HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME... FOR FREE!
By Bob Dowlman (Area 20).
In submitting this item perhaps I may be permitted to do a bit of trumpet blowing and, at the same time, maybe give other members some encouragement in the process. Last September my wife and I enjoyed the holiday of a lifetime - a wildlife safari to Zambia, a visit to the Victoria Falls and a week of absolute luxury in Mauritious. How did we afford it I hear you say? We didn`t have to! It was first prize in a photographic competition. The previous year the Daily Telegraph ran a "Radio Pictures" competition. Entrants had to pedict a radio programme with a photograph and my shot of a brass band reflected in the bell of one of the instruments won. It was for prints only but I was delighted that black and white (my first love in photography) beat the colour entries. That doesn`t say much for CRC but I am still a keen colour slide worker and indeed it was the obvious medium to use on holiday. Better not admit I used Kodachrome 200!!
There are plenty of competitions around and many of them accept either prints or slides. But I wonder how many CRC members ever bother to enter. It does involve some effort and you`ve got to be intending to win. I must admit that I haven`t yet scooped the pool with any colour slides but it`s only a matter of time! I am not aware of any secret formula for success and if I knew it I`m not sure I would tell everyone else. You can however enhance your chances by applying a bit of common sense.
Obvious though it is, you must enter. It`s easy to convince yourself that you wont win, so then you don`t bother to try. Photographic quality must be good. It`s all about stopping the judges in their tracks and making them have a second look at your entry. Something different with impact and eye catching colour helps. Competitions also stimulate ideas. Engineering is not a subject I would normally photograph but I had a go last year and the year before and won £250 of photographic gear each time.
Perhaps there are already some competition winners amongst the CRC membership. Whether or not there are, I hope my experience will encourage other to have a go.MORE THAN A CATALOGUE... FREE FROM FIRST CALL.
The latest edition of the First Call catalogue, offered free to C.R.C. members, is a full colour, attractive affair invaluable to the darkroom worker in particular and the photographic enthusiast in general. It really is a thoroughly worthwhile publication to keep handy for instant reference for it would truly be difficult to find a darkroom item missing from its pages which now also extends the choice to cameras from Pentax, Minolta and Canon.
Other new items include a Tamron Fotovix, a versatile piece of equipment enabling slides to be transferred to video tape in very near professional style.
Colour printing from both negative film and slides is well covered and it is interesting to note that Cibachrome is now to be known as Ilfochrome Classic. A full range of colour printing chemicals and materials are available, in addition to the same choice for the slide worker.
There is also on offer a made-to-measure Solarflex roller blind for almost instant blacking out of a domestic room for conversion to a darkroom.
All the usual items are still there, of course, ranging from slide mounts, trimmers, light boxes, squeegees and so on to training videos, dark room manuals and even personal or group tuition.
So why not take advantage of the free offer - though a large envelope with a first class stamp would be appreciated. The address is:- First Call Photographic Supplies, Cherry Grove Cottage, Gotton, Chedding Fitzpaine, Taunton, TA2 8LL.BACK IN T I M E.
It struck me as odd, when I was reminded that this year sees the 21st anniversary of the founding of the CR50 Club, forerunner of the Colour Reversal Club, that I just couldn`t remember which year I signed on the dotted line.
So I`ve been delving into my back numbers of the quarterly newsletter. My first copy - dated April 1976 - is also the first following the break with the 3M company when it became known as the C.R.C. News before changing to Newsletter some ten years later.
The Editor was workaholic Will Griffiths, who did such sterling work for the club, and remained in charge of the News until his untimely death on December 23rd. 1977. Will was a stalwart in the club who was ready to help anyone with a bent toward the weighing and mixing. I myself remember this man with real affection.
Will`s successor as Editor was Charles H. Crawford of Birmingham, who already held office as Chairman & Secretary, a position announced in this same issue which also brought news of the resignation of Oliver Barron from these same posts... though Oliver continued as Leader of Area 20. The subscription was £2.50 which underlines, I think, what good value the club is now with only a £5 sub, when most other costs have literally soared into much higher regions.
This then was a few items from the first of the C.R.C. News. A little nostalgia, Confusious says, is good for the soul! or something!Ron Knowles (Area 11).