DI ONLINE
COVER IMAGE
ALL ABOUT THE COVER IMAGE
ThePhotographer: Helen Sheppard ARPS
TheImageTitle: The Woods of the Mendip Hills - Autumn Abstract
Taken on a T-W-T Woodland Walk
AbouttheImage:
This autumnal impression of a tree with leaves being blown around before falling to the ground was achieved by using an overlay of three photographs (tree, fallen leaves and surrounding woodland).
I used the blending mode ‘difference’ and applied some scaling and rotation to the images.
EDITOR DI ONLINE: Melanie Chalk
CONTACT: dionline@rps.org
CHAIR’S CHAT
THOUGHTS FROM THE CHAIR…
Another year gone and another 11 issues of DI Online completed, with thanks to all who contributed and especially our editor Melanie Chalk. It is no mean task to produce these each month and besides the workload for the newsletter Melanie also produces the workshop programme. DI members are truly indebted to her.
Of course DI couldn’t operate without the tireless work of all our volunteer team. So a huge thanks goes to all of them too.
Whilst everything we deliver makes up the whole of our DI programme, perhaps one thing that has been an outstanding success this year has been the Books & Zines project. So many of you engaged and so many of you have produced amazing books and zines as a result. A few have been featured in DI Online or shared on the DI ISSUU. Some members have gone into print production and are now selling copies through our web page HERE
Projects in general seem to have been well received. From Seeds to Bloom was another success, with the monthly talks from Celia Henderson proving very popular. To see the entire cycle of one year through, Celia still has a few more for you to enjoy in early 2025: completing the year in March with The Magnolia.
It would be lovely to have the data to know just how many of our 1720+ members have engaged with at least one event in 2024. All we can hope is that each and every one of you have found something that has appealed to you. And if you didn’t then we have more great things in the pipeline for 2025 so we hope to see you then.
All that remains is for the DI Team to wish you all the very best of seasonal greetings. Enjoy the holiday period however you choose to spend it.
Janet Haines digchair@rps.org
DIGITAL IMAGING AGM
EDITOR’S WORDS FROM THE COMPUTER CHAIR
As we approach the end of the year, and the last publication of 2024, let me wish you joy in your Christmas celebrations, no matter what plans you have, and extend my best wishes for 2025.
Looking ahead, Digital Imaging is pleased to be offering new opportunities for learning and inspiration that will assist you in navigating the complexities of both photography and the broader world. We have an array of activities planned to engage your mind and provide a welcome distraction from global politics! Our community is built on support, knowledge, and generosity, so please feel free to reach out for assistance or advice. The LRPS Support initiative is here to facilitate just that connection and assist your photography journey. Our ongoing collaborations with various RPS Groups and Regions will continue to enrich our shared experiences.
December’s issue features intriguing articles that showcase the interests and talents of our members. The topic of AI in photography is particularly timely as we strive to keep pace with the rapid advancements in this field and explore its implications for our own photography and future Competition entries,
I have two requests that won't require any financial commitment—just a bit of your valuable time. First, if you are interested in contributing an article and images for the 2025 issues of DI ONLINE, please share your name with me. Secondly, I encourage you to engage in the discussion surrounding AI, all perspectives and opinions are welcome, no matter where you stand on the issue. I can then feature these in forthcoming publications. Do register for the free AI talk/ discussion with Joe Houghton in January. Joe has also shared his ‘Techie’ insights for 2025.
So I just share with you, a little poem, to raise a smile, written by the talented, Mr Brian Bilston. You may have seen it before , but like many Christmas traditions its good to bring out these favourites each and every year. I must go and find that much loved 40 year old fairy, for top of the tree, made by my son at play school! For me so many memories come flooding back at this time of year, so wishing you a Happy and Nostalgic Christmastime.
Melanie
Melanie Chalk Editor DI ONLINE dioline@rps.org
AI WHAT'S ALLOWED WITH JOE HOUGHTON
On Friday January 24 DI Workshops have organised a Talk/Discussion on the current state of AI as it relates to photography competitions. We'll discuss different categories and how their rules differ in terms of what is and isn't permitted, and also compare the rules from major bodies such as FIAP, PAGB, PSA. This is a free event for DI Members.
