100 and counting - A look back at the first 99 issues of DIGIT

100 and counting

A look back at the first 99 issues of DIGIT

The history of DIG, DIGIT and members

A look back at our DIG history felt like the right thing to do for our celebratory DIGIT 100. Fortunately with our entire collection from DIGIT 1 to 99 online, everything that was needed was at my finger tips. It felt like a daunting task to go through 99 DIGIT issues picking out the highlights, but the truth is I have loved every minute and hour of it. What a fascinating read it has been. You see the trends we have gone through. The members we have loved, and in some cases lost. It reminds us of just how far and fast digital photography has moved, from being the new and somewhat scorned at, new kid on the block back in 1996, to being a highly successful mainstream special interest group that we are today. Come with me on the journey – or better still read them for yourself at rps. org/di/digit-archive.

Janet Haines Chair - Digital Imaging Group

April 2024

Issue 01

Summer 1996

Adrian Davies FBIPPA ARPS

– Senior Lecturer in Digital Photography at NESCOT.

“The Digital Imaging Group has been formed, to help disseminate information throughout the RPS, and not to become a clique within it. I sincerely hope that its success will be measured by the disbanding of the group, its job done when all areas of the Society have seen the potential of the technology.”

But we are still here today – we are mainstream now but we have maintained the original concept of learning from one another as we progress our skills.

This will undoubtedly make you smile ….. the requirements back in 1996.

Issue 02

Spring 1997

Photoshop 4 Arrives. Adobe seem to always stay ahead of the game ….. and still holds the high ground.

Jack Casement ARPS said “The dreaded letter lay on the mat without the ‘A’ crossed out and replaced with a ‘F’….. hopefully it won’t be a repeat of last time when some members of the panel admitted that they knew nothing about DI and abstained from voting”

Original in colour.

Issue 03

Summer 1997

Sir George Pollock Hon FRPS is debating how manipulated or altered images can be judged alongside straight work. His comment rings true today as we enter a period of AI created worked – “It would seem a pity to ban such efforts from photographic exhibitions altogether, but how and where can we draw the line?”

Within the publication there is a

second article from John Riley LRPS offering his suggestions on what might be acceptable. It even discusses using images which are not the authors own work. Having more or less resolved such issues with digital images as we know them today it is interesting to realise that the AI debate is now raising precisely the same questions, so will we in about 10 years be totally accepting of AI and then facing the next challenge to our known norm.

Issue 04

Autumn 1997

Barry Colquhoun ARPS was telling everyone of the excitement of digital and how this will revolutionise the world of photography. “Simply the greatest thing to have happened to artistic expression since cave drawing!!”

Barry produced the first ARPS awarded to a panel produced entirely by digital means.

Issue 05

January 1998

In issue 04 there was an appeal for the creation of the first DIG logo. In 05 we got to see it, albeit not in colour as designed. One of our DI Trophies still proudly sports this logo today.

Issue 06

May 1998

Images from John Long ARPS are displayed with interesting text telling us how it was shot, what with and how they had been processed. Including the first reference to layers in Photoshop 4. DIGIT was still being produced in mono so the pleasure of seeing the originals in colour were diminished.

An image from Barry’s ARPS panel – the original was in colour.

Issue 07

October 1998

DIGIT goes coloured. Obviously digitally applied frames had also become the latest trend as they prolificated. This issue was obviously considered a colour supplement of the Members Exhibition 1998 and the editor really went to town. Members were showing various techniques that were now emerging – there was hardly a straight image to be seen. Whilst we might consider them crude by today’s standards

they nevertheless show what was possible and with evidence of techniques we still might use today.

Issue 08

January 1999

A mix of mono and colour pages for this issue of DIGIT but with more interesting articles.

Extracts from an article from Barrie Thomas FRPS MFIAP who was the instigator of the DIG and a leading light to whom everyone turned in the early days of digital.

Barry Colquhoun FRPS images were displayed in colour; his being the first 100% digital RPS Fellowship panel.

Issue 09

June 1999

Reference is made to an online forum where obviously there was a lively discussion reported in DIGIT about printers, papers. Our first overseas member appears to be Anthony Healey ARPS AFIAP (Australia) appealing for DIGIT to

provide information that he could learn from. Anthony (Tony) is still a member today and contributed to issue 95 showing us how Gigapixel AI could help in recovering old images. Tony appears throughout the DIGIT archive and obviously keeps right up to date with developments to this day.

