Creative Light - Issue 60

Julie Oswin EDITOR

Welcome to a landmark edition of Creative Light—the Guild of Photographers’ Online Magazine - celebrating not just the release of the 60th issue but also a decade of its publication. I’m thrilled to unveil a selection of fascinating articles and features that delve into the essence of photography and the creative spirit that fuels it.

The Guild’s mission has always been straightforward: to foster a community where professionals, newcomers, and photography enthusiasts can engage, discover, and draw inspiration. This edition shines a spotlight on the extraordinary talents within our community, offering a glimpse into the lives and works of our award-winning members and exploring the profound influence of photography on our everyday lives.

- Julie Oswin, Editor & Creator of Creative Light Magazine

“ Remember, creativity is not just about seeing; it’s about feeling. It’s about capturing those fleeting moments that tell a story, evoke an emotion or simply take your breath away. And at Creative Light Magazine, we’re here to help you do just that.”

- Julie Oswin

FRONT COVER

The front cover of this edition of Creative Light has been chosen from the Gold Awards for 2024. The image, captured by Rachel Hendrie, features a fabulous picture of a Bassett Hound wearing a hat with the words ‘woof’ on his collar, proving that high fashion is not just for humans but for our dapper four-legged friends too!

Photo: Gaille Gray

Small Town Huge Heart (Wee Toon, Muckle Heart)

Having lived in the Borders for twenty years, I wanted to understand what the Borders Festivals mean to their community and why they are so important. Still considered an outsider and having witnessed many of the Borders events over the years, I was still floundering to really gain a deeper understanding and perspective. The summer break from my Degree at Edinburgh College before progressing onto the BA Hons gave me the luxury time I needed to produce some personal projects simply for fun. With a little bit of perseverance and luck, I happened upon the mum of this year’s Coldstreamer (the leading man in the week’s festivities), Registrar Fiona Shepherd. Fiona could not have been more amenable or helpful. The research began in earnest, but I was unprepared for the feelings that flourished for this town and its people throughout the week. By the end, I felt as if I had known them for much longer; they had taken me in as one of their own; it really was the most rewarding and beautiful experience, the magical gift photography can give.

Each of the towns in the Scottish Borders (including Berwick) has a civic week or Common riding during the summer months, reaffirming their own unique identities with the celebrations of each town following a slightly different format, adding their own nuances and historical references. It is a time of year when any rivalry between the towns is laid aside, and the main parties and their followers are brought together.

Many new friendships for life are formed during the emotional and joyous period, where a sense of pride and belonging merge together, not dissimilar to the tributaries high in the Borders hills collating into the river Tweed.

The oldest events are the Hawick, Selkirk, Jedburgh and Lauder; many of the others, such as Duns, are relatively recent in comparison and began after WW2 when the Infirmary Week became defunct with the introduction of the NHS. The local communities then reformed their week of celebrations with a new format and name. All, however, reference their historical past, including the turbulent years of the raids by the Reiver clans crossing between Scotland and England.

The festivals offer a history lesson to the community’s younger members, an opportunity to honour their past and understand where they come from. It is a time to pay respects to the fallen, celebrate their strong sense of community, drink vast amounts of alcohol and even meet their future wife or husband! Traditional songs and reels are learned and performed, passing on the town’s rich heritage to the young and ensuring its continuation.

Many townsfolk who have had to move away for work bring their new families home as no amount of explaining to an outsider what the week means can do it justice; it has to be experienced, preferably with the warm and welcoming arms of a Coldstreamer to draw you in and make you feel included. This will guarantee you excellent hospitality, generosity and fabulous stories being told straight from the horses’ mouths. Open houses are plenty, garages are transformed into makeshift bars, and tables are bulging with homemade food, raising friends and family out of their beds at the first light to pull together and provide much-needed sustenance to soak up the alcohol.

The Ex Coldtreamers all still play an important role in the festivities each year. The pride felt during their year of representing the town does not pass when the next safe pair of hands are adorned with the sash and flag; it stays with them forever.

“Forty-two years ago, I was a Coldstreamer and I’m as proud today as I was all those years ago. Even though work took me away from Coldstream, we were always “hame” for Civic week. Now I’m retired, we, of course, moved back home where we belong, and so it has been our joy and privilege to support our nephew Harry across the “rolling hills O the borders.”

- Martyn Law

Coldstream is a small town on the border between England and Scotland, which played an important part in the two countries’ history. One point in the river can be forded, becoming an essential crossing point for the Armies during centuries of conflict. The Coldstream Guards are the only regiment in England named after a Scottish town. In 1660, a regiment marched from Coldstream to London, resulting in the restoration of Charles II and every year during Civic week, the guards return for the week to perform duties such as the laying of wreaths on war memorials, sometimes with a service of memorial, and generally integrate with the community during the festivities, taking part in the Dub Dash race down Duke Street, and ladies night much to the delight of the locals. The Coldstreamer is seen by the young children as a celebrity and someone to look up to, one dreaming of carrying the standard across the hills representing their hometown, and the Coldstream Guards causing flushed cheeks and giggles from the young lasses.

The sound of the pipe band can be heard all week warming up in dark car parks and backstreets before leading the numerous processions through the town, with dozens of horses following behind to start the Rideout or the glow of orange fire from the torchlight procession. The flag (standard) is carried by the Coldstreamer as he rides on horseback flanked by his Left- and right-hand man. The former and successor to the Coldstreamer. Other towns, such as Duns and West Linton, have a lad and lass; some are called Cornets or Standard Bearers. There are differences and similarities between the towns. Still, all remain true to the same rituals year upon year, and there is no doubt whichever town you represent, this will remain the greatest time of your life, and often the most memorable. One Ex Cold streamer told me he could remember every minute in detail as if it was yesterday and joked that he could not do the same for his wedding day, although he undoubtedly has the best and strongest of marriages!