BOOKS & ZINES NEWS
The Books and Zines Project has been highly successful, with many participants receiving their printed works or awaiting delivery of their creations. We aim to maintain our connection with everyone involved in this year long project and will keep you informed about events, that we are planning to run in 2025, all related to bookmaking, publishing, and printing, whether you are printing yourself at home or through a commercial printer or making a Handmade Book.
New Initiatives:
We are excited to announce a new initiative, a ‘New Project’, and a ‘New Chapter’ in the ‘Books and Zines’ project, ‘Handmade Books’ While we are still finalising details with presenters and setting dates, I can confirm that Alex Hare and Lizzie Shepherd will lead a three-part series focused on handmade book creation, titled, ‘Making a Handmade Book’ which will consist of a three workshops, and will include three additional sessions for participants to ask questions, revisit techniques, and resolve any challenges encountered during the process. The workshops will run from May to July and are designed for beginners, with plans to introduce more advanced techniques in September and into the Autumn. We will update you in the New Year.
Another addition is that we have created a dedicated section on the DI Website where you can view some of the books produced through this project. You also have the opportunity to purchase these books by contacting the photographer directly; their contact details are provided on this site.
WHY MAKE A PHOTO BOOK?
Some reasons!
“I think the photo book is the most effective medium for photographers to get their work seen by others. To me, a photo book is an exhibition in your hands that provides an easier way of sharing real prints than any other method”. Robin Mudge
“This format is especially effective for projects that aim to convey nuanced ideas or explore abstract concepts, as the book itself becomes an extension of the artist’s vision”. Stewart Wall
“They provide a physical, immersive experience that digital formats cannot replicate, allowing viewers to engage deeply with the narrative”. Anon
Here is an event to cheer you up in January, a great way to start the New Year, and a very pertinent subject for those planning to compile a book, ‘The Art of Sequencing’ Theo writes, “Sequencing can be learned and is very fun and rewarding to do!
‘The focus of the webinar is on putting together interesting and beautiful photo books, whether for personal use or for the purpose of publication. Will I see you online on the 11th? Register HERE
BOOKS AND ZINES
PEER SUPPORT E-CIRCLES
Our Books and Zines project participants have formed two e-Circles to allow them to go on discussing their projects. Groups will meet on Zoom (frequency to be decided, but less frequently than monthly), to discuss their work.
Participants are welcome to discuss printed books, electronic books, or handmade books. One group meets on Tuesdays at 17.30 (UK time), and one on Wednesdays at 14.00. There are a couple of places available and any DI members interested in photo books would be welcome.
Anyone interested should contact DIcircles@rps.org
REPORT FROM BARRY SENIOR
ON THE ROTARY CLUB OF RINGWOOD INTER-SCHOOL
PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION 2025
The collaboration between Ringwood Rotary Club and Ringwood School began in 2012 with the production of a calendar. This collaboration has evolved into the Inter-school Photographic Competition and associated Exhibition which is now in its 11th year. The RPS Digital Imaging Group has been involved as one of the sponsors and has assisted with the selection of the accepted images and the award of a certificate in each category since 2022.
The Competition is open to all schools across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. Entry is divided into categories by age: Primary, Years 7 to 10 and Years 11 to 13. (Note: Add 5 to the year groups convert to the ages). There is also an adult section open to parents, carers, and staff. This event has been very well supported. Last year 24 schools took part and 1150 images were entered. From these, 51 images were selected for the Exhibition, which is printed to about A2 size or larger and flush mounted by Quayline Digital, Southampton. Many of us, I suspect, would be delighted to achieve the quality and creativity of the images in the previous Exhibitions – a tribute to the young people, their teachers and their family support. The 2023 and 2024 Exhibitions of accepted images can be found on the DI Southern Centre pages of the RPS website. The link is https://bit.ly/DI-Southern.
The schools involved last year covered an area from Southampton to Salisbury to Corfe Castle. The Rotary Club of Ringwood awards a certificate to each image accepted for the Exhibition. Also, certificates are awarded to an overall winner and a winner and runner up in each category.As part of our involvement RPS DIG also award a certificate in each category.
