Capital Interest April 2015

CA PITA L INTEREST APRIL 2 0 1 5 / VOLUME 1 / NUMBER 4 / W W W .RPS.ORG

Th e Ben d © Pet er Dazel ey FRPS

A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT It is a real pleasure to be invited to contribute this article to ?Capital Interest?, the London Region newsletter, since the development of the Region in recent years has been impressive ? particularly good to support Society members in London and attract wider interests. All of us can appreciate Del Barrett, now the Regional Organiser and previously the successfully head of the DVJ Group, for her progressing all the activities, especially in street photography. For some time earlier there had been a lack of London-based involvement, so starting to introduce days of photography, competitions and presentations in this Region has given positive support. One year ago this became even more significant with the launch of this fascinating and very ambitious RPS project aiming to photograph every street in London, ?Bleeding London?. It was triggered by the novel of that name by Geoff Nicholson, the author who said it was a brilliant idea. Initially it was intriguing to see how many photographers would take part in this, but even from the start several hundred signed up and so many photographs have been submitted with over 40,000 images on the site by the end of 2014. More have been contributed this year in the efforts finally to cover all of the ten thousands of streets in the London postcodes. All of those who have participated will be appreciated, leading to many of us being fascinated in seeing so many of the images on the online Ultimate Portfolio at http://rps-upf.org/.

I and my Council colleagues do hope that this is widely recognised as both supporting current members and encouraging other photographers to join the Society. It can promote opportunities for those who would like to be involved in other activities including Special Interest Groups and advice on efforts to achieve Distinctions.

There is also good news that the first exhibition of the Bleeding London project is going to take place at the City Hall in London in July. No doubt the team will have an entertaining task to select the number of images that can be featured, and I am sure that many of those visiting the exhibition will be delighted to see them. It is also important and valuable that the photographs will be permanently archived as a record of our London today. Many thanks to all who have been organising this project.

Derek Birch ASIS HonFRPS, President Letters to the editor should be sent to The Editor london-news@rps.org Please put ?Letter to the Editor? in the title of the email.

CONTENTS LONDON, NA TURA LLY : What's Next?

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LONDON, STREET : Camden Capers, Video Blog

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LONDON, URBA N - UPDA TE At the last meeting of London, Urban, some members indicated that they would like some expert advice as to which images to include in the book. We?re delighted to announce that we?re arranging a session at the Nikon School where feedback will be provided.

Details to follow soon - keep an eye on the website. And if you haven?t joined the Facebook Group yet, you can do so by emailing london@rps.org for an invitation.

London, Urban is sponsored by the Nikon School

INTERVIEW : Peter Dazeley - his life and philosophy as an advertising photographer M EM BER A RTICLE : Corners in Photographic History

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M EM BER A RTICLE: Londoner explores Berlin Street

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A PPS REVIEW : Five top photography apps

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REVIEW : British Life Photography Awards SOCIA L M EDIA : Events, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Blog, Website

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THE BOOKW ORM CLUB At the inaugural meeting of The Bookworm Club, we decided that we would have two set texts: The Photograph by Graham Clarke and On Photography by Susan Sontag. In addition, members would bring other books of interest that are relevant to the chapter being discussed. Next meeting 22nd April when Dominique will be introducing Chapter One of Sontag?s book.

LONDON, NA TURA LLY W HA T' S NEX T?

BY PENNY DIX IE ARPS

We had a wonderful launch event on January 7th when the irrepressible Danny Green entertained us with his stories and wonderful imagery from the UK. If we?ve been a bit quiet since then, it?s because we?re planning madly!

SO W HAT?S IN THE PIPELINE? 1.We?re planning the first in a series of evening meetings in central London, (hopefully at Camley Street Natural Park, behind Kings Cross Station) in conjunction with London Wildlife Trust. Matthew Frith from LWT and pro-photographer Jamie Hall will be talking about their work. Future speakers will include pro- and amateur photographers and field-workers.

2.We want to contribute to conservation photography by joining up keen photographers with their green space volunteers and field workers.

3.We have asked RPS HQ if we can host an event that includes guidance and advice on the journey towards the ARPS distinction in natural history. We?re waiting to hear back.

4.We have been talking to the Greater London National Park campaign people about joining in with a weekend photo-blitz (possibly 9th and 10th May) focussing on the green spaces of London. Pencil it in your diary and we?ll let you know!

