STREET PHOTOGRAPHER
NICK TURPIN ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT’S OUT THERE
DISTINCTION SUCCESSES
PANELS FROM JULIA WAINWRIGHT ARPS AND SUSI LUARD LRPS
CAPITAL INTEREST FEBRUARY 2016 / VOLUME 2 / NUMBER 2 / WW.RPS.ORG
WOODBERRY WETLANDS IN HACKNEY © PENNY DIXIE ARPS
BREATHING LONDON PHOTOGRAPHING ALL THE GREEN SPACES OF THE CAPITAL - RPS LONDON’S AMBITIOUS PROJECT FOR 2016 -
FEBRUARY 2016
IN THIS ISSUE Pages 2&3
Valentine’s Day, new photography exhibition, Bookworm Club date
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Breathing London: RPS London is launching its new project for 2016
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Barry Hoffman is taking the plunge with an Olympus EM1
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The London interview: Nick Turpin
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David Pollard ARPS in the City of Angels
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Distinctions: Julia Wainwright ARPS and Susi Luard LPRS
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Dave’s Diary: Lumiere London
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Useful links
WELCOME
RPS LONDON NEWS
February may be cold and grey but there is Valentine’s Day. Whether you enjoy the celebration of romantic love or not, for the intrepid photographer it is an opportunity to seek out some colour under dull skies – take, for example, a look at the lovers’ locks opposite Shoreditch High Street Station.
Britta Capital Interest Editor
IMAGE © ROBERT DAVIES
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New Exhibition
PERFORMING FOR THE CAMERA This month sees the opening of an exhibition at Tate Modern exploring the relationship between photography and performance. The exhibition brings together over 500 images, including vintage prints from the invention of the camera in the 19th century, large scale works of collaborative projects between performers and photographers, marketing posters and artists working with Instagram, showing the development of self-portraiture and how photography is in itself a performance. With today’s trend for selfies, it all begs the question: Is it a natural human urge to perform for the camera?
Tate Modern: 18 February – 12 June 2016 IMAGE © MASAHISA FUKASE ARCHIVES
‘THE CITY IN PHOTOGRAPHY’ … is the chapter title of Graham Clarke’s book The Photograph which the London Region’s Bookworm Club will be discussing at their next meeting on 17th February. If you are interested in talking about images such as the one by the photographer Berenice Abbott (right) and reflecting on how we understand the city as text rather than as an environment go to the forum to find out more. 3
CAPITAL INTEREST SPECIAL
IMAGE © JENNETTE RUSSELL LRPS
BREATHING LONDON At the recent AGM, London’s project for 2016 was officially launched with a photo competition judged by Robert Canis. An impressive start to an amazing venture that aims to capture London’s green spaces. On the next pages, Jen Pedler explains all.
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Congratulations to the competitions’ medal winners: Gold Penny Dixie ARPS (cover photo and left with judge Robert Canis at the AGM) Silver Jennette Russell LRPS (opposite) Bronze Mo Greig ARPS (below)
Since the eighteenth century, when William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham and later Prime Minister, coined the phrase, London’s parks have been known as ‘the lungs of London’. So what better name for a project aimed at capturing the diversity of London’s open spaces than ‘Breathing London’?
ONE OF THE GREENEST CITIES ON EARTH It is estimated that almost 40% of London is public green space, making it one of the greenest cities in the world for its size. The eight Royal Parks, including Richmond Park seen left in winter, cover an area of over 20 sq km and there are many other parks both large and small throughout the capital as well as heaths, commons, woodlands and nature reserves. Then there are the waterways – canals and rivers (not just the Thames but smaller rivers such as the Wandle). Garden Squares provide habitat for wildlife as well as a place for people to relax and play in the midst of the city. St James’s Square was one of the venues for the recent London Lumiere, adorned with flying figures. There are also some surprisingly small green spaces – guerrilla gardens that pop up in bits of streetside wasteland and initiatives such as this bee-friendly garden box spotted at East Putney Station (shown on page 6).
