AWARDS SPECIAL
SOCIETY HONOURS 2015’S OUTSTANDING PHOTOGRAPHIC TALENTS
BRYAN ADAMS HonFRPS
ART NUDE MASTERCLASS
FROM ROCK SIMPLE TIPS ROYALTY TO TO IMPROVE REGAL PROFILES YOUR SHOTS
JOURNAL OCTOBER 2015 VOLUME 155 / NUMBER 10 WWW.RPS.ORG
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| OCTOBER 2015 | 721
OPENING SHOT
MANY HANDS MAKING LIGHT WORK
I COMING UP
IN FUTURE ISSUES We speak to Alec Soth, whose work is on show this month at the Science Museum, London, and catch up with Society stalwart and Italy Chapter Organiser Olivio Argenti FRPS
was in my late teens when I first encountered the work of Wolfgang Tillmans, who was last month awarded the Society’s prestigious Centenary Medal. It was the height of the British art boom, when Charles Saatchi was a household name and gallery-going had become a mainstream pursuit, with milestones such as the opening of the massively popular Tate Modern. The influence Tillmans’ work had on my art-school peer group cannot be overestimated. He defined the aesthetic sensibility of a generation – so much so that my memories of those heady years are now recalled only as a series of Tillmansesque shots of impromptu parties and improvised meals. He seemed to capture what it felt like to be young. You can imagine my excitement when last month I discovered that a Society award would give me the opportunity to interview one of my favourite photographers. To read about Tillmans’ 25-year career, and how a recent project took him to Saint Petersburg to meet LGBT activists, turn to page 752. Sadly, Tillmans couldn’t make it to the awards, which took place on 16 September at The Royal Society, London. But there were plenty of other celebrated photographers
present, many of whom appear in this special edition of the Journal – from my report on page 749 about the excellent event to features on Matilda Temperley, rock great Bryan Adams HonFRPS and cinematographer Dick Pope. As well as the Society awards, the winners of the International Print Exhibition 158 were announced last month. It’s been another impressive year, with lots of exceptional entries from a huge variety of image makers. Turn to page 768 to see the winners, alongside some of the images picked by this year’s selectors. We also have all the usual sections, including the ever-popular Distinctions pages, with panels by Maureen Rush ARPS and Trevor Craig LRPS. And, starting on page 781, find out how you can take top-quality nude photography, with advice from Janet Haines ARPS and Simon Q Walden.
ANDREW CATTANACH Acting editor
PATRON AND SPONSORS
VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 721
722 | OCTOBER 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 Walter Benzie HonFRPS Vice-President Robert Albright FRPS Treasurer Geoff Blackwell ARPS Director-General Dr Michael Pritchard FRPS
749 Polygon Nuclear Test Site I (After The Event), Kazakhstan by Nadav Kander HonFRPS
Published on behalf of The Royal Photographic Society by Think Red Tree Business Suites 33 Dalmarnock Road, Glasgow G40 4LA thinkpublishing.co.uk EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Acting editor Andrew Cattanach andrew@thinkpublishing.co.uk 0141 375 0481 Contributing editors Gavin Stoker, Geoff Harris LRPS, Fiona McKinlay, Kathleen Morgan, Alec Mackenzie, Jonathan McIntosh Design Matthew Ball, Ross Daniel Russell
FEATURES
Sub-editors Sam Bartlett, Donald Cowey
749 | SOCIETY AWARDS Glittering annual event honours a roll-call of outstanding talents
Advertising Sales Daniel Haynes daniel.haynes@thinkpublishing.co.uk 020 3771 7200 Account Director Helen Cassidy helen.cassidy@thinkpublishing.co.uk
752 | ARTISTIC ACTIVISM Wolfgang Tillmans HonFRPS on why he is moved to take a stand
Group Account Director John Innes
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.
762 | LUMIÈRE LUMINARY In-demand cinematographer and Mike Leigh collaborator Dick Pope
ISSN: 1468-8670
764 | ON THE RECORD From music chart to photographic art, with Bryan Adams HonFRPS
Cover Audrey with toes and wrist bent, 2011, by Nadav Kander HonFRPS
768 | SELECT FEW Outstanding entrants in the International Print 158 competition
768 Bronze Award winner Tadao Cern in the International Print Exhibition 158
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TADAO CERN; NADAV KANDER; MATILDA TEMPERLEY
758 | WORLD VIEW Vic Odden Award-winner Matilda Temperley's photographic journey
© 2015 The Royal Photographic Society. All rights reserved.
758
Venture into the lions' den with Matilda Temperley
THE CRAFT
EVERY MONTH
777 | MUST TRY * LATEST KIT Six of the best new issues, and the Sigma Quattro dp0 reviewed 781 | MASTERCLASS/IN DEPTH Naked truth: the secrets behind taking great art nude images 784 | MY FAVOURITE CAMERA Laura Pannack's pick
724 | BIG PICTURE On the Edge by Barrie Williams 727 | IN FOCUS News, events, exhibitions and Society updates, from around the UK and beyond 737 | BOOKS Himmelstrasse by Brian Griffin, plus three other publications 738 | DISTINCTIONS Trevor Craig LRPS and Maureen Rush ARPS
MAUREEN RUSH
789 | MEMBER GUIDE What's going on where and when 800 | TIMES PAST John Mayall's 1860 audience with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert 742 Honesty, one of Maureen Rush's successful ARPS Creative portfolio submissions VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 723
724 | BIG PICTURE |
On the Edge By Barrie Williams
THE SHOOT I was filming a short documentary about seabirds on Noss national nature reserve. Blown away by the seabird orchestra that had surrounded me every day, I wanted a still that reflected this and so set off with my trusty Canon 600D. THE SUBJECT As a popular subject with wildlife photographers, I wanted to show gannets in a new light. Lining up this image, I loved the contrast of gannets resting on the nest compared to those whizzing by below. With the dark backdrop of the sea, the gannets below appear like stars against the night sky. APPROACH It took me two hours of searching to find this vantage point. Once located, there were a few tense moments of lying on my stomach and peering over the edge. Within seconds, I saw gannets flying in from the left and knew I had to act quickly. One thought was repeating in my head: ‘Don’t drop the camera’. ADVICE Always research your subject. In wildlife photography, the images that stand out are those that reflect the photographer’s understanding of the animal. And always look for a new angle – how you can show your subject in a new light.
Barrie Williams won the top prize in the 2015 British Wildlife Photography Awards 724 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
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IN NEWS, VIEWS, EXHIBITIONS AND MEMBER INSIGHT
WELCOME, MR PRESIDENT Walter Benzie HonFRPS 729
FRAME ACADEMY The UK’s must-see exhibitions 732
NATURE GROUP INSIGHTS With Richard Revels FRPS 734
FOCUS
PRIZE IMAGE: A FAMILY AFFAIR
Mother’s image of daughter in Taylor Wessing selection A print by Society member Julie Brooke has been selected for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize and will be exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery next month. The image of Brooke’s 17-year-old daughter Sarah was selected from more than 2,200 entries. ‘This photograph of Sarah was taken in our kitchen at home,’ explains Brooke. ‘We were dyeing her hair purple and I asked her if I could take a photograph as the light was super that morning and I could see she looked both lovely and vulnerable at the same time.’ ‘Over the years I have taken thousands of photographs of my daughter,’ she continues. ‘But as Sarah has become older this has been harder to do as she is more selfconscious and does not want to be photographed.’ The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2015 runs from 12 November 2015 to 21 February 2016 at the National Portrait Gallery, London Sarah, as photographed by her mother, Julie Brooke
INSPIRATION
AWARDS SPECIAL
MEET THE RECIPIENTS OF THIS YEAR’S SOCIETY HONOURS AND DISCOVER WHY THEY STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD. PAGES 749(767 VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 727
728 | IN FOCUS | PHOTOGRAPHIC LEGACY
Society luminaries feature in a new Getty Images app that tells the stories behind iconic photos To mark its 20th anniversary, Getty Images has curated a Legacy Collection of some of its most significant images, featuring work by Tom Stoddard HonFRPS, Tim Flach HonFRPS, Steve Pyke HonFRPS and Roger Fenton, as well as many others. The Legacy Collection, which you can see via an iPhone or iPad app, has been drawn from an archive of almost 200 million pictures and allows users to read the stories behind the images, including interviews with world-class photographers. The 200 curated images include many unforgettable photographs, such as Brent Stirton’s haunting image of a dead silverback gorilla being carried out of the jungle by an anti-poaching unit. The Legacy Collection requires users to have the Getty Images app for iPad and iPhone 4S and higher, which you can download from bit.ly/gettylegacy
Pointer on point as captured by Tim Flach HonFRPS
NEW DUBAI CHAPTER ANNOUNCED The Society has announced a new Chapter in Dubai, a fastchanging part of the world full of photographic opportunities. The Chapter Organiser is Mohammed Arfan Asif ARPS, a Society member since 1994. ‘As I was already associated with many Society members, I felt it was important to have an RPS presence in the region,’ he explains. The Chapter’s first meeting will be in mid-October. A Distinctions day is scheduled for October/November, and the Chapter aims to have a stand at the 2016 Photography Live exhibition in Dubai. For more information, see bit.ly/rpsdubai
Members of the new Chapter in Dubai will have their first meeting this month
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DOG, POINTER ON POINT, SUNSET, LANSCAPE, SCOTLAND, TIM FLACH/GETTY IMAGES; MOHAMMED ARFAN ASIF ARPS
Plans under way for Distinctions day and stand at exhibition
| IN FOCUS | 729 FROM THE PRESIDENT
PLANS AND PASSIONS
‘I hope I can make a positive contribution’
I
OBITUARY
CHLOE JOHNSON
Society member Chloe Johnson FRPS died on 16 August. Born in Wakefield, the West Riding of Yorkshire, she had a deep knowledge of photography, both technically and aesthetically, and was in demand as both an exhibitor and judge. Her work in photography required her to travel far afield, including trips to Australia and Canada. She was a member of the Poulton-le-Fylde Photographic Society. Also a keen gardener, she kept an exquisite garden, and her photographs of flowers are excellent. Chloe was an exceptionally brilliant mathematician who
Chloe Johnson travelled far and wide in connection with photography
rose rapidly in the Civil Service (now the Department of Work and Pensions) and was awarded an MBE for services to the nation. She continued to read widely and was a lively and delightful conversationalist with definite and pithy views on a range of current and cultural affairs.
am very honoured to have been elected as your President for the next two years. Having served under four very different presidents, I hope that I too can make a positive contribution. One of my passions is to seek greater involvement by Society members, to ensure that everybody has the opportunity to enjoy their membership to the full. This could be achieved by taking part in our Distinctions process, attending a lecture, entering one of the member competitions or participating in the activities organised by your region. As a member of the Digital Imaging and Historical groups, I have a particular interest in the Special Interest Groups (SIG). I will endeavour to make sure that I attend activities organised by each of our SIGs during my term in office. I would also like to see greater involvement with our overseas members. There are interesting initiatives under way, with some regions ‘twinning’ with overseas chapters and, in this way, we hope to forge closer links with members abroad. In many photo groups, only one image at a time is judged, but in the Society’s Distinctions process we concentrate on a body of work. This portfolio is therefore more of a personal statement and gives the photographer more scope to express their individualism. In my manifesto, I indicated we would take time to review both
our Distinctions and governance processes. We now have more and more members applying for a Distinction and we must ensure our procedures remain efficient while maintaining standards. It is also time to look at the remit of the advisory board, so we make use of their skills and enthusiasm to our best advantage. One of the most gratifying aspects of our organisation is the involvement of so many volunteers. The Society could not run without their commitment and contribution. A look at the events listed on our website shows the breadth of our activities. I am anticipating my presidency with a mixture of excitement and discovery. It will give me a wonderful excuse to visit places I have never visited before and I greatly look forward to attending all the events I possibly can.
WALTER BENZIE HonFRPS President of The Royal Photographic Society
VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 729
730 | IN FOCUS | NEWS IN BRIEF
We hear how the new Southern Region Organiser Paul Gilmour LRPS aims to make a difference What do you hope to bring to your new role as Southern Region Organiser? I’m a forward thinking, 36-year-old Aussie who likes a challenge and feels passionate about photography and science. I think being innovative is key to this role. I know how important it is to keep things relevant to ever changing trends in the art while also appealing to traditionalists too. What do you hope to achieve as Region Organiser? I want to create a thriving
community that we can all be proud of. I want all members to get the most out of the Society and to learn how to become better photographers and enjoy themselves.
Do you have any specific plans for events? Now that would be telling! I am, of course, obligated to offer a certain number of events and, in addition, at least one Advisory Day for members wishing to obtain a Distinction, but I plan much more than just this. I have lots of fresh ideas and also welcome everyone’s input for future event planning. Paul invites members to contribute ideas about events by contacting him at southern@rps.org
ANDERSON ! LOW TALK Photographic duo Anderson & Low, both now honorary fellows, will give a
lecture about their working methodologies at The Photographers’ Gallery, London, on 4 November. To book tickets go to thephotographersgallery. org.uk JAMES BALOG LECTURE James Balog will give his lecture Human Tectonics: Ice, Fire, and Life in the Anthropocene at Regent Street Cinema in London on 2 December. To book tickets visit rps.org/balog 2016 AWARDS Nominations are now open for the Society’s 2016 Awards. These awards are given annually to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the arts and science of photography. See more at rps.org/awards
Antony Penrose to speak on Lee Miller at Visual Literacy symposium
VISUAL LITERACY This year’s Visual Literacy lectures continue with a talk by Emily Macinnes, the Scottish documentary photographer, on 12 November at Nottingham Trent SERVICE EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY • SENSATIONAL PRICES • SPEEDY University, and a symposium at The National Media Museum, Bradford, on 21 November. Visit bit.ly/RPSvisualliteracy
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INNOVATION THE KEY TO SUCCESS FOR GILMOUR
COMBINED ROYAL COLLEGES LECTURE The recipient of last year’s Combined Royal Colleges medal, Emeritus Professor Adolf Friedrich Fercher, will give a lecture at the Royal College of Physicians in London on Tuesday 17 November. The lecture’s title is Optical Coherence Tomography – Principles, Basic Properties and Recent Developments. The closing date for nominations for the Combined Royal Colleges medal is 11 January 2016. Download a nomination form at rps.org/awards/nominate, and email it to Jo Macdonald at awards@rps.org
| IN FOCUS | 731
CULTURE
365 WINNERS
August’s online competition winners
THE FLAG THROWERS !ABOVE" By Roland Imi LRPS As a member of the RPS Swiss Chapter, I’m always on the lookout for unusual Swissthemed images. This July I visited an Alpine horn festival for inspiration and came across the custom of Fahnenschwingen (flag throwing). Taken with my trusty Nikon D610/ Nikkor 24-70 combination, this image was all about anticipation, timing and capturing the total concentration on the throwers’ faces. This image demonstrates, for me, that while many countries have quaint folk customs which may have been forgotten or confined to backwaters,
Switzerland proudly and openly celebrates its culture at every opportunity. CORMORANT FISHERMAN !RIGHT" By Jan Ison LRPS This image was taken on the River Li, in China. Just as dawn was breaking, we moved to our second location to take photos of
the cormorant fisherman casting his net, the karst mountains and mist in the background framing the image. It was taken with a Canon 5D Mk III using an EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM lens. The sky was a little grey so I decided to use a Lee graduated sunset orange filter to add a little more colour. IRONING THE ALTAR CLOTH By Roger Hoyle FRPS Our walking group visited St Edward Orthodox Church in Brookwood Cemetery, and we were amazed to find a monk ironing inside the church. I asked, with some trepidation, if I could take a photograph, and he was only too pleased to pose for the camera. This
was a grabbed shot and, in the dim conditions, I set the ISO to 1,600. The exposure was 1/20 sec at f/2.8 and it turned out to be reasonably sharp. You never know when you are going to come across an interesting picture! ENTER NOW Submit photographs for the next competition at rps-365.org
VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 731
732 | IN FOCUS | WHAT NOT TO MISS GATHERED LEAVES: PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALEC SOTH Media Space, Science Museum, London 6 OCTOBER)28 MARCH 2016
This is the first major solo UK exhibition of work by the award-winning
American photographer Alec Soth, showcasing his acclaimed new project Songbook. Soth’s work is characterised by a lyrical approach to documentary photography, and much experimentation. ‘One of the joys of being a photographer
is the ability to present my work in the pages of a book and on the walls of a gallery,’ he says. ‘With my exhibition I’m going to explore this complex relationship between the book and the wall.’ sciencemuseum.org.uk/ mediaspace
MOISES SAMAN The Arts Club, London UNTIL JANUARY 2016 %CLOSING DATE TBC&
An exhibition by the multi-award-winning documentary photographer and Magnum member who extensively covered the events of the Arab spring. It ties in with the November release of his new book on the region, called Discordia. theartsclub.co.uk
AND NOW IT’S DARK ... Ffotogallery at Turner House, Penarth UNTIL 31 OCTOBER
Work by three US photographers (Will Steacy, Jeff Brouws and Todd Hido), which looks at the ways light transforms darkness. The exhibition is part of Diffusion, the 2015 Cardiff International Festival of Photography. ffotogallery.org OCTOBER ONWARDS
EXPRESSIVE The Atrium, Liverpool, and Calumet Photographic, London
UNDER AFRICAN SKIES Acorn House Art Gallery, Milton Keynes Community Foundation
SOUTHERN LIGHT STATIONS The Photographers’ Gallery, London
8)14 OCTOBER %LIVERPOOL&
UNTIL 30 OCTOBER
2 OCTOBER)10 JANUARY 2016
29 OCTOBER,12 NOVEMBER %LONDON&
David Tunnicliffe presents his images of life in the Horn of Africa, from its beginnings with neolithic man in Somalia, plus images of the 48 Somali clans from the days of the Mussolini empire. Tunnicliffe was entrusted with their duplication in 1983. www. mkcommunityfoundation.co.uk
Noémie Goudal’s first major solo show in London continues her interest in manmade interventions into the natural world through images that portray complex and ambiguous constructions created by the artist within the landscape. thephotographersgallery.org.uk
Following Rory Lewis’s Northerners project last year, his latest actor-portrait exhibition features celebrated thespians from both sides of the Atlantic, including Sir Ian McKellen and William Shatner. rorylewisphotography.com/ expressive
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Creative Connections: Camden Radical Characters National Portrait Gallery, London. Until 11 October Sebastiao Salgado: Other Americas The Photographers’ Gallery, London. Until 1 November Empire by Jon Tonks Impressions Gallery, Bradford. Until 12 December Julia Margaret Cameron: Influence and Intimacy Media Space, Science Museum, London. Until 28 March 2016 Horrible Histories – Blitzed Brits Imperial War Museum North, Manchester. Until 10 April 2016
DAVE AND TRISH, DENVER, COLORADO, FROM SONGBOOK, 2014 © ALEC SOTH; MOISES SAMAN, LIBYA, MARCH 9, 2011. © MOISES SAMANMAGNUM PHOTOS, COURTESY THE ARTIST AND THE ARTS CLUB; NOÉMIE GOUDAL, STATION II, 2015
ALSO SHOWING
734 | IN FOCUS | NEWS IN BRIEF
CANON DEVELOPS 250*MEGAPIXEL SENSOR Canon has developed a 250-megapixel APS-H sensor for imaging devices. Approximately 29.2x20.2mm in size, it sits between conventional APS-C chips and fullframe models. Canon says the large pixel count enables the sensor to distinguish lettering on an aeroplane flying 18km away, using ‘enhanced signal-processing technology’ to reduce noise. The first application in digital cameras, Canon expects, will be in highresolution measuring instruments, surveillance and crime-prevention tools, and industry. See bit.ly/canonbigsensor
TALBOT’S CAMERA IN TOKYO RPS Collection treasure goes abroad One of William Henry Fox Talbot’s original ‘mousetrap’ cameras from The Royal Photographic Society Collection has gone on show in Japan. One of the
first cameras ever made, Talbot’s ‘mousetrap’ was built circa 1835, and will be one of the main objects at the exhibition Cameras of the United Kingdom at the JCII Museum, Tokyo. It is the first time the camera has been loaned abroad.