5.Could we work on a blue/green version of Bleeding London?

6.We are thinking about our London Naturally contribution to the Capital Exposure week (1-7 November 2015). Do you fancy exhibiting your work?

7.Blogs, gear reviews and articles have been promised and we are looking forward to sharing these with you. Could you write for us too?

8.We want to use our London Naturally Facebook page and Twitter account to publicise our events and those of like-minded organisations. Can you help?

W E W ANT OUR ACTIVITIES TO CONTRIBUTE TO THREE BROAD THEM ES: - Conservation/Ecology, Education/Learning, Networking/Socialising So, please contact me if you want to contribute to this exciting programme. We are all volunteers and would love you to join us. It doesn?t matter if you only have a little bit of time! You could: write a review, blog or article; work on social media; help organise an event, come along to events.

So if wildlife and nature photography is your thing too, we?d love to hear from you. Please email us at london-naturally@rps.org

Image: Penny Dixie ARPS

LONDON, STREET CA M DEN CA PERS!

BY NORM A N SM ITH LRPS

The middle of the month again saw the RPS London, Street Group out and about, this time in Camden Town.

I was joined by 13 mainly RPS members for the walk along Camden High Street and through the markets.

Camden may be ?cool?but it was decidedly chilly as well with a wind-chill factor that none of us expected. We decided to ignore this fact and started with a hot coffee and chat about the rudiments of Street Photography. The main cohort then set off looking out for the elusive moment! That?s right, we haven?t quite practised enough for the decisive moment yet!!

The added piquancy to this session was the appearance of the video group anxious to provide an advert for the street group for the RPS web site. Duly, Mark Percival of the RPS London, Video Special Interest Group interviewed me against the backdrop of the Camden Town tube as a marker for the location, which we did in one take. See, I?m getting into this video lark! (See below for video Blog) Camden High Street is gem of a location for street photography containing everything from street entertainers to interesting characters, madly decorated shops and the famous markets. We were a little deprived of sunshine as we were one of the markets! The Camden Village Market has closed since my last visit and as it was quite quirky and provided me, personally, with an exhibition pic, ?disappointed was I?. The Camden Lock market did not fail to impress so after a short review under the railway bridge we continued with the shoot and on into the Stables Market. Costa Coffee beckoned at the end of our time in Camden and we were well glad of another hot drink. Amazingly after the majority of the team had departed the sunshine appeared and the temperature changed, but that?s life in the street for you!

Feedback on the day was good and the results from several participants are on the RPS London Street Flickr site, so do take a look here for inspiration if you would like to join us on our next event. Look out for announcements on the RPS London Events web Site.

London, Street is supported by Olympus.

VIDEO BLOG FROM LONDON, STREET?S W ORKSHOP A T CA M DEN M A RKET

BY M A RK PERCIVA L LRPS Despite the wind blowing from Siberia, about a dozen intrepid photographers braved the Camden streets in North London to enjoy another RPS street workshop run by Norman Smith LRPS. The cold climate did nothing to diminish the crowds, just delayed them slightly. By 1pm the place was heaving.

Food sellers were doing a roaring trade. Sales of chilli-related hot stuff was particularly buoyant.

The workshop had attracted people from far and wide including an aspiring videographer who should get out more (me) and a young photographer originally from Chile who had travelled down by coach from Liverpool the day before (interviewed on the blog video). Workshop friends enjoyed their experience as they testified on the video.

Please click on the image on the right to see my video blog from the event. (Online Vimeo) One universal message, if there is one from this workshop is practice, practice, practice as was eloquently said by one participant. The only drawback in making a video blog is that it takes away from the time available scouting for compelling subjects in this eccentric place. My next task is to timetable a visit particularly to photograph people with piercings, or face scaffolding as I prefer to think of it. Anyone for nose pins? ?

Image: Screenshot from video blog Š Mark Percival LRPS

PETER DA ZELEY FRPS TA LKS TO CA PITA L INTEREST EDITOR A DRIA N M CCA RTHY A BOUT HIS LIFE A ND PHILOSOPHY A S A N A DVERTISING PHOTOGRA PHER. Peter Dazeley known as Dazeley the son of William and Freda Dazeley MBE was born in 1948 in West Kensington. Now married for the second time to one of his models he has a very young family and lives in Coombe Hill, Surrey with a studio in Chelsea London.

