HOUGHTON HALL (Field Trip

FIELD TRIP: HOUGHTON HALL SCULPTURE IN NATURE

Members of the RPS Creative Eye Group and East Anglia camera clubs gathered together at Houghton Hall, near King’s Lynn, in July for the first field trip since 2019.

This year, Houghton Hall has been hosting sculptures by Sir Tony Cragg, both inside the buildings and outside in the extensive grounds – which include a lovely walled garden.

Some of the sculptures are enormous, some very small, and the participants were invited to make creative images for a competition of Sculpture in Nature.

The competition was judged by Prof Brian Falconbridge PPRPS, whose very considered academic views on photography are always fascinating.

With 21 of our photographers spending the day in this quite remote part of Norfolk, it was nice for a social gathering. The weather was perfect for photography, with clouds setting off the outside sculptures.

Winner: Tree Line by Michael Cant

For sheer boldness in identifying deceptively simple sculptural form, enhanced by the dramatic depiction of perspectival depth within panoramic grandeur incorporating skyscape, and stark reversal of tone resulting in a compellingly atmospheric image.

Runner up: Full Moon Circle by Nigel Rea ARPS

For its quietly dramatic use of scale, the clear and confident use of the arc within the horizontal as a compositional device, the articulate use of a reduced colour palette of grey/blue and contrasting greens, the use of surface and textile to convey recession via the low angle of capture.

Third place: Eruption by Sue Reid

For an assembled image creatively interpreting and re-presenting a physical and static sculpture as a dynamic entity conveying the release of powerful natural forces and energy in a daytime sky turned to night.

This year, with its wealth of large-scale sculpture by Tony Cragg RA strategically sited within the vast grounds of Houghton Hall, contributing members have responded freely and creatively in addressing the broad brief of capturing Sculpture in Nature.

The 14 submissions all bear the hallmarks of distinctly individual voices and range from the theatrical and figuratively surreal to the formal and abstracted, the dynamically ‘shimmering’ and active to the contemplatively static, and taxonomical even. Collectively embracing the conventions of both ‘portrait’ and ‘landscape’ formats, all works were presented anonymously.

Assessment on these occasions is never an exact science and I have tried to avoid preferences of personal taste in favour of objective quality of image – although in this case I am personally persuaded on both fronts by the works I have identified. Each image of the 14 submitted carries its own point of view and I warmly encourage all photographers participating to continue to explore the potential of their own individual personal visual language – irrespective of my selection of the three for commendation – and I offer my congratulations to all.

In awarding 1st, 2nd and 3rd I have sought to identify those images that seem to carry particular weight of authority as regards their visual and poetic content and clarity of purpose, underscored by mastery of composition within the picture frame, and their skilful use of colour and tone - all in support of maximising a creative response to the brief.

DIARY

THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING

TONY BRAMLEY FRPS

Images that explore movement, balance and harmony within the ideology of Russian avant-garde painter Kazimir Malevich’s Dynamic Suprematism work. When: Sunday 10th October 2021 Time: 10:30 BST (9:30 GMT)

Cost: FREE (booking required by Saturday 11th September) Where: Online

THE ART OF METAMORPHOSIS II

ANDREA HARGREAVES FIPF MPAGB EFIAP/B

Following Andrea’s creative journey as she explains how the Valkyrie series came to life and how they inspired her to create Morghanna and the Raven Queen and further still, to her new series of Dragon Watches. When: Saturday 27th November 2021 Time: 15:00 GMT Cost: FREE Where: Online

LIGHTROOM LIVE

JOE HOUGHTON

Members’ images, Joe’s Processing (live!) followed by a discussion of Joe’s results compared with the members’ edits. When: Saturday 8th January 2022 Time: 15:00 GMT Cost: FREE (booking required) Where: Online

COLOUR, TONES AND TEXTURES

RUTH GRINDROD

This presentation explores how colour, tone and texture are all interrelated in landscape photography. The talk explores how to apply the theory to practice and shows a range of her work from around the UK and further afield.

When: Saturday 5th February 2022 Time: 15:00 GMT Cost: FREE (booking required) Where: Online

RPS CREATIVE EYE GROUP AGM

The AGM will be followed by a talk, Working in Photographic Projects/ Collections, to be given by Sam Gregory.

In this talk Sam discusses how to start working in projects, the practical and theoretical approaches with examples across various bodies of work. This talk is designed to help single shot image makers explore a new way of working that can help deliver them stronger portfolios and a body of work ready for exhibitions, books and more. When: Sunday 20th March 2022 Time: 10:30 GMT Cost: FREE (booking required) Where: Online

THANKS FOR READING

...and a big thank you to this edition’s contributors. We welcome submissions from Creative Eye Group members, so if you have a distinction success, story, image or a project that you would like to share, please let us know. Feedback is very welcome and gratefully received. Please send your comments and suggestions to the editor.

CONTACTS

Steve Varman (Editor) creative.publications@rps.org

Website rps.org/ceg

Social facebook facebook.com/groups/rpscg flickr flickr.com/groups/rps-creative

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