RPS Landscape Group Newsletter, May 2016

NEWSLETTER MAY 2016 / VOL. 1 / NO. 4

CONTENTS 01 Editorial

by Jim Souper, Newsletter Editor 02 Event Report: Chichester & West Wittering

by Paul Graber River Stour, Š Nick Akers

Editorial A warm welcome to the May newsletter and, hopefully, welcome to a warm May. It has been unseasonably cold here in Yorkshire, as I am sure it has been elsewhere.

As promised, this month's newsletter includes reports from the organizers of the first Group events, together with a selection of images by participants. Our Web Editor, Mark Reeves, has created galleries for each event, and I have included links to these for those wishing to see a wider selection. Thanks to all who have contributed.

For those members interested in competitions, a reminder that entries for the 2016 Weather Photographer of the Year, featured in the March newsletter, are due before 26th May. Another deadline this month, 31st May, is the 159th RPS International Print Competition. This is a competition in which landscape photography has been under-represented in the past - if you have not seen it already, read the blog post from 4th March. Finally, on the competition front, entries are now open for the 2016 Landscape Photographer of the Year, closing date 10th July.

I was able to spend a few days in London towards the end of last month, visiting some of the exhibitions in the What's On section. I particularly enjoyed the Paul Strand retrospective at the V&A, which I feel has something to say to photographers of all genres. This month I have added a link to the web page for each exhibition listed.

If any of you has an exhibition of your own coming up, please let me know.

Kind regards Jim Souper

03 Event Report: Dedham Vale

by Pauline Benbrook 04 What's On A selection of exhibitions and events, including both photography and other forms of art, of possible interest to group members.

04 Your Committee Who's who on the group's inaugural committee 05 Events Details of group events

Submissions The next newsletter will be out during the first week of June. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 25th May. Please send them to landscape@rps.org.

For articles, please keep your copy to 500 words or less and include two or three images at least. Feel free to send a brief summary of your idea before committing to the full piece

NEWSLETTER MAY 2016 / VOL. 1 / NO. 4

EVENT REPORT Chichester & West Wittering Saturday 2nd April 2016

by Paul Graber We were blessed with sunshine for the morning of the new RPS Landscape Group’s very first event.

Although we did not know it when we planned the event, it turned out to be a morning when Chichester town centre was bursting with photographers. In addition to ourselves, there was an exhibition by the Focus Group, six of Chichester Camera Club’s leading photographers, to which we were cordially invited

by Iain McGowan FRPS, and an Olympus experience day run by the local camera shop.

©Cliff Marsh

After a couple of hours to photograph the Cathedral and the other tempting opportunities afforded by the centre of Chichester, we met up at the local Pizza Express, which gave a relaxed opportunity for participants to chat and exchange news and views over a meal.

After lunch, we had another hour or so to investigate the town centre before moving on to West Wittering, well known as an excellent site for long exposure photography, while also providing plenty of opportunity for the more conventional sort. Unfortunately, our luck with the weather ran out at Wittering. Although we all managed to get some shots, no one hung around for the intended sunset finish because by then it was raining heavily.

©Gordon Gentles

©Margaret Rainey

©Nick Bowman

Despite the wet finish, it seems that participants thoroughly enjoyed themselves - in the satisfaction survey I ran after the event, the event was given an average of 9 out of 10 - and all seem keen to get together again under the auspices of the new Group.

With members willing to travel from as far away as Worcestershire and Cambridgeshire, distance seems to be only a minor obstacle, and the Group can consider itself successfully under way.

For a full selection of images from the day, please see the Gallery page.

©Dave Balaam

©Shirley Graber

©Paul Stone NEWSLETTER MAY 2016 / VOL. 1 / NO. 4

EVENT REPORT Dedham Vale Field Trip Sunday 17th April 2016

by Pauline Benbrook Dedham Vale is an area of outstanding natural beauty made famous by the painter John Constable.

It was a pleasure to meet other members of the Landscape Group at Flatford Mill on a day, which turned out gloriously sunny with the sky giving us quite bright and dramatic clouds with detailed interest.

We set off first as a group to Willy Lott's Cottage before it got too busy. From there we split up and found our own photographic points of interest along the River Stour as it meanders through the water meadows to Dedham.

The Bluebell Wood, © Pauline Benbrook

Willy Lott's Cottage, © Nick Akers

After a group lunch in the Flatford Mill Cafe, we set off to Hillhouse Woods at West Bergholt, to photograph carpets of bluebells, wonderfully structured oak trees and wild flowers.