Dazeley first studied photography when at school, he was taught by Ron Smith at Holland Park Comprehensive (now known as the Socialist Eton) where he was in a class of 50 pupils. Dazeley is still in touch with Ron Smith who in the past had won the RPS Hood medal, Ron Smith is now in his 90?s and has sadly gone blind. Due to his wild undiagnosed dyslexia Dazeley left school at the age of 15. He attended an interview accompanied by his mother with the photographer Peter Sowerby at Essex West Studio?s off Fleet Street London resulting in him being given a job, subsequently he never went back to school. Essex West Studios were mainly advertising studios incorporating many creative skills and it was here Dazeley learnt his trade.

In discussing his career Dazeley expressed that it is getting increasingly difficult to run a successful photography business and that there are something like 20,000 students studying photography on 172 courses in university, college, night school etc. when in reality there are only about 43,000 photography jobs in the UK (Creative Skillset 2011), meaning that there are relatively few job opportunities for photography students finishing their studies.

Although Dazeley gives talks to students and mentors young photographers, he said, the job shortage is a real concern. In other fields like engineering there are huge shortages of people, because they are not deemed as sexy as media jobs. ?It will be very difficult for the next generation of creatives to be able to afford to create? he said. He also said ?with the modern digital camera where you don?t have to worry about exposure, focus, colour temperature you can produce a really professional digital file very easily, the magic has slightly gone out of photography?. ?It?s not very good news for the camera manufacturers either, the next generation will not have a phone in one pocket and a camera in the other. The iPhone has been here just a spec of time it?s not going to be long before it?s as good as any camera? One of the major problems about Digital Photography is that when we were all young we all ended up with a family album of photographs, will the next generation retain their digital photographs, look after them and store them well enough that they will ever be found again.

The other huge problem that will affect the next generation of photographers is the control of copyright, ?your good picture can become my good picture?, it is prohibitively expensive to take people to court over it, there are no punitive damages and we have a copyright system in this country that doesn?t really work, which brings you back to the theme that if nobody wants to pay you for the work how will the next generations of photographers afford to live.

Dazeley discussed his advertising photography, he said the work is very interesting but you are always working to tighter and tighter deadlines. ?each job comes with its own unique set of difficulties, trying to fulfill the brief and manage the client?s expectations, but there is a fantastic sense of achievement at the end of each shoot.? Each photography session is a collaborative effort between the clients, creatives and Dazeley?s own staff. The projects are highly designed and researched, signed off at different levels by the advertising agency and their client A YELSA W A LKING. SOLA RISED A LL IM A GES Š DA ZELEY FRPS

Dazeley?s own projects like his recently published book Unseen London don?t make a lot of money but are a lot of fun to do. His promotion of the book in magazines and newspapers and his appearances on television, radio were experiences Dazeley enjoyed. It took four years to produce the first Unseen London, but now a sequel is planned and this time the publishers are chasing for it and wanting to impose deadlines, which is not so much fun.

We discussed Dazeley?s fineart Platinum print work. These prints are hand produced on French handmade water colour paper, painted with a platinum emulsion. The print is then made by contact printing with a same size negative and exposed to ultraviolet light. Dazeley uses 31 Studios in Gloucestershire. It is a ?fascinating process? Dazeley said. He likes to be present when the prints are made. The process yields very stable archival prints likely to last hundreds of years. The tonal range on platinum prints is far greater than silver based prints with deeper blacks and brighter whites.

Dazeley has also done a lot of personal projects using an anamorphic lens, particularly when photographing nudes.

The lens stretches the image in one direction, usually the vertical, but it can be rotated to any angle. ?What I like about it is producing an image that is not quite what it seems?. Some of the pictures he showed me were absolutely stunning particularly those printed by the Platinum process. Many of these pictures appear in his fine art portfolio some are also solarised.

Other Projects by Dazeley include: Anamorphic Photography, The Kray Twins, Things in Jars, Third Reich And his Fine Art work includes: Flora, Anamorphic Photography, Nude Photography, Pregnant Women, Solarised, X-Ray

We discussed Dazeley?s fineart Platinum print work. These prints are hand produced on French handmade water colour paper, painted with a platinum emulsion. The print is then made by contact printing with a same size negative and exposed to ultraviolet light. Dazeley uses 31 Studios in Gloucestershire. It is a ?fascinating process? Dazeley said. He likes to be present when the prints are made. The process yields very stable archival prints likely to last hundreds of years. The tonal range on platinum prints is far greater than silver based prints with deeper blacks and brighter whites.

