Royal Photographic Society Digital Imaging Group News July 2019

DIG News - July 2019

‘Cycling Through’ by Paula Davies FRPS Winner of the DIG monthly competition for June

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

DIG MONTHLY ONLINE COMPETITION Congratulations to Paula Davies FRPS for winning the June monthly comp with ‘Cycling Through’. Here is what she had to tell us about her work.

Cycling Through We were visiting Valencia, Spain, and paid many visits to the City of arts and Sciences.

The modern architecture interested me and it’s well worth spending a lot of time choosing many different angles. I also wanted some photographs showing human interest. This was a grab shot taken when I spotted the cyclist approaching.

Originally a colour image but mostly already black and white, so a quick conversion and it was done.

It is some time now since I entered the competition but after reading Lynda Mudle Smith’s appeal last month I thought it was time to enter again.

Paula www.pixelfoto.co.uk

2

Digital Imaging Group

2nd placed image was from Jenni Cheesman, with ‘Spent’

then there are two joint 3rd placed images.

3

July 2019

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

Mediterranean Garden by Peter Stickler

Study in White by David Pearson

4

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

MEMBER DISTINCTIONS This month we congratulate the following members for achieving their Distinctions.

Sarah Beard LRPS Maggie James LRPS Peter Knight LRPS Neil Milne LRPS Mary Thompson LRPS

Steyning Gerrards Cross Preston Arbroath Seascale

Wondering why we have had so few DIG Members achieving their Distinctions at the various levels these past couple of months: Is there anything more we can do to encourage and support you?

Are you taking advantage of the various Advisory Days or ‘Celebrating Distinctions’ meetings? Or, where possible, going to watch Assessments? All are really good ways to hear, see, learn and be inspired. If you are working in isolation and trying to work out if your body of work is ‘of the standard’ why not seek some online support?

For lots of information and links to the various meetings or online support go to www.rps.org/distinctions DID YOU KNOW – that for ARPS and FRPS there is now a Documentary genre. The HQ Distinctions team are continually finding ways to improve the Distinctions processes. Keep an eye open on the web site for further announcements over the coming months.

5

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

WELCOME to our new members this month‌ Paul Joyce LRPS John Shaw ARPS Lorraine Grey LRPS Clive Dunkey Bajinder Panesar LRPS Jo Sutherst ARPS Pru Heron Chris Griffin Michael Poole LRPS Ebenezer Ogboke John Murray LRPS Elizabeth Harris LRPS Rupert Brun Mike Burns Rex Madden Muriel Nissen Robert Mair LRPS Diana Hale Robert Wiggins Kenneth Sears

Ismaning, Germany Solihull Chatham Rugeley Coventry Blakeney Hassocks Horley Chesterfield Aberdeen Launceston Torquay Whitstable Malibu, USA Arizona, USA Salford Weston-Super-Mare Southampton Berkhamsted Docking

FROM POLO TO POSTER In July 2018 I was invited to the Druids Lodge Polo Club (DLPC) by my good friend Michael Berkeley , LRPS, ASISEP, LSISLP, who is one of the official photographers at DLPC. My brief was to photograph the Balaclava Trophy, which is an armed forces match and arguably the largest event of the season for DLPC. I was asked to depict the mood of the day, capturing people and crowds, trade-stands and candid moments whilst Michael concentrated on the Polo matches. Michael has previously written for DIGIT on Gig and Sports Photography.

6

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

We arrived on what was one of the hottest days of the year, conditions were dry with lots of dust and haze. Armed with my Nikon 7200 and a 70-200 f/2.8 lens together with my Nikon 750 and a 24-70 f/2.8, I began my task. After a while I noticed a very beautiful young lady carrying an oriental style parasol and knew immediately I had to get some shots of her. She seemed to sum up everything there was to say about a hot summers day at the Polo.

