Celebrating RPS Digital Imaging Members’ Distinctions
Welcome to Accolade 15
We had a great response to our latest request for submissions for this edition of Accolade, so a big thank you to all our contributors. We can learn a lot from other people’s experiences, the ups and the downs. What worked and what didn’t. And perhaps most importantly what they gained from the experience. There are some amazing and thought provoking stories.
For anyone thinking of an ARPS or FRPS, we have examples of six of the nine genres amongst our successful submissions, from Natural History to Comtemporary and (almost) everything in between.
We are including our Resources section for the first time in this edition and whichever level of distinction you are interested in, all the links you need are in one place with lots of suggestions on how you can make the best of the help and support provided by the RPS.
The new DI LRPS Support Group was launched last October and demand for places was very high. If you missed out we are pleased to say that there are now places available. If you would like to join the group you can contact our facilitators: Marie-Ange Bouchard and John Porter HERE. We are extremely fortunate to have Marie-Ange as a DI Volunteer. Having served on the LRPS Distinction Panel for four years, her experience is invaluable to the group. We are looking forward to including successful Licentiates who have been helped by the group in future editions of Accolade.
Finally, if you gained a distinction in 2023 or 2024 but did not receive an invitation to be included in Accolade, or perhaps you were unable to contribute at the time, it is not too late. We are already making a list of people to invite for Accolade 16 as information becomes available from HQ, so contact us HERE if you would like to be included.
Enjoy the edition.
Sue Vaines
Accolade Editor
Caroline Petch
Accolade Contributions
LICENTIATE LRPS
LICENTIATE
Colin Houston LRPS
I've been passionate about my photography since 2019, so when I took early retirement in 2023, I decided that aiming for my LRPS distinction would give me focus and keep my mind active.
The Process
My distinction path began in November 2023 when I first showed a selection of my images at an RPS Scotland Photoforum. At the time I was struggling to get any balance in my panel due to different crop factors and mixing colour and monochrome images. During the feedback I had mentioned that my passion was for black and white images, and the best advice I received was "Do what you love", and my all-mono panel was born.
I initially identified what I thought were my best mono images and then selected images that balanced each row in my panel layout. As I have a love of portrait and square crops, I chose a 3 line panel layout that would allow me to mix these with landscape format images. I then booked onto a RPS Advisory Day in April 2024.
The feedback was positive and very useful. I had to make one change of image as I had an image, 'View to Glamaig' (right) which added very little to meeting the assessment criteria for LRPS that image 5 didn't already meet. I also didn't have a fast shutter speed image, so image 8 was added.
I was lucky to have friends who had gained their L and A distinctions, so I used them for final checks, before I submitted my panel using the new digital process.
Skills & Techniques
I developed an understanding of how to create a balanced and cohesive panel during preparations for my LRPS distinction. This was something I had very little previous experience of doing. I'm a member of Irvine Camera Club in Ayrshire, and I had taken part in their first panel competition. Creating panels of my work, even if it's a triptych or five image panel is something I really enjoy now, and I'm pleased to say that our club panel competition is going from strength to strength.
Personal Insights
The whole experience of achieving my LRPS has been motivating and I'm planning on continuing my photographic improvement. I'm hopeful that in time I can achieve an ARPS distinction and I'm currently shooting a project that may help me in that aim.
Favourite Images
"Leaving on a Jet Plane" (right) was taken in the TWA Hotel at JFK airport, New York. It is a wonderful building which was built in the 60's as TWA's terminal and now beautifully restored. Everywhere you look there are beautiful curves, shapes, textures and aviation history.
After a career in the aviation industry, this image was taken at the end of my retirement trip, and therefore is very special to me.
"Dunure Castle" (left) . I love seascapes, and living on the west coast of Scotland, gives ample opportunity to shoot in all conditions. This was taken immediately after a storm had passed through. The light illuminated the castle and a slow shutter speed enabled me to show the motion of the sea, which looked like it was almost boiling.
Advice for Others
I would encourage photographers thinking of aiming for a Licentiate distinction to go for it! Get advice when possible. If you have a photoforum planned in your area, go and show your images and enjoy the photography of others.
An Advisory Day or a one-to-one is a necessary step in the process, to help aid your success.
On Reflection
I feel that my photography has improved during this process. My eye for detail and checking for digital anomalies has improved, as has my ability to create a balanced panel.
Achieving recognition for my photography has been really rewarding, and this is the first time in my life that I've achieved letters after my name!
Vaughan Dean LRPS
Several members of my camera club had achieved distinctions with the RPS and so, about a year ago, I began to wonder if I should give it a try. I concluded that it would be a complete waste of time to even try. I have none of the creative or artistic skills expected of a good photographer. I’m a city boy who has no understanding of or interest in wildlife, flowers, landscapes or seasons, shapes or colours. It seemed highly unlikely that I could ever achieve recognition in the world of photography. If anyone identifies with this outlook then I would encourage them not to give up!
I do like photographing people and I do like images that tell a story or make people laugh. I love the science of photography so I can make photographs that are exposed correctly, are lit well and have an appropriate depth-of-field. I began to wonder if it might be possible to earn an LRPS distinction with these skills alone. It turns out that it IS possible!
The Process
In order to share our thoughts and to provide some mutual support we formed a sub-group in the camera club. We discussed our potential images and offered suggestions as to how they might be improved. This is invaluable - when looking at your own work it is easy to overlook obvious faults.
I chose not to seek advice from the RPS. Having been submitting images for judging at club competitions for many years, I had listened to plenty of negative and positive criticism so I felt that I had a good understanding of the process. It seemed to me that success or failure depended largely on an understanding of the criteria on which an image is to be assessed. Luckily for us all, the RPS publishes the criteria for its distinctions in specific detail on the website.
My plan was not to create any images specifically for the LRPS assessment process. Instead, I planned to search through my back catalogue for images that demonstrated as many of the required criteria as possible.
Skills & Techniques
Obviously no single image can illustrate all the required criteria but I felt that it was essential that some elements should be evident on every image in my final panel. For example it was important to me that every image should be in sharp focus and correctly exposed with an appropriate depth of field. I would suggest that these are fundamental and essential skills for any photographer. The LRPS process has significantly increased my attention to detail when assessing my own images.
Personal Insights
I probably learned the importance of these skills through club competition but the LRPS process certainly underlined it. However, had my submission been unsuccessful I would not have made a second attempt. I felt that the panel I submitted represented the best I had to offer. If that submission had been unsuccessful I would have accepted that my photography skills were simply not good enough.
Favourite Images
Two of the images in my panel were of special significance for me. The first is image 5 which shows a young girl peering into her laptop (previous page). I was inspired by a scene I had witnessed months earlier in a dark restaurant where a lady checked her mobile phone and her face was illuminated by the screen. I was planning to recreate the scene when, quite by chance, I spotted my granddaughter peering into the laptop screen while spending the weekend with us. I grabbed the shot using the available light – a classic case of “capturing the moment”. In post production I darkened the globe by a couple of stops and that was it. I just got lucky.