Dazeley has also done a lot of personal projects using an anamorphic lens, particularly when photographing nudes. The lens stretches the image in one direction, usually the vertical, but it can be rotated to any angle. ?What I like about it is producing an image that is not quite what it seems?. Some of the pictures he showed me were absolutely stunning particularly those printed by the Platinum process. Many of these pictures appear in his fine art portfolio some are also solarised.

We discussed the medium Dazeley works in today, ?I never use film, film is terrible,? he said, ?Digital has completely reinvented the way I work.

I think a digital file is fantastic. It?s like a negative, it is the starting point, which you embellish. It?s very difficult to produce a digital file that?s perfect without having some kind of work done on it. The idea that film is the most wonderful thing is just not true. We never viewed film in the same way that we view a digital file, film was never sharp by comparison. Everybody scans their analogue images to be able to put them online, so the image becomes second generation. So I don?t really see the point of shooting film now-a days. A digital file is first generation and you can do so much with it. I love sitting down with my re-toucher Esther at the Mac to work on an image adding value to it?.

Today, for his advertising and fine art work, Dazeley uses a Hasselblad with a Leaf 52 mega pixel back for most of his work, ?for me having such large files is fantastic as I can chop into them and not worry about the quality of the resulting image?. Dazeley carries a pocket camera as well, particularly when he is with his family. He says everyone should record their own family and have an album to look back on. With the permission of the hospital surgeon Dazeley even used the pocket camera in the operating theatre at the birth of his second child Indi by Caesarean section. Dazeley absolutely loves the resulting picture ?First Breath? because it causes so much emotion and controversy with viewers. Its not very often you can achieve that with a photograph. ?A lot of my life is experimenting with different lenses, different techniques and different lighting or finding things, people or places that are intriguing to photograph?

For any photographer I think the key to enjoying your photography is to experiment like hell and make mistakes. To create something that?s different or a different style seems impossible but somebody will do it, it may as well be you as the next person? ?Experimenting and making mistakes is the enjoyable thing to do, you never quite know what it might produce. I love doing shoots starting with a blank canvas and collaborating with models to see what occurs?. ?One of the things about being an advertising photographer is that I don?t work with other photographers but I do work with lots of creatives, art directors, creative directors and designers, and it?s not unusual to be asked to do something that doesn?t feel or look right and you wonder why you being asked to do it in this way. But you see the finished job a couple of month later and you say wow, that art director?s vision took me somewhere new that I wouldn?t have gone on my own.?

To see more of Dazeley?s Photography view the following websites. Read more information in the info section of Dazeley?s fine art website http://www.dazeleyfineart.com/ http://www.peterdazeley.com/ Follow on Twitter: @PETERDAZELEY To read about the Platinum printing process http://www.theplatinumprintroom.com/ Photographers?work that Dazeley loves and he recommended to me to help develop my photography: Irvin Penn, Albert Watson.

A LL PHOTOGRA PHS Š DA ZELEY FRPS.

CORNERS IN PHOTOGRA PHIC HISTORY (o r , Ph o t o g r ap h y Co r n er ed ) BY DOM INIQUE BREW STER A RPS Photography?s progress, in its passage through history, has undoubtedly been fast and, on entering the 21st century, seemingly getting speedier by the year? with added gearboxes, in every respect! One thing that remains, with constancy, is the desire, by those devoted to photography, those who capture, create, view, collect, or review, to see images in their ?best light?? and, it comes as no surprise, that presentation is key.

How an image is displayed, be it electronically or in printed form, can positively enhance, negatively distract, and almost certainly, alter the viewer?s appreciation of the levels of work undertaken by the image-maker in its creation. This ?respect for presentation?is however, not a new phenomenon brought into focus by the gentle evolution of Photography into the realm of the Fine Art arena. It has been there since the outset, from the moment people could take and give and hold a photograph before them.

As evidence of this, I had the joyous moment of discovering these mount corners, whilst rummaging through the prints, books and curiosities, at a London photographic fair.