I had 24 hours to get the images processed and sent off. I heard little further until Michael sent me a message to tell me the image of the lady with the parasol was being used on the Polo Club website as well as the fixture list brochure and then again on the tickets for this years Balaclava Trophy event. You could have knocked me down with a feather when I saw they had used my image on a large billboard style poster outside the grounds to advertise this year’s event. It just goes to show that you can spend all day shooting images and in my case 1500 of them, but it only takes one image that someone likes so much to bring personal success. To have my photograph used in this way for me is never about receiving payment, it is about the thrill of knowing that lots of people will see it and enjoy it.

I have been invited back this July to shoot the same event – this time as one of the official photographers – No pressure then!

Julie Francis, LRPS

7

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

DIG CENTRES All DIG Centre meetings are open to everyone. Each puts on a minimum of 4 meetings p.a., offering varied and inspiring content. All welcome to every DIG meeting; members and nonMembers alike.

DIG Eastern Centre

8

Digital Imaging Group

DIG N W Centre

DIG South East Centre

9

July 2019

Digital Imaging Group

DIG Southern Centre

10

July 2019

Digital Imaging Group

DIG Thames Valley

July 2019

DIG Western Centre

By clicking on any of the Ads it will take you to the RPS Events pages where more information can be found about the meetings.

11

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

DIG Yorkshire & North East Centre First meeting of DIG Yorkshire & North East Group 22 June, 2019

Clements Hall, York

An excellent and informative speaker and a good venue in York ensured that the very first meeting of the DIG Yorkshire & NE Regional group got off to a very good start.

Keynote: Richard Spurdens `Being There’ Our afternoon got off to an excellent start with Richard’s talk, `Being There’, where he shared photographs taken in a variety of situations ranging from winter sports, to the annual Bradford Dragon Boat Race and then his studio portraits. Through his portrait work Richard demonstrates both his artistic vision and his skill as a master photographer. In his own words: `I like to photograph what gives me an emotional response and each time I pick up the camera my pictures become personal. What I am passionate about is all to do with visual beauty, and that is an important element in my work. From intimate portraits to elegant timeless figure studies, I try to apply the same demanding standards to all my photography.’

My memory of Richard’s work goes back quite a few years starting with his photograph of a pair of black and white legs emerging from a white bath where I particularly enjoyed his sense of humour and focus on visual pattern. It was also good to be brought up to date with his later work especially the `dance’ portraits, which are a fairly recent addition to his portfolio. I’m looking forward to seeing how these develop in the future.

So a very big thank you to Richard from all of us who were there and an extra thank you for donating this print for a raffle prize.

You can see more of his work at:

12

https://richardspurdens.co.uk/porfolio/

Digital Imaging Group

Final Session: Show and Tell

July 2019

We wanted there to be an opportunity for us to get to know one another as photographers and so ended our first meeting with a `show and tell’ session where we each shared an image. We hoped that this would help us to understand the kind of photography each of us is interested in and I think, by and large, we succeeded and everyone seemed to enjoy the session.

I initially began the session by sharing my image and asking them about what kind

of photographer they thought I was.

After taking a few suggestions from the audience I was then able to talk about the context and circumstances in which the image was taken. I’d hoped that this in turn might set a pattern for others to follow, though I’m sure that each of them found their own way. We then broke into smaller sub groups for discussion.

The overwhelming impression I had was that this session was the very thing that many people wanted and came to the meeting for, a point reinforced by the feedback.

Our thanks go to all those who helped out with the publicity (a huge undertaking) and the organisation for the day, i.e. setting up the projector, getting out chairs and putting them back and for the extra help we had with washing up.

Wendy North DIG Centre Organiser Yorkshire & North East Region 13

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

SIG LINK By clicking on any of the Ads it will take you to the RPS Events pages where more information can be found about the meetings.

CREATIVE EYE

14

Digital Imaging Group

Landscape Group

15

July 2019

Digital Imaging Group

16

July 2019

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

KEN PAYNE TUTORIALS Greetings Members - In this video I have applied fairly simple adjustments in Elements to get this image up to speed for the judge. We start with a Raw file to get the very best quality. The image used was taken with my new lens, a Sigma 150 - 600mm F5/F6.5 lens hand held.

