INTERNATIONAL PRINT 157 WINNERS REVEAL WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A FINALIST
AUGUST 2014 / VOLUME 154 / NUMBER 7 / WWW.RPS.ORG
MACRO MAGIC HOW TO GET THE BEST FROM YOUR CLOSE'UPS
ACCESS ALL AREAS UNIQUE PHOTOS FROM SCIENCE’S FRONT LINE
©Rossella Vanon
LIGHT SHAPING BY: ROSSELLA VANON & THE PROFOTO D1 People who describe Rossella Vanon’s images tend to use two words: colour and light. Her secret? A vivid imagination and the right tools to make her colourful ideas come to life. Boasting a generous 7 f-stop power range, action-stopping short flash durations, and colour stability comparable with that of a high-end studio generator, the Profoto D1 is her tool of choice. For more information visit www.profoto.com/d1
ASK YOUR PROFOTO DEALER ABOUT THE LATEST D1 KIT OFFERS
| AUGUST 2014 | 417
OPENING SHOT JOURNEYS OF INSPIRATION
I COMING UP
IN FUTURE ISSUES Underwater magic from Doug Allan HonFRPS, how iconic Vogue photographer Horst P Horst influenced the fashion pack, a bird’s-eye view of aerial photography and the photos that heal
t’s been a sweltering summer, and for many of us the main objective has been to get outside and enjoy the sun (or shade!). I hope you find a moment, however, to dip into this issue because it’s a very special one for the Society. Not only do we display the worthy winners of the International Print Exhibition 157, but we showcase the work of seven members who have recently achieved the much-admired status of Fellow. It has been a long journey for these photographers to reach the level of Fellow and from the sheer quality and variety of images you can see that all their hard work has been worth it. Their portfolios are truly inspiring, for me, and I hope for you, too. Elsewhere, R Keith Evans FRPS heads to the country’s stately homes to provide a lesson on how best to capture historic interiors – timely at this time of year, when trips to National Trust properties tend to be on our list. John Humphrey FRPS also shares some great tips on how to maximise your enjoyment of macro, an area of photography I’ve always loved. There’s something so satisfying about getting
up close and finding beauty in the detail of objects that might otherwise go unnoticed. I’ve spent many happy hours searching for the best shot of a cluster of bristles on a discarded brush, or a grouping of tiny pebbles found on a coastal walk. Toby Smith is a wanderer, too. As he told us in last November’s issue of The Journal, he’s been walking the line of the controversial HS2 high-speed rail link, thanks to the Society and The Photographic Angle’s Environmental Bursary. This month we catch up with him as he reaches a stopping point, and he talks us through the images that mean the most to him. As always, do let us know what you are up to and we hope to enter into autumn refreshed, relaxed and fizzing with ideas.
CLARE HARRIS Editor
MIKE WILKINSON
PATRON AND SPONSORS
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THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154 NO 7 WWW.RPS.ORG
MACRO MAGIC HOW TO GET THE BEST FROM YOUR CLOSE'UPS
ACCESS ALL AREAS UNIQUE PHOTOS FROM SCIENCE’S FRONT LINE
INTERNATIONAL PRINT 157 MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY SCIENCE PHOTOWALK 2014
IN THIS ISSUE
INTERNATIONAL PRINT 157 WINNERS REVEAL WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A FINALIST
AUGUST 2014 / VOLUME 154 / NUMBER 7 / WWW.RPS.ORG
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The Royal Photographic Society Fenton House, 122 Wells Road Bath BA2 3AH, UK www.rps.org reception@rps.org +44 (0)1225 325733 Incorporated by Royal Charter
Up close: John Humphrey FRPS on macro photography
Patron Her Majesty the Queen President Derek Birch ASIS HonFRPS Vice-President Walter Benzie ARPS Treasurer Geoff Blackwell ARPS Director-General Dr Michael Pritchard FRPS Published on behalf of The Royal Photographic Society by Think Suite 2.3, Red Tree Business Suites, 33 Dalmarnock Road, Glasgow G40 4LA thinkpublishing.co.uk EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Editor Clare Harris rpsjournal@thinkpublishing.co.uk 0141 375 0504 Deputy editor Andrew Cattanach andrew@thinkpublishing.co.uk Contributing editors Gavin Stoker, Geoff Harris Design Matthew Ball, Katherine Pentney Sub-editors Sam Bartlett, Judy Diamond Advertising Sales Adam Lloyds adam.lloyds@thinkpublishing.co.uk 020 8962 1253 Publisher John Innes john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Every reasonable endeavour has been made to find and contact the copyright owners of the works included in this newspaper. However, if you believe a copyright work has been included without your permission, please contact the publishers. Views of contributors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the policy of The RPS or those of the publishers. All material correct at time of going to press.
ISSN: 1468-8670
Cover Menina, Jacqueline Roberts
460 Showcase: John Pollard FRPS
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420 | BIG PICTURE How Ben Stansall got a fresh view of the Commonwealth Games
434 | DISTINCTION Clive Little's ARPS portfolio is praised for its intellect and skill
423 | NEWS Society archive to go on show, plus Lord Snowdon donates prints
487 | MEMBER GUIDE Armando Jongejan FRPS, plus workshops, events and the Society's latest Council report
432 | BOOKS Including Stags, Hens & Bunnies – an examination of 'human wildlife' in Blackpool
496 | TIMES PAST Horace W Nicholls snaps a female tram driver during WWI
JOHN POLLARD FRPS; JOHN HUMPHREY FRPS
EVERY MONTH
© 2014 The Royal Photographic Society. All rights reserved.
| AUGUST 2014 | 419
444 COVER STORY
Jacqueline Roberts wins the Gold Award at the Society's International Print Exhibition 157
464 434
New Fellow: Derek Galon
Misdiagnosis, from Clive Little's ARPS portfolio
454
Environmental Bursary-winning Toby Smith
DEREK GALON FRPS; CLIVE LITTLE ARPS, TOBY SMITH
FEATURES
440 | GET SHORTY We look closer at the DepicT! super-short film competition 444 | IN THEIR OWN WORDS Award-winners from the International Print Exhibition 157 450 | BECOMING A BOFFIN Geoff Harris LRPS observes the participants in the third National Science Photowalk Competition
THE CRAFT
475 | MUST TRY * LATEST KIT This month's kit round-up, including the new Nikon D810
454 | BEST SHOTS The inside track on Toby Smith's Environmental Bursary-funded project documenting HS2
478 | MACRO MAGIC Small really is beautiful
460 | MEMBER SHOWCASE John Pollard FRPS 464 | GOOD FELLOWS The latest FRPS panels and their authors, in Visual Art, Contemporary and Natural History
480 | SUPERIOR INTERIORS Snapping Britain's great houses
485 Graflex Speed Graphic
485 | MY FAVOURITE CAMERA Damien Demolder goes vintage VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 419
STANSALL 420 | BIG PICTURE | BEN
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HOW TO CAPTURE THE ATMOSPHERE BEN STANSALL ON PHOTOGRAPHING THE SPIRIT OF THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES DETAILS
Name Ben Stansall Age 32 Training Photographing since the age of 18, Ben worked freelance before going on staff for agency AFP three years ago.
THE ASSIGNMENT I’ve done press photography for many sporting events, including the recent World Cup and the 2012 Olympics. The idea with this shot was to get something different; you’re seeing the crowd rather than the performance. Once you’ve done a few of these events you realise it’s worth looking for the sort of shot that takes something else from the event. EQUIPMENT This was taken with a Nikon D4S and a 16-35mm f/4 lens. Once the shot was taken a runner took the disc to a picture editor on site, who uploaded it to the library within around five minutes. TECHNIQUE I went to the dress rehearsal so was clear about what was going to happen. I got myself as close to an air cannon as I could and waited for the streamers to fly over the crowd. THE PERKS It’s an absolute buzz to cover events like the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. The opportunity to sit in a spot that thousands would dream of is a real privilege. VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 421
423
SNOWDON DONATES PRINTS Portraits to go on show in autumn 424
THE PICTURE I WISH I’D TAKEN Simon Roberts on Stephen Shore 427
FIRST OUT OF THE BLOCKS Monthly competition winners 429
INFOCUS NE W S, V IE W S, E X HIBITIONS A ND MEMBER INSIGHT
IN NUMBERS The RPS Collection has 250,000 images 8,000 items of photo equipment 31,000 books, periodicals and documents
TREASURES FROM RPS COLLECTION ON TOUR EASTERN MADONNA, WALTER BIRD, C. 1935
Get ready for Masters of Light, a major exhibition of some of the greatest images in The Royal Photographic Society Collection TREASURED IMAGES FROM the historic RPS Collection are to feature in a major exhibition opening
BOOK NOW!
later this year in London before heading to Bradford and Germany. The exhibition, called Masters of Light: Treasures from the Royal Photographic Society Collection, will include pioneers such as Roger Fenton and Lewis Carroll,
MAGNUM MASTERCLASS
modern masters including Don McCullin, Terry O’Neill and Martin Parr, and artefacts such as Niépce heliographs and Talbot’s camera lucida sketchbook. Masters of Light is on from 2 December 2014 to 1 March 2015 at the Science
Museum, London, and from 20 March to 21 June 2015 at the National Media Museum, Bradford. It reaches Mannheim in 2017. sciencemuseum.org.uk/ mastersoflight or follow #MastersofLight on Twitter
HEAR CHRIS STEELE&PERKINS GIVE A TALK ON LIFE, WORK, PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE UNIVERSE AT THE PHOTOGRAPHERS’ GALLERY, LONDON. SEE PAGE 425 VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 423
424 | IN FOCUS |
SNOWDON DONATES 130 PRINTS TO GALLERY
Lord Snowdon, who was awarded the Society’s Progress medal and Honorary Fellowship in 1985, has donated 130 original prints to the National Portrait Gallery, London. Many of them will be shown at the gallery for the first time this autumn. Included in the collection are striking images of David Bowie and Dame Maggie Smith.
Portraits of the author Nell Dunn, and David Bowie, right, are among those gifted to the National Portrait Gallery
Mike Cullis ARPS tells of a visit to the historic Belgian town YPRES IS FAMOUS for its links to the First World War, particularly as we mark the centenary of the conflict’s outbreak, but Mike Cullis ARPS has found a new angle on this historic Belgian town. ‘Each year Ypres has two major international car rallies and I went over there in June to photograph them,’
he explains. ‘I was lucky enough to get a press pass, and this gave me great access to both the current international rally and also the historic rally. It was a real adventure: I got buzzed by an official helicopter, accosted by a drunk and had to
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shoot in fields of four-foothigh crops.’ Mike presents his work around the UK and is adding the Ypres trip to his list. To see more of Mike’s images, go to mhcphotography.co.uk
£340,000
GETTING A NEW STEER ON YPRES
IN NUMBERS
One of the competitors in the rally for historic cars
The estimated auction price of the Leica used to capture the image of the Soviet flag over the Reichstag in Berlin in 1945
AUGUST 2014
| IN FOCUS | 425
FROM THE PRESIDENT
NEW SPONSOR FOR RPS EXHIBIT Siemens to support Images for Science
Tokyo, Japan: A Sumo Westler Retires by Chris Steele-Perkins
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST: TALKS FROM THE EXPERTS Chris Steele-Perkins and Brian May in a great line-up of talks Magnum photographer Chris Steele-Perkins will give a lecture next month at the Photographers’ Gallery, London, in partnership with The Royal Photographic Society. Steele-Perkins, who was awarded the Society’s Terence Donovan Award in 2008, will give a lecture entitled Life, Work, Photography and the Universe. Also coming up is a lecture from two photo-historians, Dr Brian May and Denis Pellerin, discussing
connections between Victorian high or popular art and stereophotography. Their new book, The Poor Man’s Picture Gallery, examines the source of inspiration of several photographic artists of the 19th century. MORE INFORMATION Chris Steele-Perkins 6.30pm, 11 September, The Photographers’ Gallery, London. £7/4 concs thephotographersgallery.org.uk Dr Brian May and Denis Pellerin 9 October, Royal Institute of British Architects, 66 Portland Place, London. See rps.org/stereo
ACADEMY GRADUATE Creative image from Society Member impresses RA curators Caroline Silverwood Taylor ARPS is featuring in the prestigious Royal Academy Summer Exhibition for the second year running. Her image, Sports Day, was among the 1,000 images chosen by the
Royal Academy from nearly 12,000 submissions. ‘Sports Day is from a negative originally taken in the 1960s,’ explains Caroline, who is thrilled to be selected again. ‘This is the first year that artists have been asked to submit digital photographs online, so I’d encourage Members to enter next year.’
A
s you have seen from the award-winning print on the cover of The Journal, this month marks the launch of the Society’s 157th International Print Exhibition, the oldest photography showcase in the world. Inside are details of this year’s five Gold, Silver, Bronze and Under-30s Gold awardwinners, from Germany, the US and UK. It was a pleasure to present the awards to those who attended the opening at the Greenwich Heritage Centre in Woolwich. If you are able to visit the exhibition, I have no doubt you will enjoy each print and reading the photographers’ comments. It remains on show in Woolwich until 28 August then travels to Aberystwyth, Oxford, London and Belfast this year and next. Check details in The Journal and on the RPS website. All the selected images are also accessible on the site. If you cannot attend, the catalogue shows all the images and comments – check the RPS online shop. The Society’s aims of promoting both the art and science of photography were realised superbly
with the Images for Science exhibitions in 2011 and 2013. I am pleased to announce the significant news that Siemens, the engineering and technology company, will become the major sponsor of the exhibition, under its wider sponsorship banner of Siemens Supports Science. The science exhibition will be further enhanced and a special project manager will be employed to support this as part of the three-year sponsorship agreement. We are very grateful for its support since Siemens, with the Society, feels that this is an important opportunity to help promote science and engineering education in the UK. Look out for more on this in the next issue of The Journal. In addition, the Society is working on plans for its involvement with the 2015 International Year of Light. We appreciate continued support from the Science and Technology Facilities Council and enhancement from the Science Photo Library, with Gary Evans ASIS FRPS, manager of scientific relations, as our key organiser. For the first time in many years we have an August issue of The Journal as we are back to publishing monthly. This is an important member benefit and comments and suggestions are welcome.
DEREK BIRCH ASIS HonFRPS President of The Royal Photographic Society
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426 | IN FOCUS | ENTER NOW Syngenta Photography Award Open until 15 September Go to bit.ly/syngentacomp British Life Photography Awards Until 20 September blpawards.org Travel Photographer of the Year Awards Until 1 October tpoty.com NME Music Photography Awards Until 10 September bit.ly/U7dyue
Images by India Chapter coordinator Rajen Nandwana
CHAPTER FOCUS
DVJ Photographer of the Year 2014 Until 31 October bit.ly/DVJcomp
INDIA
WE SPEAK TO THE CHAPTER COORDINATOR RAJEN NANDWANA
OBITUARY
TONY TITCOMB ARPS
Tony Titcomb, who died last autumn, was a longstanding member of the Society. He gained his Associateship in around 1986 with a pictorial panel and narrowly missed his Fellowship a year or two later. He was a very creative photographer and enjoyed encouraging new members at our local Camera Club in Newbury. Paul Sievers ARPS
First established The Chapter was sanctioned by the Society in 2010. Number of members Currently there are 69 members. Their interests are varied, ranging from fine art to wildlife photography. Distinctions Since 2010, 15 have achieved FRPS distinction. The member roster has two Fellows, 30 Associates and two Licentiates. Best places to see photography in India There are several exhibitions organised throughout the year by local and regional clubs as well as by individuals. Chapter
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members have received both national as well as international awards in different disciplines of photography. What opportunities are there for photographers in India? Being a very large country, India has a variety of geographical conditions and cultural backgrounds. From wildlife to
landscapes and from ancient monuments to interesting street photography, India offers diverse photographic opportunities. India is also the world’s second largest wedding photography market, which is capturing the attention of international photographers. The future With a population of 1.2 billion and close to a million DSLR users, India in the near future will emerge as the second biggest, if not the biggest, home of photographers.
AUGUST 2014
| IN FOCUS | 427
I WISH I’D TAKEN Marc with Graham Chadwick
GET WELL SOON, MARC
Andy Murray et al wish sports photographer well
STEPHEN SHORE, MERCED RIVER, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, AUGUST 13, 1979, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND SPRÜTH MAGERS, LONDON/BERLIN
SIMON ROBERTS FRPS ON STEPHEN SHORE’S SHOT OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK What’s it a picture of? It’s the Merced River in Yosemite National Park, by Stephen Shore HonFRPS. Shore captured a banal scene, depicting a place where tourists ‘consume’ the landscape. When did you first see it? I came across Shore and his book Uncommon Places while learning about the history of photography. What makes it different? Shore takes the opposite stance to
Ansel Adams’ more pictorial representation of Yosemite as an unsullied wilderness. Anti-Ansel? While Adams’ work in Yosemite was a meditation on a timeless Eden, Shore looked to balance the depiction of formal beauty with the desire to document humanity’s presence in the landscape. This approach has influenced my own practice.