The towns pavements, which line the alternative route to the A1 across the English/Scottish Border, overflow with bodies ready to “Hip Hip Hooray” the horseback riders in and out of their town, with the bottlenecks forming outside the country pubs which welcome the annual injection of takings particularly in today’s times of austerity.

One of the main ride-outs of the week is the one to Flodden fields to honour the dead from the battle in 1513. One of Scotland’s costliest military disasters, where ten thousand Scottish soldiers lost their lives, as well as King James IV and his son, including 9 Earls, 13 Barons, 5 heirs to titles, three Bishops and 2 Abbots. The English lost around 4000 men. Narrow country lanes, usually empty and full of birdsong, are filled with cars rushing from one crossing point to another or trying to locate the stubble fields to witness the galloping, unsuspecting outsiders or cyclists with expressions of annoyance or intrigue. As I stood in a stubble field at the bottom of a long hill, camera in hand, waiting for the horses to appear on the horizon, the sound of the horse’s hooves approaching as 100-200 horses galloped towards me cannot be underestimated. I had an innate sense of what it must feel like to witness the armies going into battle all those years ago; for a moment, it felt surreal and emotional at the same time. At the halfway stops, the supporters are ready with their BBQs and picnics, sometimes under umbrellas’ and gazebos due to the typical Scottish Climate, with the well-initiated ready for any weather or eventuality. Nothing, however, dampens the spirit or atmosphere. Landowners generously allowed the annual pilgrimage to the same spots for the mid-way refuelling of horses and riders. Some also up the ante by supplying quad bikes and off-road vehicles to assist with the safety and organisation of the event with great humour.

Between the serious side of tributes to the fallen, there is also much hilarity and good-natured banter. One example of this is the “Stump”. As Coldstream is the last festival in the Borders Festival Calendar, a stump of wood is carried into the park, full of friends and family, and many of the riders are still in their jodhpurs and ruddy cheeks. Throughout the season, each rider who has fallen off their horse and either been seen doing it or honest enough to own up has to perform a song or poem for the crowd, ending with spraying a bottle of champagne for each mishap. This year was a long event with over thirty bottles of champagne to be sprayed over the crowd; some well-prepared veterans had brollies at the ready. By the end of the evening, the air and grass were pungent with the smell of cheap bubbly.

The Dub Dash race was a relatively recent addition to the Coldstream week; legend says the idea was born after two inebriated locals decided to race down the street after leaving the pub one night. This became a more organised affair as a whole morning event, alcohol still a factor for many and the winner of the heats is awarded with a hurriedly written (but no less excellent) song for him, performed by the songwriter John Eliot, at the prize giving before the crowds disperse for the duck race.

Platter after platter of homemade sandwiches flowed from one event to another, as well as bacon sandwiches and prosecco for breakfast and the Borders speciality drink of Skippers rum and full-fat milk. The people of the Scottish Borders know how to hold their drink, perhaps due to the strong ties to rugby in the area for which it is also famous. Occasionally, Scottish Rugby and horses entwined, on this occasion when, I spotted Stuart Hogg, ex-Captain of the Scotland team, and his Country’s all-time leading try scorer gallop past, smiling for the camera.

The only visibility of the Police throughout the week were those having good-natured banter with the locals and overseeing the road closures for the ride-outs. In a town brimming with people, locals, exlocals, and inquisitive visitors alike, there was never a hint of any trouble, just people pulling together in a way some communities only experienced for the first time during lockdown here in the Scottish Borders that is just a normal everyday occurrence. The week costs the town thirty thousand pounds of their own money each year, which has to be raised through raffles and events, and some of the horse rental fees are covered by a generous benefactor. The fundraising starts imminently after the end of each event, with Facebook posts advertising the next “masked singer”, bingo night or tea dance, only a fortnight after the bunting came down, the average time it takes most to recover from the balls, ride outs and family orientated events.

Teá

My name is Tea.

Here at Flodden Field, I wear my Johnstone family tartan in a kilt I found at a charity shop by complete chance!

“ As descendants of a Border Reiver Clan, my family has played a huge role in Civic Week. I’m so proud to be Scottish, a Coldstream lass born and bred.

Our week means so much to me, embodying our history, people, places, and memories that make this town my home.”

- Jennifer Charlton, Photographer

The Borders, Berwick-upon-Tweed

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Debbie’s Journey

My journey has been an amazing one. If anyone asked me if there were anything I would change, the answer would be no. That’s not because I have had an abundance of money, as that is far from it; it is because I think that every stage has been with purpose, even though I did not know this at every point.

I am actually a fully qualified dance teacher of many genres, but my first journey of significance, even as I look back now, was when, at 21 years old, I decided to take a dance teaching job in Greece. Bear in mind there were no mobile phones, yes, I am old! Plus I couldn’t speak a word of Greek and all the letters are weird so it is not much better with a translation book, especially when you arrive in Greece, you manage to get to the bus station and have to read the signs on the buses to choose the right one.

This has been significant in my life because I conquered these fears as a young woman, plus many potential blocks from doing life-changing things. I came back after six months feeling like I could conquer anything. Nothing could stop me now. I then got a bank loan to buy five performing arts studios, build them up and learn from mistakes along the way.