However, you get to see a pin sharp one taken on a tripod and boy this lens is a corker.

In this video I show you a simple HDR Toning Effect and finish with a targeted colour change using Hue/Saturation.

click on the images to take you to the relevant tutorial video on You Tube 17

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

A MEMBERS GALLERY This month we noticed a new gallery had gone up online from a member who has recently gone through the RPS OU Photography course.

So we thought it would be interesting to not only feature the gallery but also her from Kevin Flanagan about his OU experience.

As usual click on the gallery image to see Kevin’s work.

The portfolio is the result of completing the RPS OU online photography course. In addition the the course work, over the ten weeks students are asked to submit ten images a week on set subjects.

Whilst only the final submission is assessed, the remainder are posted on a central studio for the large student population to criticise and comment on. This is probably one of the most valuable learning opportunities on the course and I think it is fair to say that this is the aspect which the majority of students found most difficult.

18

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

I found the discipline of producing ten images on a set subject every week, to a standard that I wanted to share, very rewarding. Whilst I may not yet have developed a style, I am sure that I now take better photographs.

I would recommend this course to any photographer up to intermediate standard who wants to improve the quality of creating and sharing photographic images.

Kevin Flanagan

BAS MEEUWS

A book to grace any coffee table Bas Meeuws work was featured in the June issue of the Journal and having seen his work in a gallery in The Hague, Netherlands I can attest that his work is truly fantastic. Even if you do not have the space on a wall in your house to own one of his beautiful images you can now enjoy a fabulous selection in the book he has just published.

Meeuws is a member of the RPS Digital Imaging Group and the RPS Benelux Chapter.

19

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

His photographs are of an old-fashioned beauty and at the same time radically contemporary. Flower by flower Bas Meeuws composes his floral still life’s, but digitally: the basis for Meeuws' monumental works are digital photographs of individual flowers. They allude to the Dutch masters of the seventeenth century with their sense of luxury and their eye for the ephemeral. Meeuws strikes a chord in the art world with his flower still life’s. He is represented by Dutch, American, Taiwanese and Indian galleries and exhibits from Amsterdam to New Delhi.

‘Flower Pieces’ can be purchased from Amazon UK and costs £60 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Meeuws-Flower-Pieces-MaartjeHeuvel/dp/9401458057/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=meeuws&qid=1560436022 &s=books&sr=1-4

A UK MEMBER Heather Field is a relatively new DIG member who lives in Devon. We seem to have a busy band of female members down there in Devon and Cornwall who are doing some great work – it must be in the air !

Heather Field I started my photographic journey about 12 years ago, probably like many people by wanting to capture some more candid moments of my children.

At the time I was living in Toronto, Canada and after a few years of shooting in auto mode, I decided to take the plunge and take some courses at one of the schools in Toronto.

20

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

At the time I loved my non-intimidating Canon PowerShot, but the teacher convinced me that something more technical was required and along came “Dave” my Nikon. My husband and two children would argue that this is the third child in the family as I can become a tad absorbed when out and about with my camera.

I now live in Devon, and last year joined the RPS and at the same time undertook the Digital Photography Online Course with the Open University. I found that I was taking similar shots all the time and wanted to start to push myself.

Berlin Wall Three of the shots that I have selected for this piece are taken from my panel for the online course. “Twilight Kiera” definitely moved me out of my conventional approach, leveraging dark tones and blue hues to make my daughter almost look like a vampire.

21

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

Twilight Kiera Ultimately, I love to travel and leverage “Dave� as an extra eye to capture the culture of a destination and all that comes with it, although much of my inspiration comes from the viewing the impressive work of other members of the RPS

Harpist in St Ives 22

Digital Imaging Group

Streets of Soller 23

July 2019

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

AN OVERSEAS MEMBER This month we have two contributors from the Australian Chapter. First is our featured Overseas member Jocelyn Edwardes LRPS. My Photography Journey to date I still remember the day I knew I loved photography. My husband, who is a keen photographer, and I were holidaying in the UK and travelled to the Farne Islands to photograph puffins. I had my first DSLR and this could have been the longest day … but the time just vanished and that was it.