PROFILE SIMON ROBERTS FRPS Simon’s exhibition, Pierdom, is on tour until 19 October. For more information go to pierdom.com
Some of the biggest names in sport have been sending messages of support to sports photographer Marc Aspland FRPS, selector for the 157 International Print Exhibition. The photographer was found unconscious at the side of the road after a cycling accident in April. Since then, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Boris Becker have been pictured holding a sign that reads #gwsmarc, subsequently posted on Twitter. The good news is it looks as if Marc is on the mend; he was recently photographed with fellow sports photographer Graham Chadwick, above.
OUR PICK
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These plug-ins boost the power of photo-processing packages BY TERRY GOODFELLOW
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A legion of presets may be applied, or create your own ways of colourising and applying a theme. It helps you achieve the specific look you’re after with little fuss.
ONONE PERFECT EFFECTS 8
GOOGLE/NIK SILVER EFEX PRO
GOOGLE/NIK COLOR EFEX PRO
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Part of Perfect Suite 5.1, but can be run as a plug-in from Adobe software. Overlay images and apply your own borders and textures.
Selectable from Adobe products, it lets the user simulate over-the-lens filtration of black-andwhite films together with grain and development.
Pre-defined recipes can be stacked and re-ordered with effects observed in real time. Enhancements can also be applied to subsequent images.
VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 427
428 | IN FOCUS |
DISTINCTION SUCCESSES
DIARY
What’s coming up in the world of The Royal Photographic Society TICKETS TO RPS AWARDS There are limited tickets for this year’s Awards ceremony in September in London. Contact Jo Macdonald, awards manager, on jo@rps.org AGM IN SEPTEMBER Notice of the Annual General Meeting of The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, Registered Charity no. 1107831 Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of The Society will be held at the Birmingham & Midland Institute, 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham B3 3BS on Saturday 27 September 2014 at 10.15am. The business of the meeting will be: To receive the Minutes of the 2013 Annual General Meeting as previously circulated To approve the Trustees’ Report and Accounts for the
year ended 31 December 2013 as previous circulated To authorise the Council of The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain to appoint and to agree a fee for The Society auditors in 2014. By order of the Trustees. Dr Michael Pritchard, Director-General The registered office of The Society is Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH. The Minutes of the 2013 AGM, along with the Trustees’ Report and Accounts are available as a download from the Members’ Areas of The Society website. Any member wishing to obtain a hard copy of the above documents should contact: Dr Michael Pritchard, Director-General, The Royal Photographic Society, Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH. Tel: +44 (0)1225 325730 or email: michael@rps.org
There were 185,000 visitors from 166 countries at Photokina 2012
GET READY FOR PHOTOKINA 2014 Every two years, the German city of Cologne hosts Photokina – the world’s biggest photography show, which began in 1950. This year’s Photokina takes place from 16 to 21 September, and major camera, accessory
and software firms will be there. So will the show produce any major surprises? We’ll just have to wait and see… MORE INFORMATION photokina.com
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Well done to the Members who achieved Distinctions in recent months LICENTIATE 04/14 Fiona Adamson, Hertfordshire Yvonne Andrews, Jersey Paul Ashley, Cambridgeshire Walter Blanchard, Surrey Mel Boyle, Northern Ireland Lorna Frances Brown, Sussex Chris Burton, Dorset Mike Chopra-Gant, London Sharon Cross, Leicestershire Jose Currant, Bedfordshire Valerie Elliott, Bedfordshire James Findlay, Surrey Harriet Susan Fouracre, Devon Raymond Foxlee, West Sussex Arnie Gobel, Essex Geoffrey Harris, Somerset Daniel Alfred James HortonSzar, Kent Kenneth Jacob, Gwent Ralph Jones, Surrey Sarah Kellett, Yorkshire Raymond Kilham, Bedfordshire Isabella Knight, Suffolk George Lamb, Staffordshire Graham Lenton, Oxfordshire Roy MacIntyre, Fife Astrid McGechan, Surrey J B Nolan, Hampshire Audrey Murray Peddie, Fife Andy Pinch, Argyll and Bute David Portwain, Essex Kirsty Ralfs, Kent Kenneth Rowlatt, Lancashire Christopher Shepperd, Devon David Smith, Surrey Caroline Storvik, Bristol Andy Taylor, Essex Marny Thompson, Wiltshire David Thorburn, Derbyshire Peter Tomlin, Spain Chris Wallard, Fife John Wickett, Devon Miranda Wood, Devon LICENTIATE NEWCASTLE 05/14 Celine Alexander-Brown, Yorkshire Simon Allen, Cleveland Gordon Bates, Middlesbrough Phillip Dove, Yorkshire Peter Geoffrey Downs, Northumberland Graham Evans, North Yorkshire Yvonne Fraser, Northumberland
SEE MORE
A shot from Geoffrey Harris LRPS
Susan Margaret Hingley, Durham Aline Hopkins, Cumbria John Hopkins, Yorkshire Carol Hudson, Yorkshire Anne Marie Johnston, Lancashire James McAvoy, County Durham Janice McGrath-Scott, Midlothian Geoffrey Meakin, North Humberside Alan Meek, Yorkshire Pepe Millard, Devon Michelle Newham, Durham Carolyn Newton, Cleveland Tim Nicholson, Yorkshire Denis Rigg, Durham Maureen Elizabeth Rush, Yorkshire John Stephenson, County Durham Brian Swales, Durham Graham Vulliamy, Yorkshire FELLOWSHIP 05/14 CONTEMPORARY Richard Brayshaw, Hampshire NATURAL HISTORY Edmund Fellowes, Dumfriesshire VISUAL ART Derek Galon, British Columbia Zhi Guang Ju, China Viveca Koh, London Hazel Marr, Kirkcudbrightshire Paul Mitchell, Berkshire IMAGING SCIENCE Tim Vernon, Yorkshire
VIEW OUR RECENT FELLOWS’ WORK ON PAGE 464
JULY 2014
| IN FOCUS | 429
365 MONTHLY COMPETITION
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY The winners of our online competition from June
BEING HUNTED DOWN Philip Field The photograph was taken on the final climb to the summit finish of the Passo Falzarego during the Trois Etapes GIRO, a
BACKSTROKE START Garry Mitchell LRPS This picture was taken at Dawlish Leisure Centre in September 2012 during a shoot for my swimming club. I wanted to treat the swimmers to some action photos as a reward for
gruelling pro-am cycling event in the Italian Dolomites. I used a really high shutter speed (1/6,400) combined with an aperture of f/2.8 at ISO250 to crisply freeze
their dedication and hard work. This photo, of Connie performing a backstroke start, was technically very challenging. I positioned one flash on full power under the starting block to illuminate the splash at
the NOMAN rider and blur out the chasing riders. Taken on my Nikon D3s with Nikon Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII lens with Hoya circular polarising filter.
the feet end, had a second flash on a boom held over the flight path to shine directly down, and a third on top of the camera mounted on a tripod to provide a small amount of fill-in and to trigger the other two flashes.
THE SUBS Ken Finegan ARPS This image was taken on 18 January this year on a very wet and cold morning. The picture shows players from a local schoolboy league team, Rock Celtic, in Dundalk, Ireland. I felt so sorry for the subs waiting to be called to play for their team. As most parents, including myself,
have gone through this scenario, I thought the image summed up schoolboy football. I used a Nikon D3 with a 400mm f/2.8 Lens, 2,000ISO 1/640 sec at f/2.8.
ENTER
Submit your photos for the next competition at rps-365.org
VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 429
430 | IN FOCUS | WHAT NOT TO MISS AS EXCITING AS WE CAN MAKE IT Ikon Gallery, Birmingham UNTIL 31 AUGUST
Vanley Burke’s photography is part of a new 1980s retrospective at Ikon, where Burke held his first notable exhibition. It will celebrate Burke as a definitive artist of this pivotal period for British ethnic minorities. ikon-gallery.org
ROTIMI FANI!KAYODE Tiwani Contemporary Gallery, London A retrospective of the work of this highly influential figure in 1980s black British and African contemporary art. Fani-Kayode’s portraits explore complex personal and politically engaged notions of desire, spirituality and cultural dislocation. Despite his death in 1989 at the age of 34, Fani-Kayode remains one of the most significant names in the history of black photography. bit.ly/1krppwJ
THE WONDER OF BIRDS Norwich Castle UNTIL 14 SEPTEMBER
TELL US
about your coming exhibitions EMAIL: RPSJOURNAL* THINKPUBLISHING.CO.UK
This major exhibition explores the cultural impact of birds upon mankind. Works by artists, photographers and illustrators, both historical and contemporary, will be included and the exhibition will examine local, national and international issues. bit.ly/Ohdcym AUGUST!SEPTEMBER
ALSO SHOWING
ALEX PRAGER: FACE IN THE CROWD The Arts Club, London
WORK AND PLAY BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN GRAD Gallery, London
DALSTON ANATOMY The Photographers’ Gallery, London
UNTIL 27 SEPTEMBER
UNTIL 24 AUGUST
UNTIL 19 OCTOBER
A series of large-scale photographs of crowds of costumed actors, taken on meticulously constructed sets. LA-based Alex Prager assembles a cast of character types, and the resulting images have a heightened aesthetic and capture a series of staged moments, which on first appearance mimic film stills. The references in Prager’s work are wide-ranging. bit.ly/Uc9euf
A major exhibition of images and artefacts from the Soviet Union, covering the period from the 1917 revolution to Gorbachev-era Perestroika. Photography and cinema were taken very seriously in the former USSR, so the exhibition gives a fascinating glimpse into the culture of the former Soviet state, as well as the everyday lives of its citizens. bit.ly/V45Z93
Lorenzo Vitturi has created a series of vibrant still-lifes that capture the spirit of Ridley Road Market in Dalston, East London. Vitturi – who lives locally – felt compelled to capture the market before it is ‘gentrified’. He arranges and photographs found objects against a backdrop of discarded market materials, and combines these with street scenes and portraits of local characters. bit.ly/1oY5gAu
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The British Wildlife Photography Awards The Mall Galleries, London, until 6 September Snowdon: A Life in View National Portrait Gallery, London, starts 26 September Horst: Photographer of Style V&A, London, starts 6 September The Photography of David Farrell Osborne Samuel Ltd, London, until 20 September Primrose: Early Colour Photography in Russia The Photographers’ Gallery, London, until 19 October The King’s Peace: Realism and War Stills, Edinburgh, until 26 October
ALEX PRAGER, FACE IN THE CROWD FILM STRIP #4, 2013, ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINT, 121.9 X 58.4 CM, EDITION OF 6, COURTESY THE ARTIST AND LEHMANN MAUPIN, NEW YORK AND HONG KONG AND THE ARTS CLUB; •’CHAIKA’ ,SEAGULL- VACUUM CLEANER. 1956. PHOTO SOPHIA SCHORR&KON. COURTESY GRAD, MOSCOW DESIGN MUSEUM AND AMO&ZIL; LORENZO VITTURI PLASTIC BLUE #1 . 2 FROM THE SERIES DALSTON ANATOMY, 2013© LORENZO VITTURI COURTESY OF THE ARTIST; VANLEY BURKE, WEDDING FROM HANDSWORTH FROM INSIDE,1968&82, 40.6 X 30.5 CM, © THE ARTIST, COURTESY THE ARTS COUNCIL COLLECTION, THE ARTIST AND IKON; ERIC HOSKING ,1909&1991- HERALDIC BARN OWL, 1948 PHOTOGRAPH, 28 X 42 CM© THE ERIC HOSKING CHARITABLE TRUST
UNTIL 1 NOVEMBER
www.planetphoto.co.uk
Colour and B&W Film from Kodak & Ilford
REVIEWS 432 | IN FOCUS | BOOK
HELL’S BELLES
Fun, frolics and a lot more at the seaside town of Blackpool STAGS, HENS ! BUNNIES Dougie Wallace Dewi Lewis Publishing (£28) NOT THE ELEGANCE of the Tower Ballroom, or the vertiginous thrill of the Pleasure Beach; it is the Open-Air Theatre that is Blackpool’s Prom. From the enjoyable to the overwhelming, the town draws hen and stag parties from all over Britain, and no one should try to get in the way of these troupes of pre-wedding partygoers intent on abandonment. There are the mandatory large pink plastic penises, and brides-to-be festooned with L-plates. Putting judgments of bad behaviour aside, readers will immerse themselves in this possibly once-in-alifetime experience. Dougie Wallace is right in the thick of these fast-moving, incident-packed happenings. Blackpool always was a larger-than-life town. The participants may remember very little afterwards, except that nowadays the camera phone is there to record it all. The flow of the book moves from travel scenes on to the 432 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
action. There are breaks for fish and chips to soak up the first alcoholic encounters and prepare the bodies for more to come. It is not all high-octane shenanigans, though; there are more modest hen and stag events to balance the storyline. The book’s cover shows a group of women attempting to mount the town’s hire bikes backwards. An introductory image of a naked man shrink-wrapped to a lamppost is taken from a discreet distance rather than close up. On the design side, there is variation in the pace as the pages are turned. Blank pages are used as breaks, and there are brilliant edits, such as a girl held aloft in a repeat pose as seen on the TV screen behind, and a final image of a divorce night. This book can be enjoyed as a slice of life – some might say down and dirty, but overwhelming and great fun. There is a more sobering message in the text, however; is this the fate of Blackpool, once a seaside holiday destination for all from the mill towns of Lancashire during wakes week? BRIAN STEPTOE FRPS
MO CONNELLY LRPS, CHAIR, DVJ
FAMILY IN THE PICTURE 1958&2013 Lee Friedlander Yale University Press (£50) Chronicling the momentous and the mundane, Lee Friedlander has photographed his family for five decades. We observe his wife and muse, Maria, the arrival of children Erik and Anna, and the journey to grandchildren. Friedlander's methods are the antithesis of those who say ‘context is distraction’: this is life as it is. Through beautifully intimate images, Friedlander informs us where and on whom to direct the camera. Priceless. DAVID CANTOR LRPS
AT ZENITH William Eggleston Steidl (£38) A series of plates taken from Eggleston’s Wedgwood Blue series, At Zenith is exquisite – the book as art. With a simple and refined design, tasteful font and perfectly executed text, all hardbound in Wedgwood blue cloth, this is the book as precious object: a joy to have and to gently hold. Somehow it makes this reviewer at peace with the world. It’s a thing of beauty, and a rare treasure. MICHAEL PETERSON FRPS
© DOUGIE WALLACE, FROM ‘STAGS, HENS ! BUNNIES’, DEWI LEWIS PUBLISHING
The demon drink and a damn good time: revellers descend on Blackpool from all over the country
JOSEF KOUDELKA: NATIONALITY DOUBTFUL Josef Koudelka Yale University Press (£35) Koudelka produces images that are art in themselves, have few written explanations, and at the same time talk emotionally to the viewer. This catalogue, and the exhibition it accompanies, cover the main themes of his long photographic history: gypsies, invasion, exiles, panoramas. Sadly, the exhibition won’t be seen in the UK (only in Chicago, Los Angeles and Madrid), but the book is well worth buying if you’re interested in the masters of documentary photography. As for me, I’m looking for a cheap flight to Chicago!
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434 AUGUST 2014
DISTINCTION
Seeking, above, and Endless, right
FROM ANXIETY TO HOPE
‘The restricted viewpoints reflect the mental state of someone suffering from general anxiety disorder’
M
CLIVE LITTLE Clive works in the events industry. His love for photography developed from taking photos of the events he produced. Based in London, he has a passion for arts and culture. His most-treasured possession is a Rolleiflex 2.8F
y ARPS Contemporary portfolio, Anxiously Hoping, explores general anxiety disorder, a poorly recognised medical condition that can become a mentally and physically debilitating disorder. Working in the events and entertainment industry, I’ve seen numerous colleagues and associates suffer from various mental health issues, with the biggest cause appearing to be overwork or exhaustion. Even in 2014, mental ill-health is still stigmatised, so the ultimate aim for the portfolio is to challenge businesses to display the work in their
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A RECIPIENT TALKS THROUGH THEIR PORTFOLIO
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Elixir
own premises, which should help a company and its employees to look at work-life balance. The strong graphic lines, ordered style and restricted viewpoints reflect the mental state of someone suffering from this disorder, but the high-key toning expresses a sense of hope. All the images were shot in one location, and at times I would spend hours trying out different lighting solutions – for example, crammed into a bathroom, one foot balancing on the bath and one on the sink while I looked straight down into a toilet. This certainly helped me to develop my lighting skills, but my back didn’t thank me for it. I used a Canon 5D MkII, with Sigma 50mm, Canon 24-70L, Canon 90mm TiltShift and Canon 70-200L lenses. I used a Manfrotto 058B tripod with 405 geared head, Capture One lens calibrator and X-Rite ColorChecker Passport. For lighting, I used PCB Einstein/ Elinchrom with modifiers, plus Canon 600EX-RT in tight spots and for accent lighting. For processing, I used Capture One Pro (tethered capture, raw processing), Photoshop CC (post-processing) and Nik Sharpening.
