SIXTY-SIX YEARS AN AMATEUR
PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES
of
T.H.Morrison M.Sc.,FIEE,ARPS,APAGB (Published 2002)
Teenage Years
How does one recount concisely sixty-six years as an amateur photographer with their many facets, some in series and others in parallel and without any form of boastfulness or false modesty? In those impressionable years, the exploits of a favourite Uncle keeping guinea pigs, fretworking and photography were captivating. Sometime later he passed over his porcelain dishes, printing frames and a ruby oil lamp (how it stank in the bathroom). In 1935 when 14 years old, experiments started with P.O.P. (Printing Out Paper), exposed in sunlight, fixed and then darkened in a salt solution but still sepia coloured unlike the commercial black and white prints. The local chemist suggested "gaslight paper" but even after lengthy exposures in electric light no image appeared. Kodak D-163 developer in a brown bottle was a great revelation!
In a small country town in the 1930s photography was limited to the family folding bellows autographic brownie. Somehow the specially ordered weekly "Amateur Photographer" (3d per copy, equivalent to 1.25p) was discovered and thereafter progress was more rapid. Purchasing a small chemical balance (equivalent to 37.5p) enabled all solutions to be concocted from basic chemicals, "Metol", "Hydroquinone" etc. This resulted in great savings to my schoolboy's pocket money. The formulae were obtained from the British Journal Almanac and Wall's Dictionary of Photography. Films 3.1/4" x 2.1/4" were orthochromatic and developed by the "see-saw" method in a flat dish until I discovered that the solutions drained away by the film rubbing against the rim of the dish. A narrow domestic bowl proved to be more successful. The more expensive panchromatic film came later and gave much better rendering of blue skies. But the Agfa Rondinax 60 Daylight tank was a great innovation. After securing the rolled film in the magazine, the film was separated from the backing paper automatically and the complete process of developing, fixing and washing could be carried out in daylight. They were exciting times and contact prints were now on bromide paper of different tints and surface textures.
1938 was an eventful year! The friendly chemist welcomed me on Saturday mornings to make small enlargements in his new darkroom. Formal wedding photographs were a side line for him and informal wedding enlargements were a lucrative venture for me, sold across the counter by the chemist with his own. Then borrowing his 3.1/4" x 2.1/4" plate camera with a battery and "Sashalite" Flash Bulb (triggered by the Compur shutter winder) perched on top, I photographed the prize giving and opening ceremony by Lord Bangor of the Grammar School's new Assembly Hall. Imagine the audacity of a schoolboy, next morning, demanding to see the Art Editor of the provincial newspaper "Belfast Telegraph" with his enlarged print but it was published that evening. The cost of the bus fare and materials far outweighed the reproduction fee (52.5p) but the resulting joy could not be measured in monetary terms. Two more historical subjects were published in the same paper during the following year.
Previously I had joined the "Kodak Fellowship" which provided a postal print commentary service for members; membership was free. One print aroused sufficient attention of an offer to purchase the exclusive negative copyright for advertising purposes. Alas the negative material was Agfa Isopan I.S.S.! What a disappointment and I have not used Agfa film since. Years later the 15" x 12" print appeared on exhibition walls.
At that time hand-coloured wedding and landscape prints were in vogue and profitable to a teenager; on looking back they were rather garish but still better than monochrome. About that time I discovered processing additive colour film was much more adventurous. After some experimentation, I found that a chemical "darkener" could be used instead of removing the film from the tank spiral, a delicate operation, and re-exposing it to light prior to the second development. A write-up of the process was sent to the chemical manufacturer, Burroughs Welcome & Co., but their investigations found that a similar modified process had just been published in the B.J. Almanac 1939 but unknown to me. One of the specimen slides submitted had been awarded a Certificate of Merit in the Dufaycolour Competition, organised by Wallace Heaton Limited (Bond Street) through "The Daily Mail". It was all cold comfort but I was not the first teenager to have his aspirations dashed.
Post Graduate Research
During my teaching and research years a colleague required, for his D.Sc Thesis, photographs of equipment and metallurgical specimens. The latter entailed setting up in 1946 a darkroom and photo-micrography bench in the University (such equipment is taken for granted nowadays), using a reflecting microscope as a lens on a ½ plate (6.1/2" x 4.3/4") camera with a 5ft extension bellows to achieve 2000x magnification. Visual focusing of the dim image on the screen was exasperating and a high energy/contrast caustic developer was necessary to produce a good negative for contact prints.
