Photographic record of attendees at the Centenary Rally.

[Tony Fearn]

Before I suggest this to the powers-that-be, (and of course if/when I do, it may not be possible at this late stage of planning), I just wondered whether it would be worthwhile building into the weekend a certain time when everyone who wished to, would get together so that a group photograph could be taken.

I felt that we missed a great opportunity at the Bideford formal dinner when almost everyone could have been photographed as a group - over 120 Jowetteers!

The entrance to the dining room had a semi-circular set of stairs upon and around which all present could have gathered. The resulting photograph would have been a remarkable record. It wouldn't have taken much time to sort it out, and I think most people present would have been very glad to be a part of it.

The only down-side to an indoor photo of so many people, taken by amateurs such as myself, is that the relatively puny cameras some of us have (mine is a rather old 3.2 mega-pixel Canon) would not have been able to produce a worthwhile photograph of this scale.

Nevertheless, if the Weekend is sunny and bright, and I can't think of it as being anything else, a dedicated time-slot outside, sometime over the weekend, could give us a wonderful photographic record of just who came to Yorkshire for the Centenary Rally.

This record is, to my mind, necessary, because as well as the UK fraternity, there will be a substantial number of Jowetteers from across the world coming to Wakefield to celebrate with us.

Alternatively, if there are JCC members who own rather more sophisticated photographic equipment, and would be willing to 'do the honours', then a group photo, when everyone is in their 'posh gear', could be produced.

The attached photos show just what a few Jowetteers looked like on a group photo:-

1. Quite some time ago at a Harewood House Steam Rally, which includes some well-loved people no longer with us.

2. Not just as long ago - at the Durham NJW.

Imagine how many of us will be able to say - 'That's me just behind so-and-so' in what could be the most impressive group photograph of Jowett Club members since the early days of the twenties and thirties of the last century.





Tony.

[k. rogers]

Oh my goodness! There ought to be a prize for naming as many as possible - I would guess the first one was taken in the late '70s as those I recognize are just how I remember them back then. Correct me if I'm wrong, but do some of the members pictured include Ian & Doris Whitney, Mike K.O., Peter Rogers, Gordon Brook, Bill & Sandra Purves, Bernard Gillett, plus others I have forgotton the names of?

[Forumadmin]

At Bideford a couple of people went around every table and took pictures of everybody (mainly in couples). I then collected all the table plans so that we could match names to people. Unfortunately I never got around to doing the obvious!

I would love to have a picture of everybody in the club, even if it is a passport sized photo so as to match picture with names. Same applies to cars, then match cars with owners.

This may seem a bit boring and much better to have a variety of different poses on/with the cars. Then we (ior our children) could laugh in 20 years, like we do on some of the shots that appear on early Jowetteers.

[Forumadmin]

There is an oppurtunity for some collaborative working with some sticky notes. A bit like donkey game; but with the pictures above !

[Leo Bolter]

Ladies and Gentlemen

May I offer some suggestions about the group "photo" . . . and also offer to help?

I was recently involved in a similar project . . a family reunion picture. With the knowledge gained with his job and other similar "large group" photographic type records (ie,student's class and year records), I would like to suggest the following.

That I join several suitable images taken of the whole group so as to make a Panorama of everyone that was in the separate images. A Panorama will give a result where the faces of a large group will be still large enough to be recognisable whereas with one image this could be a problem.* The only drawback is that the resultant Panorama file will be rather large.

These are guidelines for a "Johnny-on-the-spot volunteer"

1/ Take the images at a reasonably high resolution (1.5 to 2.0 Mb - or slightly more is fine)
2/ Setup a tripod in a suitable place within a arc that will be formed by the subjects (having predetermined where it needs to be in relation to the arc and the guessed number of images you think that will be needed).
3/ Gather the people (while sober ) to where you need them to stand/sit and have them listen carefully to an explanation of what is going to be done in the photoshoot session . . you may have to be stern and even attempt to "pull rank"
4/ Have them assemble in a long arc (but only about 4 or 5 deep if possible) long enough to be covered by 3 or 4 images that overlap at one edge.
5/ Explain (firmly) to the assembled multitude that this photo session for a Panoramic photo is going to be like a old fashioned "time exposure" for them because you are going to take several images and will need them to be quite still as you do so (face and hands included!) . . that it may take several seconds to take each of the images.
6/ The camera operator will need to frame up the 1st pic (starting on his/her left) and in doing so remember a particular individual who is fully in the frame on the right side of the viewfinder (digital Single Lens Reflex camera is best).
7/ Take the image.
8/ Swiftly move the camera so the person chosen is also just within the next framed up view on the left. . . and take the image.
9/ Repeat until all people are "photographed".
10/ If there's still some patience left in the group . . do it all again!
11/ Send the images to me to stitch them together

Some NOTES:
Leave plenty of foreground and background in the images when taking (the images may - probably will - need to be rotated and cropped in the process of joining them up to make the Panorama so as to minimise distortion). A good idea is to have a practice dummy run in a large garden (use "still life" . . no people!)
Try to set up where there's a hedge or trees and sky behind the group . . no buildings. These will make the building of the Panorama much more difficult.

