Photonews Autumn 2016

Photonews Autumn 2016

New Brighton Storm © Maxwell Law

Autumn 2016

The journal of the Postal Photographic Club Welcome to the Autumn issue of Photonews, the journal of the Postal Photographic Club.

John P brings a new twist to event photography in his Notes from the Gulf, Eric takes a pictorial approach to public buildings and Brian goes on holiday (again). Bill concludes his series on starting with film whilst Richard gets the R72 filter out of the drawer confirming yet again what a fabulous IR knowledge base exists within the club.

On page 48 Pete Toogood gets the “20 Questions” treatment. Will you be next?

Many thanks to Max Law who’s image “New Brighton Storm” graces the front page. He tells me that the image, which topped IC5 folio 10, was the cherry on top of the cake following a great day out which also featured a kestrel with a vole in its claw.

Featured Articles 6 - Puiblic Buildings: A pictorial approach Eric Ladbury 16 - Digital Infrared using an R72 filter in conversation with Richard Walliker 26 - Have camera - will travel Brian Viercant 34 - The 2016 Rally - Malmesbury PPC Members 42 - Starting with film - part three Bill Martindale 48 - 20 QUESTIONS (or less!)

Pete Toogood

There’s also several pages of inspiration for those attending this years Rally starting on page 34.

As always, I would like to extend my very grateful thanks to everyone who has helped with this issue.

Regulars Club Matters - p4, 23, 47 Notes from the Gulf - p24 PPC Website - p15 PPC Forum - p33 Classic Cameras - p12 Erics Corner - p53 http://www.postalphotoclub.org.uk http://forum.postalphotoclub.org.uk https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Postal-Photographic-Club/227877620675501

Photonews is published four times a year.

All rights reserved. All materials copyright The Postal Photographic Club and/or the authors. Any opinion or statement expressed by the author of any article published in this magazine does not necessarily reflect the views of The Postal Photographic Club, the editor, or its members.

OPENING SHOT Something a little different this month from Martin Short which I first saw in a CPC1 folio recently. As some members will know Martin is also very active in the music world particularly organising and promoting an annual charity gig and of course presenting his own show - Badass Martin's Rockout Radio Show.

The colourful chap above goes by the name of Bane Oakenshield who is shown here performing with his band A Thousand Enemies Image Š Martin Short

Club Matters

John Kay, General Secretary

The photography magazines are always recommending that we give our photography a boost by having a project or assignment. Well my latest project came about because my sister, Hilary, told me that she had been asked to present a talk about her childhood in the 1950’s. I mailed her a scan of a family photo of her, taken when she was about 2 years old. She was so pleased to see it that I promised to dig out my dad’s 35mm negatives, to take a look at what else would be suitable to help illustrate the talk. That was when a quick look through some old films became an assignment.

My dad’s time as an amateur photographer only lasted for about 8 or 9 years; from just after the 2nd World War until my youngest sister was born – he had to sell all his photo gear once child number three arrived on the scene. There must have been about ten to a dozen B&W films curled up in an old bulk film tin; you could not afford to waste film then. I also have a set of Kodachrome slides, taken in 1948 - it was an 8 exposure film rated at ISO 8. They are still in good condition.

Viewing the negatives wasn’t easy so I cut them into 6 frame strips and started scanning them. An initial edit after the preview scan meant I could decide which images to scan at a printable size; most of them are of family members, so nearly all of them have been scanned. It has been a long job; you need to have a main task to do while the scanner is buzzing away, having a laptop as well as a main PC helps.

I am now making basic Photoshop adjustments and propose to put the pictures on to CD for my sisters. Are they of interest outside the family? I am afraid not, very little social documentary images amongst them, but the ones we like best are the ones that never got printed for sending to grandparents. I have asked Dave to use my favourite photo from the project, in place of the usual ‘mugshot that accompanies my Club Matters contribution. [Duly substituted - Dave] A welcome to new members?

Well usually I welcome at least a couple of new club members when I write my Photonews contribution - but not this time. In fact I cannot recall it happening before, there is normally at least one. We had a reasonable number of additions to the membership list up to late spring, but nothing since.

Do you know someone who would enjoy being a member of one of our postal or Internet circles? Steer them to our website and get them to apply on the e-mail link.

Don’t forget our Internet circles can also accept members from outside the UK; postal considerations mean that members of print circles must be resident in the UK. Joining another circle There is no increase in subscription if you belong to more than one Circle and of course Internet circle members have no further costs, as they don’t need stamps. Members who are in more than one print circle do need to buy extra print folders, and of course there is the cost of postage; unless they live near enough to another member of the circle to pass the folio on by hand.

Run for the Hills!

Dave Whenham LRPS

What do you do when you wake early, look out of the window and find you can’t seeing anything for the fog that has descended? Dive back under the duvet? Totter downstairs for an early morning brew? Or jump in the car?

Personally, wherever practical I opt for the latter option.

I’d like to say I always have a camera bag packed and ready but that would be stretching things somewhat so I quickly throw a few bits in a bag (which is always to hand because I never quite get around to putting it away) and head for the hills.

My preference is always to head for higher ground, keeping an eye open for suitable opportunities lower down of course.

I am looking for the sun or more accurately that borderland where sun and fog/mist actually meet. Here lies the potential for some interesting images if only I can get to a suitable scene quickly enough. Or indeed find somewhere to pull over safely to grab a fleeting moment such as that bottom right which only lasted for a couple of minutes after I spotted it.

Lindley Moor (top) and Old Lindley (bottom left and right) photographed around 7.30am on an April Sunday morning while the family slumbered and my home was enclosed in thick fog. All © Dave Whenham

You may like: Photographing in Fog National Geographic photographer Bob Krist explains why he loves shooting in fog.. http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/photography-krist-fog 5

Public buildings: a pictorial approach

This is not the Gospel according to Ladbury but there are I think a few simple guide-lines to help improve ones approach to photographing churches, cathedrals and many other public buildings. In these lavishly illustrated pictorial guides I aim to share a few tips and helpful advice based on my experience over many years of taking pictures in and around these types of buildings. The emphasis is on places of worship as these are of particular interest to me photographically but the principles can be applied to many other types of publicly accessible buildings.

By the way, I am not a religious person (although I do follow my own experienced knowledge – in most cases) this however is hopefully a glimpse into this strange and wonderful world of colour and pomp with some photographic ideas thrown in for good measure that can be applied in many situations.

Wherever possible I like to do a little homework before visiting a place of worship or one of the many mansions and palaces open to the public.

This is usually a matter of either reading in books and guides or on the internet, searching for any helpful or relevant information relating to the forthcoming shoot. However there are also occasions when the chance passing of an interesting building during ones travels means an unscheduled and impromptu shoot.

Regardless of whether this is at home or abroad given the opportunity to explore on speculation is something I also enjoy In these circumstances, I usually peruse the literature and information provided at the location, maybe with a view to purchase for later reference, or sometimes there’s provision of a temporary card or recording available for public use.

My approach here has been to illustrate with images rather than words, I hope there will be something here that is of use to everyone.

Canary Wharf Underground Š Dave Whenham

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First Approaches

On first approaching the building there’s the possibility of capturing the surrounding paraphernalia, such as tomb stones, memorials or associated structures. There is even the opportunity for some candid photography too! The journey towards the entrance could reveal a worthwhile theme for a frame or two, like grave stones or monument of local interest, or a famous name, in the past I have used Anne Bronte’s grave marker (above right), Bonny Prince Charlie’s statue outside Derby Cathedral (bottom left), the Albert memorial opposite the Royal Albert Hall (bottom left) and Sir Edward Elgar ’s statue resting on his bicycle looking towards Hereford Cathedral.

These images could be utilised as an introduction to a pictorial lecture or audio visual presentation and thus give a strong lead into the story.

All images © Eric Ladbury

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The wider view Moving towards the main structure, keep in mind both the wider view and the opportunity to produce a close-up of some special or unusual aspect of the place of worship.

The wider vista could be from a distance away from the current position, from an elevated view point or within or outside the grounds.

For these pictures I have used such positions as a footbridge over a busy main road at Lincoln Cathedral (top, left) or among the grave stones, and memorials, or as seen at St. Tudno, Wales, the set out garden benches for the over spill of congregation at this very small c.12th century church on the Great Orme near Llandudno (top, right). A higher surrounding piece of ground as at St David’s Cathedral South Wales (below) is also effective.

At my local village church, of St. Michael and I am leaning against the boundary wall on a sunken road (middle, right). St Peter’s Norwich Parish church is reflected in a nearby glass fronted shopping mall (main image). Norwich Anglican Cathedral taken with a wide angle lens whilst sitting on the floor of the cloisters with the maze in the foreground (bottom, right).

All images © Eric Ladbury

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Stained Glass Once inside the building, brightly decorated stain glass windows are an obvious draw for the colourists.

To obtain the best results for a standard straight-in-front of a window shot, the best conditions are dull or hazy sunshine as this gives good saturated tones. Such were which were the conditions at Dewsbury Minster (below) which was in fact a day of torrential rain.

However a variation on this theme is to use bright sunny days to hunt out the transmitted coloured light through and from these windows.

When the sun is shining conveying the glass colours, try searching out the refracted light onto the surroundings such as the example I encountered at Church of St Mary, Swanage in Dorset.

The appeal here was not only the stained glass but also the colours on the stone work and pews (main image).

All images Š Eric Ladbury

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More Glass A further refinement is to select a small part of the window for your composition. The best choice is to use a telephoto lens and a zoom telephoto will allow various arrangements and selection. This can be seen and interpreted as more artistic on the part of the photographer, take a look at the original composition of the huge upper hall window in Dewsbury Minster (below, left), then the closer view in both vertical and horizontal formats (below, middle and right) and finally selecting a very small section of the central light to show the fine detail of this wonderful glass staining (bottom, left).

To close this section on glass are a couple of abstractions (below) from some modern work in the Great Malvern Priory. These two lights (of several) were designed by Thomas Denny for the Millennium Stained Glass Windows in the Priory. The Priory is renowned for its collection of stained glass and well worth a visit if the rain keeps you off the Malvern Hills.

The Great Malvern Priory is open for visitors Monday to Saturday 9.00am - 5.00pm. http://www.greatmalvernpriory.org.uk

Coming up in Part 2: The aisle, looking up, fixtures and fittings and some final thoughts. Look out for the Winter issue of Photonews in your Inbox

All images Š Eric Ladbury

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A question of copyright.

