Landscape Group Newsletter February 2020 Vol 5 Number 2
Dunstanburgh Castle Š Richard Ellis ARPS
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Editorial
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Speaker Day and AGM
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Every field trip should have a plan B
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Landscapes: Shooting the blue hour
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Winter in Glencoe
Please note that it may be necessary to hold some submissions for a future newsletter.
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RPS Landscape Circles
If you have an idea for an article,
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East Anglia Local Group
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Cookies
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Events
Submissions The copy date for submissions to the next newsletter is Friday, 28 March 2020.
please send a brief synopsis of the purpose and content of the piece. Please submit your images as jpeg attachments, sized to 72 dpi with 1200 pixels along the longest edge and borderless. Do not embed the images in the email. Please send all submissions by email to: landscapenews@rps.org
Editorial The new year has certainly gotten off to a stormy start with Storms Brendan, Ciara and now Dennis hitting the UK. I was fortunate to travel to Harris and Lewis just after Brendan hit so was able to witness some dramatic seas but avoid the travel chaos. Being on the edge of the weather can give rise to some very dramatic photographs but please remember to think of your safety – no photograph is worth an accident. Preparations are well in hand for our Speakers day and AGM and I hope to see many of you in the new HQ. Bookings will close on 7 March so if you have not already booked please take this message as a call to action. We are still looking for volunteers to take on some of the workload of running the SIG. We recorded over 2200 volunteer hours on the SIG in 2019 and ideally it would be good if we could spread that work over a few more people. Details of the vacancies are in the newsletter. If you been on a trip or received some new camera gear we would love to receive an article from you. The newsletter runs on contributions from the membership and we would really like more of you to contribute. We need your article – one page of text is fine and photos as per the details above. I hope to receive some contributions shortly. Enjoy the drama of the season and I hope you make some lovely images.
Richard Ellis Acting Newsletter Editor Chair Landscape SIG
Committee vacancies and help needed Currently the committee has a vacancy for Secretary Newsletter editor And requires help with Layouts for the magazine – knowledge of Adobe is needed for this role. Articles for the newsletter If you feel you could help with any of this please get in touch – landscape@rps.org
The Royal Photographic Society
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Landscape Special Interest Group invites you to a
Speaker Day and AGM
Saturday 21 March 2020 9:30 am at The RPS HQ, 337 The Paintworks, Bristol BS4 3AR
Spurn Head © Tony Worobiec FRPS
Come and join us for an exciting day of landscape photography talks by Paul Sanders, Linda Wevill FRPS, Tony Worobiec FRPS and Sam Gregory. Talks will cover creativity, experimentation, composition and storytelling in landscape photography. Tickets and full details from https://tinyurl.com/vlxgqow or https://rps.org/what-s-on/ RPS SIG members £10, RPS £40, Public £50 Lunch included
All welcome - Booking closes 7 March Contact: landscape@rps.org
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Every Field Trip should have a Plan B by Roger Styles Plan A was quite straightforward. After meeting up for a coffee the group would drive up to a car park conveniently located on the Pennine Way and follow an easy 1½ mile route with only a little ascent to the Blackstone Edge Trig Point standing at 472m above sea level, capturing some interesting images on the way. It's a walk I frequently take, but nevertheless I thought a recce the day before might be wise. Indeed, it turned out to be so! I can see the Blackstone Edge escarpment from our house and it was covered in a slight mist, which is not unusual. However, just a few minutes into the route an obstacle, or rather several obstacles in the form of a herd of cows, emerged from the mist directly in front of me on the path. They looked like quite welldeveloped young bull calves and so I detoured around the group only to be confronted by a second larger group; this time protective cows with very young calves! Further away I could see yet another group and all were getting rather too inquisitive for my liking. I quickly found an alternative route back to the car park; avoiding the numerous cow pats! There are often a few sheep wandering about, but it is very unusual to find cows here; after all this area of moorland can hardly be described as lush grazing pasture!
© Dave Glenn The next morning all 6 participants gathered at a local café for a hot drink and a snack. Unfortunately the Blackstone Edge escarpment was now shrouded in dense, dark cloud. I explained that these conditions would make photography a near impossibility, but still the group looked keen to give it a go. However, when I mentioned the herd of cows the consensus quickly changed and it was clear that a Plan B was needed. After a bit of thought I suggested we join a section of the Pennine Bridleway which skirts the escarpment at a lower level,
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and we set off.