Issue10

September 1999

Another Members Exhibition catalogue with slightly more tamed down frames around each image and in colour. More examples of highly manipulated images and few straight works. Some would still stand the test of time today. The one which caught my eye was from John Gray ARPS.

The committee list also is very interesting as there are names there of DI members still with us today and some fond memories of those who no longer walk this earth.

Issue 11

March 2000

Digital submissions for the Licentiate Distinction had been agreed in principle and trials were now underway to determine the guidelines.

And on the progress of digital one eminent scholar writes – ‘Nothing stays the same. These innovations coming to fruition are being improved upon even as you read this. It is no longer a question of whether digital methods can match conventional – it is how far then can evolve and how quickly’.

By now members were really starting to play with the idea that they could create images – fantasy work was being discussed and working with layers written up.

Issue 12

June 2000

Issue 13

September 2000

Members exhibition images. Again, some mixing fantasy with reality.

Issue 14

January 2001

Edward Bowman FRPS contributed…..

Members work was becoming more and more creative.

Issue 15

June 2001

Some longer standing members will remember the very popular meetings at Rugby….

By now DIG was the largest Special Interest Group in the RPS with over 800 members. Dr Barry Senior ARPS was the Chair person and the DIGIT Editor was Bill Henley LRPS.

Issue 16

November 2001

This issue featured the Members Exhibition images. What is striking, looking at these now, is the mix of straight photography v ‘twiddled ‘n

diddled’ – as more RPS members took to digital we were seeing a higher proportion of straight photography gaining traction within the group. However there was still lots of experimentation with digital being used in creative ways.

And in DIGIT 16 I found a bit of nostalgia for those who fondly remember the RPS Octagon. Opened before digital, but such a super space in the middle of Bath. Great gallery and a coffee shop too. The RPS ‘window to the world’ with the public able to pop in and enjoy members work.

Issue 17

February 2022

Image storage was a hot topic. Compared to now this makes one smile.

This is the first comment noting a filter that really became a big favourite with the fiddler ‘n diddlers – buZZ.

Issue 18 July 2002

Members Exhibition issue - We are starting to see digital processing getting a little more sophisticated and used to produce some beautiful work. Image making that would stand the test of time today.

Issue 19

November 2002

DIG were setting up their first web site. They were debating what it could contain and the parameters. This was the instruction to members about uploading images.

It goes on to say that those ‘on the new broadband services have the capacity to enjoy the new

larger files, processor intensive applications’.

This insert from the much loved hard working committee member John Long ARPS…..what a workload this must have been.

There was no resisting showing you some of the surreal work from one of our members around this time.

Issue 20

March 2003

We read in this publication how a ‘booklet’ had been put together about Photoshop – no online tutorials in 2003!

Issue 21

June 2003

Yet another Members Exhibition. It was very evident that the group at this time liked having exhibitions to enable everyone to share their digital creations. We see many using creative techniques but ‘straight’ work is now showing up as more traditional photographers are obviously taking up digital and deserting their darkrooms or slides, but possibly giving their image a little twist of a fancy border.

Issue 22

December 2003

The Society was 150 years old and to celebrate DIG held a competition at their ‘Spectacular’ with a tempting prize.

Issue 23

March 2004

This was the first instance we found any reference to colour management.

Issue 24

Exhibition 2004

This was the first time I spotted work from this particular member. She was such an inspiration for me. I’d look at her work and then try to work out how she had achieved it , then try to replicate similar for myself.

Issue 25

Autumn 2004

Frames and borders were in vogue at the time.

Issue 26

Spring 2005

The then DIG Chairman Dr Barry Senior gained his Fellowship with what would still today be consider a superb panel of images.

Issue 27

Summer 2005

This member pops up for the first time. He produced his cartoon style imagery by shooting the scenes he created on his dining room table. Rumour had it that he took this area over as his studio and it was many months till they could eat at the table again.

Issue 28

Autumn 2005

There is an article about shooting in RAW. File sizes are getting bigger and storage a bigger problem, especially when travelling. With 160GB computer hard drives forcing members to save work on DVDs.

