RPS Digital Imaging News February 2022

DI News February 2022

‘Twists and Turns’ by Carmel Morris ARPS Winner of the Digital Imaging monthly competition for January

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR This newsletter has been delayed by an unfortunate convergence of circumstances so some of the most recent news can’t really be covered without delaying it even further. But I will touch upon a few of the highlights.

Digital AGM and Committee We had a very full day on 20 February, with an AGM meeting, a Print Exhibition preview and three excellent speakers. Of the 379 people who registered for the day, 318 attended at least part of the time. Many already know that Avijit Datta is our new Chair, and he’ll have something to say for our next newsletter. But as he said on the day, ask not what Digital Imaging can do for you. Ask yourself whether you could organise its print exhibition or contribute graphic design skills to print production. If you want to get involved, contact digchair@rps.org.

Print Exhibition Preview The next newsletter will also feature the winning and ribbon-winning images for the Print Exhibition. In the meantime, can watch the preview on our YouTube channel. You may like to know that the Gold Medal went to Dr Ray Hems ARPS for ‘Kite Flyer’; Jay Charnock FRPS’s ribbons went to Carol Wiles ARPS for ‘On A Mission’ and Marilyn Taylor ARPS for ‘i-Lashes’; Paul Sanders’ ribbons went to Anna Levene ARPS for ‘Magritte’s Tablecloth’ and Ray Grace ARPS for ‘Tangled Fantasy’; Polina Plotnikova FRPS’s ribbons went to Melanie Chalk for ‘Snowdrop Study’ and Paul O’Flannagan LRPS for ‘The Gallery’. If you just want to know which of your own images were selected, log back in to the entry site at rpsdig.org.

Don’t miss out on our online event in March Gary Friedman will be explaining the latest developments in smartphone photography in ‘Computational Photography: Why Your Smartphone Takes Better Pictures than Your Big Camera’ on 12 March. You can still sign up.

Accolade 10 is out The latest issue as well as the full archive are available: rps.org/DIGAccolade.

And finally … farewell After two plus years editing DI News, I’ll be handing over from the next issue to Melanie Chalk.

Deborah Loth DI News Editor dignews@rps.org (Many thanks to Robin Claydon and Lois Wakeman for their assistance compiling this newsletter.)

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MONTHLY ONLINE COMPETITION The winner of our January monthly online competition was ‘Twists and Turns’ by Carmel Morris ARPS, featured on the cover. (For more information about the friendly monthly competition, including how to enter, visit www.rps.org/ DIGMonComp. Keep an eye out for video slideshows of monthly competition entries on our YouTube channel.)

Carmel Morris ARPS I am delighted that my photograph ‘Twists and Turns’ was voted as the winning image for January! It’s always great to get that kind of feedback from your peers – thank you for voting for my image!!

The photo was taken last September when I was on a three-day photography trip in Northumberland with a group of friends. We were photographing the wonderful coastline that Northumberland has to offer, the weather was kind, and we had the beaches virtually to ourselves.

We were particularly looking to photograph the amazing rock formations that this part of the coast has to offer. The rock formations can be hard to find, as much of the time they are hidden by deep sand and only revealed when the tide is right. I’ve been to this location a number of times and each time I have been delighted to find something different from the last time.

This particular photograph was taken handheld using my Nikon Z6ii Camera and Nikon Z 24-70 f4 lens; at 1/250 @f5.6 ISO 180. I’ve been a Nikon DSLR user for many years and switched to this mirrorless camera when it first was released in 2018. It was easy to get used to as Nikon Cameras tend to have similar menus and the buttons are generally in the same place. The biggest difference was in the size and weight of the both the camera and lenses - which is a bonus when you have small hands – and makes for a lighter camera bag!!

I processed it in Lightroom Classic using the tools in the Basic Panel.

• Firstly I set the White and Black Points • Exposure -1.5; Highlights -7; Shadows +10 • Increased the Contrast +30; Texture +10; Clarity +11 and Vibrance +18

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Second place was ‘The Dream’ by Lynda Golightly LRPS.

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Third place was ‘Littlehampton Quay’ by Brian Fleming LRPS.