© Sheelagh Davidson I had not walked this route often so I wasn’t sure what photographic opportunities might arise. But I need not have worried; all the group were positively seeking and finding subjects from the start and even enjoyed a few minutes of animal portraiture as we passed a stable! After walking along an area where the grazed fields meet the rough moorland with a conveniently placed derelict building, we came across a sheltered wood with the bonus of some late autumn colour where two participants successfully experimented with Intentional Camera Movement! It was interesting to see the different individual approaches of the group. Two people used tripods at most locations while the rest shot handheld. One participant, who normally used a prime lens with a light mirrorless camera had brought along a recently acquired long zoom lens which “strangely seemed to get heavier” through the morning! ! Most importantly everyone happily shared their knowledge and skills as well as information about equipment. In spite of the change of plan, and after an enjoyable pub lunch, all agreed the morning had been time well spent.
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© Andrew Williams LRPS
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© Nigel Plant ARPS
© Roger Styles ARPS
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Š Sheelagh Davidson
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LANDSCAPES: SHOOTING THE BLUE HOUR MARK BAUER Landscape photographers are very familiar with the ‘golden hours’ around sunrise and sunset and it’s probably fair to say that the majority of landscape images are shot in these periods. And it’s easy to understand why, as the low, warm light is extremely flattering to the landscape. However, there is an alternative, which with the right subjects, can produce equally eye-catching and extremely atmospheric results: the ‘blue hour’. The blue hour is the period of twilight each morning and evening when the residual sunlight takes on a blue hue. The sun is below the horizon but illuminates the upper layers of the atmosphere. The longer, red wavelengths travel straight into to space and the shorter, blue wavelengths are scattered in the atmosphere, resulting in a cool colour temperature and saturated colour. From the photographer’s point of view, if you like your landscapes moody, this is a great time to shoot, as the cool, blue tones add an atmosphere of mystery and romance.
If you like your landscapes full of mystery and romance, the blue hour is the time to shoot As with all photography, successful shoots are largely the result of careful planning. In the case of blue hour photography, this is mainly a case of choosing the right subject and getting your timing right. In terms of subject choice, rural landscapes are probably more suited to golden hour photography, though this is far from being a hard and fast rule. Mountains are an excellent twilight subject, as the blue tones enhance their brooding presence and the overlapping forms of mountain ranges can be used to suggest depth where there is no direct light to do so. Mist - not uncommon in the morning blue hour - can transform a rural scene; not only does it simplify the landscape, but it also injects tonal relief and texture into the scene. The combination of low-lying mist and blue-hour lighting creates a genuinely eerie atmosphere.
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Rural landscapes don’t always work well in the blue hour, but mist helps by creating tonal relief and adding texture Shooting near water is another way to embrace the blue hour in rural locations as reflections can be used for foreground interest, adding depth to compositions. So on still evenings, head for lakes, rivers or even ponds and look for objects which will reflect clearly.
Shooting near water increases the impact of blue hour shots, with sparkling lights reflected in the blue water. However, cityscapes are the preferred subject for blue hour photography - the deep blue of the sky (often with a purple hue) provides a rich backdrop for the scene and warm artificial lighting sources contrast dramatically with these blue tones. Individual structures, such as bridges, monuments and churches especially if they are interestingly lit - also look their best at this time of day and make excellent focal points in compositions. The other great thing about blue hour cityscapes is that it really doesn’t matter what the weather’s doing - you get the same blue tones on cloudy evenings as you do when it’s clear, and rain can even enhance scenes by creating reflective puddles.
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Timing is crucial with blue hour photography. Although we talk about the blue hour, it is actually a little bit shorter than that. Depending on the time of year and where in the world you are, it will last around 30-40 minutes, but the the peak - which in urban settings is when the ambient and artificial light are balanced - may last for just a few minutes. In the morning, the blue hour generally begins around 45 minutes before sunrise and in the evening about 15 minutes after sunset. It’s a good idea to arrive on location and get set up early. The evening blue hour is easier to shoot, because you can set up, compose and focus while it is still light. In the morning, you will be doing this in complete darkness (though artificial lighting in cities will help) so if planning a morning blue hour shoot, scouting the location in daylight is recommended. Compositionally, look for strong focal points, which you can place in key parts of the frame - for example, on an intersection of thirds; with cityscapes, this could be a prominent building, a bridge, a fountain or so on. Start shooting at the beginning of the blue hour and continue to the end - this means you won’t miss the peak.