IMAGE © MO GREIG ARPS
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THE PROJECT So there’s a lot for us to photograph in 2016. We want to capture these spaces throughout the four seasons and across all 33 (including the City of London) boroughs. We are hoping for a wide variety of images – both of the habitat (landscapes, trees, flowers, animals, birds) and people enjoying it (tobogganing, kite-flying , picnicking). So pick up your camera and get snapping now!
‘GREEN GURUS’ NEEDED To ensure coverage of all the boroughs we would like volunteer ‘Green Gurus’ for each borough. The role of these would be to: • • • •
Compile a list of the green spaces in their borough and ensure adequate coverage. Check uploads from their borough and identify gaps needing to be filled. Be a point of contact for other photographers in that borough – arrange informal meetings. Develop contacts with local civic centres, libraries, community organisations etc to publicise the project and possibly provide space for pop-up exhibition during the course of the project.
If you’d like to volunteer to take on this role for your area please email greenlondon@rps.org.
Above St James’s Square © David Hicks; Right Bee friendly garden box at East Putney Station © John Kelly LRPS
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WHAT’S NEXT? We will also be organising walks, talks and competitions throughout the year and are working towards an exhibition in 2017. Watch this space for further developments. Sign up to join here: http://www.rps.org/events/2016/january/20/breathing-london-project You can also follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BreathingLondon/
SOME BREATHING LONDON CONTRIBUTIONS From right to left clockwise Images © Paul Wells, © Judy Hicks LRPS, © Mike Chopra-Grant ARPS, © Barry Hoffman, LRPS © Judy Hicks LRPS
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CAPITAL INTEREST REPORT
TAKING THE PLUNGE Barry Hoffman LRPS joined one of Olympus’ Big Shoot Experiences and loved it. Find out why below. I recently took the plunge and decided to move away from my full frame Canon equipment and opt for a more portable Micro Four Thirds system. This is mainly to do with my advancing years and the increasingly unwillingness of joints and muscles to collude with me in the illusion that I am still 25. The small “aaaahh” that escapes from my lips as I sit down or struggle to get up is a dead giveaway and so the Canon 5d3, assorted L series lenses and accessories all find themselves in the great bazaar that is eBay. And so I am the proud owner of an Olympus EM1 and assorted lenses – all a fraction of the size (but sadly not the cost) of their full frame brethren. Why am I telling you this when I so firmly believe the equipment is largely irrelevant? Well, the main reason is that as a brand Olympus is a major sponsor of all things photography. I have been mightily impressed how Olympus focuses on making images rather than endlessly comparing lens profiles. They welcome all camera makes and models to their events and they believe in furthering the cause of image making. To this end, each month they organize a Big Shoot Experience, hosted by Damian McGillicuddy, their principal photographer and all round genius and wizard of light. 8
So for £145 you get to spend the day on a pseudo commercial shoot learning from a man who has more international master titles than anyone else on the planet. Now anyone who has shot commercially before knows that there is a lot of hanging around – but Damian was entertaining and it is very much a team effort and we were made to feel welcome. We spent time discussing the concept. Then began setting up light one by one to see the effect. It’s a bit like alchemy really – a bit of science (light was frequently metered and readings taken) and a bit of art (some improvisation and inspiration from the surroundings) The first set up was using a gelled light and a bit of smoke to combine the outfits and environment to good effect. There were Nikon users (eyeing the lightweight EM1s enviously) as well as Olympus users and we were able to see how Damian got exactly what he wanted in camera before moving on to the next setup. Before we did though, I got the chance to have a go with a newly released lens – a fisheye which was great fun. 9
After a couple more shots we moved to our next model and next location in the building. This is a no expense spared experience, just as if it were a professional shoot and the make up and costumes reflect this. All the while we chatted and Damian ‘edutained’ us. We blew smoke with a smoke machine and played with natural light as well as the strobes. But the focus was on working with light – not over-cooking the images and keeping it simple and controlled. It was a genuine masterclass. Our final model stood next to a long expanse of windows to make use of the natural light and then we went for a final group shot. It was a cracking day and for under £150 truly great value for money. I learnt loads, had some fun and got to spend the day with a terrific crew of creative people. If you haven’t had a go at a ‘real’ shoot then this is the closest you’ll get to it. I can heartily recommend it.
