LATEST DISTINCTIONS
UNDERWATER IMPACT
STUNNING IMAGES FROM ROB WHITE’S LRPS PANEL
JUNE 2015 / VOLUME 155 / NUMBER 6 / WWW.RPS.ORG
MY BEST SHOTS
BLEEDING LONDON
LIVING THE HOW SOCIETY HIGH LIFE WITH MEMBERS CAUGHT JOHN SWANNELL THE CAPITAL
© YERVANT
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OPENING SHOT
| JUNE 2015 | 401
HIGH SOCIETY, SOCIETY HIGHLIGHTS
A COMING UP
IN FUTURE ISSUES Our pick of the potential stars of the future in a graduate portfolio special; tips on Photoshop wizardry from member Leigh Eros and a look back at the iconic work of Bert Hardy
s we went to print, London was (possibly) creaking at the seams with keen photography fans, gathering at Somerset House for the relaunched Photo London weekend. Our contributing editor Geoff Harris LRPS headed along to see whether the event has lived up to the hype; you can read more from him in the next issue. London, however, has been the focus of certain Society members for far longer than a couple of days. Del Barrett ARPS, organiser of the Society’s London Region, has spent many weeks and months leading the Bleeding London project – a massively ambitious enterprise that has captured the capital; street by street, image by image. I heard Del speak about the project late last year and was bowled over by her enthusiasm, not just for her home city but for the ability of photography to draw together disparate folk in a common aim. Turn to page 430 to find out how the project grew legs, and why three of the ‘Bleeding Londoners’, as they have dubbed themselves, got caught up in the drive to document our capital. From the pavement to the palace… it’s
perhaps an appropriate issue in which to feature John Swannell HonFRPS, who made his name with classic portraits of actors, models and royals (page 448). We asked if he’s had the call to photograph Prince George or Princess Charlotte yet, but he’s still to hear. A fascinating man, and a brilliant photographer – I hope you enjoy reading his story as much as I did. On a more prosaic note, don’t miss our feature on the Society’s new Online Advice service (page 428); a great development which means you can upload your images directly to the Society’s website and receive advice on prospective Distinctions portfolios. Also online, the Journal now has its very own page on the website (rps.org/rps-journals) where we’ll be posting regular blogs on what we’re up to.
CLARE HARRIS Editor
MIKE WILKINSON
PATRON AND SPONSORS
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402 | JUNE 2015
IN THIS ISSUE 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 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
430 Street life: highlights from the ambitious photography project Bleeding London
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
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Contributing editors Gavin Stoker, Geoff Harris LRPS
Life in Colour: the winning entries in the HIPA 2015 competition
Design Matthew Ball, Alistair McGown, Katherine Pentney Sub-editor Sam Bartlett
FEATURES
Advertising Sales Daniel Haynes daniel.haynes@thinkpublishing.co.uk
430 | PAVED WITH GOLD A year documenting the capital's streets for Bleeding London
020 3771 7214 Publisher John Innes john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk Š 2015 The Royal Photographic Society. All rights reserved. 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.
442 | HISTORY REPEATING How Scottish pioneers were able to drive the medium of photography to enduring heights 448 | A RIGHT ROYAL CAREER Access all areas with John Swannell HonFRPS
ISSN: 1468-8670
Cover Rob White LRPS, Whale shark below
462 Lindsay Dobson ARPS shares her tips for capturing great animal images
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454 | MEMBER SHOWCASE Joanie Fan Hui Ling FRPS's images of Nepalese pilgrims
E1 BRUSHFIELD STREET, ANTONIO CABALLERO REYES; COCKREL, LINDSAY DOBSON ARPS
436 | LIFE IN COLOUR High-impact highlights from the latest HIPA winners
THE CRAFT
EVERY MONTH
459 | MUST TRY + LATEST KIT DJI's broadcast-quality drone and a range of new gear reviewed
UNKNOWN LITTLE GIRL SITTING ON A STRIPED CUSHION, BY ROSS % THOMSON OF EDINBURGH © HOWARTH&LOOMES COLLECTION AT NATIONAL MUSEUMS SCOTLAND
462 | IN DEPTH/MASTERCLASS Watch the birdie: the lowdown on taking exceptional animal images 466 | MY FAVOURITE CAMERA Harry Cory Wright's 10x8
404 | BIG PICTURE Tabatha Fireman's Glastonbury 407 | IN FOCUS All the latest news 417 | BOOKS Andrew Lawson's The Gardener’s Book of Colour gets a revision 418 | DISTINCTIONS Paula Horrobin's ARPS and Rob White's LRPS panels 471 | MEMBER GUIDE A host of events, workshops, talks, meetings and more
442 A major exhibition celebrates Scotland's key role in photography's development
480 | TIMES PAST Back to 1854 with Linnaeus Tripe VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 403
TABATHA FIREMAN/REDFERNS VIA GETTY IMAGES
404 | BIG PICTURE |
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Glastonbury Festival By Tabatha Fireman
THE SHOOT This photograph was taken while on assignment for Redferns, which is Getty Images’ live music brand. I have been photographing Glastonbury Festival professionally for Redferns since 2008. I love that festival – it is by far the best visually, whatever the weather. This picture was taken when I was rushing through the festival, in the rain, from one stage to another to photograph the next band on my shot list. APPROACH I had to stop to do a quick point-and-shoot for this one. Being a mum of young children myself, I totally empathise with this lovely festival family. I’m not sure that I would brave Glastonbury with my children so young but this family do it in style, with their fantastic attire brightening things up through the mud. EQUIPMENT I currently shoot with a Nikon D700 with Nikkor lens combination 17-35mm AF-S 2.8, 28-70mm AF-S 2.8 and 80-200 AF-D 2.8 with an SB-800. TIPS My advice to anyone attending this festival would be to take a camera with you, whatever it may be, and enjoy. The festival really is as colourful as you will have seen in all the pictures. Just remember to take your wet weather equipment covers. And a lot of memory cards.
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IN NEWS, VIEWS, EXHIBITIONS AND MEMBER INSIGHT
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT We speak to a Society volunteer 410
WHAT NOT TO MISS The best exhibitions round the UK 412
PHOTOBOOK BRISTOL Festival celebrates its second edition 415
FOCUS WRIGHT STUFF: TATE TAKES 100
Display plans for photographic portraits of artists taken by Society member Some 100 portraits of British artists, including David Hockney and Gilbert and George, have been acquired by the Tate archive. The photographs were taken by 21-year-old art student and Society member Josh Wright, who began the project when he was 16. ‘It has been difficult as a young, unknown artist, but the Tate has been very helpful. They were genuinely excited by the project,’ he says. The Tate anticipates displaying a selection from the project and using the photographs in publications. ‘I was really surprised when I met Nicholas Serota [Tate director] and he suggested the work could be shown in the members’ room at Tate Modern. Being a Tate member myself, it would be so incredible to see my work on display there.’
JOSH WRIGHT; © JOY FINZI
tate.org.uk/research/archive
Artist duo Tim Noble and Sue Webster, and inset, Josh Wright
INSIGHT
BEST SHOTS
JOHN SWANNELL HonFRPS REVEALS HOW BREAKING HIS MENTOR’S CAMERA PROVED A GOOD CAREER MOVE PAGE 448 VOL 155 / MAY 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 407
408 | IN FOCUS |
DRESSED FOR BATTLE
Sam Faulkner’s images of Waterloo reenactors go on show at Somerset House
Since 2009, Society member Sam Faulkner has been photographing participants at the yearly Battle of Waterloo reenactment. This month, to coincide with the bicentenary of the conflict, he will display a selection from the series in a solo exhibition at Somerset House in London. Using a makeshift studio, Faulkner took some 300 pictures of reenactors from all round the world who every year gather in a field in Belgium to recreate the clash. ‘My background is documentary photography and I wanted to shoot something a bit different,’ says Faulkner. ‘Waterloo was the last European battle before the invention of photography and by the time the Crimean war came along, there was war photography. I wanted to create images that might have existed in 1815 had photography been invented half a century earlier.’ Unseen Waterloo: The Conflict Revisited is at Somerset House from 12 June-30 August. An accompanying book is available for £50 + p&p. For details visit unseenwaterloo.co.uk
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| IN FOCUS | 409
MARRIAGE OF SKILLS AND ENTHUSIASM One-day course aims to reveal top wedding photography tips An award-winning wedding photographer is offering a one-day course in which he will reveal the techniques and tips that have won him a raft of accolades, including five at the 2012 National Photographic Awards. Stuart Wood’s Wedding Photography Workshop is at Thrumpton Hall, Nottingham, on 7 October. Wood was a people and portrait photographer for national magazines, advertising
and TV before moving into weddings. ‘I’m going to show some high-end techniques that have got me recommended by some of the top wedding venues in the UK,’ Wood says. ‘It’s about great lighting, posing, composition, and working the location. Average locations are one thing, but it’s easy to get overawed by very grand venues. All lighting equipment is provided.’ For more information or to book go to bit.ly/stuartwood
FROM UNSEEN WATERLOO, SAM FAULKNER; STUART WOOD; DR MICHAEL PRITCHARD FRPS
AWARDS
SOCIETY MEMBER SPRINGS INTO THIRD Society member Philip Field ARPS has come among the podium places in a section of an international competition with his image Spring Lambs, pictured. Field’s image was placed third by judges in the Ten Acre ‘Food in the Field’ category at the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2015 competition. The overall winner was a shot of a cigarette-smoking
street chef, preparing chicken at a Kuala Lumpur market, that was taken by Australian photographer David Griffen. He received £5,000. ‘The composition is fantastic,’ says Jay Rayner, food writer and chair of the judges, of Griffen’s entry. To read more about the world of food photography, check out the next issue of the Journal, where we hear from industry pro Jeff Vickers FRPS.
FROM THE PRESIDENT
REGIONAL RECOGNITION July meeting aims to build on best practice
L
ast month there was another excellent Regional event in Scotland, the Dunfermline Weekend on 16 and 17 May at the Carnegie Conference Centre. It was organised by James Frost FRPS, our Scottish Regional Organiser, who was able to bring together a range of speakers including two of our recent awards recipients: Ian Beesley who gained HonFRPS in 2012, and Jon Tonks, who received the Vic Odden Award in 2014. The wide range of topics represented the Society’s interest in the art and science of photography, including nature, history and a superb range of presentations by specialist photographers. James also invited me to talk on some of my experiences in the science of pre-digital photography when I worked in Kodak Ltd’s research department. We were also able to recognise the Region’s recent Distinctions recipients and to see the Scottish Members’ Print Exhibition. The Region holds events throughout Scotland, supporting all its members, and their 2014 Members’ Exhibition was
held at seven locations, including Inverness and Aberdeen. Another Region, London, will be holding an important event next month: the launch of the exhibition of works from the Bleeding London project at the City Hall. There had been relatively few London-based regional activities in the past, but the appointment of Del Barrett ARPS as the London Regional Organiser has seen the introduction of photography events, meetings, competitions and presentations. Del Barrett, like all organisers, is key to the success of the Region. Turn to page 430 to read more about the ‘most ambitious photo project that the capital has ever seen’. All Regional Organisers are invited to a meeting in Birmingham in July arranged by the Membership Committee for the opportunity to share practical ideas for Regions, to bring Distinctions events to members and to work with Special Interest Groups. With July’s Journal you will receive your voting forms for the Society’s biennial elections. Details will be shared in this form about those who have been nominated and you are encouraged to take part in the vote.
DEREK BIRCH ASIS HonFRPS President of The Royal Photographic Society
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410 | IN FOCUS | NEWS IN BRIEF
NEWS IN BRIEF
Boy on Cliff Top by Sian Davey, from IPE 157
VISUAL LITERACY Abbie Trayler-Smith is unable to take part in this year’s Visual Literacy Lectures at Ravensbourne College. Her place will be taken by documentary photographer Kajal Nisha Patel. Tickets are also available for the symposium on women in photography on 13 June at Westminster College. For more, visit bit.ly/RPSvisualliteracy OBITUARY Teresa Krystyna Szulęcka was born in 1944 in the Polish town of Radomie, in what is now Ukraine. She moved to England in 1974 and trained as a clinical psychiatrist. After retiring in 1999, she pursued her passion for photography and gained the Society’s Associate Distinction in 2004. Krystyna lost her battle with pancreatic cancer in December 2014. Her work can still be seen at clikc.co.uk. A fuller obituary is at rps.org
IAN WILSON ARPS The Society relies on its army of volunteers. This month, meet Ian Wilson ARPS, Regional Organiser for East Anglia In the late 90s I began to take photography seriously and attended a couple of regional events, but nothing much was happening. Then my predecessor, Joy Hancock FRPS, took over – she breathed new life into the East Anglia region and I started to go along more. I first got involved as a volunteer at Distinctions Advisory Days, and took over as Regional Organiser (RO) in March 2013 when Joy retired. It’s a lot of work as I am still
Life in the Turbine Hall, top, as photographed by Ian Wilson ARPS, above
working (most of my fellow ROs are retired) but I really enjoy it. I got involved with the Society because the members I spoke to when I was starting out were really helpful and encouraging. I set myself the challenge of going through the Distinctions process, which was incredibly worthwhile, and I want to help others do the
same – volunteering is partly about giving back what I received. It’s important to ensure plenty is going on for members in East Anglia, as Fenton House can otherwise seem quite remote. We have about 740 members – and still growing. For more on the East Anglia region, see rps.org/anglia
POSTGRADUATE BURSARY The deadline for applications for the Society’s Postgraduate Bursary is 30 June. Visit rps. org/learning/project-funding CORRECTION In the article ‘Member sheds light on dementia’ we stated said that ‘One in 14 people has dementia’. This should have read ‘One in 14 people over 65 has dementia’.
theimagefile.com/try 0208 166 5688
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IAN WILSON ARPS; CHRIS FELL LRPS
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
| IN FOCUS | 411 365 WINNERS URBAN VISTA By Liz Hardley LRPS The image was taken in December last year when I was visiting Singapore on holiday. The country has some amazing urban architecture and this shot was one of several taken in the photogenic Marina Bay area. It was shot hand-held on a Nikon D700, 1/500s, f/11, ISO 200, with a Nikon ED AF-S VR Nikkor 70-200mm 1:2.8G lens at 200mm. It has been cropped into a square format with post-production in Photoshop CS6 and Nik software.
ENTER NOW Submit photographs for the next competition at rps-365.org
PHOTOGRAPHING ARCHITECTURE
April’s online competition winners
THE LOTUS TEMPLE By John Timbrell ARPS This image shows the Lotus Temple, Delhi, from the road. The building had a slightly pink tinge, but I saw it as a black-andwhite image and thus converted it in Photoshop,
increased the contrast and darkened the sky to give the effect of a red filter. The flock of birds flying around the temple completed the picture. It’s a digital image taken with a Lumix GF1 and 45-200mm lens.
THE EDGE By Mark Chamberlain This picture was taken on the longest day of the year, 2014. I wanted to do a sunrise along the Thames, so that meant leaving home at 3.30am to arrive in time. Sadly the Great British weather gave us no sun at all so I decided to have a go at some architectural work in the More London estates. I wanted to capture a long exposure but using tripods in this area can be quite tricky, so it was just a hand-held shot up the edge of the Ernst and Young Building.
