OffShoot Newsletter - 16th May 2026

OffShoot Photography Society
We believe that the image is everything!

This Week's Headlines

This Monday – SWM Showcase Part II

SWM - Summer / Autumn

Post Processing Evening

Exhibition Information

Tip of the Month

See below for the details of these stories and more!

News

Next Monday - Shoot With Me Showcase 2

After an inspiring, informative and entertaining first showcase last Monday, the teams return with the second Shoot With Me Showcase next Monday evening. As you know SWM is unique to Offshoot and it never fails to produce some great images and stories.

SWM Summer / Autumn 2026If any member wishes to lead a SWM group over the summer please email swm@offshoot.ie with topic and description. The showcase for the Summer SWM will be included in the Autumn Showcase to be held in December.The Summer SWM is expected to run from June to September unless a leader requests that it run into the Autumn SWM.

Outings

The next outing to the National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh, will be later today. We will be meeting at 10:30 outside the cafe. Frazer Meredith is leading this outing.

A reminder for those intending to visit the Saltees to apply for your licence to take photos. The licence can take a few weeks to come through. The link is here and can be sent to wildlifelicence@npws.gov.ie.

We intend to make arrangements for trips in June shortly.

Advance Notice of Post Processing Evening

On 22nd June we will run a post processing evening to look at the things you should consider doing to your images when you download them from your camera. Following a brief presentation, two of our members will put the theory into practice by editing some images. If you would like some of your own images included in those we edit on the night we will provide a dropbox link in early June so you can upload them.

Next Competition

Our third Competition is a monochrome competition. There is a €25 One4All voucher for the winning photographer in each Level. The Judge is Patrick Donald (website here), the judging date is the 25th of May.

Good luck to everyone taking part!

Club Exhibition

The club's annual exhibition will be held in Ballyogan Library for the month of September.

If you would like to take part in the exhibition, please submit one image each to the link below before midnight on the 30th June 2026. The topic can be anything. The images will be printed, mounted by Mulvany Brothers, with an IKEA frame, at a cost of €30 each, unless you want to use a different paper option, as explained below.

Please pay the club’s storefront for the printed, mounted and framed images.

When submitting images for the exhibition, can members please add a title to the images, as we will have foam title tags for each image, and it looks better if the image has a name rather than a camera-generated file name. Please upload your files in TIFF format, as it means that the image will print really well.

The naming convention for the files is PhotographersName-ImageTitle.Tiff.

There will be a launch party after the first night of the exhibition.

Please add your images to the Dropbox link below.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/2iylyb1xfn579jx1922l5/AI79BQdNSXyitKWopuLSuiI?rlkey=00x1wdu9pj4ltj4k43tlbs5qt&st=uex09itc&dl=0

We know September is months away BUT you have to have your images ready and in the Dropbox by 30th June.

Exhibition Upload Information

You should save your images in TIF format (Ideally in ADOBE RGB 1998 Colour Space) and name them with your Name and Image Title: AuthorName-ImageTitle.tif.

Note that JPEG files are acceptable, but the image quality will be somewhat lower.

Tip of the Month

Tips & Tricks for Better Street Photography

Street photography is one of the most enjoyable and accessible types of photography. You don’t need dramatic landscapes or exotic travel destinations to enjoy it, as everyday life provides endless inspiration. A quiet moment at a café, reflections on a rainy street, interesting characters, or the way light falls between buildings can all make compelling images.

The beauty of street photography is that it teaches us to slow down and observe. Ordinary scenes suddenly become full of stories, shapes, colour, and emotion when viewed through the camera.

Good light can turn a simple scene into a striking photograph. Early mornings and late afternoons often provide softer light and longer shadows, while rainy days create reflections and atmosphere.

Street moments happen quickly, so simple settings help:

- Aperture Priority mode works very well
- Try around f/5.6 to f/8 for flexibility
- Use Auto ISO if the light is changing
- Keep your shutter speed fairly fast (1/250 or higher) to freeze movement
- Stay in One Place

Instead of constantly wandering, try standing still for a few minutes and watching the scene develop. People moving through the frame often create stronger compositions naturally.

Look Beyond People

Street photography isn’t only about portraits of strangers. Look for:

- Shadows and silhouettes
- Reflections in windows or puddles
- Interesting signs and textures
- Colour contrasts
- Humorous moments
- Everyday details others might miss
- Use a Small Lens

A compact camera or smaller lens helps you blend in and feel less conspicuous. Many photographers favour a 35mm or 50mm focal length because it feels natural and encourages you to become part of the scene.

Try a Simple Challenge

Giving yourself a theme can sharpen your observation skills:

- People waiting
- Red objects
- Reflections
- Hats
- Leading lines

Small projects often lead to more creative photographs.

Street photography is about observation, timing, and capturing slices of life that might otherwise go unnoticed. Every outing helps train your eye and build confidence.

Final Thought

So next time you head into town, bring your camera along as the streets are full of photographs waiting to happen.

Member's Photos of the Month

impression fruit - Hilda McInerney

Wait, is that a Street Photographer? - Lionel Barker

Main entrance, Gare de Mons - Paul O'Callaghan

Just a note for new members – if you want any of your pictures considered for the photo of the week, you just have to post them to the OffShoot Flickr group at:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/offshoot_society.

There’s also the latest images published on Flickr that are displayed on the OffShoot home page.

[Note. To join the Offshoot Flickr group, you must first be a Flickr member. Then send the email address used to join Flickr to webadmin@offshoot.ie. You will get an email when you have been added to the group. Please be patient as this is a manual process.]