Illustrations for other Ph.D Theses were always in demand and paradoxically they were cheap and on the spot! Needless to say, my own M.Sc Thesis was profusely illustrated to show design features of my testing machine, its operation, the various types of specimens and fractures. My professor jokingly remarked that the photographs by themselves were worthy of the degree!
Professional Career
It seems logical to continue with my engineering illustrative photography even though there was a time lapse of some years. To further my engineering career I joined in 1949 a consulting engineers' firm designing and constructing electricity generating stations. In 1961 a senior partner had written a detailed technical paper for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on the "Design and Operation of Blyth "A" Power Station". The customary practice was to make a presentation at a later date. It was a somewhat shortened version of the printed paper with a few diagrams and black and white illustrations. Instead, being on friendly terms with my colleague, I offered to illustrate every few lines of script with a relevant colour slide. This required photographing the complete station and ancillary works together with vast interiors under natural and varying lighting conditions, a difficult task for my fixed lens Zeiss Contina Camera. The presentation, in Newcastle and London, was enthusiastically received and it was believed to be unique at the time!
Then followed other papers and presentations on similar lines, "Lock Awe Pumped-Storage Hydro Station", "Mechanical Engineering in the North East", "The Centenary of the Institution of Electrical Engineers in Newcastle" and my own paper on "Peak-Load Gas Turbine Generation". The latter involved visits to six stations in England and Scotland 1967-8. Another lecture to The Institution of Electrical Engineers, "Chile - An Informal Portrait and Engineering" was the outcome of my assignment there shortly before the 1973 Revolution - A politically apprehensive 7 weeks of engineering and illustrative photography.
During the preparation of these presentations it became apparent that engineering drawings were too detailed for viewing on the screen and required simplification to enable the contents to be assimilated in 10-15 seconds. Similarly the printing and numerals had to be large enough to be read in a large auditorium (present day practice now conforms to a "British Standard"). Trials were also carried out to establish which medium, water-colour, fluorescent paint or poster colour reproduced best on colour film. When required, monochrome transparencies were produced by the reversal process using "Pan F" Negative Film which gave a good contrast image. At times I found the processing unpredictable with particles of emulsion shedding from the base, possibly due to the bleaching solution (Pot. Permangate and Sulphuric Acid), necessitating re-copying the illustrations and re-processing. A standard technique was evolved for easy copying of illustrations on the enlarger baseboard, photoflood lights at a fixed distance and standard exposure with slight variations for very light or dark tones. All this became a NCPF lecture in due course.
For these presentations, up to 220 slides could be shown in 45-50 minutes using a Carousel projector. The presenter's and projectionist's scripts (usually mine) were identically annotated to the precise word for every slide change. At the magazine changeover, a suitable slide remained on the screen or a blank inserted for the 20 seconds required. Needless to say a little practice and collaboration were essential to avoid an unmitigated disaster when synchronism failed. Once it did when I was presenting and a colleague projecting but 'you cannot win them all!'
During this period I also contributed colour photographs of another power station which assisted in achieving for the firm a prestigious award from the "Concrete Society" and some reproductions of my colour slides from presentations found their way into the firm's publicity literature.
Three years before I retired from another engineering company in 1986 a competition was organized amongst its 30,000 world-wide employees for photographs to be included in its annual calendar. I was placed second and on retirement was approached to illustrate the whole calendar, except for a few overseas agency pictures. The pictures were to represent the countryside in the vicinity of a constituent company or factory site, ranging from Glasgow/Edinburgh to Bournemouth. Indeed, this was a challenge, heightened by financial restrictions of a fixed price. The contract was only on an annual basis and approval to begin was not usually given until April, with little time for research, travel and finding suitable pictures.
The final colour transparencies, after selection by the company, had to be in the hands of the printer by mid -July for despatch in September, and a snow picture for December was always desirable! Ten thousand copies were distributed throughout the world and were much sought after, even instigating short articles in the "Evening Chronicle". The calendar continued for three years until the format and contents were changed. The vicissitudes of the chase inspired another NCPF Lecture. As an aside and just for fun, in the last calendar I slipped in a slide of a cluster of multi-coloured crocuses, taken with a "Cokin" pastel soft focus filter. It turned out to be the most popular picture in the series. Life is unpredictable!
