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The
start of something big
by
Kendal McDonald
Reproduced
from the Evening News. Weds. December 6th, 1967 and
in focus 34 (September
1989)
I
have just seen a society formed. Not a very impressive statement?
Well, just how many societies have you seen formed - actually
been there when the rules were drawn up, the subscription
decided, and the very first chairman elected.
Can
you stand outside some magnificant building in the heart of
London and say proudly "Yes, attended the very first
meeting y'know. Course we never thought that from that humble
beginning would come all this..."?
Well
I can't actually do that yet either, but I can see it all
coming in the future - the great sweeping marble staircase
up to the main salon ... the busts of past presidents lining
the alcoves on either side ... the queue of young hopefuls
submitting their work in desparate attempts to gain admission
to the ranks of the immortals.
Of
course, one or two of us had this future state of things well
in mind when we voted for the title of the new society. The
British Society of Underwater Photographers. Sounds just right
for such an august body_.
Actually,
our first meeting was in a nice house in North London and
there is no sign of the Corinthian building that will be our
final home. But it will come. Mind you, we're not a pompous
lot. We noted with glee for example that our initials spelt
B SOUP. Well, that's all right. Not only does it accurately
describe the conditions that we and our cameras often meet
beneath the surface of the seas around our coasts but a nickname
is usually a good clue to popularity.
Basically
the idea of the society is to get all those who are interested
in photography underwater together and give them a central
clearing house for their ideas. And there are more of these
diving-photographers than you would think. Some 20 of us gathered
in North London and some of those present had driven from
Brighton. Most had won prizes for their photographs taken
underwater. Together they present an array of experience and
skill that it would be hard to beat.
They
plan to put this combined knowledge at the disposal of anyone
who wishes to join. For example: Anyone who wants to know
about techniques of photographing the giant basking sharks
that enter our seas should speak to Colin Doeg, our first
chairman. He's done it. Anyone who wants to know how to take
super close-ups of a starfish should talk to Geoff Harwood,
who was elected "Underwater Photographer of the Year"
at the Brighton conference of the British Sub-Aqua Club last
year.
Anyone
who wants to know about equipment, such as a housing to waterproof
your own pet camera, should talk to another committee member,
Tim Glover. Anyone who wants to know about colour printing
of those fabulous underwater scenes should speak to the new
secretary Peter Scoones. Ask him, too, about photographing
the poisonous lion fish in the Red Sea and he'll tell you.The
experience of all those experts is not confined to British
waters. They own, without doubt, the finest collection of
underwater photographs shot in this country's seas. But their
collection probably has just as many showing the marine life
of other countries in the world. |