SUPPORT THE RPS WHILE SHOPPING ON AMAZON The RPS has registered with Amazon Smile. If you’re buying anything on Amazon, please do so through Amazon Smile and nominate the Royal Photographic Society - it will receive a donation of 0.5% of your net purchase price every time, and it won’t cost you anything! Details here.

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MEMBER EXHIBITION When we learned that Peter Hagger was exhibiting his work at the St Neots Museum, we asked him to tell us about the project.

Peter Hagger My interest in photography started when I was about nine, in 1956, and my Dad bought me a box brownie camera. Over the years I have always had a camera, but until about 12 years ago most of my pictures were of holidays and days out.

I started taking photography more seriously when I joined the St Neots U3A Photography Group, which I went on to lead jointly for eight years. Then in 2014, I won a photo competition run by the local paper and St Neots Camera Club and subsequently joined the Club. When the RPS launched a Photography Course with the Open University, I was one of the first to complete the course.

I have a wide interest in different types of photography, but never happier than when I am out of doors taking pictures mainly walking or sightseeing. I love wildlife photography and occasionally go on specialist photo shoots.

Previously as a Leader of the local U3A group I arranged photo exhibitions in the St Neots Museum and last year I was talking to the Curator about 2022 exhibitions. By the end of the discussion, I was booked to stage the first Exhibition of 2022 as a one man show.

The Exhibition is entitled ‘What a Beautiful World’, with most of the pictures taken since Covid started and I wanted to convey the message that despite Covid we live in a wonderful world. The exhibition is split into four sections, the local environment, mono, the natural world and finally a few of my other favourite shots.

I am only four days into the exhibition, as I write this, but have already received favourable comments. We are running a competition where visitors vote for their favourite picture, with a chance of winning a mounted copy of the winning picture. The images shown here are ‘Fox’ by Peter Hagger 6

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‘Elephants Talking’ by Peter Hagger

‘Bodiam Castle’ by Peter Hagger

‘Boardwalk’ by Peter Hagger currently leading in visitors’ voting.

Photography has kept me sane during Covid and if I have brought a bit of joy to others with my pictures that is a real bonus, but my photography is firstly for my own enjoyment.

Where does my photography go from here? Well, I am now working on my LRPS panel but not sure when I will get there.

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UK MEMBER Jean Ashton ARPS chronicles her photographic journey, which has taken her from the chemicals of analogue to the software of digital photography.

Jean Ashton ARPS When I was a small child, my father became interested in photography and the bathroom became a darkroom, with boards over the bath. He was a member of Preston Camera Club, entered local competitions and had a picture in the London Salon in 1943 and an article in the Amateur Photographer.

Just after my 19th birthday he died of cancer aged 50 years and I inherited an old envoy enlarger and a Super Ikonta Camera which appeared in 1937 with 11 negatives on a roll. At this time, I was a bank clerk at Lloyds, later changing jobs to do my SRN training; then married had children and lived in Thurso, Scotland.

At the bar, I looked up and took one picture because I loved the colours and the design.

‘Decor, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester’ by Jean Ashton ARPS

A U3A trip to Manchester, taken from a hotel window. When I looked at it, I immediately thought-a bit like Lowry.

Some buzz has been used on this picture.

‘After Lowry’ by Jean Ashton ARPS 8

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It was when we moved to Anglesey that I joined Beaumaris Camera Club; visiting lecturers encouraged my photographic efforts and I got my LRPS in 1979 and my ARPS in 1981 in Pictorial black and white prints. I had a cubby hole behind a wardrobe where I sat crossed legged on the floor with dishes on boxes and a bucket of water which I transferred my prints in to wash in the downstairs bath. We moved to Little Budworth in Cheshire in 1984, I received a letter from the L & CPU asking me it I would become a lecturer in their area, which I did for a little while. I had a proper darkroom and loved mixing my own chemicals and using Selenium and gold for toning prints. I had a couple of pictures in the London Salon and entered quite a number of competitions. Joining the Gamma Group in Bradford I heard many splendid lecturers and saw the work

A little café in Northwich. I used some Simplify to get the mood I wanted. ‘Quiet Corner’ by Jean Ashton ARPS

The bus driver took us up the narrow road in La Gomera into the mountains. We stopped for a break but could not go far away, I managed to take a few shots quickly. ‘Up in the Clouds’ by Jean Ashton ARPS DI News February 2022

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of fellow members. As a member of the group, I was invited to have a mini exhibition of pictures taken in my village, this was shown at the Joan Plowright Theatre.