The Royal Photographic Society recently provided all members with a copy of the “UK Copyright Highway Code” (reproduced here with permission). It was supplied as an A5 card which would fit into a camera bag for those so inclined and provides six key points that the authos of the code believe photographers should be aware of.

Unfortunately, it is not photographers per se that are necessarily the problem but arguably the ignorance of the masses.

Although whether ignorance or ignoring is the correct term is another question. The majority of folk wouldn’t walk into my house and borrow my books to show their friends so why is it acceptable to copy an image from my social media feed and send it to all your friends with or without attribution?

A topic for an “Opinion” piece perhaps? Any takers?

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Classic Cameras -

The Brits part 3

Geoff Leah

It is impossible to cover every British camera maker (excellent books are available) so the choice of what to include in this series has been dictated by the models I own. This is the last from my dwindling collection so I hope you will enjoy the selection. Some of these I have used, and some are capable of impressive results, even by today’s standards. All are simple mechanical devices with no electronics to go wrong. The vast majority are strongly made from metal, and have stood the test of time. Will my modern digital cameras last as long?

PURMA (right) The Purma is a very un-usual camera that was made by Hunter of London. The “Special” shown here dates from the 1930s, and was an attempt to break away from the conventional designs of the time.

The body is cast from thick Bakelite, making it feel very solid when handled. The film plane and shutter are metal. The lens is an f6.3 55mm Beck anastigmat housed in a collapsible turret that springs into position when the lens cap is un-screwed. The viewfinder is at eye-level, and it has a plastic lens. This is one of the first uses of a plastic lens.

The camera uses size 127 film, with red windows in the camera back through which to see the numbers on the film backing paper.The film plane inside the camera is made from smooth metal, but is very unusual in being curved, rather than flat. This is probably due to some anomaly created by the lens.

The metal focal plane shutter has only a single curtain, and is cocked by a lever set flush with the top of the camera body. It is fired by a tall button which is set in a recess in the camera top.

A unique feature of this camera is the method of selecting any of the three (yes three - I’ve counted them) shutter speeds. Holding the camera level in the “landscape” positon automatically sets a medium shutter speed. Holding it on one end in the “portrait” position will select a slower speed, whilst rotating the camera through 180 degrees to the other “portrait” position selects the fastest speed.

This is actuated by a pendulum inside the body.

The cameras are not rare, and other slightly different versions (which are rare) were also made.

A very interesting camera and a worthwhile addition to any collection.

The Photographic Collectors Club of Great Britain is the world’s leading organisation for collectors and enthusiasts interested in the collection and study of photographic equipment and images. Formed in 1977 the club has over 750 members worldwide. http://www.pccgb.net 12

DURBAH (this page) This camera is something of a rarity, about which little apparently is known. It is believed to have been imported by Butcher & Co. of England, but I have been able to establish its country of origin.

It dates from 1902 to 1922, and was part of a series of cameras called “Midg” (no “E” at the end!). The illustrated model is believed to be Midg No.2. It is possible that Butcher re-badged the camera as “Durbah” for sale in India. Apparantly “Durba” is an Indian word for a large gathering. One such took place when Queen Victoria visited the country.

The camera is a large box camera utilising the “Falling Plate” mechanism. Here 12 plates in individual numbered metal holders are stacked vertically inside the top of the camera. Once an exposure has been made, a lever on the top of the camera is moved sideways and the exposed plate falls into a compartment in the base of the camera. A large spring behind the un-exposed plates pushes them forward, so the the next plate is in the correct position for exposure.

The camera has a focussing Rapid Rectinlinear lens, and a shutter with several speeds. Nowhere on the camera is any clue as to where it was made, and my extensive searches in books & on the Internet have revealed very little. As a Member of the Photographic Collectors Club of GB (see box on previous page) I have sent out a request for information. One knowledgeable Member recognised it as being very similar to the “Midg” cameras, but the “Durbah” brand remains un-known. The camera shown here belongs to a small museum in Denbigh, and will be offered for sale on eBay.

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WRAYFLEX (left) This is a model 1, and was made by the famous Wray Optical works of Peckham Way, London. It dates from 1950, and is the only commercially successful Britsh made 35mm SLR. The viewing system utilises mirrors, rather than a pentaprism (rectified in the later & rarer Mk.2). As a result, the image is upright, but reversed right to left.

A focal plane shutter is used, and the shutter is cocked by a folding key on the baseplate.

This creates problems when the camera is attached to a tripod, so Wray made a special adaptor to fit between camera & tripod head. I have yet to find one as they are not common.

A variety of Wray lenses were made for this camera, all of excellent quality.

The camera is made entirely from metal, is very heavy and superbly engineered. Around 1,700 model 1s were made, so it is still an uncommon camera. Expect to pay over £200 for a working one, but you’ll love the results.

A Vote of Thanks

Photonews Index

I have been producing and editing Photonews since 2014 and Geoff has contributed a Classic Camera article in each of the regular editions as well as providing ad-hoc captions for other articles as required. It is through the generous support of members such as Geoff that we can continue to bring varied content to members with each issue of Photonews.

Whilst I’m busy thanking people can I draw members attention to a little known facility on the club’s forum - the Photonews Index.

The brainchild (and labour of love) of our Forum Manager Clive it can be found at: http://forum.postalphotoclub.org.uk/index.php?topic=392.msg1939#msg1939

It was last edited on July 2nd only a few days after the Summer issue hit member’s Inboxes so a huge thank you is due to Clive too.

Photonews Needs YOU! I would therefore like to record my very grateful thanks to Geoff for this ongoing support. We have plans for a piece on the Nikon F1 for the Winter 2016 edition but 2017 is currently a blank canvas!

Thanks Geoff!!

Whilst it is my name on the committee list the variety and quality of content in Photonews is only possible because of the generosity of our members - thank you all! Some write the occassional piece, others receive a polite request from me and end up writing multi-part articles and a handful somehow manage to produce something on a regular basis. I hope though that all will say it is a relatively painless experience and that they do get as much, or as little, support as they need to produce items for the magazine. Could you join their ranks? I hope so - do get in touch!!

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The Postal Photographic Club Website

Graham Dean

Your website needs you!

Caption Competition

From the Master of the Web Most clubs and organisations that I have ever belonged to have a small nucleus of members who take on the major roles and do most of the work – this has applied not just to photographic clubs. Come Annual General Meeting time and when there are vacancies the number of members who sit on their hands and avoid the gaze of the chairperson can be quite staggering.

To some extent I can understand this in an organisation like the PPC – many members joined because they didn’t want the regular social interaction of conventional clubs – just honest critique of their images from their peers. Perhaps those (like myself) who are also members of local clubs wanted only this type of peer appraisal from a number of photographers – not just the one judge at the monthly competition.

But surely, if we take photographs, whether we want to be involved in the running of an organisation or not, we want an audience for our pictures. My regular pleas for volunteers to send in images for the monthly web galleries have largely fallen on deaf ears – so I shall be following Dave Whenam’s tactics for gaining contributions to Photonews and approaching members directly (but volunteers still more than welcome).

Keep an eye on your inbox!

Tony Marlow photographed at the 2014 Rally © John Kay

Just what is Tony Marlow saying under his breath here? He’s patiently waiting to take an image it seems … the Winner gets the opportunity to be the featured image on the website one month as well as having their favourite photograph featured on the front cover of Photonews.

What are you waiting for? Entries by email please to editor@postalphotoclub.org.uk by 30th September 2016. PPC members only. Judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to.

Digital Infrared using an R72 filter

In conversation with Richard Walliker

Very much a case of experimentation and a whole lot of fun!

The Club has a very active online infrared Circle (IC6) and in 2015 one of the TE judges commented on the number and quality of IR images in the competition. Our pedigree in this genre is undoubted and we have of course covered the subject in Photonews in previous issues. Chatting to Richard recently though he mentioned he was experimenting with an R72 filter on a regular digital camera rather than an IR-converted one. Always open to possible subjects for Photonews I didn’t let the opportunity pass!

Photonews: So presumably using filters adds another layer of complexity to shooting infrared Rich?

Richard: Not neccesarily, achieving digital Infrared imagery with an R72 infrared filter is not complicated in its execution, but comes with caveats! Argualbly, a R72 filter is a cost effective and fun way to try to replicate the style of the old film days. Many traditional IR film photographers will say that even a converted digital camera cannot replicate exactly the results of High Speed Infrared film but for me the joy of working digitally is the way it enables you to experiment.

P: One of the things I am always struck by when looking at IC6 is the range of false-colour images alongside the more traditional black and white imagery.

R: A converted camera can capture images that show various colour IR images although because of the colour cast the R72 filter is limited in this respect.

I have therefore been concentrating on achieving B&W IR images with this technique.

Fuji X-T1 + Fuji 18mm f2 + Hoya R72. 13secs@f11 – ISO200 The above image was taken with a Fuji mirror-less CSC. I then wanted to try the IR R72 filters on my Nikon D800E and latterly D500. I had luck with the D800E, but immediately found that exposure times to achieve a satisfactory exposure were much longer. This makes IR capture a longer process. I am assuming that the Nikon sensor is less sensitive to the IR spectrum than the Fuji sensors. I also found that the whites were whiter and the darks darker. I also bought a Tiffen 77mm R72 IR filter to use on my large lenses.

This lacks the bright whites associated with IR. I learned quite quickly that a longer exposure gave better results. Remember, if the foliage isn’t suitable for the Infrared Spectrum it will not be white. Foliage that doesn’t work well include evergreens, firs etc.

The old Kodak High Speed Infrared film has long gone and purists from the analogue age will argue nothing else quite compares. Many traditional IR film photographers will also say that even a converted digital camera cannot replicate exactly the results of High Speed Infrared film. As the folios on IC6 will show though there is a lot that can be achieved using today’s digital camera techniques.

As an aside, IR film is still available manufactured by Rollei in both 35mm and 120 rolls. I haven’t used it, but if you wish to purchase some it’s available from AG Photographic in 35mm, 120 and sheet formats. http://www.ag-photographic.co.uk

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Photonews: What inspired you to give the R72 a go?

Richard: A friend gave me a Hoya 52mm R72 IR filter and I was keen to try it. Luckily, both my Nikon 50mm f1.8 and Fuji X 18mm f2 have the 52mm filter thread.