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412 | IN FOCUS | WHAT NOT TO MISS CHALKIE DAVIES: THE NME YEARS National Museum Cardiff UNTIL 6 SEPTEMBER
Photographs of musicians from the 1970s and 1980s, taken by NME photographer Chalkie Davies, including The Clash, Sex Pistols, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Thin Lizzy. This retrospective features a largely unseen collection of 64 blackand-white images. museumwales.ac.uk
ANNA ATKINS AND MARGARET WATKINS Stills Gallery, Edinburgh UNTIL 12 JULY
19 JUNE(1 NOVEMBER
The first major exhibition dedicated to Christina
Broom, widely considered to be the UK’s first female press photographer, opens in London this month. She began her photographic career at the age of 40 when she published her first news photographs as postcards, working at a time of great social
and political change. The exhibition will feature a cross-section of Broom’s work, including many photographs that have never been on public display, original glass-plate negatives and a range of personal possessions. museumoflondon.org.uk
As part of a season of photography in Scotland this summer, Stills is showing work by two major figures from the history of photography, including pioneer Anna Atkins (1799-1871), best known for her cyanotypes of botanical specimens. stills.org JUNE ONWARDS
ALSO SHOWING
RIVIERA STYLE: RESORT ! SWIMWEAR SINCE 1900 Fashion and Textile Museum, London UNTIL 30 AUGUST
From the English coast to the Côte d’Azur and California, Riviera Style celebrates seaside fashion through 100 years of clothing for leisure, including sarongs, boat-neck Bretons, bikinis and burkinis. The exhibition includes a host of iconic photographs. ftmlondon.org
THE SLATE SEA Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno UNTIL 5 JULY
Zed Nelson HonFRPS joined a film-maker and six Welsh poets to visit Snowdonia, and the seaside and slate towns of north Wales. The result of what they saw and heard is this exhibition, which includes memorabilia from north Wales as a popular holiday destination, particularly for workers from the industrial Midlands. mostyn.org
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NEW WORK FROM OLD FELLOWS Discovery Point Cafe Gallery, Dundee 13 JULY TO 8 OCTOBER
Images by Neil Scott and Stan Farrow, both Society Fellows, including much of their recent still-life and abstract work. ‘We have tried to assemble a portfolio of images that is varied and visually pleasing,’ says Farrow. stanfarrowphotography.co.uk and neilscottphotos.co.uk
Andre Kertesz in Europe James Hyman Gallery, London Until 13 June Richard Billingham: Panoramic Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne Until 28 June Urban Suburban Canberra Museum and Gallery, Australia. Until 21 June Guardians of the Areng Valley Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest, Kent Until 6 September Revelations: Experiments in Photography Media Space, Science Museum, London. Until 13 September
SUFFRAGETTE CHRISTABEL PANKHURST, CHRISTINA BROOM, 1909; THE CLASH, CHALKIE DAVIES; PTILOTA SERICEA, )CIRCA 1843+ CYANOTYPE, ANNA ATKINS © CSG CIC GLASGOW MUSEUMS COLLECTION; FIG AND SPOON, STAN FARROW FRPS; ZED NELSON; FROM RIVIERA STYLE © LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
SOLDIERS AND SUFFRAGETTES: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF CHRISTINA BROOM Museum of London Docklands
414 | IN FOCUS | DOCUMENTARY We speak to Group chair Maureen Connelly LRPS
Objectives To promote documentary photography in its widest forms, to enable members and nonmembers to meet one another through events, educate through workshops, and to have fun. Greatest achievements In 2014 the Group had a major project to commemorate WWI,
An image by Carol Allen-Storey of Yusufu in Goma, DR Congo
DISTINCTIONS SUCCESSES Well done to all the members on their recent achievements
LRPS 15/04/15 Paul Baxter, Surrey Karen Helle Bhamra, Middlesex Ania Dudzinska-Taylo, Middlesex Patricia Gibson, Surrey Martin Grayling, Suffolk William David Grey, Glamorgan James Hardy, Lancashire David Harris, London Gillian Haynes, Worcestershire Shirley Maria Johnson, Wiltshire Kerto Koppel-Catlin, Berkshire Steve Lenaerts, Surrey Sylvia Moorhouse, Surrey Richard O’Hare, Somerset Patrick Ryan, Ireland Stephanie Selwyn, Dorset Chris Stock, Hampshire Jill Taylor, Vaud Raymond Urwin, Kent
LRPS 16/04/15 Robert Bryant, Gloucestershire Adrian Court, Buckinghamshire Jennifer Ellis, Glamorgan Simon Ellis, Berkshire Judith Hicks, Greater London David James, Andalucia Guo Jing, Beijing Timothy Digby Lawson, Surrey Andy Lock, Worcestershire Lisa Lucas, Berkshire Gary Margetts, Surrey Graham Wakefield, Gloucestershire Zhou Yu Qi, Beijing LRPS 05/15 Tony Burgum, Cleveland Fiona Cadger, Berwickshire Mark Corpe, County Durham Sarah Cowan, Yorkshire Alan Gray, Clackmannanshire Roger Hinton,
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Image: Tony Burgum LRPS
Aberdeenshire Mark Janes, Ross-shire Malcolm Jarvis, West Yorkshire Maggie Jary, Northumberland Helen Jones, North Yorkshire Alan William Kennedy, Selkirkshire Paul McMahon, Belfast Liana Mitrea, Aberdeenshire George Michael Mundy, Northumberland Malcolm Pumphrey, Cleveland Estelle Rew-Dixon, Cheshire
George Best by Sefton Samuels FRPS
culminating in an exhibition at the Winchester Discovery Centre and a symposium on war photography. For the last three years there’s been a DVJ Documentary Photographer of the Year competition, and the first edition of the Group’s e-journal has recently been published. See: bit.ly/DVJ_April Notable members Among the Group’s ranks are Sefton Samuels FRPS, whose book Northerners was published in 2011, and Carol Allen-Storey, who specialises in chronicling complex humanitarian and social issues.
Janet Salmon, Durham Ian Skinner, Aberdeenshire Sandra Taylor, Newcastle Upon Tyne Keith Thorburn, Midlothian James Whyte, Inverness-shire ARPS TRAVEL 04/15 Colin Barratt, London Alison Johnson, Essex Francesco Merella, London ARPS EXEMPTION 04/15 Carsten Evans, Herefordshire Bob Mayo, Cumbria Alaina Jayne Thornton, Dorset Brian Williams, Cheshire ARPS CONCEPTUAL * CONTEMPORARY 05/15 Mike Chopra-Gant, London Anne Marie Johnston, Lancashire Steve Kingswell, Surrey
George Parapadakis, Buckinghamshire Susan Stewart, Durham Neil Wittmann, West Yorkshire ARPS APPLIED 05/15 Vivien Cotton, West Lothian Philip Field, Somerset John Lees, Devon Ian Montague, Kent Anthony Oliver, Wiltshire Chris Ryan, Surrey Chun Lai Tse, Hong Kong LRPS EXEMPTIONS 05/15 Kevin Johnston, East Lothian Deborah Parsons, Staffordshire Sara Phipps, Middlesex ARPS EXEMPTIONS 05/15 Jane Dickinson, Powys Janine Freeston, Oxfordshire Nick Palliser, Wiltshire
YUSUFU , CROSS BORDER TRANSPORTER, GOMA, DEMOCRATIC REOUBLIC OF THE CONGO 31 MAY 2013, CAROL ALLEN-STOREY; GEORGE BEST, SEFTON SAMUELS FRPS; TULA, A PALLAS CAT TAKEN AT WHF MAIDSTONE, KENT, TONY BURGUM LRPS
Potted history Established in 1957 as the Photojournalism Group, the early incarnation of the Documentary Group was as a forum for professional photojournalists. In 1975 it became the Visual Journalism Group to incorporate film and television journalists. In 2010, with a new committee under Lionel Squires ARPS and Del Barrett ARPS, it was renamed the Documentary and Visual Journalism Group. It now has more than 400 members. At the recent AGM it was agreed to request Council to change the name to the Documentary Group.
GROUP FOCUS
| IN FOCUS | 415 DG’S DIARY
PHOTOBOOK BRISTOL: CHAPTER TWO West Country welcomes back major photobook event
PHOTOBOOK BRISTOL, SARAH PRESTON; FROM A MYTH OF TWO SOULS; VASANTHA YOGANANTHAN
Following the success of last year’s festival, Photobook Bristol returns to the city’s Southbank Club from 12-14 June, and participants will include Martin Parr HonFRPS, Jem Southam HonFRPS, Daniel Meadows HonFRPS, Liz Hingley and Anna Fox. ‘Last year’s festival was the UK’s first such event, with over 100 attendees, 30 speakers and 22 photobook sales stalls,’ says organiser Brian Steptoe FRPS. ‘Many had travelled
AWARD WINNER INSPIRED BY HINDU EPIC French Sri-Lankan photographer Vasantha Yogananthan, who exhibited in the Society’s International Print Exhibition 157, has won an IdeasTap and Magnum Photography Award for his project A Myth of Two Souls, based on the Hindu epic poem the Ramayana. Vasantha won a £5,000 grant. See vasantha.fr
An enthusiast gets to grips with a photobook, top. Above: Jesus Mico on stage
from Europe and even the USA to attend, reflecting the significance of the topic outside our own shores.’ Steptoe is leading a team planning a Society Open International Photobook
exhibition for autumn 2016 – details to come. Buy tickets for the event at photobookbristol.com or email photobook.bristol@gmail.com for more information
DIGITAL DISCOVERIES The Society has made great strides in its understanding of social media in recent years. This month there was more training for staff to learn how to make better use of social media and how the Society can further enhance this – work that we will continue. EURO VISIONS Craig Bird and Jeremy Roy from Tetenal visited Fenton House with prints from their European photography competition for us to judge, and select winners across the various categories. The range of quality work, which all used traditional film and darkroom techniques, was stunning. After several hours we came up with the winners who will go forward to compete against those from other countries. It will be interesting to see if our selections come out on top. THE PRINTS OF WINDSOR The range of meetings organised by the Society’s groups and regions is impressive and I was fortunate to see the photography collection held at Windsor Castle, which the Historical Group had arranged. Our behind-thescenes tour was led by senior curator Dr Sophie Gordon and we got to see and handle some wonderful prints.
DR MICHAEL PRITCHARD FRPS Director-General of The Royal Photographic Society VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 415
BOOK REVIEWS
| IN FOCUS | 417
PLAYGROUND James Mollison Aperture (£20) British documentary photographer James Mollison has a quirky and eclectic eye, and has shot everything from rock fans to apes and children’s bedrooms all over the world. He returns to the theme of kids for this engrossing work, which focuses on school playgrounds. Mollison set up his camera during school breaks, taking multiple frames in order to reveal various narratives behind children at play. The wealth gap between many of these countries is painfully obvious, but Mollison is never preachy. JOHN FLEMING ARPS
Earthly delight: the book is essentially ‘a study of how to put colours together in beds, borders and containers’
BLOOMING GREAT
A revised edition of the classic guide for garden lovers
ANDREW LAWSON
THE GARDENER’S BOOK OF COLOUR Andrew Lawson Pimpernel Press (£25) While you don’t need to be a prizewinning gardener to be a good garden photographer, you do need to have an understanding of plants and flowers and how their colours and shapes can work together to create great imagery. Gardeners sometimes struggle to explain what they do for the benefit of photographers, but with this revised edition of The Gardener’s Book of Colour we have the best of all worlds. As well as being a highly skilled gardener and gardening writer, Andrew Lawson won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gold Medal for Photography, so he’s perfectly placed to help photographers make sense of the theory and practice of horticulture. This is not specifically a book about garden photography; rather, it’s a study of how to put colours together in beds, borders and containers. Even so, I feel it’s an essential addition to any serious garden photographer’s library. The author begins with a reminder of the power of colour and a lucid explanation of the colour wheel, helping the reader to see which
colours work with or against one another for creative effect. All photographers will find this section helpful, not just devotees of plants and flowers. As Lawson explains: ‘Nature gives us a way in which we can arrange colours in order and establish relationships between them.’ He then considers how to garden with single colours and mixed colours, providing plenty of practical examples and exhaustive plant directories. As mentioned, this is not a book about garden photography per se, so don’t expect any discussion of camera bodies, lenses or specialist accessories such as the Wimberley Plamp. I don’t see this as a major problem, as this information can be easily gleaned from other sources, be they print or digital. Perhaps a bigger drawback is the lack of consideration given to digital cameras, which reflects the 1996 publication date of the original book. Again, though, not a major problem for this reviewer as the principles of good garden photography apply whether you shoot film or digital. The Gardener’s Book of Colour is a very timely and instructive read, especially now our gardens are starting to look their best. DUNCAN HEATHER ARPS
PORTRAITS IN LACE: BRETON WOMEN Charles Fréger Thames and Hudson (£24.95) You don’t need long-haul flights to find interesting tribes, as this book reveals. Charles Fréger captures the female ‘folk revivalists’ in the isolated villages and towns of Brittany, who proudly wear the costumes of their ancestors. The photographic approach is highly imaginative – the women sit in front of gauze, which bleaches out the landscape behind them in a melancholy, dreamlike way. JANE NORTON
HEARTHS OF RESISTANCE John Vink Available from Apple iTunes (£4.49) With the Khmer Rouge a distant memory, you don’t see as much documentary work coming out of Cambodia as you did in the 1970s, but Magnum member John Vink redresses the balance with this masterful study of the social and political turmoil following the 2013 elections. Vink uses a mixture of colour and black-and-white imagery to show hard-pressed people standing up for their rights, also adding video to the mix. GEOFF HARRIS LRPS
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418 | JUNE WHAT ARE DISTINCTIONS?
Distinctions are standards of achievement recognised throughout the world
Paula Horrobin ARPS Pictorial
A subtle study of light and shade
LRPS Applicants need to show good photographic competence in five key areas
ARPS Evidence of a creative ability and personal style, plus complete control of the technical aspects of photography
FRPS Our highest Distinction is given for excellence and a distinguished ability in photography
GREENHOUSE IMAGES were the first and regular interest for me from the beginning. The choice of patterns in the structures and plants allowed me to explore different ways of seeing, while the occasional burst of sunlight often added an interesting new dimension; I particularly liked the way the light and
shade brought drama to an otherwise controlled environment. This often created challenging contrast which would need an exposure reduction to protect the delicate light tones in white woodwork and lime-washed walls. Initially I had no intention of working towards a Distinction but the subject
proved to be a natural choice for my Associate panel as I knew I could maintain an interest over several years if necessary. It actually required two years of concentrated effort to produce a suitable panel although I did favour winter, spring and autumn light rather than high summer. I worked mostly in
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Opposite page and above: Paula Horrobin’s images catch the changing light in a greenhouse setting
programme mode and used auto ISO, although occasionally I would use aperture priority at f/11 to increase depth of field. I preferred to take handheld images, which gave me instant flexibility of
viewpoint, usually with a 24mm prime lens to simplify the choice of perspective. Belonging to an appropriate camera club, in my case at Cambridge, where I could get sound advice on images and panelling was very beneficial, as was attending the Society’s advisory days – first as an observer, then as a participant.
ASSESSOR’S VIEW
PETER PATERSON FRPS CHAIR, PICTORIAL PANEL The first of the Pictorial Distinctions assessments took place in March, giving the opportunity for photographers to express their vision pictorially within the Visual Art umbrella. Paula’s portfolio followed
the criteria very well, presenting to the panel members within her chosen subject a wide variety of technique and vision using the light coming through the greenhouse to create a set of images showing the intricate shadows and textures produced by that without being repetitive. Within the panel there
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HORROBIN ARPS 420 | DISTINCTIONS | PAULA
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Clockwise from above: Horrobin used a 24mm prime lens for most of her images
FACTFILE
Paula Horrobin ARPS took up photography in 2010, and was awarded her Licentiate in 2011. She is a member of Cambridge Camera Club. VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 421
HORROBIN ARPS 422 | DISTINCTIONS | PAULA
were also images exploring the smaller details in the greenhouse, like drain covers and cords for opening the vents, the skeletal forms of the plants against the white walls and images taken through the textured glass, softening the colour – all showing us that Paula had skilfully made the most of the available subject matter. Panelling of the images was also well thought out,
balancing the detail and textures with the wider views of the greenhouse structure. The soft, muted colours also worked well, making it a very cohesive panel of images printed to the standard expected at this level. This panel filled the brief of the Pictorial category, from the concept through to the execution and the presentation worthy of an ARPS.