Nature Group member Heather Angel’s book Pollination Power is now available to order from publisher Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. For more information visit bit.ly/pollinationpower
William Henry Fox Talbot’s ‘mousetrap’ is revealed at the JCII Museum, Tokyo
SOCIETY VETERAN LOOKS BACK Joan Russell, the Society’s second oldest female ARPS at 98, and 10th oldest member overall, was profiled recently in the Portsmouth News. A successful commercial photographer, Joan – who became an ARPS in 1938 – worked for a photography retailer in the mid-1960s and travelled across Europe and behind the Iron Curtain to attend exhibitions. Read the full story at bit.ly/joanrussell
GROUP FOCUS
NATURE We speak to regional organiser Richard Revels FRPS POTTED HISTORY The Nature Group was established in January 1976, following a call-out in the RPS Journal by Heather Angle FRPS. The first group newsletter (March 1976)
Albright takes gold at National Audio Visual Championships
Robert Albright’s AZ impressed the panel of judges at University of Salford 734 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
A total of 67 entries for the RPS National Audio Visual Championships (NAVC) in Stafford were assessed by a panel of judges at an event attended by Audio Visual Group members from across the country. Derek
Birch HonFRPS, the outgoing Society President, was a special guest. Robert Albright FRPS’s work AZ – about Auschwitz – took the top prize, with Martin Fry FRPS’s Capturing The Moment second and Keith Leedham FRPS’s For The Sake of Example third. Birch said: ‘I thoroughly
YOSHIO INOKUCHI; HEATHER ANGEL HONFRPS
IT’S ALBRIGHT ON THE NIGHT
| IN FOCUS | 735 DG’S DIARY
SCULPTURE PROJECT The Society has been working with the Pubic Catalogue Foundation on a pilot project which aims to document all UK public sculpture. A workshop was held at Fenton House in August and Keith Evans FRPS, the A&H Group chair, took part. The PCF is preparing a full lottery fund application early in 2016 and, if it is accepted, all Society members will be invited to participate.
recorded that 34 people met at the Society’s headquarters on 29 January 1976. A committee was formed and the Society’s Nature Group was born. The latest membership figures stand at 983.
group’s magazine, The Iris, edited by Dawn Osborn FRPS, has received high praise from both Society headquarters and Nature Group members. Dawn was awarded the Fenton Medal for her editorship.
ACHIEVEMENTS The annual exhibition of members’ pictures is a highlight of the group’s achievements. Also the
THE FUTURE Special plans for 2016 are in hand, as it will be the Nature Group’s 40th anniversary. We plan to
have special guest speakers, as well as a presentations by past chairpersons and other notable members. NOTABLE MEMBERS Among many distinguished members are Heather Angel HonFRPS, David Osborn FRPS, Roger Hance FRPS, Mike Lane FRPS, Tony Wharton FRPS, Margaret Hodge FRPS and Bob Gibbons FRPS.
DISTINCTIONS SUCCESSES enjoyed watching all 67 and found it fascinating. It’s something I’d never experienced before.’ Edgar Gibbs, one of the organisers, said facilities at the University of Stafford meant each AV could be shown at high quality. See rps.org/special-interestgroups/audio-visual
Well done to all the members on their recent achievements LRPS EXEMPTION 08/15 Luke Parkinson, Hampshire
LRPS REFERRAL 16/07/2015 Jeremy Lintott, Hertfordshire Rachel Hutchings, Devon Graham Barber, Hampshire
09/15 Graham Cox, Somerset Andy Virco, Cambridge
21/09/2014 Sarah Smith, London
FRUITS OF TRAVELS I took the opportunity to see Travel Photographer of the Year at the Royal Geographical Society in London recently and it was great to see all the selected prints – particularly the work of Nick Ng FRPS, the former Malaysian Chapter organiser, who won the Portfolio/ Tribes category. PLATFORM UPGRADE The online competition platform set up under Roy Robertson HonFRPS for the 2012 Olympics competition has had a major upgrade to improve the user experience and assist with the ‘behind the scenes’ shortlisting and judging. The site is used for the monthly 365 and International Print, and we will make it available to third parties with whom we work.
DR MICHAEL PRITCHARD FRPS Director-General of The Royal Photographic Society VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 735
BOOK REVIEWS
| IN FOCUS | 737
GOVERNMENT Various Roads Publishing (£40) This is a fascinating collection of images of government buildings in a wide variety of countries– places as diverse as the Reichstag in Berlin, the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and the Scottish Parliament. While government bureaucracies sound a dull subject, the style of the buildings says a lot about the preoccupations and aspirations of the leaders who commissioned them. JANE NORTON
‘How many Holocaust victims would have seen the same trees, the same kind of telegraph poles …?’
BANALITY OF EVIL
BRIAN GRIFFIN
A photographic study of the infrastructure of the Final Solution
HIMMELSTRASSE By Brian Griffin opasbooks.com Browns Editions (£50) ‘The banality of evil’ was a term coined by writer Hannah Arendt when covering the trial of Adolf Eichmann, and Himmelstrasse captures some of the banality of the Holocaust through Brian Griffin’s photography. Griffin, a noted post-war British photographer who has captured everything from Kate Bush album covers to images of shipping containers, documents the railway tracks in Poland that took Holocaust victims to their fate during one of the deadliest phases of the Final Solution. More specifically, it shows the tracks (or their modern-day versions) that led to the camps of Treblinka and Sobibor, as well as less well-known final destinations including Belzec, Chelmno and Stutthof. There is nothing grandiloquent, sentimental or contrived about the images; the viewer is simply presented with lots of drab stretches of railway line, disappearing into the boring grey skies of provincial Poland. Looking at the images you can’t help but wonder how many Holocaust victims would have seen the same
trees, the same verges, the same kind of telegraph poles while their trains rolled on inexorably. As well as the train lines leading to the death camps, Griffin includes the tracks leading to Hitler’s Eastern Front military headquarters at the ludicrously named Wolf’s Lair. It’s a reminder of how the Nazis used all the technological and logistical resources at their disposal to bring about genocide. Initially I misread the title of the book as “Himmlerstrasse”, and was shocked to discover that Himmelstrasse was the nickname that the guards at Sobibor gave to the path leading from the train terminal to the death chamber. It literally translates as ‘heaven street’. Images aside, the book is beautifully produced, with the absolute minimum of text. I suspect that after compiling Himmelstrasse, Griffin was lost for words, which is entirely understandable – and the images speak for themselves. The subject matter is far from easy, but Himmelstrasse is one of the major book releases of the year, and a potent reminder of photography’s ability to capture the essence of huge historical events through simple, understated images. GEOFF HARRIS LRPS
CAPE LIGHT Joel Meyerowitz HonFRPS Aperture (£30) Joel Meyerowitz, HonFRPS and Centenary Medal winner 2012, needs no introduction to Society members, and this is a timely reissue of his seminal work, first published 36 years ago. The images in Cape Light have been newly remastered and printed, and remind us of Meyerowitz’s uncanny ability to capture epiphanies amid the beaches, diners and streets of Cape Cod. GERRY BARNETT
THE TUAREG Edited by Henrietta Butler Unicorn Press (£22.50) Hot on the heels of a successful summer exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society comes this sumptuous book about the Tuareg desert nomads. It’s more of an historical and anthropological study than a photographic collection per se, but the images are fascinating –taken by a variety of photographers and dating from the 1960s to the present day. GEOFF HARRIS LRPS
VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 737
738 | OCTOBER WHAT ARE DISTINCTIONS?
Distinctions are standards of achievement recognised throughout the world
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
Trevor Craig LRPS
‘I go out and take images and look for ways to add my own personal touch to what I see’ I HAVE always had a love for landscape photography. Nothing inspires me more than being out pre-dawn, waiting for all the compositional elements to come together to create the image I had in mind. This panel is a selection of those images which I captured during special moments when I felt emotionally moved by the scene before me. For me, photography has always been a continuously evolving process. I have gradually developed my photographic skills and vision, drawing inspiration from others working in the landscape genre. This has encouraged me to go out and take images and look for ways to add my own personal touch to what I see. This panel is made up of a selection of images taken mainly while travelling. Preparation is everything when on the move, so I will research the area online before visiting and use tools such as the Photographer’s Ephemeris to figure out where the sun will rise or set on a particular day. I will always look for opportunities to be out in changeable weather conditions. Once at the location I will walk around the area looking for the best place to shoot before taking the camera out of its bag. Only then do I set up my tripod and camera and wait for all the elements, such as weather and light, to fall into place.
This image of Antelope Canyon in Arizona shows the wave-shaped formations and colours you see in the narrow sandstone canyon created over years of flash flooding. I was inspired to take this image by abstract shapes, colours and patterns that were all around me in this narrow slot canyon. Nikon D2X, 17-55 lens
738 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
FEATURE SPONSORED BY
Above: At Donaghadee harbour in Northern Ireland, I used a two-stop graduated filter to hold back the brightening skyline as the sun rose. The remaining water leads the eye to the focal point of the lighthouse at the end of the pier. Nikon D2X, 17-55mm zoom lens Left: Torres Del Paine National Park in Patagonia, taken at the 300mm end of the zoom to compress the vast landscape and focus on the
needle-shaped mountain and storm clouds building behind it. I loved the textures and the tones they provided when the image was converted to monochrome. Nikon D700, 70-300mm lens Below: On Seilebost beach, Isle of Harris, using a tilt-shift lens to make everything sharp, from the tip of the log to the hills. I used a two-stop graduated filter. Nikon D800E, 24mm tilt-shift lens
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CRAIG LRPS 740 | DISTINCTIONS | TREVOR
A straight shot taken mid-morning in Val d’Orcia. The attraction was the bending road leading up to the ruined house and the dramatic clouds in the background. The single tree helps to give balance to the composition and emphasises the emptiness I felt at the location. Nikon D100, 24-85mm lens
HANGING PLAN
‘Sizes vary but work well together to produce a coherent and interesting set of images’
At the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. I loved the way the staircase was lit from an open doorway and how the natural sweep of the staircase leads your eye down to the square-topped newel post. Nikon D2X, 17-55mm lens 740 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
TREVOR CRAIG LRPS
| DISTINCTIONS | 741 FEATURE SPONSORED BY
On a wet morning in Lake Windermere, I waited for the rain to lighten sufficiently so that I could pick out the trees on the background shores. I deliberately set out to capture this minimalist image of the wooden pier. The piece of fence to the left-hand side of the image was necessary as a compositional element to balance the image. Nikon D700, 24-70mm lens
ASSESSOR’S VIEW
TREVOR GELLARD FRPS, CHAIRMAN OF THE LRPS PANEL I am often asked what is the best mount size and image size to use when submitting a Licentiate panel. My suggestion is normally 40x50 mounts with A4 images, this being only a general guideline which can be adapted to suit the photographer’s style. In Trevor’s panel, the choice of image sizes is very different and ranges from letterbox shape to landscape and portrait: a complete departure from what I would normally suggest. The success of a panel is often down to its cohesive appearance when viewed
at a distance, and that is why the panel of judges sit for a few moments to take in the overall effect. In Trevor’s panel a good deal of personal input and imagination has been used and, although the sizes vary, they work well together to produce a coherent and interesting set of images. A strong central landscape is complimented by two letterbox-shaped sunset scenes on either side, with the first and last image in that row in portrait format, both with a fairly even tonal range. In contrast, the remaining five images are monochrome. It is an innovative and imaginative panel – although perhaps a little unconventional – well up to the standard required.
FACTFILE
Trevor Craig is a finance director for an advertising agency in Holywood, Northern Ireland. He is a travel enthusiast and uses every opportunity he can to take landscape photographs when visiting locations around the world
Under Scripps pier at La Jolla, California. I used a wide-angle lens to accentuate the pier’s length and processed it in monochrome to bring out the texture on its underside and supporting legs. Fuji XT1, 14mm lens, 56 seconds, f/11 VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 741
RUSH ARPS 742 | DISTINCTIONS | MAUREEN
742 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
FEATURE SPONSORED BY
Maureen Rush ARPS Creative
Delicate colours from paint to print
Clockwise from opposite page: Drifting; Harmony; Enchantment
FACTFILE
Maureen Rush ARPS has been an artist using watercolours and pastels for most of her life and was a member of the Society of Botanical Artists. She took up photography seriously five years ago and is a member of Harrogate Photographic Society
AS A CHILD, my mother taught me the names of flowers in the countryside and garden. I pressed flowers and, as I grew older, painted them. I had always taken photographs of my garden and the flowers, mainly as a record, but after I retired I decided to study photography more seriously and bought my first compact digital camera. I also began to realise the possibilities of being a lot more creative with the use of software. On walks with my dogs I collect leaves, seedpods and berries. The flowers usually come from my garden. Back home I fill with water one of my many bowls, then float some of the contents from my ‘bag of treasures’. Using my watercolours and a jar of white gouache, I mix paint on my palette and drop paint into the water. Hand-holding the camera, I take shots as the paint disperses in the water. This I keep repeating until the water becomes saturated with paint, when I have to remove the contents and change the water. Every time I add paint, everything in the bowl moves around and I take about 50-100 shots. The challenge is then to find part of an image to make a good composition in post-processing, using Lightroom and Photoshop. It was quite difficult to put these images into a cohesive panel as they are all so different. I would lay the prints out many times and gradually replace one or the other, or darken or lighten some, until I was satisfied.
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RUSH ARPS 744 | DISTINCTIONS | MAUREEN
ASSESSOR’S VIEW
RIKKI O’NEILL FRPS CHAIR, CREATIVE PANEL As a Visual Art panel member for many years, I can say that it has been very rarely that a panel comes before us that surpasses all the requirements needed for the Associate Distinction.
This panel by Maureen Rush is one of them. By using her artistic vision and technical skill Maureen has provided us with a panel of absolutely beautiful images. The number of elements that have been used in creating these images suggests that, pictorially, they shouldn’t work and
744 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
that something in the images should have created an imbalance of composition and structure. But – because of her careful placing of the images, her choice of the selected elements, water and paint and the number of images taken in the photographing of each image – she has constructed a compositionally perfect set
of images. Finally, by the post-processing, Maureen has provided us with a beautiful and strong visual statement. This is a wonderful selection of images. Individually they are little artistic gems and, in my opinion, should be enjoyed by a larger audience in a specialist gallery.
FEATURE SPONSORED BY
HANGING PLAN
‘The number of elements in these images suggests pictorially they shouldn’t work. But … ‘
Opposite page: Summertime. This page, clockwise from top: Meadow; Springtime; Breathing VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 745
746 | DISTINCTIONS |
NEW FB Satin 310 INKJET
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nspired by what you’ve seen on the preceding pages? Come along to an assessment day to see more portfolios being examined by the Society’s expert panels, and learn what makes for a successful submission. LRPS and ARPS assessments are open
to an audience, for which tickets are free to applicants and members (£5 for non-members), and must be ordered in advance. Unless otherwise stated, our assessments take place at The Royal Photographic Society headquarters, at Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH.