For 2025 the subject of the Competition is LAYERS. The closing date for the Competition is 31st January 2025.
Barry Senior Hon FRPS
An image from the 11 to 13 years Category On the theme of ‘Atmosphere’
An image from the Primary age Category On the theme of ‘Atmosphere’
An image from the 7 to 10 years Category On the theme of ‘Atmosphere’
LINK TO SEE THE PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS
DI SOUTHERN CENTRE
LRPS SUPPORT GROUP
UPDATE
The LRPS Support Group has proven to be extremely popular and obviously there are only so many members that we can help all at once. Until such times as a few members are successful in gaining their LRPS and leave the group, we are offering a waiting list. As spaces become available we will invite members on a first come basis.
If you would like to go on to the LRPS Support Group waiting list please contact us via DISupportGroup@rps.org. This group is strictly for DI members only.
There is a lot of very useful information on the main RPS Distinctions pages https://rps.org/qualifications/licentiate. We would recommend you reading this and watching their videos.
ACCOLADE
HaveyougainedanRPSDistinctioninthelasttwoyearsbutnotbeenfeaturedin eitherAccoladeorDIOnline? Iftheanswerisyes,andyouwouldlikeyourworkincludedinAccolade15,then pleasegetintouchwithCarolinePetchusingthisemail
Toviewthelasteditionclickhere
T-W-T
TALK-WALK-TALK – WOODLANDS IS NOW COMPLETE
Each walking group could select one or two images to go in to the main Woodlands Zine. This can be viewed on the TWT web page https://talkwalktalk.org/topic/woodland/zines where you will also find several other zines that have been produced by the various groups.
There are many really stunning images in the zines, so well done to all the 350+ members who participated. The feedback we get is extremely positive with quite a number of members doing more than one walk as they enjoy it so much. This was another very successful and ongoing collaboration with the RPS Landscape Group.
IN THE SPRING WE MOVE ON TO PARKLANDS AND GARDENS
If you would like to lead a walk near you we’d love to hear from you. Just drop us a line at, twt@rps.org with your name, email address and the town you will do the walk in.
Think broadly around this topic – it might be a RHS garden, the municipal gardens, allotments, sculpture park. It doesn’t have to be all about flowers but could be gardeners, or the insects and animals in the gardens. What we won’t include are the ‘national parks’ such as Dartmoor or Snowdonia as that is more about landscapes than gardens.
TALK-WALK-TALK
Displayed across the following pages is a curated selection of images featured in the ‘Woodland Zine’. As the Editor of this publication, I have exercised my discretion to choose images that particularly captured my attention while reviewing the Zine. Editor.
Brocton Coppice by Prem Kumar
Killiecrankie Walk Autumn by James Frost
Castle Fraser Woodland - Autumnal Intersection by Dave Lynch
Fraser Woodland - Water webbed by Jacqueline Riach
Sheffield Park and Garden - Autumn Shades by Paul Bather
Bracken Clumber Park by Howard Fisher
Croft Castle Parkland and Woodland - The stream by John Hardwick
Thrunton - Autumn’s Coming by Eddie Middleton
St. Martha’s and Newlands Corner Woodland Scene by Suzy Courtnage
Jean Robson has made an excellent zine of the images which you selected on your walks. This, plus eighteen walk zines which were sent in, can be viewed here:
https://talkwalktalk.org/topic/woodland/zines
Carrifran - After the Rain by Jean Robson
All of the selected images can be viewed in the gallery here: https://talkwalktalk.org/topic-gallery/219
You can view all T-W-T topics here:
https://talkwalktalk.org/topics
BOOKS AND ZINES
A REGULAR FEATURE ON A NEWLY COMPLETED BOOK
THE MAKING OF PAIGNTON BACKSTREETS BY ROBIN MUDGE
I am passionate about photobooks. Like many others, I think the photobook is the most effective medium for photographers to get their work seen by others. To me, a photobook is an exhibition in your hands that provides an easier way of sharing real prints than any other method. For this reason, I have been exploring the design and production of photobooks and zines for some time. Over the past few years, I have been heavily influenced by the words and works of book designers Irma Boom and Yumi Goto. They talk extensively about the difference between a book of photos and a photobook and the idea of the ‘book as an object’ with the materials used being as important as the typography, design and content. Like the Landscape Group before, the Digital Imaging photobook and zine project provided the stimulus to engage with other like-minded photographers and work on some new ideas, which is why the Paignton book came about.