ALL IMAGES © BARRY HOFFMAN LRPS
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LONDON INTERVIEW
Photographer on the tube, London born Nick Turpin
NICK TURPIN The former staff photographer with The Independent Newspaper talks to Capital Interest about moments and happenings in street photography and long term projects. How do you describe yourself? Although I make my living as a photographer I am primarily a Street Photographer, quite simply I make candid pictures in public places. What does photography mean to you? People try to exploit photography for many different ends but for me the camera has one really, really great trick, it can freeze a moment of time and space for us to hold and inspect for as long as we like, that’s photography’s sweet spot and that’s where I like to work. This means that my pictures emphasise moments and happenings. What do you want to say with your photographs? My photographs are documents of the way we live now, I use the act of making a picture to reveal our modern everyday lives. There are plenty of documentary photographers out in conflict zones or refugee camps or in third world factories showing us that side of the coin. I’m interested in the quality of life in a modern metropolis, where we are supposed to have it so good, be secure and affluent and happy.
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Street pop
How do you get what’s in your mind onto the photograph in just the way you want? As a Street Photographer, it doesn’t matter what’s in my mind, it’s what’s out there in front of me that is interesting, I want to react to what I find and see, not over think too much. Making good street images is about being physically and mentally present enough to recognise that something remarkable is forming in front of you and to record it before it passes away. I try to consider carefully the two decisions I have to make with each image, where my rectangle falls over the scene and the moment I select to push the shutter but those decisions are largely automatic these days. What do you think makes a memorable photograph? Memorable photographs are the ones that affect you either emotionally or intellectually, the ones that move you in some way. You could be moved by their beauty, their meaning or their wit and cleverness but if they don’t touch you then they are easily forgotten. As an imagemaker the memorable photographs are the ones that often influence your own work. How do you get yourself inspired for a photoshoot? I look at a lot of Street Photography, I like to see and know what other photographers are doing with a camera in the public realm, it’s like judging fine wines, you need to look at a lot to know what’s good and interesting and to know where you want to position yourself and your own images. My inspiration though, comes simply from the street and its constant opportunities and possibilities. Go and stand in a busy public place and try it for yourself.
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Hard hats
When you are shooting‚how much of it is instinct vs planned? Being a Street Photographer, instinct plays a huge part in my image making, the extent of my planning is to leave the house with a camera, the rest is about being physically and mentally present enough to recognise something special and capture it all in less than a second. I would say that I often make pictures in the street almost without thinking, bypassing my brain. There is a momentary sense of excitement at what is unfolding in front of me and before I know it the picture is made. Do you have any unfulfilled photographic ambitions? I have always had to do commercial work to make a living and that has taken up a lot of my time and energy, I have also spent a lot of time promoting Street Photography as a genre through the Street Photographers group in-public that I founded in 2000 and through publishing, film making and workshops. I don’t regret that but I want to be a bit more selfish now and concentrate on my own personal projects and that is what I have started doing recently especially with my projects Through A Glass Darkly and Like Piccadilly Circus, both long term projects being shot over several years. What’s been your most challenging assignment? In 2008 I was given a Samsung cameraphone and asked to travel around the world in 30 days making pictures and a video diary with it. It is now a much copied practice to give a phone or camera to a photographer but I believe my project for Samsung was the first to involve social media and a huge online following to promote a product. I circumnavigated the globe taking street pictures and uploading them every day, the public could vote by clicking on my images and their voting would determine my next destination or subject. It was enormously challenging to arrive tired and jet lagged in a new city and have to dump my bags at the hotel and head straight out on the streets to make a picture.