The second picture is image number 6 (right). I’d been planning the picture for months and it took two days to create. First I created the fake headline and glued it into a copy of the Daily Mail. The lighting
was provided by two continuous LED lamps in soft boxes. The intention was to create a crazy perspective so a 24mm lens was positioned about 25 cm from the feet. At my chosen aperture this gave a very shallow depth of field of about 10 cm. As this would prevent me from getting both the feet and the newspaper razor sharp, I took a series of shots at different points of focus and merged them as a focus stack in Photoshop. The final point to mention is that I am the subject in the scene and I am taking the photographs with a remote control hidden in my right hand.
My image entitled “Performer on Stage” (below) was almost selected for inclusion in my panel. I thought it captured the moment well and it took some work in post to subdue the lighting behind the singer. The result is visually pleasing enough and it has plenty of punch but I felt it lacked a “narrative” to the point where it might be considered simply a record shot. Only the very best is suitable for an LRPS submission!
Advice for Others
I would suggest that in addition to getting the fundamentals such as exposure, focus and background right, it’s important that an image can convey something more such as an emotion or a potential narrative. These factors can give an image a purpose. I would also urge entrants to read the LRPS criteria very carefully!
Future Plans
For my next project I’ll be photographing ballet dancers and I’m certain that my standards will be elevated as a direct consequence of my LRPS experience. The exciting challenge will be to convey a narrative or an emotion in addition to getting the fundamentals right.
As for future RPS distinctions such as an Associate or a Fellowship, I have no plans to attempt them. I have huge admiration for those photographers who can excel in these areas.
On Reflection
Achieving the LRPS has certainly improved my confidence as a photographer and I suspect my style might now become rather more “oddball” than hitherto.
Stephen Feldwick LRPS
I have been a keen photographer for many years, but felt I wanted to develop my skills and take my photography to the next level. The RPS is held in very high regard, therefore pursuing my Licentiate was the perfect path to follow to meet my aspirations.
The
Process
I joined the RPS in late 2023 and to be honest, thought that gaining my licentiate would be a breeze, so set about going through my catalogue to pick suitable images. I selected the required number, with a few reserves set aside and was reasonably confident that the images chosen would be good enough, so I set about booking a March 2024 date for assessment.
At that point, I thought it would be wise to book a one-to-one to make sure I was on the right track. This was the best decision I made throughout the entire process, and I would thoroughly recommend that anyone embarking on their 'L' journey do the same as the advice given and observations made completely took me back to the drawing board. In short, I discarded all but one of the initial batch of images, and even then, made some basic editing changes, rendering it in monochrome rather than colour.
I realised that the initial images chosen were good 'snapshots', but not taken with the Licentiate criteria in mind. I decided at this point to postpone my March entry and then set about immersing myself in both on-line and in-person RPS workshops.This was invaluable in
developing my vision and camera craft, and most importantly in this context, images that would meet the required criteria for a successful Licentiate submission.
I found looking at past panels and successful submissions was very useful too, as this gave me a reference point for the standard of work I would need to produce, but importantly, to have fun whilst creating my panel. I was invited to test the new LRPS digital submission process in July, so was one of the first people to go through this new method of applying.I found it easy to follow, and the support information available on the website made the whole process stress free.
Skills & Techniques
Having a strong technical understanding of how to control a camera and the ability to put these into practice was very important and was reflected in a high score in this element of the Licentiate assessment.I undertook a variety of workshops across a wide selection of topics, but all were picked to develop the skill set that I needed to build; a good example would be Macro Photography, which does require specific techniques and precision.
My Favourite Images
Common Mallow (previous page) was a technical image to produce as it required focus stacking and accurate lighting. I was very pleased with the outcome, especially as this was a skill that I learned during my Licentiate journey.
Summer Vibes (this page) was taken in high summer during a local village event in a graveyard! I had an idea of what I wanted to capture but got very lucky with the subject and his relaxed demeanour, photographed between two blurry gravestones.
Basingstoke Canal (next page) didn't make the cut. I felt the balance of the image was not right and it was somewhat oversaturated. I felt the viewpoint was not quite right too, being slightly elevated and shooting down, which didn't give a pleasing composition.
Personal Insights
I learned a whole host of new skills, but importantly, it completely opened my eyes to a world of photography I was oblivious to previously.
My approach has changed as I now tend to plan my photography more than I did previously and pay a lot more attention to fundamentals of image creation and composition.
Future Plans
I have a number of workshops booked, including studio portraiture, which is a genre that I find very interesting. I'm hoping to get a website up and running (yes, I have a workshop booked for this too!) by the middle of the year, as I have been increasingly approached by people wishing to buy my work.
I have plans to submit an Associate panel for assessment but am currently considering subject options.
Advice for Others
My main advice would be to use the available RPS resource online and via workshops; make sure you understand the criteria, as it is quite specific and most importantly, book a one-to-one as this will improve your chances of success considerably.
On Reflection
Most certainly my photography has improved considerably over the process, particularly with the range of work I now feel confident producing.
Apart from the moment I found out I had been successful, the most rewarding part has been the recognition from peers and friends after gaining my Licentiate.
Gaining my LRPS was a proud moment for me given the high standard required, and the fact it is independently assessed by accomplished photographers in their own right.
ASSOCIATE ARPS
ASSOCIATE
Alan Cork ARPS Natural History
I gained my LRPS in July 2016. A process that I had found both highly rewarding but also incredibly challenging. I had always intended to apply for an ARPS from my early days as a member of the RPS. I knew that in addition to presenting an array of images that demonstrated a range of different photographic skills, the images needed to work together as a panel. I also knew that the standard of photography and printing needed to be exceptionally high.
It is only now that I look back on my LRPS submission that I see that most of my images were in fact natural history, three macro images of insects reflecting my background as an entomologist, two images of static birds and a close-up of a flower.
About My Panel
I flirted with several ideas for an ARPS panel over the years, including high key floral images, reflections in water and city-scapes. I also developed a landscape panel on a RPS workshop with Joe Houghton in 2021 using minimalist snow scenes taken on Hokkaido. However, it was not until I attended an Advisory Day , organised by the RPS Nature Group in 2022 that I finally felt I had a subject and direction that could ultimately lead to a successful ARPS panel and that was bird behaviour, taking me full circle back to my LRPS.
The Challenges
A key issue in the development of a Natural History panel was the need to present no more than two images of any one species of bird. Similarly, I was advised that it was important to show the main subjects fully in focus. While I had a wide range of bird images, many were not fully in focus; notably their wings in flight. I have always enjoyed images of birds in flight with some
movement in their wings. However, for the ARPS I now needed to shoot new images at higher shutter speeds to freeze the action. Not, in itself, an issue, but as I worked mainly in early morning and late afternoon when the lighting is less contrasty, ISO levels were inevitably high, potentially leading to a loss of detail, especially with species in wooded areas. Similarly, maintaining detail in birds with white feathers was demanding, especially in flight, as they can move rapidly across areas of changing light levels. I was also conscious of the need to show a range of eco-systems in the panel, but it was also important that the backgrounds did not detract from the main subjects.
In the final selection, all the images had either one or two birds with backgrounds being generally lighter the higher their position in the panel. The direction of movement of the birds into the centre of the panel helped to make the panel appear more coherent.
While no doubt the images may have been as successful when presented in a different configuration the final choice was based on the need to demonstrate variety while avoiding the possibility of two images being considered too similar.
