September 2023 Newsletter
Autumn it is then, and a natural reminder of the beginning of the end…but not in a grey depressing way, more in a colourful celebratory way. Sunrises and sunsets are certainly becoming more realistic in their timings, the Fall (to borrow an awesome American colloquialism) colours are golden and warm, and there are still plenty of dry and reasonably warm days going around. Anyway, who doesn’t love a cosy jumper and a hot drink on a crisper day?
I hope your Summer was fulfilling. It certainly lacked in the wall to wall sunshine department, but that’s just one measure of a Summer…albeit a biggie for us weather obsessed Brits. There was plenty of RPS goings on for sure…Days Oot in Stornoway, Edinburgh, Linlithgow, Aberdeen. On top of that there was Exhibitions galore, Arts fairs, Open Studios, local Fairs, Car Shows, Agricultural shows, Highland Games, International Cycling Events, and any number of local events like Kiltwalks, and Music Festivals. Most of these events are aimed at attracting tourists as well as locals, and are great photo opportunities for the invested photographer. If it’s not close enough, it’s not good enough as Capa almost said, and he had a point…for that type of photography. Typically this is also the time of year when we sit back with a dram, and contemplate…contemplate on the year past, and on the year ahead. There is still Goings On going on (see a few pages along), and for some the focus will be on personal projects or Distinctions that lie ahead. Whatever it is for you, RPS Scotland probably has someone else thinking something similar, so let us know if you need a hand and we’ll do the matchmaking.
A Scottish Summer
Morton Gillespie ARPS
Monthly Competition
The two-monther didn’t seem to attract twice as many entries, but the worthy winner is: A Scottish Summer, by Morton Gillespie ARPS, whose wonderful humorous image does kind of sum up our summers.
September’s topic is People, and you should submit your entries to Ken, sized at 1000px wide, by as many pixels as you want tall, via Scotlandweb@rps.org.
Digital Imaging SIG
We have many members living remote from others, unable to access face-toface opportunities, so from spring 2022 we have offered members the opportunity to join real-time e-Circles, where they can meet virtually with colleagues, discuss their work, and make friends.
Our e-Circles are groups of between 6 and 10 photographers who meet monthly on Zoom. They are non-hierarchical, there is no tutor, a key principle is that every photographer is welcome to take part, and every photographer’s views and experience are valuable. Authors introduce their work, intentions, and explain what they need help with. Members offer suggestions rather than advice, which is for the author to consider. Of course, for many problems someone in the group will have more useful knowledge than others and this knowledge is shared, on the understanding that on another topic someone else will have a better insight. Sometimes the group is unable to solve a problem immediately and may delegate a member to find more information.
We have three types of groups.
A. e-Critique circles. In these groups members share an image for detailed discussion;
B. e-Processing circles. In these groups members all work on a RAW file volunteered by one member and discuss different approaches to processing to achieve the volunteer’s visualisation.
C. e-Projects circle. In this group we discuss projects that members are working on.
If you want to improve some aspect of your photography and are prepared to meet up with colleagues for constructive, honest giving and receiving of feedback why not consider joining one of our e-Circles?
Interested? Contact me at digmem@rps.org.
Jean Robson FRPSWhat’s On in September?
Adam Geary - Sweet Spot, Arbroath Brothock Gallery, July to October:
https://www.adamgeary.com/#
RPS Grampian: 2nd September Day Oot. To join this group contact Nigel Corby on RPSGrampian@gmail.com
DIG / Landscape: Talk-Walk-Talk Coastal sessions, 7th Sept for the initial talk, and then various dates. http://talkwalktalk.org
Contemporary / Documentary Scotland meeting: 12th September - Douglas J
May FRPS will share his journey and thoughts on Contemporary Photography. To join this Group email Steve on sqarehole@btinternet.com
Terrain d’Adventure Kevin Arrowsmith Inverness Creative Academy 16-22nd
https://www.kevinarrowsmith.com/terrain-dadventure
RPS Northern: 16th September - Highland Folk Museum, contact Morton on mortong31@gmail.com
Further Ahead
Making Space: Photographs of Architecture. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh 07/10/23-03/03/24.
https://www.nationalgalleries.org/visit/scottish-national-portrait-gallery
Photoforum - Northern: 7th October, Community & Arts Centre, Nairn.