Issue 29

Winter 2005

Nick Sparks LRPS was another member to watch and learn from. Having completed and Art and Design Foundation course he turned his very imaginative mind to work in photography. Nick didn’t mind sharing his ‘how I did this’ information from which we could all learn.

Issue 30

Spring 2006

Ironically here we were learning from Bob Moore Hon FRPS about Digital Pseudo Litho printing. He refers to ‘how to do it’ in the article but finally states…….

Issue 31

Summer 2006

Production was improving significantly by this time and a ‘new look’ was emerging for DIGIT.

Issue 32

Autumn 2006

It was a sad day for the group when two of the original members and inspirational teachers both passed away in quick succession…….

Issue 33

Winter 2006

We spoke to one of the earlier editors if DIGIT, Jim Buckley LRPS, to find out a little more about how it was produced. Then going

through this issue we found what he had told us had been printed in DIGIT 33….

Issue 34

Spring 2007

HDR – High Dynamic range seems to get it’s first airing. John Miles LRPS summed it up…..

Issue 35

Summer 2007

Was recording the AGM and recording the success of members Distinctions.

Issue 36

Autumn 2007

Paul Davies achieved her ARPS in 2006 and by adding a few more images to the panel gained her FRPS too. In 2007 that was quite acceptable to do under Distinction Rules.

Shooting macro of man-made and natural objects Paula found some great paint and rust on corrugated metal, and a successful formula for her panel. To this day it is one of my personal favourite Fellowship panels.

Issue 37

Spring 2008

Colour popping started to become something to play with. Glenys Taylor ARPS provides us with a rather interesting creation in case you don’t know what it is as we seldom see it now.

Issue 38

Summer 2008

Oh boy were we ever loving our DSLR cameras by then. We talked about lenses and staggered around with bags full of gear.

Issue 39

Autumn 2008

Dr Peter Gawthorpe treated us to some stunning spherical image making which he produced for a successful ARPS panel.

Issue 40

Winter 2008

We get the first member writing about his experience with the new Adobe Lightroom software.

Issue 41

Spring 2009

Things were really coming on in leaps and bounds. Computers were getting faster and software more user friendly. We are starting to make Photo Books as a way to get images off the hard drives and more easily shared with family and friends.

Issue 42

Summer 2009

More AGM reports and lots of names of well-known members many of whom are still members today.

Issue 43

Autumn 2009

Martin Addison FRPS was using Coral Painter software and producing the most beautiful painterly images.

In the same issue Graham Whistler FRPS looked at Nikon’s first full frame FX Camera. Now digital was becoming really serious.

Issue 44

Winter 2009/10

Topaz Simplifier was featured – Topaz has since gone on to produce a wide variety of photo software.

Issue 45

Spring 2010

The first DIG Projected Image comp was launched. We still run this in one form or another to this day.

Issue 46

Summer 2010

‘Portrait Professional 9’ software was reviewed by Clive Haynes FRPS. It supported 64-bit and the various file formats that were now in use.

Issue 47

Autumn 2010

The results of the Projected Image competition were reproduced and it is fascinating to see how we were

using the various plug in softwares. Fractalius was fun, albeit now perhaps looks ‘of it’s time’.

Issue 48

Winter 2010/11

Steve Le Provost came to the fore and showed us all how to use Photoshop to create truly beautiful photographic art.

DIG now had it’s own bespoke Photo Forum which allowed us to view each others images and comment online. Something that we now take for granted was a

huge step forward in sharing images at the time. It also enabled us to meet other DIG members, albeit virtually.

Issue 49

Spring 2011

Colour management and matching screen to prints really starts to become a focus.

Issue 50

Summer 2011

Images from the Print Exhibition selection show how we are now using the features of digital in a broader way and refining the way we use the various software.

Issue 51

Autumn 2011

Members were now digitising their thousands of old contact sheets –some in very novel ways.

Issue 52

Winter 2011/12

One of our DIG members passed away and left the group a small legacy: the first and only one we have ever received as a group I believe. The Raymond Wallace Thompson Trophy is still presented to the overall winner for the digital imaging competition to this day.

