Newsletter: Autumn 2017
Image © Alan Angel FRPS – All Rights Reserved
Editorial A New Start Some of you will have noticed that, following the North West Region AGM in February, the region has a new Regional Organiser and Committee. This the first of a bi-annual series of newsletters produced by your new RPS North West Region Committee with the aims of providing information about what is going on in the Region and also providing items of photographic interest. The main purpose of this issue is to introduce you to the new committee and to provide details of the events planned for the remainder of the year, up to the AGM (and a little beyond) in March. Also listed are the events which have already taken place this year so you can see what you missed if you didn’t attend. Also in this issue are a small number of images produced by members of the committee and the intention for future issues is to feature images produced by NW members. So if you have an image you would like to be included in a future newsletter, please email it to bsmethurst@hotmail.co.uk (jpg, max 1400 x 1050 pixels, Colour space sRGB) with “Newsletter” as the Subject. Your editor for this first edition of the Newsletter from the new Committee is Andrew Auty LRPS (NW Region Treasurer) and I hope you find it informative and useful. Andrew Auty 9 November 2017
Image © Jon Allanson LRPS – All Rights Reserved RPS North West Newsletter – Autumn 2017
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Message from our new Regional Organiser Brian Smethurst ARPS. In February of this year I had the honour of being elected as the new Regional Organiser for the North West, following the resignation of Afzal Ansary, who held office for more than ten years. I would like to offer Afzal thanks on behalf of the region for all his hard work. A new committee was appointed shortly after the A.G.M. and together we have been working to arrange a varied and increased number of events. The committee, comprising myself, Andy, Jon, Roy and Alan extend a warm welcome to you all and hope that you will support our efforts by attending the events. The region operates for the benefit of RPS members and events must reflect your interests and needs, so please let us know what you want - we need your feedback. Our aim is that North West Region meetings and events should be friendly and welcoming and that the committee should be approachable and helpful. This year we held two Advisory Days, with the first at Days Inn, Charnock Richard and the September event at Hough End, with over 20 participants gaining valuable advice on the day. We try to keep the costs of meetings as low as possible and host a members’ day and the A.G.M. for which there is no charge. If any members would like to assist at events, please get in touch, as your help would be much appreciated. A very successful walk was held earlier this year, kindly organised and hosted by Allan Hartley and Tim Hancock. Without the dedication and enthusiasm of such members, such these events would not be possible. A second planned walk was cancelled due to inclement weather. The North West website has been in need of updating for some time and we are in the process of doing this, so please bear with us. We will be changing the images on the opening page on a monthly basis and will be inviting members to submit images. Both myself and the members of the committee believe that we, as a region, need to build closer ties with the wider photographic community, including Special Interest Groups, clubs and other photographic organisations. We have started this journey and will keep you informed of developments. It has been on the agenda for some time to hold a further members’ exhibition, but we have struggled to find suitable venues, whose programme of events could accommodate us. We have, however, been fortunate in securing a booking at Warrington Museum and Arts Centre for an exhibition, albeit in March 2019, details of which will be in future newsletters. If any members have contacts with museums, art galleries and the like which would be suitable for future exhibitions, I would welcome feedback.
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Finally, we will be holding our Christmas lunch at Hough End in December. This is always a really enjoyable and relaxed day and is not to be missed. Please support this event and book your ticket now. Details of this and other events can be found on the website - http://www.rps.org/regions-and-chapters/regions/north-west/events
Image © Jon Allanson LRPS – All Rights Reserved
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Recent Events - The Lakes Walkers An intrepid group of 6 took part in the Spring Walk, organised by Allan Hartley, assisted by Tim Hancock, to the Lakes in mixed weather, culminating in a visit to the celebrated Elaine's Tearoom. A thoroughly enjoyable day was had by all, It is easy to underestimate the time and preparation required to organise these events and we owe Allan and Tim a vote of thanks for their efforts.
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RPS NW Programme 2017/18 Brian Smethurst our new Regional Organiser with the new committee of Andy Auty Treasurer, Jon Allanson - Secretary, Roy Appleby, Alan Angel, has organised a full programme for this session: Our next event: Improve Your Creative Images with Mike McNamee FRPS Date: 19 November 2017 Doors Open: 10:00
Venue: Hough End, Manchester M21 7SX Event Starts: 10:30 Finishes: 15:00
An informative day with Mike McNamee FRPS, an acknowledged authority on Photoshop and Printing techniques. Mike will demonstrate creative techniques using Photoshop to enhance your post processing image creation and talk through how to print to get the best results. This is a meeting 'not to be missed' as the information on offer will go a long way to help you improve your images. The cost is £10 for RPS members and £15 for nonmembers – please buy your tickets online or pay at the door. Future Events: Our Christmas Lunch with Christine Widdall MPAGB EFIAP FBPE as our guest speaker Date: 17 December 2017 Venue: Hough End, Manchester M21 7SX Doors Open: 10:00 Event Starts: 10:30 Finishes: 15:30 The cost is £16.50. Please book your place by buying your tickets online. Andy Astbury – Landscapes Date: 14 January 2018 Venue: Hough End, Manchester M21 7SX Doors Open: 10:00 Event Starts: 10:30 Finishes: 15:30 The cost is £10 for RPS members and £15 for non-members – please buy your tickets online or pay at the door.
A Lifetime of Images with Richard Tucker FRPS Date: 4 February 2018 Venue: Wilmslow Guild, SK9 5HD Doors Open: 10:00 Event Starts: 10:30 Finishes: 14:00 The cost is £5 for RPS members and £8 for non-members – please buy your tickets online or pay at the door.