We do find excuses not to do something, and another significant time I look back on is when I was running a picture-framing business. Two days from my due date to give birth to my 2nd child, I was offered to buy a struggling business aligned with my current business, so while bouncing on my gym ball 40 weeks pregnant, I decided to say yes….. what????? There is no good time, no bad time, no right time or wrong time….

Business opportunities are everywhere & I learnt that you have to open your eyes, see them and grab them.

As a small business, I managed to be a supplier of Boots Photo Department, among others, pitching to some scary people and being on conference calls with people around the world…. And honestly, I didn’t know what they were talking about a lot of the time, as it was mainly IT integrations. Still, I managed to launch, and wow, was that a feeling that I, yes, little old me, achieved that….even though it didn’t actually make me that much profit in the end, the value it gave me of what I could achieve, that belief was priceless.

Jumping several years forward and a few more businesses along the way, I joined Loxley Colour and eventually became a Customer Engagement Manager. I have. I loved being part of the Loxley family for eight years, seeing and helping many photographers along the way. Working alongside so many Mentors and Partners, which in itself has been a huge eye-opener to see where the industry heads every year, especially after COVID-19.

COVID taught me how precious so many things are in life, whether business or personal.

It has definitely influenced where I am now and why I chose to set up The Viewing Lounge.

WHY AM I DOING WHAT I AM DOING NOW?

Ever since lockdown, I have wanted to help photographers in the areas they struggle with in their business so they can focus on the areas they love… the creative side! With many years of visiting studios and the struggles they face to move from the plateau they’ve reached or even to elevate them to a better work-life balance or financial freedom.

My main area of expertise is selling for photographers. During my many years visiting studios around the country, big or small, on the high street or at home, and even remotely, there were many fears about the sales aspect. A few things I would hear from portrait photographers would be:-

• I hate asking for money.

• I don’t know what products or packages to sell.

• What should I charge?

• How can I charge that in my area?

• Do people want the digital files?

• I don’t have space to show samples.

• I can’t invest in samples.

• I have a fear of selling, or I hate selling?

With all these objections, photographers end up giving away their amazing work for next to nothing or are missing out on so much sales, not to mention the fact these clients will be showcasing their photography in their homes for guests to see. I want to help photographers by selling for them, so all they need to do is shoot and edit. There is no need to choose products or price them as I would have that all set with their product supplier of choice. The photographer wouldn’t even have to place the orders; that would all be taken care of.

My focus on launching this was not only to give the photographer more profit but also to give them some time back to improve their work-life balance rather than holding back Wedding Photographers as well, far too often held back from selling albums because of either not wanting the hassle or the complications of designing an album, as well as having to liaise with the bride and groom anymore to try upsell to an album. To me, this is something the clients want even if they don’t think they want it and think they want the images! The opportunities for this in the wedding industry are tremendous!

Who offers a complete set of digital files because it’s easier?

Who forgets to give the opportunity to the parents of the bride and groom’s parents as their design?

Or even the divorced parents without the other parents in the albums?

Missed opportunities; the list goes on. One of the main reasons I launched this business was to make sure photographers didn’t miss out on all that extra revenue, and also their clients didn’t regret choosing them a year down the line when they haven’t done anything with those images & have no album to show off with.

What is it I will be doing?

I LOVE the photography industry because every single photography business is different, with different personal and business needs and circumstances that have to be met. Different goals and aspirations that I absolutely love to dig deep into.

Quite often, photographers don’t understand or realise this themselves until I start asking specific questions. Digging deeper and deeper, we discover the genuine passion and desires for your future and your loved ones. Finding out what really matters and

why, and then, why again. This surprises many people, but it is essential to reignite a spark that will help you achieve your dreams.

So, apart from my new business selling for portrait and wedding photographers, I will also be helping studios increase their average sales - with a month-long program either as a 1-2-1 or a group online program. This is something I find so rewarding - your success is what drives me harder.

What better feeling can I get than when a photographer calls me to say, “Debbie, I have had the best month I’ve ever had… me and my wife are enjoying a luxury weekend break for the first time in 5 years!” They were celebrating a record month and could have some time off as everything was running smoothly rather than working 24/7.

That is what I want to hear, and that success story varies, but you need to know what matters to you. If nothing else, I want you to think of what really matters to you -

- What would you do with extra time every month?”

- What would you do with an extra 25% profit every month?”

- Where would you go, who would you go with, and why would it be so special to you or someone close to you right now? “

I am so excited to work with photographers by selling for them and to help other studios that do their own sales by increasing their average sales within only a few weeks.

CONSULTATION FOR GUILD MEMBERS

I would like to gift all Guild Members a complimentary consultation call just to kickstart you into looking at increasing your average sales. It will be a video call with me to brainstorm your photography business, and it will also include my profit multiplier calculator at the end.

If, like me, years ago, you needed that belief boost; find out more—click the QR code to schedule a call at a time to suit you.

- Debbie Bedford www.theviewinglounge.co.uk/

Photo: Veronika Shandor

February 2024

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The Fairytale Ending That Almost Never Happened!

In July 2023, I travelled from Aberdeen to London to spend a few days shooting street photography and to bag a handful of popular London Instagram shots for competition entry.

On day two of the trip I went along to the old Royal Navy College at Greenwich to photograph the painted hall and the tulip staircase in the Queen’s House. I took 50+ shots of each in the hope that at least 3 or 4 were “keepers”.