Photographing wildlife is still my favourite form of photography.

Now we combine our love of travel with our love of photography and are always planning the next adventure. I’ve been fortunate to have had some wonderful experiences but also fallen into snow-drifts, been chased by fur seals, and been blown over by the wind, and there’s still nothing I’d rather be doing than photography.

My greatest learning curve has been in gaining the Licentiate. I am forever grateful for the mentorship of Janet Haines, DIG Chair, who provided support in choice and quality of images, advising, critiquing from afar (with me being Australia-based). I remain haunted by searching for ‘halos’ on images, and printing technicalities and complexities… the art that doesn’t receive enough attention in my opinion.

24

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

All of these skills I think I’ll eventually come to terms with, as technique can be learnt. What I love about photography is that there is always something and someone to learn from. With so many styles to experiment with, it never gets boring. In five years, I’ve gone from a complete novice to now having my first distinction with the RPS and have recently been accepted as an approved contributor for Getty Images. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next in my photographic journey!

25

Digital Imaging Group

26

July 2019

Digital Imaging Group

27

July 2019

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

AUSTRALIAN MEMBER IN HONOURS LIST

I feel very privileged to have received this Order of Australia award in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for service to photography, and am especially glad that it recognises the significance of the Royal Photographic Society here in Australia and what we have been achieving. It reflects the wider view that the best photography can enrich the lives of people anywhere in the world. My role in the Australian Chapter has enabled me to help promote the RPS as an organisation which encourages first-class image making, both by its own members and others.

My particular photographic interests lie in trying to capture the essence of Australia’s unique natural environment, especially by revealing details of texture, form, pattern and colour. These details catch my eye and I try to use photography to capture their beauty and subtlety, and through this, share with others the pleasure they give. For me, this 28

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

kind of photography cannot be rushed. The trees, rocks and plants of the Australian bush and seashores are full of small details which may easily escape the casual glance. But if you give time for the eye to linger, these nuances can be explored and their beauty revealed.

I’ve been encouraged in my photography through meeting kindred spirits in the RPS, some going back to my early membership days four decades ago, and I find my association with the RPS supports and expands my photographic horizons. I have been active in the Chapter since its formation (as the Victorian Chapter) in 1986, gained my ARPS in 1988, and have been Honorary Secretary of the Chapter since 1998 – this has enabled me to establish contact with many other members across Australia, in the UK, and in other countries too. In 2008 I was honoured to receive the RPS Member’s Award and Honorary Life Membership of the Society.

29

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

I very much enjoy meeting other RPS members with their wide range of individual photographic styles and interests, and who have in common a passion for photography and a great willingness to share their skills, expertise and enthusiasm. Over the years we have developed close ties and happy friendships, and the encouragement and support I’ve received from them has been invaluable. So to receive the OAM is also a tribute to the many other RPS members, in Australia and abroad, who have helped me so much in furthering the aims of the RPS. Dates and other bits: · Joined the RPS in 1977 · LRPS 1983 · Foundation member of the Chapter (then the Victorian Chapter) when it was formed in 1986 and have been active in it ever since – but I didn’t start it.

That was Peter Hunter ARPS, our first Convenor (as they were called in those days), followed by the late Jack Lanagan ARPS. · ARPS 1988 · Hon Secretary of Chapter since 1998, including liaison with RPS Council and HQ. In recent years the role has expanded further to include organising many of the Chapter’s activities (although I’m not officially our Chapter Organiser – that position is vacant, so I’m it by default!) · Received the RPS Member’s Award in 2008, with its associated Hon Life Membership. Great to visit London for the Awards Night and to meet many members of the RPS Council and staff with whom I’d corresponded for years. · I learned I’d been awarded the OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) when I received official notification from the Office of the Governor General in Canberra that he had approved it and my name would be included in the Queen’s Birthday 2019 Honours List, publicly announced on the Queen’s Birthday (celebrated in Australia on 10 June 2019). I’ve since been advised by the State Governor that the official investiture ceremony will be held at Government House in September. · Am not sure exactly when I joined DIG, probably about 2000, and I’ve greatly benefited from my membership of it. The Chapter formed its own Digital Working Group (independent of DIG) early on. (These days we don’t have separate Digital Group meetings as we’re all using digital photography now and the same members come to general Chapter meetings too, but we often ‘talk digital’ at our Show-and-Tell meetings.)