My first attempt was with the Fuji X-T1 + 18mm f2. I have also employed my Nikon dSLR’s and for this reason and at the outset I can tell you the use of the R72 filters will vary in application between cameras and importantly camera types. In the case of Fuji X mirror-less the range of suitable lenses is very small. My experiences with a Fuji X camera is very different to my Nikon dSLR’s and likewise lens selection can be something of a lottery!

P: What kit is needed if other members are also inspired to have a go?

R: A suitable R72 IR screw filter with the thread to suit the lens you will use. I’d also recommend a tripod and remote release as shutter speeds can be longer. Oh and a large dark cloth to cover viewfinder if you have no blind on your camera.

R: I have tried the IR R72 filters on my Nikon D800E and more recently on the D500.

I had luck with the D800E, but immediately found that exposure times to achieve a satisfactory exposure were much longer than with the Fuji X-T1. I am assuming that the Nikon sensor is less sensitive to the IR spectrum than the Fuji sensors. I also found that the whites were whiter and the darks darker.

In order to try some of my larger lenses I also invested in a Tiffen 77mm R72 IR filter*. The first thing I noticed was that there was no difference between using prime and zoom lenses or type of lens on the digital SLR’s. This made the capturing of IR images more flexible.

P: So it is really a case of trying things out, seeing what works and what doesn’t?

R: Yes, and being prepared for failures. As I said earlier it’s very much trial and error, but broadly the exposure times were at least doubled on the Nikon.

P: So apart from the R72 these are things which most members will already have I guess.

R: Oh yes. To be honest the most important component is the capacity for trial and error and tons of patience.

P: Some people will only shoot IR in bright sunshine, does this correspond to your experience?

R: You do not need bright sunny weather, this is a myth.

Preferably Spring, early summer when the leaf growth is new and contains Chlorophyll. However, I’ve also successfully captured images in August. I do tnd to avoid very windy days though especially when I’m needing long shutter speeds.

A location with bushes, shrubs and trees, but if possible old buildings etc, to give the image some further interest is ideal.

P: So, a great project for anyone who likes experimenting?

R: Definitely! There will be a lot of experimentation both at image capture and post processing stages. Much will depend on the camera used, there’s no right or wrong way, just play! Use ND filters too, where areas are naturally bright like sunny day clouds.

This will avoid bleaching out the highlights.

P: The first image you’ve shown us (previous page) was taken with your Fuji X-T1, what about your DSLRs?

Nikon D500 + 12-24mm f4 G DX lens + Tiffin IR filter.

60ecs@f13 – ISO200.

I observed a boost in the whites making the images more like the IR “feel” I was hoping for.

* According to some users, the Tiffen 87 filter (a Wratten 87 equivalent, 870nm cut) is about 1½ to 2 stops darker than the R72 filte cut at about 720nm) .

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Nikon D500 + 12-24mm f4 G DX lens + Tiffen IR filter. 60ecs@f13 – ISO200.

Remember me saying about evergreen trees and foliage? Well look at the centre right bush, it’s an evergreen!

Nikon D500 + 12-24mm f4 G DX lens + Tiffie IR filter. 57ecs@f13 – ISO200

My back garden. Noticeably the new foliage on the Beech Hedge is an example of leaves that work well due to the high charge of Chlorophyll in the new growth.

The Leylandii trees show some examples of light new growth, but it’s minimal and in a few weeks they would be exposed in IR as plain grey.

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Nikon D500 + 12-24mm f4 G DX lens + Tiffen IR filter.

64 secs @f13 – ISO200

This is the nearest I feel that I have come so far with this technique to achieving the ethereal effect of the clouds and the whites of the foliage.

Nikon D500 + 12-24mm f4 G DX lens + Tiffen IR filter.

61secs @f13 – ISO200

Nikon D500 + 12-24mm f4 G DX lens + Tiffen IR filter.

61secs @f13 – ISO200 The “Marmite” moment: You will notice that in some of the earlier images the slow shutter speeds have, of course, given the skies a feel of multi stop ND slow imagery, even HDR B&W! That’s what I call a “Marmite” moment, one either loves it or hates it. So, the alternative is to shoot on a wider aperture with a shorter exposure time.

Overleaf is an image taken at a longer shutter speed taken with the same camera/lens combination, and a ND graduated filter to ensure the sky is not over exposed. I found this was more realistic

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Llyn Gwynant IR – Fuji X-T1 + 18mm f2 –Hoya R&” IR Filter. 30secs@f2.8 - ISO200

For me this is a satisfactory result. The previous image was taken at a wider aperture and a faster shutter and the one above was taken on a very still day so there was little or no cloud movement allowing me to get away with a longer shutter speed.

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Photonews: Can you talk us through your typical methodology for capturing these images?

Richard: Always place the camera on a sturdy tripod. As I’ve mentioned already, a good starting point is a location where there are brick or stone structures which will help balance the image with the bright foliage. It is worth remembering that clear blue skies will appear black and clouds can have an ethereal look.

• • •

Set the camera to “Bulb” and fit a remote release.

Set the quality to RAW. This is important as post processing is required via a RAW processor.

Set the camera White Balance to 2500K.

Compose and focus your shot but then switch both camera and lens from auto to manual before carefully screwing the R72 filter onto the lens taking care not to disturb the focus setting. If the camera has a viewfinder blind, ensure it is closed or alternatively drape a cloth over viewfinder.

Like shooting long exposures with ND filters I recommend that if your lens has a viewing scale you cover it with tape although his only applies where the exposure will be over 30 seconds Now it’s try and error time! As I’ve also mentioned, the shutter speed will vary considerably and is very much dependant on the camera used.

Open the shutter via the remote release and keep it open for around 10-30 secs and view the result on the rear screen. The image will look red, pink or even orange. If there is acceptable detail showing in the image on your LCD screen then accept it for processing. If not adjust shutter speed and try again.

P: Would you recommend bracketing?

R: Absolutely! It’s the big digital advantage, it costs nothing to shoot more frames and vary the exposures. Incidentally, it is better that the capture be darker than very bright. If you try this with more than one camera you may also notice that the RAW image may show different a colour cast from camera to camera.

P: From what you’ve been saying the post processing of these files is also something that requires patience and trial and error?

R: Most definitely.

P: Let’s look at a typical approach taking the RAW file opposite as a starting point.

R: You will need Photoshop or Photoshop Elements and importantly an associated RAW processor.

P: Thanks again for chatting this through with us Rich, I’m sure it will give some of our members food for thought … now where did I put that R72 …?

REMEMBER: You need to experiment - there is NO “one right way” here.

RAW file - don’t panic!

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1. Open the RAW file to be processed in Photoshop. The Camera Raw screen will open. Select the White Balance eyedropper tool and click on the lightest foliage

2. In some cases the image will turn grey, but not always. Don’t worry it won’t matter.

3. Increase the “Whites” slider to increase the exposure, decrease the “Blacks” to lower the dark exposures, skies etc.

4. Click “Open Image” to open up in Photoshop. Click “Ctrl + J” to produce a workable layer. Enter Image/Adjustment/ Colour Mixer

5. The image will recolour. Using the “red” channel increase the “blue” slider and stop before the highlights burn out. Re-open the channel mixer and open the “blue” channel and decrease the reds until a satisfactory feel to the image is achieved.

6. Open the image in Nik Silver Efex. Adjust to taste. It is all experimental and the author is attempting to mimic a traditional IR feel to the image. If you haven’t got Silver Efex, then convert the image to B&W in Photoshop etc. and play with the sliders. Alternatively, open “Curves” and adjust.

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John Kay, General Secretary

Club Matters

Happy Anniversary to Ross Martin

Annual Competitions and The Travelling Exhibition Ross was a member of C8 for many years and is currently in our DS Online Circle and also in IC4. Ross has just won the August round in DS Online and he was obviously very pleased, as he made an extra entry in the notebook, saying that it was exactly 50 years since he had put his first print into a C8 folio.

Ross has featured in Photonews on at least two occasions in recent years and a couple of years back he kindly donated his collection of ‘sticker winning’ C8 prints to the club archive. It seemed an appropriate time to celebrate his latest success by showing his latest winner, together with his first winning print from November 1967.

We were able to release the results from this year’s competition a little earlier this year. Congratulations to those receiving an award or honourable mention, and commiserations if the judges were not on your wavelength.

I am pleased to note that the number of members entering the annual competitions increased; the re-introduction of Top Circle Awards seems to have encouraged more people to send in an entry. Jon Allanson, our Competition Secretary, tells me that he was pleased with the overall quality of the submissions; I am sure we will all enjoy viewing the top 80 prints and PDI selected by the two independent judges.

The Travelling Exhibition is a very important feature of the PPC and has been for most of the club’s existence. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jon Allanson for once again organising our competitions, it is a major task. Submitting entry details by e-mail made a significant difference to the time spent logging them in and I believe nearly all of us did it correctly this year.

The top 80 prints that form the Travelling Exhibition and the 40 retained prints will be displayed at the Annual Rally. The judge’s selection of the top 80 entries in the Projected Image Competition will also be shown during the weekend. The award winners will be featured in a future issue of Photonews and shown on the club website.

David James looks after The Travelling Exhibition that tours UK camera clubs reaching as far north as the Shetland Isles. Not only is it a pleasure to see the prints, it can be a constructive club night if small groups of members are encouraged to comment on them.

Contact David if you would like to have the TE at your local club.

Please note that David will be moving house soon so it is probably best to e-mail rather than phone him.

Top left: 1st place in Round 286 of C8, entered fifty years ago!

Bottom left: School rugby in the snow-Touchdown!

Winner DS Online folio 7 August 2016 Both images © Ross Martin

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Notes from the Gulf

John Pattison

Event Photography: Making Do with the Camera Available May 27th 2016

With the high temperatures of summer encroaching on Qatar and the demands of my work next door in Saudi Arabia, photography over the last couple of months has decidedly taken a back seat. However I did have the chance to take images at a community event albeit that this came as a last minute request and therefore the images illustrating these Notes from the Gulf were taken using my smart phone - not my first choice of camera!

The shots were by force of circumstance taken from a fixed position in the audience seating, again not the best of choices but the only one available without disrupting the performers.

The event had been arranged in a community hall located on one of the more affluent expat residential compounds and was a celebration of the talents of the youngster’s musical talents. All those performing had successfully passed a music grade examination this year from Grade 1 through to Grade 6. Performances were on digital piano ( keyboard) except for two , one of those was a recorder performance and the second was a cello recital.