Rush
Saturation
HANGING PLAN: ‘The key to making this application a successful submission is the consistency of style’
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ASSESSOR’S VIEW
Douglas J May FRPS, Contemporary Chair
T
Restart
he statement succinctly explains the condition of general anxiety disorder, its effect, the manner in which those who suffer from it deal with it, and the key elements that make up its manifestation such as withdrawal and a need for order. There is much subtlety and skill in the manner in which the project has been realised visually. It is evident that the photographer has clearly mapped out what he wanted to say and how and what he wanted to photograph to do so. The graphic lines and restricted viewpoints are rigorously achieved. The single enclosed domestic environment, essential to the concept, is a thread that runs through the whole panel. The image of the pills in the lavatory bowl clearly illustrates the desperation of sufferers in attempting to deal with their condition. However, the key to making this submission a successful application is the consistency of style by the predominant use of white in all the photographs. It is that kind of detail that will lift a submission from the commonplace. It demonstrates the combination of intellect and artistic skill that are the essential ingredients of a good contemporary submission. The panel felt that the work promoted visually an appreciation of a condition which is known about but imperfectly understood.
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nspired by what you’ve seen on the preceding pages? Come along to an assessment day to see more portfolios being assessed by the Society’s expert panels, and learn what makes for a successful submission. LRPS and ARPS assessments are open to
an audience, for which tickets are free to applicants and members (£5 for non-members), and must be ordered in advance. Unless otherwise stated, our assessments take place at The Royal Photographic Society headquarters, at Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH.
AT T E N D A N A S S E S S M E N T D AY
LRPS
Prints only Chiles Stanley Building, London EC2A 4AR SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER
Multimedia SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER
Prints and digital TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER AND WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER
ARPS
Natural History
THURSDAY 11 SEPTEMBER
Contemporary WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER
Professional and Applied WEDNESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER
Multimedia SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER
FRPS !NOT OPEN TO AUDIENCE"
Natural History
THURSDAY 11 SEPTEMBER
Contemporary WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER
Professional and Applied THURSDAY 25 SEPTEMBER
Multimedia SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER
Prints and digital WEDNESDAY 21 AND THURSDAY 22 JANUARY 2015
BOOK NOW For the latest availability, please visit rps.org/events and for details on attending each of these dates, please contact Ben Fox on 01225 325751 or by email at ben@rps.org FIND OUT MORE For more information on assessments, including how-to guides and application forms, go to rps.org/distinctions EXPERT ADVICE Turn to our member guide on page 487 to find dates for advisory days, where you can gain expert advice on your portfolio
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ADVERTISING PROMOTION
A PORTRAIT IN WHITE
From PermaJet expert Ian Windebank Photographic expressions of the ‘human condition’ can be littered with cliché and repetition so it is refreshing to see interesting approaches to such a thoughtprovoking theme. With images that require subtlety in their reproduction, such as in Clive Little’s successfully awarded panel, a fine art inkjet paper is the clear choice to print on. However, this expanding field of papers can make it easy to misjudge when choosing the ‘right’ one for your image. Looking at Clive’s portfolio, we would guide him towards the PermaJet Portrait White 285gsm paper, as the stunning cotton rag material has an optically brightened base that works incredibly well with images where white is the key component. The soft/hard lighting mix will, when printed on Portrait White, display the intricacies and details of minimalist subject matter where fine detail is required, but will also retain the soft style usually attributed to ‘rag’ inkjet paper. Traditionally, Portrait White is used to demonstrate the dynamism of monochrome prints, but it can highlight the drama in even the most subtle of images.
It features many of the characteristics that have made the PermaJet original Portrait 300 one of the most recognised and used fine art papers in the industry, but its base tone gives a much higher level of colour vibrancy that a whiter base delivers. Clive clearly understands his subject and a paper that is equally strong and subtle can only hope to complement the true emotion found in his images. If you would like to know more about which paper would best suit your style, drop me a message on Twitter @PermaJet and I will talk you through the very best options. Alternatively, you can pick up your own fine art material from our website. ianw@permajet.com 01789 739200 www.permajet.com
BEN FOX
ATTEND A DISTINCTIONS ASSESSMENT DAY
GRIER: THE MACALLAN 440 | INTERVIEW | KEN
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KEN GRIER: THE MACALLAN
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Sam Firth’s I.D. won a special mention award at DepicT! 2009
With DepicT! preparing to screen its shortlisted entries, Hannah McGill – film critic and former artistic director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival – examines the links between still photography and movie making
T
he forthcoming DepicT! festival, an annual competitive showcase of super-short films created by Encounters Bristol International Film Festival and supported by The Royal Photographic Society, offers an opportunity to engage with an artform that’s often overlooked by those outside the film business. Current trends in cinema suggest that longer is better – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes clocks in at 130 minutes, X-Men: Days of Future Past at 131 and Transformers: Age of Extinction is a distinctly bladder-testing 165 minutes long. And while short films still provide a vital training ground for future feature directors, cinematographers and other technicians, as pieces of art in their own right they don’t have all that many obvious routes to an audience. Yet most of us engage with multiple short filmed narratives every day. Music videos, advertisements, viral online videos and arguably even movie trailers can be counted as examples of
the short film form. The likes of John Landis’s iconic 1983 video for Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Jonathan Glazer’s 1999 ‘Surfer’ commercial for Guinness remind us that much can be done with limited screen time – 13 minutes in the former case, a mere 60 seconds in the latter – and that some promotional material can strike the eye as art first and advertising second. Other short films that have reached the status of classics include Albert Lamorisse’s delightful children’s fantasy The Red Balloon (1956); Martin Scorsese’s famously grisly student work The Big Shave (1968); and John Lasseter’s Luxo Jr (1986), which changed forever its audience’s view on Anglepoise lamps, became the first computer-generated film to earn an Oscar nomination and helped to put its production company, Pixar, on the map. DepicT! keeps the requirements strict and simple: say what you want, how you want, but say it in only 90 seconds. ‘DepicT! is about uncovering distinctive voices and new creative talent,’ says Madeleine Probst of Bristol’s Watershed cinema, which runs the competition and screens the showcase. ‘It is also
about offering that talent recognition and a platform to showcase their work. The concept is very simple: come up with a compelling and imaginative idea distilled into 90 seconds. The quality and the range of the work that gets submitted never ceases to amaze me.’ The short film format is a creative arena well worth exploring for image makers who might want to expand their own creative repertoire from stills photography to moving-image cinematography; keep tabs on up-andcoming technologies and talents; or just draw inspiration from a wide range of cinematic approaches. For newcomers hoping to try their hand at movingimage work, it’s a manageable space in which to test an idea; and for movie buffs bored of overlong feature films with excess narrative flab, it offers a concentrated burst of creativity with absolutely no room for waste or indulgence. ‘The 90-second format challenges filmmakers to think creatively and edit ruthlessly,’ says Probst, who, with her team, is currently in the process of whittling down some 600 entries from 45 countries into a shortlist. ‘The best
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WANT TO LEARN MORE? There are plenty of ways to explore how photography can tell a moving story with the Society. If you are not already a member of one of our Special Interest Groups, Film and Video or Audio Visual, both welcome new members. For AV fans, don’t miss the International Audio Visual Festival taking place on 19-21 September at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester. See more at rps.org/special-interest-groups and bit.ly/avfestival 442 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
WILLIAM EGGLESTON,: UNTITLED, C. 1975. DIGITAL IMAGE, THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK/SCALA, FLORENCE; EVERETT COLLECTION/REX
Kirsten Dunst in Sofia Coppola’s 2000 film The Virgin Suicides (top), with imagery influenced by William Eggleston’s photograph, Untitled c.1975 (above)
ideas are often the simplest.’ But, of course, exactly what’s being sought can’t be prescribed: ‘We are always hoping to be moved and surprised by the work, however that might be.’ The function of DepicT! is not just to reward promising filmmakers, but to provide them with a priceless opportunity to have their work seen. ‘The digital context has meant that filmmakers can access kit, make films and share them with audiences across the globe – but it’s also a very noisy space out there,’ says Probst. ‘That’s where curated labels like DepicT! and festivals such as Encounters can offer an important springboard. We are continually developing new ways of engaging
audiences for the DepicT! content and offering progression routes for the creative involved, through a range of internet media partners, distributors, international festivals and cinemas.’ DepicT! also emphasises the importance of images to forceful short-film work – and goes against broad film festival convention – by offering a specific award for the festival’s best cinematography. Plucking the prizewinners from the shortlist will be the task of Irishman Robbie Ryan, a director of photography who still shoots short films as well as working on such acclaimed feature films as Red Road, Fish Tank, The Angels’ Share and Philomena. Known for his skill for both rough-and-ready naturalism and more heightened, experimental imagery, Ryan favours a spontaneous and open-minded approach that fits the inclusive attitude of DepicT!. ‘Nowadays you can just grab a DSLR, or even your iPhone, and make imagery,’ he says. ‘It’s a question of getting your eye to a camera. That’s where you learn about composition … If you can create an interest in the everyday world around you, you’re probably going in the right direction.’ He is gratified by DepicT! making a point of singling out cinematographers, noting that ‘it’s great to see the art and craft of cinematography recognised in an emerging talent contest where the focus is often on directors’. But he has healthily selfish reasons for getting involved too: ‘It’s a good opportunity for me to get a sense of what new creatives are up to. I’ll be looking out for imaginative and distinctive approaches to the 90-second framework.’ Interaction between stills photography and moving-image work often manifests itself in the form of
DEPICT! SHORT FILM AWARD
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A LIFE IN FILM
Jim Clark is an Oscar-winning film editor and a photographer Society member Jim Clark is known to many for his work as a film editor on blockbusters as The World is Not Enough, Vera Drake and The Killing Fields (for which he won an Academy Award). Also a keen photographer, Clark often uses time-out between editing stints to head off and take shots of the surrounding landscapes while on location. The resulting images clearly show that his eye for detail extends far beyond the confines of the film-cutting studio. An image from Jim Clark’s personal collection, taken in Ars-en-Ré, France
MOST OF US ENGAGE WITH MULTIPLE SHORT FILMED NARRATIVES EVERY DAY influence, in one direction or another. Cindy Sherman famously investigated the evocative power of the movie moment with her Untitled Film Stills series. Filmmakers frequently pay tribute to favourite photographers. Those scary identical twins glimpsed in The Shining, for instance, echo a famous portrait by Diane Arbus, Stanley Kubrick’s contemporary. The photographs of colour pioneer William Eggleston, with their pastel shades, wan suburban protagonists, washed-out landscapes and oddly poignant overdecoration, are an acknowledged influence on Sofia Coppola and Gus Van Sant. Direct crossover between stills photography and big-screen direction or cinematography is less common than one might expect. While there are some notable examples (Wim Wenders and Anton Corbijn as photographers who have moved into direction; Roger Deakins and Chris Doyle as cinematographers who also take still photographs), the skills required have important differences. If a stills photographer can operate alone, a movie set is all about teamwork. Lighting conditions are strikingly Left: a still from Us, Natasha Hawthornthwaite’s shortlisted entry in last year’s DepicT! competition
The Red Balloon, a 34-minute classic from 1956
different; movement obviously must be taken into account, as must storytelling. To Seamus McGarvey, a twice-Oscarnominated cinematographer, narrative is key: ‘We all want our movies to look great visually, to be beguiling and enticing, but I think that what really defines a great cinematographer is someone who loves story.’ Digital technology and inclusive competitions such as DepicT! arguably help to break down the existing boundaries between media, however. To Madeleine Probst, partnership with The Royal Photographic Society makes
perfect sense. ‘We share a passion for image making and innovative practice, and an ambition to uncover and progress distinctive creative talent,’ she says. She also notes the longstanding significance to DepicT! of still as well as moving images: ‘DepicT! actually started as a storyboarding competition, and evolved into a microshort film competition. One of my all-time favourite DepicT! shorts is I.D. by Sam Firth, which uses passport snaps of her younger self collected over several years.’ It’s a technique with an honourable history: for a classic example, seek out Chris Marker’s 1962 sci-fi romance La jetée, which inspired the narrative for Terry Gilliam’s 1995 feature film 12 Monkeys. As well as that bracing 90-second rule, DepicT! boasts a further advantage over standard feature-focused film festivals: selected works remain in a permanent online archive. This year’s shortlist will be screened at Watershed in September, at a showcase at which the prizewinners will also be announced; but for those who can’t make it, the films will also be available on the website, along with shortlisted work dating back to 1999. That adds up to quite a lot of seconds – but there’s plenty of time to dig in and explore what others have done before planning an entry for next year’s competition. For more information about the competition and to view examples by previous winners, visit depict.org VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 443
PRINT 157 444 | EXHIBITION | INTERNATIONAL
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INTERNATIONAL PRINT 157
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Posing poultry, a twirling princess and teenage ennui
Winners of the Society’s International Print Exhibition 157 explain what it takes to be a finalist WINNER
BRONZE AWARD £250
LEMON BLUE MODERN GAME BANTAM PULLET Tamara Staples, USA PRETTYCHICKEN.COM
The Lemon Blue Modern Game Bantam Pullet is part of a larger series collected in The Magnificent Chicken (Chronicle Books, 2013). My favourite uncle, Ron Simpson, a breeder of heritage chickens, has been raising and showing chickens at poultry shows since childhood. Ron shared his unusual hobby with me and I was immediately smitten with it.
I began travelling to poultry shows, setting up a little studio and selecting chickens from each breed to photograph. Even after 20 years of doing this, I have not come close to photographing all the breeds. Photography has always been a part of my life. I’m fortunate to work both as a commercial photographer in New York City, and also as an artist. I’ve had 22 gallery shows in the US, and my work has been featured internationally in magazines and on television. VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 445
PRINT 157 446 | EXHIBITION | INTERNATIONAL
WINNER
BRONZE AWARD £250
LOCAL FAMILY, NEWBIGGIN$BY$THE$SEA, NORTHUMBERLAND Damien Wootten, UK DAMIENWOOTTEN.COM
This image is from a recent body of work called Coastal Retreats. The project involved revisiting and photographing specific locations on the north-east coast of England. Most of the images that make up this series were taken in and around Newbiggin-by-theSea, a former mining and fishing village in Northumberland. This is a location I often photograph, walking the
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same route around the headland and over the rocks – which is where this scene of the family unexpectedly presented itself. I’m 46 and live in Gateshead, where I work as a photography-based artist and lecturer, and as a commercial photographer. I have a first-class honours degree in photography from Northumbria University and an MA in photography from Sunderland University. I’m fascinated by photography’s ability to record ordinary things and to translate them into something extraordinary.
INTERNATIONAL PRINT 157
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WINNER
GOLD AWARD £1,000
MENINA, 2008, FROM THE SERIES UNDER THE INFLUENCE Jacqueline Roberts, Germany JACQUELINEROBERTS.COM
WINNER
SILVER AWARD £500
SHOAL: 30.41N 157.51E Mandy Barker ARPS, UK MANDY!BARKER.COM
This image was taken while on a scientific research expedition to examine marine plastic debris as a result of the devastating Japanese tsunami of 2011. Plastic micro-particles and objects retrieved at the grid reference point in the title of this piece were photographed on board the 72-foot yacht on which we sailed from Japan to Hawaii in June 2012. The whole experience of taking photographs on the edge of a typhoon at sea,
with the accompanying nausea, bruising and cramped conditions, was testing. But being able to record at source from such a location has underpinned my ongoing work. I have always been interested in photography that portrays under-represented issues. The image aims to stimulate an emotional response in the viewer by combining a contradiction between the initial aesthetic attraction and the subsequent message of awareness.
Menina was taken on Christmas Day 2008. My daughter, Malen, was four at the time, and when I saw her twirling round in her princess dress, she reminded me of the Infanta Margarita as portrayed by Velázquez in his masterpiece Las Meninas. That moment triggered the series Under the Influence, a tribute to the work of the Old Masters. I grew up in Paris and was lucky enough to live close to many of the city’s museums. I was fascinated at the sight of these masters’ works, all seeing, interpreting and presenting the world in different ways. All those paintings I saw in my youth continue to feed my imagination. I wanted to pass on my passion for art to my children, so this series is also a way to introduce them to our cultural heritage. I am self-taught and I work with large-format cameras, mainly using early photographic processes. I like to make photographs that are precious to the people I portray.
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PRINT 157 448 | EXHIBITION | INTERNATIONAL
UNDER!30s WINNER
GOLD AWARD ÂŁ1,000
MARTYN, SEAN AND JACOB, 2013 William Lakin, UK WILLIAMLAKIN.COM
I met these three boys in Great Yarmouth on a cold Saturday morning in March 2013 while photographing my project Florida Club. I asked if I could photograph them as I felt they represent
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a transformative age group and reflect the changing identity of the town. Once a booming holiday resort, Great Yarmouth and others like it have lost popularity and are struggling to adapt and reinvent themselves, with the economic downturn only adding to the decline. Such circumstances bring
into question what the future holds for the British holiday resort, and for young people like Martyn, Sean and Jacob. I am 22 and have recently graduated from Middlesex University in London. My work explores humanaltered landscapes and the decisions and lifestyles of those who inhabit them.
