The Isle of Man Photographic Society was glad to be able to resume its meetings with the launch of the 2022/23 season last week.

For the first time the society’s meetings will be fortnightly this year.

This first night was more in the way of a relaxed and gentle introduction led by the society’s current president, Tony Curtis, in which he outlined a more flexible approach to the programme.

Mr Curtis explained that it had been designed to reflect the expressed needs and wishes of both members and guests.

He added that, in addition, a number of external locations was being finalised at which new and interesting topics, that would be difficult to cover indoors, would be the themes for external site visits.

There would also be no charge for refreshments this year, an announcement that pleased the members.

In fact, the committee has worked hard since the AGM in April designing a programme which includes several excellent guest speakers who are likely to generate interest in different aspects of photography, some of these subjects not having featured previously.

The popular monthly photographic fun ‘challenge’ is also being reintroduced to encourage members to use their cameras (or smart phones).

The theme set for the month of October is ‘Abstract’, which should stimulate those little grey cells. There are a few examples on the society website.

We were most pleased to be able to welcome four potential new members of varying experience on the introductory evening.

It is our hope that the more ‘relaxed’ style of our first night might encourage them to come along again to our next meeting on October 19 at 7pm at the St John Ambulance headquarters, off Glencrutchery Road in Douglas.

This second meeting will take the form of a studio portrait session with various lighting set-ups and models.

Help will be on hand to guide the less experienced to learn new skills in the genre of indoors photography.

Members’ entries will also need to be submitted next Wednesday for the first open competition.

Returning to our first night back, in addition to a selection of excellent large mounted prints on display around the room, our president gave a presentation of his own images, mostly taken in 2022, which featured the ‘local’ wallabies, cornwall sights, various sea birds, seals around our coastline, offshore dolphins (taken from the Marine Drive), insect close-ups and the beautiful gardens at Milntown, Lezayre.

Guests will always be welcome to attend our meetings, no matter what experience or skills they possess, subject to the payment of a small (nominal) charge to offset the society’s running costs.

If you are interested, please look at www.iomps.com for further details.