My statement of intent changed considerably over the time I developed the panel. Initially aiming to show ‘birds in flight’, then as the choice of images changed ‘birds as predators’ and finally ‘European bird behaviour’ allowing me to present a range of species, in different eco-systems and displaying different behaviours.
The RPS Advisory Day I attended was incredibly helpful in terms of understanding the standard of acceptable photography required. The creation of an acceptable Statement of Intent and indeed even the preferred choice of mount board!
Skills & Techniques
Successful bird photography is all about spending time with birds in order to understand their behaviour and so better predict their movements in order to capture successful images. This does inevitably require long periods of relative inactivity followed by blisteringly fast action. My camera took a maximum of 7fps which may sound a lot, but not compared to current models which can take typically 30fps. So, field craft was key to improving my chances of catching that all important defining moment.
My Favourite Images
All the images in my panel represent memorable moments. However, two of my favourites occurred quite unexpectedly. While trying to photograph puffins and guillemots in flight during a visit to the Farne Islands in 2019 there was a sudden commotion, and several gulls flew past at high speed. I grabbed about a dozen shots before the gull with the chick finally landed (page 20).
In contrast while shooting the spectacular Dalmatian Pelicans in breeding colours on a cold wet day in January on Lake Kerkini, Greece, I looked up to see an adult male landing on the prow of our small fishing boat (previous page). Moments passed and then a fisherman threw a fish to the bird and I was lucky enough to capture the moment when the fish was just about to be swallowed up. For such large birds, pelicans are incredibly dexterous and a tad intimidating!
I had strongly considered using an image entitled ‘Dalmatian Pelican Landing with Fish’ (below) for position 5. However, as I mentioned above, I was advised against using images where the birds were not sharply in focus and there is a lot of movement in the wings, resulting from the use of a relatively slow shutter speed of 1/640s. Personally, I think this adds to a sense of movement but decided it was best to act on advice given!
Advice for Others
If I had any advice to give to others it would be to work to your strengths. You will need your best photography to gain an ARPS and that will only come from a genre that you enjoy working with and an understanding of what is required to achieve the standard. Study successful panels for inspiration and ideas of what works. Attending an Advisory Day is a must, to get feedback on your initial ideas and how best to develop them.
On Reflection
My LRPS and ARPS panels have in many ways acted as milestones in my photographic journey. Each has been hard won and involved a tremendous amount of effort but with each milestone I have felt a strong sense of achievement and pleasure. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me next!
STATEMENT OF INTENT
European Bird Behaviour
I, like many, am captivated by the fascinating behaviour and agility of birds which, coupled with their keen eyesight and extraordinary reaction times can leave us breathless. The aim of my panel then is to illustrate some of the wide variety of behaviours exhibited by birds including feeding, aggression and preening.
With the objective of capturing those behaviours in species that inhabit a range of European eco-systems such as mountains, forests and water bodies.
Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)
Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
European Roller (Coracias garrulus)
Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)
Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus)
Red Footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus)
Griffin Vulture (Gyps fulvus)
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)
Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
Anne Eckersley ARPS Visual Art
I feel like I’ve been using a camera forever, not always very successfully. A game changer for me was the Canon 350D that I came across in a camera shop one day. I fell in love and wasn’t leaving the shop without it. That led me on to a City and Guilds course at my local college. I joined a camera club around the same time and gained my LRPS distinction in about 2011.
About My Panel
Over the years, I’ve seen and admired other members’ distinctions work, but until recently, never really worked with panels. Nowadays I love the way you can develop so much of a story with more than one picture and reinforce what you’re trying to say.
Covid gave me a chance to consider where I wanted to take my photography and I found a collection of images, I had kept over the years, which had all been taken through windows. I found I still loved the idea, that people could look at the same scene and often see completely different things. I always assumed my vision of the world was slightly odd due to short-sightedness and astigmatism.
The Process
I took these images to an on-line, one day workshop with Margaret Salisbury. She was extremely encouraging but felt I hadn’t got a definitive idea nailed down and suggested I asked the RPS for a one-to-one to talk about my Statement of Intent. Again, the RPS advisor was encouraging, said nice things about my images, but didn’t feel they were cohesive enough for a panel.Also, he didn’t feel my statement worked at all.
I put the project aside for a while, but in 2022, I was walking down the stairs in a carpark where I had previously taken images of a glass-block wall and realised I was still as fascinated by the shapes and faces I could see looking out of those dimpled, glass-blocks in the wall two years on.
I took many pictures that day and returned there on several occasions. I frequently got in the way of others trying to get back to their cars and got some very strange looks, but didn’t care. I loved the way the images varied depending on the angle they were taken at, and the time of day.
A further revelation came at a Doug Chinnery lecture shortly afterwards, he explained about the condition Pareidolia wherein people perceive likenesses such as faces and animals, in objects such as clouds and rock formations and suddenly I knew what I wanted to say.
I had a further one-to-one and, having undertaken the suggested changes, was persuaded to go to an Advisory Day in March 2024, with what I thought would be my final panel and Statement of Intent.
I had watched several online and knew roughly what to expect, but on the day itself Chris Palmer very kindly suggested my panel wasn’t quite there. Nor could he see faces in many of my images, so in that respect my aims and objectives, as set out in my Statement of Intent failed, but he encouraged me not to give up.
I found the day really helped as I listened to all the comments about other panels and their statements. I decided the Visual Art genre was the best fit and the advice I received on the Advisory Day seemed to confirm that this was correct.
I decided it was now or never, so I put in for an assessment to be held in June 2024. There followed a pretty intense three months where I took more images and took advice from others, partly because I couldn’t believe that people couldn’t see the faces or animals which I thought were obvious.
I cropped images and experimented with rotating others, but that was difficult for me to do when all I could see was someone upside down – no one would suggest putting in a portrait panel like that.
Finally, with only a couple of weeks to go, at a camera club project group it was suggested I change the words on my Statement of Intent to talk about shapes rather than people or animals.I printed and mounted my final set, with a sense of trepidation, but was thrilled on the day when the panel were enthusiastic about it, and I was awarded my Associateship. It was a very special moment.
My Favourite Images
I'm going to say image three (page 26) and image six (previous page), because I love the expressions of the faces, that I can see there.
One that didn't make it to the panel was Sprea-15 (below), again I loved the expression. I had a series of these, but I couldn't get them to work with the rest of the panel. It was felt they were too similar, and the colour balance was wrong.
Personal Insights
I guess I've always been more attracted to abstract images than typical landscapes or portraits. Favourite artists would have to be Dora Maar, Picasso, Salvador Dali, amongst others.
Future Plans
At the moment I have several panel ideas that I'm working with and I'm really enjoying exploring those. As to further distinctions - never say never!
Advice for Others
Definitely make use of Advisory Days and watch the Assessment Days. These are all accessible online. Listen to advice.
I think it is important to get the Statement of Intent nailed at the beginning. You have to be clear about your aims and objectives and then you can take images to fit what you're trying to say, rather than try and create a statement to fit the images. And you don't need to write 150 words; less is often more.
On Reflection
I think I'm much clearer now about thinking in advance and about the sort of pictures I want to take and often go out looking for them.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
In the thick pre-formed, glass panels of a carpark wall, I became fascinated by the shapes I could see within. These were constantly changing through the interplay of light, shadow, refraction and reflection. Often the more I looked, the more I found an interesting balance between the recognisable and the ambiguous.
