November was a busy and exciting month for Solas members, full of photography, learning, and a great achievement.
The month kicked off with a fantastic two-day trip to the Irish Photography Hides in Ballyfin, Co Laois on the 1st and 2nd. 16 members of the club got hands-on opportunity to capture photos of wildlife in their natural habitats, learning patience within the hide and were rewarded with visits from Buzzard, Kestrel, Pine Martin, Fox, Pheasant, Squirrels and a range of small birds, all while enjoying the beautiful surroundings. Everybody enjoyed the day and managed to capture some fantastic shots, and a few that got away!
On the 5th, our entries to the club Round One of the Photographer of the Year competition were judged by Martin Kalvaster.
Our first two Themes were Open Colour and Sports or Games. It was a great chance for members to see and discuss each other’s work, share insights, and receive constructive feedback in a friendly and supportive setting. The winners and runners up were well deserved and have set the bar for the next rounds in February and April. The session sparked plenty of conversation and ideas, inspiring everyone to experiment and push their photography further.
Mid-month, on the 19th, we held our Members’ Five presentations. Fourteen members; Adrian, Almila, Catherine, Ciara, Des, Filipe, Ger, Joe, Larry, Maria, Michael, Rachel, Sandra and Tom showcased their recent work.
In particular it was great to see our new members showing their work and discussing their techniques and motivation. The evening was full of discussion, inspiration, and plenty of encouragement from fellow members.
We also had fantastic news from the national scene: Solas came Second overall in the Irish Photographic Federation National Shield. Huge thanks to Catherine, Anton, Enda and Joe for selecting the images, coordinating the high-res images, printing, mounting, and representing the club on the day. Every member in the club, including those who had images selected, and everyone who supported the effort, played a part in this amazing achievement.
We came Second in the Mono Panel and Third in Colour with Commended Mention awards to Michael Gough, Owen Nally and Enda O’Loughlin. We received top score for 50% of our images and the others were not far behind with a final score of 228 / 240, just two points behind the winners Blackwater Photographic Society.
All in all, November was a month of exploration, creativity, learning, and recognition. Solas Photography Club continues to show just how vibrant and talented our club community is.