Knowing that the staircase is such a common shot, I tried to put my own stamp on it, starting off with a mono conversion and multiple compositions. I entered the first edit into the competition and scored Highly Commended, which was great, but nudged me back to the drawing board for my IOM entry. I am blessed to be part of a fantastic buddy group alongside Martin Clark, who told me straight that my mono conversions were not up to scratch. With the big fella’s words ringing in my ear, I put the hours into getting the tones just right.

My IOM image scored a bronze. I won’t lie; I was disappointed, so I continued to play with a couple of different images and edits until I settled on one that I believed was good enough to have printed.

Remembering a judge’s advice from attending a print competition earlier in the year, I wanted to use the mount to maximum effect to make my interpretation of such a common image completely different from what I had seen before. I love the Ansel Adams quote, “The negative is the score, the print is the performance”. I opted for fine art baryta paper as I had used it for another recent print and knew that it was particularly suited to mono. So, off to Photohubs I go. The print doesn’t fit in my bag, so I slipped it into the suit carrier with my kilt, thinking it would be fine. When I took the print out of the bag on arrival at the hotel in Stoke-on-Trent, I could see that the print was warped. Gutted, I decided that I wouldn’t be entering it.

Thankfully Helen Simon had very different ideas, gave me a telling off for being stupid and told me to put it under something flat and heavy. Unfortunately, Steve Thirsk wouldn’t let me borrow his wallet, so I put it under the tea tray in the hotel room and, put the heaviest bits and pieces to hand on top, and left it overnight.

For the judging I was sitting in the second row. As one stunning image followed another I really began to panic thinking I had made a big mistake, my work is not on this level and I am about to be embarrassed in front of friends and strangers alike.

When my image went onto the board and what felt like an eternity painfully passing by, I actually started looking for a way out, but there were people to every side, and I couldn’t get past without making a fuss. Next, I heard a whispering behind me, “Who put that in? What were they thinking?”

Thankfully, the whisperer started laughing; it was Pete Woods winding me up.

I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the judge’s comments. I was genuinely in shock and shaking, but I won’t admit to being on the verge of tears when they announced Platinum and Claire Elliot gave me the big hug that I needed.

Just when I thought that it couldn’t get any better, the next image was also mine, and it scored gold. I am truly humbled by the judges comments and the kind words from so many Guild members. I still consider myself a newbie to photography, having only had a camera 4 years and a couple of those have been dropped and drowned.

Even two months on, I am still in disbelief and feel a bit of imposter syndrome, compounded by reaching the finals of the 2024 World Photographic Cup (result pending).

I will be donating a signed and framed copy of the print (1 of only 5) for raffle, with the funds going to Maggie’s Cancer Centre in Glasgow who have provided 1st class support to my brother, Douglas. Thank you to Digitalab for the fantastic work in printing and perfectly mounting the platinum print and to OneVision for the gold print!

I hope this fairytale encourages more members to enter the print competition; bringing your work to life in the physical world brings a deeper appreciation of your efforts. I also hope the Guild encourages more people to print their images and elevates the print competition to an equal level with IOM.

Steve, according to the last edition of Cameracraft, I believe I’m due a bottle of bubbly! - Ryan J Hutton

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Inside a Mentoring Session! With Charlotte Bellamy

As part of your Guild membership, you can book a mentor session with one of the experienced panel of judges. If you have no idea what a mentor session is or are thinking about dipping your toe in but unsure of what to expect, read on…

Charlotte Bellamy will share a behind-the-scenes look at several mentoring sessions this year in Creative Light Magazine to demystify the process and encourage you to book a mentor session as part of your photographic journey progression.

“I’ve been a Guild member since 2010, and before I became a panel member, I entered IOM regularly or six years (with a fair amount of success). I gained my qualified Craftsman and Master Craftsman qualifications thanks to the support I received from various mentors within the Guild. Putting yourself and your images in front of someone you respect and whose feedback you value can be a daunting process, and because I know this, I am 100% supportive during mentor sessions. I offer constructive feedback that can be used not only to improve the individual images we are looking at during a session, but I aim to offer you tips and ideas that you can go away and put into practice next time you go out with your camera and during your editing sessions afterwards.

Your initial mentor session will normally comprise the submission of 10 images, which your assigned mentor will discuss with you during your session. After this initial session, however, the world is your oyster, and you can tailor a session to your own personal needs and learning aspirations. Just as an idea, I work with individuals to critique and give feedback on already scored IOM images. I offer support for the submission of qualification and craftsman panels. I can offer technical and creative inspiration or help you find the love of photography again if you are struggling to pick up the camera for any reason. One thing all sessions have in common is that I encourage, guide and support rather than ‘tell’. The questions I ask encourage you to develop your understanding and skills to be able to go away and build your journey and develop confidence. So, let’s get into the first session”.

Charles has been a member of the Guild since 2014. He has been photographing since 1990, when he studied at College. He enjoys photographing a wide range of genres, including weddings, portraits, art, and sport, but he loves landscape and ICM most. Charles sent me 10 images to look at during our session. All had been entered previously into IOM, and he was interested to learn how he could have improved their scores and gain feedback that he could use when making images in the future.

Looking through the images before the session, it was notable that they had all been crafted to a high technical level and were beautiful images. However, I identified a couple of points that cropped up in multiple images. I hope you enjoy this look behind the scenes of a mentor session. It will show you that sometimes, very small things can make a difference in how the viewer reads the images.