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LRPS Tuesday 3 November Wednesday 4 November Wednesday 24 February 2016 Thursday 25 February 2016 Wednesday 13 April 2016 Thursday 14 April 2016 Multimedia Saturday 31 October At The Photography Show, Birmingham Saturday 19 March 2016 Sunday 20 March 2016
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ARPS Pictorial Wednesday 14 October Creative Thursday 15 October Multimedia Saturday 31 October Natural History Tuesday 17 November Travel Monday 7 March 2016 Pictorial (print submissions) Wednesday 16 March 2016
FRPS !NOT OPEN FOR AUDIENCE" Pictorial Wednesday 14 October Thursday 17 March 2016 Creative Thursday 15 October Thursday 24 March 2016 Multimedia Saturday 31 October Travel Monday 7 March ARPS Natural History Wednesday 16 March 2016
For the latest availability, please visit rps.org/events and, for details on attending each of these dates, please contact Ben Fox on 01225 325751 or at ben@rps.org For more information on assessments, including how-to guides and application forms, go to rps.org/distinctions
EXPERT ADVICE
Turn to our member guide on page 809 to find dates for advisory days, where you can gain expert advice on your portfolio
TH E M A C A L L A N . C O M
FA C E B O O K . C O M / T H E M A C A L L A N P L E A S E S AVO U R R E S P O N S I B LY
@THE MA CA LLA N
| SOCIETY AWARDS | 749
ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
2015 AWARDS
A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
The Society’s annual awards honour major contributors to the art and science of photography PROGRESS MEDAL
OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO PHOTOGRAPHY
DR GEORGE E SMITH
DR MARIA MORRIS HAMBOURG
CENTENARY MEDAL
WOLFGANG TILLMANS
HONORARY FELLOWSHIP
HONORARY FELLOWSHIP
HONORARY FELLOWSHIP
HONORARY FELLOWSHIP
NADAV KANDER
VIVIANE SASSEN
JONATHAN ANDERSON " EDWIN LOW
BRYAN ADAMS
VIC ODDEN AWARD
LUMIÈRE AWARD
DAVIES MEDAL
SAXBY MEDAL
MATILDA TEMPERLEY
DICK POPE
ALESSANDRO RIZZI
MASUJI SUTO
EDUCATION AWARD
J DUDLEY JOHNSTON AWARD
COLIN FORD AWARD
HOOD MEDAL
ROGER HARGREAVES
ELS BARENTS
JEAN!JACQUES NAUDET
FENTON MEDAL
FENTON MEDAL
FENTON MEDAL
FENTON MEDAL
LEO PALMER
ANNE CASSIDY
MARK BUCKLEY!SHARP
PAUL GOODMAN
MEMBERS’ AWARD
COMBINED COLLEGES MEDAL
ALEXANDER MELROSE
DR GAVRIEL IDDAN
NICK SCOTT
PROFESSOR DAVID A MELLOR
VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 749
750 | SOCIETY AWARDS | ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
2015 AWARDS
L
ast month, in a grand, white stucco-faced building, not far from Buckingham Palace, leading lights of photography gathered for the annual Royal Photographic Society awards ceremony, generously supported by The Macallan. The atmosphere was electric, with groups of big-name photographers casually posing for photos, amid crowds of enthusiasts, press and Society members. At one point Canadian musician and photographer Bryan Adams was spotted in a huddle with artist duo Anderson & Low. The ceremony showcased some of the finest work in the field of photography, and included a clip from Mike Leigh’s visually luscious film Mr Turner, shot by award-winning cinematographer Dick Pope, and a delightful slideshow of 3D images by software developer Masuji Suto,
Elizabeth with Arms Hiding Face by Nadav Kander, top, and Huang Huidan from the project Endure by Anderson & Low, above
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who received the Saxby Award. The Society would like to thank David Burder FRPS for kindly supplying the 3D glasses used in Suto’s presentation.
Read more about each winner in the special booklet enclosed with this issue. The Society awards are open to all photographers, including members and non-members.
| SOCIETY AWARDS | 751 THE 2015 ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY ROLL OF HONOUR
Centenary Medal WOLFGANG TILLMANS RA Photographer, artist and Turner Prize winner who has contributed significantly to the field
Award for Outstanding Service to Photography and Honorary Fellowship DR MARIA MORRIS HAMBOURG Trailblazing curator of photography
Honorary Fellowship BRYAN ADAMS Rock great and photographer to the stars, contributing to publications including Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar
Honorary Fellowships ANDERSON ! LOW Duo whose work includes portraiture, architectural studies, abstract images, reportage, nudes, and landscape
Honorary Fellowship NADAV KANDER A portrait and landscape photographer who has captured nearly every celebrity imaginable
Lumière Award DICK POPE Cinematographer who has worked on many a British blockbuster, including Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner
Colin Ford Award ELS BARENTS A curator, writer and collector, Barents was the director of Amsterdam’s first photography museum
J Dudley Johnston Award ROGER HARGREAVES A writer, curator and teacher of photography, who has also twice won the Kraszna-Krausz book award
Education Award PROFESSOR DAVID ALAN MELLOR Interdisciplinary art historian and curator who teaches the importance of archival research
Saxby Award MASUJI SUTO Self-taught programmer and software designer honoured for his achievements in three-dimensional imaging
Davies Medal ALESSANDRO RIZZI Academic who has carried out extensive research in the field of colour, digital imaging and vision
Vic Odden Award MATILDA TEMPERLEY Photographer with a wide range of interests, including fashion and marginalised societies
OTHER WINNERS
Scientist who transformed the field of gastroenterology by pioneering the idea of wireless capsule endoscopy
TONY FRENCH, NICK SCOTT
Progress Medal and Honorary Fellowship DR GEORGE ELWOOD SMITH Joint Nobel Prize-winning physicist who helped invent the imaging semiconductor used in the first digital camera Honorary Fellowship VIVIANE SASSEN Amsterdam-born fine art and fashion photographer who has been taking images in Africa since 2002 Combined Royal Colleges Medal DR GAVRIEL J IDDAN
Hood Medal JEAN*JACQUES NAUDET Former editor-in-chief at French Photo and founder of daily online photography magazine The Eye Bill Wisden MBE HonFRPS Fellowship of the Year YAP KOK HING FRPS A member since 2008, Yap Kok Hing produced a breathtaking Fellowship panel. See January 2015 issue of the Journal
MEDAL OF HONOUR
BURSARIES Joan Wakelin Bursary (in partnership with The Guardian) JOHN GALLO
Annually, the Fenton Medal and Members’ Award go to those who have shown considerable support for the Society
Environmental Awareness Bursary (in partnership with The Photographic Angle) KIERAN DODDS 'OVER 30) EKATERINA ANCHEVSKAYA AND ALEKSANDAR NIKOLOV 'UNDER 30) The RPS Postgraduate Bursary ALEXANDRA MURPHY
Fenton Medal Mark Buckley-Sharp ARPS Anne Cassidy FRPS Paul Goodman Leo Palmer FRPS Members’ Award Alexander Melrose Nominate candidates for 2016 at rps.org/awards
VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 751
ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
2015 AWARDS
THE ART OF FREEDOM
Wolfgang Tillmans HonFRPS, recipient of this year’s Centenary Medal, tells Andrew Cattanach of the importance of art, music and activism in his 25-year career
| INTERVIEW | 753
©WOLFGANG TILLMANS, COURTESY MAUREEN PALEY, LONDON
WOLFGANG TILLMANS HonFRPS
Left: Freischwimmer 160, and The Cock (kiss), above VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 753
TILLMANS HonFRPS 754 | INTERVIEW | WOLFGANG ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
2015
A
ctivism, according to German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans, who was last month awarded the Society’s prestigious Centenary Medal and made an Honorary Fellow, is closely aligned with portraiture. ‘It is the classic testimonial,’ he explains. ‘It’s one person showing their honest face, giving understanding and sympathy to a cause. It doesn’t make it an outlandish or extreme cause, but completely human and relatable.’ In this case, the completely human and relatable cause is the work being done by LGBT activists in Saint Petersburg, Russia. On a recent trip to the city, Tillmans interviewed 10 individuals working on the front line of the ongoing protest against the Russian 754 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
government’s draconian anti-gay law. Introduced in 2006, the controversial ruling restricts the distribution of material advocating LGBT relationships in an attempt to ban the ‘promotion of homosexuality to minors’. The resulting article and accompanying portraits were published in i-D magazine this May. Despite government-backed homophobia, the LGBT community in Saint Petersburg has remained outspoken in its insistence that gays and lesbians should be free to represent their sexuality as they please. ‘The law is slippery,’ says Ivan Surok, who Tillmans interviewed for the article. ‘There is no specific definition of what “gay propaganda” is, so it can be used in a selective way against those who are inconvenient to the government.’ It is little surprise that western European media have been critical of
the anti-gay law, dwelling on a shared disappointment at the Russian government’s short-sightedness. But Tillmans has chosen to remain upbeat and instead celebrate the LGBT community’s resolve. ‘However hostile it is, people are still carrying on with their lives, and they are – of course – also having fun,’ Tillmans says. As a gay man living in western Europe, Tillmans appreciates he is comparatively fortunate, and even concedes that gays and lesbians in Saint Petersburg, which is considered liberal next to other parts of Russia, are in many ways lucky too. He draws comparisons with Uganda and Saudi Arabia, where there are severe penalties for being homosexual. ‘The freedom that we have in the west is something that has been hard fought for and should never be taken
©WOLFGANG TILLMANS, COURTESY MAUREEN PALEY, LONDON
AWARDS
WOLFGANG TILLMANS HonFRPS
| INTERVIEW | 755
Left: Deer Hirsch Below: Ivan Surok, one of the Saint Petersburg activists interviewed by Tillmans
for granted,’ he says. ‘I feel like it’s a duty to show solidarity and get somehow involved, and help people with similar problems.’ This sense of solidarity, or a shared community, has been a driving force in Tillmans’ work ever since he first took up photography 25 years ago. In his early work in particular, Tillmans, who went on to become the first photographer to win the prestigious Turner Prize, would capture images of his friends at parties, or often in an embrace on the dancefloor of a nightclub. Latterly, his work has tended to depict social detritus – the aftermath of a communal meal, for instance, or a gallery strewn with empty beer bottles. An important adjunct to his sense of community and solidarity, and equally integral to the development of his photographic practice, has been the rise
of the electronic music scene. Acid house and techno music flourished in northern Europe in the late 1980s and early 90s, particularly in the gay community and in post-Berlin Wall Germany. With this revolutionary music came new social contexts, with disused warehouses and industrial buildings being the preferred venues for illicit parties (an aesthetic that would be aped by the art scene more than a decade later, with the opening of the Tate Modern in 2000). ‘What we do in our nightlife has great meaning,’ Tillmans explains. ‘It’s not just a superficial pastime but something
‘I FEEL LIKE IT’S A DUTY TO SHOW SOLIDARITY AND GET SOMEHOW INVOLVED’
that is very powerful. And I wanted to show this freedom and liberation, and these pockets of creativity and human interaction that nightlife provides.’ ‘Clubbing,’ he continues, ‘and all the techno culture, acid house culture, is also an experience of the body – a sort of semispiritual, semisexual experience of the body – which I had always felt connected to.’ Importantly for Tillmans, these genres of music, and their subsequent cultures, such as the rise of the illegal rave, had a distinctly subversive bent. Vast gatherings of people all dancing to the same beat were a counter to the individualist capitalism that in some ways peaked in the 1980s, but the effects of which we still feel today. ‘We are in this completely commercialised age and anything free and uncontrolled is sort of a challenge to the order. I view my work VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 755
TILLMANS HonFRPS 756 | INTERVIEW | WOLFGANG
Tillmans by Carmen Brunner
The Serpentine Galleries, London, has also hosted exhibitions by the artist
still life (Moscow/Berlin)
more in this respect; the LGBT aspects are fully there but they are really just part of this bigger picture of freedom versus control.’ This search for freedom is in many ways reflected in Tillmans’ method of installing his work for exhibition. His images, printed in all different sizes and taken in a variety of ways, including 35mm and medium format, and on both digital and analogue cameras, are normally hung unframed. His exhibitions feel informal and inclusive, and there’s little sense that there is a hierarchy at work, that one image should be revered more than any of the others. This method of display, explains Tillmans, gives him a flexibility that a more formal installation wouldn’t allow. ‘Ever since I invented this matrix of different formats and unframedness, I have been striving for freedom, the opportunity to respond to the space and the moment. The exhibition becomes, on the one hand, an amalgamation of years of work and, on the other hand, a picture of a moment.’ Tillmans’ seemingly casual approach 756 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
‘I DON’T THINK THERE HAS BEEN A SINGLE SHOT THAT IS SIMPLY SHOWING MY MEAL’ to photography and installation – shooting friends, social occasions, his food and his surroundings – has, since the launch of social media platforms such as Instagram, become mainstream in ways that no-one could have anticipated 25 years ago. Facebook, for instance, is now dominated by users shooting images of their mates and their meals. What does a photographer such as Tillmans make of this aesthetic shift in the mainstream, and does it have any impact on his output? ‘It is interesting that this revolution of the last five to 10 years has affected the perception of my work,’ he says. ‘One could say that it’s under attack because there are millions of people seemingly doing similar things, but my work does something completely different… If you take my still lifes, for instance, there may be some food, or some bowls of
Right: End of Land I
fruit, or there may be a plate involved, but in 25 years I don’t think there has been a single shot that is simply showing my meal. ‘You could claim that – on a very superficial level – there are millions of Tillmanses on Instagram, but actually they all say: “look at what I have eaten”. Whereas my pictures never try to point to me, they are not about broadcasting what I was doing. This whole social media is something different. It is about broadcasting ego.’ And perhaps this is what distinguishes exceptional photography from the snapshots we so often encounter on Facebook and Instagram. True art strives to go beyond the individual and tap into a zeitgeist – something beyond the single ego. It is never just about making self-affirming statements about who we are and what we like, it’s about something more than that. It’s about being part of a community. It’s about being free.
Wolfgang Tillmans’ show, PCR, is on at David Zwirner gallery in New York until 24 October
©WOLFGANG TILLMANS, COURTESY MAUREEN PALEY, LONDON
A display of Tillmans’ work in the Moderna Museet, Sweden
WOLFGANG TILLMANS
| BEST SHOTS | 757 ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
2015 AWARDS
VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 757
TEMPERLEY 758 | BEST SHOTS | MATILDA
AT THE MARGINS
Matilda Temperley, winner of the 2015 Vic Odden Award, is inspired by people on the periphery, she tells Alec Mackenzie
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MATILDA TEMPERLEY
| BEST SHOTS | 759 ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
2015 AWARDS
STRIPE SHOW ‘This is one of my first dance pictures. It was taken in a blacked-out studio. The two models were given 10 seconds to move across the
frame while I used multiple flashes to catch the motion. On the day there were seven naked dancers painted as zebras. When the fire alarm went off, they
were all forced to line up in the street wrapped in towels. The dancers in the image, Jenny White and Lisa Welham, are now friends and I take any opportunity
I can to photograph them. Both have an exceptional physicality and this cloudy image catches 10 seconds of the magic they create in their dance.’
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TEMPERLEY 760 | BEST SHOTS | MATILDA
‘W
STAG DON’T ‘Nell is a family friend and I was doing her first ever fashion shoot this summer. It went wrong when Rebus the red deer stag decided to paw her. Amazingly after he knocked her chest a few times and gave her some bruising she was keen to carry on (although not with Rebus). I felt incredibly irresponsible and, when going through the images, came across this picture which is a good reminder to take better care of models – especially new ones in future shoots.’
hen I was growing up in Somerset we had circus performers that would overwinter on my parents’ cider farm,’ says Matilda Temperley. ‘I always had great dreams to run away with the circus. It’s been one of my biggest obsessions through life.’ Temperley is this year’s recipient of the Vic Odden Award, recognising a notable achievement by a British photographer aged 35 or under. She might not spend her days in the big top but, with a camera in hand, she’s come pretty close. Her career has already made as many deft twists and turns as the artists and entertainers that fascinated her as a child. From photographing Britain’s last lion tamer at work on a windswept moor in Aberdeenshire, to cataloguing contortionists and aging burlesque dancers, Temperley’s work is typified by a personal interest in documenting marginalised people. ‘I admire those who are brave enough to be outside society,’ she says. Her journey to becoming a photographer is as unorthodox as many of her subjects. She was originally going to be a scientist. ‘I’d always loved photography but I couldn’t see how I could carve a living out of it, so I did my masters at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in infectious diseases and I worked there for a couple of years,’ she explains. ‘It was
‘I THOUGHT I COULD TELL STORIES FASTER WITH PHOTOGRAPHY’
LION CHOP ‘In January 2015 I visited Thomas Chipperfield in Aberdeenshire. He is part of a
week waiting for the winds to drop so I could watch Thomas training the lions. I like the expression on
300-year-old circus family and was overwintering with his parents, two lions and three tigers. I spent a
760 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
Tsavo’s face in this image, and that his brother Assagai is completely indifferent in the background.’
while in the field in Uganda that I thought I could tell stories faster with photography than I could through science.’ Temperley was soon drawn to Ethiopia, and in particular the people of the Omo Valley. For eight years she has returned to photograph them, producing a series of revealing and sensitive portraits that show how cultural heritage can be affected by tourism. In 2014 Temperley was a finalist in the Sony World Photo Awards for her work in Ethiopia and around 100 images from the series are collected in a book due to be published this month. Next year she is publishing The League of Exotic Dancers: “Legends” of American Burlesque, a book for Oxford University Press. ‘It will feature the histories and portraits of these women that were exotic dancers in the 1950s and 60s,’ she says. ‘Every year they gather together at the Burlesque Hall of Fame pageant to find out who will be crowned Miss Exotic World. These ladies get up on stage – some are on their Zimmer frames and some are in wheelchairs – to strip and shake their nipple tassels. People
MATILDA TEMPERLEY
| BEST SHOTS | 761 ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
2015 AWARDS
NATERRE ‘Naterre is a Suri woman from the Omo Valley, Ethiopia. For eight years I have been travelling to the valley documenting the changes there. This image talks to me because of the strength and serenity of Naterre’s face. Her lip plate was of a size and shape I have not seen again in my travels in the Omo.’
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER MATILDA TEMPERLEY Born on a cider farm in Somerset, Temperley worked in east Africa on malaria control before switching from science to photography, producing acclaimed work on Ethiopia and the Somerset floods
from across the world come and pay homage to them.’ Beyond the bold and brassy, Temperley’s other projects include a look inside the Roma community of Romania, and a return to her scientific roots with a trip to east Africa to shine a light on neglected diseases. ‘I’ve just found a doctor in Uganda
who is working on a particular disease, so I’ll go and document that the next time I’m out there,’ she says. Helping bring these hugely varied stories to fruition are regular commercial photography assignments, and Temperley works hard to strike a healthy balance between professional and personal interests.