Cities - old and new - often look their best in the blue hour. Use prominent buildings for foreground interest and background focal points. From a technical point of view, the main considerations are white balance and exposure. Auto white balance generally works well with landscapes but the blue hour is an exception; it will often assume that the strong blue tones are a colour cast and will ‘correct’ them by rendering the image too warm. To avoid this, set white balance to the Daylight preset. Obviously, if you shoot raw, you have the opportunity to adjust white balance at the processing stage.
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Blue hour exposures can be quite lengthy - often a couple of minutes or more. Most cameras are limited to 30 seconds, so for longer exposures, you’ll need to use Bulb mode, which allows you to lock open the shutter for as long as necessary. If you're shooting in the evening blue hour, it will be getting gradually darker, so once shutter speeds go over thirty seconds, you can just switch to Bulb and progressively increase exposure times. Keep an eye on your review histogram and make any necessary adjustments to subsequent frames.
Set a daylight white balance to ensure that cool tones stay cool. When shooting the morning blue hour, you’ll start off with long exposures, which will get shorter as the shoot progresses. Start with a test exposure of 60 seconds at f/11 and ISO 100 and use the review histogram to help you calculate the later exposures. When doing so, bear in mind that by the time you press the shutter again it will already be lighter than when you took the test shot; factor in about half a stop when making your calculation.
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Winter in Glencoe Mike Gosling Glencoe, is one of Scotland’s best known glens. As you arrive from the south you travel across Rannoch Moor, before reaching the massive pyramid shaped mountain of Buachaille Etive Mor and then the steep-sided Glencoe valley passing through an area containing some of the best moorland and mountain scenery in Britain. This leads to an optimistic view of the potential for image making during the week only tempered on this occasion by the weather forecast. This was my second 6 day Landscape Group workshop with Mark Banks and he once again showed himself to be meticulous in his planning and preparation and ready for all the eventualities that a Scottish January can present. We met at the venue for the week, the Holly Tree Hotel, Kentallan, by the side of Loch Linnhe. This was originally Kentallan railway station on the Oban to Ballachulish line which closed in the 1960’s. This proved to be a friendly and well run venue with an excellent standard of rooms and food, and efficient, friendly staff. The group consisted of 7 participants plus Mark Reeves the Landscape group events manager, helping with the organization and driving throughout the week. We began on Sunday evening with participants meeting in the bar for introductions before dinner. The following morning Mark outlined the likely structure for the week. This included a combination of well-known venues and lesser known ones discovered by Mark on his visits to the area. It also involved sessions to review our images taken during the workshop and an opportunities for portfolio reviews. He set us all a challenge for the week in order to focus attention and to provide ideas which would provide the basis for review sessions in the evenings. This called not only for what we considered our best shots but also asking us to identify images that fell short of our aspirations in order to explain why. Mark constantly checked the weather forecast before choosing locations to make the most of the conditions particularly as they could change quickly over very short distances and time periods. The forecast was variable but with an emphasis on wind and rain for much of the week. Good preparation meant we were in the right places to make the most of the conditions enabling us to take advantage of the changing light and some dramatic skies. We did not move quickly from place to place taking the obvious shots and moving on. We spent sufficient time at each location to explore the area and follow our individual interests and ideas. Whilst in the field Mark is always on hand to offer ideas and individual guidance in accordance with the needs of the group. He has a patient approach to helping individuals, with an ability to adapt his teaching to each participants needs, constantly encouraging people to go beyond their comfort zone and try something new. A wide variety of locations were visited during the week. These included well known views such as Buachaille Etive Mor from the River Etive and Blackrock Cottage. A number of small lochans on Rannoch moor were photographed as well as Grey Mares waterfall and woodland around Kinlochleven. Lesser known locations such as Torren Wood near Glencoe village and Sutherlands Grove woods by Loch Creran provided a range of interesting wooded environments and some shelter from the showers. The disused Ballachulish quarry provided further variety. A visit to the Jubilee Bridge area near Castle Stalker enabled us to work
