We regret that effective 15 March we have cancelled all remaining events for our 2019-20 season. This is as a result of the Coronavirus/ Covid-19 threat.

We hope to restart as planned in September for the 2020-21 season. The Committee wishes you all a safe and healthy few months.

Chester PS took part in last weekend’s Lancashire & Cheshire Photographic Union Annual Club Competition which was held at Culcheth near Warrington. The Digital entries were judged on the Saturday with Prints on the Sunday. Three judges each scored out of 5, and on average it took 5 seconds for marks to be given in the Digital classes, with about 10 seconds per Print on the second day.

37 Clubs from across the region took part on the Saturday, with a slightly different combination of 22 clubs entering Prints. On both days it was the Nature section that was our weak point, but overall CPS finished a respectable half way down the tables.

Open Digital – 18th / 37 Nature Digital 25th / 37 OVERALL DIGITAL 23rd / 37

Colour Print – 11th /22 Mono Print 11th / 22 Nature Print 18th / 22 OVERALL PRINT 11th / 22

It is well worth looking at the slideshows for each section which can be found on the L&CPU website under the Information Portal Tab. There are some top class Nature images, and you will be able to see DPI’s and Prints which scored 12 and over. There were some very good images which scored under 12 too, so it was well worth going along to witness the marking. The full set of Club Ranking Lists is also available on the Portal:

http://lcpu-portal.org/current/Galleries.php

The top scoring Chester image was Speedo Girl by Malcolm Peacock with 14 points , and Bad Hair Day was given 13.

We noticed that the scores in the Mono section seemed generally quite low, but despite this, Ray Groom’s Vestrahorn & Shoreline and Malcolm’s Praying Nun both scored 13.

Thank you to all the authors for contributing your images to the CPS entry.

There will be an opportunity for CPS Members to enter their own images/prints into the L&CPU Annual Individual’s Competition in May.

Sue Champion & Jan Wilding

Chester PS has significantly improved its performance in the GB Cup for Small Clubs by finishing 3rd in the Open Digital Section.

Congratulations go to Richard Barrett for collecting a Silver Medal for Wild Wales in August, which was the Simon Allen Judge’s Choice; and to Malcolm Peacock whose Praying Nun gained a Bronze Medal for the Best Portrait. Chester did well to scoop two of the eleven medals awarded.

Forty clubs from across Great Britain entered this section which was topped by Tamworth PS with 125 points. Chester scored 117 points with the ten images above and six of them will be exhibited in a digital gallery. http://www.thepagb.org.uk/competitions/great-british-cup/

The entries must be from at least 4 different photographers and each is marked out of five by three judges. This year’s judges were Andrea Hargreaves, Joan Blease and Simon Allen. Natural History images are NOT permitted in the Open section – but perhaps we will be encouraged to enter this section in the future.

Thanks go to the authors of the images used and to Keith Fitzpatrick for submitting our entry.

Around & About Chester in Mono

John Lewis kindly invited us to exhibit some of our photos in their Gallery within the cafeteria area of their store on the Greyhound Shopping Park. White mounts and frames have complimented the display of Mono Prints which will be on show until March.

The exhibition features places within conservation areas in and around Chester, and showcases the high quality of mono-printing produced by Chester PS members. Do take a look next time you are in the area, and also encourage family and friends to visit the exhibition over the next couple of months.

Thanks go to Graham Latter for making the initial contact, Rob Adams for co-ordinating the prints and the shop support staff at John Lewis for mounting and hanging the exhibits.

• 

President Graham Latter wishes everyone “A very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Let’s hope we get plenty of opportunity to take lots of pictures for the upcoming competitions”.

Thanks go to Rob Tarrant for organising the meal , and to Phillip Macey for taking photos on the evening.