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Distinctions’ Advisory Day Date: 18 February 2018 Venue: Hough End, Manchester M21 7SX Doors Open: 09:30 Event Starts: 10:00 Finishes: 16:00 Please check the RPS Website for further details. Please book your place by buying your tickets online.
Natural History with David Tolliday Date: 11 March 2018 Venue: Hough End, Manchester M21 7SX Doors Open: 10:00 Event Starts: 10:30 Finishes: 15:00 This is a free event. The RPS North West Region Annual General Meeting will take place immediately after the conclusion of David’s presentation. A Portrait Seminar with Alan Angel FRPS, FMPA Date: 15 April 2018 Venue: Wilmslow Guild, SK9 5HD Doors Open: 10:00 Event Starts: 10:30 Finishes: 14:00 The cost is £5 for RPS members and £8 for non-members – please buy your tickets online. For further Details please contact Alan Angel FRPS at: aandjangel@btinternet.com or ring 01619800106 Past Events: held since the 2017 Annual General Meeting: 26th February – Annual General Meeting and a presentation by Jimmy Cheng. This was a free meeting. 30th April – a Distinctions’ Advisory Day held at Day’s Inn at the Charnock Richard Services on the M6 between Junction 27 and 28. 11th June – a Portrait Day – Photographing People of Character, organised by Alan Angel and held at Wilmslow Guild. 16th July – a Members’ Day, giving members the opportunity to show their images in a presentation. This was a free meeting. 24th September - a Distinction Advisory Day held at Hough End, Manchester 14th October – an Autumnal Walk – taking in Trains, Trees and Boulders in locations from Thornton in Lonsdale, Twisleton Scar and Ribblehead. Unfortunately, this event
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was cancelled due to inclement weather. It is hoped this will be rearranged at a date to be decided.
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Member’s Page – Reading Images by Andrew Auty Here is an image of Lytham Windmill – a fairly straight forward study in black & white, albeit with a slight tint as well. Or is it a little more than that? Have a good look at the image … and then carry on reading below.
On a simplistic level, from this side there is only one angle of view along which you can obtain separation between the windmill and the lifeboat station (the dark building on the right). A few steps to the left or right and there is no separation. Along this angle of view, a few steps forward or back changes the relationship between the two main elements in the image – the windmill and the street light. The bench in the foreground plays a part as well. The street light is always going to look down on the bench because they are close to each other. The bench is facing away RPS North West Newsletter – Autumn 2017
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from both of the windmill and the street light (it’s actually facing across the river Ribble towards Southport). From a distance, the windmill will be portrayed as you would expect – it is much larger than the street light and would dominate it – but as you walk towards the street light, its proximity to the camera allows it to appear much larger in the image to the extent that it can now look down on the windmill. The actual position I chose allowed the street light to look directly down the diagonal provided by two of the sails of the windmill. Thoughts along these lines give rise to the saying “your feet are your best zoom lens”. Andrew Auty LRPS
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Your new Committee (in their own words) Brian Smethurst ARPS (Regional Organiser) Involvement in photography began in the 60's with a Kodak Brownie and a bedroom darkroom. My interest continued to develop until it was interrupted by the needs of family life and my work as a chartered civil engineer taking me overseas for several years. My passion was rekindled on my return to the UK, culminating in the award of LRPS in 2009 and ARPS in 2013. I will photograph just about anything which captures my imagination, but particularly enjoy travel photography. I was elected as NW Regional Organiser in February 2017, after serving as Secretary of the committee for several years. Jon Allanson LRPS (Secretary) I am retired after 29 years of primary school teaching. I have been a member of the North Cheshire Photographic Society for 30 years and served in a number of positions. I have been listed for many years as a judge and lecturer for the L&CPU and currently serve on the L&CPU Executive with responsibility for their archives.
Andrew Auty LRPS (Treasurer) My interest in photography dates back to the time I worked in the photographic departrment of Timothy Whites (Chemists) in Leeds in the mid 1960's when I was about 16. Around this time I started to process and print my own black and white images. I joined my first photographic society in the 1980's/1990's and gained my LRPS in 2002. I have been a member of Leyland PS, Southport PS, Preston PS and also Lancashire Monochrome. I shoot mostly landscapes these days, in Yorkshire, the Lake District, Scotland and around my immediate locality. For most of my professional career I worked as an Actuary in the north west.
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Alan Angel FRPS – Programme Manager I took up photography as a three year old in the 1970's, after being given a camera. Subsequently, I attended evening classes where I was taught not only how to take photographs, but to develop and print my own work. I was then hooked on photography. After gaining distinctions in all seven of my City and Guild modules, I achieved LRPS in 1989 and ARPS in 1994. In 1997, I achieved FRPS and FMPA. I have been the organiser for the NW Monochrome Group for over ten years, arranging numerous events and presentations. Roy Appleby LRPS CPAGB I recently took early retirement from my position with Manchester City Council. I worked for fourteen years as an Assistant Headteacher and Media and ICT Manager at one of the largest secondary schools in the city. Prior to my career in education I worked for over 20 years in commercial radio. I was a radio presenter, producer and Head of Presentation, presenting and producing my own daily radio show. I have a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Learning Technology and Research and I have enjoyed photography as a hobby for over 35 years, I have been a member of a local camera club since the 1980's and a member of the RPS for nearly 20 years.
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