My intention with this panel was to move away from the realism of the hard blocks and photograph some of the forms I found there, and I hope the viewer will discover and enjoy their own shapes and patterns within these images.
Pareidolia
David McKibbin ARPS Applied
Ever since taking photography seriously ARPS has been a goal with LRPS an obvious stepping stone. My motivations for achieving distinctions were to demonstrate to myself a level of competence combined with a personal development process, but also for credentials to support the commercial photography services I was then providing.
About My Panel
From the moment Hampshire Cultural Trust entrusted me to photograph 22 highly talented members of the Hampshire and Berkshire Guild of Craftsmen at work, I knew the project had a strong potential for an ARPS submission. Since the images were taken for a commission with an agreed brief, Applied was the obvious genre choice.
I enjoy a wide variety of styles and subjects, working with people and capturing scenes that tell a story or evoke an emotion (particularly street). I’m also drawn to abstract and architecture, sometimes influenced by my design and engineering background. This panel ticks several of those boxes.
The Process
The main photography challenge was to produce a cohesive panel from very different processes and skills, taken in different physical spaces and various lighting conditions. To mitigate against this, I agreed in advance the scenes each maker should prepare for, deployed a consistent lighting style and captured most scenes in both portrait and landscape formats.
Deciding between the ‘best’ individual images and a cohesive panel is always a compromise. Categorising images by content,
central, left or right facing and landscape or portrait format helps the iterative process of establishing a physically and photographically symmetric, balanced panel.
My work with the Trust and Guild members was a true collaboration and I chose just “Hands at Work” in monochrome from the much broader brief.
The April 2024 Advisory Day was a very professional process providing insightful critique, comments and suggestions from the advisors and looking for a clear intent in the Statement of Intent. The feedback on my individual images, the panel and the statement was really encouraging, and I quickly booked an October 2024 assessment.
The final adjustments were to substitute one image, re-editing for small, detailed refinements, re-printing, final mounting and minor Statement of Intent changes.
Skills & Techniques
Despite pre-planning it is almost always necessary to improvise on location with camera settings, lens choices and particularly lighting and to work quickly. Post processing, printing, paper choice, and presentation skills are all key success factors at ARPS level.
My Favourite mages
There are two images which I feel illustrate my intent well. Firstly “Clay Curl” (previous page). I only had one chance to capture that decisive moment as the delicate thread of clay curled away from the vase. I enjoy the detail and textures brought out by the strobe side lighting adding interesting tonal ranges to the main subjects, and the shallow depth of field retains a sense of the workshop environment without distraction.
Secondly “Strength and Control” previous page). I’m pleased I captured a sense of the strength and effort within the upper hand balanced with the control and precision of the chisel hand.
Although perhaps not obvious in the final image, recording the maker transforming a solid block of wood into a large, thin-walled vase bringing out the grain and sculpting the spiral finish all by eye was a privilege to watch.
Another favourite which did not make it into the panel is “Curves in Clay” (this page) formed by expert hands transforming such a thin, delicate band into those perfect curves. However, the cleaner simpler style didn’t fit so well within the panel. All my images are cropped to precisely the same ratio so including a single letterbox image spoilt that and added one too many pottery scenes.
Future Plans
My learning and development are continuous with the bonus of enjoying process. I will continue to be actively engaged with the Winchester Photographic Society and increasingly with the RPS DI Group, both of which in their own way are so much more than useful resources.As for distinctions,ARPS was my target, and I have no plans or expectations for FRPS… at the moment.
Advice for Others
Don’t rush into this. Work on several projects and at least one will emerge with a realistic potential as a submission. When it does, work at gathering a significant portfolio of images. Having that good selection to choose from will help you select your final 15 without compromises.
On Reflection
I am in no doubt that the distinctions journey has played a significant part in improving my photographic vision, skills and other achievements.
Hearing the Chairman say “you’ve passed” was a huge reward but seriously, after a long delay I am pleased I decided to stick with the learning and developing process and proud that I’ve reached that level of competence.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
Hands at Work
Hampshire Cultural Trust, who manage and run numerous cultural venues and activities, invited me to bid for a photography commission supporting a month-long exhibition by 22 members of the Hampshire and Berkshire Guild of Craftsmen.
The initial brief was to capture a selection of “hands at work” images at each maker’s pottery or workshop for display on 1.2m high panels alongside the individual collection of creations.
Discussions with the client team to refine the brief led to a preference for detailed monochrome images, provided that suited the individual crafts and creative processes.
Although the brief was extended to include environmental portraits of the makers at work plus a range of publicity and record images, my intent for this distinction focuses on the monochrome “hands at work” concept.
Christine Holt ARPS Natural History
I had already gained my LRPS and, as I enjoy a challenge, I decided to try for an A. I also felt I could learn from the ARPS process.
About My Panel
I am mainly a Nature photographer so for me Natural History was the obvious choice. I had an idea in my mind when I first thought of doing my ARPS. My inspiration was a place I knew well and enjoyed visiting regularly with my camera. I had already embarked on a project to record the wildlife in this area so it was a natural place to start.
The Process
My first selection of images came together quickly as I already had an idea of how I wanted it to look. I attended an online Advisory Day which was very useful.
The advisors pointed out potential problems with some of the images which might mean they would be rejected by the assessors. Some of these were easily corrected but some images needed replacing.
I carefully went through all the advisors’ comments and made the suggested adjustments to my selection of images and to the panel. I was then able to send them to one of the Advisors
to see if the panel was ready to be submitted. A slight potential problem with two of my images meant I needed further replacements.
Having made these changes I was ready to print and have the prints checked. I also had to amend my original Statement of Intent as it was too detailed. I found it a challenge to make it concise and to the point but finally I was ready to submit my panel for assessment.
My Favourite Images
The image of the Blue Tit (previous page) is one of the first images I printed after I started to record and photograph the bird visitors using an old shed as a hide, and a set up a feeding station. It is still one of my favourites.
In the summer I started photographing insects and I discovered a love of macro photography. I very much enjoy the opportunity to appreciate what you can't see with the naked eye.
The Tachinid Fly (this page) was an insect I had not been aware of previously and seeing it in close-up was surprising.
The Robber Fly (next page) didn't make my final panel, it was replaced at the last minute. I don't photo stack my insect images so front to back sharpness is difficult to achieve.
I love this image and the amount of sharpness I achieved but I was advised that because one of the front legs was slightly out of focus it might fail the panel so it would be safer to change it.
Personal Insights
I do seem to have developed a photographic style without really being aware of it. It has just happened naturally over time. Although I don't think I have been influenced by anyone in particular, I love looking at the work of other nature photographers.
Future Plans
I have no particular plan, but I would like to try using my wildlife images creatively as I feel my photography is constantly evolving. I would love to think that one day I could gain a Fellowship, but I don't think I'm ready for that any time soon.
Advice for Others
I would advise getting as much advice as possible and making sure your prints are checked before making your submission.
On reflection, I would have got more advice with writing the Statement of Intent.
On Reflection
It was very satisfying to put together a selection of images taken in a place I love visiting. I did take care with the look of my panel when I prepared it for the Advisory Day, and I was really pleased that this was recognised.
