John Branton

26/07/11

Shortly after moving to Adderbury five years ago, I became aware of the existence of Photographic Society and decided to attend one of their meetings. I did so with some trepidation. Although I have taken photographs for many years, most of these were family or holiday snaps, none particularly arresting or compelling. It was early days for the Society, the seven members at the meeting made me extremely welcome and I soon realised that this was a club for everyone, regardless of experience or equipment, with no competitions. So I joined as new member number 10.

My experience with photography started with the ubiquitious Kodak box brownie, given to me second hand as a teenager. When my student money allowed, I purchased my first real camera - a 35mm Voightlander Vito B. A wonderful camera that was subsequently replaced with another 35mm Voightlander bellows camera with a much faster lens. Big mistake, better lenses do not necessarily make better cameras, lesson learned. All photographs those days were black and white, and I moved into bathroom processing and printing with an Argos printer and a Wray lens. Hugely enjoyable, the results were interesting and I was truly bitten by the photographic bug.

However marriage, the arrival of a family of three, coupled with the arrival of colour photography, meant this was becoming an expensive hobby in the domestic budget. So the black and white gear was all sold and an Olympus half frame 35mm camera purchased, which significantly reduced the costs. Gradually becoming more solvent, I upgraded to an Olympus Pen full frame and later to a Unirex SLR fixed lens camera with automatic spot metering. The Unirex was a good camera and served me well, until the Canon EOS camera system arrived with automatic focussing, programmed shooting modes and inter-changeable lenses. Time for another upgrade and I invested in an EOS 300 with zoom lenses, a really wonderful and simple entry level camera of its time. Later, tiring of carrying around the lenses, I bought a Tamron 28-300mm zoom which became my universal lens for the camera.

And so to the digital era. As digital SLRs began to arrive, I was tempted and eventually purchased an 8 Mpixel Canon EOS 350D camera body, which all my previous film camera lenses fitted. I also added a battery grip to stabilise the camera more when the Tamron lens is fitted. As I quickly found out, digital photography is similar to film photography, but different. An apparent contradiction perhaps, but while same basic rules apply, the enormous scope and flexibiblty offered by digital cameras means a new range of techniques have to be assimulated and mastered.

Having been with the Photographic Society for five years, I can honestly say that it has been a hugely enjoyable experience. The Society has now grown to around 45 members, drawn from the local towns and villages. Members have a variety of cameras ranging from small compact cameras, through the so-called bridging and system cameras, right up to the larger SLRs. There are normally two meetings each month. The first meeting usually involves an outside presenter, who is experienced in photography and shows his photographs and discusses various techniques. The second meeting is invariably a workshop run by a member, aimed at helping the less experienced understand camera controls and increase the creatvity of their photographs. In addition there are also two or three social events each year. It all adds up to a very happy and friendly club atmosphere..

My own photography has improved enormously as a result of my membership. While I still take some family snaps and holiday photographs, my photographic horizons are now so much broader. I will never be a David Bailey, but I enjoy considerable satisfaction from what I have achieved. It's a great photographic club.