Below and right: The photographer’s preferred technique was hand-held
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HANGING PLAN
‘She had skilfully made the most of the available subject matter’
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WHITE LRPS 424 | DISTINCTIONS | ROB
Rob White LRPS
Sea life seen in all its glory IN 1997 I TOOK UP SCUBA diving as a hobby, deciding in 2005 that I’d like to teach others. In that same year, I took a digital camera in a waterproof housing on a holiday to the Philippines and my obsession with underwater photography began. I’ve since moved up to a DSLR and these days love taking photos above the water almost as much as below it. As I work as a software engineer, at an office desk in semi-darkness during the week, I enjoy taking photos of sweeping vistas, landscapes, seascapes and images that give a sense of scale. I’ll often include sunlight too. When choosing images for my panel, I looked through my portfolio and shortlisted about 150 I thought worth considering. I narrowed the shortlist down by focusing on images which showed a variety of techniques, eventually coming up with an ‘aquatic’ theme, finalising my selection based on images which featured water. I hope my underwater images demonstrate not only an appreciation for the beauty of marine life but also an ability to be comfortable within that environment. Without the training and practice I’ve had, I suspect I’d be a liability – not only to myself but also to my buddies and the wildlife around me. The images were all taken in the past two years. I’ve tried to include underwater images from the UK, as people tend to assume we have very little that they’d consider photo-worthy around our shores, but this is far from the case. 424 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JUNE 2015 / VOL 155
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Grey Seal in Sunlight, Lundy Island, UK. Canon 550D, Nauticam underwater housing, two Inon Z-240 u/w strobes. Tokina 10-17mm lens @ 12mm
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WHITE LRPS 426 | DISTINCTIONS | ROB
FACTFILE
Rob White LRPS is a software engineer based near Brighton. A keen scuba diver and scuba diving instructor, he has been taking underwater photos since 2005 and enjoys working above the water too
Clockwise from top right: Under/over dive boat on coral reef, Red Sea. Canon 550D, Nauticam underwater housing, two Inon Z-240 u/w strobes. Tokina 10-17mm lens @ 10mm behind a Zen mini-dome u/w port; Fish in anemone, Maldives. Canon 550D, Nauticam u/w housing, two Inon Z-240 u/w strobes, Canon 100mm macro lens; Old rope and groyne on Shoreham Beach. Canon 550D, Lee Big Stopper filter, tripod, Canon 10-22mm lens @ 15mm; Hermit Crab, Plymouth. Canon 550D, Nauticam u/w housing, two Inon Z-240 u/w strobes, Canon 60mm macro lens 426 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JUNE 2015 / VOL 155
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ASSESSOR’S VIEW
HANGING PLAN
‘Rob’s vision and technique are faultless. The images were superbly printed and the panel balanced, presented in a way that maximised potential‘
LEO PALMER FRPS CHAIR, LICENTIATE PANEL One of the keys to success in a Licentiate submission is variety. There is a misconception that variety must mean, for example, a portrait, a landscape, a still life, sports shot etc. And although most applicants follow this route successfully, variety can also be shown in a more specific subject area. However, when working within a specialised area the ingredients of variety of approach and technique are essential, and Rob’s panel is a great example of someone photographing a subject close to their heart but still managing to capture images that show a range of technique and an excellent understanding of lighting. The images tell a story of the location and life above and below the waves. They were all exceptionally well composed. That, along with appropriate lighting conditions, enhanced the subjects. The underwater shots were exciting and not just simple records of the species; they had a vitality that brought the creatures to life. They were clearly the work of a photographer with great empathy with his subject. Rob’s vision and technique are faultless, and cover a wide range of skills. The images were superbly printed and the panel balanced, presented in a way that maximised potential. I believe it is important to submit a panel in a tight discipline if that is what you enjoy doing. Remember, in a Licentiate submission, it is essential to show variety of approach and technique. Rob did just that. We had no hesitation recommending his stunning set of prints for the Licentiate Distinction. VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 427
428 | DISTINCTIONS |
New online advice for members
Getting a steer on your Distinction panel just got easier
Digital direction: would-be applicants can get confidential access to Society expertise
IF YOU ARE LOOKING for advice from an expert before submitting your images for a Distinction, then life just got a whole lot easier. As a Society member you are now entitled to online guidance. Where in the past members have emailed the Distinctions Department using the Advice and Guidance scheme, this new system allows you to seek help by simply uploading your images, a hanging plan and, where necessary, a statement of intent. Your work will be viewed by the Distinctions Department and a relevant panel member only, and will otherwise be completely confidential. We have more than 70 experienced panel members ready to give advice. They and everyone involved in the Distinctions process look forward to helping you work towards applying for a Distinction, so why not give it a go? It’s essential that you read through the instructions
REQUIREMENTS LRPS – upload 10 images, plus up to five spares and a hanging plan ARPS – upload 15 images, plus up to five spares, a hanging plan and a statement of intent FRPS – upload 20 images plus up to five spares, a hanging plan, and a statement of intent thoroughly before submitting your work for advice. To increase your chances of success we recommend the following: Read the guidelines at rps.org/distinctions/downloads Upload images for advice at rps.org/distinctions/advice Attend a Royal Photographic Society Advisory Day – turn to the Member Guide starting on page 471 Review the comments carefully before submitting Only seek advice from current or recent panel members
LONDON 430 | PROJECT | BLEEDING
STREETS AHEAD
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BLEEDING LONDON
EC3 BOTOLPH LANE, ANDREAS BUSCH; SW6 FULHAM ROAD, REBECCA BOTIN
P
hotographic projects to document the UK’s capital city aren’t new, but Bleeding London’s mission is unique: to record images of every one of the 53,000 streets within the London boroughs. Even more ambitiously, it’s being carried out on a voluntary basis by a small but dedicated group of enthusiasts – led by the Society’s London Region organiser, Del Barrett ARPS. At one of her best-loved haunts – the stylish surroundings of the café at Bibendum, an impressive ‘proto-Art Deco’ building on Chelsea’s Fulham Road – Barrett reveals more about what has gone into bringing the enterprise to fruition. This area has been Barrett’s home for 30 years and is her favourite part of the capital. A keen urban photographer, she didn’t just photograph Chelsea’s streets for Bleeding London, she’s taken pictures in more than 130 postcode areas during the project’s one-year timescale. Barrett initiated Bleeding London after being inspired by
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Geoff Nicholson’s 1997 novel of the same name. One of its central characters, Stuart London, obsessively walks down every street in his city, scoring through them in his A-Z as he goes. Barrett says the book immediately struck a chord with her. ‘I thought it was one of the best books I’d ever read,’ she says. ‘I could relate to it so easily and felt that Geoff was writing about my London. I started a project of walking every street in Chelsea and photographing it, and this led to the idea that it would be nice to do my own Bleeding London. ‘Obviously it was a bit much for one person to attempt, but at the same time I was looking for a project that would engage RPS London members. It had to be something that would suit everybody and could be done in people’s own time, but which didn’t take too much administration time for the volunteers. This project seemed the perfect solution.’ After gaining the support of her London Region colleagues, the photography began in March 2014. Facebook and Twitter
Over the past year the Society’s London Region has set out to photograph all of the capital’s streets. David Clark talks to Del Barrett ARPS, the instigator, organiser and inspiration behind Bleeding London VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 431
LONDON 432 | PROJECT | BLEEDING pages were set up and the project was publicised in newspapers and magazines including Time Out – with 1,700 people registering to take part. Including Society members and non-members, the vast majority of the work was eventually produced by a core of some 300 Londoners. Photographers could take as many images as they liked, but were encouraged to upload only one per street to the Bleeding London website. ‘We started off by saying you could photograph wherever and whatever you liked,’ Barrett says. ‘However, it soon became obvious who was going to get off the tourist track and who wasn’t. ‘Those who have got out and about in different areas are the ones who have contributed the most to the project and become addicted to it. Six or seven people have uploaded over 1,000 images. A total of 58,031 streets have been photographed to date including some duplicates, but there are more to come.’ As the project made progress, Barrett posted daily inspiration on the Bleeding London site. Sometimes she asked the photographers to take pictures based on quotes from Nicholson’s book, but other suggestions were more specific. They included looking for ‘places relating to the number seven’, ‘streets beginning with the letter C’, ‘bridges (real and metaphorical)’, ‘smiley faces’ and ‘speed’. Inevitably, locations such as Brick Lane and Oxford Street, and iconic buildings including St Paul’s Cathedral, the Shard and Tower Bridge were photographed the most, while some were ignored. In the later stages, Barrett encouraged people to fill in those blanks. Meet-ups were organised, in which Bleeding Londoners converged on a particular district and photographed for a couple of hours, followed by a discussion at a local pub. ‘We all became rather addicted and terribly excited about going to another new postcode and what we were going to find there,’ says Barrett. She is thrilled by the way the project has developed. ‘Looking at it now, it’s just an
‘WE ALL BECAME RATHER ADDICTED AND TERRIBLY EXCITED ABOUT THE NEXT NEW POSTCODE …’
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Above: Hillingdon Street, SE17, by Caballero Reyes Right and below: Hans Road, SW3, by Del Barrett ARPS; City Hall by Will Cheung FRPS – the location for the Bleeding London exhibition
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Clockwise from top: Distin Street, SE11, by Caballero Reyes; Anerley Vale, SE19, by Britta Giersche; Pitfield Street, N1, by Andreas Busch
BRITTA GIERSCHE ‘For Bleeding London I predominantly took BLEEDING LONDONER pictures of the area I live in, south-east London, including Deptford, Forest Hill and Dulwich. I found it exciting to explore and connect with the area in a different way. ‘I soon realised that taking the pictures was a monumental task, because when you walk the streets in an area they all look alike. You have to seek out what’s different about them and to show they’re part of a bigger picture of the area. I’m interested in photoreportage, so I was trying to
tell a story through images. The discipline of just going out to take pictures of a particular area really helped in terms of defining what my photography practice is about. It’s a big project and I’m just a small part in it, but it has helped to define that for me.’
Courtney Close, SE19, by Britta Giersche
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LONDON 434 | PROJECT | BLEEDING amazing archive of London as it is today,’ she says. ‘It shows the city’s enormous diversity and how each area has its own individual character and idiosyncrasies. It also shows there are recurring themes throughout the city, such the amount of rubbish on the streets and a lack of parking spaces.’ Around 1,600 images from the project will be on show at London’s City Hall in July. This will be followed, in 2016, with a larger exhibition in which Barrett plans to show every single Bleeding London picture, albeit in a smaller format. In the long term, the project will form a unique electronic archive. After spending so much time and effort on the project, how will she feel when it ends? ‘I don’t think it actually will come to an end,’ she says. ‘We’re already talking about doing Bleeding Britain and we’re encouraging people in different cities to do the same thing. We’re also thinking about doing the London project every 10 years so we can plot how the city changes.’ After we say goodbye I make my way through the streets of South Kensington, and I find I’m already looking more closely at my surroundings and seeing things I haven’t previously noticed. Occasionally I stop and take pictures. Bleeding London fever is, it seems, highly contagious. The Royal Photographic Society London Region’s Bleeding London exhibition, sponsored by Quilter Cheviot Investment Management, will be on show at City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA from 9 July-9 August
Clockwise from above: Loveridge Road, NW6, by Steve Reed; Finsbury Square, EC2, by Andreas Busch; Alpha Road, SE14, by Jonathan Taylor; The Sigers, HA5 by Chirag Pradhan; and Shawfield Street, SW3, by Del Barrett FRPS
JONATHAN TAYLOR ‘I heard about ideas for Bleeding London BLEEDING LONDONER in the early stages and thought it sounded really interesting, so I signed up. Since then I have helped out with organising events such as the meet-ups, when we have got together as a group to photograph places like Croydon
and Southall. Being part of the project has improved my photography a lot and it’s definitely got me concentrating more on my editing. It’s also been good to meet some of the other people doing it – a really diverse selection of people has taken part. ‘At the end of the meet-ups, I’ve sometimes compared pictures with others and found
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we’ve gone down the same streets and photographed completely different things. That’s the thing about Bleeding London: it’s not like the street views of London on Google Maps; it’s a whole series of different individual snippets and personal visions of London. What we’ve achieved so far is extraordinary and I’m very proud to be part of it.’
WHAT’S GOING ON To get involved with the Society’s London Region, go to rps.org/ regions-and-chapters/ regions/london, or email london@rps.org. Find out about more regional events in our Member Guide, from page 471
BLEEDING LONDON
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STEVE REED ‘I’m originally from Florida and lived in New York and New Jersey before coming to London. I love big cities and was very enthusiastic about the project right away. It’s my hobby to go out and walk around London and take pictures, so it was tailor-made for me. ‘I was concerned that some of the outer areas might not get represented very well, so I tried to stay out of central London and focused on the suburbs. It gave me a chance to see parts of London I would never have gone to. Through doing it, I got a much better idea of what different neighbourhoods are like and what makes different areas of London distinct. BLEEDING LONDONER
Hoop Lane, NW11, by Steve Reed
‘By the end of the project, I had uploaded pictures of 2,500 streets. It was really important for me to walk all those streets and look closely at them, because that’s how you see things with a photographer’s eye.’
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WINNERS 436 | CONTEST | HIPA
LIFE IN COLOUR
Left: Alexandre Buisse Above: Anurag Kumar Right: Nguyên Minh Tân
Winners of one of the biggest and most coveted prizes in photography capture the world in all its diversity
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HIPA WINNERS
| CONTEST | 437
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WINNERS 438 | CONTEST | HIPA
I
n March, the winners of the fourth Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) were announced. The competition, which the Society has supported for the past three years, had an overall theme of Life in Colour, giving entrants an open brief that allowed them to explore an array of exciting avenues, and a grand prize of nearly £80,000. The overall theme was split into four categories: Life in Colour, General, Faces (Black and White) and Night Photography, each offering five prizes, with the overall winner being drawn from the main category, Life in Colour. There were 60,162 photographs submitted during HIPA’s fourth season, with a total of 30,878 participants from 166 different countries around the world. The following is a selection from the 21 winning images. HIPA 2015-2016 is now open for entry, with the theme of Happiness. The closing date is 31 December. For more details visit hipa.ae
ABOVE
RIGHT
ANURAG KUMAR Nationality Indian Category Life in Colour Prize Grand Prize Each year, India witnesses a wave of vibrancy and colour during Holi, the festival of colours, celebrated across the country. The photo could have been restricted to a red and yellow affair, had it not been for the man throwing a handful of blue powder, which made all the difference. The worshippers seem to be letting the barrage of colours layer them, which adds to the unique feel of this photograph.
ARUNA BHAT Nationality Indian Category Life in Colour Prize 1st This photograph was taken in Ki Gompa, a monastery of Tibetan Buddhists in the Indian Himalayas. Every evening, the young monks of the temple are given time off to play in an open area nearby. These young monks, in their richly coloured robes, manifest the true meaning of enthusiasm and cheerfulness, unlike the greyness of the walls behind them.
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HIPA WINNERS
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LEFT
ABOVE
BELOW
ALI RAJABI SHOMALI Nationality Iranian Category General Prize 2nd This was taken on 6th Avenue in New York in January 2014. The photographer captured walking pedestrians as they crossed the road in freezing conditions. Although the red lights and cold weather indicate inactivity, the crossing pedestrians and their desire to get out of the snow indicate the exact opposite.
FABRIZIO MOGLIA Nationality Italian Category Life in Colour Prize 5th Russia’s remote Kamchatka Peninsula has some of the richest salmon runs in the Pacific, especially in the national wildlife preserve of Kurile Lake. The photo captures the Kamchatka brown bear going about its usual meal, the casual look in its eyes is in sharp contrast to the victim, the salmon, which flaps its colourful tail as if saluting life.
JAIME SINGLADOR Nationality Filipino Category General Prize 5th This shows children enjoying an afternoon dip at the kawa hot bath, fuelled with dried wood and sprinkled with organic leaves, believed by the locals to have medicinal benefits. In the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, there is a small town named Sitio Tuno where the locals set up hot bath spas with medicinal plants picked in the surrounding forest.
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WINNERS 440 | CONTEST | HIPA
ABOVE
PENG LI Nationality Chinese Category Night Photography Prize 1st This photograph was taken of an ancient Chinese ‘diaojiaolou’
house in the town of Fenghuang, located near the Tuojiang River in Hunan province. Diaojiaolous are often used as hotels or restaurants in Hunan, due to their
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great charm and beauty. As the night falls, countless red lanterns provide light inside the diaojiaolou, giving a priceless and surreal view of past and present in one photograph.
BELOW
DANIEL CHEONG Nationality French Category Night Photography Prize 5th This was taken at the Address Hotel, Dubai Marina. Its façade is
made of glass and is very reflective, which created a powerful “vertigo” view. The biggest visual impact of this image is the sense of disorientation upon seeing it for the first
time. The surrounding cityscape and view of the building create a sense of confusion for the viewer and one may need to look at the photograph more than once to fully understand it.
HIPA WINNERS
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BELOW RIGHT
LEFT
ABOVE
KENNETH GEIGER Nationality American Category: Faces (Black and White) Prize 2nd This photograph is a reflection of innocence, beauty, helplessness and revolt. In 1989, the ethnic Burmese Mon army was made up of 3,000 soldiers, including 100 women fighters. This photo was captured at one of the Mon checkpoints at the end of a winding dirt road, featuring the serious, staring 20-year-old Ma Ngua, her cheeks covered with powder to protect her beauty while an M16 rifle is beside her to protect her post.
XYZA DELA CRUZ BACANI Nationality Filipina Category Faces (Black and White) Prize 5th This candid portrait of a child behind a translucent glass window in Hong Kong stands out because of the transparent horizontal strip. It is in that strip that the power of the photo lies, with the girl’s eyes looking at something she is perhaps seeing for the first time. Her gape adds to the curiosity and innocence while her hands try to push through the window to explore the unknown beyond.
