Royal Photographic Society DIG News

DIG News - March 2018

‘Steamy Windows’ by Janet Haines ARPS Winner of the DIG monthly competition for February.

DIG ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) As everyone should know from all the emails we have been sending out, this could not go ahead on March 4th as planned due to adverse UK wide weather conditions.

The rescheduled meeting has had to be organised mid week due to the remaining March weekends having clashes with various significant photographic meetings that we know our members are already booked in to go to.

This meeting will be for the AGM and Exhibition print selection only.

Irene Froy has kindly agreed to come as our AGM speaker in 2019 instead, when she will also be a selector. We have had to change all our Exhibition Selectors so we thank those who were supporting us and those who have taken on the role at short notice: Andy Beel FRPS, Paula Davies FRPS (plus one other) will be with us on March 14th.

All the information you need about the new venue, times, food, exhibition prints etc are all on the web page HERE. Please read it carefully, especially if you are no longer able to come and bring your prints with you as we are making special provision for you to post them to us at our expense. But it is important that they reach us in time.

The DIG AGM has now been moved to Wednesday 14th March at 11.00 It will take place at the Shinfield Players Theatre, Whitley Wood Lane, Reading, RG2 9DF. The revised timetable will be:10.30 doors open 11.00 AGM 12.00 close AGM 12.15 Start prints 13. 15 Lunch 14.00 Prints 15.30 finish

We apologise to those of you further north as we appreciate that the journey may now be too far for you to come. But it was a case of reworking things at such short notice that we had to compromise to make it happen at all.

FORUM Earlier this month the DIG and RPS Forums were closed down by direction from the Trustees (Council). We understand that on the public facing part of the forum that someone posted an inappropriate comment about the work of one of the Society’s young bursary winners’ work on her Downs Syndrome child. We had only 4 or 5 days notice and many of our forum members were extremely unhappy, enough to email direct to the Trustees and CEO. DIG Committee worked hard to try to rescue the situation and also to down load over night the entire DIGIT Archive, which was stored there.

One member has started an unofficial forum for RPS members. http://urps.boardhost.com/index.php if you want to join up.

We have looked at the possibility of finding an outside source to use but could not yet find one to meet our criteria – free, easy to use with the ability to post photos direct to the forum for commenting. So if any members knows of a web offering that meets this criteria please let us know.

In the meantime we have not given up hope that the Trustees will agree to the Society Forum being turned back on as a closed user group, with strict rules and guidelines. We are still trying !

FORUM MONTHLY COMP This has been moved to the DIG web pages HERE as a temporary measure. Any DIG member wishing to submit an image for March should email it to digweb@rps.org - information is on the web page about size etc.

Last month the competition was moved to the web pages after some members had already posted on the forum and were therefore lost.

However we still had submissions and the winner for the month was Janet Haines ARPS.

The beautiful Ivory Flame came to my home to work with me early in February.

She is always a delight to work with – is professional and extremely capable. We talk about what I am trying to achieve and she quickly gets into role and gives me the look and feel of emotions that I am seeking to convey.

For ‘Steamy Windows’ we were inspired by the Tina Turner song. So Ivory Flame quickly got in character and produced some great poses for me. I have possibly at least another 10 equally good ones.

Taken in the shower the difficulty was to not be reflected in the glass and to avoid any obvious bathroom equipment. We were using natural window lighting. This is a surprisingly straight shot for me.

‘San Polo’ by Janice Payne ARPS was 2nd place

with Andre Bergmans ‘Resistance and Revolution’ 3rd.

DIG DISTINCTIONS As we will be announcing at the AGM, DIG are going to be putting together a new member benefit in the form of a Distinctions publication. This will be an online publication but we are hoping that you will be able to order printed copies if you want one.

Anyone gaining their Distinctions from January 2018 will be contacted and asked to contribute their panel. We want it to be a celebration of our members’ successes. But a little more in depth than that which we have been doing each month here in DIG News.

Work is just beginning on the very first issue. We will of course keep you updated with progress and give you the online link once it is published.

So from this month we will no longer be featuring a Distinctions panel in this publication, but will acknowledge recent successes as normal.

Since the start of the year there have only been LRPS panels. Let us congratulate the following DIG members on having achieved theirs…..

Andrew Vance LRPS Bruce Broughton LRPS Stephen Jupp LRPS Jenny Hodd LRPS Paul Bullock LRPS Ann Belcher LRPS Stephen Hyam LRPS Edward Simpson LRPS Allan Fisher LRPS Robert Howarth LRPS

Chichester Uckfield Farway Ely Northwich Iver London Lichfield Bridgend Lowestoft

TRAINING VIDEOS Ken seems to have been really busy this month producing new tutorials, so we will respond in kind and give you links to three this month.

Greetings Members - It’s quite amazing what you can get out of a dull image providing it’s a RAW. I finish up by adding a sun with rays in Luminar.

2. Prepare the image in Lightroom Classic for a new sky and then export to Photoshop CC to add the new sky using the Blend If Option.

3. In this video I create a Pano out of eight images in Lightroom Classic, add an Auto adjustment and then export out to Luminar to add some Sun Rays. Then back into Lightroom and out to Photoshop to add a birdie. All good fun, check it out by clicking on the link below. Run time 15 mins.

click on the images to link through to the correct web page.