I love wandering around the backstreets of villages, towns and cities and recording images of the urban scenes that unfold in front of me. Recently I have discovered that this practice has become known as Psychogeography, the act of wandering around is a Dérive and the practitioner a Flâneur. A few years ago I
decided to conduct a Dérive around the backstreets of Paignton, where I grew up. I ended up with a series of photographs starting at the house I grew up in and depicting the backstreets of Paignton where I spent a lot of time, places very rarely visited by anybody but the locals, and certainly not postcard views!
I felt this collection might make an interesting book, but it would be a challenge, because, like most of my work, they were in 3–1 panoramic format, not an ideal book format. Obviously, they would have to be printed horizontally, but the 3-1 format meant that printing them on landscape format A4 would result in a lot of white space, also binding along the left hand edge results in a rather unwieldy format in my experience. The long A5 format bound along the top horizontal edge seemed like a workable solution, offering reasonable sized landscape images in a manageable format. I wanted the pages to lie flat, and perfect binding does not allow this, so I decided to use Wiro binding, a method I had used in a couple of previous books. Wiro binding allows a double page spread to lie flat; it also allows pages to fold back on themselves, but that’s another story.
Another aspect of my work is to try and engage the viewer by giving them as near an experience as ‘actually being there’ as possible (one of the reasons I often use the panoramic format and shoot in as high a resolution as I can afford).
I was thinking of ways of giving the viewers of Paignton Backstreets some idea of what a Dérive was like and decided to add the location of each photograph, using the ‘what3words’ system. What3words uses a combination of three unique words to map every three metre square of the earth’s surface. Typing the sequences in to the what3words app shows on a map an accurate location of where the pictures were shot. Adding the
three word combinations to each photograph was easy and meant I could arrange each photograph on its own page with the three words using the facing page. In this way, viewers could virtually visit the actual location by using the what3words app on their smart devices.
With Paignton Backstreets, the image sequence was dictated by the route of the Dérive. Because of this, the pairing of facing images on a double page spread was often not ideal. Resolving this would inevitably mean that some images would be out of sequence from the Dérive. With only one image on each double page spread, this sequencing issue was avoided.
The house I grew up in, No. 10 The Gurneys, Paignton
One thing I find annoying is the tendency for viewers to flick though a book from the back and not really engage with it. The horizontal format makes this harder to do, and printing it on heavier weight paper stock also helps make this practice more difficult. For this reason, I chose to print Paignton Backstreets on 200 gsm uncoated paper stock.
It took a while to work out how to work with a horizontal spine in Affinity Publisher. Then, on completion of the design, because Mixam only accepts files for printing with a vertical spine, the page orientation had to be rotated vertically for creating the ‘print ready’ PDF. To get the maximum size image, I decided to use full bleed, whereby the image abuts the edges of the page on three sides, leaving a suitable margin at the top so that the Wiro binding did not intrude on the image. For full bleed, a 3mm bleed overlap of the image is required. This allows for tolerances in the trimming of the book during binding. On an earlier project, I
had only sized some images to exactly fit the page size, which occasionally resulted in a very thin white line appearing along the edge of the page that totally ruined the production. This additional 3mm means that the image is slightly cropped, annoying but totally necessary. However, viewers doesn’t know what the original photograph looked like, so they are unlikely to be aware of this problem. One of the things Irma Boom talks about relating to book design is that the photographer has to let go of the original image and embrace the fact that the book is a totally different experience.
I’m not a fan of using a lot of text. As an ex BBC documentary producer/director, I see the text in a photo book rather like the commentary of a film. The role of the commentary was not to describe what can clearly be seen, or influence the viewer over what to think, but to set context and fill in missing detail that help the story make sense.