RUDOI VLADIMIROVICH Nationality Russian Category Faces (Black and White) Prize 1st This was taken inside a photography studio and is of a young girl named Stella-Maria. With her deep stare, Stella-Maria is able to captivate the viewer through her innocence and youth, while being presented in classic black-and-white colours. The shadow covering part of Stella-Maria’s face also adds to the intrigue in this young lady. Her natural face and look are a testament to the beauty of the photograph taken.
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PIONEERS 442 | INFLUENCE | VICTORIAN
Scottish workers, then and now; by Hill and Adamson, below, and Sophie Gerrard of Document Scotland, right
HISTORY REPEATING
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VICTORIAN PIONEERS
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Rachel Segal Hamilton explores the influence Victorian pioneers have on the genre today VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 443
W
Sir David Brewster – a major force in Scottish, and UK, photography
An image of a Glasgow slum in 1868 by Thomas Annan
e tend to think our fascination with photography is something new. It isn’t. Victorian society went through a similar cultural moment. In 1862, some four million cartes de visite of Queen Victoria were sold; part of the era’s mass popularity of the photographic calling cards. ‘That’s a staggering sum,’ says Dr Alison Morrison-Low, principal curator of science at the National Museum of Scotland. ‘It shows that photography quickly became industrialised because the demand was so great.’ The carte de visite craze did not reach the number of images taken now, but our relationship with photography is rooted firmly in that time. A major new exhibition, Photography: A Victorian Sensation, at the National Museum of Scotland, celebrates a remarkable period – from 1839, when commercial photography was born, to 1900, when Eastman Kodak’s Brownie, the first widely available and easy-to-use camera, went on sale. Although the show also looks to England, France and the USA, Scotland was a hub for the burgeoning technology. The Society’s Historical Group is to hold an event at the museum on 3 October, exploring the huge influence on the medium by Scottish trailblazers such as Sir David Brewster, David Octavius Hill, Robert Adamson and George Washington Wilson. ‘The tremendous flowering of photography in Scotland is not accidental,’ says David Bruce FRPS,
chair of the Royal Photographic Society’s Research, Education and Applications of Photography panel and convenor of the Scottish Society for the History of Photography. Bruce traces it to the Scottish Enlightenment. ‘There was a climate of intellectual and scientific curiosity from the middle of the 18th century on – it was fertile ground for anybody interested in innovation,’ he says. Also crucial was that, while Henry Fox Talbot had issued a patent on his Calotype process in England, this didn’t apply in Scotland. ‘Whereas it was a struggle to get established south of the border [Scottish commercial photographers] were having a ball,’ says Bruce. A major influence was Sir David Brewster, a Scottish physicist, university principal and good friend of Talbot, who he convinced not to extend the patent. ‘Brewster was key, not only to the development of photography in Scotland but in the rest of Britain,’ says Dr Carolyn Bloore, formal learning officer at London’s Museum of Childhood, and past chair of the Society’s Historical Group. Talbot and Brewster were in the Edinburgh Calotype Club – a group of professional gentlemen influential in early photography. Brewster later served as president of the Photographic Society of Scotland, and co-founded the British Association for the Advancement of Science (now the British Science Association), propelled, says Bloore, by a democratising impulse. ‘He was disillusioned with the elitism of the Royal Society so the association was accessible to all. Again and again it’s referenced in the development of photography in the 1840s.’
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PREVIOUS PAGES: MRS ELIZABETH %JOHNSTONE& HALL, A NEWHAVEN FISHWIFE, FAMOUS FOR HER BEAUTY, 1843*48, BY DO HILL AND ROBERT ADAMSON © NATIONAL MUSEUMS SCOTLAND; LIZ COOK FROM THE SERIES TUNNOCK © SOPHIE GERRARD THESE PAGES: SIR DAVID BREWSTER BY BY HILL AND ADAMSON, BY PERMISSION OF UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW LIBRARY, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS; THOMAS ANNAN; NICK HEDGES
PIONEERS 444 | INFLUENCE | VICTORIAN
| BEST | INFLUENCE SHOTS | 445
VICTORIAN PIONEERS
Annan’s images influenced the work of Nick Hedges, 100 years later, who documented poor quality housing in Glasgow for the charity Shelter
CALEDONIAN CREATIVITY
ALEXANDER GARDNER, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; LEWIS PAYNE BY ALEXANDER GARDNER
The Historical Group at the. National Museum of Scotland.
On 3 October, the Society’s Historical Group will be running a day-long symposium as part of the exhibition programme. Victorian Photography: A Scottish Perspective will include talks by leading experts in the history of early photography, as well as lunch and entry to the show. The morning session will look at the development of photography in Scotland, through ‘people like Hill and Adamson, the early Calotypists and other photographers in and around Glasgow and Edinburgh, such as George Washington Wilson and Thomas
Keith,’ says Historical Group chair Dr Donald Stewart FRPS. Anne Lyden, international photography curator at the National Galleries of Scotland; Dr Sara Stevenson, chief curator of the Scottish National Photography Collection; and Roger Taylor, professor emeritus of photographic history at De Montfort University will be speaking. Later, the British Library’s curator of photography, John Falconer, will discuss the role of Scottish photographers in the Commonwealth and photography writer Mary Panzer will give a presentation on pioneering Paisley-
born photographer Alexander Gardner. The event, says Stewart, will ‘bring into focus how important Scottish photographers and scientists were in the birth of photography – something that often gets forgotten’. Victorian Photography: A
Scottish Perspective is on 3 October from 10:30-16:30 at the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. Tickets are £30, £25 for museum members and concessions.
An American Civil War image by Alexander Gardner, above. Left, his photograph of one of President Lincoln’s assassins
See more at bit.ly/ rps_victorian
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PIONEERS 446 | INFLUENCE | VICTORIAN
A carte de visite by JJE Mayall showing Queen Victoria in a moment with Prince Albert, a forerunner of the relaxed style of today
Brewster also introduced the painter David Octavius Hill to the engineer Robert Adamson who in 1843 set up Scotland’s first photographic studio. ‘Hill and Adamson formed a wonderful, symbiotic pairing whose visual impact was tremendous,’ says Bloore. ‘In four years they took over 3,000 photos. Their work was highly admired and subsequently found its way into so many collections – in Scotland, America, Canada, Australia.’ They photographed people, landscapes and urban scenes. ‘We still see this in today’s wide section of subject matter. They inspired the interest in photography as an art form.’ Following Hill and Adamson came a generation of Scottish photographers whose resonance can still be felt. Thomas Annan, son of a Fife flax spinner, was commissioned by The City Improvement Trust to record the slums of Glasgow in 1868. We see his legacy in Nick Hedges’ 1968 commission for Shelter, documenting poor housing across Britain, shown earlier this year at the London Science Museum. Or Paisley-born Alexander Gardner, who emigrated to the USA, where he photographed the Civil War, publishing one of the first ever photobooks, Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the War, in 1866. He and his assistant were the only photographers permitted to capture the execution of Lincoln’s assassins. As Historical Group Chair Donald Stewart FRPS points out: ‘He was very much an early part of the media circus we now associate with contemporary politics.’ Another important figure was George Washington
Wilson, who ran a studio in Aberdeen. In 1854 he received a commission from the queen at Balmoral. ‘He was invited to photograph the rebuilding of the castle, the servants and then the royal family,’ says Morrison-Low. Wilson was appointed Photographer Royal for Scotland in 1860. ‘Prince Albert realised that photography could be used to promote the monarchy so he encouraged the queen to have her carte de visite taken for sale.’ By releasing this, and sometimes quite relaxed portraits of her family, Queen Victoria presented the monarchy as aspirational and relatable. ‘We witness that savviness in the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge commissioning Mario Testino to shoot their engagement photos and choosing snaps by Kate’s father as the first official portraits of Prince George.’ ‘The influence of early Scottish photography has percolated down the years,’ says Bruce. He points to ‘an independent streak in contemporary Scottish photography that you might say is a long-time echo of that pioneering spirit.’ This is evident in the work of Document Scotland, a collective formed ahead of the independence referendum, to capture the nation at a momentous time. ‘There’s been a rekindling of interest in process, especially with digitalisation; people are harking back to earlier eras,’ Bloore adds. ‘In Hill and Adamson’s work, look at the range of colour – it’s all to do with the intensity of light, the time of day, of year, the mix of chemicals, the paper. No one image is identical to the next.’ In an age where anyone can shoot a picture with their smartphone, groups such as the London Alternative Photography Collective are attracted to these 19th-century techniques. Above all, the National Museum exhibition aims to show how the Victorians aren’t so different from us. They posed for the camera, in their best clothes or on holiday. They looked at pictures of celebrities – albeit in albums, rather than on Instagram. ‘They couldn’t get enough of photography,’ says MorrisonLow. ‘As it became cheaper and more accessible, there was an explosion of photographs.’ What we’re seeing today is simply the latest wave of that. Photography: A Victorian Sensation runs from 19 June to 22 November at the National Museum of Scotland. Find out more at nms.ac.uk
‘THERE IS AN INDEPENDENT STREAK IN CONTEMPORARY SCOTTISH PHOTOGRAPHY THAT YOU MIGHT SAY IS A LONG!TIME ECHO OF THE COUNTRY’S PIONEERING SPIRIT’ 446 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JUNE 2015 / VOL 155
THE QUEEN AND PRINCE CONSORT, JJE MAYALL, 1857 , 1861, © NATIONAL MUSEUMS SCOTLAND; MICHAEL MIDDLETON * WPA POOL/GETTY IMAGES
Informal: The first portrait of Prince George, by Michael Middleton
SWANNELL HonFRPS 448 | BEST SHOTS | JOHN QUEEN #2000& This was taken for the Golden Jubilee. My first idea was to superimpose the Queen on the battlements at Windsor Castle but she turned it down, saying she wouldn’t be up there in her tiara and a long dress – I was so disappointed. We settled on St George’s Hall – she’s really proud of the renovations. I’ve photographed her a few times, and she’s very professional. She came in, sat for me for a few minutes, and then went straight into a banquet along the corridor.
A RIGHT ROYAL CAREER John Swannell HonFRPS speaks to Lucy Davies about life at the heart of the photographic establishment
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JOHN SWANNELL HonFRPS
| BEST SHOTS | 449
SWANNELL HonFRPS 450 | BEST SHOTS | JOHN
FISH #2015& This was for the campaign Fishlove, which aims to protect the world’s fish stocks. We used real fish, fresh in from Billingsgate that morning. The studio
was filled with huge blocks of ice – it was so cold. Each of the girls chose their fish – Helena opted for this giant tuna, but she hates wet fish. I had to tell her to turn on her acting skills.
Of all the people I’ve ever photographed, apart from my wife of course, Helena’s my favourite. She’s made for the camera, totally modest and not superstarish at all. It’s very refreshing.
AS A SCHOOLBOY IN THE 1950s, John Swannell could find only five books on photography in his school library, but it didn’t deter him. He read each of them cover to cover, turned his bathroom at home into a functioning darkroom, and snapped away at sports days and school plays … until his parents agreed he could pursue a less conventional education. Any doubts they might have harboured were quickly dispelled when he manoeuvred his way into a job as an assistant at Vogue Studios. ‘They never took anyone under 21,’ he says, across a 450 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JUNE 2015 / VOL 155
photobook-laden coffee table in his Highgate townhouse. ‘But I lied about my age. I was definitely the runt of the litter.’ ‘Now 68, going on 25,’ he jokes, Swannell is one of the most sought-after portraitists of his day, with legions of big-name clients in his portfolio. Only Barack Obama and Prince George remain on his wishlist. ‘If I’d photographed George,’ he says, ‘I would have been the only photographer to have five generations of the kings and queens of England.’ He credits his success to being quick on his feet. ‘Most of the rich and famous
TONY FRENCH
‘I WAS SO NERVOUS. THE CAMERA SHOT OFF THE TRIPOD AT 100 MILES AN HOUR AND I THOUGHT MY CAREER WAS OVER’
Lens maestro John Swannell HonFRPS
JOHN SWANNELL HonFRPS
| BEST SHOTS | 451 TWO WOMEN #1977& This was for Pineapple Studios – the girl on the right is Debbie Moore, and we were shooting her range of leotards. It was supposed to be just her, but I said: ‘Let’s get two girls in and make it a bit sexy.’ In those days there was hardly anyone in the room, but now the entourage is terrible – 100 Indians and no chief. When you’re shooting, you’re building up to a picture, but they all want to look at the screen straight away. It’s like being pecked to death.
WOMAN IN FOREST #1980& This is my wife Marianne. She was a model – discovered by Andy Warhol. We’ve been married 35 years. Laura Ashley asked me to shoot some of her clothes for Ritz magazine, and gave us her house in Wales for the weekend. We just wandered around. It was one of the nicest shoots I’ve ever done. I love the way the dress blends with the forest. VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 451
SWANNELL HonFRPS 452 | BEST SHOTS | JOHN WIFE AND TWO KIDS #1989& This is Marianne again, with my two children, Charlie and Sophia. I love this picture because Marianne looks so radiant. We met
when she was living in Paris, working as a model for David Bailey and Helmut Newton. Eventually I said: ‘Why don’t you come to London? It’s much nicer than here,’ and she did. We
don’t have time to spend hours in the studio, they loathe being photographed, so the quicker you can be, the more they like you. I might go in with an idea, but just as often the magic happens in the moment. When you get lucky, the image lifts your spirits for weeks.’ Swannell moved to Highgate surprisingly long ago, having had enough of London’s west end, the hustle and bustle, ‘all the things young people like’. But he hasn’t always been such a 452 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JUNE 2015 / VOL 155
shacked up together and that was it – I got lucky. Looking back, I didn’t photograph my family that often, because they were always there, but I have some really nice pictures.
suburban mouse. His big break came at Vogue, as second assistant to David Bailey, when he damaged the photographer’s camera. ‘I’d found this gadget that made changing the film really quick. I was so excited – no-one else had seen it. So the first chance I had I put it on Bailey’s camera. I thought he’d be really impressed but I was so nervous I flicked the thing down and the camera shot off the tripod at 100 miles an hour. I thought my career was over
‘WHILE DIANA WAS BEING MADE UP I PLAYED TABLE TENNIS WITH THE KIDS’ but the next week they asked him who he wanted, and he said: “I’ll have that dickhead who broke my camera.”’ Swannell worked with Bailey for four years. ‘We travelled the world, got caught in a tidal wave, were attacked in
JOHN SWANNELL HonFRPS
Peru, there were many mad moments, but it was wonderful.’ A bit of partying, too? ‘Oh yes,’ he says. ‘Life was one long party in those days.’ Of the other Vogue crew, he found Norman Parkinson a bit of a snob and really horrible to the models. ‘It stuck in my mind and I’ve tried really hard not to do that.’ He met Cecil Beaton in the gents’ … ‘And I piped up: “Oh Mr. Beaton, I’m working with you today.” He said: “Not the sort of place to
introduce yourself young man,” in his posh voice. It was really quite funny.’ Unsurprisingly, the walls of Swannell’s home favour prints by the old blood rather than the new. Irving Penn, Horst P Horst, Helmut Newton and Lillian Bassman nestle happily with paintings by the Pre-Raphaelites and reconditioned neo-gothic furniture made to Swannell’s own designs. ‘It’s all about imagination,’ he says, ‘but then, I’ve been really, really lucky.’
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DIANA, WILLIAM AND HARRY #1994& I was sitting with my feet on the table in the studio, my back to the door and on the phone to a friend when I felt a tap on the shoulder. I turned and there was Diana – we were nose to nose. I jumped so
much I dropped the phone, but she said ‘Don’t get up; I just wanted to say hello’. While she was being made up I played table tennis with the kids – I’d brought the table in specially. I beat William, but Harry beat me 15 nil – he was really good.
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FAN HUI LING FRPS 454 | SHOWCASE | JOANIE
PILGRIM’S PROGRESS Joanie Fan Hui Ling FRPS shows poignant images of Nepal at Fenton House this month
IN 2007, JOANIE FAN HUI Ling FRPS travelled from her Taiwan home to Nepal to photograph pilgrims making their way to pay homage at the Janaki Mandir Temple in Janakpur during a religious festival. The country has recently endured natural disaster; news headlines make her images of ordinary Nepalese people all the more poignant. Twenty-eight of Fan’s images will be on show at Society’s HQ in Bath.