Photoforum - South West: 11th November Shambellie House, Dumfries
https://rps.org/regions/scotland/photoforum/
RPS Scotland Talk series: 17th October - Kit Martin
https://rps.org/events/regions/scotland/2023/october-2023/kit-martin/ Landscape SIG: 16th October - Birds of Aberfeldy, 31st October - The Hermitage, 5-11 November Cairngorms in Autumn,
https://rps.org/groups/landscape/events/pro-led-events/
RPS Scotland Online Photoforum: 21st January 2024, invigilated by Douglas J May FRPS
https://rps.org/regions/scotland/photoforum/
Ongoing?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000v4db Dealbh is Slighe - Image and Path, a wonderful series of photography programmes, hosted by Calum McLean. It is in Gaelic, but there are subtitles, and each episode is short but very sweet. Recommended.
RPS Scotland is quite a large area…you may have noticed. It makes up 32% of the UK, but only has just over 8% of the population. This makes most of Scotland a big empty place, especially when you also consider that most of that 8% live in the 6 major cities. But you may also have noticed that we have fairly active bunch of members in some areas, and standing out at the moment are Northern, Grampian, Tayside, Lanarkshire, and South West. Some of the Special Interest Groups are also quite active within Scotland too. So, apart from the organised Scottish events (Monthly Competition, Photoforums, Distinctions Advisory Days and Celebrations, Exhibition selection and AGM), there is quite a variety of photographic opportunities to interact with.
Do these days and events suit you? Do you want something different?
We could do more, and we could do other things, just let me know what it is you’d want to do.
I mentioned last month about a weekend in 2024, a resurrection of the previously successful weekends that ran before the COVID…is there any appetite for one of those?
Down Came the Rain
Mike Tibbs ARPS
RPS Scotland
October: Kirkcudbright Arts Centre 2024.
January: Eden Court Theatre, Inverness
February: Aberdeen Arts Centre
ExhibitionAs mentioned earlier there were quite a few Days Oot going on over the summer, and I’ve encouraged those attending to send in some of the images they took so we could set up a wee e-zine collection, to reflect the day’s goings on, and to give an outlet for those who attended’s work.
For some people photography is a solo pursuit, and they take and make images for themselves, but for many others there is a camaraderie and a shared experience to be had from photography, and so it’s natural to then share their takes on their days.
The fascinating thing about these e-zines is how different they can be, for what is essentially the same subject matter. But, we all bring different personal visions, tastes, and experiences to bear when we make an image.
The issuu links were in the email that brought you to this newsletter, but I thought it also worth having the links embedded in the newsletter, and I’d encourage you all to go look at the e-zines produced, and comment on them to me on scotlandsec@rps.org, and take part in future Days Oot either organised by an RPS Scotland locale or an RPS SIG. At the very least the images produced may give you ideas for your own photography, or encourage you to visit the places.
Stornoway e-zine:
https://issuu.com/royalphotographicsociety/docs/ western_isles_day_oot_e-zine
Edinburgh e-zine:
https://issuu.com/royalphotographicsociety/docs/edinburgh_day_oot? fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ
Go and read them, enjoy the diversity, and next one you see organised, think about joining in.
RPS Scotland Committee
RPS Regional Organiser:
Dave Ferguson LRPS scotland@rps.org
Committee:
Ken Ness FRPS scotlandweb@rps.org
Kirsten Bax LRPS scotlandtreasurer@rps.org
Steven Whittaker ARPS scotlandsec@rps.org
Local contacts
Northern
Dave Shillabeer ARPS
Morton Gillespie ARPS
Grampian
Nigel Corby FRPS
Tayside
Robin Millar
Fife
Monica Vella
Ken Goodfellow LRPS
Mark Reeves FRPS
Central
Bob Black
Lanark
Douglas Thompson FRPS
Glasgow
Andy Pinch LRPS
Anne McKelvie
Borders
Fiona Cadger ARPS
Colin McLean LRPS
Ayrshire
Clive Watkins LRPS
South West
Jean Robson FRPS