In Paignton Backstreets, the background to Psychogeography and the context for the Dérive are important, but I believe there is nothing to verbally add to the pictures themselves.
The what3words experience adds a lot of additional information if the viewer choses to explore. It would be a different story if the book was a history of Paignton and the scenes illustrated. Typography is obviously a very important element of a book design, but I’m also not a fan of the more traditional practice of always using small point sizes; there are many examples of fabulous books using a mix of fonts and point sizes.
My current favourite font is American Typewriter, a monospaced font that for me is clean and easy to read, while still presenting some character.
Working on this book is the first time I have had a serious issue with the CMYK colour space. Most of the time I edit images in the CMYK and have had little problem with
balancing images to my taste. The main issues have been around saturation and contrast, both relatively easy to accommodate. However, with this book I had a lot of trouble with the solid colour of the covers. I used Affinity Design to create the front cover and had forgotten to set the colour space to CMYK.
Working in RGB, I found a heavily saturated orangey red that I really liked, but when I imported the RGB file into Affinity Publisher, running in CMYK, it looked awful, not so much the saturated orangey red, more the desaturated muddy brown! A test print confirmed that the colour I had chosen just didn’t work in the CMYK colour space. It took me a long time to find a suitable colour that worked in CMYK. I guess that is why spot colours are used.
In the end, I was really pleased with the results from Mixam. Now all I need to do is correct the inevitable few typos and cull some of the images, before the final print run.
INTERNATIONALS
Each month we will feature an International Member and learn more about them and their photography. This month we have a different format with Kazue Suzuki telling us about her very unusual project in Tokyo.
My name is Kazue Suzuki, and I am a photographer who takes photos of London buses from the 1960s in Tokyo, Japan. I aim to convey the history of London buses in Japan to future generations through photos, videos, and documents, and to promote the charm of Japan along with London buses to the world.
The sight of a 1960s London bus, which has crossed borders and arrived in Japan after half a century, running through Tokyo, has a deep appeal that transcends time and space, and is a sight that attracts many people with its fun, nostalgic charm.
The red brick Tokyo Station Marunouchi Exit building was designed by Kingo Tatsuno and others and completed in 1914. In 2003, the Marunouchi Station building was designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
Completed on December 23, 1958. A symbol of Tokyo and a tourist attraction, it attracts many foreign tourists. It was founded by Maeda Hisayoshi and designed by Naito Tanada, also known as the "tower doctor" of Japan, and is a truss-structured radio tower with a 333-metre-tall observation deck.
タワー
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Kabukiza, located in Higashi Ginza, is Japan's only theatre dedicated to Kabuki, conveying Japanese traditions and culture.
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Tokyo Midtown is a complex city that includes 130 commercial stores, offices, residences, hospitals, parks, and more, including hotels and cultural facilities. It opened in Roppongi on March 30, 2007. It is known as a beautiful spot where cherry blossoms bloom in spring.
いちょう
The approximately 300m long ginkgo tree-lined street stretching from the Aoyama-dori entrance to the Gaien Central Plaza Circular Road begins to turn yellow in mid-November and shines golden in late November.
London buses sometimes pass in front of the British Embassy in Japan.
/ Garage
The London buses operating in Tokyo, Japan, are lovingly maintained with meticulous attention to detail through careful hand craftsmanship by skilled mechanics.
I held a photo exhibition in June 2024. The London buses that were popular in London, England in the 1960s have crossed borders and half a century to travel through Japan's capital, Tokyo, making this a truly time- and spacetranscending collaboration. The nostalgia evoked by the classic design and the symbolic cityscapes of Tokyo, Ginza, Nihonbashi, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Roppongi, and other areas all combine to create a charm that transcends time and space.
TOKYO X LONDON BUS
Kazue Suzuki Photo Exhibition "TOKYO X LONDON BUS"
DI COMPETITIONS
MEMBERS COMPETITIONS FOR 2025
WHY YOU SHOULD ENTER THE DI PRINT PORTFOLIO?
