Sophie Grace

Sophie’s first interests in photography

I got my first DSLR camera in 2008. I can’t even recall the make and model now, and if I’m being completely honest I wanted it more for the ‘look’ than for the capability

I was 15 and just wanted to take sepia-toned photos of my friends and my dog to plaster all over my bedroom walls!

Although driven by materialistic motives, taking photographs with my first camera, ignited my love of photography, although my photos were awful and not at all technical, I thoroughly enjoyed the reactions of my friends and family when we sat down to look at them together. I revelled in the fact that I had been the one to capture a moment in time that other people could share. It felt like giving a personalised gift to everyone I loved.

My photography journey before joining the club

As an adult, I have always enjoyed taking photographs mostly doing so on my smartphone. I had talked for years about wanting a camera but it felt like a very pricey luxury item that I couldn’t justify purchasing – especially as I didn’t know the first thing about manually operating a camera!

For Christmas in 2021, my fiancé surprised me with a Nikon D5600, with a starter pack of 2 lenses. I spent most of boxing day on YouTube learning about ISO, shutter speed, aperture etc. with the view I wanted to go straight into manual shooting rather than using any auto features.

I still have notebooks full of notes that I still reference now!

I’ve been constantly learning since, and just enjoying photography as a hobby mostly to photograph my dog, friends and family! (not much has changed since 2008 now I think about it…)

My Photographic Style, Genres and themes

I am a dog lover and a countryside lover, and I enjoy the opportunities to capture both of these loves through photography.

My other hobby is gundog training with my German Shorthaired Pointer, who is a joy to photograph, especially when in action – hunting, pointing and retrieving.

I’d love the opportunity to photograph more field sports in the future.

I like traditional-style photographs with a stately or majestic feel… is that a theme?!

Since joining the club I’ve also been drawn to architectural shots and have enjoyed some of the photos other members have produced in this genre.

My Equipment

I currently use a Nikon D5600 Digital SLR and have an 18-55mm lens, a 70-300mm lens, and most recently a 50mm f/1.8 lens which I’m enjoying for more close-up / portrait images.

Memorable Moments

The photograph I have shared with the club previously ‘Form an Orderly Queue’ was taken on an occasion where I had offered a free photoshoot to try and gain more experience with different subjects.

I travelled to the Cotswolds to take these photographs at someone’s home; they mostly wanted photographs of the litter of GSP puppies their dog had recently had, but wanted some of their 3 older dogs too.

I was so incredibly nervous the whole time I was there, and as I checked my photos I kept thinking ‘These are not good enough photos at all…’ I was a bit of a mess!

We sat the dogs up and got a few shots of them on the steps. When I came to edit and send back the photos later on, the lady was pleased with the results but was thrilled with this particular photo saying she had always wanted this exact shot but never had been able to execute it herself.

We shared the photos publicly too, and I remember being so overwhelmed that evening when I saw the photograph had amassed nearly 5,000 ‘likes’ on one particular page, with complimentary comments that just blew me away.

This feels like a particularly memorable photo and experience for me as it was the first time I thought ‘Oh actually, maybe you are okay at this photography thing!’

My significance photo

My photograph that recently won Best Colour Printed Photograph of the Year 2023 ‘Patiently Waiting’ is one I will always treasure.

It was taken on a Spring day when we had ventured to a spot in the Cotswolds for a bit of open-water swimming.

Whilst I swam that morning, my dog was enjoying water retrieves. We dried off and warmed up whilst eating a picnic, and it was shortly after this that my partner started to do some training with the dog which is when I reached for the camera and took the photo.

It captures his eagerness to please and his desire to work with my partner. His proud look makes me proud, knowing how much love we have poured into our four-legged companion and how hard we have worked on his training.

It’s now all the more meaningful as it was the first photograph that I have ever won 1^st place in a competition with, and has now produced an actual award, too! All from a wholesome day out.

My greatest challenges

‘Imposter Syndrome’ is most definitely the biggest challenge I have faced and will likely continue to face in my photographic journey.

I dought myself and feel like my photographs and skills are not good enough compared to others.

