Issue No. 8
4th August 2024
We hope that you're doing well and enjoying your photography!
Remember that as a Member of Cliq Photiq you receive one professional portfolio review each year. Your collection of images can include up to 24 photos, and the review can be done in-person or over Zoom. For photographers at all levels, periodically having professional critique from an expert reviewer can be a transformative experience that propels your photography forward. Please email Nat Coalson with any questions or to schedule your portfolio review.
Also as a reminder, past issues of these member email newsletters are posted on the Photiq website in a members-only area, so you will need to be logged in. View the Cliq Member News archives here
Upcoming Cliq Members Zoom meet-ups
Please join us online for an informal group meeting where we can get acquainted, share ideas, review images and discuss things to come!
Note: If you have images you'd like to review during the next Zoom session, please have them ready on the device you'll use to join the Zoom so you can share your screen. Alternatively you can email them to me or upload via WeTransfer and I can share them for you.
Zoom meetings run approximately 45–60 minutes
Please mark your calendars and RSVP so we have an idea of how many will attend.
NEXT ZOOM MEETINGS:
– Tuesday 13th August
– Tuesday 10th September
– Tuesday 15th October
All starting at 7:00 pm (1900 hrs) UK Time
Join using Nat Coalson's Personal Meeting Room
Request for input: In-person meetups
We are planning to start Cliq Photiq meetings in-person on a monthly basis, at a café near Gallery Photiq in Leamington Spa.
Please reply to tell us:
a. If you would be able to attend, and
b. Which of the following days/times work best for you?
– Saturday morning
– Thursday morning
– Thursday evening
I'll send further updates about this, and the upcoming dates, after we've received your feedback.
Article: How to Read a Photograph
In modern societies most people learn to read written language, but many have never been taught how to actively ‘read’ pictures, such as photographs, paintings and drawings. This is a shame, because a lot can be missed when our engagement with a visual work is done half-consciously and ill-informed. Instead, you can get the most enjoyment from viewing a photograph, painting or other work of art by viewing it actively instead of passively.
In this article you'll learn how to actively read a photograph or other visual artwork.
Member Portfolio / Online Gallery
Feature your photography on the Photiq website!
If you haven't yet contributed your portfolio, please send me 12-20 of your favourite images along with a brief Artist Statement / Biography.
(These online portfolios need not be the same set of images that you submit for your annual portfolio review.)
Of course, let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to help.
View Cliq Photiq Member Portfolios
Creative exercise: Fast and Slow
This photography exercise has two parts:
Part 1) Spend ten minutes making pictures quickly and instinctively—just go with the flow. It’s perfectly OK if you shoot in Full Auto mode for this! The goal is simply to make lots of photos fast, working reactively and without getting bogged down in your thought process. After ten minutes, stop, take a few deep breaths and reset yourself mentally and physically.
Part 2) After clearing your mind, spend the next ten minutes simply observing, looking closely and contemplating possible pictures. Don’t take any photos—don’t even look through the viewfinder! Instead, imagine an invisible frame overlaid on parts of your scene, defining the borders of possible compositions. At the end of ten minutes, you are allowed to capture just one shot (yes, one!). So use your time to find the single image with the most potential.
This exercise trains you to slow down, concentrate on seeing and responding—without fussing over camera functions.
Cliq Member Exhibition Oct 29 - Nov 16
The inaugural exhibition for members of Cliq Photiq will take place Oct-Nov 2024.
Each member is invited to provide up to 3 photographs for inclusion. All images will be provided digitally.
I will print and frame your photos for exhibition in our gallery.
The deadline for submitting images is Friday 11th October.
Call for Entries: Street Photography CLOSES 19th AUGUST
Submissions are open for our next international group exhibition, Street Photography.
Cliq members get 15% off entry fees. When you go to the website, be sure to Log In (using the icon at the upper right of the screen) and your discount will be automatically applied.
Discount code and member content
Some members have encountered difficulty obtaining the automatic discounts when making purchases on our website. Remember that the member-only features and content are dependent on being logged into the website.
If you are not logged in, the discount will not be automatically applied. So please be sure to log in the website before completing any purchases.
At the upper right of the screen, click the little 'profile' icon to be taken to the login page. Let me know if you have any trouble setting a password or logging in and I can help.
You can also manually enter the members discount code during checkout. Please contact us and we will send it to you privately.
Introducing SlickPic …and Nat's new website
I've recently published an all-new website using SlickPic, a service designed specifically for photographers.
(Before starting my business in fine art photography, I worked professionally as a web designer and owned a web development agency in Denver.
Even in the age of social media, having your own website is still of vital importance to every serious photographer. If you have wanted a website but don't know where to start, or would like your existing website redone, I'll be happy to help. I've worked with all the major platforms and can also hand-code HTML and CSS for customisation.
Your input and news items needed
Do you have any news to share with the Cliq? This could be anything related to your photography.
We are very keen to have ongoing communication and involvement with and between our members and greatly value your feedback and contributions.
Tell a friend
If you know other photographers who you think might benefit from membership in Cliq Photiq, please refer them! You can direct them to the main Membership page on our website. Again, membership is open to photographers living anywhere in the world.
As always, if there are any questions or concerns we are more than happy to address them personally, so please also feel free to share our group email cliq@photiq.uk as well as our gallery phone number 01926 833212.
Until next time… thanks and happy Cliquing !