There is nothing more precious than holding one of your images in your hand as a quality print, it is the end product of producing a photo.
Entering the Print Portfolio is easy. You send us 3 x A4 prints, submit your entry online so we have digital files of your submitted prints. You are guaranteed to have one of your 3 prints go forward to the second round. Then we ask our selectors to reduce down to the top 50 prints and from there the 30 that go into the Print Portfolio for 2025. This becomes our DI exhibition in a book, the best of work from our members.
Each of the 30 photographers are then asked to contribute a couple of paragraphs about their image to go into the DI Print Portfolio. A beautifully edited and printed little book, which each of the 30 get a copy of – everyone who enters the competition gets a magazine catalogue of the final Portfolio.
There are special conditions for our international members. Whether you are a UK or international members please read the RULES carefully. For full information go to www.rps.org/di/comps
Submissions open 1 January 2025 – close on 6 February 2025 Awards at the DI AGM on 23 February 2025
SUPPORTING WEB PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION IS HERE
BY POPULAR DEMAND THE DI MONTHLY COMPETITION RETURNS
from January 2025
This fun competition is open to all DI members. You can submit one image each month and anyone can vote from the 24th of the month. The top 3 images are featured in the DI Online the following month.
To read the RULES go to www.rps.org/di/comps and click on Monthly Competition. Entry will open on this page on 1 January.
All information on all our DI Competitions can be found on our web site.
SUPPORTING WEB PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION IS HERE
DISTINCTIONS
Find out how to start – or continue – your Distinctions journey:
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 has changed – see below for more details.
• Associate (ARPS)
• Fellowship (FRPS)
Changes to LRPS
The LRPS application process has been changed and now uses an online application system for digital submissions – no more prints or books will be assessed.
There’s lots of supporting material and application forms on the RPS website now. Take time to look around and digest the information if you are interested. We also offer an LRPS Support Group to our members; see https://rps.org/groups/digital-imaging/ lrps-support-group/ for more details.
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: Photo books. You might also like to see a talk hosted by Stewart Wall which is both informative and inspiring.
Some genre-specific hybrid Advisory Days for both Associate and Fellowship levels at RPS House are bookable – limited spaces; book here.
To help you prepare, you can request a one2one portfolio review – an online session with a panel member appropriate to your genre/distinction. See this page for more information: How to book a one2one. Note: this programme is being paused until the New Year.
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.
Some regions are offering Advisory Days online and in person. Look out on our Facebook group or for broadcasts from your regional group for details, or use this link https://portal.rps.org/s/ event-listing and click the ‘Advisory Day’ button at the top.
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 can find these by searching the RPS website.
You can send your booking forms to distinctions@rps.org or by post to head office. As for advisory days, you can sign up to observe an Assessment Day (in person or online) tickets for assessments – currently free.
And don’t forget, as well as projected and printed images, you can also apply for a Film, Digital and Multimedia Distinction at any level, and also a written Research Distinction: Film And Research. The Research page on the website has been updated, and more changes are scheduled for other pages.
More avenues of support
If you missed any of the Distinctions Live talks, you can catch up here. (Also accessible via the RPS Distinctions channel on YouTube.) This talk from Stewart Wall gives advice on how to gain your Licentiate.
The Facebook Group RPS Distinctions **Official Group** is still growing after 3 years, with almost 5250 members. It includes news 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 portfolio.
If you aren’t sure which genre or level to apply for, you can post 6 images (plus your Statement of Intent if appropriate) and request moderator advice.
Accolade, which celebrates Digital Imaging members’ distinction successes, is useful for insight into the process in many different genres and at all levels. The last Issue 14 of Accolade has been published and issue 14 is in the works. (back numbers also available on the DI Website).
AI SNAPCHAT
UNVEILING THE LATEST INNOVATIONS IN AI-DRIVEN PHOTOGRAPHY
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2025 WITH JOE HOUGHTON
So another year draws to a close, and we look forward to 2025 and what marvels await. I must be getting old – the never-ending tweaks to resolution, re-issues of yet another lens that looks just like everything else out there already – the incremental upgrades that all the manufacturers keep trumpeting as the latest “must-haves” are increasingly – to me at least - becoming just noise, often ignored.
