News
Gwyneth JonesMembers of Conwy camera Club were saddened to learn that Gwyneth Jones, one of the club’s earliest members, has passed away at the age of 92.
Gwyneth was a Life Member of Conwy Camera Club and died on Thursday 12 August 2010, just a month short of her 93rd birthday. She will be remembered by those who knew her at the club for her evocative landscape photos and her expertise in printing monochrome photos in the darkroom.
In the 1940s she and her husband Emrys, who lives in Old Colwyn, were among the first people to join what was then known as the North Wales Camera Club. They continued to attend meetings and enter photos in club competitions until the late 1990s.
Gwyneth’s devotion to the club was also demonstrated by her baking. She provided a delicious home-made cake as the raffle prize for the weekly meetings – an additional incentive for members to attend on a wet or cold winter’s evening.
Club membership secretary Elizabeth Cook, a Life Member of Conwy Camera Club, said: “Gwyneth and Emrys played important roles in keeping the club going when it reached a low ebb in the 1990s, inspiring younger members with their breathtaking landscape photography.
“After their health regrettably forced them to stop attending club meetings, they were always keen to hear the latest news from the club. They were delighted when membership began to climb, guaranteeing the club’s future.
“Most of today’s members never met Gwyneth, but she will be fondly remembered by the most established members for her photography and generosity.”
August 2010
Trophies awarded for 2009-10
GENERAL PRINT
1, Valerie Cowling 19
2, Sue Allen 15
3, Allan Swift 10
GENERAL PROJECTED
1, Bob Birch 18
2, Allan Swift 15
=3, Beverly Cash 8
=3, Debbie Samson 8
GENERAL OVERALL
1, Allan Swift 25
2, Valerie Cowling 20
3, Sue Allen 19
————————————-
INTERMEDIATE PRINT
1, Sian Davies 18
2, Pat Preston 15
3, David Hilton 14
INTERMEDIATE PROJECTED
1, Sian Davies 17
2, Ian Hainsworth 11
=3, David Hilton 8
=3, Anna Humphreys 8
=3, Linda Loughhead 8
INTERMEDIATE OVERALL
1, Sian Davies 35
2, David Hilton 22
3, Mike Crawshaw 17
———————————-
ADVANCED PRINTS
1, David Jones 21
2, Adrian Foster 11
3, Phil Chadwick 9
ADVANCED PROJECTED
1, Adrian Foster 15
2, Simon Fowler 11
=3, Nick Francis 10
=3, David Jones 10
ADVANCED OVERALL
1, David Jones 31
2, Adrian Foster 26
3, Phil Chadwick 18
Figures after each name show the points amassed across the season’s competitions at the club.
Three new life members
Conwy Camera Club has given three of its members the rare honour of life membership, in recognition of many years of service to Wales’ biggest photographic society.
Brian and Elizabeth Cook are stepping down from the club’s committee after 10 years, although they will continue to play active roles in the club. Brian is a former club chairman and secretary. Elizabeth was membership secretary for many years and went out of her way to ensure each new member was made to feel welcome. Both were instrumental in organising the club’s annual Conwy Festival of Photography and ensuring each year’s event was a success.
The third person to be made a life member of the club at the annual dinner this month was Rhodri Clark, who joined the club in 1997 and the committee in 1998. At that time the club had only 15 members, and it is through Rhodri’s publicising of the club that this has now risen to the present position of over 100 members. He has also stepped down from the committee but continues to manage the club’s website and print displays in the shop window at the top of Conwy High Street and in the foyer of Conwy Civic Hall.
Club chairman David Chamberlayne said: “The tireless enthusiasm of Elizabeth, Brian and Rhodri undoubtedly contributed to the club’s revival over the past decade.”
The club now has six life members. The others are Emrys and Gwyneth Jones, who helped to found the club in 1945, and wildlife photographer Robin Fisher.
May 2010
Watching the birdie - and photographing it
North Wales has a wealth of birdlife, and many people who live here or visit would love to get good photos of birds. Club member Adrian Foster has written a short guide to where to go to photograph birds in the region, complete with examples from his fine collection of natural history images.
You can read it by clicking on ‘Where to go for photos’ in the black bar above.
