Welcome to the ACE Archive
"The future of clubs may not be focussed on exclusive membership
but rather on the involvement and benefit of the whole community"
What's on?
Tuesday- Weather permitting, colours. Thursday- Same.
Meet at ACTIV @ 10.30am. ​
CLUB ACTIVITIES
SUPPORT OUR MEMBERS
Link- Hand-made crafts by Leearna- https://www.facebook.com/handmadecraftsbyleearna
ACE MEMBERS AND SUPPORT WORKERS BUS TRIP TO CHEYNES BEACH.
Thanks to a generous grant from the City of Albany, ACE runs four trips to out of town destinations during the year where members can take advantage of some new scenery and activities.
Last year we were lucky enough to be at Cheynes when a whale and her calf came right along side the rocks giving us a real closeup photo op. This was super popular so we're running it again this year.
We have two mini buses available so it's important to book early. Links to the booking forms are on our Facebook page.
Thanks Rio Tinto
Photography has reached one of those tipping points where ink on paper images have reached a stage where they very rarely create a sense of wonder and excitement.
Technology, smartphones and AI are dramatically changing the photography and media landscape and are opening up a huge range of alternative ways of creating and exhibiting images.
Whatever form of media we create, it needs to be able to grab your attention, be technically correct, capture an emotion and, the hardest part of all, retain the viewers attention with an interesting storyline or message.
ACE has just received funding from Rio Tinto that will enable us to create a joint project with Astrid Volkze of OurPhotoStories. The plan is to provide more advanced training in all aspects of photography and media creation that will enable members to be involved in making a compelling contribution to the 2026 Albany bicentenary.
Rio Tinto has previously supported our club by providing funds to acquire equipment as well as been regular contributors to many local community projects. We thank them for their ongoing and much appreciated support.
AI JOINS THE JUDGING PANEL
Having spent a reasonable amount of time observing competition judges in action and doing so myself on occasions, it's clear that bias can sometimes colour the decision making process.
As the capacity of AI to replicate human decision-making and analysis becomes more capable how far off are we in seeing unbiased and accurate photographic judging being carried out by machine?
The photo above by club member Ally was sent to one of the just released AI programs with prompting instructions to assess the photo as a professional judge, considering that it followed conventional judging protocols and procedures.
It was than asked to provide an unbiased assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the image and to provide a list of improvements that could be made.
A lengthy summary was provided with a rating of the photo and a detailed list of improvements that could be applied. Surprisingly, revealing some attributes that could be easily overlooked.
I realise we don't want to remove the 'human' element in how we determine the worth of an image but maybe we should consider combining a 'machine' assessment followed by a discussion and the awarding of points.
Photography is quickly moving away from static images into a more immersive world of moving pictures.
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In 2025 we'll be involved in a lot more video projects including story-telling, video production and more.
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Photography has never had so many choices as it has today which brings about huge opportunities for diversity.
DEDICATION BRINGS SUCCESS
One of the most rewarding aspects of being involved in our club is the satisfaction of seeing a wide range of talents shine in so many ways.
Jasmine has overcome some quite acute health setbacks in her life but this hasn't in any way slowed her determination to succeed as a talented photographer.
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Autism is often regarded as a negative but given the appropriate environment and right encouragement, all sorts of amazing outcomes may very likely emerge.
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Photography provides amazing opportunities for everyone to develop their creative and communication skills in so many ways.
By learning a few basic skills, gaining some confidence and exploring opportunities a whole new world can open up for those with passion and perseverance.
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A great achievement Jasmine and we know there's a lot more to come.
WORLD PINHOLE PHOTOGRAPHY DAY
On Sunday the 27th of April a group of club members took photos with cameras they had made themselves or ones they had chosen from our collection of large format models.
Some from the first processing batch are shown here with more to come from the second darkroom session.
So far, the quality of the photos are really impressive.
ALBANY ANZAC SERVICES AND PARADE
The Albany RSL invited us to photograph the 2025 ANZAC events. The last time we did this officially was in 2014 during the 'First Fleet Commemoration' shortly after ACE was formed. Here's a few photos from 2025.
TIME TO CONSIDER A RESET
I think we're all aware that we live in an age of change and it's essential to try to keep ahead of the game to remain relevant and continue to build on our achievements.
My twelve year term as president will conclude at the end of this club year as I would like to concentrate more on developing the skills we have seen come through from our members and make sure they are given as much encouragement as possible to reach their full potential.
Working with people living with disability has been a real high-point in my time as president and the way so many of our members have developed not only their photography skills but the increase in self-confidence and social skill improvements have been outstanding.
Photography has established a benchmark in providing an ideal point of focus for building a strong sense of teamwork through co-operation and working towards a common goal for everyone concerned.
APRIL BUS TRIPS TO THE PORONGURUPS
We're in the midst of our first bus trips for 2025 thanks to a generous grant from the City of Albany.
Everyone agrees that is a really relaxing break from the normal routine and a great chance to get some different views of our region.​​
Thanks to Albany Truck Hire for their excellent service.