Issue 53

Spring 2012

By now long time darkroom workers were turning to digital and finding ways to replicate darkroom processes. Digital Lith printing was demonstrated by Andy Beel FRPS.

Issue 54

Summer 2012

The role of the selectors in open digital imaging competitions was becoming ever more difficult as the wide variety and fast improving results of members work challenged them.

Issue 55

Autumn 2012

Graham Whilster FRPS was now running very popular studio workshops and teaching many of us how to light and pose models. That produced a noticeable trickle of work emanating from the workshops.

We also got to see how DIGIT was produced and printed. It might be interesting to go back to our printers and see how that has changed in 2024.

Issue 56

2013 Issue 1

We had now stopped labelling them by season and were using issue numbers.

Some members really started having fun with Photoshop and producing great work firstly in their imagination and then compiling images into the end result.

Issue 57

2013 Issue 2

This is the first time we seem to be starting to talk about smart phone Apps as we reviewed Snapseed. Given Andy Beel’s extensive darkroom background it just shows how far we had come that he was playing and experimenting in this way.

Issue 58

2013 Issue 3

Focus stacking was beginning to gain traction. David Eaves not only explained it to us but also showed us comparison images using single shot v focus stacking.

Issue 59

2013 Issue 4

On the very first page we have evidence of volunteers needed for the DIG centre in the Midlands. By now DIG had several local centres dotted around the country which gave members a chance to meet up and hold inspiring meetings.

The composite images were so well demonstrated by Gerry Coles ARPS. He had been labelled as a ‘creative’ as an analogue photography but he really came into his own when digital arrived.

Issue 60

2014 Issue 1

A new Editor took over and boy did she give us a bumper edition (some 82 pages) plus she started the front and back cover double spread image that we still use today, some 40 issues later.

This particular issue seemed to have a lot of ‘alternative reality’ work being shown. It is so noticeable though how members were now skillful in the way they wove elements of images together. Their cutting out skills were much improved and they no longer showed us people hovering around the ground. In part that shows the improvement in both software features and the hours members have played to get to this degree of skill.

Issue 61

2014 Issue 2

Interestingly Australian member Tony Healy did a review of DIGITs 1 to 60 and here we are a further 40 more delivered and appreciated. We were recording yet another successful year at the AGM and printing the results of the annual Print Exhibition. You could far more balance between the more traditional images and some fiddling and diddling.

Issue 62

2014 Issue 3

Saw us honouring long term DIG member John Long ARPS with an Honorary Life Membership to DIG. Such a hard working volunteer, both for RPS Distinctions and DIG. Always there to help; always with a smile on his face. John generously gave DIG his back copies of DIGIT which is why today we have a full collection of printed copies of every DIGIT ever produced. John was such a gentleman who is gone but not forgotten.

Issue 63

2014 issue 4

This issue featured the digital imaging competition results and interestingly the first time we saw

two classes – open and creative. Obviously the ‘creative’ tag might have confused some as it appears that some ‘creative straight’ work appeared in that category.

Issue 64

2015 Issue 1

By 2015 we were regularly featuring members successful Distinction panels. One to catch my eye was David Pearson’s ARPS – so simple, so beautiful. David has since gone on to gain his FRPS.

Issue 65

2015 Issue 2

This as a key moment for the DIG when one hard working volunteer offered to digitise the entire DIGIT collection to facilitate our online archive. A mammoth task but one

we are all grateful for. Keeping it up to date each issue is of course now all part of ‘business as usual, but without Alan Cross we never would have got started.

Issue 66

2015 Issue 3

We had some big name photographers in this issue with articles from Charlie Waite FRPS and Paul Sanders. The ‘Challenge’ articles continued where a member is asked to tell and show us how they created an image. The idea is that we can then try similar techniques and learn from each other.

© Charlie Waite

Issue 67

2015 Issue 4

Dominantly another competition catalogue but one interesting article that challenged us to print from our memory cards.

Issue 68

2016 Issue 1

By contrast we had an article about Colour Mangement and saw the fantastic creative work of Ukranianborn Mikhail Bondar.

Issue 69

2016 Issue 2

DIG had now existed for 20 years so in this issue we had a wonderful cover looking at where digital photography might be leading.