The white sticker on the cellophane wrapper was labelled ?1925?, with patent information on the reverse of the packaging, seeming to confirm this. Manufactured by Engel of Chicago, U.S.A., their patented ?Art Corners? were clearly in demand and, what?s more, available in the U.K., with their sterling guide price displayed on the front : ?In Grt. Brit. 6d?. The packaging itself is a thing of beauty, with the front displaying a picture held by the corners, within which a girl holds up pictures also held by such corners. Fabulously ornate trademarked lettering ?Art Corners? bounds the top and base with fluid vertical lines all directing the eye, with arrows, back to the central drawing?s mount corners. The design effort in the packaging alone is commendable and, clearly directed at a discerning audience who might seek to show their images at their best.

The accompanying promotional text provides both charming and encouraging claims, too, in :

Ease of use: ?Handy as a Stamp?, ?Quick-Easy-Artistic?, ?No paste needed-No Muss-No Fuss?

Applicability: ?For Mounting Snap-Shots, Greeting Cards, Post Cards, Clippings etc. in Albums or Elsewhere" World Fame: ?The World?s Favourite Way?,?Known the world over as ?Art Corners?"

The reverse side is equally creative and visually informative, displaying five available mount styles? some with obvious names : ?Square?, ?Round? and ?Oval? and, two with the touchingly sweetened titles of ?Fancy? and ?Heart?.

As if this were insufficient to please the artistic palate of the 1920?s, they apparently were each made in five colours (namely ?Black, Dark Grey, Gold, Sepia and Red?)! Being cleverly enterprising, each package contained only one style and, in only one colour. No ?Test Pack?, it would seem..?

It is a charming curiosity of the past, which confirms the desire of individuals in bygone days, to present the visual image attractively. More significant, however, is its fading passage into obscurity, highlighting the changing fashion in manners of presentation, with many of today?s photographers and artists going to great lengths to subtly conceal the way their images are attached? myself included! Still, history and fashion have a funny way of repeating themselves and, who knows? the little package?s claim (below) may still come true

CORNERS IN PHOTOGRA PHIC HISTORY (o r , Ph o t o g r ap h y Co r n er ed ) BY DOM INIQUE BREW STER A RPS

?Millions? Billions in use To-day.?

All images Š Dominique Brewster 2015

CREA TIVE COLLA BORA TION RPS London member and creative writing student, Nonso Ibe, has enthused us to experiment with a new creative collaboration.

The aim is to produce an RPS London album (on the RPS website) where creative writing is inspired by a particular image and where image-taking is inspired by text. At this stage, we?re just looking for expressions of interest in participating. If you want to take part, email us (london@rps.org) indicating whether you want to: a) Offer an image as inspiration b) Take photographs in response to a piece of writing c) Produce text to go with an image d) All of the above No experience required ? all members are welcome to participate, whatever their level of photography or writing skills.

Who is she? Š Nonso Ibe

LONDONER EX PLORES BERLIN STREET

BY NA TA SHA BENNETT ?I take picture of you??, insisted the exuberant Turkish owner of the restaurant, where we were having a delicious lunch in Kreutzberg, which is in the Turkish quarter of Berlin, otherwise known as Little Istanbul.

We had just visited the site of one of the most extraordinary stories of guerrilla gardening. It all started when Osman Kalin, a Turkish immigrant, commandeered an unused piece of land by the Berlin wall. It had come about because the East Germans had decided to cut costs and build in a straight line, rather than a bend, which left an unused piece of land. At first it was used as a rubbish dump but Osman Kalin had other ideas for it. He created a garden and planted vegetables. The East Germans were willing to allow him on the land, describing him as,? a victim of capitalist circumstances.? Whilst the West Germans had no authority over the land, so his garden flourished.

He expanded from gardening and built a tree house, made from found objects making a unique and iconic two storey house. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the boundaries changed and the tree house now came under the district of Mitte, who told the Turkish immigrant to vacate the property. However, Osman Kalin stood firm. He literally concreted all his furniture to the ground! He was supported by locals, by the nearby church and by the district of Kreutzberg. A quarter of his house was actually in Kreutzberg. Eventually it was decided that Kreutzberg would have jurisdiction over the tree house. So Osman Kalin won the day.