‘The way I make money is by doing fashion photography and that gives me the freedom to do my documentary work. Probably half my time is on commercial work and the other half I’m on my own work. I find you only learn by photographing the things you love and there are so many more projects I’d like to do.’ VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 761
POPE 762 | CINEMATOGRAPHY | DICK
THE COLOUR PALETTE
Cinematographer Dick Pope tells Damien Love of the fruits of his collaborations with Mike Leigh
T
he recipient of this year’s Lumière Award, Dick Pope has been active since the early 1970s, when he started as a documentary cameraman on television series including Granada’s venerable World In Action and Disappearing World. He’s since worked with a wide array of filmmakers on a staggering variety of projects. It is with one director in particular, however, that he has earned a place among the greats: Mike Leigh, for whom Pope has handled the camera on every film since 1990’s Life Is Sweet. Now in its 25th year, their collaboration is one of British cinema’s most significant directorcinematographer relationships. And, as evinced by last year’s Mr Turner – an extraordinary achievement in capturing the artist and his vision that earned Pope his second Academy Award nomination – it continues to evolve. ‘I knew Mr Turner wouldn’t be a conventional biopic,’ Pope says, ‘because Mike never goes for the obvious. But I was very concerned because it was about JMW Turner: our most cherished painter of land and sea. We had to get it right. ‘For me, the starting point was Turner’s colour palette, as displayed at Tate Britain. He used warm yellow in the highlights and blue/teal in the shadows as his two main, 762 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
complementary colours. We tried to apply Turner’s own colours – paying homage and subtly evoking the period, without self-consciously attempting to copy the paintings themselves.’ He adds: ‘More than anything, I was nervous about our unpredictable British weather. I was really worried we wouldn’t get the light. But we were lucky.’ Born in 1947, Pope credits his father for his love of photography. ‘Not only by starting me off young with a box Brownie, but for later letting me use a 2¼ in sq Zeiss Ikon twin lens reflex camera he’d brought back from World War Two.’ What he calls his ‘road to Damascus moment’ came as a teenager, when his uncle, a BBC sports manager, suggested a career as a documentary cameraman. ‘Along with the advent of video, though,’ he says of his decision to shift focus in the 1980s, ‘they gradually stopped making the sort of films I liked to shoot. I was too political an animal to accept the blander, dispassionate things they started
Clockwise, from above: a shot from 2014’s Mr Turner; Tom Hardy in the Kray twins biopic Legend (2015), and Timothy Spall and Brenda Blethyn in Secrets & Lies, made with Mike Leigh in 1996
producing – and more often on tape, which I’d no interest in using.’ The documentary years proved invaluable grounding for working with Leigh, whose method involves building films with his actors through a long process of improvisation and rehearsal. ‘Being able to think on your toes and
DICK POPE
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not get hung up on any fixed formula; operating the camera yourself, for hours on end – these are basic requirements in shooting documentaries,’ Pope says. ‘And because there’s no script on a Mike Leigh film, they’re essential in working with him. Operating the camera myself was a key requirement. Mike’s films are intimate and he wanted a single collaboration, not a group thing.’ Pope’s importance to Leigh’s output became clear with their second project, 1993’s Naked, a ferociously cinematic experience unlike any previous Leigh film. ‘That was a milestone,’ Pope agrees. ‘Mike wanted a nocturnal journey through a contemporary but Dickensian London underworld – it changed and emboldened my approach to cinematography.’ Varying Leigh’s customary working and lower-middle-class milieu with richly defined period excursions – the
‘MIKE’S ENORMOUS RESPECT FOR ACTORS HAS GREATLY INFLUENCED ME’ vibrant Victoriana of Topsy-Turvy, the backstreet 1950s London of Vera Drake – the pair have continued to confound expectations. Away from Leigh, Pope has further demonstrated a chameleon-like diversity, as well as a knack for shooting films that become instant cults. Think of Philip Ridley’s The Reflecting Skin (1990), one of the most visually striking British films of the 1990s; Christopher McQuarrie’s hard, flat and seriously underrated debut The Way of the Gun (2000); or Neil Burger’s The Illusionist (2006), a lush fable that garnered Pope’s first
Oscar nomination. His most recent film, Legend, the biopic starring Tom Hardy as both Ronnie and Reggie Kray, seems due to continue the trend. No matter the film, though, Pope strives to bring something of his collaboration with Leigh. ‘The most important thing I take to other sets is in regard to working with actors,’ he says. ‘Mike’s enormous respect for actors has greatly influenced me. So whichever film I’m working on, I always strive to help create – either through my choice of lighting, lenses, camera technique, or just a quiet and focused atmosphere – an environment conducive to allowing the cast the opportunity to give their best.’ He adds: ‘When I started taking photographs as a boy, I was only ever really passionate about portraiture, getting up close and personal. That’s never changed.’ VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 763
ADAMS HonFRPS 764 | INTERVIEW | BRYAN
A PHOTOGRAPHER OF NOTE
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BRYAN ADAMS HonFRPS
| INTERVIEW | 765 ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
2015 AWARDS
Singer and acclaimed portraitist Bryan Adams tells Kathleen Morgan about taking pictures by royal appointment, and what really rocks his world
H
e has photographed some of the world’s most famous figures, from Michael Jackson to Amy Winehouse, giving intimate glimpses of life in the goldfish bowl. In one particularly memorable shot, Bryan Adams captures a fleeting moment of informality in the life of the Queen. She sits, smiling broadly, at a side entrance to Buckingham Palace, an umbrella and Wellington boots propped up beside her. Adams made his name as a rock star with hits such as Summer of 69, Run to You and (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, which spent a record-breaking 16 weeks at the top of the UK charts in 1991. He is still in the business of filling stadiums – for the last few months he has been immersed in a tour across Europe and America to mark the 30th anniversary of his 1984 album Reckless. It is his work as a portrait photographer, though, that has won him critical acclaim in more recent years. The Canadian singer and musician accepted an Honorary Fellowship at the Royal Photographic Society awards in London this month, just as his 13th studio album, Get Up, is released. It might be reasonable to assume his status as a singer – and his ability to understand the curious world of
Marine Joe Townsend, Royal Marines, injured in Afghanistan, aged 19, by Bryan Adams from Wounded: The Legacy of War
‘SHE ASKED ME TO MAKE A LOAD OF PRINTS TO SEND TO HER HUSBAND IN JAIL’ VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 765
ADAMS HonFRPS 766 | INTERVIEW | BRYAN celebrity – has won him the trust of his high-profile subjects. Adams is adamant, however, that his professionalism as a photographer, not his social circle, is what wins him commissions. ‘It makes no difference if I’ve met my subjects or not,’ he says. ‘All that matters is the quality of the work. It’s the only thing I can fully hang my hat on – and with other people you have to earn trust. Nothing is a given. ‘I remember there was a funny time once when a fellow musician came into the studio and said, ‘Wow, you even look like Bryan Adams’. He hadn’t fully understood that it was me taking his photo.’ Adams’ work goes beyond the realm of celebrity. His stark, unflinching portraits of British armed forces personnel injured during the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq won him much praise. The work was exhibited in London and published in a book, Wounded: The Legacy of War, as the British withdrew from Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, ending a 13-year presence. The candid images show injured soldiers, most in their twenties and a few in their late teens, their bodies proudly on display. ‘People are people, and these people are only a “departure” due to the horrific nature of the subject,’ says Adams. ‘Otherwise they are the same as you and me.’ Adams is still best known for his portraits of well-known figures, published in magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and i-D. Whatever his tactics, he puts his subjects at ease, lulling the viewer into the belief they can glimpse behind the veil. The apparent spontaneity of his royal portrait was genuine, says Adams, who had been given just six minutes to photograph the Queen. The clock friends over successive Clockwise, from was ticking as he prepared above: Mickey Rourke, shoots following Adams’ first for what would inevitably 2005; Sergeant Rick commission to photograph be one of the photographs Clement, 2011; her. Another portrait of the of his career. Her Majesty the singer taken in Mustique ‘I shot most of it on a 10x8 Queen, 2001; Amy graced her posthumous Deardorff camera, which took Winehouse, 2007 compilation album Lioness: forever to load and focus, so Hidden Treasures, released in aid of the I lost a lot of time working that way,’ Amy Winehouse Foundation. he explains. ‘However, one of the best ‘After our first shoot together, she shots was taken with my point and asked me to shoot her Fred Perry shoot. Just as she was leaving, I asked campaigns and we did a few of those,’ her if she would mind sitting for one explains Adams. ‘I remember she asked shot on a chair. She kindly obliged.’ me to make a load of prints for her to One portrait of Winehouse, taken send to her husband in jail.’ on the Caribbean island of Mustique Winehouse had married Blake where Adams taught her to drive, Fielder-Civil in 2007, but the couple shows the British singer behind the divorced two years later after a wheel of a Land Rover, staring straight troubled relationship. into the lens. The pair had become 766 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
BRYAN ADAMS HonFRPS
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2015 AWARDS
Adams’ gallery of celebrity subjects also includes Morrissey, Mick Jagger, Pink and Lindsay Lohan. Ask him about his most treasured photographs, however, and he chooses the family pictures taken by his parents while he was growing up in Europe and Canada. ‘Photos of family are the ones that move me most,’ he says. ‘I still have most of the photos from my childhood. However, I wasn’t nearly as documented as people are today. I recently found super 8 films my father had taken of my family. I had them transferred to digital files to send to them. ‘Our early years were spent living in Europe before I moved back to Canada at age 13. Those photos are a perfect
‘THOSE PHOTOS ARE A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF CAPTURING A MEMORY …’ example of capturing a memory, because without them I certainly wouldn’t have remembered some of the things we got up to as kids.’ Traditionally, men in Adams’ family had served in the British Army (Royal Engineers), graduating from Sandhurst. His father, Conrad, emigrated from the UK to Canada with his mother, Jane, and began working for the United Nations, moving their young family to locations in the Middle East, Austria
and Portugal. Adams returned to Canada when his parents divorced. Among Adams’ most treasured photographs are pictures taken of his grandfather in Malta during the 1930s. ‘I’ve got some rare photos of him in a diving bell while he was working on building the breakwater into Valletta harbour,’ he says. Asked to consider his own work, he ponders whether music or photography make him proudest. ‘I’m proud of both, and it’s hard to compare if I’m honest,’ he retorts. ‘I’ve been extremely lucky to have been able to pay my rent making music, which ultimately has enabled me to work as a photographer. ‘I can’t help myself; I want to make art, whether it is music or photos.’ VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 767
PRINT 158 768 | EXHIBITION | INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL PRINT EXHIBITION WINNERS
Successful entrants to the Society’s flagship competition discuss their acclaimed work WINNER
SILVER AWARD £500
TIERWORLD #70 Frank Machalowski, Germany FRAMAFO.DE
This image is part of a series called Tierwald. All images in this series consist of two photographs, one taken in a forest and one at a zoo. The forest images are all analogue photographs, taken with a medium-format 6x6 camera, which I develop using the
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traditional chemical process before scanning the negatives. The animal images are mostly digital. One day I was watching a deer in the forest and was fascinated. But in the German forests you can watch only a few species of animal, and not very often. So I had the idea of simulating the mood using more exotic species.
INTERNATIONAL PRINT 158
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PRINT 158 770 | EXHIBITION | INTERNATIONAL
WINNER
BRONZE AWARD £250
COMFORT ZONE 1 TADAO CERN, LITHUANIA TADAOCERN.COM
This is one in a series of images looking at how certain surroundings can affect people’s behaviour. When on the beach we often forget about everything and start acting in an absolutely different manner. These photos are not staged and
the sitters did not know they were being photographed. I chose to show only images with hidden faces to grant viewers the opportunity to scrutinise each and every detail without distraction. I got a letter from a girl whose father is in the series. She gave him a print as a Christmas present, which he really liked and had hung in his bedroom.
WINNER
GOLD AWARD £1,000
CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR NEXT YEAR’S INTERNATIONAL PRINT EXHIBITION MARCH 2016 770 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
NELSON’S HEAD, JUNE 2014 JAN KLOS, POLAND JANKLOS.COM
The Nelson’s Head was one of my favourite pubs in east London, so I was keen to photograph its staff for my series the Photographic Guide to the Pubs of East London.
INTERNATIONAL PRINT 158
The pub was at the heart of the area’s gay scene and attracted lots of creative customers and staff. Shortly after taking the group portrait, the Nelson’s Head sadly closed and it is sorely missed. The team at the Nelson’s Head were closeknit and always welcoming
to customers. Inspired by the traditional family portrait, I wanted to show the team as just that: a family.
Klos’s exhibition, the Photographic Guide to the Pubs of East London, runs from 7–14 October at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club
SELECTION PROCESS Roy Robertson HonFRPS, chairman of selectors Now in its 158th year, the selection process has obviously changed over time. This year’s five selectors initially viewed almost 5,000 entries digitally, shortlisting more than 400, for which
| EXHIBITION | 771
the photographers were invited to submit prints. The selection process then continued as in previous years, with each selector considering every print individually, then collectively with discussion. They then reviewed the selection to arrive at the 100 prints for the exhibition,
including the award winners, and one print which each selector particularly felt should be included – allowing more individual or controversial photographs to be featured. The final result shows a diverse range of genres and styles of photography, from 20 countries.
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PRINT 158 772 | EXHIBITION | INTERNATIONAL
UNDER%30s WINNER
GOLD AWARD £1,000
MISS MANSFIELD 2013*2014 NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, UK DAVID SEVERN, UK DAVIDSEVERN.COM
This portrait forms part of a series titled Thanks Maggie, which takes a look at the former coalfield areas of north Nottinghamshire and north-east Derbyshire 30 years after the end of the 1984-1985 miners’ strike. I was inspired by the tradition
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for local collieries to crown coal queens, selected from the wives and daughters of miners or mineworkers, and chosen by contest judges to represent the colliery. Grace had recently been crowned Miss Mansfield. I got in touch with her to explain my idea and we met soon afterwards to shoot the portrait at Forest Town Miners’ Welfare in Mansfield.
EXHIBITION The 100 prints are on show at The Old Truman Brewery, London, from 9–13 October as part of PHOTOBLOCK, a collection of events organised by the Old Truman for East London’s International Photography Festival. The opening reception and presentation of awards by the new Society President Walter Benzie HonFRPS is on 8 October, from 6–9pm. The exhibition will then go on tour to a number of UK venues. For details go to rps.org/ipe158
INTERNATIONAL PRINT 158
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Selectors’ choices
The selection panel pick favourites from this year’s shortlist BRIDGET COAKER +RIGHT,
One of the entries that caught my attention was Parking Lot by Zheng Zhang. While it didn’t meet the exacting standards of the print quality of the medal winners, its composition of dots, dashes and circles, drawn in a snowy carpark by cars and walkers, is exquisite.
RICHARD BILLINGHAM +LEFT,
DEWI LEWIS HonFRPS +ABOVE,
Of three submissions from the series Skinheads by Owen Harvey, this one drew my attention most. Well composed and carefully lit, it is suffused with a tension, hinting at a relationship that may not always run smoothly. It is about self-image and self-presentation: the control of image to the outside world.
Drawing by Wayne Grundy surprised me with its immediacy and rhythmic design. It is a not really a portrait but rather a snapshot of the everyday. It reminds me of a quick sketch from life by Renoir or Degas in that the close-cropped composition is held together by rhythm.
SIMON ROBERTS HonFRPS +ABOVE,
LOUISE CLEMENTS +ABOVE,
Many images from the submissions will stay in my memory, but one I think deserves a special mention is from a series titled Stars by Ellie Davies. It transports us into the dark and wild woods, the places of folklore and magical realism, through stunning imagery which suspends our disbelief while staying firmly rooted in the familiar.
I chose Peter Hose by Alan McFetridge. The composition and lighting have a formality, like a school portrait, yet we know from the description that Peter is in fact an intern at a housing association in Tower Hamlets. The vivid blue of his eyes pierces the surface of the print, while his slightly awkward features are both unsettling and endearing. VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 773
HOUSE EXHIBITION 774 | SHOWCASE | FENTON
Victorian iron footbridge across the ‘New Cut’ diversion of the River Avon
No parking
A MAJOR SPIKE IN ACTIVITY
Trio bring contrasting approach to area of urban regeneration in Bristol IN EARLY 2015, three Society members decided that the Spike Island area of Bristol city centre would be an excellent subject for a photographic essay. Nine months into the project, they are pleased to display some of their work so far at Fenton House. They plan eventually to mount a larger exhibition on the island itself, Tony Cooper ARPS explains.
VISIT!
What is it that makes Spike Island such an interesting place for photographic exploration? Spike Island is a man-made creation formed in the first decade of the 19th century when Victorian engineers diverted the River Frome and the River Avon, tidal waterways with a significant rise and fall, around the port area of Bristol through the ‘New Cut’ so they could
THE SOCIETY HEADQUARTERS
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stabilise the water levels within the old riverside port with a series of locks and sluices. The island is long and thin (about one mile long and 400 yards at its widest point) and is subject to an accelerated process of urban regeneration and gentrification. Boat yards, chandlers, light industry and warehouses are giving way to residential housing and artistic communities.
How has the project evolved in its first year? Initially we concentrated on the geography and on the detail readily apparent. As we have gradually become accepted by the local population we have become more aware of the history and usage of the area by locals and tourists. This is already being reflected in our images from the summer.
GORDON JAMES FRPS, PETER BRISLEY ARPS AND TONY COOPER ARPS’S EXHIBITION WILL RUN DURING OCTOBER AT FENTON HOUSE, 122 WELLS ROAD, BATH BA2 3AH
FENTON HOUSE EXHIBITION
A refitter on the SS Matthew
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Flags on the SS Great Britain
replacing a working class. And the fact that Spike Island has become a tourist attraction in its own right.
How long do you anticipate the project to last? Each of us has busy lives outside photography, so we needed a subject close to where we live, which we can pick up and put down as we are able, and where we can work individually or in teams. At the outset we had the concept of ‘a year in the life of …’ but came to realise that to do the subject justice this would be a two-year, or even three-year, project. What are your main aims? A collection of strong images is the principal goal. Images which show transition: a place where new, mainly middle-class housing is replacing traditional working-class industry, and artisans or office staff are
How has the collaborative approach worked for you? Each of us brings a different perspective and approach. Peter is a highly creative artist, Gordon a pictorialist with an eye for the absurd and I have a documentary approach. We hope our collaboration will create a combined photographic essay greater than three individual approaches. You will be photographing in all sorts of weather and conditions. Are there ones you prefer from a practical and/or artistic perspective? Peter is looking for early mornings and evenings with atmospheric light, Gordon for more contextual situations while I, as a monochrome worker, come to life in early spring and late autumn when the sun stays lower in the sky and the range of tonality is less extreme. Have you worked together before? Have you learned from one another? We have all been members of the Society’s Western Region
The SS Matthew from above
for a good number of years, alongside other photographic activities. Peter and I come from a monochrome darkroom tradition while Gordon worked with colour slides. We have followed one another’s work over the years but don’t influence one another. We are friends with an uncomplicated view of photography and image making.