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Can you tell us about photographing the pilgrims? Carriages were overloaded and commuters hardly had any room to move. Those who could not find space inside had to cling precariously to the roof or along the sides of the moving train. A number of images show the different ways commuters alighted – some used makeshift ladders, others climbed down with the help of fellow passengers.
At one point a young child was passed from one person to another through the carriage window. Those who missed the train would either spend the night in a makeshift tent and catch a train the following day, or pack themselves into buses like sardines. I want to share my experience of the harsh realities of life in this place, showing how the individual deals with the experience.
JOANIE FAN HUI LING FRPS
Did you form a relationship with the people you photographed? There was a language barrier. I used body language to make my way through the crowded places and was impressed by the friendly reception people gave me. Although they live in an underdeveloped place, where transport amenities are lacking, most of them greeted me with a smile. Someone even offered me food. Any of them could have easily stolen from my pocket
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Above left: Balancing act Above: Full load Left: The journey begins VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 455
FAN HUI LING FRPS 456 | SHOWCASE | JOANIE
or camera bag while I squeezed through the train. I felt relatively safe compared to how I have felt in other countries. How did you feel when you heard about the earthquakes there? I was saddened. The quakes claimed thousands of lives and badly damaged many temples, including the Janaki Mandir Temple. I feel very sorry for the people living in this historical and religious city because the Mandir Temple is their focal point of hope, and restoring it to what it was will be technically challenging and expensive. Fortunately, the earthquake did not happen in December when pilgrims flock to the temple by the thousand to celebrate the marriage anniversary of Lord Rama and Sita. I pray for the people of Nepal, and hope that life will return to normal soon. What made you decide to create monochrome images? The images were shot in digital
VISIT!
THE SOCIETY HEADQUARTERS
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‘IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY APPROACH TO CAPTURE THE ELUSIVE MOMENT WITH AN INTUITIVE EYE’ colour and converted to monochrome using Photoshop. Monochrome images are considered by many as less realistic than colour images, but I find them subtle. They give me more flexibility to present the exhibition with better coherence. Did you use any specific techniques when taking these shots? I took them from my heart. I followed my instinct to capture scenes that reflect the essence of the place, showing its people in real-life situations from the ordinary to the extraordinary. For me, patience and a keen eye for detail, as well as quick reflexes, are very important, especially in places where the crowds are overwhelming.
Did you develop a new approach for taking these photos? It has always been my approach to capture the elusive moment with an intuitive eye, and the precise timing for releasing the shutter. I don’t believe in having a second chance. If you missed the moment then that’s that. What’s next? Photography is in my blood now. It has enriched my life so much, and I hope to share the joy with a wider audience by exhibiting and publishing my work, as well as through lectures. I will never forget my Nepal trip. The endless opportunities for great travel pictures made up for the hardships I had to endure. I expect things will never be the same again after the devastating earthquake, and it is very unlikely I will have a chance of meeting any of those people I photographed. But there is a desire to go back, particularly to Janakpur to see how things have changed or developed.
Above: Uncomfortable, one of Fan’s striking images from Nepal
ABOUT THE AUTHOR JOANIE FAN HUI LING FRPS A keen photographer since 2007, Fan also runs an international trading company and is Organiser of the Society’s Taiwan Chapter
JOANIE FAN HUI LING FRPS’S EXHIBITION WILL RUN DURING JUNE AT THE ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY, FENTON HOUSE, 122 WELLS ROAD, BATH BA2 2AH
THE MUST TRY
CRAFT JUNE 2015
THE L ATE S T TECHNOL OGY, TECHNIQUE S A ND SK ILL S
DJI Phantom 3
New camera drone puts broadcast-quality shooting in the hands of enthusiasts, finds Gavin Stoker
C
hinese manufacturer DJI is a major player in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market, with the DJI Phantom a more affordable option than its own Inspire model. There are two Phantom 3 variants: the Phantom 3 Professional can shoot 4K video at 24, 25 or 30 frames per second, whereas the Phantom 3 Advanced can shoot 1,080p up to 60fps. Both feature a 94° field-of-view lens, the equivalent of 20mm in 35mm film terms with f/2.8 aperture. This, it is said, helps to flatten out the image, with a
larger sensor size and better dynamic range also featuring. There is also the capability of delivering 12.4 effectivemegapixel photos as JPEG or DNG Raw files, from a standard 1/2.3-inch Sony Exmor sensor. Its visual positioning system (VPS) – comprised of downward-facing camera and two ultrasonic sensors gives the Phantom real-time information about where it is in relation to the ground, allowing hovering at a height of a few inches. If you take your hands off the controls the platform will stay exactly
PRICE: £899 for Advanced model, £1,159 for Professional model SENSOR: 12.76-megapixel Sony 1/2.3-inch Exmor chip LENS: 20mm f/2.8 SCREEN: Via smartphone/ tablet PC running Pilot app WEIGHT: 1,280g including battery and propellers MORE: skypixel.com IN BRIEF: Your very own ‘eye in the sky’ capable of broadcast-quality footage at a consumer price, although a CAA licence is required if used commercially
where you’ve told it to, and will hold that position even in 25mph winds. Your smartphone or tablet acts as your viewfinder on the ground and, naturally, a Pilot app is provided, giving control over ISO (which here runs 100-200 for video and 100-1,600 for stills), shutter speed, exposure compensation and white balance. You’ll need Civil Aviation Authority certification to use the Phantom on a commercial basis to earn money from your shots, which means factoring in roughly a week of flight school on top of any purchase. VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 459
460 | THE CRAFT | LATEST KIT
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Nikon 1 J5 Epson SureColor SC-P800 printer £974.18 From £349 body only Range-topping nine-ink printer for output up to A2 with built-in wi-fi epson.co.uk
1 Pros and keen amateurs
alike will be interested in this A2 desktop device featuring a new nine-colour UltraChrome HD ink set (vivid light magenta, vivid magenta, yellow, light cyan, cyan, matt black, photo black, light light black and light black). It claims to deliver vivid results, the deepest blacks on the market and, key for gallery prints, improved lightfastness. A roll-paper option affords the production of panoramic photos and banners, with three paper paths including one for fine-art paper. Print resolution is 2,880x 1,440dpi, a 2.7-inch touchscreen monitor allows for printing independently of a computer, and it’s Epson’s first 17-inch printer to feature wi-fi. It weighs 19.5kg – with the smallest footprint of any A2 printer. 460 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JUNE 2015 / VOL 155
GEAR SPY
Budget CSC feels anything but, due to classic design and ‘1’ system technology nikon.co.uk
2 The interchangeable-lens
Nikon ‘1’ family is notable for its one-inch sensor, which is physically larger than the 1/2.3-inch chip found in most point-and-shoot cameras, if still smaller than most compactsystem rivals and all DSLRs. The 20.8-megapixel J5, however, complete with a nod at the retro styling of competing Fujifilm and Olympus models, feels the most grown up ‘J’ series camera yet. It comes with plentiful bells ’n’ whistles to hook ‘proper’ photographers, plus a flip-up 3in selfie-enabling screen. The key ‘hook’ here, though, is 4K video capture; a first for the Nikon range. A compact 10-30mm PD zoom keeps proportions manageable for £429.99 all-in, suggesting fair value for anyone not wedded to a rival brand.
Hdbook From £33.99
Top of the range, high-definition photobook service 2mprofessional.com/hdbook As we went to press details were emerging of a second upgrade to Pentax’s flagship K3 digital SLR – along with a Mk II suffix it has 8.3fps capture, a GPS module and a 24.35 effective megapixel APS-C sensor. Adobe Photoshop’s Lightroom CC – ‘Creative Cloud’ – package is getting a major update with new features and enhancements including HDR merge and face recognition. For £8.57 per month to UK users, the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan includes Lightroom CC for desktop, mobile and internet plus Photoshop CC and Photoshop Mix for iPhone and iPad.
3 Album and photo book
specialist 2M Professional is co-promoting a new HD photo book service with manufacturer Canon. The flat spread ‘hdbook’ is pitched as offering a leap in quality to match that of TV sets switching from standard definition to HD. Printing at up to 2400 dpi, using seven inks, the product is output on a proquality Canon ‘DreamLabo’ 5000 inkjet printer. The process begins by downloading PC or Maccompatible 2M Professional software to self-design the book, with end uses including wedding album, baby photo book and a high quality portfolio book. Lustre or glossy paper is offered, while formats include 127x127mm, 210x210mm, 300x300mm and A3 landscape.
5
MEMBER TEST
FLIR One
4
Nikon D810A £2,999.99
Full-frame D810 gets an ‘A’ suffix as it targets astrophotographers nikon.co.uk
4 Nikon retools its D810
to help photographers reach for the stars. With the 36.3-megapixel D810A – the ‘A’ indicating astrophotography – users will be able to capture the true colours of nebulae, the manufacturer claims. This is down to a redesigned/modified infrared (IR) cut filter, which makes the camera four times more sensitive than the regular D810 for capturing nebulae and star fields without external filters. Also helping is the fact that the camera’s standard ISO200-12,800 sensitivity range can be bumped up to ISO51,200. A red-lit virtual horizon helps confirm an image is level when shooting through the viewfinder. While many of us are asking ‘why?’, the answer from Nikon is ‘because we can’.
Canon XC10 £1,599.99
Pro-targeted 4k video-shooting device also delivers 12-megapixel stills canon.co.uk
5 Will stills photographers
soon be shooting video and simply extracting a frame to produce a photograph? This addition to Canon’s Cinema EOS range in the adaptable and relatively compact XC10 is primarily aimed at video makers, and is its most affordable in the series yet. As well as the option of extracting 8-megapixel stills from a 4K video stream, there is a standalone 12MP photo mode (with SD card option) aimed at those who shoot stills alongside video. The other key spec is a specially developed one-inch sensor coupled with the manufacturer’s latest Digic DV5 processor. Canon suggests using the XC10 as a support/back-up camera or a standalone solution for independent filmmakers. Its price should see interest grow.
Thermal imaging device for iPhone 5 my house, navigated the I’ve been hoping to try a heating pipes and checked thermal camera for some out the insulation. I took the time. Mostly, such cameras camera on a heritage steam are extremely expensive, railway trip. I used the virtual into the tens of thousands thermometer to take remote of pounds, and high resolution in this field means temperatures, photographed my handprint, my hand 640 by 480 pixels. through a black bin liner and The FLIR One is one of a hot water pouring into cold. growing number of Being thermal it even takes inexpensive thermal images in total darkness. cameras for use by heating You can take panoramas engineers or DIY and movies, but exposure enthusiasts, and even for a panorama is tricky and artists. This model fits on to the back of an iPhone 5 (one the movies are a little jerky. Apart from occasional that clips on to the bottom clicks to calibrate it, using of an iPhone or Android the FLIR One is just like phone is on the way) and works through an app. While using the normal iPhone camera, but I do feel limited its thermal resolution is only artistically by the low 80x60 some clever image resolution and limited manipulation combines this options for taking purely with a 640x480 visible thermal images. An engineer image to show more detail. might opt for the standEverything gives off alone C2, with similar spec, radiation at a wavelength but for me the FLIR One dependent on its shows that an inexpensive temperature, but just how (£189.95) thermal camera useful, or artistic, would can be useful and fun. such images be? I explored
Engine, an infrared image captured using the FLIR One REVIEW BY ANDY FINNEY
Andy Finney is an infrared enthusiast and the recipient of a Fenton Medal at the 2014 Royal Photographic Society Awards. See more of his work at www.atsf.co.uk
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IN DEPTH 462 | THE CRAFT | TECHNIQUE
Animal magic Lindsay Dobson ARPS explains how she takes exceptional photographs of ‘kept’ creatures
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n the UK, pet and animal photography has usually been seen as something of a sideline, perhaps in part due to the logistics and the time involved in gaining meaningful images of animals in a studio or at an outdoor location. Otherwise, these images might be taken at a show, or as a breeder record. To my eyes, highquality pet portraiture seemed to be in short supply, with few notable exceptions here in the UK (such as Paul Walker FRPS, whose dog photography is wonderful). I’m a location portrait photographer and the families I’ve encountered over the years have often owned animals of some sort – usually traditional pets such as dogs, cats or horses (and occasionally livestock and fowl). I soon noticed that the photographs I took of the family pets would always make it into the order book. In 2009 I decided to build a distinct wing of the business to represent animals. This sits alongside my people portraiture, but has its own branding. From its inception, I would say that animal photography amounts to around half of my workload. Most of the people I encounter will want to include their pets in their photo shoot – they’re part of the family after all. Others will book a dedicated session for their pets which will probably include some
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Clockwise, from above: Portraits of a polecat, a turkey and a goat
photographs of themselves with their animals. Some clients will take things a stage further and commission a special fine-art study – this sits alongside the standard location sessions as an optional bespoke service. These fine-art images are specifically destined for large wall display and I carefully restrict how they can be used, enabling a sense of exclusivity and uniqueness.
Character and quirks
My interpretation of “pets” is extremely broad, and this view is shared by my customers. Very often our fine-art studies will be of a “kept” animal rather than a traditional indoor pet. I’ve produced portraits of goats, cockerels, rodents, and waterfowl. These are standalone pieces which have a very personal connection to the client. It must be said that
TECHNIQUE IN DEPTH
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464 | THE CRAFT | animal photography has its challenges. The key difference between this and human portraiture is of course the fact that we give up control. In an ideal world we would be photographing obedience-trained dogs but in reality most pets have their own character and quirks, and may not be particularly open to direction. Many of the animals I encounter are rescued and in some cases can’t be touched or approached. Most domestic animals, such as farm animals, are entirely self-ruling so I need to be careful positioning myself and work quickly, intuitively and often candidly.
Practice makes perfect
Animal photography is best learned by practice – I recommend my students get out to any locality where animals (of any description) can be found, and spend a few hours shooting. Nature reserves are good for this, as are some zoos. Borrowing friends’ pets can also be a good way of getting to grips with animal photography – if it doesn’t put you off entirely. Because animals often move suddenly or unpredictably, my camera settings need to be such that they cope with this. Often, high ISO values are our best friend. Despite newer photographers being overly precious about noise, I would rather have a detailed picture with a little noise than a blurred image (or no image at all). Also, animals vary hugely in shape and size so we may need a little more depth of field in our animal portraits – in natural environments this again means we may need to push
up ISO sensitivities. A good foil for this is to convert to monochrome, allowing for more scope when reducing noise in post-processing. Introducing animal portraiture into my repertoire has proved one
ABOUT THE AUTHOR LINDSAY DOBSON ARPS
Lindsay is a professional portrait photographer living in West Sussex. She is an official Olympus Photographer and splits her time between taking images of man and beast
Top: cockerel; Above: horse nose
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of the most fruitful decisions I have made. Not only does it inject additional variety into my working week, the challenges and constraints inherent in this kind of work mean that every outing will be something of a test. Not all
of us will thrive on that, but I enjoy it (having a natural interest in animals does help). There have been further benefits to taking on a wide range of furry and feathered clients. My images have gained industry awards, thus raising the profile of my business – so much so that in 2012 I gained an Associate Distinction in nature photography. Animal photography has added value to my credentials and revenue streams. I believe that these days diversification can be hugely beneficial and I think it makes sense to have a couple of disciplines where I can excel and, more importantly, continue to love what I do. To find out more about Lindsay Dobson’s work, visit lindsaydobsonphotography.com
TECHNIQUE MASTERCLASS
Prized pooch pictures
| THE CRAFT | 465 Eileen Sutherland’s Clumber spaniel, Clyde, demonstrates how it’s done
From pets to Crufts competitors, Eileen Sutherland LRPS gets best in show
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og owners are often desperate to get decent photos of their pets. In fact, many consider their pets children and want to share their love with the world, posting images on Facebook and Flickr. They also want to adorn their walls with framed pictures of their adored pooch. That’s where I come in, helping friends get pictures of their pets they can be proud of. In the dog-showing fraternity it is entirely different. The owners and breeders require photos to advertise their kennel name, demonstrate their success in the show ring and generally advertise and show off the dogs. As a member of this latter camp – someone who has attended Crufts dog show every year since 1991 – I always look to get the best pictures of my dogs. Here is how I do it using a simple studio set-up in my garage and one of my Clumber spaniels, Clyde. TOP TIPS Speak quietly Stay calm and try not to excite the dog Don’t wave your arms to get the dog’s attention ABOUT THE AUTHOR EILEEN SUTHERLAND LRPS
Eileen and her camera are well known on the dog-show scene. She and her husband Gordon have been showing dogs for the last 20 years. She is a very experienced amateur
What not to do
The set-up
Test shot
on-camera flash and from slightly above, distorting Clyde’s proportions (a no-no in the dog-showing business). You’ll also notice that he has red eye and a rather asymmetrical expression. The background is domestic and, although fairly neutral, quite distracting. This image might be suitable for sharing with friends online but it’s far from reasonable for showcasing your prize-winning pooch.
grooming table, but you can use any table that is big and sturdy enough. This allows you to raise the dog to your eye level. Otherwise, if you and him are on the floor together, he’s guaranteed to think that you’re playing and unlikely to sit nicely. Next, choose a backdrop. Make it a vinyl one – I prefer white or black – and not paper, as some dogs tend to drool. If I intend to Photoshop in an outdoor backdrop later, I’ll sit him on a piece of artificial grass.
with a restless dog, I use a piece of fur or teddy bear that’s a similar colour to the dog. This means I can use my light meter without it getting eaten. Being prepared is key to a successful photo shoot and I find that having a favourite toy or some treats to hand helps coerce a stubborn dog. However, treats should be used sparingly, as some dogs tend to drool with expectation – not a good look.