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on a coastal scene around Loch Laich where we were also encouraged to produce monochrome images. During the evening review sessions Mark’s mastery of Lightroom showed us just how much can be achieved in short periods of time in post-processing although always emphasizing the importance of producing a good raw file out in the field so that post processing is being used to enhance an image not to compensate for mistakes at the taking stage. His use of bracketing rather than graduated filters and colour tints was particularly interesting. It was enjoyable to see the different approaches and interests of group members with examples of wide vistas, ICM and smaller scale more abstract images. As we were able to explore our own ideas at each location we saw a wide variety of images that reflected individual interpretations. This enabled everyone to learn a lot from seeing the images others had taken. Participants were also happy to share their own knowledge and experience. There was an opportunity for portfolio reviews which were conducted in a constructive manner and were participated in by everyone in a friendly and supportive way. Mark also showed us a range of his own prints demonstrating the variety of his work and also prompting a discussion of the most appropriate paper types for various subjects. It was inevitable that at this time of year the weather would be challenging but a group of landscape photographers once again showed themselves to be a hardy breed with the conditions focusing the mind and reminding us of the saying that bad weather is just a different type of light, indeed often more interesting than a blue sky. On only one afternoon did we retreat indoors early allowing for a longer review and post processing session to take place. Mark has a great enthusiasm for photography and has a patient and wellstructured approach to his teaching and helping others. Careful planning and his desire to share his knowledge made this a productive and inspirational workshop. The six night workshop has the advantage of enabling a wide range of ideas to be explored and looked at over a period of time. There is time to discuss everyone’s work and pick up ideas from each other as well as the tutor who in Mark’s case is always happy to spend time answering questions on both photographic technique and post processing. Everyone will have returned home with a range of pleasing images and having learnt a good deal.
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All images Š Mike Gosling
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RPS Landscape Group Circles Fiona McCowan LRPS One of the findings of the Autumn questionnaire was the limited awareness amongst our members of the various Landscape Group Circles. In order to address this, I thought I would tell you a little about the different circles and once a quarter over the next year run a feature on a print, eCritique and processing circle in the newsletter. Hopefully the articles will include some examples of the images critiqued/processed so you get a good idea of how the circles work. There are three types of circles running in the Landscape Group: Print circle – the print circles are the oldest circles in the Landscape Group. Physical prints are circulated for constructive critique amongst the print circle members. The optimal number of members in each circle is 8 - 10. Two or 3 pouches are circulated concurrently, each person being asked to try and turn the pouch around in 2 weeks (maximum 3 weeks). Currently the average time for the pouch to complete a round is circa 6 months though the circles are working to reduce this time. One of the print circles has a fun scoring system in place where members are asked to pick their 3 favourite images. Our print circles are managed by David Fiddes, Doug Lodge and Diana Wynn. eCritique circle – the eCritique circles have been running for over a year. Digital images are circulated amongst the eCritique circle members each month. The optimal number of members in each circle is about 10 as not everyone is able to submit and critique each month. One of the circles uses WeTransfer to circulate images and comments, the other uses Dropbox. I was an active member of an eCritique circle which developed naturally into a wider discussion group with emails circulating amongst the members regarding equipment and seeking advice. Our eCritique circles are managed by David Travis and Martyn Bennett. The circle managed by Martyn is currently looking for new members. Please see Martyn’s piece in the newsletter and contact him directly on martynbennett060552@gmail.com if you are interested in joining. Processing circle – the processing circles have recently been established. Unprocessed images are circulated amongst the processing circle members using WeTransfer. Each month one member of the group is asked to share an unprocessed image with the circle. The members of the group process the image as if it were their own, make notes of the reasons for their edits and how they made them and share their edited images and notes with the other members of the circle. Our processing circles are managed by Irene Stupples and Jim Stupples.