We had articles from Bob Moore HonFRPS who had been the President at our inauguration. Some fun articles trying to look forward and star gaze into the future, including an article from Nikon. Interestingly I see no mention in Nikon’s future article of AI.

Issue 70

2016 issue 3

Another coup for the editor to get an article from Swedish photographer Erik Johansson.

Issue 71

2016 Issue 4

This issue shows how mainstream digital imaging has now become with articles about Landscape and Seascape, Travel and some nature shots too. However member Ian Thompson ARPS shows us that all might be what it seems.

Issue 72

2017 Issue 1

DIG updated itself with a crisp new logo.

Issue 73

2017 Issue 2

More eminent photographers as David Clapp contributed and Nick Turpin on Street Photography. Unusually this issue saw us carrying commercial adverts as we progressed towards the first DI Expo. A two-day event with high calibre speakers, workshops, trade stands and our print exhibition.

Issue 74

2017 Issue 3

We really were upping the game on contributors with an article from Tim Flach, who would also present his work at the DIG Expo.

We also featured the recently formed (January 2016) Landscape special interest group who by autumn 2018 had risen to 700 members.

Issue 75

2017 issue 4

Doyenne of pastel images was our AGM speaker Irene Froy. A the AGM we were privileged to see her exquisite prints and hear her generously tell us about how she uses white layers; a trick which many of us learnt from Irene.

Issue 76

2018 Issue 1

Not for the first time we got to see inside the weird and wonderful mind of Barry Mead FRPS. As well as featuring the Archaeology and Heritage special interest group.

Issue 77

2018 Issue 2

An article on ICM looked remarkable fresh back in 2018,

where today it is common place. Yet another example of the fast changes within digital imaging.

We covered Infrared, Church photography, The Joy of Seeing, and past Editor Jim Buckley ARPS even got to photography Prince Charles (as he then was). Plus we featured our colleagues in the Creative Eye special interest group.

Issue 78

2018 Issue 3

By now it is evidenced by the content of DIGIT magazine how main stream we had become; the pace of change had noticeably slowed – everything seems to have become ‘business as usual’.

With articles from Tony Worobiec FRPS titled ‘Waters Edge’, and another on sports photography, and featuring the RPS Switzerland Chapter we really had ‘come of age’.

Issue 79

2018 Issue 4

DIG likes to celebrate membership and 40 years seemed like something not to miss. Featuring Susan Brown FRPS we saw her captivating work and heard about her work as a Distinctions Assessor.

In the same issue we had articles from Heather Angel FRPS and Rosemay Wilman Hon FRPS with beautiful marco work from Mary

Crowther ARPS. This particular issue seemed to display work from some highly competent female photographers in the RPS.

Issue 80

2019 Issue 1

This particular issue seemed particularly varied and extremely interesting. Who had ever heard of ‘racking’ tell we read this article.

Issue 81

2019 Issue 2

In this issue we could learn how to shoot stunning water splash images and all about the L*a*b colourspace - An Alternative Workflow.

Issue 82

2019 Issue 3

A feature article on Intentional Camera Movement demonstrated to us how smartphones were really coming of age and could compete with a DSLR. Robert Friel ARPS had become the second person to get a Distinction with iphoneography work which he shared with us all.

Issue 83

2019 Issue 4

It seemed rather apt when doing this research to come across an article from one of our DIGIT 100 contributors, Dr Alan Hodgson Hon FRPS, titled ‘Long road to

Issue 84

2020 Issue 1

Again a very eclectic selection of really interesting articles from shooting the night sky, history of car photography to ‘Variations on a sunset’ from Neil Milne. But the article that caught my eye was ‘Exploring impressionisum’ as in it photographer Rose Atkinson LRPS talks about working between Lightroom and into Photoshop.

Issue 85

2020 Issue 2

It was lovely to find a rather special article from the now late Alan Elliott OAM ARPS, of the Australian Chapter, who had first appeared in the Chapter Newsletter in 2004,

now being featured some 16 years later in DIGIT.

There was also a master class form Dr Tony Kaye ASIS FRPS on RAW.

Issue 86

2020 Issue 3

In this publication Michael Berkley LRPS gives us some low down on moving from DSLR to mirrorless. A move many of us have now made saving ourselves some of the struggle to carry all that very heavy gear around with us. The emergence of mirrorless appears to have taken Nikon and Canon by surprise as the smaller brands

quickly started to take over the space.