30

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

Editorial note – Elaine wants you all to know that she very much appreciates the close contact and support she gets from members of the Society, the Chapter and DIG. She was one of our several members to attend the DIG AGM via Zoom in Feb 2019 so we are closing the miles for her and many of our overseas members.

31

Digital Imaging Group

DIGIT ARCHIVE

July 2019

This month we asked John Long ARPS to dig in to the DIGIT Archives to give us a glimpse back to the past. Having been a DIG member from the very earliest days John very kindly gave us the original collection of the physical magazines, which formed the basis from which we have built an entire collection. These are in the safe keeping of our current DIGIT Editor, Gary Beaton, who adds to it issue by issue. However you can read and download every issue from the Full DIGIT Archive.

Janet Haines asked me to select a past edition of DIGIT and to write a few words as to why I had selected it.

I chose Edition No.32 Autumn 2006 for a number of reasons. To start with it was an edition which contained details of so many of the people who personally mean a lot to me. To start with there were very

32

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

touching tributes to two of my digital “Heroes” Barrie Thomas FRPS and Eddy Sethna FRPS. I knew both personally and am proud to have considered them as friends. I have an original print from each of them on my Stairs Gallery Wall.

Then there is an article on Digital Portraiture by another good friend of mine, Graham Whistler FRPS. Others featured include Ray Wallace Thompson, Paula Davies and Clive Haynes, the latter being on his first year as Chairman.

The edition also featured Janet Haines ‘L’ panel, and the wonderful meetings we held for many years at Benn Hall, Rugby.

Little wonder that Edition 32 is well worth reading!

HERE is a link to DIGIT 32 - but remember you need to be logged in to My RPS to be able to access the Full Digit Archive and this issue 32.

ADVANCED NOTICE OF THE DIG PI COMP Are you preparing your images for the annual PI Comp? Given you have till August 1st before the submission web site opens, why not consider taking something special over the next few weeks – we are especially looking for new work not seen before. With three classes there is definitely something to suit your work.

A great deal of work is going on behind the scenes to give our members an easy submission web site and plenty of support to prepare your images. The rules will be online as a downloadable document and Ken Payne is kindly making us special tutorials to show you step by step how to resize your images and upload them for the DIG PI Comp.

In case you are starting to prepare your images perhaps we should let you know that we will need them to be 4096px wide x 2160px high (max) sRGB and jpg, under 7mb.

33

Digital Imaging Group

34

July 2019

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

GROUP MAGAZINES By the time you read this you should have received DIGIT 81 and the 2019 Print Exhibition Catalogue.

Both are also available online to read using the page turning software. Just click the images of which ever magazine to link to them online.

Catalogue compilation problem.

It has come to our attention that a very small number of the Print Exhibition catalogues have a problem with some missing pages, namely pages 7-14 and 31-38. If you have received one of these faulty ones then do get in touch with our Assistant Editor, Barrie Brown on drbjbrown@gmail.com and he will send you a correct version.

Member feedback has been very positive about the articles in DIGIT this issue and the continued quality of both productions. Thanks to the editorial teams for their continued hard work and to our contributors who provide such interesting and stimulating articles.

35

Digital Imaging Group

July 2019

If you feel you have something to contribute to DIGIT or DIG News then do contact Barrie Brown on the email in the prior paragraph.

This seems to have been an exceptionally big issue of DIG News this month which is very pleasing. If you feel you have something to contribute then do get in touch.

Regards

Janet

Janet Haines ARPS DIG Chair digchair@rps.org

36