What special equipment or techniques have you used to take these images? Peter will be very creative in the post-production stage, to achieve the image he had in mind when he pressed the shutter. For Gordon and me, technique is more a tidyingup process. We all work with the sort of standard equipment any serious amateur would possess.
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Peter Mitchell. Scarecrow. Some Thing means Everything to Somebody. 2015.
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THE MUST TRY
CRAFT OCTOBER 2015 THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY, TECHNIQUES AND SKILLS
Sigma Quattro dp0
Ugly duckling or swan? Gavin Stoker examines what this fixed-lens compact has to offer
F
or its Quattro range, Sigma sought to grandly reinvent the camera, rejecting convention and starting from scratch. The result is an unusually elongated body design that recalls a mobile phone handset, albeit one with a large and obvious lens barrel. The dp0 offers the widest reach in Sigma’s quartet. Its fixed 14mm f/4 lens, equivalent to 21mm in 35mm terms, makes it an all-encompassing tool for street or landscape photography. It’s not just about the lens or quirky chassis however; an equally integral part is the triplelayered (one each for red, green
and blue) 23.5x15.7mm Foveon X3 CMOS sensor, providing the opportunity to capture a datahungry 29 effective megapixels. In-camera settings allow us to dial this down to a still very respectable 20MP, which we found more than sufficient. When we first picked up the magnesium alloy dp0, we didn’t quite know where to put our hands, but settled on the obvious combination of curling our right around the angular handgrip and our left around the lens barrel. Photos – there is no video option here – are composed via a 3-inch 920k-dot LCD screen at the rear, which we found
IN BRIEF: Sigma’s wide-angle compact is in a class of its own for styling, handling and performance Price: £899.99 Sensor: 23.5x15.7mm Foveon X3 CMOS Lens: 14mm f/4 Sigma lens (21mm equivalent) Screen: 3-inch, 920k-dot LCD Weight: 500g without battery and card More: www.sigmaimaging-uk.com
crisp and clear in all but the brightest sunlight. Images were sharp right into the corners of the frame, with a colour rendition that looked more life-like than the processed images we’re used to seeing from consumer compacts; indeed, Sigma has made much of its Foveon chip’s ability to reveal subtle nuances and shades. Although there is a continuous shooting option, it quickly becomes obvious that the dp0 promotes a careful, considered, contemplative method of image taking. Use this leisurely approach and you’ll feel rewarded.
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778 | THE CRAFT | LATEST KIT
3
1
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Olympus E-M10 Mark II Lowepro Whistler backpacks From £257 From £549 Particularly appealing to travel and street photographers www.olympus.co.uk
1 The 16.1MP Four Thirds
sensor-incorporating OM-D E-M10 Mk II should appeal to photo enthusiasts as well as casual users looking to step up from a smartphone. Noteworthy features include a high-resolution OLED electronic viewfinder at 2,360k dots and built-in wi-fi. A tilting 3-inch touchscreen enables focusing by touch. The camera also offers 4K time lapse and slow motion video-capture options. As with its predecessors, its retro silver or black design is a nod to the original analogue OM series. Being an Olympus, there are also creative options in spades courtesy of 14 art filter and nine art effects. A further draw is the ability to affix any of 40+ compatible Micro Four Thirds range lenses.
GEAR SPY
Affordable all-in-one third-party zoom lens www.tamron.co.uk
Waterproof bags that can carry a substantial load www.lowepro.co.uk
2 It’s perfectly sensible that
anyone fashioning a backpack for photographers should make it waterproof, and the latest bags from Lowepro offer that and more. There are currently two choices in the Whistler series, both road tested in extreme conditions. A hinged and zippered back panel allows for full or partial access to your gear, while the internal structure is said to be rigid enough to allow for tripods, ice axes or even skis to be attached to the pack. These bags are pitched at adventurous photographers who want to carry a combination of camera, video and outdoor equipment. A detachable all-weather cover and removable insert offer convenience and portability.
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Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC £169.99
Panasonic is testing out ‘post focus’ – a feature that will allow users to refocus images postcapture, as the Lytro Illum does. This is due to be released as a firmware update for the GX8 and FZ330 in late 2015 or early 2016. The electronics giant is also developing a 25mm f/1.7 lens and a 100400mm f/4.0-6.3 Leica-branded telephoto zoom for its Lumix G system cameras.
3 Third-party lenses are
often much cheaper than own-brand ones, while arguably just as competent at delivering the goods. A case in point is a new Tamron lens in the 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC. Available in Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts, it is described as a consumer lens with professional features. With rounded aperture blades and a zoom lock feature to prevent the lens accidentally extending by itself if your camera is facing downwards, apart from its ‘all-in-one’ focal reach, a further incentive for purchase should include its drip-resistant build, making it a suitable outdoor lens. Another major plus for anyone wanting to take advantage of its reach is its weight of only 400g.
| THE CRAFT | 779 MEMBER TEST 4
Nikon D810
‘When I got it right the results were excellent’
5
B-grip Evo camera belt holder £36.95
Flexible, professional, waistbased alternative to a neck strap www.cameraclean.co.uk
4 This DSLR-sized camera
holster is designed to keep your camera and attached lens securely connected to your body; theoretically allowing you to be active and mobile while the camera remains fixed in place. Its weight discharge system is intended to maximise comfort, with a quick-release feature to whisk your camera straight into position. A safety switch is said to prevent accidental release, and the belt will accommodate waist sizes up to 45 inches. An optional tripod adaptor is available from the same manufacturer, should the base plate on the Evo not fit your make of tripod. A travel kit can be purchased separately should you prefer to mount on to a camera backpack.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ330£499
An impressive 25-600mm zoom and 4K video shooting www.panasonic.co.uk
5 Bridge cameras have a lot
going for them if you don’t need or want a DSLR, and the FZ330 from Panasonic is no exception. With a Leica-branded f/2.8 25-600mm zoom lens and 4K video capabilities, it is an impressive piece of kit. The convenient touchscreen with a highish 1,040k-dot resolution is a nice feature, while wildlife and landscape photographers will benefit from the camera being splash and dustproof into the bargain. Added draws are the ability to develop RAW data in camera, a multiple panorama shooting feature, and a new Venus engine ramping up the processing and response speeds. The eye-level viewfinder with eye sensor aids overall responsiveness and usability.
I’ve been a Nikon user since film. Since going digital I have kept my old lenses with the intention of eventually ‘moving up’ to a fullframe DSLR. I think of that as being ‘my final camera’ which, with luck, will keep me happy. The D810 seems to fit the bill: full frame, very high resolution, wide dynamic range and versatile controls. Since the resolution is past the point where moiré is likely to be a problem, it even lacks a low-pass filter to make the most of those 36 and a bit megapixels. The D810 can use most Nikon lenses. I have a 35mm perspective-control lens which is totally manual. With the D810 it was straightforward to use and was certainly sharp
enough, as was my venerable 50mm f/1.8 E series prime. The bad news is that my other full-frame lenses looked somewhat soft. I had seen it suggested that you would need a tripod to get the sharpest images out of this pixel count, but my experience says otherwise. My test kit included a 16-35mm f/4 stabilised zoom which was fun to use and produced excellent images. Even at high ISO I didn’t see significant degradation or noise. I tried some video too: here the screen brightness and focus were tricky, but when I got it right the results were excellent. Is this the ‘final camera’? It may well be. I had better start saving.
On the right track: one of Finney’s images with the full-frame D810
REVIEW BY ANDY FINNEY
In September 2014, Finney was awarded the Fenton Medal for his efforts on behalf of the Society as its copyright representative, and for promoting infra-red photography
VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 779
TECHNIQUE MASTERCLASS
| THE CRAFT | 781
How to light an art nude
Simon Q Walden reveals the techniques needed to harness the shadows for a stunning shot
2. Hard or soft Most nude lighting falls into hard and soft light categories. Hard light uses a small, single-point light source – such as a speedlight or studio strobe. It creates a high contrast between the dark and light areas, and sharp shadow transitions. Soft light requires some kind of diffusion, the largest softbox you can get – or reflect the light from a white wall, board or even bed sheet. It is usually
low contrast and particularly has broad shadow transitions (penumbra). To achieve this, you want to position the light to one side, so the light skims across the body to create the all-important shadow areas. A single light may be all you need, but two or three lights to give some additional fill or separation can be useful. A silver/white reflector can help reduce shadow contrast – again, a trusty bed sheet will do.
High key, soft light: a large light source skims the body for shapely shadows
Low key, hard light: a hard light source gives crisp shadows and high contrast
Diffused, soft light gives soft shadow transitions
1. Seek the shadows When photographing art nudes, you are not shooting the light: you are shooting the shadows. The most common error I see in teaching art nude photography is overlighting the subject. Most photographers are familiar with the principle of ‘Rembrandt lighting’ for portraits, essentially using shadows to provide the
ABOUT THE AUTHOR SIMON Q WALDEN A working photographer, trainer, author and presenter. See the full range of Walden’s work on his hub site, www.FilmPhotoAcademy.com Society members get a 10% discount with the code RPS10
sense of depth and form. When photographing the whole figure, this principle applies even more strongly. To reveal the shape, the curves, the anatomy of the human form you need shadows. Avoid even, flat lighting. The simplest solution is to use a single light off to the side of your subject and shoot into the shadow side.
WORKSHOP
ART NUDE PHOTOGRAPHY Covering lighting, working with a model and more, on 22 November in Lacock. Visit www.rps.org/learning
3. High or low Here are two simple set-ups for art nudes: SET UP FOR HIGH KEY 1. Set up as though for a portrait, with the light above and to the side of the subject. 2. Position the camera so you are shooting into the shadow side of the figure. This way the shadows reveal the shape, form and curves. If you shoot into the lit side, then the figure becomes flat.
SET UP FOR LOW KEY 1. Position the light behind and to the side of the subject. 2. Shoot into the shadow side. You’ll see there is a dance between the turn of the figure, the angle of the light and the angle of the camera. In both cases you may use a little fill light from a second strobe or reflector to stop the shadows becoming completely dark.
VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 781
IN DEPTH 782 | THE CRAFT | TECHNIQUE
Body and soul Janet Haines ARPS has become hooked on shooting art nude and overcoming the multiple challenges it presents
F
our years ago I was a butterfly photographer flitting from one subject to another, trying everything. No bad thing as long as you keep testing yourself. With an aversion to shooting people, but a growing fascination for studio work, I booked on to a FilmPhotoAcademy studio workshop. In two days they had me hooked and it has taken over my photographic life. The workshop consisted of fashion, character and art nude but it was the latter that caught my imagination – the way lights could be used to mould the body, the beauty
Compassion – ‘a different challenge working with two guys, toned mono’
782 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
of the naked form and the fact I could create compositional stories. My Photoshop skills were reasonably good so I knew I had backgrounds, textures and composite parts I could use with suitably positioned and expressed moods from the model. I started with fairly simple lighting set-ups but soon began experimenting. Finding studios and models meant research and talking to others. There are several model/photographer websites you can join, and it quickly became apparent the value of using top-quality models. The girl next door, who is happy to take her
TECHNIQUE IN DEPTH
| THE CRAFT | 783
Symmetry – body shapes are all about lighting and model positions
clothes off for you, does not know how to use her body to work with the lights or subtly act out emotion through bodily and facial expressions. Communication is key, before and during the shoot – it is important to give the model some idea of what you want to achieve. They are a key part of your success – I think of us as a team. Models with dance skills add a super dimension to the work I like to create. The grace of movement and positions
enhances the output I am looking for, while body contouring was an area of interest for me. This demands different skills from the model and the photographer: lighting the studio is key. Working with body shapes is more difficult as you need to see the angles and light interplay. My equipment is nothing fancy – I use a Nikon D7000 with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. Studio lights vary enormously, but I find I can achieve a lot with just a modelling light, flash, softbox and reflector. The modelling light is a constant and helps you to position the lighting. I use a wi-fi-enabled SD card in my second camera slot. I elect to save a jpg version on this second card and then, using the wi-fi facility, send the images I have just shot to my iPad. The model and I can then look at what we have just created at a decent size, then reposition lights, or the model her position, to better effect. Location shoots are a different ball game, as you need to consider the environment far more. A good landscape worker has an advantage here, but strange, quirky locations work really well. We discuss and set up the
‘IT IS IMPORTANT TO GIVE THE MODEL AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE’
Celebration of Spring – location work in public places
shot with the model clothed – well, often they have nothing more on than a coat. Once the coast is clear (a look-out person helps a lot here) the model will quickly discard her clothing and take her position and we take a burst of images. Clothes go back on and we discuss how it worked and possible improvements. In the image Celebration of Spring we rather belatedly spotted a cyclist coming by, so Kayleigh simply ducked down among the vegetation until he had passed. One recent challenge I have given myself was to work with male models. I felt I needed to look for tender moments. The guys were not professional models but were extremely good at getting across the emotions I was asking of them. As a couple they were comfortable in each other’s company, which helped enormously. We
achieved a great set of images from just a three-hour shoot. If you want to have a go at art nude, don’t feel shy. Some photographers feel threatened by the idea but it is a totally nonsexual environment. The best models are not in the least provocative and quickly make you feel at ease. For inspiration, look at websites such as the Model Society or Pinterest, or the photographers’ galleries on PurplePort. I still have a long way to go to be up there with the best, but it is my passion and one I will pursue to excellence. ABOUT THE AUTHOR JANET HAINES ARPS Chair of the RPS Digital Imaging Group, for Janet photography is an ‘absorbing hobby’ that really took off following early retirement 15 years ago. She has recently moved to the Netherlands
VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 783
IN DEPTH 784 | THE CRAFT | TECHNIQUE MY FAVOURITE CAMERA
Hasselblad 500 C/M
LAURA PANNACK
This medium-format classic is closest to documentary photographer Laura Pannack’s heart
Every time I give a talk, without fail I am asked what camera I use, whether I prefer digital or film, and to describe how I direct subjects when photographing them. I usually follow these questions with an exaggerated sigh and a sarcastic response. I get it, though: photographers are curious. We want to know. Whenever I feel down about not being able to buy a new camera, I try to remind myself that it’s just a box; albeit a beautiful and amazing one. To me a camera is more than just a tool to take pictures. Like a diary, it keeps me safe, allows me to reconnect or escape, and cures any form of loneliness or fear. Analogue will always be my preference. It’s where I started and what I connect with. Photography is a craft and, as a born romantic, hearing a shutter clunk and changing film is something I adore. It alters my process and relationship both with image making and my sitters. I once heard a photographer say that she liked looking down through her medium-format viewfinder as it felt as if she was bowing to her subjects. I think that’s a beautiful observation. I’ve had my Hasselblad 6x6 for about four years now. I used to shoot on a Bronica 645 and a Mamiya 645 – I liked both but feel more settled with the Hasselblad. I think cameras are like clothes: you have to try them on. Sometimes you change your mind and then find them in a drawer and remember how much you love them. My newest camera is a 5x4 and I’m really excited to try it out. The Hasselblad 500 C/M is my current favourite but I am attached to more than one camera as different tools suit different briefs and occasions. My Polaroid 180 is another camera I adore. It’s a more recent purchase but I bought it wanting to learn new techniques. It was challenging and still can be, but in a very different way. I don’t use rangefinders, as I don’t like seeing the lens through the finder. It distracts my attention from what I am seeing. I like to immerse myself in the image and the moment. 784 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
PURITY $BELOW% ‘Hearing a shutter clunk alters my relationship with my sitters’
AUTHOR PROFILE LAURA PANNACK A social documentary and portrait photographer, Pannack is based in London. Throughout her work she aims to understand the lives of those captured, and to present them creatively, and is a firm believer that time, trust and understanding are the key to portraying subjects faithfully. laurapannack.com
supporting creative excellence
supporting creative excellence
Photograph © Kevin Mullins
“When clients are investing in professional quality products they want to know that these will stand the test of time and still look as gorgeous in 30 years’ time as they do today” – Kevin Mullins
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printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive by One Vision Imaging
Fujicolor Crystal Archive Digital Pearl is a paper with fine visual acutance and full saturation, praised by photographers for whiter than white highlights, vibrant colour and superb shadow detail. Developed for use with all mini labs and medium to large-scale printer systems, Crystal Archive Digital Pearl is a silver halide paper containing pearl mica pigments and metal oxides which combine to give purer whites and sharper, better-defined highlights. Optimised for digital systems, the paper has a thicker base and higher stiffness for a high-quality look and feel. With superb archival permanence, images printed on Crystal Archive Digital Pearl will look as fresh in the future as the day they were taken. Portrait and wedding photographers will find the paper ideally suited for albums and display prints and will marvel at the high level of detail and colour achieved. This is a paper which defies the ageing process. Your clients will love you for it. Other papers in the Fujifilm Professional Paper Range • • • • • • • •
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PROMOTION 786 | FUJIFILM | ADVERTISING
When success is just child’s play Glove puppets, the One Vision prolab and Fujifilm Crystal Archive silver halide paper are a perfect mix for Aztec Photography
F
or Kerry Cooper and Roz Nash (left and right above), who collectively make up Chertsey-based Aztec Photography, much of their rapport with their junior subjects is down to their open and friendly natures and the experience they’ve gained over 11 years of photographing children at nurseries and primary schools. But they do also have a secret weapon and it’s not one that you’ll find in a traditional photographic handbook.