When is enough, enough? When does the kit that we already have, do the job to a good enough standard? I think I reached that stage with my Nikon D810 – this I think has to be the best camera I’ve ever owned. Yes, now I shoot a Fuji X-T5 – but really because of the weight issues of the older DSLR format and lenses. Does it take better pictures – no. Not worse either, because for the photos I’m taking – to use in talks, for family, and to include in my books, either camera is just fine. Maybe if I landed a gig with National Geographic shooting the Olympics I might need the latest greatest body, but otherwise I’m just fine with what I’ve got.
It's kinda the same with the software too. Lightroom has slowed down over the past year in terms of releasing new bells and whistles – the masking tools are great but it’s hard to see what else of significance they can add that would significantly change my general photo editing. But I still need to keep my computer up to date, as the tools in Lightroom, Topaz and Nik that I tend to use most today are straining my 4 year old Macbook Air to the point where I’ve managed to convince myself (and more importantly, Penny) that it’s time for an upgrade. So I’m going to start 2025 considerably poorer financially, but with a super-fast new Macbook Pro feeding my G.A.S. cravings for a few months at least… I’m very lucky to be able to afford such
an upgrade – but that’s becoming a bigger issue - that older computers simply can’t run the newer software, and often the older software versions end up unsupported or unable to run on older hardware. This is becoming a constraint for many and will price some out of the market if they want to stay “current”.
So is 2025 going to shake our photography world? Not as far as I can see.
All the software we currently use will add small feature increments (and I have the great excuse to buy them all so I can continue to offer my talks – what’s your excuse?). AI is going to start becoming far more built into all the new cameras – and this will further erode the SOOC (straight out of camera) line as more powerful algorithms are applied at the point of capture rather than on the computer in post-processing.
One development that might have an impact is some new technology that Harvard have been working on since 2016, but which has been seriously advanced recently – flat metalenses. These are a completely new type of lens that use microscopic flat pillars to bend & focus light. The 2016 initial work was named Science Magazine’s top discovery of 2016, but that just worked with 1 colour – now they’ve managed to develop a metalens that works with all the colours, making the tech applicable into imaging across the board. We could see much lighter, smaller lenses incorporating this tech being developed –that would make a difference to many of us!
I’ve already created a number of AI judging chatbots – this tech is now ready to apply to larger competitions where thousands of images could be judged in minutes, using consistent and clear criteria and parameters. I see a high probability of salons adopting this as a first cut judging round with then the top images passed on to humans for their assessment for the finalists.
Out a year or two more, and AI will probably be used to process the scene in our viewfinder and offer us alternatives ‘ imagine your camera saying “try taking 2 steps to the left for a more dynamic composition”, or “wait 30 seconds for the cloud to move so you get sunlight on the hill”…
Clubs and societies are going to see even more difficulty differentiating editing techniques between those that do use AI and those that don’t, as AI is baked into more and more of the different elements of every digital workflow. In a few year’s time I think we won’t even be having these conversations – AI will just be a normal part of the whole process and accepted as such. But we’re not there yet, so there’ll still be some storms ahead!
Interesting times indeed – see you in 2025! (And for those of you wondering, all this article was written by me – no AI involved!)
Joe Houghton
RPS REGIONS & SIGS EVENTS
THAMES VALLEY REGION
SOUTH EAST REGION
A reminder for anyone planning to enter the RHS Portfolio Competition, remember the last upload date is fast approaching.
Entries must be submitted by the deadline of 10am (UK time) on Friday 31 January 2025. Only one entry will be permitted per person.
MORE AI SNAPCHAT
CONTENT CREDENTIALS:
What are they ? How does it work? Here is a brief explanation:
The rise of artificial intelligence has raised concerns about image authenticity and to address this the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), co-founded by Adobe, has developed Content Credentials. This is a system, that, is under development and is designed to help photographers certify the authenticity of their work. The idea is that a digital record will accompany an image providing proof of its origin and any modifications that have been made to it. Think of it as a ‘Digital EXIF suitcase, travelling with an image, and would include: the camera model; camera settings; when it was captured; any edits made in Lightroom or Photoshop using Generative AI tools.