Eventually with great reluctance I came into the digital world, gave up my beloved typewriter and got a computer, flatbed scanner and an EOS Canon digital Rebel Camera. This was a big learning curve but I joined UPP, read lots of books and eventually became happier in this new world. Although I still produced black and white images the world of colour made me look at things in a different way which extended my horizons.

Judges in camera clubs often talk about composition and the rule of thirds! I would agree that this creates a feeling of order and sometimes helps the viewer to grasp the meaning of an image. We can see that simplicity, contrast, framing, texture, leading lines and colour are all important elements, but composition is far from a science so some may take it with a pinch of salt. Ansel Adams said ‘No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and

Taken in a local village-Whitegate. ‘Petty Pool’ by Jean Ashton ARPS 10

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emotions. And to build confidence in the creative spirit.’ We see a lots of creative spirit in the DIGIT magazine so this can encourage viewers to find their own style. And Edward Weston said ‘Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk.’

Very little of my photography has been set up, but I take my camera or mobile phone out with me most of the time. I spend a lot of time in local Taken the end of November 2021. ‘Sunset No 2’ by Jean Ashton ARPS woods looking around, seeing the changing light and catching the mood of the day. There is a lot of talk these days about mental health and mindfulness: I have seen recently courses advertised in the RPS magazine about photography and mindfulness. I think I have always combined the two when I lose myself in the moment and click the shutter.

W.B.Yeats said ‘The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.’

Now to digital in 2022 and what I do! I have Photoshop CS6 and Bridge. If I don’t use a lot of the tools in Photoshop frequently, I now forget how to use them. I found Scott Kelby’s books on Photoshop easy to follow so I have a reference which refreshes my memory. At a U3A meeting I was introduced to Nik Filters which are free! There is a lot included: darken/lighten centre, image borders and a vignette filter I find very useful. Silver Efex Pro 2 is great for black and white images. You can look at different versions of your picture, for example fine art or full spectrum. You can compare how the image would look if you chose Pan F50 or Tri X400. For someone from the darkroom world this is helpful in creating the best look for your picture. I have some Topaz filters. Detail can give me soft and dreamy, smooth and bold or highlight and shadow details. I love the Simplify filter - what I used to call Buzz - to simplify the image in any way you wish. I would suggest judicious use of these filters. Sometimes a picture requires very little help but it is there if I need it! I use various papers: Harman, and Ilford Galerie mono silk plus Canon Pro Platinum as I have a Canon printer.

Some of my favourite papers come from Pinnacle especially antique fine art.

The prints were taken using EOS Rebel, then Lumix DMC TZ30 and now TZ80. I only use a few of the programmes on a regular basis, but I do like the way I can quickly take close ups of flowers for example.

At best we can use photography to make a personal statement, something as individual as poetry, music or any work of art. I love playing ‘Misty’ on my keyboard, and I love taking pictures and making them my own; that’s what its all about. And we make friends along the way!

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ANOTHER UK MEMBER Dave Airston LRPS tells us about his life-long passion for photographing motor cars.

Dave Airston LRPS I have been fascinated by cars and photography for over 60 years and my passion for motor sport was fired when I attended my first race. It was the debut of the E Type Jaguar at Oulton Park in April 1961 and the Jaguars finished first and third. The winning car was driven by Graham Hill with the registration ECD 400. Last year was the 60th anniversary of the launch and many celebrations were held throughout the country. I took the featured image of the famous car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and decided that it would be more appropriate in mono. It brought back some wonderful memories.

When I passed my driving test, I was able to attend many more events and I started providing images to the local papers. Although they were more interested in local drivers, they did print some of my images of national events.

