Digital Imaging
The Chairman, Clive Haynes, opened the meeting at 1030 and welcomed the 55 members present and thanked them for attending.
Apologies were received from Committee members Maureen Albright and Jim Buckley and from members Roger Norton, Paula and Guy Davies, Ralph Bennett, Bert Houseley, Ian Ledgard and Dr Arthur Morgan..
Minutes of the Previous AGM held on 22 April 2007 were accepted as a true record.
There were no matters arising.
Chairman’s Report
Clive Haynes made the following points in his report.
The group remains in excellent health and continues to grow, now with 10% of the total Society membership. The Committee is very focussed upon the needs of the membership who enthusiastically follow the increasingly complex developments in digital imaging.
DIGIT, edited by Jim Buckley, is held in high regard as a high-quality publication that many people join the Group to receive on a regular basis. Publication of DIGIT is the single most expensive thing that the Group undertakes. Jim Buckley is standing down from the Committee at the moment but will continue as editor.
The Website remains both active and stimulating. It is an excellent front window for the Group and for the RPS in general. It showcases members’ images with opportunity for feedback and the forum provides for lively and informed discussion. Long-serving Committee member and Fenton Medal holder, John Long, maintains the day-to-day bulletins and features, constantly watching and guiding the Folio and managing the monthly competition.
The long-term future of the Group’s website continues to exercise the Committee as inevitably developments in technology and changes in the Group’s requirements will one day force the need to establish a fresh site incorporating changes to the hosting and design of the site’s features. In recognition of the establishment and long-term success of the Group Website the Committee, on behalf of the membrship, will be making a presentation to Bill Henley as a mark of appreciation. The Committee also recognises the key role that his son, Iain Henley, made in the software design and performance of the site. Clive Haynes expressed the Group’s grateful thanks to them both.
Recognition was given to the hard work of enthusiastic Digital Imaging Group Regional Organisers (DIGROs for short). As a result, the widespread membership can attend regional meetings throughout most of the UK. This year the regional group structure has been consolidated with Southern Scotland, South Wales, Yorkshire and the North West all firmly establishing themselves, whilst the Central-Southern Group has been maintained. Chris Haydon, as DIGRO and Regional Co-ordinator, has maintained contact with the regional structure. DIGROs are invited to attend Committee meetings and Clive encouraged them to do so and also to send in reports of their Regional activities.
Thanks to Alex Dufty’s skillful management last year’s annual print exhibition enjoyed a successful tour of the UK and was well-supported whereever it was shown. The exhibition was once again distributed to members on DVD. In view of the difficulty of obtaining support for local venues and stewarding and the fact that the number of print entries for the current exhibition were reduced, members present were asked to consider whether an on-line exhibition was an acceptable alternative.
With the support of six DIG regions, a touring roadshow of seminars, Photoshop 4 Photographers presented by Terry Steely, was organised and managed by Chris Haydon. Each DIG region, led by its DIGRO, made its own arrangements. In addition, Clive Haynes thanked several RPS Regional Organisers for their valuable support. Dr. Afzal Ansary, RO North West; Roy Robertson, RO Scotland; Joy Hancock, RO East Anglia; and Ray Grace from the Western Region.
This year once again Graham Whistler, assisted by Clive Haynes, organised a very successful weekend portraiture workshop at West Dean College.
Thanks also went to two Committee members who had served the Group well but who were now leaving. Firstly, Dr David Naylor whose business-orientated approach to the Group’s finances has proved of great benefit and the systems now in place will greatly assist his successor. Secondly, Jim Buckley, a very capable and reliable Vice-chairman is stepping down from the Committee and Clive thanked him for his sage-like wisdom and providing a reliable listening post. Other members of the Committee were mentioned for their continuing support: Bob Pearson as Secretary for the day to day running of the Group; Graham Whistler, with his colleague Gordon Rushton, provides the DVD of the exhibition and Maureen Albright who has a full work-load as a DIGRO for two regions and the demands of the AV Group. Tony Healy in Australia maintains contact and provides specialist knowledge from another part of the globe. Dr Barry Senior, a past chairman of the Group and current President of the Society, was thanked for his much appreciated support and sound advice. Two Committee members also play an important part in Society activity: John Long continues to be the DI Group representative and Jim Buckley is an elected member on the RPS Advisory Board.