As a theoretical experiment, AI Snapchat opened up Photoshop beta and turned on the Content Credentials recording system. We created an initial image of a man and and a woman and set out to remove the man by using three different tools. ( We did this three times with a new man/woman image, created in Photoshop 2025, so that that no previous credentials data was recorded by Photoshop beta)
Reading the columns opposite? From left to right we first removed the man by Cloning him out: then by means of Content Aware fill and lastly by use of the Remove tool. All three tools generated the same result - no man. ( Ladies do I notice a slight smile? )
Again as before, if you refer to the middle columns, from left to right, reproduced here is an abridged version of the information recorded by the credentials recording system. Note that under both the Clone and Content Aware tools the wording is exactly the same! At the moment, it appears, that reference to tools used is in a generic form and not by individual tool used.
Turning to the third column, when the Remove tool was used, the Credentials column now includes the information: “This image combines multiple pieces of content. At least one was generated with AI”.
So - Question: In competition terms would it be illegal to use the Remove tool, albeit it does the same job, in this theoretical example, as the other two tools?
Some of you might say ‘Yes’ as it’s a generative tool - creating new pixels - but there appears to be a funny logic at work here.
For example, lets say you bought a new hybrid car. You would consider it very odd if you were not allowed to use the electric engine ( the Remove tool ) and only allowed to use the traditional petrol engine (Clone and Content-Aware tools) - both engines ( and the 3 tools ) do the same job!
Further, you can be sure that Adobe and other software manufacturers are pumping a lot of effort into updating and developing new tools that will, in many cases, incorporate generative features.
Are we going to be selective and ban use of generative tools in a competition environment? If so, within a few years, the majority of the software you use, to edit a picture, will be out-of-bounds to competition entrants!
'Welcome to the AI conundrum!
Your comments and solutions are welcomed but please remember that this was a theoretical exercise and the same action could have been done in a number of different ways.
Next month we will look at how to save and upload an image with Credentials attached and how to Verify an image.
Please join in this conversation and send an email to:- dionline@rps.org
CLONE TOOL
ContentCredentials records…..
ACTIONS
Combined
Compositedorreordered content,oreditedwith content-samplingtools
Drawingedits
Usedtoolslikepencils, brushes,erasers,orshape, path,orpentools
Opened
Openedapre-existingfile
TheCloneStampTool
isnotconsideredanAItool.It isamanualtoolthatrequires theusertoselectasource areaandthenpaintoverthe targetareatoduplicatepixels.
Theprocessdoesnotinvolve artificialintelligenceor machinelearning—itispurely user-guidedandrelieson directcopyingandpastingof pixeldata.
CONTENT AWARE FILL REMOVE TOOL
ContentCredentials records…..
ACTIONS
Combined
Compositedorreordered content,oreditedwith content-samplingtools
Drawingedits
Usedtoolslikepencils, brushes,erasers,orshape, path,orpentools
Opened Openedapre-existingfile
TheContent-AwareTool
canbeconsideredanAIbasedtool.Itutilisesmachine learningandadvanced algorithmstoanalyseanimage andintelligentlyfillinor removecontentbypredicting whatthesurroundingarea shouldlooklike.
Thisfeatureispoweredby Adobe’sSenseiAItechnology, WhileitisnotgenerativeAIit leveragesAIprinciplestomake preciseandcontext-aware edits.
ContentCredentials records….
CONTENTSUMMARY
Thisimagecombines multiplepiecesofcontent. Atleastonewasgenerated withanAltool
ACTIONS
Drawingedits
Usedtoolslikepencils, brushes,erasers,orshape, path,orpentools
Opened
Openedapre-existingfile
TheRemoveTool
isanAI-basedtool.It usesAdobeSenseiAIto analyseanimageand intelligentlyremoveunwanted objectsorelements.
Thisprocessinvolvesmachine learningtechniquestopredict whattheareashouldlooklike aftertheobjectisremoved, makingitagenerativeAI feature.
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