“While Roz is the one that takes the pictures it’s my job to organise things and to entertain the children,” says Kerry, “so that they’re relaxed and happy to be photographed. The way I usually do this is simple: I’ve got a glove puppet that I take with me, and they will be so busy watching and reacting to it that they eventually forget the camera is even there.” For both Kerry and Roz photography was not an initial career choice. Roz always loved photography but eventually she went to work in the theatre instead, where she specialised in lighting. Kerry was a stay-at-home mum for a while and then took on an admin job in an office. It was only when they met up 11 years ago and realised they had a mutual interest in the creative arts that the idea to start a business together was born. With photography of this kind it’s not just a case of building a relationship with a school it’s also about speed of delivery and doing justice to your photography. Proofs
especially have to look dazzling, because this is where orders will come from, and there are few pro labs that can manage both the volumes involved and the quality control required in order for this side of the business to run smoothly. “Our first lab could only manage to deliver proofs of a single picture,” says Kerry, “but we knew that we would have a better of selling work if we offered a bigger selection. We eventually came across One Vision and they’ve been brilliant: they supplied us with a proof that features four separate poses, and sales increased immediately.” Fujifilm’s silver halide-based Crystal Archive media is the natural choice for school photography since it features gorgeous warm tones and saturated colours, and these are the attributes that drive sales. From a lab’s point of view it’s also a paper that’s easy to work with and to use in volume, and the added benefit is that the silver halide aspect ensures that prints will naturally have a long life. “Both ourselves and our customers love the colour and quality of Crystal Archive paper,” says Kerry, “and the service level we receive from One Vision has been nothing short of outstanding.”
See: www.aztec-photography.co.uk
“We love the colour and quality of Crystal Archive paper, and the service we receive from One Vision is nothing short of outstanding” KERRY COOPER
Crystal Archive and Fujifilm X-Series – a perfect marriage
A
mere six years ago Wiltshirebased Kevin Mullins was earning his living in online marketing, leaving home at 5am every morning and not getting home until 16 hours later, exhausted and too tired to appreciate his growing family. It’s a familiar story, but unlike the crowd Kevin decided to do something about it. That was in August 2009 and since then Kevin has shot 300 or so weddings, and in that time has acquired an enviable reputation for the quality and integrity of his reportage approach. “The unstaged images are, for me, the ones I can look at and over and over again,” he says. “I want to
understand my subjects; I want to know more about them and their backgrounds; what was their story. I really want my wedding photography to generate the same emotions.” Kevin believes strongly that wedding images need to be printed out rather than be left to gather pixel dust on a hard drive, and it’s the reason why every package he offers includes an album as part of the deal. He also makes sure he has plenty of presentational products on the walls of his studio, so that when customers meet him for the first time they’re immediately aware of the impact these can create. One Vision has been a long-term partner, and they
See: www.kevinmullinsphotography.co.uk
ADVERTISING PROMOTION
| FUJIFILM | 787
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O
ver the years David Smithard has seen many changes in his business, one of the most fundamental being the number of imaging devices now available, including conventional cameras, cameraphones and tablets. To survive and thrive it’s meant that he’s had to up his game to ensure his product is still marketable. “So many people, if they bother with prints at all, will output them on a home printer or will use a cheap online service,” he says. “For me printing is one of the most crucial stages of all: I’ve found a partner in One Vision who will output the proofs and the finished prints that I need to a very high standard. “They also work with Fujifilm Crystal Archive paper, and the
www.davidsmithard-weddingphotography.co.uk quality of this media is outstanding: beautifully saturated and with a lovely warm feel. People will look at the results they can achieve themselves, which will often be disappointing, and they’ll understand why it pays to have a picture professionally produced.” Nearly 20 years ago David took on a job photographing a small toddler group, and word of mouth took care of the rest. Primary school/pre-school photography is now the mainstay of his business, and he’s become a regular fixture twice a year at a wide selection of schools within a 20-mile radius of his home base in Leicestershire. These are pictures that parents can’t take themselves, and they’re such a priceless resource nearly everyone takes up the option to buy. “I don’t get many returns,”
says David. “Normally I’ll sell around 90 per cent of the pictures that go out, and it just goes to show that people are still willing to pay for good-quality pictures that mean something to them.” These sales are crucial, not only to bring income in but to ensure that the schools themselves stay loyal to one particular photographer. They receive a 20 per cent cut of the money’s that’s made, and considering that David is regularly achieving figures of
£6,000 on a job that’s a serious boost to school funds. The competitive nature of the business also ensures that David himself is regularly receiving offers from rival labs, but he’s never been tempted to look elsewhere. “I’ve been with One Vision for 18 years now,” he says, “and I trust that they will always deliver the quality of picture that I need. This is down to a great lab and a great paper in the shape of Crystal Archive, and I’m not going to change that for the sake of saving a couple of pounds on a print order.”
“People will look at the results they can achieve, which will often be disappointing, and they’ll understand the value of paying to have a picture of their children professionally produced” ! DAVID SMITHARD
for wedding shooter Kevin output Kevin’s work on Fujifilm Crystal Archive DPII paper, a media that still depends on traditional silver halide technology. “The fact that silver halide has such proven archival qualities is also really important. I think that when people are spending relatively large amounts on framed items they want to know that, even if hung in well-lit natural light areas, the images won’t fade or warp. It’s something clients ask me about a lot, so it’s clearly important to them.” “Because it’s so easy for clients to order cheap and cheerful products via social media and other websites, when they’re investing in professional quality products they want to know that they will stand
Fuji X photographer Kevin Mullins, above, and One Vision Imaging’s busy print product despatch department, right. the test of time and still look as gorgeous in 30 years’ time as they do today. If they are assured that this is the case then they are much more likely to place an order.’”
“The prints look amazing. I use a mixture of lustre and gloss for my framed images and I love the quality of the prints I receive” ! KEVIN MULLINS For 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
MEMBER
GUIDE
789
YOUR RPS EVENTS ! COURSES PROGRAMME
OCT!NOV!DEC
GO TO
RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
See the light in Andalusia, Spain
Society member Tina Hadley FRPS is running a photography workshop from 27 February to 5 March 2016 inclusive
E
NJOY an educational holiday while improving your ability to produce superb photographs, or oil paintings, on a residential course suitable for candidates with DSLR cameras and users of Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Accommodation is in the relaxed surroundings of Casa de la Abuela and nearby Al-Bar Inn, providing the opportunity to relax with new friends and enjoy a wealth of great experiences, including delicious food, walking and hill climbing. This small workshop is aimed at giving maximum benefit to participants, so limited places are available. The course runs alongside an oil painting workshop run by Lee Burrows BA Hons fine art (painting). For more information and to book, go to www.tinahadley.com/spain
Top: Sierra de los Filabres Sunrise by Tina Hadley FRPS
Above: Marguerite by Tina Hadley FRPS VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 789
790 | GUIDE |
REGIONS
Meet photographers and view work in your area CENTRAL
`` Dave Jordan FRPS,
daveandjoanjordan@yahoo.co.uk
GO TO
RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
Members’ annual exhibition of prints and projected images SATURDAY 10 " SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER 'WEDNESDAYS " SUNDAYS / 11.00"16.00)
`` Wingfield Barns, Church Road,
MIKE SHARPLES ARPS, 07884 657535 MIKES.SHARPLES(VIRGIN.NET
Distinctions Advisory Day
`` £5 non-RPS members `` A visit to the factory which has a
SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER / 10:30"16:30
`` £220 group members `` Visit photogenic Worcester with
`` £20/£15/£10 spectators `` Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road,
Foxton CB22 6RN Ann Miles FRPS, ann@pin-sharp.co.uk
'WEDNESDAYS " SUNDAYS / 11.00"16.00)
`` Wingfield Barns, Church Road,
Wingfield IP21 5RA `` Moira Ellice ARPS, 01473 720928
Leicester LE4 8PT
`` Geoff Blackwell, 0114 266 8655, gblackwell@fastmail.fm
MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN FRPS, 00353 861 739 875
UNTIL 31 MARCH
info@mosullivan.com
EAST MIDLANDS RALPH BENNETT ARPS, 01636 651277
Distinctions Advisory Day with a focus on natural history
RALPH.EMRPS(GMAIL.COM
Nottingham Goose Fair documentary book event
SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER / 10:00"16:00
`` £20/£15/£8 spectators `` Smethwick Photographic Society,
FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER / 11:00"17:00
`` The annual Nottingham Goose Fair
Churchbridge, West Midlands B69 2AS `` Mike Sharples ARPS, as above
is the venue for the Region’s third collaborative book project this year `` Forest Recreation Ground, Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham NG7 6HB `` Stewart Wall ARPS, 0795 512 4000 stewartwall@icloud.com
A day with Nicki Gwynn-Jones FRPS SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER / 10:30"16:00
`` £13 `` Explore an approach to photography
B&W day with Andy Beel FRPS: improve your mono prints
through fine art `` Long Compton, The Village Hall, Main Street, Long Compton CV36 5JS `` Andreas Klatt ARPS, rpsva@klatt.co.uk
`` £5 `` Presented by panographers Bob Moore
history of lens making back to 1886
`` Cooke Close, Thurmaston,
Edgelands – photography exhibition ARPS that explores the buffer zones between urban and rural environments `` Abbot’s Hall, Museum of East Anglian Life, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 1DL `` www.eastanglianlife.org.uk, 01449 612229
SATURDAY 10 " SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER
SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER / 14:00"17:00
TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER
EIRE
`` A photographic study by Tom Owens
Members’ annual exhibition of prints and projected images
Panorama photography workshop
Whatton, NG13 9EL
`` Ralph Bennett ARPS, as above A visit to Cooke Optics Ltd
FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER " MONDAY 12 OCTOBER
its magnificent cathedral and the River Severn among many other places of interest `` Bank House Hotel, Bransford, Worcestershire WR6 5JD `` David J. Wood, ARPS, 020 3105 0548, wood.david.j@virgin.net
wildlife, travel and candid photography
`` Whatton Jubilee Hall, Church Street,
Wingfield IP21 5RA
`` Moira Ellice ARPS, 01473 720928
Visual Art Group autumn weekend in Worcestershire
SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER / 10:30"16:30
`` £10 `` Two-speaker day on nature, sport,
SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER / 10:30"16:30
`` £10 `` Park Inn by Radisson Nottingham, Don’t miss East Anglia’s member exhibition Image: Yellowstone by Ivan Barrett LRPS
HonFRPS and Andy Wharton FRPS `` Smethwick Photographic Society, Churchbridge, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 2AS `` Mike Sharples ARPS, as above EAST ANGLIA IAN WILSON ARPS, 07767 473594 IAN(GREENMEN.ORG.UK
Kathryn Scorah and Colin Southgate FRPS SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER / 10:30"16:30
`` £14/£11/£8 group or region members `` A day of talks, run jointly by the Creative Group and East Anglia Region
`` Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton CB22 6RN
790 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG5 2BT `` Ralph Bennett ARPS, as above
Two-speaker day: John Bullpit FRPS and Alex Hyde MSc
LONDON DEL BARRETT ARPS LONDONEVENTS(RPS.ORG
First Tuesday meeting TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER / 19:00 "21:00
`` The City of London and Cripplegate
Photographic Society has invited us to join them for a presentation by Simone Sbaraglia, winner of the ZLS wildlife competition `` City of London and Cripplegate Photographic Society, St Joseph’s Church Hall, Herald House, 15 Lamb’s Passage, London EC1Y 8LE `` London Cave, londonevents@rps.org
Dusk ’til Dawn FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER / 17:00"07:30
`` £10/£5 RPS members `` Last chance for an overnight shoot before the nights lengthen
`` Embankment Tube Station, Villiers
Street Entrance, London WC2N 6NS
`` RPS London, londonevents@rps.org LondonCine Group video techniques basic editing MONDAY 12 OCTOBER / 19:00"21:30
`` £15/£12/£10 regional members `` Disover the fundamentals and the pitfalls of cinematography editing
| GUIDE | 791 `` London – to be confirmed `` RPS London, Londoncine@rps.org
`` Nikon Centre of Excellence, 63-64 Margaret Street, London W1W 8SW
`` RPS London, as above
The Bookworm Club (7)
LondonCine Group: Kit-Plus Live show visit
WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER / 18:30"21:00
The Bookworm Club (8) WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER / 18:30"21:00
THURSDAY 12 NOVEMBER/10:00.18.00
`` The Crusting Pipe, 27 The Market,
`` Free of charge `` Details to be confirmed `` RPS London, as above
Covent Garden, London WC2E 8RD
`` RPS London, as above Street workshop
Combined Royal Colleges Lecture 2015
SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER / 9:45"14:00 SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER / 9:45"14:00
TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER / 18:45"21:00
SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER / 9:45"13:00
`` £5 `` Optical coherence tomography:
`` Regular practical workshop for
members and guests interested in street photography `` London – to be confirmed `` London Cave, londonevents@rps.org
London, Naturally – explore Tower Hamlets Cemetery SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER / 10:00" 13:00
`` An informal Sunday morning wander
around the atmospheric Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park `` Meet at Mile End Station, Mile End Road, London E3 4DH `` RPS London, as above
London, Naturally – walk SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER / 10:00" 13:00
`` Details to be confirmed `` RPS London, as above First Tuesday meeting TUESDAY 27 OCTOBER / 19:00"21:00
`` Brought forward from November TUESDAY 1 DECEMBER / 19:00" 19:00
`` Greenwich Gallery, London,
Hear from Honorary Fellows Anderson & Low in London Image: Beam training from the project Endure by Anderson & Low
costumes and high jinks of Hallowe’en
`` Oxford Circus Tube Station,
Exit 3 by Benetton, Regent St West / Oxford St South, London W1B 3AG `` RPS London, as above
Documentary Group: social documentary photography workshop
THU 1 OCTOBER " SAT 31 OCTOBER
`` RPS London has teamed up with
the Bank of England for an exciting photographic project called ‘Capturing the City’. We are looking for pictures based on some of the images from the bank’s archive. The best 20 images will be displayed at the Bank of England Museum `` London `` RPS London, as above
Adobe Lightroom Develop workshop SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER / 9.45"16:15
Exposure Week
`` £55/£45 RPS members `` The Idea Store `` 321 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1BU `` RPS London, as above
SUN 1 NOV " SAT 7 NOV / 15:00"17:00
`` Members of RPS London exhibit at venues throughout the capital
Anderson & Low lecture at The Photographers’ Gallery
Capturing the City
challenges which will be evaluated at the event as time permits `` To be confirmed `` London Cine, Londoncine@rps.org
Motola, a professional photographer and Olympus Ambassador `` London, The Canvas Cafe, 42 Hanbury Street, London E15JL `` David Cantor, DPotY@rps.org
LRPS Advisory Day
Margaret Street, London W1W 8SW `` RPS London, as above
THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER / 18:30"21:30
SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER / 10:00"17:00
`` Various venues, London WC2 5HS `` RPS London, as above
`` £25/£20/£10 spectators `` All attendees must book online `` Nikon Centre of Excellence, 63-64
LondonCine Group: video interviews – basic techniques `` £15/£12/£10 regional members `` A hands-on workshop with set
`` £70/£65/£60 group members `` This workshop is led by Gabrielle
Peyton Place, London SE10 8RS `` London Cave, londonevents@rps.org
THURSDAY 29 OCTOBER / 10:30"16:30
principles, basic properties and recent developments `` The Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrews Place, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4LE `` Jo Macdonald, 01225 325721, jo@rps.org
James Balog: Human Tectonics – Ice, Fire, and Life in the Anthropocene WEDNESDAY 2 DECEMBER / 17:30"20:30
`` Subjects ranging from portraiture to
`` £15/£12 RPS members `` Presentation from the founder and
Adobe Lightroom library and organisation workshop
Good Picture 2015: Imaging Illuminated
WEDNESDAY 4 NOVEMBER / 17:00"20:00
abstraction, and sport to architecture, giving an insight into the creative world of Anderson & Low `` The Photographers’ Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW `` The Photographers’ Gallery, (+44) 0207 087 9300, info@tpg.org.uk
president of the Earth Vision Institute and Extreme Ice Survey, and RPS Hood Medal recipient `` Regent Street Cinema, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW `` Jo Macdonald, 01225 325 733, jo@rps.org
SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER / 9.45.16:15
SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER / 10:00"16:00
`` £55/£45 RPS members `` The Idea Store `` 321 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1BU `` RPS London, as above
`` £70/£39 Concession `` Tutorial seminar on selected
Hallowe’en on Oxford Street
Getting started with time-lapse photography
`` Mike Christianson, 01753 890 480
SATURDAY 31 OCTOBER / 20:00"23:00
THURSDAY 12 NOVEMBER / 10:30"16:30
`` £5 non-RPS members `` Informal photo ramble along
`` £99 regional members `` Learn which equipment to use,
Oxford Street, through Soho, finishing at Leicester Square, with a view to capturing the
optimal camera settings, editing workflow, working with colour and how to evaluate lighting
technical aspects of digital imaging
`` University of Westminster, 309
Regent Street, London W1B 2HW
member@christianson.freeserve.co.uk
Adobe Lightroom book publishing workshop SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER / 9.45.16:15
`` £55/£45 RPS members `` The Idea Store VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 791
INTEREST GROUPS 792 | GUIDE | SPECIAL Northern weekend
`` 321 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1BU `` RPS London, as above NORTH WALES DON LANGFORD LRPS, 01758 713572 DONCHRISLANGFORD(BTINTERNET.COM
GO TO
RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
An afternoon with Leigh Preston FRPS SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER / 14:00"17:00
FRI 6 NOVEMBER " SUN 8 NOVEMBER
`` See website for costs `` Dinner, B&B and lectures `` Burnside Hotel, Bowness, Kendal Rd,
Windermere, Cumbria LA23 3EP `` Brian Pearson ARPS, 0191 257 5051, brianpearson41@btinternet.com SCOTLAND
`` £6/£5 RPS members `` Craig-y-Don Community Centre,
JAMES FROST FRPS, 01578 730466, 07881 856294
Curator-led tour: Photography – A Victorian Sensation FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER / 14:00"16:00