The performance was well received as one might expect given that the audience in the majority consisted of parents of the children preforming.

On the photographic side however as noted above the unexpected requirement to take record images of the event was somewhat daunting and constrained. This begs the question however of whether the images as taken (jpegs) are adequate to convey the event. For those receiving the images it’s a record of the son or daughter performing in front of a live audience, something that none had previously done and there was a degree of nervousness amongst the performers as one would expect. However, I found it heartening that as each performer settled into their individual recitals that they all seemed to forget about the audience and concentrated upon their performance. I was able at the end to shift position to take the group shot but again wished that I could have secured a better position.

So taking images at extreme zoom to eliminate heads of persons in front of my position put the phone camera to the test. The lighting was not the best for photography being under fluorescent light fixtures, the white balance was set to auto and in the most part I feel did a good job.

The images shown here have received post processing to various degrees, including cropping, tonal balance, conversion to black and white, sharpening and noise reduction.

The main issue that I encountered was luminance noise which I believe to be due in large part to the use of maximum zoom of the camera. The sensor in the phone is small so inherently susceptible to noise especially under what were less than ideal conditions.

All images Š John Pattison and taken with a Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone

Early Arrivals

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There is also movement to contend with as the performers were playing their musical pieces. Reviewing the EXIF data indicates that in the majority of images taken the shutter speed was on average 1/35 sec at ISO 80 or 100 with ISO increasing to ISO 200 for some images. Aperture was constant for all images at f/2.2. The lens focal length is shown at 4.8 mm. That probably equates to around 35mm in standard “35mm-equivalent” terms Focus although apparently okay when viewed on the phone itself was not so great when viewed on my PC at both normal (default) viewing and especially at 100%. So the phone camera focussing is not the same as that found on DSLR’s, which is no big surprise. My smartphone is not the latest generation being now two generations and soon to be three generations removed but I think that the images taking account of the conditions and constraints under which they were taken are acceptable bearing in mind that they are likely to only to be viewed on a phone display, certainly the parents receiving them via ‘WhatsApp’ were happy with the results.

For me, I would have preferred to have had my normal camera and a couple of lenses available to take the shots and the freedom to move around to obtain better if not the best compositions but one has to work with the camera one has at the time and the constraints placed upon the photographer, especially when one is not expecting to take photographs!

Would I do event photography again, most certainly but only with proper notice and using my normal camera!

The Performers

Concentration: The IQ of this image still shows deterioration following processing. The image was taken at maximum zoom, which is digital on the Samsung rather than optical. The image was cropped slightly to eliminate some of the audience heads. Even with Luminance and Chroma noise correction the deterioration due to noise is quite marked and the image quality is not helped either by motion blur.

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Have camera - will travel

Brian Viercant

In the second part of Brian’s article we are going to take a look at the kit that he typically uses on his travels and discuss the reasons why he favours this kit and eschews other choices. There are of course a few holiday snaps too! Don’t forget that Brian has also kindly offered to answer any questions that may arise from these articles so if you have anything to ask you can contact him ℅ editor@postalphotoclub.org.uk.

It may seem counter intuitive but the choice of what to carry your gear in is an important early consideration when planning on a trip especially if you are flying.

I use an old trusted LowePro Sling shot bag to transport as much as possible and it goes into the aircraft cabin; sometimes I have to pay for any additional weight, but, mostly not if we upgrade on the flight, which we always try too. I put the rest into my suitcase or the “Minister of Finance’s” if she isn’t watching, this would include items such as batteries, tripod, and filters.

Tip Treat all your bags with a water-proofer You should allow it to dry for about 3-4 days before using the bags. I do this in the summer, and let them hang in the garage.

I also take a rucksack, that I use when out and about, simply because the LowePro weighs a ton. The rucksack will hold one or two bodies if need be, two lenses, a wad of freezer bags in case its dusty or raining to protect things in, plus two batteries and a flash. Oh, and one very important item…a toilet roll and sanitised hand wipes. Well, you never know!!

I also carry a compass, because I have been known to wander off at times and get lost, plus the iPhone, painkillers and 2 bottles of water. Cheap plastic rain capes cost very little and will keep you dry so throw a couple of these into your bag. They will also keep your kit dry at a push.

Bodies & Lenses I have a bog-standard lens kit. Lenses, and bodies; the same as everyone else has in PPC, but of course of various flavours. I truly believe that it doesn’t matter what you use, so long as you are happy with it. Mine has been Nikon for over 40 years and all my very old glass and even my ancient glass still perfectly fits my newer digital bodies. Great!

Secondhand Lenses Some secondhand lenses are always worth considering for inclusion in your kit so long as they are of good quality. Always check that they have no mould or artefacts inside the lens and that it functions correctly, specifically do the diaphragm blades work correctly. Using these older lenses manually isn’t that difficult if you set the camera up correctly and you may well enjoy the crispness and clarity of some older gems.

I find that two main zoom lenses, an 18mm–105mm Nikkor and a Sigma 75mm-300mm, cover at least 98% of what I need when I’m travelling. I also regularly travel with an old 500mm mirror Lens that becomes 800mm approx on a DX format. The other go-to lens is an f1.4 pancake Nikkor prime lens from my old FA. This is just a superb piece of glass, even though I use it mostly manually; these lenses still command great prices secondhand and are still cherished for their great clarity and speed This selection covers any eventuality I have found over the years and although there are probably other choices that work well this works for me particularly as I have become used to using them. I occasionally take some of my very old Nikkor lenses out for a dusting locally, these are prime lenses (300mm, 180mm, 500mm) but they weigh a ton and are not easily transported. For travelling, all the lenses I am taking are packed into travel pouches and stored in the LowePro bag. Pouches are cheap as chips today and well worth buying to protect your precious glass – there are lots on a certain ubiquitous auction site.

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The Safari Hotel Kenya: situated by a natural watering hole and therefore attracted all the local life … animals that is. You got woken up whenever one of the big 4 animals ventured to the watering hole, always at some ungodly hour in the wee small hours.

Marrakech - Souk. A most fascinating place where you can buy anything you can think of …and some you can’t think of or even imagine (cough!) .

This is the Dhow we had that took us to Kitchener Island, also know as Geziret an-Nabatat in Arabic. Kitchener Island is (surprise) name after Lord Kitchener.

The Morning Catch - Senegal. A sad picture in some ways, as these guys would go to sea in the middle of the night to catch fish to feed their families and sell. No life jackets, compass, engines, satellite navigation or even lights; just paddles and muscle power. Many perished as this part of the Atlantic Coast has huge waves at times from the storms far out in the sea.

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Flash

Pause for some Nostalgia

Items such as flashguns, often called strobes these days, are worth taking, as you may want a tad more control over things rather than using the onboard flash. I use “cheapos” now, having destroyed many Nikon Speedlights and Mecablitzes in my past.

Not always my fault! They fall off the camera and fall over on stands when its windy,they also fall into rivers and the sea. They can also get run over by cars. I even managed to drop my F1 into the sea once but don’t get the impression that I’m careless or clumsy though!

If I am feeling its worth a trip down memory lane, I stick one of these inside the case, fully loaded with film from the freezer. Simply because I still love using film and all of its wonderful renditions of any scene. But, compared to using my digital cameras it does need thinking about - a lot!

If either of these is getting an outing then my trusty Gossen Lunar Meter also comes along for the ride.

Thankfully all of my kit is insured. So cheap is good, and OK, if you break it, just toss it. You need to work at it to control the light from a flash and I find that a controller is very helpful.

Grey cards are really helpful I often use these at the start of a new location to provide a custom white balance for later.

I have a lot of film still in the freezer, as I always think this is the best place to store it and I keep it sealed and unopened. Some forethought is required before packing film as they need to be able to stand for at least 48 hours, still sealed, before use. I avoid placing them from the freezer into a warm room as that can cause condensation, I usually put mine in the utility room, on a cold plate, still in the outer box.

Flash Tip Want redder sunsets with the flash, stick a 20C filter over it and then correct it in Photoshop later. It’s best to use a skin tone to correct for this, such as someone in the picture, or use a grey card for reference.

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Marrakesh: tomb detail Left: One of the joys of foreign travel is that the architecture can be so different from what we are used to. The big view has simply got to be taken as have the iconic viewpoints (see below) but as a photographer your eye is probably keener than many of your fellow tourists so it behoves you to look closely and get in even closer. Photographs of interesting details can add variety to your holiday pics and if you decide perhaps to produce a book of your travels then you will find detail shots to be excellent for providing visual variety.

I only took this purely for the wonderful workmanship and relief in the column, It must have taken forever to become this skilled, and even longer to actually carve it all.

The Bridge of Sighs.

Right: Now, you may think that this iconic Venetian scene has been done to death, and you’d be right. But if YOU haven’t done it yet then “when in Venice”. It is not always possible to come up with a unique take on a scene but that is no reason not to have a go and at the very least a so-called holiday snap will provide memories for years to come especially when the knees finally give out and your days wandering the globe start to become numbered in single digits.

This is from an old Ektachrome slide, that wasn’t very well processed

by Kodak at Hemel, and has some slight crossed curves that I have tried to remove in Lightroom. It was a very happy holiday for us and still makes us laugh. I would normal send all my Ektachrome to the Pathe Labs in Paris, who were just amazing and never disappointed and its sad that they don’t exist anymore, or even Ektachrome for that matter.

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Truly Essential This picture (left) includes things I truly believe are absolutely essential to take, on any trip, not just on holiday, but any shooting situation. I keep a pack of this lot in the car at all times simply because the grey matter doesn’t always remember to put it in when going out to try to take some pictures.

It’s not easy to buy cleaners for sensor’s or lenses when you are half way to the middle of no where, where they don’t even have a toilet or even electricity … believe me, I have been there. So this stuff is always in my kit.

Sensor cleaners may seem expensive but are cheaper than a new sensor or having your images ruined by dust or rubbish that always seems to get inside everything,

Cleaning Tip Photograph a plain white wall, and then open the file up in your picture editor to see if you have any dust, you may need to zoom in, and if you see little circles, it could be dust on the sensor.

Get the correct fluid, and the correct pads for the job, and read the instructions…it’s easy to do so long as you follow the instructions!

The other essential shown is an electronic shutter release, Why? Whenever you need to be able to fire the shutter without touching the camera then this does the job nicely.