Photographic Societies
Arriving in Newcastle in 1949, I immediately joined Newcastle upon Tyne Photographic Society and Newcastle upon Tyne YMCA Photographic Society which opened up a completely new photographic experience. The YMCA had a darkroom, through which ran the heating pipes for the building; consequently the developer and I were inclined to be over-heated. Somehow several large prints emerged from early morning forays on the Newcastle Quayside which established a "genre" until the clean air act destroyed the "atmosphere". Eight of the twelve prints for my ARPS submission originated on the Quayside. Suddenly such pictures became historical and the Quayside had disappeared for ever.
The Newcastle Photographic Society met twice weekly with numerous lectures and demonstrations on technique to achieve 20" x 16" grain-free exhibition prints on "Bromesko" and "Plastika" papers. My preferred films were "Pan-X" and "FP3" developed in D.K.20 even though others favoured the equivalent proprietary brands "Microdol" and "Promicrol". Uniform edge to edge development of 2.1/4" film was always a problem. The various methods of pre-soaking, intermittent and constant agitation, to mitigate the "paddle effect", were all tried with varying degrees of success.
Mounting 20" x 16" prints successfully with "Ademco" dry mounting tissue was always tricky, getting the correct temperature with a domestic iron and avoid trapping air between the mount and print which could appear on the surface of the print, much later as a "bubble" and often on competition night. Hours were spent "spotting" (retouching with water-colour) the print to avoid the critical eye of the judge, always on the look-out for tiny white specks. Such were the requirements of the highest quality technique.
Cameras at that time were a single lens reflex Korelle IIA (with manual stopping down the iris after focusing at full aperture) and a twin-lens Microcord, both 2.1/4" square. My first in 1935 had been a 3.1/4" x 2.1/4" Six-20 Kodak with a metal frame direct vision finder which was a great improvement on the tiny reflecting mirror type. This was followed by a Super Sport Dolly, Rangefinder, 2.1/4" square, which also incorporated a plate back. The extinction meter (with increasing density figures) had replaced the exposure calculator disc and then by the photo-electric 'Sixtus' and eventually by the 'Weston Master' range with the incident light dome. Even so, obtaining the exact exposure under adverse lighting conditions has been 'my persistent problem'. In monochrome the axiom was, expose for the shadows, the highlights look after themselves.
At the YMCA P.S. I was elected Honorary Secretary in 1951 and remained a member for a number of years until similar duties at Newcastle Photographic Society became too onerous to maintain membership of both societies.
I acknowledge gratefully that Newcastle upon Tyne Photographic Society had a profound influence upon my photography, in technique and visual appreciation. In a membership approaching 400 with many proficient and accomplished photographers, rivalry was rife in the competitions and provided the incentive to succeed. Being the leading society in the North it attracted, by its beautifully produced handbook of around 60 pages, all the well known photographers sponsored by the photographic houses of the period; likewise, one could hardly not benefit from the weekly one-man portfolios of distinguished exponents of the art. By invitation I contributed two portfolios, years apart, when I presume others were not available.
Progressing through the N.P.S. beginners and intermediate competitions to advanced class in 1952, I won the Advanced Trophy (aggregate of four competitions) in 1956 and 1958. Five trophies in other monochrome print and monochrome slide competitions were awarded during these years. I joined the RPS in 1955 and was elected ARPS (Pictorial Prints) in the same year. Some years went by and I applied for the Fellowship (Pictorial Colour Slides) but was unsuccessful.
Newcastle Photographic Society cajoled me to accept Honorary Exhibition Secretaryship in 1952 which continued to 1955, and Exhibition Chairman 1955 onwards; elected to Panel of Judges 1954, Vice President 1955-57, and President 1958-59.
Over some years a professional in one society called upon me to help him out at busy wedding times. It was valuable experience and demonstrated clearly a professional's life is not a happy one, especially on a dark cold December afternoon at 2.00 p.m. when the shivering bride could not stop shaking for 1/25 second exposure.
I was reminded, quite recently, with great affection of an incident in the early 1950's when I entertained a young boy, about 14 years of age visiting next door, to an evening of enlarging, fascination and wonderment. Had that evening influenced his later life attending a college of photography, meeting his future wife at the adjacent art college and to become a successful professional industrial photographer? Who knows?
