OPS Weekly Newsletter 25 October 2026
- We have a ‘Talks Portal’ – fancy name for a spreadsheet – where members can add the names and contact details of speakers that they would like to be included in the programme. If you have any recommendations please add them here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Vygkbg7dUF2e0dqF8PfPyfT1caZrnWJB5EEG9bBrTjs/edit?tab=t.0
- Last meeting held on Tuesday 20 October: Print Competition No. 1
Our judge, Peter Cox, first of all congratulated us for bagging three trophies last year: the Chiltern Challenge Trophy, the Les Spitz Memorial Wildlife Competition and the Chiltern Association of Camera Clubs Rosebowl.
Then, for the print competition, he explained what he would basing his assessments on:
Impression
Composition
Technical
Print quality, mount, use of paper
And the results were:
| Colour | ||
| First | Summer Time | Ian Bray |
| Second | Heron | Phil Warrington |
| Third | Six | John Bull |
| H. Commended | Fox | Nigel Finch |
| H. Commended | An Intense Stare, Birmingham | Peter Warrington |
| H. Commended | Behind the Green Doors | Sandra Devaney |
| Commended | Juvenile White Tailed Eagle | Nigel Finch |
| Commended | Tide Coming In | John Boteler |
| Commended | Three Greens | John Bull |
| Commended | Southern Hawker | Adrian Cubitt |
| Mono-chrome | ||
| First | Margate Cowboy | John Boteler |
| Second | Art of Flight II | Adrian Cubit |
| Third | Daily Sweep | Sandra Devaney |
| H. Commended | Closing the Pier, Weston | Peter Warrington |
| H. Commended | Light and Shadow | Jill Bain |
| H. Commended | Holi Men – Varanasi | Bharat Patel |
| Commended | Offering of Light | Offering of Light |
| Commended | Keith | Mike Ashcroft |
| Commended | Blavatnik School of Government | Les Gordon |
| Commended | Niagara | Jill Bain |
Congratulations to everyone who took part.
- Next meeting Tuesday 27 October: Once a slag with Philippa James
Following her talk for OPS last year, we’re pleased to welcome photographer Philippa James back to talk about her project, Once a Slag.
Philippa is a British photographer whose work explores women, girlhood and identity. Her work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery as part of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, and she has received recognition including the LensCulture Emerging Talent Award and the Portraits of Humanity Award. Her work has also been published widely, including in The Guardian.
Once a Slag explores girlhood through photographs of Philippa’s teenage daughter and her friends. The project considers the influence of social media, sexuality and misogyny, and the ways young women navigate identity and expectations.
- Upcoming meetings
3 November: Workshop: Creative Portrait Photography: Thinking Outside The Box with Kieran Hunt
10 November: Iconic photographs that would bomb in club photo competitions with Mathew Lodge
17 November: Wildlife Photography – How Hard Can It Be? Helen Webb
- Photographic events in and around Oxford
Martin Parr: Oxford Bodleian Libraries
Martin Parr (1952–2025) was one of the most influential photographers of the past 50 years, transforming the medium through his distinctive vision and commitment to photography. This small display celebrates his legacy as photographer, collaborator and champion of photographic books. (Exhibition end date TBC.)
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford
Colonial Views of India: Photographs by Eugene Clutterbuck Impey
This free photographic exhibition in G29 offers a rare glimpse of late 19th century India. Ends 26 October. Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PH
- Photographic events further afield
Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography
Light and Magic is the first major exhibition to explore pictorialism as a global movement. Discover how artists became pioneers of the darkroom, transforming our understanding of photography and image making.
Tate Modern
Bankside
London SE1 9TG
14 October 2026 – 21 February 2027
10.00–18.00 Sunday to Thursday
10.00–21.00 Fridays and Saturdays
See Guardian review here
The 13 best new photography exhibitions in London to have on your radar
From striking documentary work to powerful portraits, explore life through a lens with these new shows
https://theglossarymagazine.com/arts-culture/best-photography-exhibitions-london-2026/
See full list of exhibitions here: https://amateurphotographer.com/latest/articles/best-photography-exhibitions-to-see/
- General photographic interest
Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story
BBC FOUR
22.00 – 7 October 2026
1 hour, 35 minutes
The remarkable story of Kwame Brathwaite, the Harlem photographer, activist and cultural pioneer whose work helped define the iconic Black Is Beautiful movement. Across a career spanning more than seven decades, Kwame captured over 500,000 images documenting African American life, creativity and identity, while championing black pride through photography, fashion and grassroots activism.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0033kb0
Photos fill the frame at the Epson Pano awards 2026 – in pictures
The Epson Pano awards celebrate panoramic photography from first-time entrants and established professionals alike. This year, the 17th iteration, adds a new aerial category to show off the unique format
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/oct/23/epson-pano-awards-2026-in-pictures
Nikon’s Small World photomicrography competition winners – in pictures
The 52nd annual Nikon Small World competition honours the world’s most remarkable images captured through a microscope. The first-place prize was awarded to Ole Bielfeldt, a student and experimental photographer, for his image of ink droplets suspended inside an inkjet printer as it prints
Absolutely magnificent 50s and 60s photos by the unparalleled genius Richard Avedon – the man who revolutionised fashion
When fashion stepped off the pedestal: the formative years of one of the world’s most influential photographers