I’m thinking of long exposures or photographs of the stars for example. You need to use a tripod of course, if possible you will want to lock the mirror up and after all that effort why risk moving the camera by hitting the shutter release.

Incidentally, I find that when I have exposures of 30 seconds and beyond it pays to bracket wherever possible.

Taking multiple exposures at varying settings so as to layer each image upon each other, is also a great way to shoot stars, but, they need to be in register otherwise it doesn’t work - hence the tripod and the electronic release (still called a cable release by many).

Years ago, we used to use pin-registered backs on our Nikons to produce 12-24 AV projection presentations, using Simda & Kodak AV Projectors, without the PR Back, this would not work. The same applies for long exposure and image layering in the digital age. These electronic releases are so cheap to buy and can be programmed to cover a multitude of scenarios so at under £20 for most it’s a no brainer for the kit bag.

Tripods

I use a small carbon fibre (CF), lightweight tripod (around 2kgs) which was not that expensive to buy and indeed is now well under the £90 mark. Mine came complete with ball head which can take a while to get used to but it is a lot smaller and lighter than my old MultiBlitz tripod that weighs in at around 12kg and that is without the base plates. Can you imagine lugging that lot around? No thank you.

I can get the CF tripod into one of our suitcases quite easily and it’s well worth the effort for those times when you need a tripod. Mine came with a carry case but I added an additional carry strap to secure it to my rucksack which I would recommend; you can then strap it to your camera bag. These straps go for pennies on that auction site. I usually buy them in pairs, and sometimes if I remember I use tent waterproof fabric on them - if not, they get very soggy bottoms. Always dry CF tripods as water will cause havoc over a period of time if they are left wet.

One final tip, remember to take the allen key as you never know when you may need to tighten things!

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Finally Batteries - I always buy a new stock of batteries in bulk before I go and test them just to make sure they are OK. I usually take four batteries for my cameras and a USB charger (that I can’t find at the moment). In addition I carry a spare set of memory cards together with a compass (remember, I sometimes get lost).

The pen and notebook is simply for notes as I never remember what, where or even why?

I put the batteries in a sealable freezer bag within my main luggage but keep the compass, pens and memory cards in my cabin bag when flying.

Tip Take the latest firmware for your camera on a memory card, its not always easy to get a repair done when stuck in some out of the way place or half way up the Himalaya’s, and reinstalling the firmware, may just solve the problem.

I always take a good cleaning cloth, and the old Sylvite cloth we used for years is priceless at cleaning lens barrels and camera bodies that get yucky from use. I will use the liquid in the cleaning kit if they are really grubby and the pads which are cheap to buy and tmost importantly are lint-free.

Some of the Pro’s still seal their batteries in tissue, then cling film and then into freezer bags. On long flights bags in the cargo hold get very cold and if you arrive at a hot destination this can result in condensation which is not good for expensive camera batteries. By the way, some flights may not allow camera batteries loose in cabin bags so it is best to check with the airline before travelling.

Foreign Travel Advice

Me at the tender age of around 11 or 12, with a camera I wish I still had - an old Zeiss Ikon Ikoneta f6.3

It pays to do your research before travelling abroad. On the foreign travel advice section of the gov.uk website you can choose a specific destination and get monthly alerts on what is happening where you are planning to go. For example, this alert arrived in my Inbox whilst working on these notes.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice 31

Too sociable?

Who said that?

Psychogeography

Answers below

"Social media and photo sharing sites are really just everybody slapping you on the back and telling you how brilliant everything is - it's all very nice but it doesn't really help you progress"

1. “A picture may be worth a thousand words. But sometimes, a handful of words can make a picture a thousand times more meaningful.”

Andy Farrer, winner of the U.K. Landscape Photographer of the Year in 2015

2. “The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.”

Too spectacular?

3. “Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk.”

"Too often, the photography we are bombarded with on social media is seeking the spectacular when, sometimes, it's good to test yourself in a quieter environment and see what you can come away with."

Jon Gibbs, professional landscape photographer. jon-gibbs.co.uk

Anti-social?? "... a festival of incestuous mediocrity has emerged where smartphone images are only ever seen on other smartphones and praised accordingly."

Niall Benvie, Outdoor Photography June 2016

4. “I am not interested in rules or conventions.

Photography is not a sport.”

Ouch!

“Photographers tell me what I know… You’d have to be a refrigerator to not be moved by the beauty of Yosemite… I’m interested in what I don’t know.”

Duane Michals

Good advice "Best wide angle lens? Two steps backwards" Ernst Haas (1921-1986)

“There is no such thing as a new idea in photography only combining and adapting old ideas.”

Andy Beel http://andybeelfrps.wordpress.com

More good advice “Photography doesn’t take any brains. It takes sensitivity, a finger and two legs.”

Henri Cartier-Bresson

1. Roger Hicks (AP columnist) 2. Andy Warhol (1928-1987) 3. Edward Weston 4. Bill Brandt

In with the old!

Psychogeography was founded in 1955 by Guy Debordas as “the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organised or not, on the emotions and behaviour of individuals“. It is also a term much associated with photography these days, particularly in the academic environment.

As far as I see it, there appear to be two main ways in which photographers approach this genre.

For the likes of Pedro Guimares in his project ‘Bluetown’, and Marco Barbieri’s project ‘Our Drinking Habits’, both have set out a code as the basis of their wandering.

Guimares’s code determines the location he will stop at to take a photo, with each photo in the series linked by this code. Barbieri’s code is the choice of object (ie evidence of street drinking) before he then wanders to find that evidence.

The alternative approach is to decide on an area to wander to find what catches the photographer’s eye. A series is then bound by the link between place, photographer and choice of subjects chosen in that area.

Debra Fabricius’s project ‘Urban Drift’ is a good example of this approach where she wanders along a pre-defined area and photographs what catches her eye. This creates a commentary on that place along with its relationship to the photographer.

For those of you wanting a diversion from pure photography I can highly recommend digging into the subject a litle deeper. It is possible to avoid the overly academic and to relate elements of psychogeography to the photography of many of us. In particular an account of the flaneur may well strike a chord! http://www.psychogeography.co.uk/

Clive Piggott

The Postal Photographic Club Forum - the "Virtual Clubhouse of the PPC" http://forum.postalphotoclub.org.uk

Dear Reader, By the time you read this it will be Autumn again and we will be looking towards Christmas and its seasonal idiosyncrasies. I always ask myself why does the year constantly seem much shorter looking back than it does looking forward? I hope that you had a productive and enjoyable summer, photographically and otherwise. Now the time of the annual rally is nearly upon us, and (as the Walrus said) no doubt 'the time to speak of many things', e.g. at the committee meeting. All of which rambling introduction serves as a very tenuous link to the main subject of this issue's column.

I was having an enjoyable half-hour browsing around the forum, as you do, looking at the different topics, which cover a wide range of conversations, when I came across a thread started over a year ago on the innovative idea of the club bestowing PPC distinctions. The basic idea is that, just as the RPS awards LRPS, ARPS, and FRPS distinctions to recognise levels of participation, achievement and competency among its members, so also the PPC could introduce levels of distinction to honour its membership, e.g. LPPC (Licentiate), APPC (Associate), and FPPC (Fellow).

There is quite a long discussion about this on the forum and a number of mechanisms for assessing and awarding the honours were suggested. I won't go into all of them, suffice to say that anything that increased the already significant workload of the circle secretaries would be deemed unacceptable, and also there was no desire to set up any kind of system involving the submission of a panel of images to a jury for assessment.

However, we already have an annual apparatus of image appraisal and assessment, i.e. the Founders Cup and the summer print and screen-image competitions in the form of the Travelling Exhibition. Members who are successful in these competitions are awarded points. It would be a relatively simple task to tot up the total points earned in these competitions for each member, cumulatively over the years, and once they reached a certain number they would merit a club distinction. There need be no time limit on gaining the required number of points as we would also want to reward consistency and sustained effort.

There is already a circle element (reintroduced by popular demand) to the summer competitions: this proposal would add an individual member incentive and dimension to these contests. Perhaps 100 points for an LPPC, 200 for APPC, 500 for FPPC? We could design certificates (signed by the Chairman, General Secretary and Competition Secretary) for each level and they could be presented at the rally, or posted to those unable to attend. A permanent register of achievement would be made available on the forum.

The PPC Forum has two main sections: The Forum Community area comprises a number of memberoriented discussions.These are spaces which offer members unlimited opportunity to share questions and thoughts about the hobby, share their photographs for appraisal or simply to show their work to other members. There are also general non-photography conversations and Forum news updates.

The PPC area contains discussions and news items relating to the club Circles and their operation for example. There is news and updates about the club's Website, Photonews. Annual Rally, Committee members, annual competitions etc.

The forum is completely private and the only way to join is by emailing your details to us at: forum@postalphotoclub.org.uk

Incidentally, I would be willing to undertake the minimal admin' required to implement and maintain this scheme.

What do you think, Dear Reader? If you are interested you may comment in the 'Soapbox' on the Photonews forum, or email your thoughts to me at forum@postalphotoclub.org.uk. If enough members express an interest, I will table it for discussion at the annual committee meeting's “Talk of many things� in October.

Best Wishes Clive 33

The 2016 Rally - Malmesbury

5 miles South East of Tetbury

Located in Wiltshire 5.7 miles from M4 102 miles from London

Our learned friends at Wikipedia tell us that Malmesbury is a market town and civil parish in the southern Cotswolds in the county of Wiltshire, England.

Technology company Dyson is headquartered in Malmesbury which remains a market town and became prominent in the Middle Ages as a centre for learning focused on and around Malmesbury Abbey, the bulk of which forms a rare survival of the dissolution of the monasteries. Once the site of an Iron Age fort, in the Anglo-Saxon period it became the site of a monastery famed for its learning and one of Alfred the Great's fortified burhs for defence against the Vikings. Æthelstan, the first king of England was buried in Malmesbury Abbey when he died in 939.

The local tourist information centre is more lyrical: Atop a perfect flat hill encircled by the River Avon at the southern entrance to the Cotswolds, sits Malmesbury, said to be the oldest continually inhabited town in England. Malmesbury is rightly called the "Queen of Hilltop Towns" being England's oldest borough with a rich history over 1000 years.

http://www.malmesbury.com http://www.cotswolds.info/places/malmesbury.shtml

I also note that Malmesbury is home to England’s oldest hotel, the Old Bell, which has been offering bed and board since 1220. The last time the club was in Malmesbury was slightly more recent than that and over the next few pages members share their images from the 2014 Rally.