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Street
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What do you think the future looks like for photography and photographers? It is a conundrum to me that photography has never been more popular than it is now whilst at the same time it has never been more difficult to make a living from. I wonder how long the role of photographer can actually exist as a distinct occupation. I consider myself enormously lucky to have worked in newspapers and advertising over the last 26 years because those industries have changed so dramatically now. When I joined The Independent Newspaper in 1990 it had a team of staff photographers who were changing the way photography was used and viewed in the press, now it has no staff photographers at all and its images are from Reuters and PA, the same as every other newspaper. The same has happened in advertising, a lot of the revenue has gone out of print and poster advertising and into digital and social media marketing, there is just less photography needed and being commissioned. However…in other areas doors have opened for photographers, this last year I did as much work in moving image as I did in still photography and I sold a considerable number of limited edition prints of my work. The message to photographers from this is that you need to evolve and adapt continuously to survive and those with the best ideas will still always ultimately succeed. Is there life outside photography for you? I have a lot of interests outside of photography, my children and my partner Alice are at the centre of my life, I have a big garden where I spend a lot of time and this year I have started playing Tennis. I also just love living in London, cities excite me with or without a camera and I think they always will.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Nick Turpin was born in London, UK in 1969, Studied ‘Art and Design’ at the University of Gloucestershire then ‘Photography, Film and Video’ at the University of Westminster until 1990 when he left to work as a staff photographer with The Independent Newspaper leaving in 1997 to pursue a second career in Advertising and Design photography. In 2000 Nick was the founder of the international street photographers group in-public and in 2010 he established Nick Turpin Publishing. Nick has also taught and lectured on contemporary street photography at Museums, Universities and on TV.
ALL IMAGES © NICK TURPIN
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A LONDONER IN...
LOS ANGELES
A stop-over on a trip to New Zealand recently gave David Pollard ARPS an opportunity for a day’s street photography in Los Angeles. Walking the avenues and riding on an open-top tourist bus provided a variety of views and no lack of subjects for someone like him who likes to record a city’s way of life. These are his impressions.
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ALL IMAGES © DAVID POLLARD ARPS
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DISTINCTION SUCCESSES
JULIA WAINWRIGHT ARPS
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Above Julia Wainright photographed a variety of bird species in their natural habitat
After taking up photography in 2010 I needed a new challenge and so, in 2015, began to look
into RPS Distinctions. That March I was awarded my LRPS and, as I began to understand more about the process, my mind turned to the ARPS. So, in July 2015, I attended the ARPS Natural History advisory weekend organised by London Naturally. It was a very worthwhile experience, with lots of feedback and discussion around what makes a successful submission and I would highly recommend attending such an event. My thanks go to everyone involved in making that weekend a success. The outcome was that I decided to push myself and applied to be assessed in November 2015. A friend was also due to be assessed on the same date, so we agreed to provide each other with feedback as our submissions evolved. A process that worked very well. November came and the big day in Bath arrived. My print submission was the last one to be assessed that morning and my nerves increased with each passing hour, as there had been a mixture of results to that point. Finally my submission was shown and I sat there trying to read the body language of the panel members – an impossible task! Some confusion around my Statement of Intent only served to heighten my nerves. Finally the results were in and it was good news. Not only was I to be recommended for my ARPS but my submission was to be held back for use in future RPS events. To say I was happy was an understatement!
ALL IMAGES Š JULIA WAINWRIGHT ARPS
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DISTINCTION SUCCESSES
SUSI LUARD LRPS My LRPS journey
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Left One of Suzi Luard’s London Dogs photographs Below A photograph from her many travels
I first heard of RPS distinctions after I joined the City of London & Cripplegate PS. I joined
RPS London photo walks (won a prize from one of them), took part in Bleeding London project and London Urban project where my London Dogs photographs were published along with the works of 15 fellow photographers. I received encouragements to attempt LRPS ffrom the RPS London leader (Del Barrett), my partner (who already had his LRPS) and friends. As I travel a lot the only advisory day I could find was six day before assessment day. By this time I have already received advice from friends who have attained RPS and other distinctions. In attending advisory day in person I received advice from distinction ‘insiders’ who were most helpful, constructive and encouraging. No changes were made to my panel. In my journey towards LRPS I ended up learning how to put a body of work together, to be my own severest critic, the importance of reading requirements carefully, producing flawless endproducts and presentation. Most of all, I feel I have progressed a long way in my photography, had fun and gained a lot of new friends in the process.
