Recently the Camera Club was advised that long standing member Norman (Norm) Melvin had passed away on Tuesday, November 15th 2022. He was 87 and a Wollongong Camera Club member for 35 years.
Norm commenced his Club membership in 1987. He was an avid photographer delighting in taking images, then processing them for display and competitions. Norm also dabbled, firstly in the Club’s Audio-Visual world, being one of the earliest members in this group. The A/V Group was the foundations to the Club’s Movie Makers Group. Norm was also interested in the moving images and was active in pursuing his talents in this discipline.
My first introduction to Norm was way back in the late 1970s/early 1980s, to a time in Wollongong when Nock & Kirby’s was the original local “Bunnings” hardware store, located on Crown Street, now the “Lucky Shop” just east of the current Spotlight building. Norm worked in the Paint Department, an extension of his life as a sign-writer. Colour was part of Norm’s everyday life. His ability to decipher a colour’s various shades was remarkable. This ability would later pave the way to his colour insight in photography, knowing when and how to mix “colours” in his images.
Throughout his membership, Norm would investigate ways to mix and apply his colour sense with nature’s textures and features. At one stage, around 2014, Norm embarked upon mixing bark and still images. With a tablet, digital camera and computer he would create images of this different world. He was a long time ahead of the digital image editing packages of today when it came to mixing nature’s textures and photographic images. Along with other Club members he presented his photographic imagery to the members.
Norm explored the world of modelling; using the skills as a sign-writer, to create tabletops and other objects from Paper Mache. The careful placement of colour to the smallest details were evident of Norm’s attention to getting the subject right. Many of his creations, including castles and complex buildings, appeared in his Competition entries over the years.
Norm’s passion went further than just taking pictures and entering the Club’s Monthly Competitions. He would regularly step in when a prearranged Presenter wasn’t able to attend meetings bringing the members an insight into other photographic genres. In the early 2000s, he and wife Nancie travelled the world, so Travel Photography became his focus. From taking the pictures, to storing them until they returned home and the processing, Norm would speak about it. He was one to the first member to embrace “Kodak’s Photo CD” world and he grew with this technology. As mentioned earlier, Norm also delved into the video world, especially for his travel images. He would share these times with short presentation at the Video/Moviemaking Group meetings. Norm would give a variety of presentations, lead workshops and lead outings all for the pursuit of excellence in photography.
“My early memories of Norm was his passion for the Club and his love of getting us together with his matting workshops and Exhibition organising. I was a disciple of Norm’s and I certainly enjoyed the times when we would work together with the planning and set up of various Exhibitions, especially the Club’s 65th at the Art Gallery. Norm called the shots and had a number of us expedited to various locations for the “now shots” to match up to the “then photos”.. I remember the many matting (picture frame mat) workshops on a Saturday conducted under Norm’s eagle eye.” (Dawne Harridge, Life Member)
Norm’s Wollongong Camera Club Service:
Norm wasn’t just a photographer. He had a passion for providing an environment where others would learn about photography. Norm’s Club Service:
- Cub Management Committee. He served 6 times as President, another 6 years as a Committee Member;
- Photographic Group Subcommittee chairperson and Competition Director (2 years);
Norm was always available to help out wherever help was required, whether is was setting up on Comp Nights, assisting Presenter’s with their requirements to the Club’s public Exhibitions (like at Wollongong’s Old Courthouse) and major Club milestones.
Norm’s External Photographic Service:
Norm’s passion to share and teach photography in the public arena was immense. From his days with the Senior’s Week Photo Competition, The Healthy Cities (a NSW Government initiative) and adult education through the WEA and the U3A (University of the 3rd Age) attached to Wollongong University. He enjoyed this comradery with people who wanted to learn to take better pictures and to use their cameras.
In January 2005 I had the pleasure again to work with Norm on a special request from the Wollongong Central Library to provide a Photography Information Programme a short notice. There were 3 sessions, each of 1.5 hours duration over a 3-week period where we engaged with school age (11 ~ 17) children with the banner; “How To Take better Pictures”. Here again it was great to stand, at times, and watch Norm communicate with these children about photography, taking the image and processing them. This wasn’t just a presentation; the attendees were encouraged to take pictures for Norm and myself to critique. In the 3rd and final session, we held a critiquing session with the view that these images would be on public display within the library.
Norm’s Wollongong Camera Club Record:
Over the years Norm was a prolific Club Competition entrant heavily biased towards colour sections from 1990. Norm’s last entered Club Monthly competitions in 2017. His Monthly Merits and Credits Awards were: Slides: 2, Edi/Digital: 3, EDI Freestyle: 1, Colour Prints: 37 and Monochrome Prints: 16 as well as numerous Video/Moviemaking entries.
Norm was awarded the 1991 Encouragement Award, 1994 Colour Print Pointscore Trophy, 1994 Slide Pointscore Trophy, 2003 Monochrome Print of the Year Trophy.
In Summary:
Norm was very charismatic in the way he connected with people, sharing his thoughts and always looking for opportunities to encourage others in their photographic journey. His personal insight into technology within photography always enlightened and intrigue the viewer at the same time, highlighting various photographic genres and often treading into the artistic world.
Norm may not be remembered for his great awards, if judges’ awards are counted, but he also made the viewer think about his images. However, he is greatly respected for his insight, service and the promotion of photography, not only at Camera Club level, but also in the great community.
Norm is survived by his wife, Nancie, 3 daughters and 1 son, 8 Grandchildren and 4 Great Grandchildren.
Norm will be sadly missed. A man and photographer with great insight and sharing the photography dream.
Bruce Shaw, Life Member, Member since 1982, Public Officer