Westonbirt Arboreteum Both images © Barry Roberts

Westonbirt Arboreteum “A remarkable place for people to enjoy and learn about trees - 15,000 specimens from all over the globe offer the perfect setting to escape, relax or have an adventure... “ The historic, Victorian picturesque landscape and internationally important tree and shrub collection is managed by the Forestry Commission and supported by the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum. http://www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt

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Westonbirt Arboreteum Another fan of Westonbirt is Mike Atkinson, Secretary of IC3: “Westonbirt Arbouretum is the national arbouretum and home to over 16,000 trees from all over the world, it’s a great place to visit but give yourself time, there is a lot to take in. It's no more than a 20 min drive from the hotel so well worth a look.�

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Malmesbury Abbey is part-ruin and partly still in use. The ruins are imposing and the opportunities for straight architectural or more creative photography abound.

The vaulted ceiling is particularly striking.

Images (left and above) © Barry Roberts

Malmesbury Abbey Malmesbury is a truly wonderful place to visit for the day or for a short break.

The stewards count approximately 65,000 visitors through the Abbey's Norman porch each year; admission is free. As well as exploring the beautiful 12th century Abbey, the grounds, the Abbey Kitchen and the bookshop, you can also spend time at Abbey House Gardens, the Athelstan Museum, and explore the numerous shops, restaurants and pubs in town.

Westonbirt Aboretum and Highgrove are also only a very short drive away.

The Abbey is usually open every day, but does close for occasional services, conferences, filming, organ tuning or maintenance.

Detail from a manuscript Bible dating from 1407 on display in Malmesbury Abbey with part of the 1901 “Luce” stained glass window reflected in the glass case.

Image (above) © Stuart Carr

http://www.malmesburyabbey.com/visiting/

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Avebury Manor House, close to the Avebury Stone Circle, is a National Trust property where not only can you take photographs inside, but also use a tripod. The rooms are all set up in different time periods, apparently due to the BBC using them for locations at various times in the past. Apart from the bedroom, there is a parlour, kitchen, billiard room and dining room. The outside of the building and gardens are also worthy of being photographed.

Image Š David James

Avebury Manor House The television series The Manor Reborn, which aired in December 2011, showed how nine of Avebury Manor's rooms and part of the garden were redecorated and redesigned in five different styles: Tudor, Queen Anne, Georgian, Victorian and 20th century. This imaginative process drew on the team's expertise, historical research and inventories from other houses of the selected periods to help recreate inspirational interiors for the rooms.

The refurbishment of Avebury Manor was designed so that the rooms reflected the period in which the residents of Avebury Manor lived and you can learn about these people as you go around. Furniture and objects were either recreated by modern craftsmen or genuine antique furniture was restored. All the 'new' furniture needed to be made strong enough to be used, sat on and touched. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/avebury/features/transforming-avebury-manor

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Lacock Abbey A country house with monastic roots, once home to William Henry Fox Talbot so of interest to all photographers I would think. It is widely considered the birthplace of British photography.

The Fox Talbot Museum explores the history of photography so is well worth a look. As are the abbey grounds. The website boasts “Lacock Abbey's beautiful grounds are a place to relax, explore and play. Wander through the changing colours, clamber up a giant tree stump and see if you can spot some of the local wildlife.”

Lacock is a quintessential English village with streets lined with timber-framed cottages and local shops.

As you can see there are various elements to the grounds (abbey rooms, cloisters, grounds, museum, shop, tearoom and the village) so it is a good idea to check their website for detailed opening times. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/place-pages/197/ pages/opening-times-calendar

Laycock Abbey and a detail of the the barn roof in the villa. © Richard Bown 38

Woodchester Park Woodchester Park is an easy trip from the rally venue. This National Trust property has extensive woodland walks and hidden surprises including an unfinished Victorian Gothic mansion (where Martin tells us you can get a nice cup of tea!).

The NT website (link below) tells us that nestled in the Cotswolds, the secluded valley of Woodchester Park is home to the remains of an 18thand 19th-century landscape park, a Victorian mansion, a chain of five lakes fringed by woodland and pasture, and an abundance of wildlife.

As Martin commented to me photographic opportunities abound.

For those who like to plan ahead you may like to refer to the following maps - Explorer 167 and 168; Landranger 162. Or you could just follow the easy 3.5 mile walk highlighted on the website.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/woodchesterpark https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/woodchesterpark/trails/woodchester-park-boathouse-walk

Woodchester Park grounds and the old boathouse. The landscaped grounds include a string of 5 man made lakes.

Images Š Martin Short

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Neolithic Attractions During your stay there are several Neolithic sites that can be reached by car in modest time, Avebury stone circle, West Kennet Long Barrow, Silbury Hill and Wayland Smithy are all worth a visit.

The image (left) is a false-colour infrared image taken at Wayland Smithy. Š Mike Atkinson http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/waylands-smithy/ http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/west-kennet-long-barrow/

Stourhead Stourhead enjoys worldwide acclaim for its beautiful gardens together with the lake and period buildings around the parkland. Above is a view from the pantheon back to the other side of the lake and to the right is a view of the Pantheon looking across the lake.

Perhaps the most beautiful and magical of all of the great landscape gardens, Stourhead is an English 18th-century view of Arcadian paradise. Š Sally Anderson https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead

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Something for everyone Malmesbury is well situated for exploring the Cotswolds and also the many and varied ancient sites and monuments. As a result there are opportunities for many styles of photography.

Above right: Cottages at Bibury. The houses are called Arlington Row and are National Trust properties.

According to NT, they were converted to cottages in 17th century, having been originally monastic wool stores built in 1380! In front, there is some water called Rack Isle where wool was hung on racks after being washed.

Left: A detail from Avebury Stone Circle. The circle is massive, the stones themselves having interesting textures, apart from their history. I was attracted to the echo of the stones shape in the background roof shape.

Top left: This was seen at Westonbirt Arboretum and shows some of the colourful leaves of the trees at that time (though actually there was not much colour when we were there in 2014 , as other members also mentioned).

All images this page Š Liz Downes 41

Starting with film - part three Film is not dead it just smells funny, but that is probably just the chemicals.

Bill Martindale

Brought up in the digital age? Or perhaps you came to photography later in life and skipped the so-called analogue days entirely? If that is so then this short series of articles is for you.

Processing - and not a computer or mouse in sight!

The basic processing of film is not that difficult for those who want to do it themselves. Alternatively there are still plenty of places who will develop your films via the mail and with new-generation films such as the chromogenic Ilford XP2 it can be as simple as taking it your local high street or supermarket chain who have C41 colour processing facilities. They will process your film and provide prints or a scan on a CD. But the fun is in doing it yourself and as I have already said it is not that difficult.

So what do you need to process a film? Besides the film you‘re going to process, you will need a few inexpensive pieces of photographic equipment. The following list is from the Ilford web site: • • • • • •

developing tank and spirals plastic measuring cylinder plastic beakers plastic storage bottles funnels stirring rod

• • • • • •

thermometer stop clock/watch film clips or pegs scissors negative storage bags In addition a hair dryer is a useful item

Of these, the developing tank is the most important. The tank keeps the film in total darkness, yet its top incorporates channels through which you can fill it with processing solutions. Inside, a special spiral ensures the solutions reach every part of the film surface.

Incidentally, if you use plastic beakers or bottles, buy different colours, so that you can use a different colour for each solution. Even a trace of fixer can contaminate the developer, and possibly ruin your next film.

Having a dark area in which to transfer the film into the developing tank is the most problematic part - once it is loaded into the tank everything else is done in daylight. If you do not have a fully light tight darkroom then there are alternatives. A changing bag is a double skinned bag with short arm sections that grip onto your arms with elastic. Failing that I, for many years when I was younger, used to burrow under the covers on the bed tucking it all around me and load there. Not as convenient these days as duvets don't seem to have the same light excluding properties as the old layer of blankets and a quilted eiderdown. Even a small walk in cupboard would suffice as long as it was done at night with no lights on in the adjacent room.

The developing tank comprises a few components. Basically they are a light tight tank into which a central column is fitted with a lid that has a funnel type arrangement to enter the centre column. This provides a light trap so that once the tank is loaded the rest of the operation can be carried out in daylight. The film is held in a spiral reel that fits over the central column. The lid has an arrangement to allow chemicals to be poured into and out of the tank at the appropriate time during processing. The final part is a cover that fits over the top of the lid to make the whole thing watertight to allow for inversion agitation. Today the most popular tank is the Paterson Super System 4 series available in 35 mm only through a universal tank to take a 120 film or 2 x 35 mm films up to tanks capable of handling up to 8 x 35 mm films at a time.

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There are other makers such as AP. These tanks are made from plastic but there are also tanks made from stainless steel on the second hand market. There is not a great deal of difference between the two except that SS will stand dropping and is also easier to keep at a constant temperature if stood in a temperature controlled water bath.

However the plastic tanks are fairly robust and seem to hold their temperature well.

The graduated cylinder should be sized to ensure that you get equipment that will grow with you. A 120 film needs 500 ml of chemicals so buy a 600 ml graduate that can also be use for 35 mm which needs 300 ml of chemicals.

The thermometer needs to be repeatable rather than entirely accurate. Most processing takes place at 20°C so one that covers up to say 30°C will be suitable. While the temperature needs to be within a degree or so what you really need is one that always reads the same for a set temperature and does not vary wildly.

Of course these days digital thermometers are common and probably more accurate than the older type. I would avoid Mercury based ones as although they are accurate they are harder to read and if broken are a health hazard.

Also required is an accurate, again repeatable, timer for timing the development process.

These days it is likely to be digital and built into a phone. Older timers were clockwork but accurate.

Fishing Gear in Staithes, Yorkshire.

Taken on a Rolleiflex 3.5F with the Planar lens on Ilford Delta 100 and processed in Thornton’s Diluxol 2 bath developer. © Bill Martindale. Scan of darkroom print.

If you are impatient to get going there are companies who will supply you with a full kit for just under £70 at todays prices. One such firm is Ag Photographic. Of course they will also supply each piece of kit individually if required.

Loading the tank.