Wanting to get closer to the action I applied for, and was granted, accreditation for the Formula 1 testing at Silverstone, which I attended for many years. This

‘E Type in Full Flight’ by Dave Airston LRPS

‘Lewis Hamilton’ by Dave Airston LRPS 12

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‘Buemi in the Wet’ by Dave Airston LRPS

‘Michael Schumacher’ by Dave Airston LRPS

‘Robert Kubica entering the pits’ by Dave Airston LRPS

‘Apprenhensive Lewis Hamilton’ by Dave Airston LRPS

enabled me to take portrait and ontrack action shots and to build up my portfolio of images. I then applied to attend some Formula 1 launches and I was fortunate to attend Force India at Silverstone and a number of McLaren launches in this country, Barcelona and Berlin.

As a member of the paying public, I’ve also attended Le Mans for many years and a number of European grands prix.

‘Ferrari Team Shot’ by Dave Airston LRPS

I am now accredited at many of the circuits and hill climbs in the UK and I continue to provide images to many publications notably Classic Cars and Jaguar Driver. I am a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and Smethwick Photographic Society and my images can be seen on www.grandprixphotography.com.

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WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS Denise Bailey Geoff Batchelor LRPS Jane Berrisford LRPS Jaffer Bhimji LRPS Glyn Dodson Dain Evans LRPS Richard Gibson Joe Houghton Leanne Hunter ARPS Ken Hurst-Earl Peter Krantz Nick Linnett Steve Malone LRPS Denis McCarthy Gill Moon Trevor Morecraft LRPS Kevin Morgan LRPS Barbara Pollard Angela Rixon ARPS Cliff Spooner ARPS Graham Wishart Sue Woodbridge LRPS Zixiang Zhang

Somerset Lancashire Cheshire Hertfordshire Glasgow London Hampshire Dublin Yorkshire Worcestershire Sweden Leicester East Sussex Ireland Suffolk Hampshire County Durham West Yorkshire West Sussex Hereford Surrey Hampshire China

To view the gallery and not the ads, click where it says ‘VIEW 19 IMAGES’ in the upper righthand corner of the first image.

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OVERSEAS MEMBER After a career in finance and IT, Howard Donohue of the United States was happy to revive his interest in photography, even if it meant riding the learning curve from analogue to digital photography.

Howard Donohue

experience.

I live in the Central United States and am active in local art organisations and photography clubs. I have been able to travel (pre-Covid) across much of the United States and Central Europe to take pictures. In the 1970s I worked as a professional photographer in an editorial and commercial setting, specialising in people, products, and corporate photography for a television production company while earning a business degree. Now I am retired from a financial and IT career which was very much outside the artistic

I started with 35mm and medium format film cameras using and processing colour slide film. I switched to digital cameras in 2000 mainly for my travel. In 2005 I decided to revive my interest in serious photography, bought my first digital SLR, and began my education in electronic editing.

Photography is an important part of my life. I have joined PhotoCrowd, a global community of photographers, where I have ranked in the top 2000 of 13,000 members since 2016. I have sponsored and judged contests for that site.

My styles range from landscapes, seascapes, and studio work to macros. I often use long exposures and experiment with abstract perspectives. I am now working on a portfolio of Citizens of Colonial Virginia, focusing on a creative and historic representational approach. I aim to make my images intimate as

‘Veteran Wall’ by Howard Donohue DI News February 2022

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‘Stream Bed’ by Howard Donohue

possible. In recent years my post-processing has become flexible, but more focused and deliberate. I try to be a progressive thinker with my digital photography and processing. Identifying innovative approaches and improved solutions to creative challenges are what motivates me. My philosophy is that introducing fresh perspectives and new techniques allow creative art to evolve and grow. My goal is to remain on the cutting-edge of digital advancements. My creative successes have resulted from developing essential camera and post processing skills, including black and white photography.

‘Young Artist’ by Howard Donohue

‘Bridge’ by Howard Donohue 16

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RPS DISTINCTIONS The dates for assessments for the first half of 2022 are on the RPS website so if you intend to apply, don’t leave it till they are all booked up.

The Distinctions team is working hard to prepare for in-person assessments at Bristol in March, and will also be live streaming the assessments. Look out on Facebook and the website for booking instructions for observers.