That being said, the opportunities presented by the club have boosted my confidence in photography and little by little I started to believe that I am more capable than I think!

I have found a lot of opportunities to grow and improve through the club, through general talks and workshops but mostly I appreciate judging nights.

I always make sure to bring a notepad and pen with me and write down the judge’s technical comments and advice (about any or all images – not just my own!) which I then try to test out when I am next taking photos.

The benefits of the judging and the rich advice that comes with the comments also spur me to enter more competitions, which in turn helps me to grow when I receive feedback.

My club – Corley and Fillongley

The encouragement I have received since becoming a member of the club has been such an important factor in my photography journey.

I have valued the gentle nudges to enter a competition or to share my images, as well as having the opportunity to learn from others’ photographs and styles.

I have picked up a lot of technical advice from the club too, and couldn’t imagine taking photographs now without the valuable tips around composition and set-up!

One of my favourite sessions was around family photography – I learnt so much from Hannah about her editing techniques that I have since implemented in my family portraits and it has made such a huge difference to the look and quality of my images.

Why Corley and Fillongley?

I saw a post on Facebook that somebody had made asking for recommendations for local photography clubs, and one of the club members had commented encouraging them to check out the club’s page and get in touch.

I had a nosy for myself and was particularly impressed with the photos shared that had been taken from a club night where they hosted a travelling zoo.

On further inspection, there was a lot of reference to different talks and workshops that all intrigued me, and I thought it looked like a great club to join in the hopes of improving my photography knowledge whilst meeting people with the same hobby and love of photography.

I went along for a taster session, which happened to be the Photo of the Year Awards for 2022, and I just thought the whole night was excellent… the judge was incredibly informative and in that hour or so alone I learned so much! So it was a no-brainer.

I really enjoy the variety of activities and sessions the club provides as a whole, but I particularly enjoy judging nights. I love seeing photographs other members have taken, and admiring their work! I learn so much from judges’ comments, and for me, that’s essential in moving forward with my photography.

I’ve not attended an outing yet, but I am looking forward to when I can! I was very jealous when some members went to photograph Highland cows!

The club members I have had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with have all been so supportive and helpful. I love the friendly nature of the club, and there’s a real spirit of wanting the best for each other.

I attended a ‘Horrorween’ session in October and foolishly forgot to put a memory card in my camera. Another member was quick to offer me a spare one of his so I could still get some photos from the night, Other members were constantly sharing advice on shutter speed and other technical elements for folk who had not done any UV / light photography before. It was great.

Club Success
Best Colour Print 2023

When my photograph won 1^st place earlier this year in a print competition, I was so delighted and slightly overwhelmed! My mind went quite quickly back to ‘imposter syndrome’ and in the coming weeks, I subconsciously convinced myself it was just a one-off and just one particular judge that favoured that photo by chance.

I often sit in awe whilst other members’ photographs are shown at the club, thinking ‘Wow, I hope I’m that good someday!’

So the fact that my photograph was chosen by a completely different judge to be Best Colour Print of 2023, whilst surrounded by photos that in my opinion are outstanding and look like they belong in prestigious art galleries or on the front cover of magazines, was a real ‘pinch-me’ moment. I was genuinely so pleased and honoured to have my work valued so highly, and owe a lot to the club for providing me with the opportunities and the confidence to have even had my photograph there in the first place!

Better still, my 12-year-old niece was sitting next to me – her fingertips had turned a pale white from how hard she was crossing her fingers for me to win! She is developing a love for photography herself, and it was such a rewarding moment to show her what we can all be capable of if we decide to pursue our goals.

My club – Corley and Follongley

The encouragement I have received since becoming a member of the club has been such an important factor in my photography journey.

I have valued the gentle nudges to enter a competition or to share my images, as well as having the opportunity to learn from others’ photographs and styles.

I have picked up a lot of technical advice from the club too, and couldn’t imagine taking photographs now without the valuable tips around composition and set-up!

One of my favourite sessions was around family photography – I learnt so much from Hannah about her editing techniques that I have since implemented in my family portraits and it has made such a huge difference to the look and quality of my images.