For a variety of reasons several key members of the Society, including Andrew Cairns, our President were unable to be present at our latest meeting. That being the case, the evening’s proceedings were left in the more than capable hands of the Vice-President, Jeremy Broome-Smith. Outlining the plans for the evening, he commented that the Committee had decided to concentrate on the needs of the newer members and those with less experience.
The first half of the evening focused on the 2025 ‘Summer Challenge’ and Jeremy projected many images which had been captured by members during the warmer summer months in and around harbours and yachting marinas both in the Isle of Man and elsewhere in the British Isles. Many of the images were commendably imaginative with many images taken on mobiles, such are the capabilities of phones these days for producing quality images. Audience participation was encouraged and the result was a lively discussion which only served to enhance what was a light-hearted get-together. This proved to be an evening full of surprises, punctuated by interesting stories about members’ experiences during the warm, sunny summer months.
The second half of the evening was aimed at helping any members who were still unsure how best to resize and upload images for competitions. Jeremy began by briefly explaining his background in mainframe computers, where he had developed a certain expertise. He mentioned ‘Network Attached Storage’ (NAS) devices, which provide centralised file storage, allowing authorised users to store and retrieve data from a common location, and his practical experience of using them. His faith in relying fully on the available technology as a trusted medium was clear. He also gave several tips and suggestions for naming images and on the importance of creating strong passwords.
The next meeting of the Society will be held at the St John Ambulance HQ at 7.00 pm on Wednesday 15th October when members are encouraged to bring their cameras for a Studio evening and this will also be the deadline for the submission of entries for the first ‘Open’ Competition (Print and Digital).
By Antony Hamilton
