National Shield 2013 Winner – Boyle Camera Club
The IPF National Shield will take place next Saturday, 8th of November in Malahide Community School, see Google Maps for directions.
With a record 31 clubs entering the National Shield this year and two talks by rising stars of photography, Michelle La Grue and Ronan McLaughlin, this promises to be a day not to be missed.
The Programme of Events for the day is as follows:
8:00 – 10:00 am – Hanging of prints
All panels must be hung before 10am
10:00 – 11:00 am – Time for breakfast
Tea, coffee and light snacks will be available at the venue
11:00 – 12:30 am -Talk: Michelle La Grue AIPF
Michelle La Grue is a busy mum of 3 from Artane, Dublin. She fell into photography quite by accident and in an effort to learn more she joined Malahide Camera Club in 2009 and has held the position of Competition Secretary for the last 2 years. Michelle also submitted two successful Licentiate and Associateship panels for IPF accreditations during 2013 / 2014.
From Fine Art Children’s Portraiture to Art Nude, you will get a see a selection of her images, and an insight to how she found herself making a leap from Scrapbooking to Photography.
12:30 – 2:00 pm – Time for lunch
There are lots of great eateries in Malahide village, see http://www.enjoymalahide.com/eating for more information
2:00 – 3:30 pm – Talk: “I didn’t set out to be a photographer” – Rónán McLaughlin
It just kind of happened.
Many years ago in very rural Ireland, namely Malin Head. I found a little green bird bouncing around our rather bare and barren garden. I was interested and wanted to know what it was. So for my 12th birthday I was given a bird book and a pair of binoculars. The more I learned about birds the more I wanted to know. So much so I started to find scarce and rare birds, but I had no way or recording them, except as little hand sketched drawings.
As the years went on, I wanted to record either on film or on digital my sightings, so I invested in my first Canon SLR. As the digital age progressed so did point and shoot cameras. These cameras allowed me to photograph birds through a telescope. However quality was often poor etc and I constantly wanted to do better.
In 2006 I bought my first Nikon D80 and Sigma 150-500mm lens and began photographing birds in a serious fashion. Numerous websites and magazines in the UK and Ireland became very interested in my photographs of rare birds. I got a number of photographs published throughout Ireland, the UK and front covers as far afield as Australia and India.
So it all began with the birds. Now I try numerous subjects, the birds, general flora and fauna, landscapes and the sky at night. I like to show people what can be seen in Ireland given the right circumstances. I often hear people saying, ‘I didn’t know you could see them/those/that in Ireland’. I suppose my photography is educational and I hope in the future to keep showing people the wonderful heritage, flora and fauna etc that is to be found in Ireland.
I am a simple person who loves making photographs and spending time outdoors. I am fortunate to be able to spend a good amount of time on personal projects and travelling to the 4 corners of Ireland. I make my bed in Cork, but Donegal is my home and where better to get the inspiration than in some of the wildest spots in Western Europe.
I really love my hobby and I spend a lot of time refining, perfecting and even obsessing over my work… It is a passion, which I hope comes across in my photographs.
4:00 – 5:00 pm – Judges Comments
National Shield Judges will give their comments on the submitted panels
5:00 – 5:30 pm – Awards Ceremony
Awards and certificates will be presented to winning clubs.
After 6:00 pm – Removal of panels
Panels maybe removed only after 6pm, no earlier unless agreed with the event coordinator in advance.
Individual panel results will only be made available after 6pm, once all images have been removed and boards cleaned up.
Accommodation:
For those needing accommodation, we can recommend:
Grand Hotel, Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland.
T: +353 1 845 0000 DD:+353 1 816 8284 F: +353 1 845 0987