Both these images are beautiful. They have a super depth of field and great exposure balance. They offer foreground, mid and background interest. Care has been taken to photograph at a time of day when the light offers beautiful, rich colours. The horizon is on a third, and the chosen shutter speed adds feeling to the image. So, if I found all these positives, what could I suggest to Charles? Sometimes, it’s the very small things that make a difference….

What I noticed was that I felt my eye was guided up through both the image and the sunset – but then I asked myself (and Charles) if the sunset was really the intention of the images. Because that was where my eye was drawn most strongly to. I also noted that the foreground detail was also pulling my attention in both images. In the left image, the bright golden light falls on the shiny rocks and creates a point of strong contrast in the right because the grass in the foreground is tonally lighter than the rock formations. I felt that the midpoint within both images was where I wanted to settle, to enjoy the rock formations and soft wave detail, and was probably what drew Charles to make the images initially. We discussed using selective dodging and burning to try and attain this.

I also suggested to Charles that although the Rule of Thirds was important in placing the horizon lines, he should also consider how much sky and foreground he needed in the images. In both, I felt that trying a 7x5 crop may help draw the eye into the images.

In the areas ringed in red, I suggested reducing their dominance in the frame. The areas in yellow were where I felt the most interest was in the image and where Charles could also work to draw the eye.

The next image we discussed was a beautiful waterfall image that Charles submitted to IOM in January and scored a bronze. I remembered judging this twice! Once for initial judging and the second time because it was a borderline bronze/silver with judges split on their scores. Again, it is a beautifully crafted image with beautiful light, creative use of shutter speed, and quite a good composition.

Once again, I felt that Charles needed to be clear on where he wanted to draw the viewer’s eye. I found my eye torn between the ripple at the front of the image, the waterfall at the back, and the sunburst. Because of the shutter speed needed to create the waterfall movement, the ripple was not sharp, and I felt this negatively impacted the beauty of the other waterfalls. I also felt that the foreground ripple stopped my eye from travelling to the waterfall easily.

As with the first two images, I suggested Charles think about why he made the image to start with – what had grabbed his attention. Although it was not the image he had initially seen, I suggested he looked at the option of cropping in order to remove the foreground ripple and offer a lead into the waterfall from the bottom right corner. I also suggested increasing the whites of the waterfall to create a stronger contrast point in the image and to lift the shadows of the rock on the right a little.

The next image we looked at was a lovely bluebell woodland ICM. I love to see ICM and multiple exposure images in IOM, and my first question out of intrigue to Charles was whether it was an ICM or multiple exposure. It is, in fact, an ICM image made at 1/10 second. Once again, it is a well-crafted image – a lovely composition, great overall exposure and a super use of the ICM technique. I did, however, feel that my eye was drawn to the bottom of the image, so I suggested a light graduated filter to darken the bottom edge very slightly, just to lift the eye into the image.

This is a subtle change, but small tweaks can make a difference.

It is difficult to show in the magazine that the image also looked a little over-sharpened. I suggested watching this when editing in the future.

Whilst talking, I looked back at Charles’s other previous entries in IOM and found another bluebell woodland image that scored a silver. You can see the higher-scoring image has a beautiful composition but more depth than the image we were looking at previously. You are drawn into the image and through the trees, and I feel like I am standing in the woodland. Being able to evoke a feeling in the viewer of your images immediately makes them stronger.

Next, we looked at a beautiful and atmospheric image of Corfe Castle. Capturing the inverted mist formation is truly a super capture. However, I felt that the castle itself was taking second place to the yellow sun on the top of the clouds, which, although beautiful, needed the castle to balance it out in the composition. Again, this was a very subtle change, so I suggested playing with adding a very small amount of contrast to the castle itself to try and balance the attention in the image.

The following image is another super seascape. Once again, beautiful light and a lot of consideration were taken towards the composition, shutter speed and crop. Interestingly, Charles had flipped this image before I saw it (I had no idea) because he felt it read stronger this way. I suggested that the image had a large area of light sea that was lacking in much detail (top right), and the bottom left was also quite bright. I also felt that if the hills in the background on the right were a little less hazy, this would help balance all of the interest on the left-hand side of the image. I recommended localised editing to try and correct these elements.

This image is in complete contrast to the others we looked at during the session in that it is minimalist, and the colour palette is almost monotone. Charles has ticked all the technical correctness boxes –horizon on the thirds, point of interest, no distractions; it is pin sharp, and the horizon is straight. This image certainly deserved the bronze award it achieved – An entry demonstrating a strong level of skill in the most applicable judging criteria areas for this level of competition. To take it to silver, it needed to show a level of creativity or timelessness, which I felt was lacking.

This ICM image scored a silver, and Charles wondered if it could have made gold. I thought it could (but remember, I am just one of a panel of judges!)

There is a reason for a panel – so no bias can be shown – and I also judge images on their own merits, not just because I love ICM.

I felt the image had a lovely feel, great exposure, composition and the eye was drawn beautifully by the lines of light, waves and sand through the image. What I did notice on the digital file was certain points that looked very sharp within the image. On looking closer at 100% it was clear that the editing over the whole image was not completely consistent. Some places appeared over sharpened and others soft with no relation to depth of field.

Charles went away and re-edited the image, and I felt that the extra attention to detail could have elevated the image. If you want to see the result, you can check it out on his Instagram page, @Charles_thorne_photography

For anyone thinking about mentoring, Charles has this advice:

“Mentoring—Do it!!