1 This was taken using
2 First, set up a table. I have a
3 Rather than testing the lights
VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 465
466 | THE CRAFT | MY FAVOURITE CAMERA
Gandolfi 10x8
Landscape explorer Harry Cory Wright on the companion that lets him breathe I got my first Gandolfi 10x8 almost 20 years ago; a new one built under licence by the brilliant Eddie Hill. It came to a dramatic end on the cliffs at Cape Wrath when the wind took it and the temporary lightweight tripod I was using. Down they went, crashing against the rocks. Soon after I bought the one I use now; an original from the brothers. The 10x8 format has always interested me; the tension between spontaneity and consideration is always exciting. The work I do is less about composition and concept and more about the emotional response to a place... though, of course, the final print should be a balance of these. This is easily lost in the sometimes laborious process of setting up the camera; even in a couple of minutes I can overcomplicate a picture as I set it all up. However, the Gandolfi, with its grand simplicity, its silky smoothness of oiled brass and walnut, tends to command the process and allows a certain purity and predictability to pervade it all. I rarely compose through the lens, and find that the 240mm lens (medium wide angle) takes in such a predictable, ‘normal’ field of vision, that I only look through the lens to check the edges and the focus. On a different note, when you collapse the camera on a warm morning, the bellows having absorbed some
sunlight and heated the air within, that air puffs up at your face with an extraordinarily warm smell of camera. It is woody, scented and slightly exotic. Old fashioned perhaps, but as it always comes at a time when I feel I have taken the best picture, it delivers a sense of rich prospect and future. Anglia, new images by Harry Cory Wright, is at Somerset House, London, until 18 July. See elevenfineart.com
466 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JUNE 2015 / VOL 155
AUTHOR PROFILE HARRY CORY WRIGHT Born in 1963, Harry Cory Wright is a landscape photographer whose images explore our emotional reaction to places. His 2007 book Journey Through the British Isles is highly acclaimed.
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| FUJI | 467
Beauty and the Boost
In this feature we talk to three of Loxley Colour lab’s professional photographer clients about their work, Fujifilm CA paper and X-series cameras
A
lady recently posted a message on the Yerbury photo blog. It read: ‘If I was beautiful I’d want to be photographed by Yerbury.’ Well here’s the thing. Being classically beautiful certainly helps with that ambition. But it’s not a deal-breaker. The Yerburys love shooting their own perception of beauty – it might be a stunning model or it might be a local fishmonger. And they invariably display their unique interpretation of splendour on Fujifilm Crystal Archive silver halide paper – after completing the ‘capture’ with what they describe as their ‘truly beautiful’ cameras: the Fujifilm X-Pro1 and X-T1. The Edinburgh-based, multiinternational award-winning Yerburys, Trevor & Faye, are world-renowned masters of their (fine) art. They lecture worldwide. Faye is the current president of the Master Photographers Association (MPA). The pair are frequently asked to sit in judgement of the work of other professional photographers on prestigious judging panels (the most recent was in Estonia). They run specialist art nude workshops at sensational venues like the symbolic St Mark’s Square, Venice – and they have always been
intrinsically linked to the evocative and pulchritudinous female form. No stranger to controversy, Trevor made national news some years ago when he publicly stated he would not take wedding day commissions unless the bride (and groom) were beautiful. Then he went further and decided he didn’t want brides smiling in his pictures. Business boomed. But these days it doesn’t always have to be a ravishing naked beauty in the Yerbury studio. The latest ‘Individuals’ project could be objectively described as the complete antithesis of all that. ‘This 50-portrait project (and perhaps more) has a laser beam focus on interesting people doing interesting but often unusual jobs,’ explains Trevor. ‘Sometimes when you are walking by people in the street or sitting next to them on a bus – or on a plane – you just wonder what they do. As portrait photographers we are in a hugely privileged position. We get to make contact with a wide range of people – and
it affords us a fantastic opportunity to broaden our knowledge bank of who is around and what they do in life. With this series we want to bring people’s attention to the people they might otherwise simply ignore. ‘The only criteria we set were that the subjects had to be selfemployed and we would shoot them full-length in our studio using the Fujifilm X-Pro1 and XT-1 cameras plus one Bowens softbox and a reflector – and we would have all images printed by Loxley Colour on Fujifilm Crystal Archive silver halide paper – simply because we believe it to be the best output medium available.’ Already in the bag are: a placenta specialist (pictured left holding her son’s umbilical cord shaped into the word ‘love’); a gramophone DJ; a local fishmonger (right); a saw player (who the Yerburys believe would not be out of place in The London Philharmonic Orchestra); a 96-year-old violinist and a Scottish armourer who crafts
‘Loxley Colour prints our work on the outstanding Fujifilm Crystal Archive paper – and the only cameras we use now are the X-Pro1 and the X-T1’ Faye & Trevor Yerbury
specialist swords and knives. Says Trevor: ‘The only cameras we use now are the Fujifilm X-Pro1 and the X-T1. We were offered a “test drive” of these amazing CSCs with interchangeable lenses almost two years ago and we have never looked back. They are just so light to carry and easy to work with – and the 56mm lens is a complete blessing for use in portraiture. Apart from shooting 10x8 I have yet to see anything that rivals this lens. Additionally, we can blow our pictures up large on Crystal Archive paper with no compromise at all on detail. ‘I just love composing my images on the back screen – not the viewfinder. As soon as you use a DSLR up to your face to shoot, you instantly create a barrier. But by using the back screen on the Fuji camera I can still maintain visual eye contact with my subject the whole time.’ He adds: ‘Our Nikons have not been out of the cupboard since – and now they will be sold. We no longer have a need for them.’ Photographs by Trevor and Faye Yerbury printed on Fujifilm Crystal Archive by Loxley Colour See: www.yerburystudio.com www.yerburygallery.com www.loxleycolour.com www.fujifilm.co.uk
PROMOTION 468 | FUJI | ADVERTISING
How photography found the real Annie
P
hotography is full of tantalising contradictions these days, and west London-based portrait professional ANNIE ARMITAGE is living proof that you can still have good old-fashioned traditional business values while embracing the very latest in cuttingedge kit and media. Annie’s decision to invest in a retro-styled Fuji XE-2 for personal work, coupled with her decision to have her images output on Fujifilm’s celebrated silver halide-based Crystal Archive paper, ensures that she’s tapping into the very best of contemporary products while still maintaining the qualities that she feels will help to set her work apart from the pack. Her balanced approach is founded on the experience she gained while undertaking a yearlong ABC Diploma in Professional Photography course at the London College of Communication, following a growing desire for a paradigm shift in her working life. ‘I have been a singer/songwriter, dressmaker, hotel manager and a PA,’ she reveals, ‘but never found my true vocation. I do believe that photography found me! When my son Peter started school I took the opportunity to look at what to do with my future, and a careers adviser pointed me in the direction of a creative business. That was how I ended up at the LCC. ‘Part of the course I undertook involved working in a wet darkroom. It taught me so much about the great traditions that photography is built on. When I finally graduated with a distinction in 2007 I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my working life behind a camera.’
An affinity with people With her mind set on becoming a professional photographer her natural affinity with people led her towards portraiture. Today her flourishing business covers all aspects of the portrait spectrum, from pregnancy pictures through to family shoots, child portraiture, teenage photo sessions and business portraits. Crucially she also makes sure that she finds time for her personal projects and for these she decided to take a slightly different approach. ‘I have particular kit that I use for my commercial assignments,’ she says, ‘but for my own photography I wanted to work with a camera that was lightweight and flexible, which wouldn’t draw attention to me but which could still give me goodquality images.’ Annie found what she
‘There is nothing more exciting than seeing my work being produced in a traditional way on photographic paper’ Annie Armitage
Photographs © Annie Armitage printed on Fujifilm Crystal Archive by Loxley Colour was looking for in the Fuji XE-2, and she saw that many of her contacts in the professional world – like Kevin Mullins, Damien Lovegrove and the Yerburys – were all working with X-Series cameras. With a photographic trip to South America looming Annie took the plunge, and she’s never regretted the decision. ‘I have a friend who lives in Argentina,’ she says, ‘and although I wasn’t staying with her it enabled me to fulfil a long-held dream to visit the country. I love street photography and to be able to indulge in this passion was a delight: I went to an old-fashioned barber’s shop, commissioned tango dancers to dance for me in the
street, went to a mental institution to view their creative centre and also visited a gaucho town.’
A great partner One crucial lesson that Annie has learned is that your work is only as good as the quality of final output, so she’s taken great care to find a trustworthy pro lab partner with whom to develop a strong and lasting professional relationship. ‘I’ve worked with Loxley Colour since 2008,’ she says. ‘I love the quality of the products they produce and their customer service is just fabulous. I fly to Glasgow to visit the factory once a year to see the operation in action, and
For more information on Fujifilm Crystal Archive papers or to request a sample print please call Peter Wigington on 01234 572138, email photoimaging@fuji.co.uk or visit www.fujifilm.eu/uk/products/photofinishing/photographic-paper/
I find this quite inspirational to me as a photographer. ‘Naturally all of my work is produced on Fujifilm’s Crystal Archive paper, and it’s fulfilling for me to see it output in a traditional way on photographic paper. When Loxley moved over to using Fujifilm I immediately noticed a significant difference in the colour, clarity and definition of my prints – which was exciting as they looked even better than they did before. Also, my clients love the fact that they’re getting a traditional product: they know this is going to last from generation to generation. And that is a great selling point for me.’
See: www.anniearmitage.com www.anniearmitage.com/blog Facebook: anniearmitagephotography Twitter: @anniegolightly www.loxleycolour.com www.fujifilm.co.uk
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Alastair sees the light
B
ritish fashion shooter Tim Walker counselled photographers: ‘Only photograph what you love.’ And Falkirk-based landscape photographer Alastair Jolly has been listening. He says: ‘I’ve been a professional for 16 years, creating income from the social and commercial sectors. That effort brought its own reward but now I’m able to indulge myself with what I really love – building a personal portfolio of landscapes and street scenes to sell from my website. I find my creativity frequently pulls me in different directions while photographing – and I am as happy shooting long-exposure sea and cityscapes as I am in the middle of a vast landscape, or an urban photo walk.’ He adds: ‘The bottom line is I’ve never loved the photography profession more than I love it right now. For me it’s not so much a job as a photographic lifestyle.’ Alastair’s passion isn’t restricted to creative capture – it’s also highly focused on the finished print. He says: ‘With Crystal Archive papers and the revelatory X-Series cameras Fujifilm have now completely changed the imaging landscape – at least they have for me. It’s a brilliant system: the cameras, the outstanding lenses, the extraordinary files and, importantly, the peerless and archival silverhalide paper that my lab, Loxley Colour, embraces for output. ‘I love that in this digital age I can still rely on the paper I love. Crystal Archive gives me confidence that my images are being printed on paper that will stand up to the test of time, maintaining both stability and vibrancy. It’s a complete Fujifilm
| FUJI | 469
SUPPORTING CREATIVE EXCELLENCE
Photograph © Alastair Jolly printed on Fujifilm Crystal Archive by Loxley Colour package from capture to print.’ And when it comes to ‘exhibition size’ printing there is still no concern about compromise. Notes Alastair: ‘The expert fusion of Loxley Colour craftwork with these silverhalide papers is the output equivalent of manna from heaven.’ But photography is an art Alastair truly did have to suffer for. ‘The plain fact was that lugging heavy DSLR cameras, lenses and associated photo inventory up and down the country played havoc with my shoulder – and I had to undergo an operation two years ago. After surgery things had to change. Enter the game-changing Fujifilm X-Series cameras.’ A commercial trip to San Francisco proved to be the tipping point in his transition from DSLR to compact camera systems.
Nostalgia is what it used to be He says: ‘Fujifilm gave me an X-Pro1 to test drive while I was there – and it just astonished me. It was fingertip light and it just felt like some of the earliest film cameras I used to work with. I have to admit this is the first digital camera system that has made me feel truly nostalgic.’ He adds: ‘I spent many years shooting with Fuji Velvia and now with the X-Pro1 and using Lightroom Profiles I can have the tactile familiarity of the old cameras but also create images that match my preferred film type. I just don’t need DSLRs now. These Fujifilm cameras may come under the heading “compact” but the company has proved that great things can come in small and light packages. And it’s not just the capture versatility – as there is no
doubt that the corporate mission to deliver high picture quality that meets the dynamic needs of professionals has been achieved. It’s also about the development of new lenses that complement the camera. My go-to for portraiture has to be the 35mm and the 10-24mm option for my landscape work is just superb.’ Now Alastair is out shooting whenever possible as part of his mission to steadily build his website galleries. He jokes: ‘I think it was Henri Cartier-Bresson who announced: “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst” – so on that basis I remain resolutely optimistic about the future!’ Later this year he will lead a 10-photographer-strong workshop tour that rambles across the Scottish Highlands. He says: ‘It’s become an annual event. Last year the international delegates arrived totally burdened down with their own mountains of heavy photo equipment. I just had my X-Series and a rather smug smile on my face!’
‘Fujifilm has now completely changed the imaging landscape’ Scottish photographer Alastair Jolly
Below: Alastair Jolly, left, discusses exhibition printing fresh off the line at Loxley Colour with the lab’s professional market expert Calum Thomson See Alastair Jolly’s website: www.amjvisuals.com www.loxleycolour.com www.fujifilm.co.uk
MEMBER Women behind the camera Hear from four female leading lights in the photography industry
L
eading female photographers will be giving talks at the University of Westminster in London on Saturday 13 June, to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Julia Margaret Cameron. Participants include Monica Allende, current picture editor for the Sunday Times Magazine and a founder of the Spectrum section. Allende will share her thoughts on the benefits of a female photographer’s perspective on commissioned projects, as well as the risks and opportunities faced by women in the industry. Humanitarian photographer Alixandra Fazzina will discuss her experiences documenting under-reported conflicts across
the world. Fazzina will also speak about her current project, The Flowers of Afghanistan, in which she follows the journey of Afghan children seeking refuge in Europe. Gina Glover will present her latest touring exhibition and book, The Metabolic Landscape. With observations on climate change, her work communicates feelings and sensibilities about a world under threat that can be lost in scientific reportage. Attendees will also hear from Eva Stenram, a photographer who produces original work from reinterpreted and reimagined artefacts.