If you are thinking of volunteering on an assessment panel, we are expecting an announcement about appointments soon…

FIND OUT MORE Each of the pages below includes handy links to guidelines and genres for distinctions, and a “how to apply” document: • Licentiate (LRPS) • Associate (ARPS) • Fellowship (FRPS) The Photobook genre, available for all distinctions, has its own special guidelines and submission process (as opposed to an LRPS, ARPS or FRPS submission in book form). You can find out more here: Photobooks. Assessments are offered in April and October. You might also like to see a recording of a recent Zoom talk hosted by Stewart Wall which is both informative and inspiring And don’t forget, as well as projected and printed images, you can also apply for a Film, Digital and Multimedia Distinction at any level, and also a written Research Distinction: Film and Research.

To help you prepare, you can book a 1:1 portfolio review – an online session with a panel member appropriate to your genre/distinction – but be aware there can be a waiting list. (Currently, 1:1 statement of intent reviews are not being advertised, and photobook reviews were so popular that applications have been temporarily suspended while the assessors catch up with the backlog! HQ says ‘We are thrilled at the response of the one2ones which started again on the 20th January. We had 68 requests in just over a week, with Photobooks being one of the most popular.’)

Some Regions are now offering Advisory Days in person and online – you can search for these on the website using the link. You can generally attend as an observer if you aren’t ready to step up yet. In addition, some Chapters and Regions have begun to offer online Distinctions Study Groups. You can also find these by searching the RPS website.

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The closed Facebook Group: RPS Distinctions **Official Group** now has over 3,900 members, and is a civilized venue to ask questions, share your successes – and disappointments – and ask for critique on your proposed portfolio. If you aren’t sure which genre to apply for, you can post 6 images plus your SOI for moderator advice.

Accolade, which celebrates Digital Imaging members’ Distinctions successes, is useful for insight into the process in many different genres and at all levels. Issue 10 of Accolade is now available. All issues of Accolade can be found on the Digital Imaging website: rps.org/DIGAccolade.

DIGITAL IMAGING EVENTS & LISTINGS Although some real-life (as opposed to online) events have been organised, they still may be disrupted by the COVID pandemic. So check on the events page or with the event organiser for the latest status of any event. There are more events in the pipeline. You can sign up to receive our events listing email at bit.ly/ RPSDIEvents. And if you’d like to lend a hand, Centres need volunteers to help with Zoom events, so contact Lyn Phillips (digsecretary@rps.org) to get involved.

Please check that you haven’t already registered before you book so as to avoid duplicate bookings.

Click on any of these ads to visit the event page:

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To view the gallery and not the ads, click where it says ‘VIEW 24 IMAGES’ in the upper righthand corner of the first image.

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SIG-LINK Clicking on any of these ads will take you to the RPS Events page where you can find more information about events from other Special Interest Groups (SIGs):

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DIGITAL IMAGING DISCUSSION GROUP If you’re feeling a bit isolated and would like to hang out and chat about photography, please drop by Digital Imaging on Facebook where you can also ask – and answer - questions. You’ll need to join it before you can participate, but the advantage is that it’s a closed group open only to Digital Imaging members. It’s especially useful if you are experiencing FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out - as a number of useful things often show up there first.

THE RPS WEBSITE For guidance from the RPS on its website basics, visit https://rps.org/newwebsite. For detailed information on setting up your profile and how to set up a gallery, visit https://rps.org/media/i3aaf51z/myrps-editing.pdf.

The RPS maintains a page with updates to COVID-19 issues here: https://rps.org/ covid-19.

For everyone’s convenience, we include this list of shortcuts to the main Digital Imaging pages at the end of each newsletter.

Digital Imaging website shortcuts: Digital Imaging Home page www.rps.org/DIG Membership www.rps.org/DIMembership Committee www.rps.org/DIGCommittee News www.rps.org/DIGNews Monthly Competition www.rps.org/DIGMonComp Accolade www.rps.org/DIGAccolade Print Circle www.rps.org/DIGCircle AGM www.rps.org/DIGAGM Print Exhibition www.rps.org/DIGExhibition Projected Image Competition www.rps.org/DIGPDI Tutorials www.rps.org/DIGTutorials Publications www.rps.org/digpubs There are links to all the Centres from the Digital Imaging Home Page.

The three members-only links (DIGIT Archive, Accolade and Welcome Page) are to be found in the email message announcing this newsletter.

The RPS Digital Imaging constitution can be downloaded HERE. You can subscribe to our events listing email here: bit.ly/RPSDIEvents.

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