Entering IOM is just half of your possible journey towards success in the competition. If you are sitting on the fence, disappointed with your results, and wondering why your picture didn’t get an award, please consider having a mentoring session with a panel member. My time with Charlie was invaluable and will hopefully push me towards my goals this year.”

- Charles Thorne, Guild Member

Conclusion

What this mentoring session highlighted is that it is not always the most glaring errors that can reduce the impact of your images. Every one of these images had been carefully made with a massive amount of attention to detail. However, in every image, small adjustments could be made to encourage the viewer to linger longer on the elements that Charles noticed when he made the photographs.

My takeaways for Charles were:

• When creating your images, take the time to recognise and note what made you pick your camera up to start with. This will help you ensure that your camera is the star of the show when you create the image. It will also help with post-processing because you will know where you want to draw the eye with any adjustments you make.

• Try alternative cropping options – I use cropping to encourage better balance in an image, remove distractions and help guide the eye.

• Keep an eye out for foreground elements that may draw the eye.

• If you have a sunset, sunrise, or starburst in an image, ask yourself if the whole image is about that element or if you need to adjust the balance of other elements.

I asked Charles to give feedback on what he gained from the mentor session. He said...

“It really cemented to me that I am not that far off from getting the results I am capable of. I need to make sure my image has a focus point or point and that the eye is guided to what is important to me in an image. I need to spend time at the location, ensuring I am in the right spot to portray what I see. Back home, I need to edit to direct the eye of the viewer. IOM has been a long journey for me, and hopefully, with this feedback, I can attain the results I crave.”

website: www.charlottebellamy.com

You, too, could be the next great success story to be featured in the Guild of Photographers magazine, Creative Light. Join us today!

Photo: Lee Frost

Spotlight on the Guild’s Photographer of the Year 2023

- Magda Bright MCrGNBP

“ As a mum of three children, I recognise the significance of capturing memories through photos. With a background in teaching, my passion for working with children and babies led me first to explore photography as a hobby with my children. About a decade ago, I tried photographing my newborn nephew and friends’ kids, quickly realising the need for proper training. I joined the Guild of Photographers shortly after that.

I have been running my studio for nine years, initially being mobile and later establishing a studio in Cheam, Surrey. While specialising in Newborn Sessions, I also offer Maternity, Cake Smash, and Family Photography. I have many amazing clients who come back to me with their second, third or even fourth baby.

Since 2015, I have participated in the IOM competition, aiming initially for Bronze awards and striving for the Photographers Bar. After attending my first Awards Ceremony, I dreamed of achieving a position in the Top 10. Refining my craft through mentoring sessions with Claire Elliott and Jo Bradley and feedback from my lovely buddy group, I gained a Top 10 position in 2021, ranking 6th. In 2022, I secured 3rd place.

In 2023, I was over the moon to win Newborn Photographer of the Year. If that wasn’t enough, I was also named the Overall Photographer of the Year which was unexpected and thrilling. Winning was a dream realised, reflecting my dedication to progressing my photography skills, styling, posing and editing. The awards ceremony was a fantastic moment, providing an opportunity to socialise with friends in an otherwise lonely profession. Getting all dressed up for the awards dinner is always fun and hearing my name announced as a winner was a moment I won’t forget.

The Guild feels like a family and I am happy to be a part of it.” - Magda

Q: Winning POTY is a monumental achievement. If your IOM portfolio could speak, what story would it tell about your current journey?

If you looked over my IOM journey you would see that it is exactly that—a journey. I started out thinking I was the best there was and quickly learned it was not the case. I had months when I threw my toys out of the pram on the 21st over the years so many times. I would swear I would never enter again, and then the next day, I would sit at my computer and look for images to enter for the next month. I have discovered my style over the years and honed in styling that reflects me and my photography style.

Q: As the winner of POTY you received an Epson Printer - have you started using it? How excited were you to received such a gorgeous piece of kit for your business?

It is an amazing prize. I have not been able to use it yet as I haven’t really stopped since the awards, well, since the start of the year. I haven’t done my own printing up to now, so it might be an interesting learning curve.

Q: Reflecting on the past year, can you share the defining moment of your high-scoring images that catapulted your work to the top?

Receiving my first Gold spurred me on. Still, it was the Nesting Dolls image that made me feel I was finally able to put my creative ideas to good use and had the skills necessary to translate the idea I had in my mind into an image worthy of entering the competition.

Q: Every path to success is sprinkled with that little bit of unpredictability. What’s the most humorous or unexpected situation you encountered while entering the IOM in 2023?

I don’t think I have had any humorous situations if we don’t count being covered in baby poo during sessions (actually, one of my Gold award images was taken with a ‘poonami’ happening and soaking through the outfit with me, then editing the stain out). I was very close to not entering the Nesting Dolls image as I was so nervous about how it would do as it was one of those one-time images. I was so invested in it by the time it was completed that I would have been absolutely crushed had it not done well. Luckily I have a fantastic group of friends whom I met through a buddy group who spurred me on and gave me the last push I needed to enter it.

Q: The power of a photograph lies in its story. What overarching narrative or theme were you aiming to convey through your photography during 2023 and why?

I always try to create beautiful, timeless images of babies. I want parents to enjoy the session and feel comfortable in the studio. It is important to me that babies are in comfortable poses and look comfortable, too. I want people who look at the image to feel a sense of calm and purity because babies are all brand new and pure themselves.

Q: Photographers often have a ‘secret sauce’—a technique, piece of gear, prop, product or software pivotal to their success. Can you share one that was instrumental for you this past year?”

