John Smith Prints

“Prints that pleased” John Smith, the speaker at Scunthorpe Camera Club this week, also pleased club members.

John is always a welcome visitor to the Scunthorpe Camera Club. Sometimes, as this week, John is here to show examples of his work; sometimes he visits as a competition judge.

Being a steam railway buff, John started the evening off by showing quite a number of his monochrome prints of old steam engines, taken over several years. He showed a variety of images; some close-ups of the working parts with gleaming brass and immaculate paint in traditional colours.

Next came dramatic images of the engines with plumes of steam and smoke issuing from their stacks as they worked hard to go up an incline.
Finding the best vantage points from which to photograph the trains saw John doing some hill walking around the countryside or going along to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in Yorkshire where he was able to get down the side of the railway lines and photograph the engines close-up and even the volunteer ladies coaling up and polishing the engines ready for the day's outings.

Living at Brigg, John showed several prints of points of interest taken around the town, and especially one pub which sold refreshment bearing his name.

The water fountain and gardens in Central Park Scunthorpe were also shown to very good effect. John loved walking in the Yorkshire Dales and going especially to the Ingleton Waterfalls to photograph Thornton Force on cold winter days as this is when a greater volume of water comes down the fall.

Early morning at Malham before other walkers were about, the flotsam and jetsom at Spurn Point, cliffs at Flamborough landing, many of the old churches around Lincolnshire, harvesting the wheat, the white cottages and ford at Thealbythorpe, Alvingham Water Mill, and even Brigg Power Station have all been subjects for Johns’ camera.

As the evening drew to a close, John went back to showing a selection of his favourite prints which of course were of the old steam engines, motor bikes, one or two glamour prints of professional models, the Derbyshire countryside and the local favourite, the Humber Bridge.

President John West thanked John for a very interesting and informative evening and looked forward to seeing John again in the not to distant future.

[This report was submitted by Kath Cooke, the club Publicity Officer.]