Frank Rooney

Night Blitz – Frank Rooney

Date: Friday 2nd December 2005
Location: Frank Rooney’s house
Written by Tony Myers FRPS

During my telephone discussion with Frank Rooney inviting him to be our second Chat Lines guest, I felt that it was very clear that Frank, although only having been a member of SLPS for less than one year, was a person extremely passionate about his photography. Frank is also a member who in such a short time has come on in great strides to produce some excellent images.

Frank kindly invited me to his house and it was a pleasure to meet his wife Rithu and family. Frank and I quickly got talking about our shared passion of taking photographs however it wasn’t too long before Frank was asking all the questions in his usual enthusiastic manner.

Runcorn Bridge – Frank Rooney

Frank’s interest in photography first started when he was eleven years old and on holiday in the Isle of Skye in Scotland where he was fortunate to spot a Golden Eagle. That experience inspired him to buy a book on nature photography.

Midnight Blue – Frank Rooney

Some years later, in 1985, he purchased his first camera, a very sturdy Minolta 300 SLR. However, the camera got put away in the drawer for a few more years and it was only after a serious illness that he started photographing again. After coming through the illness he realised that he’d got the yearning to do all the things you wish you could do some day.

San Marco – Frank Rooney

Frank decided to join a camera club and after surfing the web he located the South Liverpool Photographic Society and decided to give it a try. He purchased a Casio 6 megs camera and decided to get into the digital world of Photoshop photography. He didn’t really know what to expect from the camera club but decided to make the monthly competition night his first night. He was amazed at the level of photography and was truly inspired by the photographs and by the people who had taken the images. After experiencing the friendliness of the SLPS members, he decided to join the club’s photography trip to Venice from which he was able to use all his new found skills to shoot some very high quality images which can be seen in his portfolio.

Masts at Sunset – Frank Rooney

Frank names Robert Capa, the famous war photographer, as one of his favourite photographers particularly for the passion, character and feeling that Capa managed to get into his war images. Frank himself would like to develop the portrait side of his photography and is presently working hard in converting his loft into a studio area. He particularly enjoys listening to members’ lecture nights and feels that the club should exploit the photographic skills and knowledge of the existing members.

Twighlight on the Lake – Frank Rooney

Finally, I would say that for someone who has only been a member for less than 12 months, Frank is a good example of what camera clubs are all about. This is shown by the general high quality of Frank’s photography which saw him win his first monthly competition in November last year.