| GUIDE | 471
GUIDE
YOUR RPS EVENTS ! COURSES PROGRAMME
JUN!JUL!AUG
GO TO RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
Above: Women wait for rice and oil to be distributed, Pakistan, by Alixandra Fazzina
Left: From ‘Parts’ by Eva Stenram
Below: Nuclear Power Station Cooling Towers, Dampierre, France by Gina Glover
To read more, please turn to page 472 VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 471
472 | GUIDE | The Art of Urban Portraits SAT 13 JUNE / 10:30%16:30
The Art of Film Noir Portraits THURSDAY 9 JULY / 10:30%16:30
The Art of Image Composition £99 each `` `` Society members receive a discount if they book online
`` Nikon Centre of Excellence, 63-64 Margaret Street, London W1W 8SW
`` Del Barrett ARPS, as above
Women in Photography: Kajal Nisha Patel WEDNESDAY 10 JUNE / 18:30%21:00
`` Hear from the award-winning photographer
`` 6 Penrose Way, Greenwich Peninsula SE10 0EW
`` reception@rps.org, 01225 325773 Women in Photography: Westminster SATURDAY 13 JUNE / 10:30+16:00
`` Lectures to coincide with the bicentenary of the birth of Julia Margaret Cameron `` University of Westminster Marylebone Campus, 35 Marylebone Road, London `` reception@rps.org, 01225 325733
LRPS Advisory Day
REGIONS Meet photographers and view work in your area
THURSDAY 18 JUNE / 10:30%16:30
Hear from Kajal Nisha Patel as part of the Women in Photography series, London, Wednesday 10 June. Image: Vaisakhi Pilgrims by Kajal Nisha Patel
Fen, Nr Lakenheath IP27 9AD `` Ann Miles FRPS, 07710 383586, ann@pin-sharp.co.uk
Steve Caplin – How to cheat in Photoshop SUNDAY 14 JUNE / 10:00%16:30
`` £16/£12/£8 group members `` Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road,
CENTRAL MIKE SHARPLES ARPS, 07884 657535
Foxton CB22 6RN
mikes.sharples@virgin.net
`` John Margetts ARPS,
Midlands Salon Evening Viewing for Society Members
events@rpseasterndigital.org.uk `` See DI Group for details
FRIDAY 19 JUNE / 19:30%22:00
Photography for Archaeologists
`` £2.50 members `` Smethwick Photographic Society,
SATURDAY 27 JUNE / 10:00%16:00
`` £25/£20/£15 spectators `` Nikon Centre of Excellence, 63-64 Margaret Street, London W1W 8SW
`` Del Barrett ARPS, as above Towards your ARPS in Natural History
SATURDAY 25 JULY+SUNDAY 26 JULY / 10:00%17:00
`` See website for costs `` Talks and workshops including an ARPS advisory session with Natural History panel assessors David Osborn FRPS and Clive Rathband FRPS `` Premier Inn London Heathrow Airport, 15 Bath Road, Hounslow, Middlesex TW6 2AB `` Del Barrett ARPS, as above
Churchbridge, West Midlands B69 2AS `` Mike Sharples ARPS, as above
`` £36/£18 introductory rate `` Eric Houlder LRPS will draw upon his
Distinctions Advisory Day (Creative/Pictorial) LRPS or ARPS
`` Wuffing Education, c/o 4 Hilly Fields,
DON LANGFORD LRPS, 01758 713572
Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 4DX
donchrislangford@btinternet.com
50 years of photographing excavations
`` cliff@wuffingeducation.co.uk,
SATURDAY 22 AUGUST / 10:00%16:00
`` £20/£15/£5 spectators `` Colin Harrison FRPS and Clive Haynes
01394 386498
FRPS advise
EAST MIDLANDS RALPH BENNETT ARPS, 01636 651277
Churchbridge, West Midlands B69 2AS
ralph.emrps@gmail.com
`` Mike Sharples ARPS, as above
EIRE EAST ANGLIA IAN WILSON ARPS, 07767 473594
`` £4 parking `` Photograph the rich bird population `` Lakenheath RSPB Reserve, Lakenheath 472 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JUNE 2015 / VOL 155
GO TO RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
afzalansary@aol.com
Contemporary North-West Meeting MONDAY 8 JUNE / 19:30%22:00
DES CLINTON FRPS, 0035 341 983 7824
`` Days Inn Charnock Richard M6,
DESCLINTON+EIRCOM.NET
Jct 27-28 northbound, Mill Lane, Chorley, Lancs PR7 5LR `` Ian Maxwell, 01524 770278, mail@ihmaxwell.com `` For details see Contemporary Group
ian@greenmen.org.uk
SATURDAY 13 JUNE / 9:00%17:00
NORTH WEST DR AFZAL ANSARY ASIS FRPS, 07970 403672
`` Smethwick Photographic Society,
Field Meeting to Lakenheath RSPB Reserve
NORTH WALES
LONDON DEL BARRETT ARPS londonevents@rps.org
RPS London and Nikon School workshop series: SATURDAY 6 JUNE / 10:30%16:30
Victorian Extravaganza SUNDAY 14 JUNE / 10:30%13:00
`` £15/£12.50 members
| GUIDE | 473 `` Limited tickets available `` Models in Victorian costumes `` Tabley Hall, Knutsford WA16 0HB `` Alan Angel FRPS,
photograph wildfowl on the lake
`` Stover Country Park, A382, Newton Abbot TQ12 6QG
`` Mick Medley, 01626 824865,
aandjangel@btinternet.com
`` £20/£15/£10 observers `` Millennium Hall, Main Road, Lacey Green HP27 0QN
`` Mark Buckley-Sharp ARPS, as above
michael.medley@btinternet.com
JANE BLACK ARPS, 0191 252 2870
SW Visual Art Group Members’ Day
j.black70@btinternet.com
SATURDAY 18 JULY / 10:30%16:00
NORTHERN
`` £8/£5/£3 group members `` The Dolphin, Station Road, Bovey
NORTHERN IRELAND
WESTERN TONY COOPER ARPS, 01225 421097 tony@photoscoop.co.uk
Members’ meeting in Bath SUNDAY 14 JUNE / 10:00%13:00
Tracey TQ13 9AL `` Linda Wevill FRPS, linda.wevill@btinternet.com `` For details see Visual Art Group
`` £2 `` Members’ digitally projected images,
james.frost11@btinternet.com
West Cornwall Group meeting
`` Tony Cooper ARPS, as above
DIG Scotland: June Meeting
`` Chacewater Village Hall, Church Hill,
DAMIAN MCDONALD ARPS, 07902 481691 damianmcdonald@outlook.com SCOTLAND JAMES FROST FRPS, 01578 730466
panoramas and AVs
`` RPS HQ, Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH
TUESDAY 21 JULY / 19:30 %21:30
Chacewater, Truro TR4 8PZ `` Vivien Howse ARPS, 01326 221939, vivien939@btinternet.com
SUNDAY 14 JUNE / 13:30%16:30
`` £8/£7 members `` Bridge of Allan Parish Church, Keir Street, Bridge of Allan FK9 4NW
South West Region Exhibition
`` Doug Berndt ARPS, digscotland@rps.org
SATURDAY 1 AUGUST%31 OCTOBER
Photo Forum Larkhall
`` The biannual South West Region exhibition
SUNDAY 28 JUNE / 11:00%16:00
`` £10/£8 members `` Constructive feedback on your work `` Cameronian Hall, Victoria Street,
`` R D & E Hospital, Barrack Road, Exeter EX2 5DW
`` Martin Howse ARPS, as above
Larkhall ML9 2BL `` James Frost FRPS, as above
VACANT Contact Society HQ, reception@rps.org
and Fellowship panels from recent Distinctions assessments `` Hilton Bath City Hotel, Walcot Street, Bath `` distinctions@rps.org, 01225 325733
Members’ meeting in Bath `` £7 `` Laura Pannack presents her own work `` RPS HQ, Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH
SUNDAY 9 AUGUST / 11:00%16:00
Aberdeen AB24 5AA `` James Frost FRPS, as above
SATURDAY 27 JUNE / 10:30%16:00
`` £10 spectators `` View successful Licentiate, Associate
SUNDAY 12 JULY / 10:00 %13:00
SOUTHERN
Photo Forum – North-East `` £10/£8 members `` Constructive feedback on your work `` Aberdeen Arts Centre, 33 King Street,
Celebration of Distinctions – Bath
THAMES VALLEY
SW Visual Art Group Members’ Day is on Saturday 18 July. Image: Margaret Martin ARPS
`` Tony Cooper ARPS, as above
MARK BUCKLEY,SHARP ARPS, 020 8907 5874 mark.buckley-sharp@tiscali.co.uk
Taunton Area Field Trip
Distinctions Advisory Day
`` £5 `` Field of Dreams, Barcroft Hall, North
SUNDAY 19 JULY / 10:00%13:00 SUNDAY 28 JUNE / 10:00%16:00
SOUTH EAST TERRY MCGHIE ARPS, 01323 492584 southeast@rps.org
LRPS Advisory Day in Surrey SUNDAY 5 JULY / 10:30%16:30
`` £20/£15/£10 spectators `` Cobham Village Hall, Lushington Drive, Cobham, Surrey KT11 2LU
`` Terry McGhie ARPS, as above
ARPS Advisory Day: Pictorial, Natural History and Travel SUNDAY 2 AUGUST / 10:30%16:30
`` £20/£15/£10 spectators `` Canterbury Christ Church University, Old Sessions House, North Holmes Road, Canterbury CT1 1QU `` Terry McGhie ARPS, as above SOUTH WALES MIKE LEWIS, 07855 309667, 01446 710770 mikeglewis101@btinternet.com SOUTH WEST MARTIN HOWSE ARPS, 01326 221939 mghvkh@btinternet.com
Walk around Stover Country Park SUNDAY 14 JUNE / 10:30%16:00
`` Explore a number of nature trails and VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 473
INTEREST GROUPS 474 | GUIDE | SPECIAL Street, South Petherton TA13 5DA
`` Mick Humphries LRPS, 01823
443955, mick@somersite.co.uk
LRPS and ARPS Advisory Day SUNDAY 26 JULY / 10:00 %16:30
`` £20/£15/£10 spectators `` RPS HQ, Fenton House, 122 Wells
GO TO RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
Road, Bath BA2 3AH
`` Gordon James FRPS, 07890 016956,
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS Explore more about aspects of photography and imaging
gjphotomail@gmail.com
Western Region Members’ Summer Outing
PETER FREEMAN LRPS, 01462 893633
SUNDAY 9 AUGUST / 10:00%17:00
3D@rps.org
Canons Ashby House THURSDAY 20 AUGUST / 10:00%16:00
`` £12 `` Photograph inside this Tudor house `` Near Daventry, Northamptonshire, NN11 3SD
`` Keith Evans FRPS, 01732 743943, richard.evans943@btinternet.com AUDIO VISUAL HOWARD FISHER LRPS, 0115 9372898 HANDJAF+VIRGINMEDIA.COM
DAVID HEALEY ARPS, 07968 746 211
Members’ meeting, Highnam
CONTEMPORARY PETER ELLIS LRPS, 07770 837977 wordsnpicsltd@gmail.com
Darkroom & Instant Imaging Day
SUNDAY 23 AUGUST / 10:00%13:00
`` £5 `` Parish Rooms, Highnam Community
SATURDAY 27 JUNE / 10:00+16:30
`` Split-tone printing and Instant
Centre, Newent Road, Highnam GL2 8DG `` Bob Train, 01452 521424, bobtrain@tiscali.co.uk
Imaging with Emulsion lifts hosted by Stuart Keegan and Keyphoto `` University of Westminster, Harrow Campus, Watford Road HA1 3TP `` Contact analogue@rps.org for more information `` Book online via the Analogue SIG page
YORKSHIRE MARY CROWTHER LRPS, 07921 237962 photobox50@gmail.com
Photography with the West Yorkshire Fire Brigade
co.uk, 078024 413570
mike.sasse@btinternet.com
ANALOGUE ANALOGUE+RPS.ORG
THURSDAY 16 JULY / 10:00AM
Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8AH
`` Mike Sasse, 01892 531179,
3D IMAGING AND HOLOGRAPHY
`` £15 `` Summer outing to be confirmed `` Tony Cooper ARPS, as above
`` £7 `` Full details will be given on booking `` Halifax, West Yorkshire `` Robert Helliwell, bobhelliwell@clara.
`` The Institute, High Street,
Contemporary South-West Meeting SUNDAY 7 JUNE / 10:30%15:00
`` Dartington, Totnes TQ4 7NZ `` Rod Fry, 01803 844721, rod@rodfry.eclipse.co.uk
Contemporary North-West Meeting MONDAY 8 JUNE / 19:30%22:00
`` Regular meeting of the North-West Contemporary Group
ARCHAEOLOGY AND HERITAGE
Head to Canons Ashby House with the Archaeology and Heritage group on Thursday 20 August. Image: National Trust Images/Andrew Butler
RODNEY BERNARD THRING LRPS, 01276 20725 rodney.thring@ntlworld.com
AGM and Annual Print Day
`` Days Inn Charnock Richard M6, Junction 27-28 northbound, Mill Lane, Chorley, Lancs PR7 5LR `` Ian Maxwell, 01524 770278, mail@ihmaxwell.com
SATURDAY 6 JUNE / 10:00%16:00
`` Find out more about the group
CREATIVE BARRY COLLIN LRPS creativechair@rps.org
Creative Group Members’ Day SUNDAY 28 JUNE / 10:45 %16:30
`` £6 `` Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambs. CB22 6RN
`` David Jordan FRPS, 01603 866475, daveandjoanjordan@yahoo.co.uk DIGITAL IMAGING JANET HAINES ARPS, 07779 728844 digchair@rps.org
DIG Scotland: June Meeting SUNDAY 14 JUNE / 13:30%16:30
`` £8/£7 members `` Bridge of Allan Parish Church, Keir Street, Bridge of Allan FK9 4NW
`` Doug Berndt ARPS, digscotland@rps.org DIG Eastern Centre: Steve Caplin – How to cheat in Photoshop SUNDAY 14 JUNE / 10:00%16:30
`` £16/£12/£8 group members `` Caplin is an expert on manipulation and photomontage using Photoshop
`` Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton CB22 6RN 474 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JUNE 2015 / VOL 155
| GUIDE | 475 `` John Margetts ARPS, events@rpseasterndigital.org.uk DOCUMENTARY MO CONNELLY LRPS, 01590 641849 dvj@rps.org HISTORICAL JENNIFER FORD ARPS, 01234 881459 jennyford2000@yahoo.co.uk
A day around London FRIDAY 24 JULY / 11:30%19:30
`` See website for details `` Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG `` Janine Freeston, janinef64@gmail.com 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 NATURE RICHARD REVELS, 01767 313065 richard.revels@talktalk.net
Residential Weekend FRIDAY 5 JUNE % MONDAY 8 JUNE
`` See website for costs `` Preston Montford, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury SY4 1DX
`` James Foad LRPS, 01843 580295 or 07810 306365, jamesfoadlrps@inbox.com
Field Meeting to the Ainsdale Dunes
Join the Nature Group’s field meeting at Bempton Cliffs on Saturday 13 June. Image: Shutterstock
SATURDAY 6 JUNE / 10:00
`` Photograph dune flora and wildlife `` The Ainsdale Discovery Centre, The Promenade, Shore Road, Ainsdaleon-Sea, Nr Southport PR8 2QB `` Trevor Davenport, 01704 870284 or 07831 643844, trevor.davenport@virgin.net
`` Royal Horticultural Society members £60, non-RHS members £68 `` RHS, Harlow Carr Gardens, Harrogate, North Yorkshire `` Harlow Carr on 020 3176 583 or Garry Fry ARPS at g.fry@rosedene.myzen.co.uk TRAVEL bagpoint@aol.com
Trip to Zambia and Malawi
Field Meeting to Lakenheath RSPB Reserve
`` £3,479 `` Photograph wildlife, rural and fishing
SATURDAY 13 JUNE / 9:00%17:00
Fen, Nr Lakenheath IP27 9AD `` Ann Miles FRPS, 07710 383586, ann@pin-sharp.co.uk
Field meeting at Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire SATURDAY 13 JUNE / 09:00%18:00
`` The day may include a boat trip with wildlife photographer Steve Race `` Bempton Cliffs, Bempton, East Yorkshire YO15 1JF `` James Foad LRPS, 07810 306365 or 01843 580295, jamesfoadlrps@inbox.com
Photography through a microscope, one-day course FRIDAY 19 JUNE 10:00+16:00
WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH % THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016
`` £3,020 pp excluding flights and single supplement
`` Includes ancient and modern Japan, national parks, and riding the ‘Bullet Train’
`` Aline Hopkins,
alinehopkins@btinternet.com
KEITH POINTON LRPS, 01588 640592
FRIDAY 3 JULY % SUNDAY 19 JULY
`` £4 parking `` Lakenheath RSPB Reserve, Lakenheath
Japan – Cherry Blossom Tour
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
life, and contribute to the Book Bus literacy project `` Liz Rhodes, lizrh@tiscali.co.uk
Western Canada
Cambodia Overland Photo Tour – May 2016 SATURDAY 21 MAY % THURSDAY 2 JUNE 2016
`` £950 group member `` Cambodia, Phnom Penh `` Keith Pointon, 01588 640592, bagpoint@aol.com
Cambodia Overland Photo Tour – November 2016 SATURDAY 12 % THURSDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2016
`` £2,169 (only one place remaining) `` From Calgary to Vancouver, through
`` £950 group member `` Cambodia, Phnom Penh `` Keith Pointon, 01588 640592,
some of the west’s remarkable scenery
bagpoint@aol.com
SATURDAY 29 AUGUST % SATURDAY 12 SEPTEMBER
`` Aline Hopkins,
alinehopkins@btinternet.com
VISUAL ART VIVECA KOH FRPS, 07956 517524
Weekend in Falmouth
Viveca.koh@gmail.com
FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER % SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER
`` £140 members/£36 meeting and dinner only `` Guided visits to places of interest `` The Falmouth Hotel, Castle Beach, Falmouth TR11 4NZ `` Margaret Hocking, 01872 561219, bosrowynek@btinternet.com
SW Visual Art Group Members’ Day SATURDAY 18 JULY / 10:30%16:00
`` The Dolphin, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL
`` Linda Wevill FRPS, linda.wevill@btinternet.com VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 475
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| GUIDE | 477
WORKSHOPS
Hear from the experts and hone your skills
Introduction to Business for Photographers MON 1 JUNE % TUE 2 JUNE / 10:00%16:00
`` £190/£165 members Wedding Photography Techniques WEDNESDAY 3 JUNE / 10:00%17:00