More recently, a developer has bought the land opposite which overlooks the tree house and they have offered Osman Kalin ?1million to move. They believe that their buyers won?t want to overlook his house. However, he has refused their offer. Personally, I would be happy to overlook such an iconic house and was very pleased when Osman Kalin arrived back at his house just as I happened to be standing outside, so I could see for myself a man who has shown such determination - and so I could also get a picture!

I also discovered whilst walking the streets of Berlin that one of the most extraordinary aspects of the city is its guerrilla street art. There is a huge amount of both graffiti and street art. During the Cold War there were street artists painting the Berlin Wall every day. Today, part of the wall can be seen at the East Side Gallery, which includes work by many artists in many styles and gives tourists a taste of the wall. Nowadays, street artists occupy a large number of vacant buildings which are in a state of disrepair. This is one of the things that makes Berlin exciting, you never know what you?re going to see next.

We visited a project called Neuwest, where a large block has been given over to artists for the next year before the developers move in. Osman Kalin isn?t the only person in Berlin whose fencing with the developers.

Outside the building there are newly painted blocks of the Berlin Wall. Inside, there are floors of studios and at the back a sizeable yard with large pieces of street art painted on the adjacent buildings, which are very striking and make a big impact. These large pieces hold a lot of kudos, as it?s illegal to paint on buildings, so it?s a race to finish the piece before the police arrive. The larger the works, the longer they take to complete and because of their height it can be a dangerous occupation for the artists who in some cases are hung from their feet from the top of a building to paint.

A little way down the street there?s another work which also covers the side of a building. It?s an iconic piece called Astronaut / Cosmonaut by Victor Ash. It?s said to be the largest stenciled work in Europe. A local tells me it?s best seen at night, as the garage opposite projects a light behind a flag, creating a shadow of the flag by the spaceman?s hand so he looks like Neil Armstrong. When I saw it I thought,? one small step for man - one giant leap for mankind?. I guess that was the case when the Berlin Wall came down.

Berlin is a great city for photographers because it?s a city of surprises. Art is always round the next corner. I just hope that the artists and the developers find a way of working together, because Berlin?s big attraction is its creative edge.

REVIEW - A PPS FOR PHOTOGRA PHERS

BY BA RRY HOFFM A N LRPS Okay, so first of all a confession: I am a major apple fan! There, I said it. I used to use Microsoft Windows, but now I have an iMac, an iPhone and a Macbook Air. Everything else has been consigned to the great PC World in the sky.

I shop in the appstore and am unashamedly captivated by the sexy silveryness that is Apple. So none of what I am about to describe is unbiased and nor is it representative of anything other than my own personal experiences. So here you go ? my view of the appworld for photography: You must have noticed that these days you can?t walk down the street without (literally) tripping over someone glued to their Smartphone. As a keen photographer, I am fond of using my iphone for the odd snapshot, of course, but over the last year or so I have begun to use the iPhone for so many other things.

Apps are for more than just photo editing these days ? they run the entire gamut, from - tide and sunset calculators (for the landscaper ? yawn!) to - lens databases (for the techie geeks ? snore!) to - photo apps that can allow you to trigger your camera via your smartphone or tablet (for the show-off of course).

There are so many photo apps out there it can be difficult to know what?s worth your time. So my top 5 favourites are: - NUMBER 5: FlickStackr. As a Flickr.com user, this is a neat way of getting my photos directly from Lightroom onto all my devices. It?s free and all I do is publish my images from Lightroom directly to Flickr and hey presto, FlickStackr displays them in sets, tiles, albums, collections and with all the usual Flickr functionality you come to expect. Great for showing my images to friends and family ? who always show the appropriate appreciation of course

- NUMBER 4 is without doubt, essential - Dropbox. It seems to be the fileshare app of choice these days. Cleverly, it allows you to upload any photo, video or other type of file from any of your devices and put it in the cloud, where you get 2Gb of free space just for signing up. A nice easy way to keep files safe and also share them with other people via the email based invitation function.

- MY NUMBER 3 app is the Mount board Calculator which was written by one of the RPS London members, Gavin Meek. I mount my own images and on occasion I am just too lazy to work out the size of the borders. So From one extreme (old fashioned pencil and paper) to the other (iphone 6) and just as simple to use, I find this a really useful little app ? well worth the 69p ? as I reckon it has saved me at least five or six bits of wasted mount-board ? so well worth the investment.

