Images of rock pools galore at Morpeth Camera Club meeting

It is customary during their tenure to set three challenges and Vice-Chair Peter Downs had chosen beaches as his theme for the year, with ‘Rock Pools’ being the subject of his second challenge.

Seventeen club members took up the challenge and throughout the evening, Peter commented upon and encouraged the authors to explain the location and methods used to create their images.

These included an unusual frozen rock pool with stones half submerged, swathes of seaweed drawn by the outgoing tide and water meandering through seaweed draped rocks, which had formed a natural barrier.

There were round pools containing colourful pebbles, winkles and limpets, some surrounded by coal and sand patterns, rock pools within a landscape, in half mono to create a metallic feel, stylised in bas relief to create a pattern effect and golden eroded stones with edges of seaweed peeping out of the water to create white circles.

Also featured were rocks and stones stylised in pink and grey hues that were outlined to simplify the shapes, creating a soft but graphic image, and rock striations stretched to resemble Japanese art.

Infrared photography was used to capture seaweed, which resembled silver fronds, there was a vibrantly coloured image using adjustment filters, a lone wader reflected in pink and blue ripples reflected from the sky, rock pools nestling within limestone pavements and pools in eroded dips in rocks.

Also shown was a vibrantly coloured multi exposure pattern picture of dappled light on water causing rippling shadows on the sand below.

Images were taken at Cresswell, Hauxley, Boulmer, St Mary’s Island, Foxton, Alnmouth, Hartley Bay and Buston Links beach, and a very low tide in Lynemouth revealed rarely seen eroded sedimentary iron stained rocks in red, bronze and grey.

One member interpreted the subject of rock pools in an alternative way; with atmospheric sepia toned images of the Whitley Bay Lido ranging from the early 1900s to colourful images of the present day.

Throughout the evening, the audience commented upon what they could see within some of the images – creatures, animals, faces, monsters and one resembled a volcanic crater taken from a great height.

Some had storytelling qualities, were mysterious and imaginative, which made for a successful and interactive evening at the club.

Co-chair Roseanne Robinson thanked Peter for hosting the evening, after which refreshments were served.

For more information regarding the club, please visit www.morpethcameraclub.co.uk and its dedicated Facebook page.