ALL IMAGES © SUSI LUARD LRPS
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DAVE’S DIARY A regular column about a photographer’s life in London by Dave Harris LRPS
History Photographer of old; child of the darkroom; reborn to digital Favourite Genre Street; people; life around me Philosophy Always looking; snapper; grab the moment Camera Nikon D750 14-120mm; Olympus Stylus 1 Camera Club South London Photographic Society LRPS April 2015
LUMIERE LONDON In January, Dave braved a cold night to document the dazzling light installations in the capital – was it worth the frozen fingers? I can’t remember where I heard about this? From a friend, I think. Now I’m a Mancunian by birth, but 40 years in the Smoke gives me honorary London birthship. And as a Londoner, I usually avoid the central London jamborees. They’re pretty busy and not easy to photograph. But the London Lumiere looked different. And interesting. And quiet (no-one would be interested in a Sound and Light show without the sound!). Usually one to baulk at a challenge, I decided to take this one up, Grasshopper. So my wife and I dressed up in 7 layers of fleece (a very cold night), and set out for Central London. I didn’t take my tripod. I don’t mind carrying it around; it’s the opening up, mounting, de-mounting and folding up that I can’t abide. And I thought there would be too many people to use safely. Get my excuses in early!
Above Crowds gathering into Central London squares to watch ‘an electric riot of colours’ on display
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On the train, I thought about how I would set up my camera (full-frame Nikon D750 with 24-120mm zoom). Not quite last minute, but nearly! I opted for shutter priority, a speed to 1/15th, and a high (-ish) ISO of 1600.
I would check the histogram and use the exposure compensation dial to get things right. I was shooting raw, so wasn’t too concerned about white balance, as I could change that later in my Nikon software. First stop was Trafalgar Square. We saw lots of people crowded round one of the fountains, but couldn’t see what they were looking at. Like a curious cat, I had to check this out. The fountain was full of plastic bottles! All lit up from below. And above. And the side. Taking a picture without a bright spotlight in it was not easy! We moved on up to Leicester Square. Huge crowds were forming as we went through the gardens. At one point we were walking backwards! The lights were good here. Colourful lanterns, and lit-up flowers. Very Japanese. I took a few shots, but they looked pretty bland on the rear screen. Coloured lights never seem to show with the vibrancy that the eye sees. We got on the tube, heading for Kings Cross. At Russell Square, the train stopped. For ages. The driver announced that due to overcrowding, Kings Cross was closed. Everyone got off and headed for the elevators. More overcrowding. My wife and I tackled the 175 stairs. I was ready for bed by the time I got to the top. We squeezed into the newly opened space between St Pancras and Kings Cross, leading up to St Martin’s Art college. Absolutely heaving. There were various Lumiere exhibits along the way, but it was really hard to get to them, never mind photograph them. I did what I had to do. But I wasn’t enthused by the experience. And I nearly tripped up over a tripod as I passed! Different? Interesting? Quite. Quiet? No! Go next year, but not on a Saturday night. ALL IMAGES © DAVE HARRIS LRPS
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USEFUL LINKS
RPS LONDON GROUPS RPS LONDON BLEEDING LONDON BREATHING LONDON LONDON, CINE LONDON, NATURALLY LONDON, STREET LONDON, URBAN FIRST TUESDAY
Have you got a story to tell? Or pictures to show? Have you been on a trip, at a workshop or to a fair? Are you working on a project or preparing an exhibition? Have you met a photographer who your fellow RPS London members should know of or visited an exhibition they should see? We love to hear from you. Get in touch with Capital Interest to share your experience. CLICK HERE.
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