New members come out top
Two new club members swept the board in the advanced category at Conwy Camera Club in October 2009 - in the first competition they had entered.
Most new members start in the general or intermediate section, but David Jones and Adrian Foster were immediately placed in advanced when they submitted work for the first Open print competition of the season.
The competition attracted more than 40 prints from advanced workers, and David was awarded first and third prizes and Adrian second prize by the judge, Don Langford LRPS. You can see many of Adrian’s photos at his Flickr site, which is listed in our Links page.
Another new member, Ian Hainsworth, won third prize in the intermediate section.
HMS Royal Oak in the news
In the club’s archive there are photos of HMS Royal Oak, apparently on a recruitment visit to Llandudno. One of the images is posted in the archive gallery on this website. In October 2009, there are ceremonies to mark the 70th anniversary of the ship’s sinking, with the loss of 833 lives. Many of those who died on board were boy sailors.
Founder member Emrys still going strong
Members of Conwy Camera Club were delighted to see Emrys and Gwyneth Jones, two of t
he club’s honorary life members, in October 2009. Emrys was a founder member of the club, which began in 1945 as the North Wales Camera Club. He and his wife Gwyneth were both masters of the monochrome darkroom, specialising in the landscapes of Snowdonia and Anglesey.
They have not been able to attend club meetings for about 10 years, but were well enough to attend the funeral of Eric Davies on 1 October and to have their photograph taken alongside the other club members who attended.
Eric Davies
Members of Conwy Camera Club were saddened to learn of the death of honorary life member Eric Davies in September 2009. He was a leading light in the club during the 1980s and 1990s. He died peacefully, aged 83, at home following a long illness.
Club members will remember him not only for his inspiring photography but also for his humour a
nd his willingness to help less experienced photographers. His favourite photographic subject was people, and he became a Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society on the strength of a panel of prints depicting the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza. He excelled at producing vivid colour prints at home, well before the digital age. His darkroom was in a shed within his garage.
His name was familiar to women across Wales in the 1970s and 80s as the author of fashion photographs published in the Welsh-language magazine Pais. His wife Shirley - herself a past chairman of Conwy Camera Club - had boutiques in Old Colwyn and Prestatyn. Shirley and others modelled the latest clothes for the photo shoots.
His preference for spontaneous people pictures is summed up in his portrait of one of his nieces, titled ‘Another Marilyn perhaps?’ This image won the People’s Vote at the 2001 Conwy Festival of Photography, the first time the public had been asked to vote for their favourite image in the print exhibition. You can see it at the archive gallery of this website.
Landscapes were the focus at the Conwy Festival of Photography
Sunset Conwy Estuary by Geoff Harris
Visitors to the 2009 Conwy Festival of Photography showed a preference for local scenes – with the “People’s Vote” won by two images taken just a stone’s throw from the venue.
The one-day Festival has been staged by Conwy Camera Club every year since 1999, and this year’s event on Saturday 15 August was attended by an estimated 400 people.
Visitors were invited to vote for their favourite image in the display of new prints by club members. In joint first place, with 24 votes each, were Geoff Harris, for his shot ‘Sunset Conwy Estuary’, and Rhodri Clark, for his view of ‘Sea Mist’ drifting in to the same estuary.
Geoff’s winter view of Llyn Mymbyr was also popular, coming joint third with Sian Davies’ print titled All That Remains – both receiving 20 votes.
Among the 354 visitors who cast votes were the Mayor and Mayoress of Conwy, Cllr Peter McGlory and Miss Sioned Jones.
Sea Mist by Rhodri Clark
Other attractions at the Festival included audio-visual sequences projected onto a screen, a display of archive prints showing landscape photography by club members since 1950, other archive images, and a technical helpdesk by Cambrian Photography of Colwyn Bay.
Club chair David Chamberlayne said, “The day was a great success. Members of the club were proud to present examples of their work to members of the public. As usual, the images from the club’s archive were of great interest to visitors who live locally.”
Anyone who missed the Festival can see examples of members’ work in the club’s shop window gallery at the top of Conwy High Street, and in the club’s display case in the foyer of Conwy Civic Hall. These displays have a new theme every month. Prints by club members are also on show, and for sale, at Coffi Conwy café, near the bottom of High Street.