INTERNATIONAL PRINT 157
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SEE THESE AMAZING IMAGES AND MORE
From more than 300 shortlisted images, 100 have been selected for exhibition
The International Print Exhibition 157 will be touring throughout 2014 and 2015, at the locations below Until 28 August Berkeley Gallery, Greenwich Heritage Centre, London 6 September – 8 November Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales 22 November – 10 January 2015 Banbury Museum & Art Gallery, near Oxford 16 January – 15 February
Royal Albert Hall, London 14 March – 10 May Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford 4 – 30 June Waterfront Hall, Belfast (part of Belfast Photo Festival) GET THE CATALOGUE A full-colour, 80-page exhibition catalogue, containing all 100 selected images from the exhibition as well as the selectors’ comments, is available to buy from The Royal Photographic Society shop rps.org/shop
Train Surfing by Marco Casino Kevin with Toby and Ben by Harry Borden Riding the Bus by Richard Gunn
For enquiries about RPS exhibitions, contact Lesley Goode 01225 325 720 exhibitions@ rps.org
’HONEST WORK OUTSHINES IMAGES THAT CHASE THE CURRENT FASHIONS’ Chairman of selectors Dr Tim Rudman FRPS on a tough but fair selection process The RPS International Print Exhibition is unlike many on the salon circuit in that it embraces all genres and disciplines and ignores current fads. Each work is examined by each selector as often and for as long as they choose. This puts ‘slow burners’ on an equal footing to instant-impact entries. That made for a considerable undertaking: this year 1,727 photographers submitted some 6,600 digital images, with shortlisted entries provided as prints for final selection. Inevitably, there will be differences of opinion. This is as it should be: there will
always be work in our sweet spots, just as there should be work that takes us out of our comfort zone. There is no magic formula for submitting, but entrants should remember that work is considered at length and up close. Poorly produced work stands out as much as strong work; honest work outshines images that chase current fashions; and statements are not always necessary, but if they are they should have the ring of truth. My congratulations go to all those selected and my encouragement to those who didn’t quite make it this year.
THE SELECTORS This year’s exhibition was selected by Anne McNeill of Impressions Gallery, documentary photographer Jordi Ruiz Cirera, Prof Paul Seawright of Belfast School of Art at the University of Ulster, chairman Dr Tim Rudman FRPS and Marc Aspland FRPS of The Times.
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PHOTOWALK 450 | EXPERIENCE | SCIENCE
THE APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE
W
hile beach holidays and barbecues are fun, the real highlight of summer for science photography fans is the National Photowalk Competition. Now in its third year, the competition is organised by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and supported by the Society, with walks organised throughout June and July and a contest to reward the best of the resulting images. These walks take place on what, for British scientists, is considered
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hallowed ground: the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh; Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire; the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire and the Chilbolton Observatory in Hampshire. Eager to see what both the photowalks and the competition involved, I went along to the walk at Chilbolton Observatory, an impressive facility for atmospheric and radio research, in the peaceful Hampshire countryside. Chilbolton Observatory can be found near the end of the A303, a major road in the South-West that runs past
Stonehenge – very appropriate, considering that some archaeologists believe Stonehenge was also designed to make sense of the heavens. As a science duffer who wasn’t even allowed to take physics O Level, I was slightly apprehensive as I approached Chilbolton’s massive radio antenna; the place felt like boffin central. Thankfully, it soon become clear that the day would be about photography rather than some hands-on experiment that would expose me as a science simpleton. Getting to know the other participants was slow at first, and we sat in a
GEOFF HARRIS LRPS
Every year the Society sponsors a science photowalk competition. Geoff Harris LRPS joined this year’s hopefuls at Chilbolton Observatory in Hampshire
SCIENCE PHOTOWALK
meeting room making small talk or studying our cameras, but a warm welcome from the STFC’s Andy McKinna soon broke the ice. Andy explained that, based on feedback from previous photowalks, we were going to start shooting straight away rather than listen to a background talk on the site. After a brief recap of the competition rules and the distribution of USB drives for entries, we were off. The first stop was an innocuouslooking Portakabin, which turned out to be the observatory’s 500-metre test range. Put simply, different frequencies
are transmitted between this cabin and one at the other end of the range, which enables the effects of the atmosphere on radio signals to be measured. There is also a rainfall measurement area, and a 4.5-metre dish that works in conjunction with satellites to study the effect of solar flares on communications and power distribution. From our perspective, the cabin gave a great view of the main radio antennae, and offered the chance to take some cool close-ups inside. It’s always fascinating to watch other photographers at work, and tripods and
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remote releases were soon being whipped out to capture creative slowshutter effects involving the dishes and an increasingly dramatic sky, as rain clouds gathered overhead. Being an impatient type, I then joined another group at the observatory’s main dish. Back in the days of the Cold War this huge satellite dish was used to track Soviet Sputniks, as well as acting as a radio telescope. Now it’s mainly used as a powerful weather radar, providing valuable data to scientists as they try to figure out the effects and implications of climate change. It is also VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 451
PHOTOWALK 452 | EXPERIENCE | SCIENCE
used to study the effectiveness of satellites. Chilbolton’s dish is impressive, so there were plenty of great photo opportunities. Wide-angle lenses were hurriedly fitted as we tried to fit in the imposing dish against the sky – and, again, it was a great chance to get dramatic slow shutter-speed and cloud effects using tripods and filters. Hard hats must be worn around the main perimeter of the dish. The one I picked was far too small, but my companions were polite enough not to poke fun at my unstable headgear. The interior of the main dish building yielded some great shots too, as did a trip up to the observation deck. There were fine views of the surrounding countryside, and you can see why they chose to build the dish in this corner of Hampshire – there is a clear view on all sides to the horizon beyond. The next stop was inside the main control room, which was exactly as I’d been expecting – banks of computer screens, humming servers and complex weather maps (despite this, our guide joked, Chilbolton’s staff are no better at predicting the fickle British weather than anyone else). The room was buzzing with photowalk participants taking pictures and investigating every nook and cranny. It reminded me again that creative photographers can find inspiration everywhere, even more so when there’s a prize to aim for. At all times our guides were unfailingly patient and helpful, giving everyone plenty of time to shoot while ensuring we got to see the whole site. By early afternoon the sky was looking dense and impressive (in nonphotographers’ language, about to tip it down), so we headed outside again to 452 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
IT WAS A GREAT CHANCE TO GET DRAMATIC SL0W"SHUTTER" SPEED AND CLOUD EFFECTS explore the photogenic subsidiary dishes and something called the LOFAR, or low-frequency array. The smaller dishes looked great against the glowering sky, and the surrounding hedgerows and fields were rich in wild flowers; even with millions of pounds of hightech gear all around, there is always a sense of being in the countryside here. By the time we got to the LOFAR – which is basically a very sophisticated
radio telescope working at the lowest frequencies accessible from Earth – the heavens opened. Our guide also hinted that the LOFAR is used in the search for extraterrestrial life, but I suspect the downpour of biblical proportions that ensued for the rest of the afternoon would have repelled even the most determined alien invader. After braving the weather for a while, we headed back to the main building to dry off and get ready for an evening of editing images to enter into the competition. Photowalk participants have until 15 August to submit their entries. The winners will be revealed in October. See stfc.ac.uk/2989.aspx
POPULAR SCIENCE
Some of the other photographers on the Chilbolton photowalk explain the attraction
HELEN CULLENS LRPS ‘Science-related images are interesting because they are something different. I was more interested in the flora around the site than the labs, to be honest, although I enjoyed the dishes. The wind was a pain, though!’
RICHARD BROWN ‘I’m not into science-based photography as such, but the uniqueness of this place appeals to me. Like most photographers, I’m keen to find something a little bit different. The photowalk challenged me to come up with ideas on the hoof.’
TIM BURGESS ‘I’ve been into astrophotography for a while. It began with star trails and has expanded to landmark buildings (usually at night). There’s something exciting about these places, even if you don’t really know what you’re looking at!’
SCIENCE PHOTOWALK
| EXPERIENCE | 453
WHAT MAKES A WINNER? Judges from recent years give an insight into what they looked for Previous winners have been praised by judges for their distinctive interpretations of what they saw. Judge Max Alexander commended the image by 2012’s overall winner Lisa
Ward (below) for placing ‘scientific … endeavours in our cosmic habitat – no easy thing to do’. On the 2011 panel, photographer Ralph Jackson said that their chosen shot, left, by Stuart
McIntyre, was ‘successful in conveying the cutting-edge nature of the work undertaken by STFC’. Above is the 2012 Chilbolton regional winner, taken by Roger Dingley.
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PUTTING DOWN ROUTES
Colin Pantall meets Toby Smith, whose Environmental Bursary-winning project on the high-speed rail link, HS2, has now reached its midpoint
TOBY SMITH
W
PASS MASTER ‘This is under the M6 motorway in a very bizarre mile of Birmingham where you will have the River Tame, the M6 and HS2 all flowing together. At the moment there’s a Nando’s and a Travelodge in the path of the route, so nothing much is
going to be missed. Local people want HS2 here for economic reasons. There’s a massive empty brownfield site that will be turned into the main maintenance depot and yard for rolling stock. So people here are excited about the jobs it’s going to bring.’
| BEST SHOTS | 455
hen The RPS Journal caught up with Toby Smith last November, he had already begun his project HS2 – Walking the Line, funded by an Environmental Bursary from the Society and The Photographic Angle. Since that time, he has completed his trek along phase one of the proposed high-speed rail link, the 140-mile stretch from London to Birmingham. He plans to continue later this year, photographing from Birmingham to the route’s end points in Leeds and Manchester. For the moment, though, he’s keen to share with us his work and the images that he feels sum up his experience so far. Having taken 1,500 images shot on film, keeping the editing process simple is a key factor in Smith’s organisation of his work. ‘I have sequenced this project geographically, because HS2 starts in London, where I live,’ he says. ‘Britain is very London-centric and one of the ideas behind HS2 is that it’ll spread the wealth across the north-south divide.’ As Smith travelled northwards, he witnessed the disparity in wealth in very direct ways. ‘What the project taught me is that, within five minutes, you can be in a completely different social and geographical landscape. The micro-changes that occur are to do with wealth and land use.’ The warmth of
BRANCH NETWORK #ABOVE$ ‘I found this treehouse in a kind of no-man’s land between the M6 and the M42. The treehouse sums up the urban fringe because unlike others that are made of planks of wood, this one is a fusion of plywood, road signs, a fridge door and a pallet. It’s an urban-wasteland version of what a treehouse should be. HS2 will be running straight through here. There’s no tragedy in that, because it’s a grotty place that is neither part of the country nor part of the city.’
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SMITH 456 | BEST SHOTS | TOBY
A QUIET DRINK ‘This picture of the pub Moriarty’s in Birmingham was taken at 11am. It’s right on Curzon Street, and it’s Curzon Street Station that’s going to be the HS2 terminal in the city.
For 100 years, the bar has been serving locally brewed mild to locals and railway and canal workers, but for the next five years it’s going to be in the maelstrom of a construction site. I was there for a good
456 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
hour and a half and the landlord didn’t mind that I’d been tramping through mud before I came into his pub. I could sit and have a pint and take a few pictures. That’s what this image means to me.’
spirit in the urban badlands of Birmingham was in contrast with the coldness he felt in wealthy commuter villages near London. Similarly, he felt the countryside where commercial farming dominates is more dynamic than the pastoral landscapes of Buckinghamshire and beyond. In that sense, Smith has little time for romanticised English landscape, although he does rue the fact that seasonal changes have affected what he has photographed. ‘There are places I
TOBY SMITH
photographed in late autumn last year, and I kind of regret it because I missed some of the harvests. So instead of showing England’s green and pleasant land filled with fields of wheat and barley, it’s shown as a place of stubble. I’m doing the next part, the M1 corridor, in August because it can be grey enough without the greyness of the weather.’ Keep an eye on Toby Smith’s website for the next stage of the HS2 project, shootunit.com
FILLING STATION #BELOW$ ‘This place is called Lincoln Farm Café. It’s near Solihull and is basically a massive overnight truck stop at the junction of the M5, M6 and M42. But you’d never know it was there because it’s hidden away
down this small road. It’s a weird combination of transport café, Christian mission and sports bar. You can tell you’re in the West Midlands from the décor, and the fact that it’s got nine different types of burger sauce.’
FRESH START #ABOVE$ ‘This place has been derelict for 60 or 70 years but it’s going to be at the heart of the new development. The old red-brick building is to be given a new purpose.
West of Solihull you hear very few sob stories about HS2 because the route cuts through sites that are decrepit. Not much demolition is required until you get right to the end of the line.’
| BEST SHOTS | 457
VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 457
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TOBY SMITH
DEPTH OF FIELD #ABOVE$ ‘It was about six in the morning when I shot this. Because the field is so big, the woman in the picture could see me coming from her tractor before I reached her.
So there is a quietness to the photograph that you don’t get in those situations where you have to grab a shot. She and I had a nice chat, and I think that experience comes across in the image.
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THE FARMER AND I HAD A NICE CHAT … IT FEELS TO ME LIKE A VERY BRITISH PICTURE
It feels to me like a very British picture. It represents a kind of agriculture that is much more commercial, rather than the organic chickens and pretty sheep we sometimes expect.’
TOBY SMITH
SHOOTING FROM EVERY ANGLE
How charity The Photographic Angle is getting images seen by viewers the length and breadth of Britain Toby Smith’s HS2 – Walking the Line project was made possible through the support of The Royal Photographic Society and The Photographic Angle (TPA), a charity set up to get great images seen by people from all walks of life. TPA’s main role is to stage free exhibitions in otherwise empty spaces, so that the public can enjoy the art and science of photography. It invites photographers of any background to submit images to its website, under a
range of themes. The charity’s curator, Adrian Stone, then selects images for the resulting shows. TPA’s chief executive Graham Carey says that the exhibitions are designed to interest and educate the general public in the art and science of photography. TPA also co-sponsors the Environmental Bursary with the Society. Of Toby Smith’s project, which received the bursary in 2013, Stone says: ‘We feel a balanced perspective is of most interest to our viewing public.
Toby’s application acknowledged the benefits of a high-speed rail link, along with the inevitability of environmental impact.’ Smith’s images were well composed and visually strong, adds Stone: ‘We felt they would be appreciated both by experienced photographers and members of the public.’ Want to exhibit with TPA? See thephotographicangle.co.uk for more details about submitting images for an exhibition
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POLLARD FRPS 460 | SHOWCASE | JOHN
La vie Parisienne
While living in London and Z端rich in the 1950s and 1960s, Australian Member John Pollard FRPS made regular trips to Paris where he captured these street photography gems
Bus Stop (top) and Negotiations (right) 460 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
JOHN POLLARD FRPS
| SHOWCASE | 461
Steps (left) and Conversations (above)
T
his month the Fenton House exhibition shows the work of one-time professional photographer John Pollard FRPS. He can’t remember exactly when he started taking photographs, but knows that he was developing his own pictures by the age of 12. Pollard went on to work as a photo engraver, with jobs in London and Zürich in the 1950s and 1960s. During this time he made several trips to Paris, where he produced this impressive body of work. He proceeded to have a long career as a professional photographer in Melbourne, where he still lives. Could you begin by telling us how you first came to photography? Photography has been in my background since I was a child. My father worked at Kodak and there were always cameras around. I took it up seriously when I was at high school and started developing my own films. I just went on from there. What made you take this collection of photos? I left my job in Melbourne at the end of 1956 and took up a job in Zürich, Switzerland, for a while. Then I moved to England and was there for just over five years. I made quite a few visits to Paris between 1957 and 1961, and the exhibition is made up of some of those negatives. What was it about Paris that inspired you? It was the smells, the people, the sights to see – it’s a brilliant
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POLLARD FRPS 462 | SHOWCASE | JOHN
THE REAL REASON FOR ME TAKING A PHOTOGRAPH IS IN THE BACKGROUND, IN THE DETAILS place. I like London too, and I’ve been to a lot of other places, but I gathered a lot of negatives from Paris. I think it’s where my better pictures came from. It drew me in. I loved the place. Were you looking to other photographers for inspiration? I had many influences around me while I was doing photography courses in London, such as Terence Donovan and various others he introduced me to – it somehow moulded the way I looked at things. Knowing people who were doing fashion and advertising at the time, in the 1950s and early 1960s, I developed a different way of looking at things. I’ve been influenced by people who were out there working hard at it, and their attitudes, and the way they saw things and then translated that into print for exhibitions. That’s the way I evolved. You seem to capture a particular aspect of post-war Paris. Can you tell us how you went about that? Paris was a place to go and enjoy yourself; it was a good place to visit. I looked at it with a friendly eye, but I was looking below the surface at the same time and a lot of my photographs have things happening in the background that are not obvious. It influenced me in such a way that I looked beyond the obvious. The real reason for me taking a photograph is in the background somewhere – in the details. Can you tell me about the equipment you used? I was earning a reasonable salary as a colour etcher at the time and, as soon as I could afford it, I got away from 35mm and into the Rolleiflex, bought myself a decent enlarger with a good lens, and I was off.