- NUMBER 2 on the list is Pocket. Another free app, this isn?t technically a photography app but a handy little app for saving web pages that you can read offline. Install it on every device (even the dreaded windows ones) and you can save any webpage you are reading (photography blogs, photography articles, photography reviews, photography tips ? you get the idea) and read them at your leisure. A lifesaver if you constantly have your nose in Photography related stuff on t?internet!

- So what is top of my charts at NUMBER ONE ?......it has to be Snapseed. A truly awesome free editor for Apple and Android alike that can apply all sorts of filters to your image ? from black and white to tilt and shift ? it is quick, intuitive and just plain cool.

REVIEW - A PPS Before ? a simple snap with the iPhone and After a bit of moody editing with SnapSeed to give a gritty-avant garde film noir inspired pretentiousness.

So there you have it ? my top 5 apps for making my photographic life easier and fun. Of course, there a million other apps for you to discover. So if you find anything ? then do share.

CA PITA L LETTER Capital Letter is our monthly e-letter of forthcoming events. If you haven?t received this month?s by email, let us know and we?ll add you to the mailing list: london@rps.org.

Don?t forget you can download previous issues of both Capital Letter and Capital Interest from our archive.

BRITISH LIFE PHOTOGRA PHY A W A RDS EX HIBITION REVIEW OF THE INA UGURA L BRITISH LIFE PHOTOGRA PHY A W A RDS

BY A DRIA N M CCA RTHY ?A showcase of contemporary and imaginative images that capture the essence and spirit of British life?.

Even in its first year, 2014, the entry for the BLPA was very strong and some very fine work was submitted by both professional and amateur photographers depicting British life in the many categories. The competition was sponsored by Sony and Kristal, and supported by Conde Nast Traveller, ilex, Digital SLR Photography, Country Life and Time Out London.

The Director of BLPA is Maggie Gowan. Maggie is an experienced specialist in the creation and running of photographic exhibitions and is known to us for establishing the British Wildlife Photography Awards. http://www.maggiegowan.co.uk/ The 11 categories each have a winner and there is also an overall winner and a junior winner. The competition was judged by a panel of 10 distinguished judges.

The best of the entry and all the winners were displayed together with many highly commended pictures in an exhibition in the Mall Galleries London for a week in early March.

I visited the exhibition and was impressed by the quality of the images and the gallery they were displayed in.

THE PICTURES: Overall Winner called Vroom with a View by David Yeo. A square format picture of a green caravan in a green field under the dome of a flowering horse chestnut tree with a featureless sky confined to the upper corners and a small flock of sheep in the background. The tree and the caravan are central to the frame, it is a very pleasing composition but the thing that really makes this picture is the girls looking out through the caravan window and the wallpaper on the open upper stable door of the caravan. I couldn?t help think what a camera club judge might make of it, I can just hear the comments about rule of thirds so blatantly disregarded in this photograph to such good effect and deserving of the first place and overall winner position it gained.

In the Junior category the winner was a stunning monochrome portrait of a young boy taken by his sister Ella Turville, this boy has been playing on the beach wet, bedraggled with sand on his skin, his hands are together obscuring his mouth and holding a curious pebble which he examines his right eye closed, his left eye partially obscured by the stone, that and the lighting is what has made this picture so successful.

RPS London Member Simon Maddison entered photographs in this competition and did rather well having two selected for the exhibition one highly commended was a street Life category print depicting a vagrant sitting on the bottom edge of a flight of stone steps, this is a picture was one of my favourites, his other shot a Work in the Community category picture was of two lady Community Safety Officers quite a jolly street portrait.

That the exhibition is now over, the competition is planned to be an annual event many categories would suit London Members, so come on RPS London members let?s have a good number of entries in this competition this year. This year?s competition opens for entries in early July.

A book has been produced of the British Photography Awards Portfolio by Ilex Press ISBN 978-1-78157-264-1 and is available form Amazon, the Mall Gallery and most good booksellers Click to view BLPA Website: http://blpawards.org/

Winning Image: Vroom with a View Š David Yeo

Entries from RPS London Member Simon Maddison

A book has been produced of the British Photography Awards Portfolio by Ilex Press ISBN 978-1-78157-264-1 and is available form Amazon, the Mall Gallery and most good booksellers Click to view BLPA Website: http://blpawards.org/

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