Gaining an ARPS is a real achievement, and I am delighted to have been successful.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
In my panel I aim to show some of the diversity of species found in an area of private land that I have visited regularly for almost three years.
I embarked on a project to record the different species I identified in the area. In the winter I photographed the birds, and, in the summer, I turned my attention to the invertebrates and macro photography. In the autumn I was inspired by the huge parasol mushrooms that appeared and started searching for fungi.
My photography has allowed me to appreciate the detail and the beauty in the variety of wildlife I have discovered in this special place and my panel shows a small selection from what I have found.
01 Cinnabar Caterpillar (Tyria jacobaeae) 02 Tachinid Fly (Tachina fera) 03 Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) 04 Small Heath Butterfly (Coenonympha pamphilus) 05 Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus)
Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) 07 Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) 08 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
Clustered Bonnet (Mycena inclinata)
Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)
Parasol (Macrolepiota procera)
Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea)
Common Bonnet (Mycaena galericulata)
David Scrivener ARPS Visual Art
I achieved my LRPS around November 2019 and although pleased with the learning process and achievement I felt as though this was only the start. I am confident with most of the technical skills, but I have found that my image making only scratched the surface on the way to making a fine art image or indeed a meaningful body of work. My photography had improved but I knew that there was still a long way to go.
Since then I have been developing projects and themes that could perhaps be used as the basis for an ARPS.
About My Panel
I was experimenting with different ways to make an image and discovered ‘Wire ICM’. I thought I would share this method and submitted an article to the Visual Arts Group Newsletter in August 2023 which is still available in the back library.
The coordinator commented about using the content as the basis for an A or even an F. I already had a passion for this subject and so that set me on the journey. Inspired by some early results I began experimenting, diving into many hours of trial and error.
The Process
Out of the thousands of images created, my success rate was at around 1% so whittling through the images was a time-consuming task. When an image appeared that was usable it gave me a great feeling of success and drove my enthusiasm.
Creating an image that was suitable and editable was not the only task. Creating a balanced portfolio was a greater challenge. I had all these images and was not
sure how to put them together in terms of shape, colour and orientation. It was time to get some advice. I researched successful A panels available on the RPS web pages and I printed dozens of 6x4's and played around with them. When I thought I was close I requested a one-to-one and booked an Advisory Day.
The one-to-one was with Viveca Koh who really set me on the right direction with advice on composition, layout, colour balance, colour quality and most importantly boosted my confidence. The Statement of Intent I had drafted needed changing, and I realised how important this element is. My submission at the Advisory Day was met with enthusiasm and I went away with a feeling of over confidence perhaps. My first ARPS submission failed, but I took away the chairperson’s advice and follow up recommendations. I made the changes, then booked another one-to-one with Chris Palmer who guided me with some more very useful advice, which, needless to say, I took on board. My second attempt was successful.
Skills & Techniques
It’s not for everyone but I think that you have to ‘have a go’ and keep going. Don’t get dismayed, keep trying and listen to the advice. I think there is a certain amount of subjectiveness involved but constructive criticism of our work will lead to a greater understanding. It’s not always easy to accept but I feel that I am a better image maker now.
My Favourite Images
The images on this and the previous page are from the very first sets that I created and the two that inspired me to keep trying to create more.
There are dozens of images that didn’t make it and its impossible to pick one. However during the process I discovered another way of creating ICM wire and that is to have a coloured background instead of jet black. The image on the next page would just not have fitted in the panel or the Statement of Intent.
Personal Insights
I have always enjoyed looking at and appreciating the great artists and photographers. Recently I have enjoyed the colour work of Saul Leiter and he has affected my 'street' and abstract photography.
I love my photography so much so that I am overly invested in some of the images that I create. I now often upload images onto the PC, leave them for some weeks and then cull the file. I often now end up with just a very small percentage of keepers. The technique or skill that I have taken from my ARPS, is to stand back; become detached from your work. Appraise it as a stranger would. Easy to say and I think the hardest thing for oneself to do.
Future Plans
My next project is to hold an exhibition and I am organising this with some local artists. I am currently preparing, printing and mounting a selection of pictures ready for the big reveal in June. I also provide photographs for my local Amateur Dramatic group and I am looking forward to the next dress rehearsal at the Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone.
I may plan another Associateship as I have plenty of ideas but a Fellowship I think is beyond my ability (for now).
Advice for Others
My advice would be to try to detach yourself from your project and be selfcritical. Get lots of advise and pay attention to every aspect and detail. Be clear about what you are saying, then examine whether the meaning translates to others.
On Reflection
My photography began to evolve some years ago however joining the RPS and achieving an L and an A has accelerated my photographic learning. I'll always take a 'snapshot' because I just enjoy pressing the shutter. Making an image however is about recording the reflected light, capturing the time and appreciating how shades and colours act together. My appreciation of the art of making an image has improved.
I do suffer a bit of 'imposter syndrome' so obtaining an A provides some comfort that perhaps I do have some skill and appreciation of what makes a good image.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
Whilst scrolling through social media I saw a post that held my attention. It was an ICM image, an ethereal mix of shape and colour, that I had never seen before. I wanted to find out more.
This exploration drew me into the genre of ‘wire’ intentional camera movement. Here the original subject is transformed into an abstract image formed of colour, tone, texture and shape. For me, the movement of the camera during exposure can create shapes and colours evocative of other worldly objects or perhaps, fantastic life forms. I see minute creatures from the deep sea, objects from the dark corners of space and strange life forms.
In this submission I invite the viewer to use their own imagination to interpret my ICM world.
Sue Dall ARPS Natural History
I gained an LRPS distinction in 2016. My motivation for trying for an ARPS was to gain an acknowledgement of my abilities and commitment to photography.
About My Panel
I had several ideas for my distinction. Originally, I had intended to submit a travel panel. I had spent several years on a circumnavigation with my husband, visiting many countries in our sailing boat. I felt sure I had enough images to make a successful panel. The problem was selecting the images and narrowing down the options, it soon became apparent that I had several gaps in my library!
I decided to specialise and tried to put together a panel of the wildlife I had encountered, this proved even more difficult to narrow down to a cohesive panel. I finally submitted a panel of Malaysian wildlife to an Advisory Day and felt completely deflated afterwards as I had no real way of adding more images with this subject.
Back on dry land, I continued down the natural history route. Having booked a self-guided trip to Costa Rica a few years later I felt sure I would have enough material for a panel on Costa Rican wildlife. I tried to photograph as many varieties of hummingbirds as I could find in a limited area. Back home I was pleased with the skills I had acquired and booked a one-to-one.
However, after an initial review of the images, it became apparent that photographing a single species of bird in fairly similar poses and conditions was not a good subject for a panel. Only four of my images were considered to be of an acceptable standard.
I felt thoroughly despondent again and decided to give up the whole idea and concentrate on what I enjoyed photographing.
But the itch would not go away, lurking in the back of my brain a little voice kept prodding me, "you know you can do it". I then had the good fortune to speak to Andrew McCarthy FRPS, who suggested I tried closer to home. Finally, the penny dropped, and from then on, I submerged myself in the local environment, taking every opportunity that time allowed to go out with my camera and hone my skills in observation and technique. It was a rewarding experience.