I have had feedback from members saying they enjoyed the day very much, particularly meeting other Landscape Group members.

See the full gallery from the day here.

Flatford Poplars, © Barry Freeman ARPS

Dedham Vale Water Meadows, © Liz Akers

Untitled 2, © Frederika Bradbury

NEWSLETTER MAY 2016 / VOL. 1 / NO. 4

What's On Harris Tweed: From the Land Ian Lawson’s images of the Outer Hebrides, showing at the Rheged Centre, Cumbria until 15th May. Patchings Festival An art, craft and photography festival at the Patchings Art Centre in Nottinghamshire, from 9th to 12th June. Speakers listed in the Photography Marquee include Valda Bailey, Dav Thomas, Steve Watkins, Greg Whitton and Pete Bridgwood.

Magical Surfaces: The Uncanny in Contemporary Photography Includes work by seven contemporary artists, including Stephen Shore and Joel Sternfeld. Showing at the Parasol Unit, London N1 until 12th June Photography and Film for the 20th Century A retrospective of Paul Strand's career including images of New York's wharves and factories from the 1910's and his only UK assignment, to South Uist. Showing at the V&A until 3rd July.

A selection of exhibitions & events which may be of interest to landscape group members Iceland, an Uneasy Calm An exhibition of Tim Rudman's black and white photograph's of Iceland at the Fox Talbot Museum, Lacock Abbey, near Chippenham, Wiltshire.

Continues till 10th July.

Echoes of the Great War: Photographs by Peter Cattrell Peter Cattrell's black and white images of the Somme today at Museums Sheffield until 4th September.

Fox Talbot: Dawn of the Photograph An exhibition exploring the life and career of Henry Fox Talbot, 'the father of photography'. Showing at the Science Museum in London from 14th April to 11th September.

Painting With Light: Art and Photography from the Pre-Raphaelites to the Modern Age A major exhibition exploring the relationship between early photography and British Art. Showing at Tate Britain from 11th May to 25th September

Your Committee

Tim Parish LRPS Chair

Richard Ellis LRPS Treasurer

Karen Thurman LRPS Secretary

Mark Reeves LRPS Web Editor

Paul Graber LRPS Events Co-ordinator

Jim Souper ARPS Newsletter Editor

Pauline Benbrook LRPS Committee Member

Peter Douglas Jones ARPS Committee Member

For pen portraits of the committee go to http://www.rps.org/special-interest-groups/landscape/about/committee-members

NEWSLETTER MAY 2016 / VOL. 1 / NO. 4

EVENTS Wallingford Wanderings Friday 7th - Sunday 9th October

Wallingford, Oxfordshire This weekend has been organised by awardwinning wine writer and Travel Group member Andrew Barrow. Andrew is also a member of the Landscape Group and would like to extend the invitation to our members.

Andrew, along with Liz Rhodes, will guide participants around the town and local area.

Local photographer Damian Ward will also lead a workshop and a session on woodland photography. The guest speaker will be Jeanne Horak-Druiff who will talk about food photography in the context of travel and discovery.

See here for further details.

For further details of all Landscape Group events please visit the group's event page at

http://www.rps.org/special-interest-groups/landscape/events

Liverpool and Crosby Field Trip Saturday 15th October

© Mark Reeves

Spend the morning photographing the blend of magnificent Georgian, Victorian, neo-classical and striking modern architectural styles in and around the city centre. Then, weather permitting, relocate (by car or easy public transport) to visit Anthony Gormley's renowned Another Place, an installation of 100 life-sized statues at Crosby Beach.

Long Exposure Coastal Exploration Sunday 4th Dec., 10:00am - Sunset

Shoreham and Brighton - EVENT FULLY BOOKED

Could you host an event?

If you know of a promising and photogenic location in your area, and you would be willing to organise an informal session for other members of the Group, please get in touch with Paul Graber at paul.graber@ntlworld.com or on 07971 885905.

We welcome all volunteers and would very much like to hear from members in Scotland and the north of England.

Meet at the car park on Shoreham Old Fort Rd, BN43 5HL The day will start at Shoreham harbour, making images of the harbour structures and the harbour wall. After two hours the group will drive along to Shoreham beach and make images of the posts and breakwaters as well as break for lunch. The day will finish on Brighton beach with the opportunity to photograph the old west pier at sunset.

Participants: Max 8 to attend.

Please email Richard Ellis sre868@gmail.com Cost: RPS Landscape SIG member £0, RPS £5, Non-member £10

NEWSLETTER MAY 2016 / VOL. 1 / NO. 4