My first love was monochrome prints and 3.1/4" square monochrome lantern slides. Projecting the latter by a 500 w. lantern with no cooling fan caused the recurrent problem of the mounted slide 'fogging up' until the moisture in the slide evaporated. Everyone had their own solution whether to pre-heat the slide and cover glass before binding, using adhesive or gummed tape and always endeavouring to warm the slides before the lecture. I succumbed to colour slides through a Zeiss Contina, Exakta, Nikormat and Canon EOS 650. After changing house, when a permanent darkroom was no longer available, I concentrated on colour slides, achieving many certificates in the 1960's competitions and exhibition acceptances. I remained faithful to the original Kodachrome and later to K65 for years but now admit Fujichrome is more suitable to some subjects and weather conditions.
Exhibitions
From the beginning I enjoyed making 20" x 16" prints for Newcastle Photographic Society's competitions (the thrill of seeing the image developing never diminished). In the early 1950's there was a spate of national exhibitions and I had numerous acceptances. One I am not likely to forget was Morpeth's 1953 Annual Exhibition when I was awarded four of the possible six silver spoons. I was reminded of my embarrassment at the 14th Open Exhibition in Morpeth when I performed the opening ceremony as President of NCPF in 1967.
After judging an intermediate competition, 1950, W T F Pinkney FRPS suggested "that print" would stand a good chance in the London Salon. Needless to say I was very sceptical but he proved his judgement correct as it was accepted in 1951. I was exhilarated, in the second year of serious pictorial photography at 30 years of age, to be with the giants of the day, Marcus Adams, George Halford, S D Jouhar, Walter Bird, W E Gundill, G L Hawkins, J Ortiz Echague (Spain), Will Till (South Africa), Francis Wu (Hong Kong) and others.
Later acceptances followed at the London Salon, the RPS Annuals and RPS Pictorial Groups, the major internationals in Europe and America, too numerous to mention. PSA records showed me as one of the 25 most prolific exhibitors in Great Britain during 1951 to 1954 but records of later years are not available to me. From other sources I understand this statistic still remains unequalled by anyone from NCPF. Two of my Tyneside pictures were selected for the first RPS Portfolio of Pictorial Prints to be displayed in the USSR in 1958. Acceptances of monochrome prints and colour slides continued in exhibitions until around 1970.
One derivative from exhibitions in the 1950s was an invitation to join the Anglo-American Portfolio, sponsored by RPS and PSA. Several portfolios were in transit at any one time; a new print was inserted on each circuit and comments made upon the remainder. Most of the members were FRPS, FPSA, FRSA or equivalent; so my ARPS felt very honoured to be in such august company. The experience was most enjoyable and rewarding to see superb pictures from the USA and UK but hard work to maintain the high standard expected.
In 1952 I took on the tremendous task of organising from scratch, without any precedent for guidance, the First Newcastle upon Tyne International Exhibition for the Autumn of 1953. From my personal collection of catalogues I compiled an index of 5,000 leading exhibitors in the world; set up a committee; persuaded a sceptical Laing Art Gallery to allocate two large galleries for the exhibition to run for three weeks and set about planning the numerous activities, selecting, recording and designating the displays on the walls of the galleries, catalogues, opening ceremony, publicity and many day-by-day activities. The 1,538 monochrome prints from 33 countries were recorded and stored in my home. The exhibition was very successful and viewed by about 20,000 people.
Six further exhibitions were even more outstanding mainly due to succeeding secretaries; colour prints and slides were introduced in 1958, the latter viewed by a full capacity audience of 2,000 in the City Hall. The maximum entries reached 2,741 prints and 2,870 slides from 54 countries. Newcastle Photographic Society introduced medals in 1960 and in recognition of efficient management the Photographic Society of America awarded medals in 1962 and 1964.
I had 12 prints and one colour slide accepted in the first four exhibitions but as I was one of the print selectors in the remaining three, my entries were restricted to colour slides. Nevertheless, with 9 slides accepted (one Bronze Medal in 1960) I was one of only four exhibitors who had acceptances in all seven successive exhibitions; the other three were Wellington Lee, FPSA, FRPS, (New York) Le Roi Russel APSA (Arizona) and Dr K W Wu, FRPS (Hong Kong).