This is a fairly simple semi automated operation. Initially the reel is adjusted to suit the film being used. Most Paterson reels have 3 positions for 35 mm, 127 and 120 film. Adjustment is made by partly disassembling the reel with a twisting motion setting it to the right width and locking by twisting again. For 35 mm it is recommended to cut off the narrow protruding tongue at the start of the film and trimming the corners to a 45° angle only to the depth of the perforations to stop sharp corners catching during loading and causing problems. The piece cut off can be retained to use as a test piece for fixer exhaustion.

The reels have a loading point at the end of the spiral and a pair of ball bearings running in sloped grooves. The actual action to load the reel is a slight twist, this moves the ball bearing in the groove locking the film on one side while the other moves back to load the next section of film. Thus using a slight twisting motion has the action of driving the film into the reel spiral. One the film is loaded the reel/column combination is dropped into the tank with the reel at the bottom and the lid secured by a sharp twist to lock it on. Practice in the light with an old length of film is recommended to see what is happening and the action needed. Once confidence has been built up a real film can be used.

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Before staring make sure you know where everything is located and is easily to hand.

Assemble the reel onto the central column of the tank. Paterson supply a locking C-clip to lock the reel in place on the column if using a universal tank. If this is missing, and they often are on second hand tanks, use a second reel or a rubber band on the column to stop the reel moving and coming out of the liquid in the tank.

Make sure the reel is absolutely dry as any moisture will cause the film to stick. I do this by warming the reel with a hair dryer before loading.

In the dark enter the leading edge of the film into the start point and start the twisting motion to drive the film home. With 35 mm I often pull a piece out from the cassette and wind it onto the reel then repeat until the film is fully loaded.

Using a pair of scissors cut the film as close to the cassette mouth as you can and give another couple of twists so that the whole film is beyond the ball bearing lock. The film can be torn off if you have no scissors but scissors are easier to use. If using a changing bag be sure the material and your fingers are well away from the cutting area. Once the reel is loaded assemble the tank making it light tight and take to the processing area.

Soundly Lower Pond, Forest of Dean.

Taken on a Bronica ETR-Si with the 75 mm lens and fitted with a Cokin Red filter. Film was Konica Infra Red processed in Rodinal at 1+50. Š Bill Martindale. Scan of darkroom print.

120 film is slightly different. The film is enclosed in a light tight backing paper wrapped round a central core. Depending on your preference some people will unwrap the paper until they feel the film then load from that end. Others remove the film from the backing paper entirely by unwrapping until they find the leading edge which is taped to the acing paper by a strip of adhesive paper. This can be removed from the backing paper carefully as if it is ripped off too quickly it can give rise to static sparks which may fog the first image. Once loosened from the backing paper the adhesive tape can be folded back onto the film stiffening the leading edge, making the film more stable as it drives into the reel. One thing to be careful of with all sizes is “crimping� the film as it is loaded. This can leave crescent shaped stress marks in the emulsion ruining the image. That is why the reel needs to be totally dry.

Chemicals.

There are three basic chemicals required apart from water. These are developer, stop bath and fixer. It is also useful to have a wetting agent, basically a strong soap solution, for the final rinse after washing. At a pinch a tiny drop of washing up liquid can be used.

Developer: When a film is exposed a chemical change takes place as the light reacts with the silver in the emulsion, the image is formed within the emulsion and is at this stage called a latent image. Left exposed for long enough the image would eventually become apparent on the film. The developer is a cocktail of chemicals that greatly speeds up the reaction of the light on the emulsion revealing the image. Developers are an alkali solution. Each developer uses different combinations some to give increased film speed, some for fine grain, some for high acutance so it is up to the photographer to decide which of those is important to him/her and use the appropriate developer.

There is a developer which is regarded as the industry standard and against which all other tend too be compared. That is Ilford ID11 (also Kodak D76 which is essentially the same developer). It gives reasonably fine grain, good sharpness and good overall image quality. It is sold as a dry chemical and mixed into a stock solution. It can be used as stock but with time adjustment for each film. For easier use and more consistency it is usually diluted 1+1 with water. For mixing the stock solution many people recommend using distilled water for consistency especially if in a hard water area. Tap water can be used to dilute the stock solution prior to development but again in hard water areas distilled water may give better results. Distilled water can be obtained from supermarkets or motor supply shops quite cheaply. If you do not wish to mix from dry chemicals then there are liquid developers such as Ilford Ilfosol 3 for general use or Ilford DD-X which was designed to be used with the newer Delta films.

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Stop Bath: The action of the stop bath is to quickly neutralise the alkali developer and stop its action. It is a mild acid and can be used over and over until exhausted. Many have an exhaustion indicator built in that changes colour from say yellow to purple or blue. It is the one chemical that can be substituted by tap water to heavily dilute the developer although the stopping action is not as sudden and can lead to minor differences in development.

At a pinch domestic white vinegar diluted with water can be used.

Fixer: Once the development is complete there are still active silver halides in the image. The job of the fixer is to remove these as eventually they would blacken and obscure the image. They are usually an acid solution although there are alkali fixers available. The common one in use today is Ilford Hypam diluted 1+4 for fixing films. Other makers do supply their own version which is usually based on ammonium thiosulphate as the fixing agent, rather than the older sodium thiosulphate (hypo).

Processing sequence.

The processing sequence is as follows assuming that the film has been loaded into the developing tank. a.

Dilute the developer to the right consistency, 1+1 for ID11/D76 or as on the makers instructions for the others, and ensure it is at the required temperature, usually 20 oC. Check the time required with the manufacturers instructions. b.

Pour the chemicals into the developing tank as quickly as possible without splashing. It often helps to hold the tank at a slight angle to achieve this. Immediately start the clock. c.

Fit the cap on the tank and gently agitate it for abut 60 seconds gently rapping the tank on the worktop to dislodge any air bubbles that may have formed. One agitation cycle is to inver the tank then return it to the upright.

In the 60seconds there will be about 6 inversions. d.

After each minute of the processing time invert the tank twice in about 10 seconds. e.

About 10 seconds before the end of development empty the tank and discard the developer. f.

Pour in the stop bath or water if using.

Agitate continuously for about 30 seconds. Pour this out and unless exhausted return to the Steam Engine in the Bradford Industrial Museum. storage bottle. g.

Pour in the fixer and agitate for about 30 Taken on a tripod mounted Bronica ETR-Si with a 40 mm Zenzanon lens. Taken onIlford HP5 Plus processed in PMK seconds. The fixer can then be left to do its Pyro © Bill Martindale. Scan of darkroom print. work but it is recommended to agitate every minute or so. At the end of the fixing time pour out the fixer but retain it for further use. Like stop bath it can be used until exhaustion or the fixing time becomes excessively long.

One way to test fixing time is to use a small piece of the cut off tongue of a 35 mm film. Place a drop of fixer onto the emulsion, leave for 30 seconds then immerse the piece of film in the fixer. Time to when the drop can no longer be seen. That is the minimum fixing time and it is usual to give twice that time for complete fixing.

Once the fixing is complete the film needs to be washed to remove all traces of the chemicals. At one time it was usual to allow running water to flow into the centre of the tank for up to 1 hour depending on the temperature of the water. This can still be done but with modern chemicals it only takes about 10 minutes if the water is at processing temperature. With more awareness of the need to conserve water Ilford have devised a method of washing to reduce the amount of water required. Fill the tank with water at the same temperature, +/– 5°C (9°F), as the processing solutions and invert 45

Whitby Abbey.

Taken on a Rolleiflex 3.5F with the Planar lens and fitted with a Rolleiflex Yellow filter. Camera rested on the post of the information board. Taken on Ilford Delta 100 processed in Thornton’s Diluxol 2 bath. Š Bill Martindale. Scan of darkroom print.

it five times. Drain the water away and refill. Invert the tank ten times. Once more drain the water away and refill. Finally, invert the tank twenty times and drain the water away.

Once washing is compete by whichever method is chosen give the film a final soak in water with a few drops of wetting agent added. This breaks down the surface tension and allows the film to dry more evenly. Hang the film in a dust free area where it will not be disturbed until dry. Overnight is often best. Once the film is completely dry cut into lengths usually 6 frames for 35 mm or as will fit the storage sheets for 120 and file away. Filing sheets can be bought in various types to fit 2 or 4 ring binders.

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Club Matters

John Kay, General Secretary

Committee List update The Committee List that was sent out at the end of May is still valid. However, Dave Williams has advised that he is stepping down from his Publicity Officer position, so that job will be vacant by the time this magazine is published.

Dave has done a great job promoting the PPC; particularly through social media sites like Facebook. The days when a small advert in the back pages of Amateur Photographer magazine etc brought in new members are long gone. Many of you will recall that Bob Rawlinson had some success getting short illustrated articles about the club in some of the photo magazines, but it required an awful lot of work and co-operation from the members whose images were featured.

It looks like we need someone who is very familiar with the Internet and social media – so count me out! But can we count YOU in?

Club website and the PPC Forum Graham Dean looks after and updates the club website and Clive Piggott is our Forum Administrator. Both of them are unsung heroes of the PPC, quietly getting on with their tasks. The contact details for both are given in the Committee List.

Print Folders You may be getting low on folders if you are in more than one print circle. Additional packs of twelve folders cost £4.50; including second-class postage.

If you prefer to send a cheque then make it payable to POSTAL PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUB and then post it to the Treasurer, Stuart Carr, or to John Kay. Alternatively you can save the cost of a stamp by paying for them via the club’s PayPal facility, (access it from our website). Packs of folders will also be available at the rally.

Annual Rally 2016 – Friday 7th to Sunday 9th October This year’s Annual Rally is fast approaching and bookings have gone well. I understand that we can still add to the guest list but I will need to check room details and availability if you do want accommodation. The venue is the Mayfield House Hotel in Crudwell, which is near to Malmesbury in the Cotswolds; it is where we held the successful rally in 2014. Details of the venue and nearby places to visit can be seen on their website: http://www.mayfieldhousehotel.co.uk The cost for the weekend with an en-suite room, including meals from Friday evening to Sunday lunch (Saturday lunch NOT included) is £160 per person. In recent years, quite a number of members have extended their stay at the rally venue by a couple of nights, a very favourable rate of £60.00 per person per night, for dinner, bed and breakfast has been negotiated for those wishing to add Thursday night and / or Sunday night to their visit. E-mail me or phone if you would like to attend, full payment will be required now.

As usual, members who live within commuting distance are welcome to call in during the weekend, but please let me know if you would like to come for one of the evening meals. Of course, partners are also welcome – nearly half of the rally weekend attendees are couples.

