OPS Weekly Newsletter 20 January 2026
- Our winter exhibition is now ready to be viewed, and admired, at the Westgate Library. Please do visit and encourage others to visit and enjoy the range of images on show.
- Please reply to Phil W’s email regarding the CACC photographic entries open for:
- Chilterns Hundred. Individual entry collated by Club. Clubs must not impose any selection on the member’s choice.
- Championship – Prints. Club entry
- Championship – Projected. Club entry
Please contact Pete or Phil Warrington if you wish to enter the competition. See here for full details https://thecacc.org.uk/events/championship-day/
- Last meeting held on Tues 13 January: Hidden Romania and images of Croatia and Macedonia + Members Show & Tell
Willie had been on a trip to Romania organised by James Kerwin who had given the club a presentation during Covid lockdown on his work photography old and decaying building. He ‘zoomed-in’ from his home in Georgia.
Given that most of the shots would be indoors Willie had made sure he had packed wide angle lens. The trip would be covering quite a number of places in the country and Willie had arrived a few days early in the capital Bucharest to get a feel of the place.
He showed shots of the former dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu’s ostentatious Palace of the Parliament, which is the largest civilian administrative building in the world, the less imposing but beautifully designed and decorated Stavropoleos Monastery, the spectacular Caru’ cu bere restaurant, the staircase in the Cărturești Carusel bookshop, the rather bizarre but photogenic umbrella street plus other scene that got Willie well into the ‘taking photos mode’.
Next up was a place called Ploiesta not far north of the capital and to a rundown orthodox church in the middle of nowhere. A caretaker had opened the church for the group and it was so small that only two photographers at a time could enter. The images really captured the decay and ruin. Further on there was a totally abandon basilica before they got to an abandoned salt mine which involved a 20 minute drive underground – a real salt cellar. There is no longer salt being mine and the place is now a tourist attraction.
Further east to Brasov and a still used church with a beautifully spectacular art nouveau-esque window and then on to a castle just outside the city which gave a sense of Transylvanian horror movie settings.
There were shots of faded frescos in chapels and the decay of grandeur at a sanitorium that was only for use of Communist party members, which looked like a scene from a Wes Anderson movie. In fact, many of the facades of buildings had that look about them. Once inside the scenes were one of abject decay.
There were also images from inside an art deco power station control room and very good capture of detail of the dials.
It was then on to Croatia and Montenegro and shots of imposing monuments to the fallen of World War II, a small chapel of a Croatian castle, plus a modern mosque, a grand winding staircase in the abandoned Hotel Belvedere which over looks Dubrovnik and to end the presentation Willie showed his fantastic photography of a single boat on the water taken well past dusk.
All in all a great presentation which took us back in time to a world that is long gone.
In the second half nine members entertained us with a variety of images that were recently taken.
- Next meeting Tues 20 January: The Night Climbers of Oxford with Austin Bradley
THE NIGHT CLIMBERS OF OXFORD – Austin Bradley Austin’s talk explores the hidden tradition of night climbing, following students and graduates as they scale and traverse the rooftops of Oxford’s colleges — a practice dating back to the early 1900s.
Created as his final project for the Oxford Brookes Photography BA, the series captures modern climbers continuing this legacy under cover of darkness. Drawing on 1930s film noir and historical night-climbing photography, the work was recently featured in the PhotoOxford festival. A book of images and first-hand accounts will be available on the night.
- Upcoming meetings/events
- 27 Jan: Member Showcase – Double Feature with Pete Warrington & Habip Kocak
- 3 Feb: Breathless in Nepal – Julian Elliott, an award-winning landscape and travel photographer, writer and modern-day nomad
- 10 Feb: Print Competition No. 2 – our judge is Peter Cox
- 17 Feb: Rose Bowl Competition – Judging round At OPS
You can see the programme up to the end of the year and beyond here and download it:
https://oxfordphotosociety.co.uk/programme-download/
- Photographic events in and around Oxford
The Wild Encounter
Wildlife photography by Robert Edwards
10 January to 28 February 2026
Oxford-based journalist and photographer Robert Edwards is channeling his passion for the natural world into a positive local effort, bringing wildlife photos captured during his travels to patients and staff at the Churchill Hospital.
Inspired by his own mother’s cancer journey, his exhibition features wildlife portraits from across Latin America, western Scotland and southern England, offering visitors a moment of calm and escape through encounters with nature.
Funds for this exhibition were generously donated by friends, family and colleagues and by Soroptimist International of Oxford and District.
All proceeds from print sales will go to Oxford Hospitals Charity.
Follow Robert on Instagram @robertpedwards
https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/artlink/exhibitions/south-street-gallery/?ref=oxfordclarion.uk
Jon Dunn – Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum, Winter Lecture Series
Natural history writer and photographer Jon Dunn addresses the OBGA Winter Lecture Series.
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
7.00-8.30 Thursday 19 February
https://www.obga.ox.ac.uk/event/jon-dunn-winter-lecture-series
Camera Club: Spring Exhibition
Camera Club is part of The North Wall’s YouthLab programme, which supports young people aged 12-17 in developing their creative skills alongside professional artists. Every year a group of 6-8 aspiring photographers works with artist Elina Medley to create images using digital SLR cameras and then to curate an exhibition of photography.
Sat 28 March to Thur 2 April.
This exhibition takes place at Magdalen Road Studios
https://www.thenorthwall.com/whats-on/camera-club-exhibition-2026/
Dylan Brennan THE BIG SHOT with Greg Brennan
Blackwell’s, Broad Street Oxford
Wednesday, May 27 from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm GMT+1
Dylan Brennan will discuss his new photographic book, The Big Shot with Britain’s most celebrated press photographer, Greg Brennan.
The Big Shot: Photographs by Greg Brennan showcases the work of one of Britain’s longest standing and most celebrated press photographers, offering an intimate look at three decades of celebrity, entertainment and major events.
From Hollywood and music legends to sporting greats, fashion visionaries and members of the British royal family, Greg Brennan has spent a lifetime chasing every opportunity to provide the public with rare behind-the-scenes insights, capturing encounters with the likes of Jack Nicholson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lady Gaga, Kate Moss and Queen Elizabeth II.
- General photographic interest
‘It felt celebratory’: Portrait of Britain winners – in pictures
From charity workers to synchronised swimmers via a young lad having tea with his nan, these people all inspired award-winning photographs
Monochrome marvels: LensCulture’s best black-and-white photography – in pictures
A brutal nomadic sport, quiet childhood reveries and stark human endurance define the photographs that wowed this year’s judges
World Sports Photography Awards 2026 winners revealed – in pictures
More than 4,120 photographers from 123 countries submitted a record-breaking 23,130 images across the 24 categories to this year’s World Sports Photography awards, the only global competition for sporting photography.
Vevcani carnival – in pictures
The North Macedonian town celebrated the 1,400-year-old festival over two days. The part-pagan, part-satire carnival is believed to scare away evil spirits, and marks the beginning of the Julian calendar’s New Year.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2026/jan/16/vevcani-carnival-in-pictures
Finding your way out of a creative drought with photo projects
Every photographer inevitably goes through periods where they hit a wall. That wall can come from all kinds of things, including a lack of inspiration, growth stagnation or both. But either way, it often leads to not wanting to pick up a camera. While just like exercise, there are times when rest is best (pardon the rhyme), there are also times you’re better off pushing through those feelings of apathy.