Articles and Reproductions
Every photographer experiences great pleasure in seeing his pictures on the wall of a major exhibition and even greater satisfaction should it be reproduced in the catalogue or in a magazine. In this respect I had been entering competitions in the "Miniature Camera World" and three pictures were reproduced with complimentary commentaries by Charles Simpson, R.I., in 1952 and 1953.
In 1953 I received an invitation from the "Amateur Photographer" to contribute to the series "How I make my Exhibition Pictures" with an article (emphasizing technique and searching for pictures with appropriate atmosphere) and two pictures "Tyneside Morning", and "Under the Bridge". More than surprised in 1956 another request came for a further article (significance of picture making with light, organizing the composition and influence of artists) and two pictures "Early Morning" and "Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne", (page 59, History of the NCPF 1901-2001) for reproduction in the same series.
One picture "Steam Up" (included in the NCPF Centenary Exhibition, archives section) was never rejected in any of dozens of exhibitions and was the most reproduced, unsolicited and unpaid; "Miniature Camera World" 1952, Newcastle upon Tyne International Catalogue 1953, British Journal Photographic Almanac 1954, Photo-Digest Die Galarie 1955, "One Hundred Years of Photography in the North" (J Arnold Little) 1960 and perhaps others of which I am unaware.
Someone in the Prudential Assurance Company must have attended an exhibition and saw "Tyneside Morning" and then requested a copy of the print for reproduction on the cover of their house magazine. Somehow the "Pru" could not afford the £5.00 suggested for the print and reproduction fee and dropped it like a hot potato - not even a reply!
"Steam Up" and "Broad Chare, Newcastle" accompanied an article written by myself, "British Camera Club Contemporary Photography". This crystalized a request from Zeiss in correspondence by the Honorary Exhibition Secretary, W. W. Pope during the Newcastle Internationals. Six pictures from three Newcastle Photographic Society colleagues - Don Morrison, ARPS, Charles Soper, ARPS and W. W. Pope, ARPS were also included in the Zeiss Jena Review 1959 and distributed worldwide.
Northern Counties Photographic Federation
Attending the 99th AGM in 2001 was quite a milestone as it completed a half century since my first AGM in 1951 as a delegate from Newcastle YMCA P.S. In 1953 I joined the NCPF lecture list which started a long association with the societies throughout the Federation; invited to join the Judges Panel 1956; elected to the Executive Committee 1957 and Honorary Secretary 1958.
Of the then twelve committee members, three had defined duties, Competitions, Portfolio and Treasurer; the Secretary was the general factotum. I maintained the hand written minute book of committee meetings and AGMs. My inexpert typing of Gestetner stencils (messy job with red correction fluid and black printer's ink on the Newcastle Photographic Society's machine) eventually produced cyclostyled copies to societies for lecturers' and judges' lists, agenda, AGM reports and other notices. Compiling, printing and issuing NCPF's own hand book was a significant task as it contained rules, judges' and lecturers' lists, Federation and Alliance competitions and affiliated societies. The Alliance handbooks were updated and amended as required. The NCPF and Alliance Handbooks were distributed by Honorary Secretary in hand written envelopes and packages (no data computer base and printed labels etc. in those days). The AGM had to be highly organised for the President as the meetings were very lively affairs from the floor, e.g. any other business with many items hotly debated. Correspondence with societies played an important part as the telephonic revolution had still to arrive and shared ('party')lines were still the norm.
The treasurer was the organiser for the Annual Convention and would visit several hotels, booking one for exclusive use by NCPF. He received all reservations, handled all monies, receipts, payments etc. Meantime I would obtain the speakers and organise their transport, provide suitable itineraries for each locality, games for inclement weather, borrow projection equipment and its transportation, ensure a standby speaker was available in the event of mishaps and assisting the organiser with allocation of hotel bedrooms (fraught with problems). In 1959 the largest number, up to that time, 104 members, friends and families attended Otterburn Hall. For recollections of this convention see the article in the "History of the NCPF 1901-2001".
From my early days at Newcastle Photographic Society I supported the NCPF and Alliance Competitions but never won a major trophy in any competition. Of course, every young photographer thinks (I was no exception) Judges are biased or do not recognise a good picture. Accordingly I had to be content with certificates: for the best set of three 3.1/4" square Monochrome slides, Advanced 3rd NCPF Certificate 1954, Advanced 1st NCPF Certificate 1955; Monochrome slides in Alliance Competition 1955, 1956, 1957*: Monochrome prints representing NCPF in Alliance Competition 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957* and 1958 (2 off) (1*) and 1959 (designated *- Retained for Exhibition): trade processed colour slides in NCPF competitions retained for Portfolio 1962/63 (1 off) 1966/67 (4 off) and (one1st place), 1967/68 (one 2nd place) (one 2nd certificate). The above results are from existing personal records and are probably incomplete.