NORTH WEST
`` £5/free for group members `` National Museum of Scotland,
DR AFZAL ANSARY ASIS FRPS, 07970 403672 AFZALANSARY(AOL.COM
Chambers St, Edinburgh EH1 1LF
Autumnal photography field meeting
`` Donald Stewart, 01592 840277, donaldstewart42@aol.com `` See Historical Group for details
SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER / 10:00"16:00
`` Stunning views at Langdale Valley `` Blea Tarn National Trust car park `` Nina Agnew, 07811 403125,
The invention of photojournalism: Brady, Gardner and the American Civil War
ninaagnew@yahoo.co.uk
FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER / 19:30"21:30
Get the best print from your digital files & 3D photography
`` £10/£8/free for group or EPS members
`` Edinburgh Photographic Society,
SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER / 10.30"16.30
`` £10/£7 RPS members `` Anthony Kaye FRPS and Jim Sharp `` Hough End Centre, Moulted Road
`` National Museum of Scotland,
Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF `` Donald Stewart, 01592 840277, donaldstewart42@aol.com `` See Historical Group for details
Robertson HonFRPS (past president RPS) and enjoy a quiz, raffle and Christmas lunch `` Hough End Centre, Moulted Road West, Manchester M21 7SX `` Afzal Ansary ASIS FRPS, as above
Scottish Members’ Print Exhibition 2015/16 – Stow
DI Group Scotland SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER / 13:30"16:30
`` £8/£7 group members `` Bridge of Allan Parish Church,
Keir Street, Bridge of Allan FK9 4NW
`` Doug Berndt ARPS, digscotland@rps.org Celebration of Distinctions SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER / 11:00"16:00
`` £10/£8 RPS members `` See this year’s successful panels `` Edinburgh Photographic Society,
68 Gt King Street, Edinburgh EH3 6QU
`` James Frost FRPS, 07881856294 james.frost11@btinternet.com SOUTH EAST TERRY McGHIE ARPS, 01323 492584
SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER / 10:00"17:00
`` £15/£10 group members `` Leatherhead Institute, 67 High Street, Leatherhead KT22 8AH
`` Mike Sasse, 01892 531179, mike.sasse@btinternet.com
Introduction to Distinctions SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER / 10:30" 17:00
`` £15/£10 RPS member `` Cobham, Cobham Village Hall,
Lushington Drive, Cobham KT11 2LU
`` Terry McGhie, as above
WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER " MONDAY 26 OCTOBER
`` The Cloud House, 3 Townfoot,
NORTHERN IRELAND
Distinctions workshop/ Advisory Day
68 Gt King Street, Edinburgh EH3 6QU
`` James Frost FRPS, as above
A&H conference day
SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER / 10:30"16:30
SUNDAY 20 DECEMBER / 10:30"16:30
J.BLACK70(BTINTERNET.COM
feedback on photographic work
`` Edinburgh Photographic Society,
donaldstewart42@aol.com
Victorian photography: a Scottish perspective
`` £16.50 regional members `` Hear from Ian Cartwright and Roy
JANE BLACK ARPS, 0191 252 2870
SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER / 11:00"16:00
`` An opportunity for constructive
SOUTHEAST(RPS.ORG
`` See Historical Group for details
North West Region Christmas lunch
NORTHERN
Photo Forum – Edinburgh
68 Great King St, Edinburgh EH3 6QU
`` Donald Stewart, 01592 840277,
West, Manchester M21 7SX `` Afzal Ansary ASIS FRPS, as above
DAMIAN McDONALD ARPS, 07902 481691
High Street, Dingwall IV15 9RY
`` James Frost FRPS, as above
JAMES.FROST11(BTINTERNET.COM
Queens Road, Llandudno LL30 1TE `` Christine Langford, as above
damianmcdonald@outlook.com
`` Dingwall Camera Club, Eagle House,
An early example of photojournalism, as discussed by Dr Mary Panzer in Edinburgh Image: A Harvest of Death by Timothy O’Sullivan
SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER / 10:00"17:00
`` £20/£15/£10 spectators `` Backworth Hall, Backworth, near
Newcastle, Tyne & Wear NE27 0AH
`` Brian Pearson ARPS, 0191 257
Stow TD1 2NQ `` Ian Oliver LRPS, ian@ianoliverphoto.co.uk
Photo forum – Dingwall SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER / 11:00"16:00
`` £10/£8 Society members `` An opportunity for constructive feedback on photographic work
SOUTH WALES MIKE LEWIS, 07855 309667, 01446 710770 MIKEGLEWIS101(BTINTERNET.COM
Introduction to Distinctions SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER / 10:30"16:00
`` £10 spectators `` View successful panels from
recent Distinctions assessments
`` St Francis Millennium Hall, Porth-yCastell, Barry, Glamorgan CF62 6NX
`` Reception: 01225 325733, distinctions@rps.org SOUTH WEST MARTIN HOWSE ARPS, 01326 221939
5051, brianpearson41@btinternet.com
MGHVKH(BTINTERNET.COM
RPS lecture – Durham PS: Hugh Milsom & Pat Broad – ‘Mainly Landscapes’
Weekend in Falmouth
THURSDAY 5 NOVEMBER / 19:00"21:30
`` Durham PS – St Oswald’s Church
Institute, Church St, Durham DH1 3DQ `` Alan Sharp, 0191 384 153 792 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
FRI 9 OCTOBER"SUN 11 OCTOBER / 14:00"17:00
`` £36/£15/£10 group members `` The Falmouth Hotel, Castle Beach, Falmouth TR11 4NZ
`` Margaret Hocking, 01872 561219, bosrowynek@btinternet.com
| GUIDE | 793
WORKSHOPS
Sands, Morte Point and Rockham Bay
`` Woolacombe Sands, North Devon Printing with Lightroom
Hear from the experts and hone your skills
SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER / 10:00"16:00
How to photograph children and babies
SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER / 10:30"16:00
`` £13/£10 members `` ‘Urban exploration to fine art’ & ‘From iPhonography to photo illustrations’
`` The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road,
Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL `` Linda Wevill FRPS, 01752 873162, linda.wevill@btinternet.com
How to produce a good photobook workshop
Find out more about shooting at night with a specialist workshop on Saturday 14 November Image: Shutterstock
One-day introduction to your digital SLR
SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER / 10:00"17:00
SATURDAY 24 OCTOBER / 10:00"17:00
`` Learn to enhance your images `` £95/£71 members `` Lacock, Wiltshire
SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER / 10:00"17:00 SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER / 10:00"17:00
`` £85/£63 members `` Get more creative with your
Photoshop (two days)
camera and understand its functions
SAT 3 " SUN 4 OCTOBER / 10:00.17:00
Studio portraiture
`` £165/£140 members `` Create, manipulate and edit
SAT 24 " SUN 25 OCTOBER / 10:00"16:30
`` £160/£135 members `` Take great images in a studio `` Lacock, Wiltshire
professional-quality images
`` Wedding photography with Stuart Wood
Wildlife photography
WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER / 10:00"17:00 WEDNESDAY 4 NOVEMBER / 10:00"17:00
SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER / 10:00"16:30
`` £135/£110 members `` For experienced pros and beginners `` Thrumpton, Nottingham
`` £45/£33 members
Women in photography – Magda Rakita
`` £95/£71 members
SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER / 11:15.15:00
`` £15/£10/£8 concessions `` Brian Steptoe FRPS presents a
workshop on producing a photobook and for those preparing for the RPS Photobook Exhibition `` Winchester Discovery Centre, Jerwy Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8SB `` Paul Gilmour LRPS, as above
Suitable for beginners
SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER / 10:00"17:00
SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER / 10:00"17:00
A day with Viveca Koh FRPS
`` £95/£71 members
Introduction to the creative eye SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER / 10:00"16:30
THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER / 15:00"17:00
`` £5/£3 members `` Illustrated talk on a project which
Introduction to business for photographers MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER / 10:00 "16:00
took place in Liberia in 2013 `` Leeds College of Art, West Yorkshire
`` £190/£165 members `` For anyone who has started out in
RPS-sponsored lecture
From shutter to print colour management training
Night shoot
SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER / 14:00"16:00
SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER / 10:00"15:00
SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER / 18:00"22:00
`` £3 non-RPS members, students free `` ‘We are all stories’ by Laura Pannack `` Roland Levinsky Building,
WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER / 10:00 "15:00
`` £35/£26 members `` Bath
Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA `` Martin Howse ARPS, as above
`` £45/£33 members `` Get accurate colour results and create a better colour workflow
Shooting for stock
Product photography
`` £65/£48 members `` Get the most from your images
MONDAY 16 NOVEMBER / 10:30"16:30 MONDAY 12 OCTOBER / 10:30"16:30
A visit to Lukesland Gardens SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER / 10:00"15:00
`` Lukesland Gdns, Ivybridge PL21 0JF `` Linda Wevill FRPS, 01752 873162, linda.wevill@btinternet.com
West Cornwall Group meeting
`` £155/£130 members `` Shoot products for the web or other promotional material
Art nude photography
Lightroom introduction
`` £115/£90 members `` Learn how to light a nude, using
SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER / 10:00"16:30 SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER / 10:00"16:00 SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER / 10:00"16:00
`` Chacewater Village Hall, Church Hill,
`` £95/£71 members `` How to use its organisational,
Chacewater, Truro TR4 8PZ
221939, vivien939@btinternet.com
editing and printing tools
Distinctions Advisory Day
Wedding photography (two days)
SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER / 10:30"16:30
SAT 17 OCT " SUN 18 OCT / 10:00"16:30
`` £20/£15/£10 spectators `` The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9NG `` Martin Howse ARPS, as above
`` South West Region exhibition UNTIL TUESDAY 29 DECEMBER
`` R D & E Hospital, Barrack Road, Exeter EX2 5DW
with the potential to sell them via image libraries and other suppliers
`` Colerne near Bath
TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER / 19:30"21:30
`` Vivien Howse ARPS, 01326
business or is aspiring to do so
SAT 5 DEC " SUN 6 DEC / 10:00"16:30
`` £160/£135 members `` Lacock, Wiltshire Coastal landscapes SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER / 11:00"18:00
`` £95/£71 members `` The magnificent Woolacombe
techniques also suitable for pregnancy/maternity photography `` Lacock, Wiltshire
Women in photography – Bradford SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER / 10:30"16:30
`` £20/£15 members `` Talk on photographers known for
iconic images of women before and during the ‘age of glamour’ `` National Media Museum, Bradford
`` Create your own photobook SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER / 10:00"17:00
`` £85/£63 members VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 793
794 | GUIDE | `` Martin Howse ARPS, mghvkv@ btinternet.com, 01329221939 SOUTHERN
Close, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 3DA `` Laurie Pate, digthamesvalley@rps.org
PAUL GILMOUR LRPS SOUTHERN(RPS.ORG
WESTERN TONY COOPER ARPS, 01225 421097
DI Group Southern: ‘Visual Alchemy’ lecture by Rikki O’Neill FRPS SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER / 10:30"16:00
`` £12/£7 group members `` Rikki O’Neill’s personal and creative approach to picture making
`` Greyfriars Community Centre, 44
Christchurch Rd, Ringwood BH24 1DW
`` Barry Senior HonFRPS, 01425 471489, digsouthern@rps.org
DI Group Southern Centre: the RPS Distinctions on display SUNDAY 6 DECEMBER / 10:30"16:00
`` £7/£5 group members `` Greyfriars Community Centre, 44
Christchurch Rd, Ringwood BH24 1DW
`` Barry Senior HonFRPS, 01425 471489 digsouthern@rps.org
Ice Tracks Expeditions talk WEDNESDAY 4 NOVEMBER / 19:00.21:00
`` £8/£5 `` A talk from Ice Tracks Expeditions
(www.ice-tracks.com), which specialises in tailor-made voyages to polar regions, about the challenges this brings to the photographer `` The Assembly Room, Council House, North Street, Chichester PO19 1LQ `` Contact Paul Gilmour LRPS, as above THAMES VALLEY MARK BUCKLEY,SHARP ARPS, 020 8907 5874 MARK.BUCKLEY,SHARP(TISCALI.CO.UK
DIG Thames Valley: Leigh Preston FRPS – hallmarks and performances
`` Chatsworth House, Chatsworth,
Cup Competition for prints
`` Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview
GO TO
RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1PP
`` Mary Crowther, as above
Women in photography – Magda Rakita THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER / 15:00"17:00
`` £5/£3 RPS members `` An illustrated talk on a project which
TONY(PHOTOSCOOP.CO.UK
LRPS & ARPS Distinctions Advisory Day
took place in Liberia in 2013
`` Leeds College of Art, Blenheim Walk, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS2 9AQ
SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER / 10:00"16:30
`` £20/£15/£10 spectators `` RPS HQ, Fenton House,
`` Reception, 01225 325773 reception@rps.org
122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH `` Gordon James FRPS, 07890 016956, gjphotomail@gmail.com
Laura’s northern gig FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER / 19:00"22:00
`` £10/£7 `` Photographer Laura Pannack
Members’ meeting, Bath
gives a presentation and talk on her award-winning work `` University of Huddersfield, Queen’s Gate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH `` Robert Helliwell, 07802 413570 bobhelliwell@clara.co.uk
SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER / 10:00"13:00
`` £2 `` Presentation of LRPS, ARPS and FRPS panels
`` RPS HQ, Fenton House,
122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH
`` Tony Cooper ARPS, as above
Cine basics workshop
Members’ meeting, Ilton
FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER / 16:30"13:00
`` £45/£5 spectators `` Three three-hour sessions over
SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER / 10:00"13:00
`` £5 `` General members’ meeting `` Merryfield Hall, Copse Lane,
a weekend, with John Tarby
`` York, Goodramgate, York YO1 7LG `` Robert Helliwell, 07802 413570
Ilton TA19 9HG
`` Mick Humphries LRPS, 01823
bobhelliwell@clara.co.uk
443955, mick@somersite.co.uk
Licentiate Distinctions Advisory Day
Members’ meeting, Highnam SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER / 10:00"13:00
SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER / 10:30"16:30
`` £5 `` Non-members welcome `` Parish Rooms, Highnam Community
`` £20/£15/£10 RPS members `` Joint day with Wakefield Camera Club. `` New Brookhouse Club, 221 Barnsley
`` Bob Train, 01452 521424,
`` Robert Helliwell, 07802 413570
DI Group Western: Jeff Morgan – ways to use Elements
Women in photography – Bradford
Centre, Newent Road, Highnam GL2 8DG
Road, Sandal, Wakefield WF1 5NU
bobtrain@tiscali.co.uk
bobhelliwell@clara.co.uk
SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER / 10:00"15:30
SUNDAY 13 DECEMBER / 10:00"16:00
SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER / 10:30"16:30
`` £12/£8 `` Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview
`` £8/£7/£5 group members `` Merryfield Village Hall, Ilton,
`` £20/£15 RPS members `` Talk on photographers known for
`` Laurie Pate, digthamesvalley@rps.org
`` Dennis Knowles,
Close, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 3DA
Members’ exhibition and joint meeting with Visual Art SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER / 10:00"16:00
`` £7 `` Drake Hall, Community Centre,
near Taunton TA199HG
dennisknowles123@btinternet.com
Western Region members’ Christmas party in Bath SUNDAY 13 DECEMBER / 10:00"13:00
`` Mark Buckley-Sharp ARPS, as above
Chiltern Avenue, Amersham HP6 5AH
`` £2 `` Members’ Christmas party and prints `` RPS HQ, Fenton House,
Regional AGM
`` Tony Cooper ARPS, as above
122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH
SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER / 16:00"16:30
`` Drake Hall, Community Centre,
YORKSHIRE
Chiltern Avenue, Amersham HP6 5AH `` Mark Buckley-Sharp ARPS, as above
MARY CROWTHER ARPS, 07921 237962
DIG Thames Valley: print competition and presentations
Beyond Limits sculpture
SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER / 10:00"15:30
`` £12/£8 group members `` Review, your say, and Millennium
PHOTOBOX50(GMAIL.COM
SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER / 11:00"16:30
`` £15 `` Beyond Limits sculpture exhibition in the Gardens of Chatsworth
794 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
Hear from Magda Rakita in Leeds on 8 October as she discusses her project ‘God Made Woman, Then He Jerked’
iconic images of women before and during the age of glamour, and the relationship they had with their sitters `` National Media Museum, Bradford BD1 1NQ `` reception, 01225 325733, reception@rps.org
| GUIDE | 795
OVERSEAS CHAPTERS
Royal Photographic Society members around the world
Kathryn Scorah and Colin Southgate FRPS will be talking to the Creative Group Image: The Pink Bag by Colin Southgate FRPS
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
Explore more about aspects of photography and imaging ANALOGUE DAVID HEALEY ARPS, 07968 746211
`` University of Wolverhampton,
Wulfruna St, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY
`` Stephen Godfrey, 07812 605837, analogue@rps.org
ARCHAEOLOGY AND HERITAGE RODNEY BERNARD THRING LRPS, 01276 20725 RODNEY.THRING(NTLWORLD.COM
A&H conference day SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER / 10:00"17:00
`` £15/£10 group members `` Presentations on a range of
archaeology and heritage topics
ANALOGUE(RPS.ORG
`` Leatherhead Institute, 67 High
Autumnal photography field meeting
`` Mike Sasse, 01892 531179,
Street, Leatherhead KT22 8AH
mike.sasse@btinternet.com
SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER / 10:00"16:00
`` Joint with the North West region `` Blea Tarn National Trust Car Park `` Nina Agnew, 07811 403125,
AUDIO VISUAL
`` AUSTRALIA Elaine Herbert ARPS, eherbert@ alphalink.com.au `` BENELUX Richard Sylvester richard.sylvester@ skynet.be `` CANADA John Bradford, jb.rps@cogeco.ca `` CHINA BEIJING Yan Li, yanli88@yahoo.com `` CHINA CHONGQING `` CHINA WESTERN Wei Han (Richard), oolongcha@ hotmail.com `` CHINA SHANGTUF Guo Jing, shangtuf@ yahoo.com.cn `` CHINA QUANZHOU 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, info@rps-italy.org `` 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
HOWARD BAGSHAW ARPS 01889 881503 HOWARD.BAGSHAW(NTLWORLD.COM
ninaagnew@yahoo.co.uk
Analogue exhibition competition
CONTEMPORARY PETER ELLIS LRPS, 07770 837977 WORDSNPICSLTD(GMAIL.COM
UNTIL FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER
`` An exhibition of members’ prints
CREATIVE
For entry form see group website `` Royal Photographic Society, Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA23AH `` Afzal Ansary ASIS FRPS, 01225 325733, Afzalansary@aol.com
Kathryn Scorah and Colin Southgate FRPS
Masterclass darkroom split-grade printing day
`` £14/£11/£8 group/region members `` A day of talks, run jointly by the
BARRY COLLIN LRPS CREATIVECHAIR(RPS.ORG
SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER / 10:30"16:30
SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER / 10:00"16.00
`` £30/£25 group members `` Gain an insight into the ‘Print map’ workflow and how it works with the split-grade printing technique
Creative Group and East Anglia Region `` Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton CB22 6RN `` Dave Jordan FRPS, daveandjoanjordan@yahoo.co.uk
Presentation by Christian Nilson of his street photography SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER
`` Details to come `` Zurich `` Jill Taylor, jilltaylor16@sunrise.ch
VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 795
796 | GUIDE |
COUNCIL REPORT ! JULY 2015 The Society’s departmental managers provided written reports of day-to-day matters in advance of the meeting, allowing Council to give great consideration to more strategic issues. MATTERS ARISING `` Geoff Blackwell had asked Janet Haines for an update on the DIGExpo by the end of July. Derek Birch had opened the Members’ Biennial exhibition in the Northern Region with help from Jane Black and had raised the matter of succession with her. `` Society Finance. Geoff Blackwell reported the Society’s cash position was satisfactory. Membership income continued to be lower than budgeted and the half-year accounts would be discussed at the August meeting. SOCIETY PREMISES
`` Robert Albright said that the Society should consider a separate exhibition space as an option. Geoff Blackwell would look at the financials of leasing an exhibition space.