I don’t think I do. I love using light colours and feel comfortable using them. Other photographers tell me they find light images harder, but I guess everyone has something that they are passionate about and comfortable with.

Q: Growth is a constant in a photographer’s journey. How did mentoring, webinars, workshops and feedback from the Guild’s Judges shape your portfolio for entering the IOM competition?

I have done many mentoring and feedback sessions over the years, and they have been invaluable. During Covid I watched every webinar and appreciated the time and knowledge the Judges and the Guild Team shared with us. I am glad there is now an image feedback webinar each month after the IOM results, as I am sure everyone will find this extremely helpful. I am grateful to my mentors for their help over the years and to Steve and Lesley for creating a Guild Family feel for us all.

Q: Technology and creativity go hand in hand in photography. How have you embraced new techniques or technologies over the past year to push the boundaries of your work?

Would switching to a Sony from a Canon count? I think I am pretty set in my ways, but mirrorless cameras definitely have their advantages. The weight of the camera and lens was important to me, as I suffer from chronic back pain, so anything that can make my life easier is appreciated. This was one of the reasons I switched to a posing table from using a bean bag, and I am sure my back is very grateful for the switch!

Q: With the wisdom of hindsight, what advice would you give to yourself at the beginning of this year, knowing now what it takes to win?

Don’t do it!!!! I am joking, but it has been a very intense year.

I felt completely spent by the end of the competition year as I also applied for my Craftsman last year which consumed every spare moment I had. It was worth it as my panel was upgraded to Master Craftsman, but that, combined with IOM, has been very draining. At the moment, I am so busy with customers that I am dipping into IOM a little bit because whilst I do have some creative ideas, I don’t have the time to actually realise them.

- Magda Bright

www.magdabrightphotography.co.uk/

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Back Story of the Image of the Year

Year 2023 - Judge’s Choice

Jodie Painter

The Creation of Mr Wiggles Complaints Dept.

“ I rescued Mr Wiggles when he was about 9 months old, he is 57kg of sofa munching, drooling mastiff. I trained him to do a trick called ‘Paws up’ which means he puts his front paws up onto an object and waits for his reward. The idea was that he was to put his paws up onto the box and look majestic, instead he climbed onto the box, laid down and did his normal displeased face. So I rolled with it and took a few shots and he then trotted off to find somewhere to nap.

I kept the lighting quite simple using just one strobe in a large 90cm octobox above and to the right. I have worked with dogs in rescue for a few years and I have found what works best for me is to keep the lighting simple and keep the sessions short and sweet with plenty of treats!

I was overjoyed when I found out I had achieved a gold bar for the image and even happier when I received an email to say I was in the top ten for image of the year in the Pet Category.

When my name was announced as ‘Judges Choice Winner’ I was totally gobsmacked, the whole night was like an amazing dream.”

- Jodie Painter

Vanishing Point

By Simon Newbury

In this article I’m going to show you a very interesting filter than can come in very handy for anyone doing any commercial work or for those who just like creating things in Photoshop It’s call Vanishing Point and allows you to place an image in perfect perspective within another image.

For this example I’m going to use an image of a company who has recently rebranded. In truth, I’ll probably just go an retake photos of all their stores, but changing out all their signs in Photoshop is a perfectly viable and quite cost-effective option, albeit with a slight hit in realism, but these images appear a couple of inches wide in flyers and on the website so it wouldn’t matter.

Before we begin, to aid in helping the realism, use the eye dropper tool on the white text so we have a reference point for the white levels on the sign. Save this as a swatch or just make a note of one of either the RGB code or the hex number as we’ll use this as a filter layer once we have the sign in place to darken the whites to the correct shade.

First thing we do is open up the new logo and make sure it’s approximately the same size as the signage it will be replacing. I’ve extended the sides of this a little, it could maybe use more but for this example it’s fine. Once you have it ready, use the marquee tool to select the logo as close to the edge as possible. Hit Ctrl/Cmd+C to make a copy.

Next we need to open the Vanishing Point filter. Go to Filter>Vanishing Point as shown on the left here. Click and it will open a new window (below).

making sure the little grid icon is selected, click (don’t drag) in the four corners of the area to be replaced. Once you have the rough selection, drag the corners to perfectly fit the area, feel free to zoom in.

Once you have the selection, hit Ctrl/Cmd+V to paste the new logo in. It will appear in the top left corner. It’s worth noting here that you can’t paste in an image that’s larger than the original.

Now drag the logo over to the selection and you should find it magically warps into perspective. However, it make not fit exactly straight away, as is the case here.

Just drag the new logo off to the side until you can see one or more of its edges. Then you can simply drag the edges to fit the new area, see the below image.

Have a play until it looks correct. If you feel it looks too elongated or flattened, then you can always extend the edges afterwards, but for this example I’m just going to drag to fit Click OK

Once back in Photoshop proper, use the Polygonal Lasso tool to draw a selection once again around the sign. To finish off, we’re going to add a few final touches, the first being a solid layer of the grey colour we took from the white at the start. Change the blend mode to Darken and then add a couple of extra layers to mimic shadows and reflections and you’re good to go!

Simon Newbury www.simonsart.co.uk

Photo: Alisha-Anderson

Back Story of the Founder’s Cup 2023 - Winner 2023

Helen Simon

Hi there, I’m Helen—a full-time Police Detective, full-time mum and, when time allows, enthusiast photographer. I am the Founders’ Cup 2023 winner, which is an honour.