`` £135/£110 members `` A workshop for experienced wedding pros and the beginner
`` Thrumpton, Nottingham Digital Monochrome Printing SAT 6 JUNE % SUN 7 JUNE / 10:00%16:00
`` £175/£145 members `` Get the best out of your digital camera How to Photograph Children and Babies SATURDAY 6 JUNE / 10:00%17:00
`` £95/£71 members `` Lacock, Wiltshire Exmoor in Early Summer – fully booked
Wet Collodion Negatives and Prints
SATURDAY 6 JUNE / 14:00%21:00
SAT 27 JUNE % SUN 28 JUNE / 9:30%18:00
`` £95/£71 members `` Porlock Weir, Somerset
`` £195/£170 members `` Lincoln
Different Landscape – Ilam Hall
Shutter to Print ColourManagement Training
SATURDAY 13 JUNE / 9:00%18:00
`` £130/£105 members `` Eighty four acres of beautiful parkland on the banks of the River Manifold `` Ilam Hall, Ashbourne, Peak District
One-Day Introduction to your Digital SLR SATURDAY 13 JUNE / 10:00%17:00
`` £63 members Wedding Photography Business development SAT 13 JUNE % SUN 14 JUNE / 10:00%16:30
`` £160/£135 members `` Lacock, Wiltshire Art Nude Photography
Above: Photograph the beautiful landscapes around Ilam Hall, Saturday 13 June. Image: Shutterstock
SUNDAY 5 JULY / 10:00%16:30
`` £45/£33 members `` Get an insight into how to photograph
`` £45/£33 members `` Get accurate colour results with
birds and mammals
digital photography every time
One-Day Introduction to your Digital SLR
Macro and Art Photography THURSDAY 2 JULY / 10:00%16:30
macro and close-up images
`` The Open University, Milton Keynes
SATURDAY 4 JULY / 10:00 %16:30
`` £95/£71 members `` Spot photographic potential Wildlife Photography
WEDNESDAY 1 JULY / 10:00%15:00
`` £35/£26 members `` Learn how to produce high-quality
Introduction to the Creative Eye
Below: Learn how to photograph children and babies, Saturday 6 June, at Lacock in Wiltshire. Image: Shutterstock
SATURDAY 11 JULY / 10:00%17:00
`` £63 members Different Landscapes – Monyash SATURDAY 18 JULY / 9:00%18:00
`` £130/£105 members `` Discover inspiration in the heart of the Peak District
`` Monyash Methodist Church Hall, Bakewell, Peak District
SATURDAY 20 JUNE / 10:00%16:30
`` £115/£90 members `` Lacock, Wiltshire One-Day Plant and Garden Photography Workshop SATURDAY 20 JUNE / 10:00 %17:00
`` £155/£130 members `` Aimed at all those who love photographing plants and landscapes and who may be considering doing it for a profession, with Jason Ingram and Paul Debois `` The Walled Garden, Selwood St, Mells, Somerset
Studio Portraiture SAT 25 JULY % SUN 26 JULY / 10:00%16:30
`` £160/£135 members `` Take great images in a studio environment
`` Lacock, Wiltshire Wedding Photography Business development SAT 22 AUGUST % SUN 23 AUGUST / 10:00%16:30
`` Develop a viable business strategy for wedding photography
`` £160/£135 members `` Lacock, Wiltshire
VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 477
EXHIBITIONS 478 | GUIDE | PATRONAGE
PATRONAGE Society patronage has been granted to the following exhibitions and salons
5th International Salon of Art Photography Smederevo 2015 CLOSING DATE: 2 JUNE 2015
`` fotokinoklub-smederevo.com `` Ref: 2015/42 8th International Photographic Salon Varna CLOSING DATE: 10 JUNE 2015
`` fotosalonvarna.org `` Ref: 2015/26 153rd Edinburgh International Exhibition of Photography CLOSING DATE: 17 JUNE 2015
`` edinburghphotosalon.org `` Ref: 2015/18 Corsica 2015
Photo Creators
CLOSING DATE: 21 JUNE 2015
CLOSING DATE: 15 JULY 2015
`` pca-exhibition.com/corsica `` Ref: 2015/34
`` photo-creators.com `` Ref: 2015/41
Salon International Photographique Le Caton 2015
The South Devon Salon of International Photography
`` perpignanphoto.fr `` Ref: 2015/29
36th Northern Counties International Salon 2015 CLOSING DATE: 23 AUGUST 2015
`` northerncountiessalon.org.uk `` Ref: 2015/33
EXHIBITIONS
CLOSING DATE: 19 JULY 2015
`` newtonabbot-photoclub.org.uk `` Ref: 2015/28
CLOSING DATE: 22 JUNE 2015
LESLEY GOODE, EXHIBITIONS MANAGER
2nd Creative International Digital Salon 2015 CLOSING DATE: 2 JULY 2015
`` bplclub.in `` Ref: 2015/40
7th PSA China International Exhibition of Photography
01225 325720, lesley@rps.org
Call for Entries: International Print Exhibition 158
CLOSING DATE: 28 JULY 2015
`` salon.psachina.org `` Ref: 2015/43
CLOSING DATE MONDAY 1 JUNE
F2 / 4째 Salon Internacional de Fotografia
2015 The 5th China International Digital Photography Art Exhibition
CLOSING DATE: 9 JULY 2015
CLOSING DATE: 30 JULY 2015
`` f2sociedadfotografica.com `` Ref: 2015/45
`` photoalliance.net `` Ref: 2015/04
OVERSEAS CHAPTERS
Royal Photographic Society members around the world
`` AUSTRALIA Elaine Herbert ARPS, eherbert@ alphalink.com.au `` BENELUX Stephen Johns, Steve_johns@me.com `` CANADA John Bradford, jb.rps@cogeco.ca `` CHINA BEIJING Yan Li, yanli88@yahoo.com
View the Drawn by Light exhibition in Bradford until Sunday 21 June. Image: Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941 by Ansel Adams
`` CHINA
CHONGQING `` CHINA SICHUAN Wei Han (Richard), oolongcha@ hotmail.com `` CHINA SHANGTUF Guo Jing, shangtuf@ yahoo.com.cn `` CHINA QUANZHOU
478 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JUNE 2015 / VOL 155
Xiaoling Wang, hgudsh@163.com `` GERMANY Chris Renk, info@chrisrenk.de `` HONG KONG Shan Sang Wan FRPS, shansangwan@ yahoo.com.hk `` INDIA Rajen Nandwana, rajennandwana@ gmail.com `` INDONESIA Agatha Bunanta ARPS, agathabunanta@ gmail.com `` ITALY Olivio Argenti FRPS,
`` Open to student, amateur and professional photographers across the world `` Royal Photographic Society, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH `` exhibitions@rps.org
info@rps-italy.org CONCEIVING A PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION SAT 4 % SUN 5 JULY
`` Weekend workshop with Chapter organiser Olivio Argenti FRPS and Emmanuelle Hascoet, director of exhibitions, Magnum Paris. `` Tevere Art Gallery, Via di Santa Passera, 25, Rome `` JAPAN TOKYO Yoshio Miyake, yoshio-raps@ nifty.com `` MALAYSIA
Nick Ng, nickng6208@ gmail.com `` MALTA Ruben Buhagiar, info@rubenbuhagiar. com `` NEW ZEALAND Mark Berger rps@moothall.co.nz `` SINGAPORE Steven Yee Pui Chung FRPS, peacock@ sandvengroup.com `` SOUTHERN SPAIN Mike Naylor, mike@mikenaylor.es `` SRI LANKA
Romesh de Silva, romesh@access.lk `` SWISS CHAPTER 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 | 479 International Print Exhibition 157 UNTIL TUESDAY 16 JUNE
`` Belfast Photo Festival `` Andrews Gallery, Titanic Belfast, 1 Olympic Way, Queen’s Road, Belfast BT3 9EP
`` The National Media Museum,
GO TO RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
SAT 4 JULY % SUN 5 JULY
Bradford, West Yorkshire BD1 1NQ
`` An exhibition of wet-plate collodion
Members’ Biennial Print Exhibition
`` Aspect Consultant, Empire House,
portraits of artists
1b Dormer Place, Leamington Spa CV32 5AE
THU 25 JUNE % SAT 8 AUGUST / 12:00%17:00
`` Arts Centre Washington, Biddick
South West Region Exhibition
Lane, Fatfield, Tyne & Wear NE38 8AB
Drawn by Light: The Royal Photographic Society Collection
‘Through the Glass Darkly’ by Ray Spence FRPS
UNTIL SUNDAY 21 JUNE
SAT 27 JUNE % SUN 28 JUNE
SAT 1 AUGUST % SAT 31 OCTOBER
`` R D & E Hospital, Barrack Road, Exeter EX2 5DW
JOURNAL COUNCIL REPORT ! MARCH 2015 In a change to previous practice The Society’s departmental managers had provided written reports of day-to-day matters in advance of the meeting, allowing Council to give greater consideration to more strategic issues. MATTERS ARISING `` Ubicast would be used to provide overseas advice and Fellowship feedback. Walter Benzie reported that the London Region had started to provide film and video workshops. SOCIETY FINANCE
`` Geoff Blackwell reported that the account preparation for the audit was progressing well. Following a review and interviews by the Investment Committee with prospective investment managers Council agreed to transfer The Society’s investments from Barclays to Brewin Dolphin. It agreed that the new fund managers would be able to formulate an investment strategy without restrictions. Geoff Blackwell asked that Brewin Dolphin be tasked to create a separate reserve fund for the new premises project, the funds of which would be available at short notice. SOCIETY PREMISES
`` There were no firm opportunities being explored at the moment. MEMBERSHIP
`` Membership stood at 11,166. `` Derek Birch noted that the lapsed members report included many with Distinctions. Robert Albright thought these would see a high rejoining rate. GROUPS/REGIONS/OVERSEAS CHAPTERS `` Council discussed a proposal to
form a Dynamic Imaging Group. Robert Albright noted that it may not conform to The Society’s definition of a Group, which Vanessa Slawson thought might be positive. Council asked that the proposers prepare a Journal article to gauge wider interest. `` A discussion took place around the need for a working party to review the way Special Interest Groups operated and were managed. Council noted particular areas that could be part of any review including: the relationship of overseas members and Groups; a new funding model for Groups; the relationship between Groups and Regions. Clear terms of reference for a working party were needed. `` Vanessa Slawson noted that the Membership Committee was working on a minimum requirements document for Regions and this could include four rather than the current two Group events. AWARDS `` Derek Birch noted that the 2015 Awards recommendations from the Awards Committee had been approved by Council. Jo Macdonald confirmed that all the invitations to Award nominees had been sent and that acceptances were coming in. Roy Robertson, who joined the meeting, discussed a paper which proposed revising future Awards criteria, discontinuing some Awards and introducing new Awards. The paper had come from a review meeting and the changes reflected the difficulty some categories had in attracting nominations. The new categories were intended to keep the Awards current. Council approved the changes, which would be in place for the next call for nominations in September 2015. `` He also discussed the Combined Royal Colleges Award. Afzal Ansary
and Bob Tapper had prepared a paper restating the process and criteria which would be put to the Medical Awards meeting on 2 April. `` Council asked that all Awards should be reviewed as part of The Society’s Five-Year Plan. DISTINCTIONS
`` David Cooke reported on the Scuola Romana di Fotografia, Rome, and the exemption agreement which was due to expire in 2015. The Society would continue to monitor standards and a new marking scheme. A final agreement would be brought back to Council. EXHIBITIONS
working with Horace Nicholls’ photographs in the Collection. The exhibition Drawn by Light would open in Bradford on 21 March, with the Director-General attending. ADVISORY BOARD
`` Council noted that The Society’s election procedures, particularly the nomination process, were not properly understood and needed revising. Gary Evans felt that the relationship between the Advisory Board and Council as the executive body needed to be better defined. The Regions meeting would take place on 18 July in Birmingham. EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS
`` Gary Evans reported that Light
`` Robert Albright would attend the
Works had attracted some 15,400 visitors over 19 days. It would be in Edinburgh until 17 April. It would go to Cardiff but further showings were subject to securing funding by the STFC.
PAGB annual general meeting. Gary Evans noted that BAPLA was holding a one-day seminar on copyright on 14 May.
EDUCATION, WORKSHOPS AND TRADE SHOWS `` David Cooke provided an update on the Open University course. Sally Smart had agreed to be Society forum moderator employed by the OU. RPS JOURNAL
`` The question was raised of whether a binder could be provided for the Journal. The Director-General said that this had been looked into two years ago and if Council felt there was a demand from the membership then a stock could be ordered. Recent back copies of the electronic version of the Journal would be made available through the website to current members logged in to the website. NATIONAL MEDIA MUSEUM
`` Robert Gates reported that
Society volunteers were currently
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
`` Council approved a document on The Role of the Trustees prepared by the Director-General. It would be sent to candidates nominated for Council and would be uploaded to the website. `` The Director-General provided an update on nominations for Council and the Advisory Board. `` Science Committee: Derek Birch reported that Tony Kaye had stepped down as Chair of the Science Committee. A replacement had agreed to take the chair until a permanent replacement had been found. `` Walter Benzie reported that he had received the tender document prepared by the Director-General for the management of the Society’s online shop. He would meet with a company potentially interested in running this. `` Council asked that the departmental managers be thanked for their reports.
VOL 155 / JUNE 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 479
THE SOCIETY’S COLLECTION 480 | TIMES PAST | FROM
Subcontinental splendour
L
innaeus Tripe was an officer in the army of the East India Company when he caught the photography bug. While on leave in 1851, he ordered one of the most sophisticated and largest cameras available – a 12x15-inch rising-front model with a 20-inch Ross lens. Of the three processes available, Tripe selected the wax-paper negative process. This, unlike daguerreotypes, allowed him to produce multiple prints, and without the intricate processing required when using wet collodion. It would also have been more sensitive to India’s
extreme heat and humidity than the paper negative. On his return to service, Tripe’s photographs of ruins in Mysore, including this one of a temple in Hullabede, won him the recognition that led to his engagement as photographer with Lord Dalhousie’s mission to Burma. Although Dalhousie was, ostensibly, in Burma to negotiate a peace treaty with the king, his team had a strong focus on gathering strategic information about a hitherto little-visited country. Tripe’s subsequent appointment as government photographer to the Madras Presidency gave him freedom to create his own brief. While
480 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JUNE 2015 / VOL 155
‘HIS IMAGES HAVE AN OTHERWORLDLY CALM AT ODDS WITH THE VIOLENCE ELSEWHERE’ his approach was always planned with the rigour of a military surveyor, his sensitivity was that of an artist. Most of his paper negatives bear evidence of delicate post-exposure work: skies enhanced and foliage modified. His prints are beautifully gold-toned; Tripe made his own toner, dissolving half-sovereigns in acid. They have an otherworldly calm at odds
with the violence elsewhere in India. In 1857 the Indian Mutiny heralded the establishment of the British Raj. The new regime needed to cut costs and so Tripe’s project was axed. It would be superficial to categorise Tripe’s work as ‘colonial photography’. He was presenting photographs to capture the imagination and foster an appreciation of a culture that was in decline or about to be swept away. CHRISTOPHER WILLIAM MORRIS ARPS
This image is on loan to the exhibition Captain Linnaeus Tripe: Photographer of India and Burma, 1852-1860 at the V&A, which opens on 24 June
ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY COLLECTION/NATIONAL MEDIA MUSEUM
A wax-paper negative by Linnaeus Tripe of a ruined temple in Hullabede, India, 1854
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