10 years of High Street photo displays
Conwy Camera Club’s photo exhibition in Conwy High Street celebrates its tenth anniversary this month.
In December 1998, Conwy Camera Club placed a display board in the window of a vacant shop at the top of the High Street to show members’ prints to the public. The display was expected to last only a short time, until the shop was redeveloped.
Ten years later, the display is a popular feature with local residents and visitors alike. A set of prints on a different theme is shown each month. So far, 111 photographers have contributed approximately 1,620 different prints for the display!
Stuart Lawrie, chairman of Conwy Camera Club, said: “We are grateful to the landlord for permitting us to show our pictures in the shop window. Many people have commented over the years on how much they enjoy the photos.
“The display probably saved the club from folding. When the display was started, the club had a small and dwindling membership. Seeing members’ work in the shop window inspired new members to join. Today the club is the biggest photographic society in Wales, with more than 100 members.”
The club also has a display unit in the Civic Hall foyer, to ensure it can continue to display work to the public when the shop window display eventually comes to an end. The Civic Hall display also changes each month, and this month’s theme is ‘Clothes and Footwear’.
The club also shows prints, which are for sale, in the Coffi Conwy cafe in High Street.
December 2008
Enjoy a photo with your coffee
Customers relaxing at a café in Conwy can now enjoy pictures by members of Wales’ largest photographic society.
For almost 10 years Conwy Camera Club has been displaying photos in a vacant shop window in Conwy High Street, and many people have asked about buying images. The new display of prints at Coffi Conwy, near the bottom of High Street, allows the public to buy as well as view the pictures.
The display was launched on 1 May. By then one print, by David Chamberlayne, had already been snapped up. The photos now on display include Welsh scenes, animals and flowers. Other images will be added as photos are sold. Part of the proceeds from each sale will go to the camera club.
Club chairman Stuart Lawrie said, “The shop window and our display unit in Conwy Civic Hall are great for showing the public the latest prints which club members have produced for competitions or other events. Coffi Conwy has given us the opportunity for a different kind of display. The prints are produced and framed for display in the café, and we hope visitors and local residents will enjoy looking at them. If we sell some of them, that will be a bonus!”
Glenydd Hughes, proprietor of Coffi Conwy, said, “It’s nice to support the local camera club and have pictures on the walls of subjects from this area. Lots of customers have commented already on the pictures.”
1st May 2008
New photo display case in Conwy Civic Hall
The future of Conwy Camera Club’s photo displays in Conwy has been secured, with the unveiling of a new display case in the foyer of the town’s Civic Hall.
The club has been displaying pictures in the window of an empty shop at the top of High Street since 1998. Last year the club was told the building was soon to be redeveloped, and began to search for an alternative venue. Club member Don Williams built a display unit which is now in the foyer of the Civic Hall (the library building on Castle Street). The club aims to continue its mini exhibitions there, with a new set of pictures on a different theme each month.
While the shop window remains available, the club will show pictures at both places. Although this will require more than 20 photos each month, this shouldn’t be too taxing because the club now has over 90 members and there are always more than 100 entries for each club competition.
Pat Preston, chairman of Conwy Camera Club, said, “Showing our work to the public in Conwy has become a tradition for the club. We are delighted that we now have the facility to continue showing prints when we will no longer be able to use the shop window. “The club is grateful to Conwy County Borough Council for permitting us to locate our new display in the Civic Hall, and to Don Williams and the other club members involved in providing the display case. We hope the public, whether they are local residents or visitors, will enjoy the pictures we show at the Civic Hall in the future.”
A small opening ceremony for the new display was attended by Councillor Joan Vaughan, Conwy County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Lifelong Learning & Leisure (cutting the ribbon in the picture). Conwy County Borough is the subject of the inaugural display, which reflects the diversity of landscape and townscape on our doorstep. Members of the public will be able to view the displays whenever Conwy library is open, and when other events are taking place at the Civic Hall. This is more restricted than the shop display, which is viewable most of the time. On the other hand, the photos will benefit from a more stable environment in the Civic Hall, especially in cold or hot weather.
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