In this month’s Q&A we focus on photography, more specifically the Wymondham Photographic Society. John Cann, Chair of the WPS Committee agreed to talk to us about the Society, his own interest in photography, and provide a few tips for taking great holiday shots. John’s love of photography, along with his knowledge and skills, are evident from the stunning images he shared with us for this feature. And the WPS, as he explains below, is not just about photography.

Can you tell us about your role in the Wymondham Photographic Society?

I joined in 2012 as a general member, then joined the Committee a couple of years later, and eventually, I ended up as the Chair. We’ve got a good, strong Committee. Through the lockdown I pulled back a bit and let the ones who wanted to manage the Zoom meetings. They did that very successfully and kept the club going, though we probably lost 50% of our membership during that time. Once the lockdown ended and we met normally at the Dell, I was asked to come back as Chair, which I agreed to, and I’ve been the Chair ever since.

I wanted to join a club when I retired as I think belonging to a club gives you enthusiasm and direction. I looked online to find one and picked Wymondham as it had a nice webpage and sounded good with friendly people.

How long has the club been going and what’s behind its success?

It started in 1969, and was called the Wymondham and Attleborough Camera Club, but eventually we changed to the Wymondham Photographic Society. The reason we don’t call it a camera club is because we’re interested in photography, not particularly the equipment - although people love to talk about the equipment. But it doesn’t matter what equipment you’ve got, it’s the image. We’ve had our fiftieth anniversary and are still going strong. I’d say the success of the society is due to strong leadership through the committee and enthusiastic members. And although we are known as a local photographic society, in fact we are international as we’ve had a competition with Red Deer in Canada for the last five years and are about to hold an annual competition with a club in Colorado Springs in the States.

Who are the members and do they take part in competitions?

There are just over 50 members, aged from about 30 upwards. There are a number of retired people, so the age is on the higher side. It’s a broad spectrum of members in terms of levels, abilities, and equipment. We have two tiers in the competitions: one for beginners and one more advanced. Not everyone enters the competitions, but about 75% do, and it’s a way to judge where you are and whether you’re improving. Some competition submissions are even taken with phones. It’s the image, not the equipment. 

Can you tell us about the meetings and membership?

Our season runs from September to June, and we meet every Tuesday at the Dell Bowls Club from 8:00-10:00pm. We are very much a social body of photographers and we also have a coffee morning on the first Friday of the month at 10:00am. And there’s a landscape group, open to any member, which meets about once a month at a particular destination, it could be during the day or evening. We are open to forming other groups too if members are interested. It’s all about the members. The membership fee is £50 a year, which we’ve held for the last few years, and it is reduced if you join later the year. The fee is in line with other local clubs. If people want to come and try it out, they can come along for two evenings free of charge.

What's a typical meeting like?

We don’t have typical meetings. Some meetings are competitions, and we have people coming in to give us talks. Upcoming talks include one on underwater photography; another on derelict buildings; a drone photography talk with demonstration on the bowling green; and a wildlife photographer who spends six months of the year in Africa or India is coming to give us a talk. We also have social nights - at Christmas and the end of the season. We have continuous improvement which can be about anything the members want to learn; we had one earlier this year for beginners on how the camera works, composition - all the basics. We also have a studio where we can have a model and lighting. The Dell is a great venue for the meetings, with a big room, a bar, and a car park. 

Why do you think photography is a popular hobby?

For us, in our society, it’s a social club as well as a photographic club. And it’s an interesting subject that you can progress in with your abilities, and it also gets you out into the fresh air and you get an understanding of nature. As you learn, you might go down a certain road which you focus more on, perhaps landscape, wildlife, portraiture… Most of our members are general photographers with a leaning towards various subjects. What it’s done for me is that I’ve learned to appreciate the light, the world and wildlife. It’s also about getting out, meeting people, and testing yourself – watching yourself improve.

How did you get interested in photography?

Back in the early 70s when I was on a work contract in Egypt, the people I was working with had fancy cameras and I got interested. When I got back to the UK, I got my first camera and it’s been a hobby ever since. I changed over to digital in about 2013 and had Canon equipment at first until the beginning of lockdown, and then after talking to some club members, I changed to Olympus – it’s lighter, cheaper and the quality is superb. What I have now is really a mini computer that takes photographs.

Can you tell us about your upcoming Open Day?

We have our next Open Day on Saturday 17th June from 10:00 to 16:00 at the Dell. It’s open to the public, and there’ll be an exhibition of our photos, a digital display on TV, and members there to talk to. We’d like to encourage new members so that’s an ideal opportunity for people to meet us and learn more.

With summer not far off, can you share some simple tips to help people improve their holiday photos, even if taken on the phone?

Yes, I’ve got five points. The first is take your time, don’t rush. The second is to be aware of the background - you don’t want a street light coming out of auntie’s head in a family holiday photo! Third is composition again, be aware of edge intrusions – you don’t want the boot of a car coming into the photograph or an unwanted branch, so again take time, look before you press the button. The fourth one, think about the rule of thirds when composing. So, if you have one main subject, don’t put it in the centre, put it on a third line; and don’t have any horizons in the centre, but either a third down or a third up. And the last one is remember there’s no bad weather for taking photos, only bad clothing! 

For more information about the WPS, take a look at their website www.wymondham-ps.org.uk. You are also invited to come along to the Society’s Open Day at the Wymondham Dell Bowls Club on Saturday 17th June.