The Final Process
I booked another Advisory Day and listened carefully. I discarded any images which "might split the judges" knowing I still had opportunities before the summer was out to take more. There was an Assessment Day due about 6 weeks later, so I booked a one-to-one with Andrew McCarthy. He still had questions about a couple of my images and the deadline for the Assessment was only a week away. Undeterred, I went out and took more images to replace any doubtfuls and decided to go for it.
To my horror the Assessment Day was now fully booked. I asked to go on a waiting list as I had gone through all the processes and had a panel ready and very kindly the RPS were able to squeeze me in! No one else apart from my husband saw my final panel before it was submitted, doubt rose at every available moment, but it was too late to do anything about it.
We decided the day before to go to RPS headquarters in Bristol to watch the assessment. Mine was one of the last PDI panels in the afternoon. On arrival we were allowed into the auditorium and to my horror it was completely empty apart from the six Assessors. Hiding at the back wasn't really an option! It was scary and at the same time thrilling to see my images on the huge screen. For each panel one Assessor was asked to talk and then the other Assessors were able to add their comments as well as agree or otherwise. Much to my relief it was a happy outcome.
My Personal Favourites
The challenge of successfully photographing invertebrates in flight became an addictive pastime and I am particularly fond of the Emperor Dragonfly (previous page).
Another image which I am pleased the Assessors liked is the Red-eyed and Common Blue Damselflies on reeds (previous page). I thought this image was possibly a bit of a gamble, but I stuck to my instincts knowing it had artistic as well as documentary qualities.
The one image I really wanted to include in my panel was of the coupled Common Darters mid-air (below). It was particularly challenging to capture, and I remember the moment, the excitement and the buzz of it. I am emotionally attached to this image but guess it could still be better. Something to work on!
Personal Insights
I would definitely recommend the distinctions challenge to anyone who has a passion for their subject and photography. I finally feel more confident; I can accept critique now knowing that I have reached a recognised standard.
Not all the images that ended up in my panel were necessarily my favourites or what I considered to be my best images!
Future Plans
For the moment I am enjoying the lack of pressure I had enforced on myself. I now feel a freedom to expand and explore, letting everything settle into a path towards a higher achievement.
Advice for Others
Compiling a cohesive set of images is the key to a successful panel. Once I had realised that my panel needed to evolve along with my understanding and abilities, everything started to fall into place.
On Reflection
I am greatly thankful to the RPS and all the wonderful people volunteering to make the distinctions process so rewarding (in the long run!). I would particularly like to thank Andrew McCarthy FRPS, Mick Durham FRPS and Ann Miles FRPS for their sound advice.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
The aim of my panel is to showcase invertebrates found in the landscape of greensand hills and chalk down lands close to my home in Wiltshire.
I have chosen Odonata and Lepidoptera that display a variety of colour, pattern and form. Where possible I have included behaviour such as mating, feeding and flight.
All images were photographed in natural light using a macro or telephoto lens. I used a range of techniques including focusstacking.
01 Green-veined White (F) (Pieris napi)
02 Marsh Fritillaries (Euphydryas aurinia)
03 Marbled Whites (Melanargia galathea)
04 Chalkhill Blue (M) (Polyommatus coridon)
05 Burnet Campion (Euclid glyphica)
06 Beautiful Demoiselle (F) (Caloptery virgo)
07 Emperor Dragonfly (M) (Anax imperator)
08 Blue-tailed Damselfly (M) (Ischnura elegans)
09 Common Blue Damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum) (+ Red Damselfly)
I had been a member of the RPS for some years before I committed to seeking a distinction. Some years ago, I observed an L Advisory Day then later submitted a possible L panel for advice. I received encouraging feedback but meanwhile I was attending a wide range of workshops (RPS and other), learning from talks, and entering competitions at my club.
My skills were growing, and I had become more interested in working in series, mining an idea until either it or I was exhausted. My L panel in progress started to look old and was shelved. Instead of starting a new one I began observing Associateship Assessment Days in Visual Art, Travel, and Contemporary Photography.
About My Panel
A visit to an immersive multimedia installation at Tate Modern inspired the panel. It was huge, loud, neon lit, and a bit overwhelming. I felt my options were to either leave immediately or retreat behind my camera and try to channel what I was feeling into a series of abstract images.
Using intentional camera movement to step away from reality and capture the intensity of the experience, I shot around 60 images and knew immediately that there was an A panel in Visual Art Photography in there.
The Process
The challenge that followed was to prepare a panel that was organised and communicated the thrill of the experience. Which images to include? How to organise them into a coherent, balanced set that reflected my statement? Where was the energy in each picture? How could we move through the panel in a way that generated an energy that was more than the sum of its parts? Which paper would give the intensity of colour I wanted and add a presence of its own?
I found that the intense colours became tactile, and the images came alive on Hahnemühle Museum Etching paper. I printed a short list of images postcard size and tried out numerous possible hanging plans on my dining table. Then printed some more and tried again.
A one-to-one with Chris Palmer was invaluable. He encouraged me to be brave and commit to the very abstract images I found most exciting and drop the ones with hints of the architecture of the space. I printed some more and went back to my dining table to settle on a final fifteen and a 3 5 7 hanging plan that seemed to fall naturally from the short-listed images.
My first attempt at a Statement of Intent was useful in guiding the project but was way too wordy. The one-to-one with Chris Palmer quickly sorted that out and I boiled it down to a 75-word statement focussed on the panel as an expression of my experience that day.
My Favourite Images
Even now image 5 (opposite page) makes me want to cover my eyes and step away! The sensation of something zooming towards us is created by intentional camera movement but it is in the panel because it captures the unpredictable movement of parts of the installation I was visiting. It is the only image with a green focal point, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the assessors. It is counterbalanced with image 7 in the hanging plan by a pair of yellow ‘eyes’ that have a similar disconcerting energy.
A natural choice for the centre of the panel is image 6 (this page). It is the brightest and is centre weighted. There is a hint of a person within the framing elements that draws us in to the panel as a whole.
An alternative image that I considered for the centre position was ‘Encounter’ (next page). Although I enjoyed the other worldliness of the forms and the bright light behind them, the image did not meet the criterion I had set for a high level of abstraction. It also lacks the linear elements that would suggest depth and invite us to approach.
Personal Insights
From the beginning I have been most interested in composition and the way in which objective properties of a picture such as colour, line, texture and form can evoke a subjective feeling in the maker and in the viewer. There are many ways for a photographer to explore this relationship, but I particularly enjoy urban spaces, architecture, and street photography. Macro photography of natural subjects such as plants and rocks is a more recent interest but my enjoyment is still centred around composition and abstraction.
I heard Doug Chinnery say once that there was a day on which he cleared his Instagram of its historic mixture of images and committed to abstraction. I am not ready to do that yet, but it is a useful reminder that a personal style grows out of a decision to make work that thrills you.
Future Plans
I am beginning the slow process of pursuing a possible Fellowship idea. I learned from the ARPS experience that I need a large body of work from which to select a cohesive and impactful set for a panel. It needs to be a project that I am excited by and can commit to for a substantial period of time.
Advice for Others
My number one tip for photographers considering pursuing an ARPS Distinction is to remember to enjoy the photography!
On Reflection
To prepare an A panel of 15 images means holding in your head at least double that, and to have at least that many possible others. Now when I find a subject to photograph, I remind myself not to stop too soon. Often the later images are better than the early ones because the idea has had time to evolve.