After five years as Secretary I was elected Vice-President 1963-1965, President 1965-1967 and Past President 1967-1969. My greatest achievement during my Presidential years was the introduction of Area Representatives on the Executive Committee. My proposals formulated the Federation into six geographical areas and each area electing a representative to the Committee. After much discussion in Committee, at a Special General Meeting in November 1965, Rule 9 was amended accordingly. I circulated invitations to all societies and with the Honorary Secretary collected as many interested participants as possible to a suitable location in each area to discuss fully the proposals. The rest is history but full details of the background and objectives will be found in the article "Area Representatives" in the "History of the NCPF 1901-2001".
However, not all my proposals to introduce new ideas to the NCPF and Alliance met with success, as often befalls other innovators. For example, when my exhibition acceptances were fairly numerous in Europe during the early 1950s I was aware of FIAP, exhibition sponsorship and their honours system. I was surprised when FIAP contacted me to investigate the possibility of the RPS joining FIAP. From the tone of the correspondence I knew that the latter was out of the question but hoped that NCPF might give consideration to affiliation. However W J Brown, FRPS, at two AGMs reiterated the views of the RPS that FIAP was a rich man's hobby, supported by a Swiss photographic magazine, holding AGMs in world capitals at his fancy and officers were not elected democratically. The matter was discussed by the Alliance in 1971, 1975 and 1977 (The Scottish Photographic Federation had become an independent member around 1971). Eventually by circuitous means Alliance membership was approved in 1978.
At an Alliance AGM I suggested the Alliance should record acceptances at approved exhibitions and award honours on a credited scale, similar to The Photographic Society of America and FIAP. That fell on deaf ears too but came to fruition in another form many years later, 1994.
In another instance I raised an item at the Alliance AGM 1965 on behalf of NCPF Executive Committee: I quote the Alliance Minute:-"Mr T H Morrison (NCPF) referred to the conditions put forward for nominations of Judges to the Alliance Panel and asked if the Alliance could hold an index of judges' engagements. Our Federation found it difficult to prepare a citation without approaching the nominee" The reasoning behind the suggestion was that an invitation to be an exhibition selector or a competition judge was a private matter and quite unknown to the Alliance, unless all catalogues were collected centrally. That fact had been borne out by my own experience as I had been a selector at more international exhibitions before being appointed to the Alliance Panel in 1972 than since that date. Probably the situation still maintains, as changing of attitudes takes time to mature.
I was elected annually as an Alliance representative from 1958 until 1974 (except 1967 during my Presidential term) and attended most AGMs. Fully aware of the Alliance Constitution I abided by the procedure of the Alliance which nominated one of the NCPF representatives to serve on the Alliance Committee. My proposal to the NCPF Committee, 1968, to make the nomination of the representative more democratic by election was ruled out of order by the President. By 1978 the Alliance became more enlightened to alter the rule and to accept written nominations from each Federation.
All in all I served on the Executive Committee for 23 years continuously in various offices.
The Alliance Award for Meritorious Service to the Federation was bestowed on me in 1984 (a prized honour as one of the first four recipients in NCPF).
Of course, during my long association with NCPF, all was not sweetness and light; there were factions and disagreements over the years. Notwithstanding, the Federation has prospered and enlarged to provide a service to Federated Societies undreamed of fifty years ago.
Lecturing and Judging
My earliest lectures, 1951 onwards, started with historical snippets and pictorial pictures around Newcastle's Quayside, illustrated by 3.1/4" square monochrome slides. Then the most popular one, for many years, was "Enlarging with a Challenge" for which each society provided all the equipment, plus negatives and their prints. I supplied the chemicals and "Bromesko" paper, making up the solutions as I went along - a pinch of this and that for the developer and the fixer - no measurement or weighing of ingredients. The sceptics waited hopefully for a flop. But somehow with a little manipulation, the resulting 15" x 12" print usually looked better than the author's. The secret was only practice, craftmanship, "Amidol" developing agent and the print was always viewed wet.