VISIT!
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Generally speaking, I always carried a tripod with me and would use it whenever it was necessary. Sometimes you don’t have time to fiddle about with one, though, and you have to shoot from the hip.
Name John Pollard FRPS Lives Melbourne, Australia Camera Rolleiflex 2.8 Planar About Joined The Society in 1960 and gained an ARPS in 1962
THE SOCIETY HEADQUARTERS
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Did you use any particular techniques when you were taking the photos or during processing? I used a sodium filter, which is an orange kind of lens, just to darken up the clouds a bit. I got on to that quite early and that made a bit of a difference to the look of the pictures. I’ve never been one for tricky stuff like graded filters and things like that. How did you choose your subjects? You see things. And if you sit long enough, you’ll see better things. You have to be patient. I’ve always envied people who photograph birds and animals – they have endless patience, which I don’t have.
Mother and Child (top) and Quai de Montebello (above)
How do you hope people will respond to your exhibition? I just hope people enjoy it and find the details. There are some little visual jokes in some of the pictures. Being a photo engraver, you have to have a sense of humour, so there are quirky little jokes in there I hope people will find amusing. I hope people like the way I compose my photographs and that they enjoy the tonality.
JOHN POLLARD'S EXHIBITION WILL RUN UNTIL THE END OF AUGUST AT THE ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY, FENTON HOUSE, 122 WELLS ROAD, BATH BA2 3AH
464 | FELLOWSHIPS |
Fine fellows We introduce the most recent Members who have achieved their Fellowship of the Society
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| FELLOWSHIPS | 465
Chairman’s welcome to the new Fellows
The Fellowship Board meets twice a year to make recommendations for Fellowship. The Panels have already considered whether the applications meet their individual criteria and are worthy of consideration for the Fellowship of the Society. The Board’s responsibility is to ensure a consistency of standards across all the Panel categories. In June, applications in Visual Art, Contemporary, Natural History and Science were recommended to Council and approved. At a time when many submissions in the Visual Art category illustrate creative thinking and skill in the construction of images on the computer or in-camera, it was a pleasure to see the work of Paul Mitchell, who submitted a panel produced with a pinhole camera. The Board considered that the technique used enhanced Paul’s vision of the landscape, as set out in his Statement of Intent, and that it had been applied consistently well throughout his portfolio. Derek Galon’s work reflected a fascination with the Old Masters. He showed superb technical quality and deep understanding of his subject – features of all successful Fellowship submissions. Zhi Guang Ju immersed himself in the snows of northern China’s birch forests and communicated a sense of being there, in a maze of trees, facing the snow, in a creative use of the camera which traced links to traditional Chinese brush painting. Viveca Koh submitted a portfolio of images from a poetry book she had illustrated – a very creative series of multilayered images, with the poems accompanying her Statement of Intent. In addition to these (all in the Visual Art category) were successful submissions from Richard Brayshaw (Contemporary), Edmund Fellowes (Natural History) and Tim Vernon (Science). Richard Brayshaw’s investigation of psychological boundaries in the built environment was superbly communicated in his large-scale prints. Edmund Fellowes’ portfolio set out to show his appreciation of the beauty and athleticism of birds, and through photography to promote interest in conservation. Every image told a story, in a beautifully balanced panel of prints of birds in the air, on land and on water. Hazel Marr’s panel was also based on nature, but whereas Edmund’s submission was very specific, and met the requirements of the Natural History category, Hazel’s Visual Art submission was an emotional response to her environment, articulating her feelings and fusing reality and interpretation. The submissions illustrated here show a wide range of subject matter, approach and technique. Each in its own way has either a unique approach to photography, or, where it may be a more common subject and approach, is working at the highest level of its subject. Each of the photographers understands their subject fully, and knows exactly what they want to communicate through their camera and methods of presentation. The Board and Council congratulate them on their success.
ROY ROBERTSON FRPS Chair of the Fellowship Board, The Royal Photographic Society
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466 | FELLOWSHIPS | VISUAL ART
Derek Galon INSPIRATION
I was inspired by the fine arts, and Old Masters such as Rembrandt, Titian, Caravaggio and Brouwer. TIME TAKEN
I worked on this series on and off for two years. HANGING PLAN
I made sure that the images sit well together when looking at colour palette and dynamics. I tried to create gradually stronger dynamics, starting with the simplest images, and finishing with the most bang. This way, energy grows as you go. SIGN OF SUCCESS
It takes an enormous amount of work and also quite a bit of experience to produce these images. Possibly the panel took those factors into consideration, along with the artistic value of the images. WHAT’S NEXT?
I plan to document the amazing nature of Dominica, my favourite Caribbean island.
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| FELLOWSHIPS | 467
VISUAL ART
Zhi Guang Ju INSPIRATION
I’m inspired by Chinese painting, particularly the 20th-century style called xie yi (‘painting the idea’), as well as modern abstract art. TIME TAKEN
My panel was the result of three years of work spent
researching my ‘dynamic’ technique, culminating in travelling to Changbai Mountain in the winter to take the photographs in minus 40 degrees. HANGING PLAN
Because my camera technique involves using different speeds and rhythms, it creates an abstract photographic art. The panel, by extension, is an
abstract work in its own right. SIGN OF SUCCESS
I believe the Fellowship board understood my attempt to create a new kind of abstract photography from the fusion of eastern and western visual styles. WHAT’S NEXT?
I want to press on with my research, testing the limits of creative photography.
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468 | FELLOWSHIPS | VISUAL ART
Paul Mitchell INSPIRATION
I often refer to one of Isaac Newton’s laws of motion (‘For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction’) when I talk about why I use a pinhole camera. TIME TAKEN
About a year ago, after giving a talk about my pinhole photography at an RPS Visual Art day, my prints were left on display while I packed up. Imagine my surprise when I came to take the prints down and found that two of my colleagues had rearranged them to make the beginnings of a panel! HANGING PLAN
I printed out all 60 of my selected images to narrow down the hanging plan. It was so much easier with something physical, and quite quickly a coastal theme started to appear. SIGN OF SUCCESS
Gaining the Fellowship leaves one with a wonderful sense of achievement and I feel honoured to be joining the ranks of some eminent photographers. WHAT’S NEXT?
I have another book that I would like to publish, together with a possible solo exhibition in London next year.
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| FELLOWSHIPS | 469
NATURAL HISTORY
Edmund Fellowes INSPIRATION
My love of birds.
what the bird is doing. My thanks go to Sandy Cleland FRPS and Rod Wheelans FRPS for their help with my final selection.
TIME TAKEN
SIGN OF SUCCESS
I put up my first hide (to photograph a reed warbler raising a cuckoo) in 1961 while I was still at school, so I can claim to have been working towards my FRPS for 53 years.
I give many of my images to the British Trust for Ornithology for its publications.
HANGING PLAN
I am no good at choosing images; I’m more interested in
WHAT NEXT?
I shall go on watching birds as long as I can see them, and enjoy taking advantage of the technology available to record their adventures.
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| FELLOWSHIPS | 471 CONTEMPORARY
Richard Brayshaw INSPIRATION
I am very interested in how we respond to our constructed environment. My panel explored reactions to crossing between space and place in constructed settings. TIME TAKEN
It was a long-held ambition of mine, and a lot of my development in photography has contributed to this success. I think I spent about three years on the actual panel. HANGING PLAN
The layout was mainly based on aesthetic considerations of balancing colour, shape, contrast and texture. SIGN OF SUCCESS
The images do create a visceral reaction in the viewer. I tried to be quite hard on myself when deciding whether an image was good enough to make it into the layout pool. WHAT’S NEXT?
I am back at the ‘dabbling’ stage to see what might emerge.
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472 | FELLOWSHIPS |
VISUAL ART
Viveca Koh INSPIRATION
My photos, from a commission by my uncle to illustrate his latest series of poetry and prose, which were originally published in a book. TIME TAKEN
I gained my ARPS in June 2011 and started working towards Fellowship at the end of 2012. HANGING PLAN
I played around with my chosen selection until they looked right, balancing in terms of colour, tone and subject matter. I ordered some cheap prints so that I could try lots of different layouts. SIGN OF SUCCESS
Although I have attained Fellowship, I will still never stop developing my skills or the way that I see things. I don’t want to become complacent and will always continue to learn. WHAT’S NEXT?
I have a few new project ideas which will develop as time goes by. 472 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
| FELLOWSHIPS | 473
VISUAL ART
Hazel Marr INSPIRATION
The scenery and atmosphere I find in places I love. The seeking-out of the creatures that inhabit these areas and then the challenge of photographing them in their environment is an adventure and a privilege. TIME TAKEN
My Fellowship panel has been evolving
and crystallising unconsciously over many years, and today’s digital and computer technology have given me the tools and focus to bring this to fruition, especially since being awarded my ARPS in 2011. HANGING PLAN
My images are arranged to show the three strata of ‘My World’, and to reflect through the tonal range and pastel palette the harmony and
peace that I wish to convey. SIGN OF SUCCESS
One darkroom technique that influenced the kind of effect I wanted was lith printing. This excited me. Using that process allowed me to produce the soft, harmonious images I liked, and that influence is evident in my pictures now. WHAT’S NEXT?
Wherever and whatever our beautiful world presents to me.
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THE MUST TRY
CRAFT AUGUST 2014
THE L ATE S T TECHNOL OGY TECHNIQUE S A ND SK ILL S
Nikon D810
Nikon’s newest pro DSLR is also its highest-resolution camera. Gavin Stoker takes a closer look
I
f you want the highest resolution available from a full-frame 35mm-format camera, the new D810 (upgrading the D800 and D800E with a 36.3-megapixel sensor while omitting an optical low-pass filter) certainly offers that. Nikon promises the above combination, when coupled with an Expeed 4 processor, delivers the best quality in the company’s history.
The D810 allows an increased number of continuous shots (7fps in 15.3-megapixel DX crop mode, otherwise 5fps in FX mode), improved auto white balance, and revamped picture control settings that include a ‘clarity’ setting, enabling fine adjustments in 0.25 increments. There’s also the same 51-point AF system and group area AF feature as the D4S. The dust and weather-sealed magnesium alloy body feels
PRICE: £2,699 (body only) SENSOR: 37.09 megapixel (36.3 effective) full-frame CMOS LENS MOUNT: Nikon FX SCREEN: 3.2-inch LCD WEIGHT: 880g (body only) MORE: nikon.co.uk VERDICT Professionals can now choose between the D4S for faster continuous shooting or the D810 for the range’s highest resolution
reassuringly sturdy without being too heavy, and the grip has been improved. An ‘i’ button affords easier menu access as well as offering up a split-screen Live View mode, and the 3.2-inch LCD screen has a 1,229k dot resolution. Video recording has moved on too, with 50 or 60fps at full HD. There’s no 4K capture yet, as offered by Panasonic’s GH4, but in every other way this is an impressive camera.
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476 | THE CRAFT |
2
LATEST KIT
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Manfrotto Pro Light camera bags From £199.99 Italian-made professional bag range for photographers and videographers www.manfrotto.co.uk
Sigma dp2 Quattro £899.99 Quirkily designed compact with triple-layered Foveon X3 sensor for ‘3D’ feel to imagery www.sigma-imaging-uk.com
2 Sigma’s latest enthusiast compact
1 To Manfrotto’s Professional, Advanced and ‘Stile’ bag ranges has been added a new ‘Pro Light’ collection. These bags are lightweight and portable yet durable with it, featuring shockabsorbing foam to keep your kit safe. The harness-style straps are foam packed for comfort, and the anatomic bag is shaped to fit body contours. Among the recommended options are the 3N1 backpack which comes in two sizes and can be carried three ways; the Revolver, which has a clever internal magazine for stashing your lenses, just like a revolver’s bullet chamber; and the compact yet high-capacity Bumblebee, with a foam-encased spring steel spine and adjustable inner compartments.
was a TIPA Award-winner before it even hit the shelves. It has a solid body but a rather unusual elongated shape, which was devised to ‘give form to the air itself’, as Sigma puts it. Design quirks aside, key features include the fixed 30mm f/2.8 lens and Foveon X3 direct image sensor, promising an output equal to 39 megapixels and colour film-like performance, with its three layers of photo diodes, each at a different depth within the silicon, capturing all of the information that visible light transmits. You also get simultaneous JPEG and Raw capture, 7fps continuous shooting, auto and manual focus options, a ‘True’ III processing engine, and a 3-inch, 920k-dot resolution LCD screen.
RPS SAYS Durable yet lightweight is one thing, but thanks to Italian styling these bags look like they mean business too THREE MORE TO TRY Tamrac Ultra Pro, Lowepro Photo Hatchback AW, Domke F-4 AF Pro system
RPS SAYS Manufactured from hard-wearing magnesium alloy, the dp2 feels good in the hand, but design ethos and sensor output may split opinion THREE MORE TO TRY Sony RX100 Mark III, Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II, Nikon Coolpix 7800
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iLux Summit 600C cordless flash £500 A single high-powered flash head that aims to let you make anywhere your studio www.photomart.co.uk
3 Promising a minimum of 1,034
flashes at half power from the battery, this is a portable solution for any photographer who wants professional lighting results with minimum expense and hassle. The aluminium single 600w head is available from Photomart in a standard S-fit and EL-fit (for Elinchrom users), with more to come, including one for E-TTL Canon users. Its little battery actually sits on the head, making it more portable than a 5kg power pack for location work. To eke out the maximum number of flashes, utilising the iLux Summit at half power will allow for a 4m distance from your subject, shooting at ISO100 and an aperture of f/8. At the time of writing, there is also a half-price deal on extra batteries. RPS SAYS This one-light-does-it-all option could well prove more convenient for studio-like results anywhere THREE MORE TO TRY Profoto B1 Air TTL, Lastolite Lumen8, Elinchrom Ranger S
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HTC One M8 £529 Latest smartphone sticks to the ‘ultrapixels’ formula for better performance in lower light www.htc.com
4 Your best camera is the one you always have with you, runs the old adage – and for many people these days, that’s their phone. Despite small sensors and tiny lenses, the quality of images you get from a smartphone, the effects you can add and the ease of sharing shots and videos mean they have eaten away at the lower end of the dedicated camera market. Now HTC has set its sights on closing the gap between phones and the output of enthusiast and DSLR cameras. HTC has dropped megapixels for what it terms ‘ultrapixels’, claiming it has the advantage for pixel well size, light absorption and handling of image noise. There’s no Raw file support but there is the ability to shoot in 4:3 or 1:1, rather than the default 16:9 image ratio. RPS SAYS No match yet for your DSLR, but there’s no doubting that performance is improving THREE MORE TO TRY Sony Xperia Z1, Samsung Galaxy K Zoom, the upcoming Apple iPhone 6
Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro £529 For when Canon and Nikon APS-C DSLR users want just one lens in their kit bag www.tamron.com
5 While a jack-of-all-trades zoom will never quite match up to a dedicated prime lens, the new Tamron 16-300mm (equal to an 18.8x optical reach) gives sharper results than most at extreme telephoto setting. It’s a perfect match for Canon or Nikon APS-C DSLRs, and we also tried it on a full-frame Nikon D4S, resulting in an automatic DX format crop factor, the central portion of the image handily displayed in the viewfinder. It’s splashproof, has built-in vibration compensation, and thanks to a piezo drive motor system (the ‘PZD’ in the name), is fast and quiet in operation, making it ideal for wildlife photography. RPS SAYS We were able to shoot handheld with the lens and never encountered a soft shot when utilising daylight, even at maximum telephoto setting THREE MORE TO TRY Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.55.6L IS USM, Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.56.3G ED VR, Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG macro
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 £749.99 Superzoom bridge camera offering ability to extract 8-megapixel stills from 4K video clips www.panasonic.co.uk
6 A bridge camera or ‘superzoom’
with a 1-inch CMOS sensor and the ability to capture 4K video set the new FZ1000 apart. Headline features include a 20.1-megapixel effective resolution and 16x optical zoom with aperture of f/2.8 to 4.0, supported by a five-axis hybrid OIS system. That maximum aperture setting gives beautiful bokeh without an onionring effect, it comes with a Venus Engine processor, and is the world’s first compact not only to shoot 4K video, but to allow the extraction of a still image from such a sequence, giving us the equivalent of an 8-megapixel still. Add in-camera Raw processing and this is as serious a camera as you’d expect for the premium price tag. RPS SAYS It will be interesting to see how the ability to grab high(ish)-resolution stills from a recorded sequence changes the way we shoot THREE MORE TO TRY Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10, Nikon Coolpix P600, Fujifilm FinePix S1 VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 477
MASTERCLASS 478 | THE CRAFT | TECHNIQUE
Refine your close-up and macro photography John Humphrey FRPS on how to get high-quality images of small subjects
P
hotography at very close quarters is challenging, but also exciting and rewarding. Viewed through the close-up lens, the world reveals detail, pattern and beauty that can otherwise go unnoticed. Close-up photography moves in closer than usual to everyday objects, and macro goes closer still. This demands patience and the application of particular techniques. However, all of this is within the capabilities and budgets of most photographers. Advances in digital equipment and imageprocessing software have increased the scope of close-up work and can deliver results that would not have been possible in the days of film. Whether your interest is in pin-sharp images of small creatures, new angles on the beauty of flowers, or creating colourful abstracts from tiny details, this area of photography will prove rewarding. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Humphrey FRPS presents Society workshops on macro and creative art photography. He also lectures on composition and advanced Photoshop techniques. His work is now almost entirely digital, benefiting from both the immediacy of the results, and the opportunity to use imagemanipulation techniques. MORE INFORMATION
Find out more about the subject in John’s book Close-up and Macro Photography (Crowood Press) and on his website johnhumphrey.co.uk 478 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN The best gear for the job The perfect camera settings How to avoid too much noise How to best light subjects How to find your creative potential
| THE CRAFT | 479
Lenses and equipment
Aperture & shutter speed
ISO
Most cameras will allow reasonable close-up photography. For true macro work, though, it is ideal to have a camera with interchangeable lenses so a dedicated macro lens or extension tube can be used. I find that a macro lens of about 100mm focal length is ideal for most work. Extension tubes – tubes that fit between the camera body and the lens, pictured above – are very useful too, and enable much closer focusing. Wildlife macro photography often benefits from the additional light offered by flash. This should ideally be off-camera, or a flash that mounts on the front of the lens, such as a ring flash.