MEMBERSHIP `` Membership stood at 11,204. STRATEGY AND MARKETING
`` Derek Birch reviewed the strategy
and marketing meeting of the previous day. Robert Albright considered the Society was missing online opportunities and that the current model based around physical meetings was increasingly outmoded. There were lessons to be learnt from the use of social and online media from the Bleeding London project. Vanessa Slawson felt surveying members regularly would be beneficial.
GROUPS/REGIONS/ OVERSEAS CHAPTERS `` Council approved a request for the formation of a Chapter in Dubai with Mohammed Arfan Asif as Chapter Organiser. It approved the appointment of Michael Chong ARPS as Malaysia Chapter Organiser, replacing Nick Ng who was stepping down. GROUPS
`` The formation of a Landscape Group
was approved. John Laws reported there had been limited interest to date in a potential Dynamic Imaging Group.
agenda for the RO Day was discussed and agreed. REGIONS AND CHAPTERS
`` Richard Tucker reported the
twinning of Regions and Chapters was developing. He felt there was an opportunity to encourage overseas members in countries without a Chapter to join an existing Chapter. He would progress this. AWARDS
`` Preliminary notes on plans for the
Awards ceremony in September were provided by Jo Macdonald, Awards Manager. Robert Albright questioned whether the ceremony needed to be held annually and whether it could be combined with an annual dinner. Council discussed the suggestion but noted that there was no need for an immediate decision as it had sponsorship for the 2016 ceremony. DOCUMENTATION
`` The Society’s management
procedures would be reviewed in August. Vanessa Slawson had noted a number of inaccuracies, typos and cross-referencing errors from the last major revision in 2011. Rosemary Wilman would be asked to review the current documents and highlight discrepancies.
STAFF AND MANAGEMENT `` A detailed memo to Council provided by the Director-General on several items included a report on repair, redecoration and safety inspection at Fenton House. Robert Albright noted the loss of a number of corporate patrons and supporters. DISTINCTIONS
`` Council noted details of recent
matters raised about the Fellowship processes and an extended discussion took place with information provided by Roy Robertson, chair of the Fellowship Board. It considered the wider processes around Fellowship assessment, the roles of the specialist panel, the Fellowship Board and moderators. REPORT
The creation of a Landscape Group has been approved Image: Shutterstock
even at Licentiate, for several years. It should take the opportunity to show more wedding images in Society literature and on the website to encourage submissions. EXHIBITIONS
`` The Director-General reported that
Ray Spence had resigned as Science Exhibition coordinator His appointed replacement, Gary Evans, will start on 3 August. In the meantime he would be maintaining continuity and the relationship with Siemens.
EDUCATION, WORKSHOPS AND TRADE SHOWS `` David Cooke provided an update on the Open University course – 74 people had registered for the October presentation and four for March 2016. EXEMPTION SCHEME
`` The exemption scheme with the
Scuola Romana di Fotografia in Rome was working well and there had been four Associates and eight Licentiates from the latest graduating cohort. The current agreement was due to end in 2015 and he proposed it be continued on the same basis for a further three years, which Council approved. ONLINE COURSES
`` Geoff Blackwell proposed and
Council approved spending £500 on an online courses scoping study. 2016 PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW
`` The Director-General reported that a new partnership agreement had been signed with Future Publishing for the 2016 Photography Show. RPS JOURNAL
`` Council welcomed Andy Moore’s
REGIONAL ORGANISERS
report, in particular the progress regarding support for overseas Distinctions applicants.
`` Andrew Catternach was now acting
been no response to the call for a new Southern Region Organiser and she would pursue other options. The
WEDDING IMAGES `` Vanessa Slawson noted that no wedding portfolios had been seen,
`` Derek Birch reported that the next
`` Vanessa Slawson noted there had
796 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
editor of The RPS Journal due to Clare Harris’s departure on maternity leave. NATIONAL MEDIA MUSEUM
joint RPS/NMeM meeting would take place on 8 September in Bradford.
| GUIDE | 797 DIGITAL IMAGING DENNIS KNOWLES
`` The Canvas Cafe,42 Hanbury Street, London E15JL
DENNISKNOWLES123(BTINTERNET.COM
`` David Cantor, DPotY@rps.org
DIG Thames Valley: Leigh Preston FRPS – hallmarks and performances
Documentary Group: Documentary Photographer of the Year exhibition
SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER / 10:00"15:30
SUNDAY 1 " MONDAY 2 NOVEMBER/10.00"17:00
`` £12/£8 group members `` Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview
`` The Rag Factory `` 16-18 Heneage Street, London E1 5LJ `` Mo Connelly LRPS, as above
Close, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 3DA
`` Laurie Pate, digthamesvalley@rps.org DI Group Southern: ‘Visual Alchemy’ lecture by Rikki O’Neill FRPS SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER / 10:30"16:00
`` £12/£7 group members `` Ringwood, Greyfriars Community Centre, 44 Christchurch Road, Ringwood BH24 1DW `` Barry Senior HonFRPS, 01425 471489, digsouthern@rps.org
DI Group Scotland: November 2015 meeting SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER / 13:30"16:30
`` £8/£7 group members `` Bridge of Allan Parish Church,
Keir Street, Bridge of Allan FK9 4NW
`` Doug Berndt ARPS, digscotland@rps.org
DIG Thames Valley: November event SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER / 10:00"15:30
`` £12/£8 group members `` Review, your say, and Millennium
Cup Competition for prints `` Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview Close, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 3DA `` Laurie Pate, digthamesvalley@rps.org
DI Group Southern: the RPS Distinctions on display SUNDAY 6 DECEMBER / 10:30"16:00
`` £7/£5 group members `` Ringwood, Greyfriars Community
Centre, 44 Christchurch Road, Ringwood BH24 1DW `` Barry Senior HonFRPS, 01425 471489, digsouthern@rps.org
HISTORICAL JENNIFER FORD ARPS, 01234 881459 JENNYFORD2000(YAHOO.CO.UK
Invention of Photojournalism: Brady, Gardner and the American Civil War FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER / 19:30"21:30
`` £10/£8/free to group/EPS members `` Mary Panzer PhD on the birth of modern photojournalism `` Edinburgh Photographic Society, 68 Great King Street, Edinburgh EH3 6QU `` Donald Stewart, 01592 840277, donaldstewart42@aol.com
SUNDAY 13 DECEMBER / 10:00"16:00
`` Merryfield Village Hall, Ilton, near Taunton TA199HG
`` Dennis Knowles,
dennisknowles123@btinternet.com DOCUMENTARY
AFZALANSARY(AOL.COM
properties, principles and developments
`` The Royal College of Physicians,
11 St Andrews Place, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4LE `` Jo Macdonald, 01225 325721, jo@rps.org
curator of the National Museum of Scotland exhibition `` National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LF `` Donald Stewart, 01592 840277, donaldstewart42@aol.com
NATURE RICHARD REVELS FRPS, 01767 313065 RICHARD.REVELS(TALKTALK.NET
Victorian photography: a Scottish perspective
RPS Nature Group: chairman’s day 2015
SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER / 10:30"16:30
SATURDAY 24 OCTOBER / 10:30"16:00
`` Our panel discuss the pioneers of
`` £12 `` Smethwick Photographic Society
early Scottish photography and their influence in Scotland and beyond `` National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF `` Donald Stewart, 01592 840277, donaldstewart42@aol.com
Visit to Cooke Optics Ltd `` £5 RPS members `` A visit to the factory which has a
history of lens making back to 1886 `` Cooke Close, Thurmaston, Leicester LE4 8PT `` Geoff Blackwell, 0114 266 8655, gblackwell@fastmail.fm IMAGING SCIENCE DR TONY KAYE ASIS FRPS, 020 8420 6557 TONYKAYE(HOTMAIL.CO.UK
`` £70/£65/£60 group members
MEDICAL DR AFZAL ANSARY ASIS FRPS, 07970 403672
TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER / 18:45"21:00
`` £5/free for group members `` Tour led by Alison Morrison-Low,
DVJ(RPS.ORG
SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER / 10:00"17:00
member@christianson.freeserve.co.uk
`` £5 `` Optical coherence tomography: basic
FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER / 14:00"16:00
MO CONNELLY LRPS, 01590 641849
Documentary Group: social documentary photography workshop – the mystique of making better photographs
Regent Street, London W1B 2HW
`` Mike Christianson, 01753 890 480,
Combined Royal Colleges Lecture 2015
Curator-led tour: Photography – A Victorian Sensation
TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER
DI Group Western: Jeff Morgan – ways to use Elements
View award-winning panels from the Documentary Photographer of the Year exhibition Image by Mark Phillips ARPS
Good Picture 2015: Imaging Illuminated SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER / 10:00"16:00
`` £70/£39 concessions `` Latest annual symposium in series `` University of Westminster, 309
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 last-minute 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
Clubrooms, The Old Schoolhouse, Churchbridge, Oldbury B69 2AS `` Richard Revels FRPS, as above
Distinctions Advisory Day with a focus on natural history SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER / 10:00"16:00
`` £20/£15/£8 spectators `` Smethwick Photographic Society,
Churchbridge, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 2AS `` Richard Revels FRPS, as above TRAVEL KEITH POINTON LRPS, 01588 640592 BAGPOINT(AOL.COM
Weekend in Falmouth 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
VOL 155 / OCTOBER 2015 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 797
798 | GUIDE | Japan – cherry blossom tour WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH " THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2016
`` £3,020 per person excluding
RPS Members’ Biennial Print Exhibition FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER " FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER
flights and single supplement `` Includes ancient and modern Japan, national parks and riding the ‘bullet train’ `` Aline Hopkins, alinehopkins@ btinternet.com
`` Hull International Photography Festival `` www.hipphotofest.com
Cambodia overland photo tour – May 2016
`` The Old Truman Brewery, F Block G4,
International Print Exhibition 158 – London opening reception THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER / 18.00"21.00
SATURDAY 21 MAY " THURSDAY 2 JUNE 2016
Cambodia overland photo tour – November 2016
Ely’s Yard, 15 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QR
International Print Exhibition 158
SATURDAY 12 " THURSDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2016
FRIDAY 9 TO TUESDAY 13 OCTOBER / 10.00"18.00
`` £950 group members `` Highlights include Phnom Penh, the
`` Challenge your ideas and capture
temples of Angkor and Tonle Sap lake
`` Phnom Penh, Cambodia `` Keith Pointon, as above
your imagination `` The Old Truman Brewery, F Block G4, Ely’s Yard, 15 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QR
Enjoy learning of the inspirations and techniques of Nicki Gwynn-Jones FRPS with the Visual Art group Image: Blue Riff 6 by Nicki Gwynn-Jones FRPS
70th Hong Kong International Salon of Photography 2015 CLOSING DATE: 4 NOVEMBER 2015
`` www.pshk-photo.org.hk `` Ref: 2015/54 41st Smethwick International CLOSING DATE: 9 NOVEMBER 2015
VIVECA KOH FRPS, 07956 517524
Visit the 2015 Members’ Biennial Exhibition: Barnsley
VIVECA.KOH(GMAIL.COM
FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER " FRIDAY 15 JANUARY 2016
VISUAL ART
Visual Art Group autumn weekend in Worcestershire FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER " MONDAY 12 OCTOBER
`` £220 group members `` Bank House Hotel, Bransford, Worcestershire WR6 5JD
`` David J Wood ARPS, 020 3105 0548, wood.david.j@virgin.net
A day with Viveca Koh FRPS SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER / 10:30"16:00
`` £13/£10 RPS members `` Two lectures on the day `` The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road,
Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL `` Linda Wevill FRPS, 01752 873162, linda.wevill@btinternet.com
Thames Valley members’ exhibition and joint meeting with Visual Art
EXHIBITIONS LESLEY GOODE, EXHIBITIONS MANAGER 01225 325720, LESLEY(RPS.ORG
photowinner
`` Ref: 2015/62 Cross Continental Circuit Salon Germany
CLOSING DATE: 4 OCTOBER 2015
CLOSING DATE: 29 NOVEMBER 2015
`` www.gpc-hk.org `` Ref: 2015/51
`` www.ccc-photo.de `` Ref: 2015/59
The 2nd GPC International Salon of Nature Digital Projected Images
Cross Continental Circuit Salon USA (Oklahoma Camera Club)
PSSL 60th International Competition and Exhibition of Photography
will talk about her fabulous birds and semi-abstract landscapes, explaining both her inspirations and her techniques and inviting discussion along the way `` The Village Hall, Main Street, Long Compton CV36 5JS `` Andreas Klatt ARPS, rpsva@klatt.co.uk
CLOSING DATE: 21 NOVEMBER 2015
`` www.pca-exhibition.com/
The 2nd GPC International Salon of Monochrome Digital Projected Images
`` Mark Buckley-Sharp ARPS, 020 8907
SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER / 10:30"16:00
Photo Winner 2015
The following salons/exhibitions have RPS-approved patronage:
CLOSING DATE: 4 OCTOBER 2015
`` £13 `` In a day of two halves Gwynn-Jones
CLOSING DATE: 10 NOVEMBER 2015
`` www.frenchdigitaltour.com `` Ref: 2015/36 – 39
PATRONAGE
`` www.gpc-hk.org `` Ref: 2015/51
A day with Nicki Gwynn-Jones FRPS
10° French Digital Tour – Salon Legé/Salon St.-Aignan/ Salon St.-Martin/Salon Bagnols
photographic work created by RPS members around the world `` The Civic, Hanson Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2HZ
SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER / 10:00"16:00
5874, mark.buckley-sharp@tiscali.co.uk
SPS-International-2015.html
`` Ref: 2015/59
`` Showcasing the variety of
`` £7 `` Drake Hall, Community Centre,
Chiltern Avenue, Amersham HP6 5AH
`` www.smethwickphotographic.co.uk/
CLOSING DATE: 29 NOVEMBER 2015
`` www.ccc-photo.de `` Ref: 2015/61 Cross Continental Circuit Salon Indonesia
CLOSING DATE: 10 OCTOBER 2015
CLOSING DATE 29 NOVEMBER 2015
`` www.pssl.lk `` Ref: 2015/50
`` www.ccc-photo.de `` Ref: 2015/60
Trains
3rd Cork International Salon of Photography
CLOSING DATE: 20 OCTOBER 2015
`` photoclubkragujevac.com/trains `` Ref: 2015/63
CLOSING DATE: 1 DECEMBER 2015
`` www.corkcameragroup.net `` Ref: 2015/57
3rd Negeri Sembilan International Salon of Photography 2015
Khayyam International Exhibition of Photography 2015
CLOSING DATE: 1 NOVEMBER 2015
`` www.psns.org.my `` Ref: 2015/56 5th Salon of Photography Cakovec 2015 CLOSING DATE: 1 NOVEMBER 2015
`` salon-cakovec.fotografija.hr `` Ref: 2015/53
798 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
CLOSING DATE: 6 DECEMBER 2015
GO TO
RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES
`` www.khayyamexhibition.com `` Ref: 2015/58 Global Arctic Awards CLOSING DATE: 15 DECEMBER 2015
`` www.arcticawards.ru `` Ref: 2015/49
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THE SOCIETY’S COLLECTION 800 | TIMES PAST | FROM
Victorian values
John Mayall’s portrait of The Royal Photographic Society’s patrons, 1860 800 / THE RPS JOURNAL / OCTOBER 2015 / VOL 155
E
ver since they were first presented in December 1866, the Society’s medals have featured a portrait of the organisation’s late patron, Prince Albert, pictured here with his wife and fellow patron Queen Victoria. This portrait of the famous couple is one of several photographs John Mayall took of the royal family in 1860. Mayall was given permission to sell the images, which he made available to the public as an album. The collection was an instant success and Mayall sold hundreds of thousands. It was at around this time that carte-de-visite portraits were becoming popular in Britain. An individual would have their likeness captured at a photography studio, circulating small prints called carte de visite among their family and friends. These images were often collected in albums. In response to this trend, in 1861, Mayall took another series of photographs of the royal family that he sold as carte-de-visite portraits and, like the album, these were a huge success. But one event would make Prince Albert’s likeness soar in popularity. In December that year, Prince Albert died suddenly of typhoid, his death rendering his portrait more collectable. Thousands were sold, making Mayall a fortune. The success of these royal portraits led to a new trend in photography. Carte-de-visite portraits of individuals we would now term celebrities became widely available. Collectors could buy images of authors, performers and politicians that they could keep in albums next to those of their family and friends. The collection would represent the tastes and opinions of the owner, much as one’s Pinterest account would today.
ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY COLLECTION/NATIONAL MEDIA MUSEUM
This photograph of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert is from a series that earned the image maker a considerable income
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