge will be Libby Smith from Carluke Camera Club. Libby is an award winning photographer and is always a very welcome visitor to the club.

02/10/2026

The members had the opportunity to photograph a model at last night's meeting. The club’s lights and a white backdrop were set up before our wonderful model Jacklyn, dressed in a brown polka dot dress, posed for us. The backdrop was then changed to a black one and Jacklyn changed into a stunning green evening gown. There were props available to help create some interesting compositions.

Jacklyn was a fantastic model and it is hoped that she will be available to return to the club at a later date.

Thank you to everyone who helped set up and put away the lighting equipment.

29/09/2026

A few weeks ago, we had as guest speaker, John McKenna. John talked about Mitate as he explained the concepts and their use in photography. Here is a copy of his basic notes on the subject. If you would like a larger copy in PDF format, please let me know. Some interesting stuff to ponder.....

26/09/2026

We are having a practical night at this Thursday's meeting. You will have the opportunity to photograph our beautiful guest model Jacklyn. Don't forget to bring your camera.

Also, Rodger will be giving a demonstration on photo editing using Lightroom.

25/09/2026

The judging of the first digital image competition of the season took place at last night's meeting. The judge for the competition was Jim Stevenson from Kilmaurs Photographic Club. Jim had the difficult task of studying the 44 images submitted and giving each one a score out of 20. The images covered a variety of photographic genres including nature, landscape and sport. Jim gave constructive feedback on each image and explained how he felt they could be improved at both the taking and editing stages. He commented on how similar subjects tend to be marked against each other and how a photographer’s choice to present an image in colour or monochrome can affect its score.

Jim’s top image on the night, scoring 20 points, was “Over the Fence” by Linda Greenhill. Six images, all awarded 19 points, shared second place. They were “Bluebells” by Sabu James, “Festival Fireworks” by Iain Ferguson, “Perils of Fishing” by Douglas McEwen, “Loch Stack” by Rodger Shearer and “On the Hairpin” and “Survivor” both by Linda Greenhill.

Club President Rodger Shearer thanked Jim for judging the images and providing the members with exceptionally fair critique that can be learned from to improve future competition entries. Rodger also thanked Competition Secretary Wilson Murray for organising the competition.

21/09/2026

This Thursday's meeting (24th September) sees the judging of the first digital image competition of the season. The judge for the competition will be Jim Stevenson from Kilmaurs Photographic Club.

Thursday is also the hand-in night for entries for the first print competition. Please remember to send digital copies of your prints to Competition Secretary Wilson Murray.

18/09/2026

The guest speaker at last night's meeting was Scottish landscape photographer John McKenna Photography. John has a popular YouTube channel that contains tutorials and examples of his photography. However, John’s presentation on this occasion was not landscape photography but “6 Ways of Seeing”, which was a study of six Japanese photographic techniques that are a specific way of looking at the world around you in order to see potential shots. Over many visits to Japan, John has built up a portfolio of images that encapsulate the six topics. John displayed a number of stunning photographs taken in Scotland and Japan that demonstrated each of the techniques, with several images containing more than one of the themes.

Following a question-and-answer session, Club President Rodger Shearer thanked John for a fascinating presentation that will encourage members to look at their environment in a different way when they are composing images.

John's website contains links to his YouTube channel and Instagram page where you can learn more about him and see examples of his outstanding photography.

Explore John McKenna's photography portfolio, fine art, tutorials, and upcoming exhibitions. Discover inspiring visuals and exclusive content on this professional photography site.

16/09/2026

Club member Sabu James has been selected as runner up in Outdoor Photography Magazine’s Minimalist Landscapes photography competition with his fantastic image “Two Boats, Loch Rusky". Sabu’s image will appear in the October edition of Outdoor Photography, which is on sale on 24th September.

Congratulations Sabu on your well-deserved recognition for a wonderful image.