Close-up, any movement (of the subject or the photographer) will be magnified, with the risk of ruining the shot. In addition, depth of field is extremely narrow, as in this picture (above) of a lacewing, meaning that the photograph may not be acceptably sharp throughout. Ideally, with macro photography we need a fast shutter speed to freeze movement and a small aperture to provide depth of field. Unfortunately, these two are often incompatible! The smaller the aperture, the slower the shutter speed needed for correct exposure. The macro photographer has to learn to balance these considerations.
Thanks to digital technology, there is one additional variable that might come to the rescue, namely the setting of sensitivity or ISO. A high ISO can allow for both a fast shutter speed and a small aperture. But there is a price to pay: image noise, the grainy effect that degrades quality. This could be a worthwhile trade-off, and modern cameras are continually improving the quality of high ISO pictures, but beware of pushing ISO too far. The picture on the right (above) was taken at an ISO setting of 6,400 and shows significant noise. The image on the left was taken at ISO 100 and shows greater clarity and an absence of noise.
1
2
3
Get creative Lighting Much close-up work can be achieved with natural lighting. Sunlight through a cloudy sky is like a huge softbox – its light is ideal for many natural subjects such as these flowers (above and right). But sometimes you’ll need additional light, and the most convenient is usually flash. A conventional flash gun needs to be separate from the camera body using an extension cord or wireless control. A ring flash unit, mounted on the front of the lens, is more convenient, and there are dedicated macro flash systems – small flash lights that can be independently angled and positioned.
4
WORKSHOP!
One of the pleasures of highmagnification photography is that there is always something to hand that will make a picture – the closer you get, for example, with this image of a toothbrush (above), the more abstract the images. The list goes on – flowers, insects, clothes, shells, coins, tools, seeds, feathers, sweets: they all have detail waiting to be revealed by the macro lens. A close-up picture, just like any other, offers potential for personal interpretation. The image can be blurred, recoloured, distorted, mirrored, and so on. Close-ups lend themselves to presentation as collections, composites and collages. The only limitation is the photographer’s imagination.
5
MACRO ! ART PHOTOGRAPHY
MACRO AND ART PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP HOSTED BY JOHN HUMPHREY BOOK NOW: 18 September, The Open University, Milton Keynes CALL: 01225 325733 VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 479
480 | THE CRAFT | INDEPTH
Behind closed doors Recording the interiors of our great houses is a genre of picture-taking that is well worth mastering, says R Keith Evans FRPS
E
very camera-carrying visitor to our stately homes probably comes away with lots of satisfactory exterior pictures. But complement these with equally good photographs of the interiors, and you have a much fuller and more interesting story to tell. Technically, taking such pictures need not be difficult. The first step, though, is getting permission: property owners may not look too kindly on a photographer’s tripod impeding
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R Keith Evans FRPS practised the craft of recording historic buildings in the stately homes of New York. For the past five years he has been chairman of the Archaeology and Heritage Group
480 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
the flow of visitors. Or they may ban amateur photography altogether, in the interests of selling more postcards and brochures. The policy of The National Trust, managing some of the finest houses in England and Wales, has happily become more flexible in recent years, and in many cases no restriction is placed on interior photography provided the images are not for commercial use. Ideally, of course, to ensure you don’t inconvenience other
visitors, try to plan your visit for a day when the property is closed to the public; here, policy varies from one property owner to another, but most will be pleased to accommodate a bona-fide photographer or small group on such days, when the only other people present will be cleaners and conservators. In return, it is a courtesy to send the owner copies of at least some of your resulting images, and I am indebted to all of those represented here for
| THE CRAFT | 481
Top left A Georgian dining room, with the table set for a formal meal. Take care over details – make sure that chairs and place settings, for example, are positioned neatly. A polarising filter eliminated reflections from the paintings Top right The only illumination on this 17th-century staircase came from the small window on the left. So I lit the richly carved newel posts and cabinet using two portable 100W floodlights, and obscured the window itself for half of the total exposure Left The Great Hall was often designed to be imposing, even daunting, to fill arriving guests with awe. Here, the pillars, balcony and distant view are in fact a trompe-l’oeil painting on the interior wall Right Look for ornate ceiling decoration. Glancing light from the windows here emphasises the plasterwork
VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 481
482 | THE CRAFT | INDEPTH
Above Although vital to the running of a great house, life and conditions in the kitchen bore little similarity to that ‘above stairs’. Such pictures add a further dimension to your record of a property Left The few small windows on the right (eastern) side of this historic hall left the west wall comparatively dark. So here we have a composite of three different exposures, each two-thirds of a stop apart
AIM FOR THE ‘LIVED&IN’ LOOK
Lighting is paramount when shooting ceramics
LIGHTING IS CRUCIAL
On your arrival, or on a previous planning visit, decide on the order in which you will photograph the various rooms. Take advantage of the best natural light in each – avoiding, for example, bright sunlight overpowering one corner of a room. Subdued sunlight, or even an overcast day, will result in softer and more natural lighting. In either case, though, you will need to supplement natural daylight with your own handheld or tripod-mounted flash or tungsten lights. For a natural look, include windows and the view beyond, but make sure you balance the lighting colour temperature, whether the source be daylight, flash, tungsten or fluorescent. The added light should be soft, so use diffusers or softboxes to ensure you don’t create any hard-edged shadows. Room lights are better switched off except for just a 482 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
CAPTURE THE DETAILS
Photographing artefacts demands careful technique This Meissen figurine is about 12 inches high, and is made of glazed porcelain. Ceramics, bronzes and polished furniture need careful lighting to avoid specular highlights. In some cases a polarising filter will
reduce reflections, although not those from metallic surfaces, which are better controlled by careful positioning and perhaps hiding the source of reflections with a black cloth or card.
Depending on the size of the room, you will probably need the widest-angle lens possible, so be careful to avoid extraneous items – notices, rope barriers, electric cables and the like. Also avoid unintentional ‘converging verticals’, preferably in-camera using lens movements. That said, in the case of modern architecture – in a contemporary apartment or office building, for example – exaggerated angles can add a dynamic look. Given the opportunity, place bowls of flowers or fruit, or carefully arranged books or magazines, on side tables to provide a ‘lived-in’ appearance, or to add interest to a foreground. In typical great houses that are open to the public visitors may be able to explore their more workaday aspects – life ‘below stairs’ in the kitchens and servants’ quarters – and here too you can find worthwhile pictures. Don’t forget, either, the smaller details – individual items of furniture, artefacts gathered over the lifetime of the house, trompe-l’oeil paintings; all will add value and interest to your day’s haul of photographs.
R KEITH EVANS
their co-operation in arranging photographic facilities. The photo libraries of The National Trust or English Heritage may also welcome samples of your work.
short part of the total exposure, so they record but do not overexpose and burn out. It is here that digital capture proves its worth, in that you can readily check and adjust the lighting after each exposure – just as you checked your Polaroid test shots when using film. But don’t overdo that other tool of digital photography, HDR capture, which can look far from natural.
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| THE CRAFT | 485 Vintage virtues: the Graflex encourages a very different style of picture
HANS This was shot in Maldon, Essex. I had just got the camera and was trying it out hand-held for the first time. I am greatly influenced by the work of Julia Margaret Cameron, and began a series called ‘1865’, shooting images in a way which connected to that year of her work.
M Y FAV O U R I T E C A M E R A
Graflex Speed Graphic
This vintage heavyweight has Damien Demolder taking his time
Name Damien Demolder About As well as working as a professional photographer and running training courses, Demolder is a former editor of Amateur Photographer magazine
For the last 16 or so years I’ve been lucky enough to have used most new cameras as they were launched. I love cameras, their technology and the new features that make a photographer’s life easier and the pictures we produce better in quality. My favourite camera, though, has very little of this technology and not much convenience either: it’s a folding 5 x 4in Graflex Speed Graphic that is a slave to gravity and somewhat larger than the average pocket. Something of my fondness stems from the beast’s very smart black and chrome looks and its clever design, but I also relish its
ability to slow my picture-taking process. And when it is in my hands, and I can smell its vintage air, it encourages me to shoot a very different style of picture. Fitted with a good rangefinder it is versatile enough to be used handheld as a 1940s, cigarchewing New York press photographer would have done. I’m certain it sulks when bolted to a tripod, as though I’ve put it on the naughty step. But for all its thirst for action, it can’t ignore the fact it is a sheetfilm camera and can only shoot a couple of frames at a time, unless accompanied by the ingenious six-sheet Grafmatic back – and an owner who knows how to load it.
The mechanics of the camera, and the wet-handed kitchen-sink processing that follows, give me a sense of craft that I don’t get from digital efficiency. The inverted image on the ground-glass screen, the click of the shutter, the sliding of dials and knobs is a world away from the DSLR experience. I like it as much for the change as for the unmistakable characteristics of its large-format images. The negative proportions are formal and ‘serious’, while the depth-of-field, subject-shape and plane-of-focus controls are pure creative. My Graflex cost just £350 including the lens. And what it has taught me I practise whichever camera I’m using. VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 485
Image © Yiannis Roussakis
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| GUIDE | 487
GUIDE
YOUR RP S E V ENT S ! COURSE S PROGR A MME
AUGUST!SEPTEMBER!OCTOBER
GO TO
RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
Take another look ARMANDO JONGEJAN FRPS KICKS OFF A LECTURE TOUR IN OCTOBER
F
inding inspiration from unlikely sources, freelance photographer Armando Jongejan FRPS captures profound images by seeking new ways to explore the familiar. He has spent most of his life in the Netherlands, in his hometown of Egmond aan Zee, and believes that this has contributed to the outcome of his work. ‘It is difficult to recognise what is interesting when you stay in the same place,’ he says. ‘In your own village, you have to learn to look at things in a new way.’ This philosophy brought about his Monastic Life project. For 18 months, he frequently visited the local convent until he was finally permitted to
bring along his camera to photograph the nuns at their daily tasks. Jongejan believes the personal relationship he formed with the nuns, and the unique insight he gained into their lifestyle, are two key factors that led to him capturing the perfect pictures. This autumn, Jongejan will elaborate on his methods during a lecture tour of camera clubs throughout Scotland, starting in Edinburgh (22 October), then moving to Carnoustie (23 October), Inverness (24 October) and finally Dundee (27 October).
