VISITORS FROM BOLSOVER
13th October 2025
We were privileged to welcome Phil, Dave and Steve from Bolsover Camera Club this week. After Covid, in common with many other clubs, they were struggling for members at meetings to fund good speakers. They decided that clubs might be able to help each other and the idea was born to offer reciprocal visits. We will return the favour by visiting them in the New Year with a presentation of work from our own members.
Phil and Dave each brought 50 of their prints. Steve, we were told, was ‘management’. Phil and Dave are long term friends with very different styles. They often go off on photographic trips or excursions but the output which results is very different.
Phil likes his images to tell a story and he began with creative portraits. Each featured a figure to one side with a background which added to the story. These built up from separately photographed elements to tie in with the character portrayed by the model. There was a lot of smoke, photographed at the local fire station during practice sessions. Phil said that he has done well with pictures made in this way and has stuck with his winning formula.
He likes to go to re-enactment events and to Whitby for the original rather than steam punk goths to find his models. The Photo Show is also a fertile source as camera companies often engage expensive, experienced models who can be photographed by visitors. He likes to engage them in conversation and build up a rapport to help with creating the right atmosphere during his shoot.
Phil then moved on to show some of his other interests, including nature with excellent shots of grouse in Yorkshire, and red kites at the original feeding station in Wales. There were also sports - scootering, involving stunts on skateboard style ramps, white water shots at Holme Pierrepont, boxing (very hard and very dark) and motor cycling at Donnington.
He concluded by saying how good professional models have been when booked for private sessions at their club or at sessions they run themselves. They have the benefit of the models providing their own costumes.
Following a finger buffet provided in honour of our guests, Dave took the floor. He likes to get his shots largely right in camera, although he does so some post processing.
He showed us his first club entry, which was also a winner, from some 20 years ago. He had a very successful competitive career, but more recently has decided that always thinking about a shot being a winner before he took it and has now stopped competing. He sells his work at craft fairs.
Dave told us a story of a sunrise image of Bolsover Castle taken from outside his house, which has been controversial. It suddenly appeared on a local pub sign and he exerted his copyright. After some discussion he received an apology and a cheque. The Welbeck Estate followed procedure and asked permission only for a kebab shop to suddenly use the image. This was resolved with the purchase of some pictures to display in the shop and a supply of free kebabs.
Dave gets out into nature and we saw some beautiful shots of Lumsdale, Clumber Lake and Padley Gorge. He admitted to a fascination for water. He described his technique for getting long exposure shots in daylight without the use of filters.
Dave rounded off his presentation with some comments on the inconsistency in the comments of judges followed by more lovely nature shots taken both in the wild and at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
Both men described how they use diffused backgrounds to improve their photos. It is not always possible to achieve this in the field but a suitable background can usually be captured without a subject in the frame and this can be used as a replacement on many types of shot in post processing.
Our visitors were warmly thanked for their excellent presentation and we now look forward to the opportunity to go and visit them. Next week Fred & Jim offer us some ‘Good Fun’ and if their last visit is anything to go by, it will be.
You can find us in St Joseph’s Hall, Babworth Road, Retford at 7.30pm On Monday nights until 8th December 2025 when we break for Christmas. Our web site: www.retford-photographic.co.uk is the place to look for more information about the club. Feel free to drop us a line if you would like us to look out for you when you arrive.
Phil and Dave each brought 50 of their prints. Steve, we were told, was ‘management’. Phil and Dave are long term friends with very different styles. They often go off on photographic trips or excursions but the output which results is very different.
Phil likes his images to tell a story and he began with creative portraits. Each featured a figure to one side with a background which added to the story. These built up from separately photographed elements to tie in with the character portrayed by the model. There was a lot of smoke, photographed at the local fire station during practice sessions. Phil said that he has done well with pictures made in this way and has stuck with his winning formula.
He likes to go to re-enactment events and to Whitby for the original rather than steam punk goths to find his models. The Photo Show is also a fertile source as camera companies often engage expensive, experienced models who can be photographed by visitors. He likes to engage them in conversation and build up a rapport to help with creating the right atmosphere during his shoot.
Phil then moved on to show some of his other interests, including nature with excellent shots of grouse in Yorkshire, and red kites at the original feeding station in Wales. There were also sports - scootering, involving stunts on skateboard style ramps, white water shots at Holme Pierrepont, boxing (very hard and very dark) and motor cycling at Donnington.
He concluded by saying how good professional models have been when booked for private sessions at their club or at sessions they run themselves. They have the benefit of the models providing their own costumes.
Following a finger buffet provided in honour of our guests, Dave took the floor. He likes to get his shots largely right in camera, although he does so some post processing.
He showed us his first club entry, which was also a winner, from some 20 years ago. He had a very successful competitive career, but more recently has decided that always thinking about a shot being a winner before he took it and has now stopped competing. He sells his work at craft fairs.
Dave told us a story of a sunrise image of Bolsover Castle taken from outside his house, which has been controversial. It suddenly appeared on a local pub sign and he exerted his copyright. After some discussion he received an apology and a cheque. The Welbeck Estate followed procedure and asked permission only for a kebab shop to suddenly use the image. This was resolved with the purchase of some pictures to display in the shop and a supply of free kebabs.
Dave gets out into nature and we saw some beautiful shots of Lumsdale, Clumber Lake and Padley Gorge. He admitted to a fascination for water. He described his technique for getting long exposure shots in daylight without the use of filters.
Dave rounded off his presentation with some comments on the inconsistency in the comments of judges followed by more lovely nature shots taken both in the wild and at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
Both men described how they use diffused backgrounds to improve their photos. It is not always possible to achieve this in the field but a suitable background can usually be captured without a subject in the frame and this can be used as a replacement on many types of shot in post processing.
Our visitors were warmly thanked for their excellent presentation and we now look forward to the opportunity to go and visit them. Next week Fred & Jim offer us some ‘Good Fun’ and if their last visit is anything to go by, it will be.
You can find us in St Joseph’s Hall, Babworth Road, Retford at 7.30pm On Monday nights until 8th December 2025 when we break for Christmas. Our web site: www.retford-photographic.co.uk is the place to look for more information about the club. Feel free to drop us a line if you would like us to look out for you when you arrive.