Two delightful digital displays
Margaret Hawksworth and Richard Storier, both longstanding members of Sileby Photographic Society, each gave their own delightful presentations of digital images at the Zoom meeting held on Monday, November 9.
‘Adventures with Margaret’ set the ball rolling when she described the fascinating experiences she encountered when being involved as a Games Maker in the London Olympics 2012.
She attended the magnificent Opening Ceremony, typically British, and typically quirky, and whilst Margaret had access to all areas of the Games, her designated responsibility was to look after a Cabinet Minister from Antigua .... but he didn’t turn up!
So, she was then allocated the responsibility for the smooth running of the Velodrome, where she needed to meet and greet all attending dignitaries and accompany them to the VIP area, at the same time, keeping eyes and ears open in order not to miss anything untoward
Margaret also had the honour of escorting Princess Anne to the podium for the presentation ceremony of the medals where Chris Hoy duly collected his Gold medal.
Wenlock, the Mascot, put in an appearance and Margaret explained how its markings represented different aspects of the Games.
When not on duty, Margaret was able to attend any of the other events and she made the most of the unique opportunity in which she found herself, always with camera in hand.
Record images of the young royals enjoying the spectator experience as much as anyone was plain to see and her action shots of famous athletes including Jessica Ennis, Usain Bolt, and tennis stars, Serena Williams, Roger Federer, etc. provided great material for her camera.
This had been a wonderful one-off experience which had provided ever-lasting memories for Margaret and her images captured the unique experience of such an amazing event which was beamed worldwide and which she helped make happen!
On to Richard Storier, who had visited the Faroe Islands in March 2019 undertaking a hiking trip with like-minded photographers and a guide in pursuit of stunning sea and landscape images, and they were not disappointed. 200 miles north of the Shetlands, they began their 6-day tour in the capital Tórshavn where most of the 50,000 inhabitants live. Windy and treeless, the remote islands appeared bleak, yet picturesque, with rough seas and rugged coastlines.
Majestic waterfalls were plentiful and, with climatic conditions offering the four seasons sometimes in one day, lighting conditions varied dramatically.
The waterfall at Múlafossur drops 190 ft into the North Atlantic Ocean with the village of Gasadalur as an unmatched backdrop, a magnificent sight.
Trælan revealed a perpendicular rock wall, jutting 465 ft upwards out of the sea, and provided a stunning optical illusion of the lake floating high above the sea.
Drangarnir, the hike to get there a feat in itself, featured unusual wooded houses with Birch bark and sod roofs, with one of the oldest properties being 1000 years old.
Mental fortitude, bearing in mind the added weight of photo kit and winter clothing, was definitely a much needed strength in view of the 3½ hour hike on narrow and slippery trails to photograph the rock monolith but well worth the effort in view of the stunning views available from the cliff top at 860 ft.
Funningur, the oldest village in the Faroes and sitting at the foot of one of the highest mountains, offered stunning views of the fjords and surrounding mountains, the iconic zigzagging road to the village being popular with travellers.
The panoramic view from Klakkur overlooking the ocean, fjords and mountains was outstandingly beautiful and views from the summit at over 1000 ft were breathtaking.
Kalsoy Island fully embraced the beauty of the North Atlantic Ocean, boasting the 100-year-old Kallu Lighthouse, surrounded by rough cliffs, with the blue of the sky seeming to merge with the blue of the sea
The towering famous sea stacks at Tjørnuvik, Risin (233 ft) and Kellingin (226 ft) were very impressive and the black sand underfoot was a striking feature.
Fossa Waterfall, the tallest in the land, cascaded over two separate tiers of land before reaching the ocean after a 359 ft of vertical drop, a spectacular sight.
Eidi on Eysturoy was the last port of call, so wet that it was difficult to keep the camera safe from the elements, but many images recorded the scene, particularly of the world’s most scenic football pitch.
This completed a physically draining but exhilarating trip.
John Hoogerwerf thanked both Margaret and Richard for their really interesting presentations which had been enjoyed by all.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, November 23, when visiting lecturer, Tony North, will present his version of ‘Macro Photography’.
Anyone wishing to become a member of Sileby Photographic Society, enabling access to the weekly Monday evening Zoom meetings, should visit the contact page of the SPS website, https://silebyps.org. uk/ when further details will be issued. The programme for the current photographic year is also available to view.