I am very pleased that Leigh Preston FRPS MPAGB EFIAP has accepted my invitation to join us for the Friday evening meal and afterwards he will be presenting a print lecture. I know many of you are already familiar with his work; visit his website at http://www.leighpreston.co.uk/index.htm if you would like to have a preview.

Our President eyeing up his next purchase at Lacock. Taken during the 2014 Malmesbury Rally © John Kay

This year the Awards Presentation and showing of the top images from the DPI Competition will be on the Saturday evening.

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20 QUESTIONS (or less!)

with Pete Toogood

Tell us a little about yourself: Like many others I arrived in 1948. The son of the village Bobby and with a name like Toogood, you can imagine life at school was not always easy!

Fortunately I was always big for my age so I survived!

How long have you been a photographer?

I first took an interest in photography about the age of 12 when Santa brought me a Kodak Brownie 127. I remember trying to photograph falling snowflakes and being very disappointed with the results ! Pictures rarely turned out as I expected so, between that and the cost, my interest faded.

By the mid 1970’s I was teaching Science at Secondary level under a quite forward thinking Head who introduced a Wednesday afternoon ‘Leisure Pursuits’ activity session. This was for senior pupils and intended to prepare them for the leisure time they would have in the utopian future when robots took over more of their jobs! I helped out with the photography group run by the then Head of Science. This was proper photography with film and chemicals and a Prep. room converted to a dark room. I was hooked . I soon bought a Nikkormat and got a bit more serious about the process. I loved having so much more control over the finished print. I ended up running the group when the HOD moved on.

Top: “Blowing his own trumpet” Undated Travelling Exhibition entry.

Left: “Riverside Trees” Certificate of Merit 2008 Travelling Exhibition Right: Mr Peter Toogood himself!

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20 QUESTIONS (or less!)

with Pete Toogood

“Ever Upwards” © Pete Toogood Travelling Exhibition 2013 entry.

How long have you been a member of the PCC? Around the time I took over the Wednesday sessions I joined the HPPC which would have been the late 1970’s By then I was taking photography more seriously and over the next few years I added another body, a Vivitar Series One 35-85 and several Nikkors. This was quite a bag full to carry around but I was younger then! I remember talking to a lady photographer in Luxor on a trip to Egypt. She had the, then relatively new, Olympus OM1. I noted with some interest that her OM1 body plus 135mm lens together weighed less than my 135 mm Nikkor alone ! However I stuck with Nikon working my way through F2 Photomic , FE, Fe2, F4, F801, F90 and I forget the rest !

I also did a couple of City and Guilds courses at Shrewsbury Tech. in Photography and Portraiture.

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20 QUESTIONS (or less!)

with Pete Toogood

Apart from photography what other interests do you have?

I have many! They include hill walking, rock climbing, running, cycling, building and flying model planes, wine, real ale and travel.

For a number of years I had a Honda 750 and, taking advantage of the long summer holidays , would take off on photographic trips. In this way I toured England, Northern France and Norway.It was a great way to travel, see interesting scenery and take photos - when the weather was nice!

Film or Digital?

Somewhere around the time I sold the bike digital emerged. I was a very late convert finding the early cameras impractical due to minimal battery life and rubbish picture quality. However , they progressed and I eventually had the Nikon D300 which I never settled to, it was heavy and I was never that happy with the results.

I now use a Fuji X10 and an XE-2 which give excellent results though they don’t feel to have the mechanical integrity of the earlier Nikons or the weight!

If I’m honest I have found the transition to digital a difficult journey. I think there was something a bit special about film, particularly Infra-red film with its heavy , grainy texture and I loved the 'hands on' processing. I felt directly in control most of the time.

All images in this feature © Pete Toogood

Top: “Just Checking” 1st place in C1 folio 584 August 1991 Bottom: “Long Shot” Accepted and Hung in the 1986 TE 50

20 QUESTIONS (or less!)

with Pete Toogood “Le Touquet Beach” Certificate of Merit 1995 Travelling Exhibition.

“Pebbles” Accepted and Hung 2004 Travelling Exhibition.

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20 QUESTIONS (or less!)

with Pete Toogood I can’t help a feeling of detachment when processing digital. It’s as if I’m not really doing it, I just press the buttons!

However, we are where we are and I am slowly getting more able.

I have always been more into photographing scenery, or bits of it and try to achieve different angles or more abstract effects. I think thats why I liked grainy film. I quite like to get in close or zoom into a small part of a scene. All this takes thought and time , of course, and the older I get the longer it takes !

Must make me a very irritating walking companion at times ! In general I prefer to photograph when on my own!

What are you hoping to tackle in the longer term?

Portraiture is something I find difficult and rarely photograph people . I am often impressed with the candids I have seen taken by others and marvel at their forethought and reflexes. I generally miss the critical moment. However, I have been trying to do a few more ‘people pix’ over the last couple of years.

I don’t think I could call it a ‘project’ but an ‘awareness’ at least and it is something I want to work at in the future.

! u o y k Than Top: “Petronas Towers” Retained print 2003 Travelling Exhibition Bottom: “French Barn” Certificate of Merit at the 2001 Travelling Exhibition 52

The 2016 Travelling Exhibition and Projected Digital Image Competition

© Dave Whenham

The results for the 2016 Travelling Exhibition had just been published when this issue of Photonews was being finalised. Normally the results come out a little later and so we don’t get a chance to congratulate the winners in the Autumn issue.

This year though it is great to be able to say a hearty well-done to everyone who took part and especially those who had images accepted for the exhibition or received one of the trophy positions.

There will once again be a “Rally Special” this year, a bonus edition in addition to the usual four quarterly issues of Photonews.

Photonews will be press-ganging Graham Harvey once again to take the pictures of the presentations and will shortly be writing to all of those featured on the TE flyer (left) so we can present the winning images in all their glory together with appropriate captions from the authors.

Watch this Space!

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It was when I was thirteen or fourteen years of age that I first ventured out on my own with a big boys bicycle going further than the local shops. The destination, Wollaton Park and its Hall, a place I had visited many times with my parents, but now alone and in soul charge of my destiny.

Roll forward several [don’t you mean many? Ed] years… and I had just picked up a bargain camera, a Panasonic G1 converted to infrared, yes already suitable to capture those weird toned obscure false coloured IR images, the cost £60.00 pounds; there would be a price tag of around £250.00 just to convert the camera to infrared, and I was in the market to add a second micro four-thirds camera to my arsenal. Well how could I refuse this bargain and being sold by Wex, I don’t think they quite realised the value of such a camera to a person like me.

Sixty quid for a ready to go Lumix what a snip…

Now two things, one it needed road testing for its quality and ability to function properly, (I’d made preliminaries by shooting in our garden); second the IR fitted filter was of an unknown wave length; both quite important aspects. Where to go and take a series of test shots? I was keen to try a new venue just for a change with the infrared but not willing to travel too far from home. Then I realised I had been promising myself a trip to Wollaton Park for months not having visited the local grounds for over fifteen years. So what better, I checked the bus routes and timetables as I had not passed this way in all those years and was unfamiliar with current transport and trends. Next pack a few sandwiches and a drink plus the compact cameras now counting three one standard and two IR converted.

Arriving at the old familiar Derby Road gated entrance, the bus stop being only a hundred yards away, I stared at the dark foreboding closed gate it looked unused since I last visited, stepping forward with apprehension I pushed gently on the ragged uncared for door in the wall. Oh good, it opened, I was in the park on the south side. Not my usual previous point of entry, in the past I had mostly arrived via the main drive on the east side of the park. Getting orientated I stepped out into the greenery of the deer park.

Camellia House in the formal gardens Panasonic Lumix G1, lens Samyang 7.5mm fish-eye @ 11mm, exposure 1/1000th @ f11, ISO 200, internal 720nm filter. Process basics in Adobe Lightroom then moved to Photoshop for levels adjustment and hue & sat adjustments, and channel swapping with adjustments to all channels.

Looking from the stables towards the Hall Panasonic Lumix G1, , lens Vario 12-32mm @ 15mm, exposure 1/400th @ f11, ISO 200, internal 720nm filter. Process basics in Adobe Lightroom moved to Photoshop for levels adjustment and hue & sat adjustments, and channel swapping with adjustments to all channels.

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Finding a wooden bench I used it as a table to set up two of my cameras, the new (to me), second-hand camera and the previously internally converted to “full spectrum” infrared filter body to a couple of lenses. Heading deeper into the grounds I rounded the corner of the large lake below the slopes of the hall. A good place to begin putting the new(ish), acquired bargain through its paces.

A Stand of trees at the edge of the Lake at Wollaton Park Panasonic Lumix G1, lens Vario 14-140mm @ 18mm, exposure 1/125th @ f9.0, ISO 200, Internal full spectrum fitted, external LifepixeL’s Super Blue filter.

Process basics in Adobe Lightroom moved to Photoshop for levels adjustment and hue & sat adjustments.

Now, for those unaware infrared photography relies on certain conditions to create a decent picture in the medium, and a few of these are foliage, abundant in bucket loads throughout the park, and water, the latter for reflections of the sky, and the sky itself of course also being a useful inclusion. Why is the sky an important factor? Particularly in monochrome converted IR pictures this presents a strong deep black sky with fluffy white clouds.

My current visit being mainly infrared work had me searching out those corners of the park and its buildings for the very points above, and to such, the skyscapes and waterscapes were important with of course the inclusion of trees and grassland. The skills learnt over several years of using IR methods requires the ability to “See” in infrared, similar but different to “seeing” in monochrome; the main difference being in IR is I am searching out both suitable subjects for false colour and monochrome. It can be confusing in the early stages, but with practise it becomes easier, however there are (as always in photography) some pleasant surprises along the way, so if in doubt I will record every out of the “ordinary” infrared situation.

Oh! and the “new “ fitted filter is a 720nm wave length, this being a mid range strength allowing both limited false colour work and fine black and white conversion, a useful addition to my camera bag.

Through the trees at Wollaton park lake.

Panasonic Lumix G1, lens Vario 14-140mm @ 18mm, exposure 1/160th @ f9.0, ISO 200, Internal full spectrum fitted, external LifepixeL’s Super Blue filter.

Bye for now… see you round the corner soon!

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Photonews is published four times a year.

All rights reserved. All materials copyright The Postal Photographic Club and/or the authors. Any opinion or statement expressed by the author of any article published in this magazine does not necessarily reflect the views of The Postal Photographic Club, the editor, or its members.

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