Making the pictures and organising the panel was satisfying, but it was a boost to my confidence to receive feedback in both the one-to-one and at the Assessment that my strange pictures could also be exciting to others.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
Commotion
A visit to Tate Britain is always stimulating but I found one multimedia installation to be almost overwhelming. Retreating behind my camera from the commotion of coloured lights and strange forms, I saw the opportunity to create a series of abstract photographs.
The images are intended to communicate some of the visual and emotional excitement of my experience that day.
FELLOW FRPS
FELLOWSHIP
Jan Ison FRPS Landscape
I went to Cuba for a photography holiday in 2012 but it was not until 2018 that I achieved an Associateship in Travel using those images. To be truthful, I thought that was where my journey would finish. However, on another photography holiday I met an amazing, inspirational photographer and, since my retirement, we have travelled together extensively. In the last three years, my photography has improved tremendously, and it was his encouragement that eventually persuaded me to apply for an RPS Fellowship, following a lengthy photography trip to Montana and North Dakota where I found a potential subject.
About My Panel
The reason for visiting this area was to photograph abandoned properties, churches, schools, wonderful old cars and the ubiquitous grain elevators. Although I had done a lot of research online and map plotting of potential places, I found that quite a few buildings no longer existed and others were large piles of timber. It was sad to think that very soon this would happen to all these abandonments with eventually no trace to remind people of their existence. Looking at these sad and neglected buildings, there is a certain feeling of melancholy, despair and futility as the surrounding vegetation and Cottonwood trees are overtaking the buildings, hiding cars and ruining the foundations of churches, schools and grain elevators.
So the idea and inspiration came from visiting these places and wanting to capture the buildings and cars in their present sad situations before they disappeared forever, to convey the despair and futility of what was left and maybe for the viewer to form their own questions.
The Process
I gained my Fellowship on my second submission. The feedback after my first was fairly positive, and encouraging enough for me to try again six months later after a further two trips back to Montana and North Dakota.
The biggest challenge that I faced was the weather. My first visit to Montana and North Dakota was during April and May. They talk about the big skies of this region and yes, there were very many big blue skies! However, the buildings looked better and conveyed more feeling in dull overcast weather. Ultimately it meant that I needed to return to this area twice more over the winter period. So the challenge was finding enough images with some interest in the sky.
I had a one-to-one with Tony Worobiec. He was encouraging of the theme for my panel, however there were quite a few technical issues that I had to overcome, partly because I had a misconception that my images had to show some stylised processing. He also thought that the aims and objectives in my Statement of Intent were a bit too specific and I made some changes to it at that early point.
Skills & Techniques
I have been using a 24mm Tilt and Shift lens for the last 18 months or so, and part of the reason for using the tilt element of the lens is to include foreground interest whilst also keeping the background in focus. Just photographing the buildings on their own could have created very repetitive compositions and so having something interesting in the foreground would give me more options and allow further context to the abandonments.
Learning to use the 24mm tilt and shift lens was a crucial factor. However, processing the images was another important element. Feedback from my first submission was to check the RGB of the skies as there was some red that shouldn't be there and not to over process the images.
My Favourite Images
It was an amazing morning with mist and hoar frost. Visiting Hurricane Lake Church (previous page) in this setting was stunning . The church had a barrier of trees and dead branches on one side and so it was a matter of finding the right spot for the foreground. The windows, doors and 50% of the walls were missing so it is difficult to know how long the church will remain.
It looks to me like this house (this page) had been quite substantial and pretty in its time but is now looking sad and forlorn in its disrepair and of course overlooked by this towering, overbearing cottonwood tree. It somehow evokes a sad feeling in me and I wonder what eventually made the family leave this lovely home. I photographed it from a very low position so that there was no clutter in the background.
Target Practice (this page) was in my first submission but would not have fitted in with my second which has a more wintery feel and more earthy tones. I like the image because it is simple with three subjects: half a car, a cottonwood tree and a building that has completely fallen down and succumbed to the vegetation around it. It tells a story; of people using what's left of the old car as target practice and the loss and demise of another home whilst the cottonwood stands tall and observant.
Personal Insights
Although it's difficult to see one's photographic work as having a style, let alone whether it has evolved over time, I think my Fellowship panel does show a style which I would not have had a few years ago. However, I feel that my style, like my knowledge of photography, is still on the upward slope of evolving and learning.
I have definitely been influenced by minimalist photographers such as Michael Kenna and Bruce Percy. However, I hope the feelings and story telling from Sebastiao Salgado and Steve McCurry's photographs have also influenced my work.
Future Plans
I love travelling and my friend and I have several overseas photography trips planned. I will continue to photograph landscapes but I also enjoy travel and street photography so I may consider a Travel or Documentary Fellowship in the future.
Advice for Others
I would definitely advise anyone aspiring to achieve an FRPS Distinction to attend an Assessment Day either in person or via zoom as the information you can gain through the critiquing and positive/negative comments could be crucial. I know I put in an awful lot of time and effort to gain the Fellowship. It was definitely a massive learning curve but I have gained so much from it.
On Reflection
I think the most rewarding part of the entire experience was attending in person at the Assessment, hearing all the positive comments and then hearing the fantastic news that I had gained my FRPS Distinction. It was such an overwhelming feeling of amazement, relief and pride in myself that I had actually done it. I could have jumped for joy, and at that point in time I wanted to tell the world!
STATEMENT OF INTENT
I have visited Montana and North Dakota at different times of the year to specifically photograph the abandoned buildings, dwellings and old vehicles left by families and businesses unable to sustain a living from the poor quality agricultural land in the mid 1900s.
Well off the beaten tracks, these properties and occasional vehicles are found dotted around the desolate landscape. Trees grown around the farmsteads for protection against the harsh weather, now overgrown, taking over and helping in the destruction of these buildings. Now decades later, these abandoned buildings, dwellings and vehicles are in a sad state of degradation. Before they disappear and are forgotten, I wanted to capture the feelings of despair and futility of some of these abandonments overcome by time, weather and vegetation. Buildings standing proud, braving the extreme weather elements but still slowly succumbing to the decay.
They all have a story to tell.
Viveca Koh FRPS Contemporary
I decided to seek this FRPS distinction partly as a personal challenge to gauge where I currently stood photographically. I'd already attained a Fellowship in Visual Art in 2014, plus one with the Irish Photographic Federation in 2021, and both made me realise how much I enjoy creating a single body of work around an idea with a supporting statement.
About My Panel
The idea evolved very gently over five years, as I considered the phone photos I'd taken in the immediate aftermath of my Mum's death. These had originally just been for me with no intention of sharing them further, but I believe when something this emotional rests in the subconscious over a period of time it can develop from quite nebulous thoughts into a more tangible and expressive concept.
My panel mixes the different styles of photography I love. I've worked with texture overlays for years now, and I believe this might be the type of work others associate with me but I also have a real penchant for photographing typical contemporary subjects and processing them in a straightforward and realistic way. This panel blends the two different approaches but still feels very much like 'me'.
I chose Contemporary because I felt there was such a strong story accompanying these images, very much 'about' rather than 'of' which is what the genre is all about. Equally present was the thought of broadening my horizons by attempting an alternative style/ethos, rather than steering the panel towards Visual Art again, which may have been possible with different emphases in the statement.