Above: Istanbul’s Galata Bridge Left: St Lioba Nunnery Sister Helianthe in the Back Yard Below: Cape Town township Maneneberg ALL IMAGES: ARMANDO JONGEJAN FRPS
See page 489 for details or contact James Frost FRPS, 01578 730466, james.frost11@btinternet.com VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 487
GROUPS 488 | GUIDE | REGIONAL
Regions
MEET PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIEW WORK IN YOUR AREA CENTRAL MIKE SHARPLES ARPS, 07884 756535 MIKES.SHARPLES(VIRGIN.NET
JANET HAINES: LOOKING TO RPS DISTINCTION THURSDAY 7 AUGUST / 19.30&22.00
£2.50 Joint with Smethwick Photographic Society, Churchbridge, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 2AS Mike Sharples ARPS, as above
VIVECA KOH FRPS JOINT LECTURE WITH SMETHWICK PS THURSDAY 04 SEPTEMBER / 19.30&22.00
£2.50 Joint with Smethwick Photographic Society, Churchbridge, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 2AS Mike Sharples ARPS, as above
Help the Bleeding London project in its quest to photograph every street in the capital IMAGE: FRIDAY STREET, ANDREAS BUSCH
Ann Miles, 07710 383586, ann@pin-sharp.co.uk
LONDONEVENTS(RPS.ORG
EAST MIDLANDS REGION SPONSORED LECTURE: TIM FLACH HonFRPS AND GRAHAM DUNN SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.00
MIDLANDS SALON SPECIAL EVENING VIEWING
Free See East Midlands for details Ralph Bennett ARPS, as below
TUESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER / 19.30&22.00
£2.50 Special arrangements have been made for all Society members to have a private viewing of the exhibition Smethwick Photographic Society, Churchbridge, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 2AS Mike Sharples ARPS, as above
LECTURE: WHO’S UPSIDE DOWN ! US OR THE BATS? MONDAY 13 OCTOBER / 19.30&21.00
Free Room LAB006, Lord Ashcroft Building, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge Refreshments from 18.30 and afterwards Ian Wilson ARPS, 01223 870830, ian@greenmen.org.uk
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Full details and a booking form will be available shortly Hilton Garden Inn, Brindly Place, 1 Brunswick Square, Birmingham B1 2HW David Wood ARPS, wood.david.j@virgin.net
BLEEDING LONDON BANK HOLIDAY SESSION FRIDAY 22 & MONDAY 25 AUGUST
Free Help the Bleeding London project capture London streets this bank holiday 1 Aylesford Street, London SW1V 3RY london@rps.org
MEDICAL IMAGING: FOR PROCEDURES AND USERS SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER / 10.00&16.30
Ticket prices TBC Moorfields Eye Hospital, 162 City Road, London EC1V 2PD Dr Afzal Ansary ASIS FRPS, 07970 403672, afzalansary@aol.com NORTH WALES DON LANGFORD LRPS, 01758 713572
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ROSS McELVER JOINT MEETING WITH SMETHWICK PS
SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.00
Free Tim Flach HonFRPS discusses his work, while Graham Dunn shows off the stunning landscapes of north Norfolk and the Peak District National Park Radisson Park Inn, Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG2 2BT Ralph Bennett ARPS, as above
THURSDAY 9 OCTOBER / 19.30&22.00
£2.50 Smethwick Photographic Society, Churchbridge, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 2AS Mike Sharples ARPS, as above, or contact central@rps.org EAST ANGLIA
DISTINCTION ADVISORY DAY FOR LRPS AND ARPS
IAN WILSON ARPS, 07767 473594 IAN(GREENMEN.ORG.UK
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Graham Dunn discusses his beautiful landscapes in a talk for the East Midlands Group IMAGE: CHATSWORTH PARK MIST, GRAHAM DUNN
488 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
£20/£5 Radisson Park Inn, Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG2 2BT Ralph Bennett ARPS, as above. EIRE DES CLINTON FRPS, 0035 341 983 7824 DESCLINTON(EIRCOM.NET
LANDSCAPE AND SEASCAPE: FINE ART LECTURE BY JOHN HOOTON FRPS SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 14.00&17.00
£6/£5 members Hear the award-winning photographer Craig-y-Don Community Centre, Queens Road, Llandudno LL30 1TE Christine Langford, donchrislangford@btinternet.com
TRAVEL GROUP WEEKEND: CONWY FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER & SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER
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DISTINCTION ADVISORY DAY SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER / 10.00&17.00
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| GUIDE | 489 DR AFZAL ANSARY ASIS FRPS, 07970 403672
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DISTINCTION ADVISORY DAY
Free Edinburgh College of Art, 74 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9FD
NORTH%WEST
SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.30
£20/£15/£10 spectators Hough End Centre, Mauldeth Road West, Chorlton, Manchester M21 7SX Dr Afzal Ansary ASIS FRPS, as above
JAMES FROST FRPS, AS ABOVE SOUTH%EAST TERRY McGHIE ARPS, 01323 492584 SOUTHEAST(RPS.ORG
ARPS ADVISORY DAY
NORTHERN JANE BLACK ARPS, 0191 252 2870
SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / FROM 10.30
J.BLACK70(BTINTERNET.COM
£20/£15/£10 spectators The Haven Centre, Hophurst Lane, Crawley Down, East Sussex RH10 4LJ Terry McGhie ARPS, as above
LECTURE BY LEIGH PRESTON FRPS: A SENSE OF PRIVILEGE THURSDAY 4 SEPTEMBER / TIMETBC
MASTERCLASS: HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH THE VETERAN CAR RUN
Free St Oswald’s Institute (Durham), Church Street, Durham DH1 3DQ Jane Black ARPS, as above
SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&16.00
LECTURE TOUR: TOM DODD FRPS Free Jane Black ARPS, as above. MONDAY 27 OCTOBER / 19.30&21.30
Methodist Church Hall, Brompton, Northallerton DL6 2QT TUESDAY 28 OCTOBER / 19.30&21.30
The Torch Centre, Hexham NE46 1QS WEDNESDAY 29 OCTOBER / 19.30&21.30
Mechanic’s Institute, Percy Street, Alnwick NE66 1AE THURSDAY 30 OCTOBER / 19.30&21.30
Tom Dodd FRPS will lecture at the Northern Region’s Lake District Weekend, following a tour of the region IMAGE: EARLY MORNING, CASTELL Y GWENT GLYDER FACH, TOM DODD FRPS
St Oswald’s Institute, Church Street, Durham DH1 3DQ
LAKE DISTRICT WEEKEND AT THE BORROWDALE HOTEL FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER & SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER
£220 All bookings must be made via treasurer Brian Pearson, 0191 257 5051. Deposits to be paid by 31 August Lectures from Paul Davies ARPS, Guy Davies ARPS, Anne Miles FRPS and Tom Dodd FRPS Borrowdale Hotel, Borrowdale CA1 2SU
Licentiate and Associate (Visual Art and Nature) Distinction panels Church Hall Bridge of Allan, Keir Street, Bridge of Allan FK9 4NW
PHOTO FORUM GLASGOW
SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER / 10.00&17.00
Free Letterhead Institute, 57 High Street, Surrey, Letterhead KT22 8AH Mike Sasse, Mike.sasse@btinternet.com For details, see Archaeology and Heritage Group
SUNDAY 5 OCTOBER / 11.00&16.00
£10/£8 members An informal day to meet members – bring along your photographs for discussion and comment Calumet Glasgow, Block 4, Unit 1, Oakbank Industrial Estate, Glasgow G20 7LU James Frost FRPS, as above
SOUTH%WEST
PHOTO FORUM DINGWALL
MGHVKH(BTINTERNET.COM
SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER / 11.00&16.00
£10/£8 members An informal day to meet members – bring along your photographs for discussion and comment Dingwall CC, Eagle House, High Street, Dingwall IV15 9RY James Frost FRPS, as above
NORTHERN IRELAND DAMIANMCDONALD(OUTLOOK.COM
SCOTTISH LECTURE TOUR: ARMANDO JONGEJAN FRPS An opportunity to listen to an eminent speaker from the Society at local camera clubs. Read more on page 487
SCOTLAND JAMES FROST FRPS, 01578 730466 JAMES.FROST11(BTINTERNET.COM
NORTH"EAST SCOTLAND PHOTO FORUM
WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER / 19.30&22.00
Edinburgh PS, 68 Great King Street, Edinburgh EH3 6QU
SUNDAY 10 AUGUST / 11.00&16.00
DISTINCTION ADVISORY DAY SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER / 11.00&16.00
£20/£15/£10 spectators A day for those working towards the
ARCHAEOLOGY AND HERITAGE GROUP CONFERENCE
MARTIN HOWSE ARPS, 01326 221939
DAMIAN MCDONALD ARPS, 07902 481691
£10/£8 members Meet members and discuss your photos Mechanics Institute, St Mary Street, Brechin DD9 6JQ James Frost FRPS, as above
£50 group members Staplefield Common, Cuckfield-toHandcross road, Staplefield RH17 6EF Martin Fletcher, 01908 582423, martin.fletcher1@btinternet.com For details, see Archaeology and Heritage Group
THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER / 19.30&22.00
Carnoustie Camera Club, Comrie Hall, Links Avenue, Carnoustie DD7 7QQ
GO TO RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
SOUTH"WEST VISUAL ART GROUP MEMBERS’ DAY SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.00
£8/£5/£3 group members The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL Linda Wevill FRPS, linda.wevill@btinternet.com For details, see Visual Art Group
FIELD TRIP TO SANDYMOUTH BAY SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.00
Free Not recommended for those who have difficulties in walking Sandymouth Bay EX23 9HW To book, email George Collings, gscollings@yahoo.co.uk
FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER / 19.30&22.00
DOCUMENTARY PHOTO ESSAYS
Inverness Camera Club, Culduthel Christian Centre, Culduthel Avenue, Inverness IV2 6AS
SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER / 10.00&17.00
MONDAY 27 OCTOBER / 19.30&22.00
Dundee PS, Meadowside St Pauls Church Hall, Marketgait, Dundee DD1 4EH
£50/£55/£50 members Gloucester Guild Hall, 23 Eastgate Street, Gloucester GL1 1NS Mo Connolly, DVJ@rps.org
VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 489
GROUPS 490 | GUIDE | REGIONAL ANNUAL PRINT EXHIBITION SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER / 10.00&16.00
£7 The Thames Valley Region Members Print Exhibition, plus work by the Contemporary Group Amersham, Drake Hall, Community Centre, Chiltern Avenue, Amersham HA6 5AH Mark Buckley-Sharp ARPS, as above
THAMES VALLEY REGION AGM SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER / 16.00&16.30
Free For all members of the Thames Valley Region Amersham, Drake Hall, Community Centre, Chiltern Avenue, Amersham HA6 5AH Mark Buckley-Sharp ARPS, as above
SOUTHERN PETER HARTLAND ARPS, 07774 184120 SOUTHERN(RPS.ORG
FELLOWSHIP ADVISORY DAY SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&16.00
£15 members For those presenting a Fellowship panel Village Hall, Bourne Meadow, St Mary Bourne, Andover SP11 6BE Peter Hartland ARPS, as above
The Thames Valley Digital Imaging Group can see more of Rikki O’Neill’s work on 14 September IMAGE: THE LADS, RIKKI O’NEILL FRPS
SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.00
Free Swindon SN2 2EH Geoff Blackwell, 01142 668655, gblackwell@fastmail.fm For details, see Historical Group
MEMBERS ANNUAL OUTING SUNDAY 10 AUGUST / 08.00&18.00
£35 members Coaches from Bristol, Bath and Chippenham to and from Portsmouth for a day at the Royal Naval Dockyards Portsmouth BA2 3AH Tony Cooper ARPS, as above
MEMBERS' MEETING IN HIGHNAM
SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER / 10.30&16.30
SUNDAY 17 AUGUST / 10.00&13.00
£20/£15/£10 spectator Receive advice on your work from a panel of experts St Mary Bourne Village Hall, Bourne Meadow, St Mary Bourne, near Andover SP11 6BE Peter Hartland ARPS, as above
£5 A morning of prints and DPIs. Please bring images for a show-and-tell session. We will also hold a clinic to help members and guests if they would like to bring along ‘problem’ images Highnam Community Centre, Newent Road, Highnam GL12 8DG Bob Train, 01452 521424, bobtrain@tiscali.co.uk
£10/£6 group member Wokingham, Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview Close, Wokingham RG41 3DA Laurie Pate, 07785 256692, info@rpsdig-thamesvalley.org.uk For details, see Digital Imaging Group 490 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
£2 Present your finished prints or get advice on works in progress Claverton Down Community Hall, Claverton Down Road, Bath BA2 6DT Tony Cooper ARPS, as above
£10/£10/£6 group member More details to be released soon Wokingham, Berkshire, Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview Close, Wokingham RG41 3DA Laurie Pate, 07785 256692, info@rpsdig-thamesvalley.org.uk For details, see Digital Imaging Group
DISTINCTION WORKSHOP DAY
SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&15.30
SUNDAY 7 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&12.30
SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER / 10.00&15.30
TONY COOPER ARPS, 01225 421097
£8/£6 group members Ringwood, Greyfriars Community Centre, 44 Christchurch Road, Ringwood BH24 1DW Barry Senior HonFRPS, 01425 471489, barry@littlepics.freeserve.co.uk For details, see Digital Imaging Group
DI GROUP THAMES VALLEY: RIKKI O’NEILL FRPS
MEMBERS’ PRINT MORNING
DI GROUP WESTERN: DEBBIE JONES, LIGHTROOM TRAINER SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.00
SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.00
MARK.BUCKLEY,SHARP(TISCALI.CO.UK
Free Brunel Institute and SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Bristol BS1 6TY Donald Stewart FRPS, donaldstewart42@aol.com For details, see Historical Group
DI GROUP THAMES VALLEY
TONY(PHOTOSCOOP.CO.UK
MARK BUCKLEY,SHARP ARPS, 020 8907 5874
SATURDAY 30 AUGUST / 10.30&16.00
ENGLISH HERITAGE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE VISIT
WESTERN
PAIRS, PANELS AND PROJECTS: PRINT LECTURE BY SUSAN BROWN FRPS
THAMES VALLEY
VISIT TO THE BRUNEL INSTITUTE, BRISTOL
YOUR EVENTS To ensure inclusion of your events in The RPS Journal please post them on the RPS website six weeks prior to publication. For a list of deadlines, cancellations or lastminute amendments please contact Emma Wilson on 0141 375 0504 or email emma.wilson@ thinkpublishing.co.uk These listings are correct at time of going to print
MEMBERS MEETING IN ILTON MONDAY 17 AUGUST / 10.00&13.00
£5 Present your finished prints or get advice on works in progress Copse Lane, Ilton, near Ilminster TA19 9HG Mick Humphries, 01823 443955, mick@somersite.co.uk
£8/£7/£5 group member Ilton, Merryfield Village Hall, Ilton, near Taunton TA19 9HG Janet Haines, janet.haines@btopenworld.com For details, see Digital Imaging Group
CUTTING"EDGE TRENDS IN MULTIMEDIA VIDEO: ROBERT ALBRIGHT FRPS SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER / 10.00&12.30
£7 An analysis of where new techniques in multimedia video are taking us Tony Cooper ARPS, as above YORKSHIRE MARY CROWTHER LRPS, 07921 237962 PHOTOBOX50(GMAIL.COM
EAST MIDLANDS REGION HQ SPONSORED LECTURE TIM FLACH PLUS GRAHAM DUNN SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.00
Free Radisson Park Inn, Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG2 2BT For details, see East Midlands Regional Group
EAST MIDLANDS REGION DISTINCTION ADVISORY DAY FOR LRPS AND ARPS SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER / 10.00&16.00
£20/£5 Radisson Park Inn, Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG2 2BT Ralph Bennett ARPS, as above For details, see East Midlands Group
| GUIDE | 491
Workshops
DEVELOPING COMPOSITIONAL AND CRITIQUING SKILLS SATURDAY 4 OCTOBER / 10.00&16.30
HEAR FROM THE EXPERTS AND HONE YOUR SKILLS
£45/£33 members What we can learn from other visual art forms
Workshops take place at The Royal Photographic Society’s headquarters and at other venues around the country. The Royal Photographic Society, Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH For further information and to book, go to rps.org/events and search under ‘Workshops’. Alternatively, call 01225 325733 or email reception@rps.org
PRINTING WITH LIGHTROOM SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER / 10.00&16.00
£95/£71 members How to get the best results from your printer and Adobe Lightroom
ARCHITECTURE AND STREET SCENES OF EXETER SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER / 14.00&21.00
£95/£71 members Out and about in Exeter
INTRODUCTION TO YOUR DIGITAL SLR
INTRODUCTION TO DSLR VIDEO EDITING
SUNDAY 24 AUGUST / 10.00&17.00
£85/£63 members Led by John Roe ARPS, you will learn the basic functions of your DSLR
INTRODUCTION TO THE CREATIVE EYE SATURDAY 30 AUGUST/ 10.00&16.30
£95/£71 members You will need a working knowledge of your compact digital camera or DSLR
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY WEDNESDAY 3 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&17.00
£135/£110 members With award-winning photographer Stuart Wood Thrumpton, Nottingham
FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER / 10.30&16.00
INTRODUCTION TO YOUR DIGITAL SLR SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&17.00
£85/£63 members Introductory workshop
£85/£63 members All the basics of taking pictures
£95/£71 members Learn the key tools and techniques
£35/£26 members Milton Keynes See page 478 for workshop tutor John Humphrey FRPS on macro photography
INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER / 10.00&17.00
£95/£31 members Beginners welcome
RUNNING YOUR OWN PHOTOGRAPHIC BUSINESS MONDAY 20 OCTOBER / 10.30&16.30
£33/£22 members What you need to know
ART NUDE PHOTOGRAPHY SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&16.30
LIFESTYLE STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
£115/£90 concession Learn about controlled lighting and working with a nude model Lacock, Wiltshire
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
TWO"DAY PHOTOSHOP WORKSHOP
MONDAY 8 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&16.30
SAT 27 & SUN 28 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&17.00
£45/£33 members An insight into how to photograph birds and mammals
£165/£140 members A follow-on to the Society’s Introduction to Photoshop
INTRODUCTION TO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH CHILDREN AND BABIES
SAT 13 & SUN 14 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&16.30
SATURDAY 4 OCTOBER / 10.00&17.00
£160/£135 members Introductory workshop Lacock, Wiltshire
SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER / 10.00&17.00
TUESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&16.30
£95/£71 members An introduction to Lightroom’s organisational, editing and printing tools. Suitable for beginners
£85/£76 How to put together a photobook. This workshop is sponsored by Blurb, which will give you a voucher worth £29.99 off your first book order
ONE"DAY INTRODUCTION TO YOUR DIGITAL SLR
CREATIVE TECHNIQUES IN PHOTOSHOP
THURSDAY 18 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&16.00
PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY £155/£130 members Enhance your skills in shooting products for publishing on the web or other promotional material Colerne, near Bath
£65/£48 members How to license and sell your work through image libraries
SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&16.00
Suitable for beginners who want to learn to shoot and edit digital video
MONDAY 13 OCTOBER / 10.30&16.30
MONDAY 15 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.30
LIGHTROOM WORKSHOP