I'll edit this post later with a example of a Panorama I have done . . .

I sure wish I was there to do this . . . but I'm also certain someone will manage to do a fine job . . .

* yes, I know there's some programs and even cellphones that can automatically do a "Panorama" . . but they are usually pretty bloody awful, in my experience. Nothing like doing is manually . . as the actress said to the Bishop!



( http://60.234.149.204/Leo/Forum_Files/J ... c%29_b.jpg )

This Panorama has been much reduced in size for uploading here (it's 800 x 395 pixels, 500 Kb). The original was 3771 x 1863 pixels and 7.6 Mb
Also, the subjects were somewhat unruly and excited . . as you can well imagine . . . not at all like "sober and self controlled" Jowetteers when gathered at a Rally, I'm sure!

Cheers, Leo

[Forumadmin]

Adobe Photoshop has the photostitch facility that allows separate photos to be joined together. My Cannon had a similar facility. Picassa web has a face recognition capability.

[Leo Bolter]

Confession time . . I must admit I'd done (and have continued to do so) all the manipulation and stitching to make panoramas "by hand" way back when there wasn't much in the way of applications to do it for you. Time consuming, but satisfying too.

I have just had a look at the facility in Photoshop (demo at www.adobe.com/go/vid0013). I must say it's very good for scenes where the brightness, colour etc. of each of the images is identical.

But, I wonder how it would handle images of a group of people taken relatively close up . . . Later I'll have a play with the original images that made the sample given above, so I can see how they compare.

Maybe it's time I dragged myself out of the dark ages . . .

I still think that by using the technique as suggested in my previous post it would be useful to decrease the work that Photoshop (or other applications) would need to do and increase the likelihood of a reasonably successful outcome.

Leo

PS. I'm off now to get a Warrant of Fitness for the Jupiter, ready for the drive to a Rally next weekend . . .

[kemp1942]

Excellent idea !

[PAUL BEAUMONT]

Already talking to someone about this possibility!

[Tony Fearn]

Hello Paul.

Hopefully the'possibility' will become fact.

When I posted my suggestion about the group photo, I had in my mind's eye at least a 12x10" photograph, or even larger, of us all which could be easily framed by anyone who wished to have a copy at cost price plus postage.

I appreciate Leo's input, but terraced houses in Lancashire don't have enough wall space to house a panoramic view of everyone who will be there.

I've spoken to MKO tonight and he says that at least 300(!!!) Jowetteers will sit down to dinner at Wakefield.

(He also said that there were only 8 rooms left in the hotel, so ditherers, STOP DITHERING).

300 divided by "four deep" as Leo suggests = 75 people on the front row.

The photos I've posted above have around 20 people on the front row in each of them, so extrapolate that.

It's good to know though that this centenary will be recorded photographically. - Thanks Paul.

Tony.

P.S. Leo, I couldn't see your photo, all I have on my screen instead is a little box with an 'X' inside it. When I click on it, nothing happens.

[PAUL BEAUMONT]

Just a thought Tony, but if we took 4 photos. maybe the good folks of Lancashire could use them as walls for a long overdue extension!!
Joking apart, A good friend of mine is a very keen amateur photographer (don't read too much into amateur as his work is better than many professionals) and since I replumbed his dish washer, he owes me a favour! He is very keen to be involved.

[Leo Bolter]

On Thursday February the 4th, 2010, Tony said:

Leo, I couldn't see your photo, all I have on my screen instead is a little box with an 'X' inside it. When I click on it, nothing happens.

Is anyone else having a problem with this image . . or any other image of mine, for that matter?

Cheers, Leo.

[Forumadmin]

Which photo? Is that the video on Adobe .com? It probaly needs a Flash player installed.

[Leo Bolter]

Keith.
Viewers should see a image of a panorama of a group of Graduates, within the text of my previous post (Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 12:09 am - Post subject: Group Picture)
I see it okay . .
Leo

[Robin Fairservice]

Sorry, but I cannot see your picture either.