In closing Clive Haynes thanked everyone for their continuing enthusiastic support for this the largest special interest Group within the RPS. At this point he raised two important questions for members to consider for later general discussion. First, to consider where the Group is going, what is its future, what it can be doing for members and what members can be doing for the Group and secondly – prompted by the Sunset Clause in the Group’s constitution – Has the Digital Imaging Group served its purpose?
Treasurer’s Report
Dr David Naylor reported a total income of £12,588.89 of which £10,350 was from subscriptions and a total expenditure of £15,563.94 of which £10,637 was for the publication of DIGIT. Specifically, David Naylor explained that in regard to the Exhibition the expenditure of £825 was covered by the entry fees totalling £882. The exhibition DVD had been produced at no cost but distribution and printing costs came to £805. The website cost for the year was £400. Regarding the Balance Sheet, David Naylor pointed out that the Group’s balance had fallen from £6,396.72 to £3,421.67. He said that clearly the Group needed to be managing its budget better. He also said there now a formal procedure in place to reclaim VAT. For information, he itemised the Regional Groups’ income and expenditure and all were operating in the black.
Members present then asked several questions. In response to these, David Naylor explained why the item “unpresented cheques” appeared on the accounts and the fact that Terry Steeley lecture receipts were merely passed through the accounts on behalf of Midland DIG.
It was also suggested from the floor that in view of overall benefit to members from the Group that may be subscriptions should be raised.
Adoption of Accounts: Proposed - Graham Wheeler; Seconded - Glenys Taylor.
David Naylor then moved on to the Income Plan and Expenditure Budget for 2008. The various headings were explained and the fact that the Committee member who “owned” the particular event would need to work to the estimated budget. He had assumed non-AGM events would be self-funded and exhibition fees included the increase to £5. Currently he had allowed for three editions of DIGIT at a total annual cost of £6,600, but an increase in member fees by £2 would allow for, for example, another issue of DIGIT per year. Mindful of Committee expenses, these were being kept as low as practical (i.e. conference calls using Skype). With regard to the website, the allocation of £1000 was intended to cover an estimated running cost of £450 pa although there could be additional costs relating to any bandwidth increase or storage requirements. The remaining £550 would not in one year cover the cost of a new site.
From the floor it was suggested that maybe copies of DIGIT could be sold to non-members but this was thought to be impractical. The possibility of another Rugby-type event run at a profit was raised but it was pointed out that support from Jessops was no longer available and there were now some similar free of charge commercially run events which would compete. It was also suggested that the Exhibition DVD might be promoted to camera clubs for their programme for a charge. Clive Haynes said that the Committee would be considering a range of possibilities at the next Committee meeting.
Discussion turned to the annual subscription and finally a value of £15 was suggested on the basis that there had not been an increase for some years, that a smaller increase would only keep the Group were it has been with no further flexibility and that fees might then have to be increased further. A show of hands by those present indicated overwhelming support for a £3 increase and this will now be pursued by the Committee and put to the Council for their approval for implementation in 2009.
Election of Committee
Those proposed for the Committee with the addition of Cesi Jennings were elected by the meeting. The new Committee is shown on a seperate page.
Any Other Business
Print versus Digital Exhibition: It was an overwhelming opinion of those present that the Exhibition should continue to be a Print Exhibition.
Sunset Clause. Dr Barry Senior suggest that as the Digital Imaging Group was currently the largest of all the RPS Special Interest Groups and continuing to increase in size it should continue in its current form. No counter-arguments were raised and it was agreed unanimously by those present that the Group should continue.
The Next AGM would be held on Sunday, 19 April 2009 at The Smethwick Photographic Society Club Rooms.
The meeting closed at 1130.
Immediately after the end of the official meeting, Clive introduced the selectors for the Members’ Exhibition: Brian Beaney FRPS, June Cook FRPS, Bob Rowe ARPS, An enjoyable time prior to lunch was then spent by everyone looking at members’ prints as the selection was made. All the selected images are shown on pages xx - yy of this issue of DIGIT.
In the afternoon, Bob Rowe gave a presentation on Lightroom and showed a selection of his AV sequences.
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