Issue 87

2020 issue 4

Amongst other interesting articles I spotted one from Brook Jensen as a follow up to a DI webinar talk he had given us. Both the article and the recording of the video are inspirational and thought provoking and still relevant today. As well as reading the article in the DIGIT archive you can re-visit the recording on the DI YouTube here youtube.com/watch?v=A90MVqgVhc.

Issue 88

2021 Issue 1

Drone photography hit the headline for this issue. The first time it had been featured in DIGIT.

Issue 89

2021 Issue 2

Colin Trow-Poole FRPS gave us a good insight into creating silhouettes with impact. His examples show the technique being used very effectively in both colour and B&W images, with some ICM amalgamated into some examples.

Issue 90

2021 Issue 3

Reading these later DIGITs I was beginning to wonder if I would find any thing new and surprising but then I came across a fascinating old+new feature article from Brian Edwards.

Issue 91

2021 Issue 4

OK this is I admit one of my most favourite of all DIGIT as the cover and feature article was of the Swannery at Abbotsbury, Dorset by my friend Charlie Wheeler. It’s a place I have loved from being a small child so was always going to be special to me.

No doubt we have all had a go at shooting Swans at some stage but

this guy is the master at it. He does though have some advantage as being the manager of the Swannery he can get to places and at times that aren’t available to the public.

Issue 92

2022 Issue 1

Photo books were beginning to become popular. We seemed to becoming aware that we had all these fab photos on our hard drives few of which ever got to be seen by others.

Issue 93

2022 Issue 2

We had all got so used to Lightroom and Photoshop over the digital years but now there was a new kid on the block. Our DI workshop tutor Celia Henderson gave us an over view of Affinity vs Photoshop.

Issue 94

2022 Issue 3

DI e-Circles were formed. These are online peer to peer informal sessions for a small number of members per group. They exchange views and images, providing support and help to each other on their photographic journey. These have gone from strength to strength with some groups talking about software,

others projects and some individual images. They are on different days and times to ensure all members should be able to find an e-Circle that suits them.

Issue 95

2022 Issue 4

In this issue we note the first mention of AI software when Tony Healy ARPS reviews Topaz Gigapixel AI to restore old photos. But the postscript at the end makes note that the software had already been replaced by Topaz Photo AI – such is the speed of change in the AI world right now.

Issue 96

2023 Issue 1

Over the recent years Iceland has become one of the ‘must go to’ locations for landscape photographers. In this issue John Miskelly FRPS tells us of his

‘one man in a van’ roam around Iceland with his drone, to bring us something a little different.

Later in the same issue Athena Carey encouraged us to experiment with Apps on our tablets to produce some creative work.

Issue 97

2023 Issue 1

Looking for progress in either the DI group or in digital photography over these past DIGITs the thing that was coming through in these

latter publications is how we are slowly embracing Apps. Nicki Gwynn-Jones FRPS concludes in her article that Apps have encouraged her to be bolder with her creativity. Whoever would have thought a few years ago that you’d be able to create this with the phone in your pocket.

Issue 98

2023 Issue 2

Just to prove DI Group isn’t all about the latest in technology we featured Cyanotype. Alan O’Brien ARPS talked us through how to do it and even ends up saying that it is ok to scan a print taking it into Lightroom or Photoshop for final

adjustments. Another example of old meets new.

Issue 99

2023 Issue 4

Here we get a masterclass from Mark Reeves FRPS on managing the verticals in architecture: title ‘The Art of Convergence’. The tips and information certainly makes this an article to revisit as we try to perfect the technique for ourselves.

In conclusion

As I conclude this review of 99 DIGITs it certainly has been a journey through the archive. It was extremely difficult to pick out just one or two small pieces from each issue as it meant leaving out other really interesting articles and images.

My aim was to precis the evolution of the group and digital photography over the past 27 years. Whether I have succeeded in doing that only you the reader can determine. What I do hope, however, is that I have tempted you to visit the archive now and again and to enjoy seeing where we have come from and those who have inspired us along the way.

The DIGIT archive 1 to 100 is now open to the public as a record and for research.

https://rps.org/di/digit-archive

Janet Haines April 2024