The Process
It took a long time to decide to proceed with the submission, because it was so intensely personal, and I experienced doubts regarding the subject matter - how might this be received? Death can be
an incredibly emotive subject and initially I had reservations regarding how I could convey it in a way which wouldn't alienate people. Eventually, I recognised it was impossible to control how others perceived the work and had to come to terms with the fact some would hate it, but if they did this was their concern and not mine. I don't mean for that to sound arrogant; it's about my own self-esteem issues and attempts to stop fretting over what others think about me/my work which always was, and continues to be, a big personal challenge. Distinctions as therapy – who’d have thought it?!
I only had fifty images in total plus a few were the same subject shot slightly differently, which reduced the choice still further. I experimented with various presentation layouts, first balancing elements within the house images across the panel, and separately balancing background textures/colours. Only when I was happy with the look of these components separately, did I match the house photographs to the textures and processed them together to create the final composites.
My statement 'grew' in a similar way to the overall panel, again over an extended period of time. I thought about it at great length and depth, whilst making copious notes, interspersed with 'sleeping on it' and allowing the words to consolidate. The words were always inside me, I just had to find the right way of letting them come out.
Skills & Techniques
For me it's about an almost forensic level of attention to detail, maintaining those high standards required for Fellowship. I'm naturally a very pedantic person with a tendency to obsess over details, which doesn't always work in real life but can be quite beneficial when working towards an RPS distinction! I also maintained consistent processing techniques. Once I'd settled on the style which worked everything came together as a cohesive body of work.
My Favourite Images
A shot of Mum’s desk diary, open at the day she died was especially poignant for me (previous page). All she’d had time to enter was her usual drawing of the weather that day, in the form of the sun. I had the idea to scan the page and then use that image as the background to my statement. I used the blue the diary was printed with, along with the same font, which I felt truly connected the words and the imagery.
Mum’s kitchen pinboard (this page), which inevitably made me smile because it was so ‘her’. She couldn’t always be bothered to cook so would buy packet meals, and if she
didn’t like them would write on the packaging in thick black marker pen her uncensored thoughts, for future reference in case, heaven forbid, she should ever contemplate purchasing them again.
“Don’t Panic” (this page) shows the original image I chose for position 13 in my layout, but I decided the image I eventually used in its place was visually stronger, and worked better within the panel. I used exactly the same glass background texture shown here.
Future Plans
I'm not sure what's next for me photographically as I'm in a real creative dip at the moment, but that seems to be how the muse works for me, it's either switched on or off. If I had another bright idea I may consider creating another Fellowship panel in future because I enjoy project work and the challenge so much.
Advice for Others
The single most important piece of advice I would give to anyone aspiring to achieve an FRPS distinction is to have a genuine and heartfelt passion for your subject, whatever it may be. If it's something you love and care about, enjoy photographing and feel enthusiasm and affinity for, perhaps an emotional connection which makes your heart sing, then you are part way there. Additionally remember the standard is very high, both technically and aesthetically, and it is vitally important your Statement of Intent matches your images.
I would say to anyone considering a distinction for the first time, a one-to-one can be valuable, discussing your project with a current RPS assessor who is very aware of the criteria you need to meet.
On Reflection
I'd say my work has been evolving ever since I achieved LRPS in 2010. This was the first official validation I'd had of my work, giving me some confidence and belief in myself, and I've thoroughly enjoyed working through the distinctions since then.
I watched my assessment via Zoom, and was incredibly gratified to hear the comments of all the assessors because it was immediately clear they 'got it'. My statement and images had done their job, the relief and emotion I experienced in that moment was tremendous.
It's safe to say all my photographic distinctions have meant a great deal to me, but Fellowship is the ultimate accolade and makes me so chuffed and happy I inevitably get emotional talking about it every single time.
RESOURCES
How to start – or continue – your Distinctions journey: Useful Links
LRPS is a general assessment of your photographic skills, for which you provide a panel of 10 images. ARPS and FRPS assessments are assessed in specific genres, namely Applied, Contemporary, Documentary, Film, Landscape, Natural History, Photobooks, Travel, and Visual Art. For prints and digital submissions, you provide 15 and 20/21 images for A and F respectively, as a panel or a wordless book.
Each of the pages below includes handy links to guidelines and genres for distinctions, assessment dates, and a “how to apply” document:
• Licentiate (LRPS) – the process for LRPS is digital only – see below for more details.
• Associate (ARPS)
• Fellowship (FRPS)
Changes to LRPS
The LRPS application process uses a dedicated portal https://operational.awardsplatform.com/ for digital submissions only – no prints or books will be assessed. There is lots of supporting info on the RPS website.
ARPS and FRPS submissions continue to support print-based assessments as well as digital ones and photobooks.
Photobooks
The Photobook genre has its own special guidelines and submission process (as opposed to an ARPS or FRPS submission in book form). You can find out more here: Photobooks. You might also like to see a talk hosted by Stewart Wall which is both informative and inspiring.
Preparing for Submission
Whatever your readiness for LRPS, we offer an LRPS Support Group to DI members only. We’ll be offering DI members their own dedicated LRPS Advisory Days in due course – watch out for details.
Advisory Days
Advisory Days for all levels can be booked here; these may be online, in person, or both, and are offered at various
venues. You can generally attend as an observer if you aren’t ready to step up yet (usually advertised a week beforehand on the Facebook group). In addition, some Chapters and Regions offer online Distinctions Study Groups. You may be able to find these by searching the RPS website.
one2one
You can request an online session with a panel member appropriate to your genre/distinction. See how to book a one2one for more information.
There has been some confusion over what happens next – someone from HQ will find you an advisor and put you both in touch to arrange a date and to send images/ presentation plan. This can take time depending on how many volunteer assessors in your genre or at your level are available, and you are advised to make your request at least 4 months before an assessment.
As for advisory days, you can sign up to observe an Assessment Day (in person or online). It can be very helpful to hear what assessors say about other panels, successful or not.
And don’t forget, as well as projected and printed images, you can also apply for a Film, Video and Multimedia Distinction at any level, and also a written Research Distinction.
More Avenues of Support
You can find successful applicants talking about their experiences in a number of Distinctions Live podcasts on the RPS Distinctions Channel. Also, a talk from Stewart Wall gives advice on how to gain your Licentiate.
The private Facebook Group RPS Distinctions **Official Group** is still growing after 5 years, and now has over 5400 members. It includes news and notices of events from HQ, links for observer places at assessments, and posts celebrating distinction successes to inspire you. It’s a civilised venue to ask questions, share your successes – and disappointments – and ask for critique or expert advice on your proposed submissions.
If you aren’t sure which genre or level to apply for, you can post 6 images (plus your SOI if appropriate) and request moderator advice.
You’re reading issue 15 of Accolade, which celebrates Digital Imaging members’ distinction successes, and is useful for insight into the process in many different genres and at all levels. All the back numbers are also available on the DI website.
LRPSSupportGroup
Now that the RPS Distinctions team have organised the new LRPS process so that everything is online, the Digital Imaging Group felt that we should support our members by offering an LRPS Support Group. This is a facilitated online group for all DI members who are working towards their Licentiateship, no matter where they are on the journey.