I have been a Guild member for about five years and have received the Silver Photographers’ Bar. 2023 was the first year I entered the Founders’ Cup. It was a ‘What have I got to lose?’ moment with a panel that, for me, had a risk of emotion attached to it.

Each of the photographs was taken in London and had the same post-production effects added to them. The first image on the panel was taken of the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London. This image was awarded Gold in the Image of the Month competition in 2022 and, from there, the runnerup award in the Urban category in 2022. This was the first image I edited this way, and I am not afraid to say it was very experimental and resulted in an effect I was enamoured with. This became an effect I then used on other images including the other two in the panel. For me, it takes an image to another level with depth and interpretation. It can take an average architectural image, to something new, with dimension and individuality. The second image was taken at More London towards The Shard, and the third image was in one of the two Control Rooms at Battersea Power Station in London.

This third image is where the emotion lies in the panel. In July 2023 I made a spontaneous trip to Battersea Power Station. This was after my colleague Dave, an ex-Metropolitan Police Detective, asked me to photograph Battersea as a present for his daughter. I spent the best part of the morning at the Power Station and across the river shooting, hoping to get something he would like. Once I had imported the images from the camera and edited them to what I believed he would want, I sent them to him, not including this one. I edited this one to what I liked and for the IOM competition. After it was awarded a bronze in the IOM competition, I showed it to Dave, and immediately, he said with excitement that it was the one for his daughter’s wall. It was arranged to be printed for him, and on 5th November 2023, he took the framed wall art home ready for his daughter for Christmas.

On 22nd November, Dave very suddenly passed away leaving a massive hole in the team at work. This photo will forever hold his memory, and for it to be in this panel of winning images means more than I ever could have thought.

Winning that night was a massive shock, which was monumentally increased by the emotional factor. I have made myself proud as a non-professional photographer, but most of all, I have made Dave proud. I never knew one image could hold so much feeling, and If it weren’t for Dave, the panel, as it is, would not have been entered.

It was risky to enter images with emotional attachment, but I would say, ‘Do it. Enter the Founders’ Cup, push your limits, you might win.’

I did!!!

- Helen Simon

Photo © Helen Simon

Photo © Helen Simon

Photo © Helen Simon

Photo: Nigel Proctor

Photo: Paul Wilkinson

Qualified Guild Professional Photographer

Febraury 2024

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Back Story of the Image of the Year

2023 - Member’s Choice

Gary Neville

Goðafoss Waterfall, Iceland

“ My journey through the Guild’s IOM across the ten months in 2023 – I entered three images in the Natural World Category and three into the Open category in all 10 months. My Natural World images for January scored very well for me, so I placed increased pressure on myself to maintain the high standard required going forward. Unfortunately, that high standard didn’t always materialise, and month by month, there became more and more pressure to keep going.

At the Guild Awards in February, the awards ceremony was progressing, the super-talented Jodie Painter was announced as the Judges’ Choice winner. As she was sitting at our table, everyone led the raucous and cheered loudly.

Members’ Choice was announced, and two runners-up were called out: Steve Lambert and Katie Hughes. Both are super photographers with amazing images. Then, the winner was announced, and my image and name were on the screen. I was taken aback, gobsmacked, and totally shocked. To be chosen by my fellow Guild members to have the member’s choice image was amazing and meant a great deal to me.

The location in the north of Iceland for my Member’s Choice image was that of Goðafoss waterfall, falling from the river from a height of twelve metres with a width of thirty metres. In modern Icelandic, the name can be read either as “waterfall of the goð (pagan idols)” or “waterfall of the goði (chieftain).

My wife and I decided in 2022 that we would skip buying each other birthday presents, and instead, we would go on a tour of Iceland, planning to see the island and hopefully also see the Northern Lights.

The tour was not a photography trip; it consisted of a tour of the whole island, with stops at various landmarks and scenic areas. I did lots of research and knew there would be a number of photographic opportunities, albeit as it was a tour, I wouldn’t be able to pick and choose when we got to places.

When we got to Goðafoss, it was early afternoon. It had turned extremely cold, and there had been a brief snow shower. The ground was icy underfoot, which meant we all had to use snow crampons to prevent us from slipping.

As we neared the spot where I wanted to take my photos, it became evident that the path was like an icerink with a steep slope down to the edge of the footpath. I gingerly made my way down to the end of the footpath and set my tripod up. I set my ISO to 100 and my aperture to f14, and then picked a focus spot in the middle of the waterfall and took some shots. They came out well; however, they were not what I hoped for. As I stood rummaging through my bag for my ND filters, the wind got up, and I noticed the clouds begin to part across the wonderful vista. I knew I had to be quick, so I found my filters and put an ND64 on my lens.

Putting the ND64 filter on made the image in the viewfinder quite dark, so I increased the shutter speed. The live view showed that the image would still be underexposed. However, I knew I could pull details from the Sony RAW file. I put a five-second timer on the camera to take the shot, and I held my hands close to the tripod and camera in case a gust of wind was to catch the camera. I took several shots, ranging from 5 seconds up to 10 seconds. The 10-second shots blurred the water too much, whereas the 5-second exposure was just what I was after.

About an hour and a half after the image was taken, our mini bus was blown off the road in a snow blizzard. I ended up getting thrown across the bus. As such, the image AND the members’ choice mean so much to me.

Thank you to everyone who voted for my image.”

- Gary Neville

Photo: Renate Zuidema

Photo: Talissa Fernando-Clark

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