In all of my 20 odd illustrated lectures I have always prepared a script first of all, whether the subject was pictorialism, historical, informative or even travelogues. In my opinion the pictures should complement the narrative and not vica versa, that is, making the words describe the purpose of the picture; it is too easy to fall into clichés, "this is so and so" and it can become repetitive. In later years this process developed into "cue cards", one for each slide containing the relevant data (a useful device when memory becomes hesitant); it also avoids rambling on and boring the audience.
As far as judging is concerned, in my earliest days in Newcastle Photographic Society I learned that the picture was the ultimate goal and technique, no matter how perfect, was only the means. One example was the N.P.S's intermediate members' competition which had a system of marking (motive 30, composition 30, technique 40) but my print was grainy, over enlarged (much less than one quarter of 2.1/4" square) and not critically sharp (the camera lens had received a bump). W T F Pinkney marked it well down by the rules but his encouragement, referred to elsewhere, proved the point - it was the picture which really mattered. I hold the attitude that a judge should not be expected to teach technique or composition; there are other times for these. He may, in passing, refer to such matters and take them into account in his assessment of the merits of the picture. That is, his commission is personal, not absolute, but is based on his ability, experience and appreciation of photography as an art form.
In more recent years if the entries are not so numerous and the time permits I enjoy a dialogue with the author and audience to obtain their reactions; to investigate the possibilities of improving the picture by the various methods available. It is beneficial to everyone but the original marking is not influenced by the discussion.
The most embarrassing situation occurred many years ago judging a colour slide competition at Alnwick Camera Club. The highest mark for the trophy was left to the customary last slide and who should be the winner but the President who also happened to be The Duchess of Northumberland. Needless to say she was delighted; the whole club was ecstatic; I had been totally unaware the Duchess was present and although no one believed me it was entirely above board.
Retirement Years
For a number of years prior to retirement on account of the responsibility of managing two large power station contracts, time for serious photography was severely restricted. With much travelling at home, Europe and further afield a schedule for lecturing and judging was unpredictable and could only be fitted in when possible. Come retirement, normal service was resumed but slightly out of kelter. Then came a completely unexpected proposal. The Literary and Philosophical Society in Newcastle upon Tyne was making preparations for its Bi-Centenary in 1993 and invited me to give an illustrated lecture on Newcastle as part of the celebrations. The problem was to find a suitable subject which had not been covered before and which would be of interest to the general public as well as to the Society.
So evolved "Newcastle Observed" - a treatise on things at which people do not normally look, the City's architecture from Roman to present day; doorways, windows and cupolas; building embellishment; name plates and plaques; the evolution of shop fronts, public clocks, armorial arms, post boxes, lamp posts and bridges. Each required considerable research, draft scripts and two summers for photography. The lecture was well received and immediately afterwards another was requested for the following year.
Accordingly, for "More Wanderings in Central Newcastle" an introductory letter opened doors to historic public buildings which normally prohibit photography, Hancock Museum, Laing Art Gallery, Museum of Antiquities, Trinity House, The "Old Castle" , Bessie Surtees House, Central Library, Tyne and Wear Archives, Newcastle Discovery, Guildhall etc. Again much research and photography under existing lighting conditions which stretched my amateur photographic equipment and experience to the full.
Having time available, two more projects were researched and scripted. Each required a fortnight's duration, "Uninhabited Scotland" (The Highlands) and "Orkney Saga" recounting their history, ancient monuments, scenery and everyday life.
I only mention the above four lectures as examples as I believe that, by concentrating on a single theme subject, lectures of a more interesting and informative nature can be produced. Although I found the projects beneficial and exciting at the time, ten hours driving each day, finding subjects to fit the script and exacting photography can be exhausting, especially to one of advanced years. I pass this on for what it is worth!
With so much attention given to the above lectures I admit and possibly regret digital imaging seems to have caught me unawares but my friends suggest it is never too late to start. Requires some thought?
In the earlier years, social events were an integral part of the photographic scene, the formal dinners and dances organised annually by societies and on other special occasions, such as Newcastle Photographic Society's Centenary and Exhibitions, the 50th and 75th NCPF Anniversaries etc.
On reflection I wonder how my photography was intertwined with other hobbies and activities and they were many; all enjoyed in a happy marriage over many years, not forgetting an exciting and demanding forty-three years of a professional engineering career.
Enough Said!