Focused Newsletter January 2024
Hello SAPF Members,
Welcome to the New Year. I hope you had opportunities to get out capturing lovely images for the coming year and that you had a pleasant holiday break with family and friends.
Annual General Meeting 2024 – Management Committee
We will be holding the SAPF AGM on 22 March.
Several MC Members are standing down at this AGM, including me. David Shetliffe, who has been Senior Vice President, will be standing for election as President, and I congratulate him on this decision, as well as thanking him for his support whilst I have been President. My reasons are health-related, and I am planning to travel more around our great country, photographing, of course.
Amanda and Roger are also stepping down, having been on the committee for the same period as me. Roger has contributed an enormous amount personally, as he is based in Goolwa and has made an effort to attend every meeting in Adelaide as well as ensure our finances are in good shape with the new system he set up. Amanda is retiring from the committee to pursue more travel time with her husband’s work overseas, although she is still planning to be involved in Workshops and the Annual Exhibition. I thank both for their support and their significant contribution to the Management Committee.
We are looking for a long-term Secretary as my husband Wayne only joined the committee this year to help me and the committee due to the vacancies that occurred in April last year. I have appreciated his support very much during this period.
THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO STEP UP - NOMINATE NOW
I started out in September 2021 as Secretary to Ross Pollock, then Grant Petras, and finally into the President position. I have learned so much about the wide photographic community and had a great opportunity to meet enthusiastic photographers across our beautiful state.
Even if you only serve on the Management Committee for a year, I am sure you will enjoy the experience and the friendships you will form.
SO PLEASE CONSIDER IF YOU CAN SPARE THE TIME – 10 meetings per annum and specialist activities in your area of interest; mine has been judging, organising training courses, and liaising with country clubs as well as the metro.
If you are considering nominating, ring David on 0414 631 442 – he will be very happy to talk to you about any role you might like to consider. Your Club Secretary can give you a nomination form detailing the available positions.
Club Visits
I recently spent a week in Naracoorte and a few days in Beachport, and I was able to meet the members of our South Coast area clubs. I went to their Christmas meeting and was lucky to hear their guest speaker, a member of Limestone Coast Camera Club and a well-known local photographer, Steve Chapple, who was a very entertaining and informative speaker. He has a website with examples of his photography if you want to visit. There is a very high level of photographic expertise tucked away in our regional clubs. The Naracoorte club is looking at entering the SAPF Annual Exhibition this year, so you may all be able to see what I mean.
Please remember that if you are travelling in our country areas, check the website to see if there is a club meeting in the area. You will be made very welcome, as you are a part of our great community of photographers across SA.
I will be going to Whyalla for the Eyre Peninsula Camera Clubs Association annual get together in early March when I can catch up with members of the Eyre Peninsula clubs again, including our past President Ross, following on the 2023 visit to Port Lincoln for the same event. I am continuing as a Judge and already have several clubs booked to visit or for online judging. I have found that this is a fantastic way to see the work being done by other photographers and meet new people with different skills. If you think you would like to become an SAPF Judge, I know Keith Seidel would be pleased to hear from you as he is planning another training course sometime this year. His contact details are available through your Club Secretary.
I hope to see many of you at the AGM and some nominations to join the SAPF Management Committee. In the meantime, my very best wishes to you all for a great 2024.
Geraldine,
President, SAPF