RPS SE June 2023 Newsletter

Bluebells by Melanie Chalk

Welcome to the SE region June 2023 Newsletter

Let me start with an apology for the lack of newsletters from February until now. I was away until mid-May and it was just too difficult to get a newsletter out given the very patchy WiFi.

Back in January I suggested the format of the newsletter would be along the lines of:

• Introduction and pictures. Please send me any images you think might appeal to others

• What has happened in the SE region since the last newsletter

• News in the region

• Planned events for the next 6 months and a taste of future events

• Hello to new members, (when information permits)

• Congratulations to new distinction holders, (when information permits)

What has happened since the last newsletter

The 2*Zoom events, Black and White Photography and Restoring Old Photographs were well attended and thanks go to Bill Brooks and Roger Crocombe for their excellent workshops. Our click event, Tulips of Arundel, was wet and unfortunately this resulted in a low attendance. We have ideas, (see below), to boost click events interest in the future. The Bluebell event was cancelled due to insufficient numbers, but this was probably due to insufficient exposure on the website.

The RPS are not going to run a Celebration of Distinctions, which we were going to follow with our own events. I only found this out on my return and it means we will now run our own separate Advisory days in September/October. Sorry for any delay in your planning.

News in the region

• We are going to try and link Click Events with distinctions and also to give them an introduction by running a short, free Zoom event which will talk about the event and how you might approach photographing at the particular venue. (If you remember from my last Newsletter, a Click Event is a free to attend event where the RPS SE has a venue in mind and we arrange a meeting place for those interested).

For example, the next click event is Broadstairs Folk Festival.

The intention is get someone to talk how the event could contribute to an LRPS or ARPS distinction and about taking photos in a public/festival environment. There are a number of genres that an event like this would support. Have look at the list of ARPS genres of the RPS website for ideas.

• The RPS website is going through some radical changes and we have made the decision NOT to use their software to host our events. You will find a link on the RPS SE website that will take you to Eventbrite or a similar piece of software called Billetto to actually book future events. We are going to trial Billetto on the Broadstairs Folk Festival event. When the RPS software is ready, we will go back to an all inclusive environment on their site.

• Looking back at 12 months ago, we were very busy with a host of Zoom based events. We have completed the transfer of the majority of these over to DIG. DIG have a national appeal and they had the means to market events nationally which means the events go out to a wider audience.

We now need to understand what you, as RPS SE members, want to see in terms of activities. We will therefore be sending you a short survey to try and structure our programme to suit your needs. There will be questions on F2F vs Zoom, free or paid for events, how important are distinctions etc.

Shortly after you receive this newsletter, the survey will follow via your email.

Here is the list of events until December:

RPS SE event programme -June 2023 - October 2023 (Status of event correct as of 31/05/23)

13/08/2023

28/08/2023

19/09/2023

29/09/2023

Broadstairs Folk Week (link takes you to Broadstairs own website) led by John Gough

Agricultural show at Edenbridge and Oxted - click event (no link yet) led by Paul Burgess

British Wildlife Centre led by Paul Stillman

Distinction LRPS advisory day (no link yet) led by TBC

01/10/2023 2023 AGM (no link yet) This will be online led by John Gough

11/10/2023

22/10/2023

27/10/2023

Birds of Prey workshop (no link yet) led by Paul Stillman

Ramsgate Royal Harbour and in the footsteps of Van Gogh and Marx - click event (no link yet) led by John Gough

Distinction ARPS advisory day (no link yet) led by TBC

Hello to new members

Coming back from my break I am now able to get a list of new members in the region. A very warm welcome to all of the following:

Toby Shaw, Richard Mole, Antonio Patrizi, Karen Reynolds, Ranu Soor, Peter Tracey

Mary Matthews, Jonathan Bull, Laura Deacon, Kadir Mumyakmaz, Tim Gisby, Rosie Bentley

Nigel Evans, Jackie Launders, Eamonn D'Arcy, Lester Cunningham and Graeme Murray

Congratulations to new distinction holders, (when information permits)

This report is one I am unable to get at present, but will try over the next few weeks ready for the next newsletter.

If you have any ideas for the region or want to help contact me at southeast@rps.org

John Gough

RPS SE Regional Organiser

RPS SE event programme -August 2023 - October 2023 (Status of event correct as of 05/06/23)

Broadstairs Folk Week (link takes you to Broadstairs own website)

Event start 13/08/2023 Workshops: 1

Places available

This is a click event at the colourful Broadstairs Folk week. Come along and join us. We are hoping to provide a free Zoom event prior to the event to maximise how you might take images in this event that is tailor made for Street Photography. The link is the Broadstairs Folk week page at present

Agricultural show at Edenbridge and Oxted - click event

Event start 28/08/2023 Workshops: 1

Event still being planned

This is a click event based at the Edenbridge and Oxted agricultural show on August Bank holiday. We are hoping to provide a free Zoom event prior to the event to maximise how you might take images in this event that is tailor made for action and people based photography.

British Wildlife Centre

Event start 19/09/2023 Number of workshops: 1 Places available

Based at the British Wildlife Centre, Lingfield. A great opportunity to photograph native British wild animals up close. The price is very competitive especially if live near the event in Lingfield.

Distinction LRPS advisory day

Event start 29/09/2023 Number of workshops: 1 Event still being planned

This will be a repeat of last year’s popular LRPS advisory day held online. The date is not set in stone yet following the cancellation of the RPS run Celebration of Distinctions. We need to find an advisor for this proposed date. The event will be limited to 6 participants with no limit to watchers. The cost will be minimal.

Event start 01/10/2023

2023 AGM

Number of workshops:

Event still being planned

This event is designed to give the members information on the future programme, strategy, our financial position and appeal for volunteers.

Event start 11/10/2023

Birds of Prey workshop

Number of workshops: 1

Event still being planned

If you would like to photographing Birds of Prey, then put this in your diary. We are looking at 2 locations at the moment.

Ramsgate Royal Harbour and in the footsteps of Van Gogh and Marx - click event

Event start 22/10/2023

Number of workshops: 1

Event still being planned

Ramsgate is far east as you can get in the region. Ramsgate Harbour is a jewel and highly photogenic. Again we are hoping to run a free 1 hour zoom event prior to the day to help you maximise the potential of taking images in such an interesting environment.

Event start 27/10/2023

Distinction ARPS advisory day

Number of workshops: 1

Event still being planned

This is planned to be our first online advisory day for ARPS. The date is not set in stone yet as the RPS run Celebration of Distinctions event we had hope to follow has been cancelled. We now need to find an advisor for this date. The event will be limited to 6 participants with no limit to watchers. The cost will be minimal.