SUNDAY 7 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&17.00
IMAGE: GREAT GREY OWL, MIKE LANE FRPS
SHOOTING FOR STOCK
MACRO AND ART PHOTOGRAPHY
DIGITAL PHOTOBOOKS
Explore the natural world with a wildlife photography workshop
£95/£71 members Combining theory and practice Lacock, Wiltshire
FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER / 10.30&16.30
£185/£160 members Participants need some operational knowledge of Photoshop Colerne, near Bath
BETTER DIGITAL PRINTING SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER & SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER / 10.00&16.30
£175/£150
GO TO RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
STUDIO PORTRAITURE SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER & SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER / 10.00&16.30
£160/£135 Lacock, Wiltshire
VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 491
THE RPS COLLECTION 492 | TIMES PAST | FROM
CALL FOR ENTRIES
2015 MEMBERS’ BIENNIAL EXHIBITION SUBMIT UP TO FOUR DIGITAL ENTRIES CLOSING DATE: 20 OCTOBER Members only Free entry Gold, Silver & Bronze awards
CLAIRE PEPPER ARPS. ROSALIND AS REBECCA
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT rps.org/biennial2015
492 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
| GUIDE | 493
Special Interest Groups EXPLORE MORE ABOUT ASPECTS OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAGING
PETER FREEMAN LRPS, 01462 893633
DI GROUP WESTERN: DEBBIE JONES, LIGHTROOM TRAINER
PETERF20(TISCALI.CO.UK
SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.00
3D IMAGING ) HOLOGRAPHY
£8/£7/£5 group member Lightroom expert Debbie Jones will be leading a workshop on the use of the Adobe software package in the morning. The afternoon will be a show-and-tell of members’ prints Merryfield Village Hall, Ilton, near Taunton TA19 9HG Janet Haines ARPS, janet.haines@btopenworld.com
ARCHAEOLOGY AND HERITAGE RODNEY BERNARD THRING LRPS, 01276 20725 RODNEY.THRING(NTLWORLD.COM
VISIT TO UPPARK HOUSE AND GARDENS FRIDAY 15 AUGUST / 10.30&15.00
£12 group members Photography is not normally permitted in this restored Georgian house Uppark House (National Trust), West Sussex, near Petersfield GU31 5QR R Keith Evans FRPS, 01732 743943, richard.evans943@btinternet.com Read more about photographing stately homes on page 480
DI GROUP THAMES VALLEY: DETAILS TO FOLLOW SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER / 10.00&15.30
VISIT TO ST MARY’S CHURCH, WELLINGBOROUGH, AND ALL SAINTS CHURCH, BRIXWORTH FRIDAY 5 SEPTEMBER / MEET AT 10.30
A donation to the churches on the day The day starts at St Mary’s (parking available), followed by lunch and a visit to All Saints, a large Saxon church St Mary’s Church, Elsden Road/Knox Road, Wellingborough NN8 1HU Mike Sasse, 01892 531179, mike.sasse@btinternet.com
Thames Valley Regional Members for their annual print exhibition Drake Hall, Community Centre, Chiltern Avenue, Amersham HA6 5AH Mark Buckley-Sharp ARPS, 020 8907 5874, mark.buckley-sharp@tiscali.co.uk For details, see Thames Valley Regional Group
Prepare for November’s Veteran Car Run with a masterclass from Andrew Hasson
£10/£10/£6 group member Booking is essential to guarantee a place. Any remaining tickets will be sold on the door but will incur a £2 premium Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview Close, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 3DA Laurie Pate, info@rpsdigthamesvalley.org.uk DOCUMENTARY AND VISUAL JOURNALISM MO CONNELLY LRPS, 01590 641849 DVJ(RPS.ORG
IMAGE: VCR PHOTOS
DOCUMENTARY PHOTO ESSAYS SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER / 10.00&17.00
HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH THE VETERAN CAR RUN
PHILIP JOHN QUARRY FRPS, 020 8397 0479
SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&16.00
CREATIVECHAIR(RPS.ORG
£50. Should have been booked by 31 July A masterclass by Andrew Hasson. Find locations for the event (on 2 November), take test shots and get lens tuition Martin Fletcher LRPS, 01908 582423, martin.fletcher1@btinternet.com
£60/£55/£50 group members The tutor for this workshop is Alison Baskerville, a photojournalist and documentary photographer. Her career started in the RAF, where she saw active service in Bosnia and Iraq Gloucester Guild Hall, 23 Eastgate Street, Gloucester GL1 1NS Mo Connolly LRPS, as above
CREATIVE
DIGITAL IMAGING JANET HAINES ARPS, 01308 428219 JANET.HAINES(BTOPENWORLD.COM
DI GROUP THAMES VALLEY: RIKKI O’NEILL FRPS SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10.00&15.30
ARCHAEOLOGY AND HERITAGE GROUP CONFERENCE SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER / 10.00&17.00
Free Photographic presentations on a range of archaeology and heritage topics Letterhead Institute, 57 High Street, Surrey, Letterhead KT22 8AH Mike Sasse, Mike.sasse@btinternet.com
EDGAR GIBBS FRPS, 02920 564850
DI GROUP SOUTHERN ! PAIRS, PANELS AND PROJECTS: PRINT LECTURE BY SUSAN BROWN FRPS
EDGAR.GIBBS(NTLWORLD.COM
SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.00
AUDIOVISUAL
CONTEMPORARY PETER ELLIS LRPS, 07770 837977 WORDSNPICSLTD(GMAIL.COM
ANNUAL PRINT EXHIBITION SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER / 10.00&16.00
£7 The Contemporary Group join the
FILM AND VIDEO
£10/£6 group members Booking is essential Wokingham, Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview Close, Wokingham RG41 3DA Laurie Pate, info@rpsdig-thamesvalley.org.uk
£8/£6 group members Susan Brown FRPS specialises in long-exposure photography at the coast in colour and monochrome, but she also does landscapes and abstracts Greyfriars Community Centre, 44 Christchurch Road, Ringwood BH24 1DW Barry Senior HonFRPS, 01425 471489, barry@littlepics.freeserve.co.uk
JOHN TARBY FRPS, 020 7702 2205 INFO(TARBY.TV HISTORICAL JENNIFER FORD ARPS, 01234 881459 JENNYFORD2000(YAHOO.CO.UK
VISIT TO THE BRUNEL INSTITUTE, BRISTOL SATURDAY 30 AUGUST / 10.30&16.00
GO TO RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
Free, but booking is essential (bookings close at 4pm on Friday 16 August; please book online) A visit to the Institute's Library, with a chance to talk to the curator and see David McGregor’s maritime photographs Brunel Institute and Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Bristol BS1 6TY Donald Stewart FRPS, donaldstewart42@aol.com
VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 493
REGIONALINTEREST 494 | GUIDE | SPECIAL GROUPS ENGLISH HERITAGE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE VISIT
VISUAL ART VIVECA KOH FRPS, 07956 517524 VIVECA.KOH(GMAIL.COM
SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.00
VISUAL ART GROUP MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION
Free, booking is essential English Heritage Photographic Archives, The Engine House, Fire Fly Avenue, Swindon SN2 2EH Geoff Blackwell, 01142 668655, gblackwell@fastmail.fm
SUNDAY 3 AUGUST & SUNDAY 31 AUGUST / 10.00&17.00
IMAGING SCIENCE DR TONY KAYE ASIS FRPS, 020 8420 6557 TONYKAYE(HOTMAIL.CO.UK MEDICAL DR AFZAL ANSARY ASIS FRPS, 07970 403672 AFZALANSARY(AOL.COM
SYMPOSIUM: IMAGES IN MEDICINE FOR PRODUCERS AND USERS
The Thames Valley Regional Members’ Exhibition is held on 12 October IMAGE: ARCTIC FOX IN SUMMER, GILLIAN MORGAN
SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER /09:30&16:30
TRAVEL
£35 (Non-members) £30 (RPS and IMI members) Clinical photographers and clinicians will discuss the production and use of images in areas such as ophthalmology, maxillofacial surgery and education. Event supported by The Wellcome Trust University of Westminster Dr Afzal Ansary FRPS, as above
KEITH POINTON LRPS, 01588640592 BAGPOINT(AOL.COM
MEMORIES OF MYANMAR SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30,16.00
All RPS members are welcome, but numbers are limited Discussing the recent Myanmar trips, as well as a wider discussion on travel photography. Showing and discussing prints, projected images, photobooks and opportunities for exhibition John Cucksey, 01263 740415, cucksey@btinternet.com RPS Headquarters, Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH
MEDICAL IMAGING: FOR PROCEDURES AND USERS SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER / 10.00&16.30
A full-day seminar for clinical photographers and clinicians Moorfields Eye Hospital, 162 City Road, London EC1V 2PD Dr Afzal Ansary FRPS, as above
WEEKEND IN CONWY
GO TO
NATURE MARGARET JOHNSON LRPS, 01159 265893 M.JOS(BTINTERNET.COM
FIELD MEETING AT MONKTON NATURE RESERVE
RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
10 AUGUST
Overseas Chapters AUSTRALIA Elaine Herbert ARPS, eherbert@ alphalink.com.au BENELUX Stephen Johns, Steve_johns@ me.com CANADA John Bradford, bradford@ vaxxine.com CHINA BEIJING Yan Li, yanli88@yahoo.com CHINA SHANGTUF
£3 (or £5 with a guided walk of the reserve, if there’s enough interest) Monkton Nature Reserve, Monkton, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 4LH James Foad LRPS, 07810 306365, jamesfoadlrps@inbox.com
Guo Jing, shangtuf@ yahoo.com.cn CHINA QUANZHOU Xiaoling Wang, hgudsh@163.com GERMANY Tony Cutler LRPS, aec.flynn@ t-online.de EXHIBITION The Germany Chapter is showing a collection of photographs from the Weiss project. 12 OCTOBER & 2 DECEMBER/ 10.00&16.00
494 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER & SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER
Free Conwy offers views of Snowdonia, bays to explore and sightseeing cruises that can be taken from the harbour Conwy LL32 8AJ Allan Hartley ARPS, 01524 261173, HartleyAlmal@aol.com
£4/£3 concession See the Visual Art Group’s work alongside images from the 152nd Edinburgh International Exhibition of Photography The Photographic Centre, 68 Great King Street, Edinburgh EH3 6QU Jay Charnock FRPS, jaypix@hotmail.co.uk
SOUTH"WEST VISUAL ART GROUP MEMBERS’ DAY SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10.30&16.00
£8/£5/£3 group members All participants can bring along 10 prints for discussion or simply come to observe The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL Linda Wevill FRPS, linda.wevill@btinternet.com
AUTUMN WEEKEND FRIDAY 3 OCTOBER & SUNDAY 6 OCTOBER
The Visual Art Group Autumn Weekend will take place this year in Birmingham. Full details and a booking form will be available shortly Hilton Garden Inn, Brindly Place, 1 Brunswick Square, Birmingham B1 2HW David Wood ARPS, wood.david.j@virgin.net
MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER & THURSDAY 15 JANUARY / 10.00&16.00
Free Royal United Hospital, Combe Park, Bath BA1 3NG Jay Charnock FRPS, jaypix@hotmail.co.uk
RPS MEMBERS AROUND THE WORLD
Rathausgalerie der Stadt Fröndenberg, Bahnhofstrasse 2, Fröndenberg/Ruhr, Germany, 58730 For more details contact Siegfried Rubbert LRPS, 0049 (0)2331 881511, siegfried@ rubbert.de HONG KONG Wan Shan Sang FRPS, shansangwan@ yahoocom.hk IBERIAN
PENINSULA Peter Mitchell, Peter.mitchell@sapo.pt INDIA Mr Rajen Nandwana, rajennandwana@ gmail.com INDONESIA Agatha Bunanta ARPS, agathabunanta@ gmail.com ITALY Olivio Argenti FRPS, info@rps-italy.org JAPAN TOKYO Yoshio Miyake, yoshio-raps@nifty.com
MALAYSIA Nick Ng, nickng6208@gmail. com MALTA Reuben Buhagiar, info@rubenbuhagiar. com NEW ZEALAND Ron McKie, ronmckie@paradise. net.nz SINGAPORE Steven Yee Pui Chung FRPS, peacock@ sandvengroup.com
SWITZERLAND Richard Tucker ARPS, tucker42@bluewin.ch TAIWAN Joanie Fan Hui Ling, ARPS, djpassionfoto@ gmail.com USA ATLANTIC CHAPTER Carl Lindgren, lindgren.carl@ gmail.com USA PACIFIC CHAPTER Jeff Barton, rps@vadis.net
| GUIDE | 495 Society Patronage
Council Report May 2014 FINANCE Geoff Blackwell circulated quarterly accounts. The Society’s income was ahead of budget but this included a £15k legacy. Overall he considered the position satisfactory. MEMBERSHIP Membership stood at 11,128. There was still a need to review the number who did not renew and this would be addressed by the Membership Committee after assessing who was leaving, their reasons and whether they were new or long-term members. Rod Wheelans introduced a paper on the potential of recruiting members from camera clubs. Council agreed to make material available to clubs, in particular material that could be incorporated in to a typical club evening. AWARDS Jo Macdonald advised that all recipients had been contacted and had indicated that they would be attending the ceremony. The Combined Royal Colleges committee would be asked to develop a strategy to improve the number of nominations. In future the Education Committee would be represented on the Awards Committee.
DOCUMENTATION Derek Birch confirmed that his work on the 2013 Annual Report was in hand. A draft would be circulated for comment with the aim of finalising it by June. STAFF AND MANAGEMENT MATTERS The Director-General reported that he and Nick Rogers had reviewed sabbaticals which formed part of the Society’s staff employment contract. The current scheme would be revised to return it to its original aims. DISTINCTIONS Council considered two requests from the Distinctions Advisory Board for new equipment and more information would be obtained to make a decision. A paper from Mike Hallett regarding the Creative Industries Qualification was considered and actions agreed. EXHIBITIONS Lesley Goode provided a statistical summary of entries to the International 157 Exhibition. More than 6,600 online submissions had been made and then the accepted entrants of 300 selected images for final judging of prints had been notified and a quote for catalogue printing had been requested from three companies. The opening would take place on 1 August.
MEMBER SHOWCASE The Royal Photographic Society headquarters, Bath
INTERNATIONAL IMAGES FOR SCIENCE EXHIBITION
AUGUST
24 SEPTEMBER & 31 OCTOBER
John Pollard FRPS See page 460
Part of Gravity Fields Festival, Grantham 24–29 September gravityfields.co.uk Belton House & Grantham Museum
International Images for Science Exhibition is on tour until 12 December
PATRONAGE HAS BEEN GRANTED TO THE FOLLOWING EXHIBITIONS AND SALONS 16TH INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SALON SIBIU 2014 Closing date: 15 August orizontfoto.ro THE 69TH HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL SALON OF PHOTOGRAPHY 2014 Closing date: 26 August pshk-photo.org.hk 35TH NORTHERN COUNTIES INTERNATIONAL SALON OF PHOTOGRAPHY 2014 Closing date: 28 August ncpf.org.uk 5TH PSA CHINA INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHY Closing date: 1 September salon.psachina.org 3RD WESTERN LIGURIA INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT 4TH CERVO PRIZE 29TH MALLARE PRIZE 17TH RANZI PRIZE 13TH SANREMO PRIZE 31ST TORRIA PRIZE Closing date: 6 October fotoponenteligure.it
The Director-General reported that The Society had been successful in securing funding for the next science exhibition. More details would be made available to the membership when a formal agreement had been signed. A second sponsorship bid, led by Garry Evans, was being prepared to support an outdoor exhibition in conjunction with the 2015 International Year of Light. EDUCATION, WORKSHOPS AND TRADE SHOWS The contract had been confirmed for The Society’s attendance at The Photography Show in 2015. An approach from Dave Healey and King Edward School, Birmingham, had led to The Society agreeing to provide certificates to children successfully completing a defined photography course and there were opportunities to extend this more widely. WEBSITE An overview of the website statistics was presented which showed a significant increase in traffic and use by members compared to the previous site. Emily Mathisen noted that some issues were outstanding with Unified Solutions and others were being dealt with.
40TH SMETHWICK INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHY Closing date: 10 November spsinternationalexhibition.com GLOBAL ARCTIC AWARDS Closing date: 20 November arcticawards.ru
Exhibitions LESLEY GOODE, EXHIBITIONS MANAGER 01225 325720, LESLEY(RPS.ORG
SEPTEMBER
Regional Organisers
IMAGE: TRIGGERING THE BIRTH OF STARS: 2010 BY NICHOLAS WRIGHT
INTERNATIONAL PRINT EXHIBITION 157 UNTIL 28 AUGUST
Berkeley Gallery, Greenwich Heritage Centre 6 SEPTEMBER & 8 NOVEMBER
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, West Wales
OCTOBER
6 NOVEMBER & 12 DECEMBER
22 NOVEMBER & 10 JANUARY 2015
Standing Stones and Stone Circles, Ron Callender FRPS & Paul Keene FRPS
Michael Heseltine Gallery, Chenderit School, Banbury
Banbury Museum & Art Gallery, Oxfordshire VOL 154 / AUGUST 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 495
THE RPS COLLECTION 496 | TIMES PAST | FROM
Driving change
Janine Freeston on Female tram driver, First World War (1916), by Horace W Nicholls
H
orace W Nicholls (1867 to 1941) was a secondgeneration commercial photographer who was creative, enterprising and adventurous. By the age of 20 he had begun to travel internationally, working in Chile and Africa. It was in South Africa at the turn of the century that he began a career as a photographic war correspondent, covering the
advent of the Boer War. On his return to England he maximised the potential of his vast library of negatives, selling carbon prints that documented the everyday life of soldiers in Britain and South Africa, and making considerable profits for both war charities and himself. He expanded his repertoire of stock images with a series of prints capturing popular Edwardian social and sporting
496 / THE RPS JOURNAL / AUGUST 2014 / VOL 154
Horace W Nicholls (1867-1941)
events, some of which were published by Tatler and the Illustrated London News. Too old to go to the front at the outbreak of the First World War, he offered his skills to the Department of Information; and following ‘the great right to serve’ march of 1915, when many women took on the jobs vacated by the men who had enlisted, Nicholls made a powerful series of images recording the female war workers for the Imperial War Museum’s records. The Department of Transport at this point was employing 100,000 more women than it had before the war. Up until 1914, many of these women would have been in domestic service, and female drivers were few and far between. Now, though, with the men on the battlefield, it was no longer a novelty to see a woman in control of a bus or tram. The soft-featured tram driver in this image dominates the frame, her hands gripping the controls firmly as she looks directly at the camera. Nicholls presents her, no longer a shy maid with eyes averted, but a proud, capable and confident woman in the face of adversity and social change. By emphasising the dynamic range of tones, he encapsulates her empowerment, just as he did with the many other women he photographed in the series. There are 250,000 images in the Royal Photographic Society collection at the National Media Museum.
ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY COLLECTION/NATIONAL MEDIA MUSEUM; ALAMY
SHE DOMINATES THE FRAME, GRIPPING THE CONTROLS AS SHE LOOKS DIRECTLY AT THE CAMERA
MOVE INTO A NEW WORLD
Image courtesy of Damian McGillicuddy
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