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Finally, I would just like to take this opportunity to thank all the circle leaders for their time and effort in making the circles work. If anyone has any questions on the circles or is interested in joining please contact me by email fiona.rps@icloud.com
Fiona McCowan RPS Landscape Group Member without Portfolio E-Critique circle. The circle has been running successfully for around 18 months. It allows members to get constructive feedback on their digital images by the circulation of an electronic image rather than a physical print. Martyn is now looking for more members to join the circle to bring the number back up to 10. There are 3 places available. If there are more that 3 requests for membership we will operate a waiting list until we have enough members for another circle. The essence of the way that the circle operates is that each member submits their image to a file on Dropbox by the end of the month. Each member will then write a critique of each photograph and submit it to Dropbox. In this way it is hoped that each photographer be exposed to a broader photographic experience and receive helpful comment and suggestions on their images. To participate in the circle it is essential that your anti-virus software is up to date. The circle will operate monthly. This what two members of the group say about their experience of using it: Our Landscape Special Interest Group’s on-line critique circle provides interesting and useful feedback for landscape images which we share monthly. Other similar groups share printed images which, in my experience, introduces delays through the postal system. We are also able to interact individually between the monthly rounds with shared experiences and subjects of common interest. Work with overseas members would not be practical for a print circle. Members submit images captured from diverse locations and the multiple feedback provides valuable support for appreciation and improvement at all levels. Unlike competition entries we can present work that is experimental and exploratory which expands our own ideas and thoughts. Ed Mills, LRPS I joined the Landscape Group digital critiques circle as a way to improve my photography, to try and develop my critiquing skills and to learn from other, more experienced, photographers. I also just enjoy looking at other people’s work. It has only been a few months, but I have benefited greatly from the
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criticisms of group members in two ways. Firstly, from good, considered feedback on my images and secondly from recommendations. E.g., one person suggested I look at the work of Joan Kocak. I hadn’t heard of Joan before and I am really glad I found out about her amazing work. Fiona McCowan LRPS If you are interested to join the circle please contact Martyn, martynbennett060552@gmail.com Martyn will then send you further details.
RPS Landscape SIG, East Anglia Region Group There’ll be a meeting on Saturday 25 April 2020 11:00am at: The White Hart 1 Balsham Road Fulbourn Cambridge CB21 5BZ This will be an informal, initial meeting for anyone interested in setting up a local Landscape Group within the East Anglia region for reviewing each other’s work, local field trips, suggesting landscape locations in the region, outings etc. Do please come along with any suggestions or offers of help you can provide - or simply just to find out more. If you plan to attend, and so that the venue has an idea of numbers, please contact the organiser, Richard Burn LRPS, on 01234 765976 (mobile 07771 794771) or email richardburn12@gmail.com
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Below is a list of events with vacancies. Full details can be found on the website www.rps.org
Coastal Abstract workshop on 28 March https://rps.org/events/groups/landscape/2020/march/coastal-abstractsworkshop/
Teesmouth long exposure workshop on 17 April https://rps.org/events/groups/landscape/2020/april/teesmouth-long-exposuresworkshop/
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Firle Beacon and the Ouse Valley (Sussex) on 30th April https://rps.org/events/groups/landscape/2020/april/firle-beacon-and-the-ousevalley/
Ditchling Beacon and Cold Coombes on 14 May https://rps.org/events/groups/landscape/2020/may/ditchling-beacon-and-coldcoombes/
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Group AEvents where the event leader has a good knowledge of the location (e.g. good viewpoints, good subjects, good times of day, tides if relevant etc.) and will have ideas about what to do in case of unhelpful weather or light conditions, but does not wish to offer any advice on photography skills or techniques. These events are usually led by volunteer members of the landscape group. Group B Events where the event leader has a good knowledge of the location (as in Group A) but is also willing to offer general technical support and advice to inexperienced photographers. The event leader is NOT expected to be an expert but should be sufficiently experienced to pass on knowledge of the basics. These events are usually led by volunteer members of the landscape group. Group C Events that focus on a particular skill or technique (such as long exposures, composition or night photography) and/or on getting the best from a particular location. The event leader will have good location knowledge to ensure that the best is made of the prevailing conditions and will be a skilled landscape photographer able to offer tuition at all levels. These events are usually led by professionals but sometimes by volunteer members of the landscape group. Group D Workshops that primarily focus on technique where location is a secondary consideration. These may take place indoors or outdoors. The event leader may have limited knowledge of the location but will be experienced and skilled in the topic of the workshop.
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