DI EXPO

It is the time of year when the committee have to make up their minds as to whether or not to support another DI Expo. We have run the prior two in alternate years, so if we were going to do one in 2019 then we would have to start about now with all the planning.

Following a lot of debate the committee have decided that they will not run one in 2019. This decision will be reviewed again in spring of 2019 in regard to holding one in 2020.

It was not an easy decision to make but was predicated on the difficulty of selling the tickets in 2017, only 50% of which were sold to DIG members and their partners. We did not sell all the seats. We ran at a loss. It is an inordinate amount of work for the volunteers. Given that the Expo is put on primarily for DIG Members we therefore felt that as insufficient of you we benefitting from the opportunity to hear great speakers and learn new things, that to run another simply did not make sense.

In addition there are now so many photographic seminar style weekends and meetings put on by other organisations, who are possibly nearer to where some members live, that these also detract from the DI Expo.

MEMBERS GALLERIES Two very different galleries this month. But both equally worth taking the time to have a look at.

Sheila Haycox ARPS

My first journey to the Far East was to Hong Kong in April 2017. The contrast between the jetset waterfront with their many designer shops, glass fronted skyscrapers and the districts behind, which often look shabby and neglected, is huge. Though the lifestyle may appear to be different, the residents of Hong Kong have the same needs and desires as we in the west. It's a different world but yet the same.

Wherever you go, people need to travel to work, go shopping, prepare food and enjoy themselves with friends.

We explored Kowloon, where we stayed at the Metropark Hotel Kowloon, its markets, Hong Kong Island, Tai O on Lantau Island, famous for its stilt houses and the Chinese white dolphin, Cheung Chau noted for its annual Bun Scrambling ceremony and the Monastery of 10000 Buddhas, a unique mingling of Buddhist and Daoist practice.

click on the images to take you to the gallery to see the album.

VOLUNTEERING WITH THE SOCIETY Finding volunteers to fill roles is often difficult. So many members like attending meetings etc but too few are willing to put some effort in to making things happen. Others, like our DIG S. E. Centre organiser seem to throw themselves into it whole heartedly. We thought we would try to catch up with Bruce Broughton-Tompkins LRPS and ask him to find yet a few more ‘spare’ minutes to tell us what he is up to…..

I am fortunate to have been appointed recently as Regional Organiser for the Southeast Region.

I am also organiser for the Digital Imaging Group South-East Centre.

The RPS is going through a lot of changes at the moment including relocating to its new head office to Bristol.

Part of the changes relate to the management structure of the RPS with the aim of facilitating better communication between the grass roots and Council, while maintaining transparency at all levels. The new structure requires that all ROs are automatically drafted onto the RO Standing Committee. The organisers for the special interest groups (SIGs) such as DIG now have their own SIG Standing committee.

Each of these committees are required to meet at least twice a year though probably more often. The aim of the committee is to exchange ideas, discuss problems and report up to HQ items that need addressing. The committee also disseminates information from HQ or Council.

Items for discussion at the moment will include the website, which is being replaced. The regional boundaries cause problems because

members living close to a boundary may not get information from the adjoining boundary which might only be 5 miles away. Each of these committees has two co-Chairs who automatically become members of the Representatives Committee. I am one of the co-chairs representing the Regional Organisers.

This committee comprises Representatives from Finance, Membership, Distinctions, Overseas members, our own committees and others where necessary. The Representatives committee discusses the reports from the various committees, decides on the necessary actions and reports directly to Council as necessary.

This structure may seem onerous but we have a very large membership and I believe it is an effective way of managing it.

I hope this gives some explanation of how the RPS now functions hopefully for the benefit of all.

CHECKING OUT THE NEW BRISTOL HQ Contributed by Chas Hockin LRPS Thanks Chas for popping along to take a look for us all. Be great to see the inside when the place opens for business later this year.

Now that it is confirmed that HQ is moving to Bristol, I thought I would have a look at the location where it is going to be based. I travelled to Bristol by train, and got off at Temple Meads station. I had established that the site, called “The Paintworks� was south east of the station, along the Bath Road. A brisk 20 minute walk, slightly uphill, brought me to the site. It is roughly divided into two areas. The first part you reach is mainly commercial, consisting of small businesses. It has recently been regenerated so the premises look new. There are some apartments above the properties.

Further east, is a residential area and this is where HQ is going to be based. It is in a premises called the TV Building as it has a couple of faux TV dials on a wall and an aerial on top. The building is adjacent to the

Martin Parr foundation. From the outside it obviously looks much bigger than the present Fenton House, so that bodes well for the proposed new uses that are envisaged. See The Journal for more info on that.

I took a number of pictures to give you a feel of the area. Outside the site the area looks pretty run down, and there isn’t much to do on the site itself. There is a café on the site, but there didn’t appear much else.

(Although it was a Saturday when I visited, so a number of things might have been closed). The area where HQ is going to be is still under development and some building work was going on. Although there was some public parking spaces, I think overall it will be limited. Will have to wait and see on that.

If you intend to pay a visit when it is all up and running, I would suggest catching a bus (or taxi) from the city centre or station to The Paintworks.

It only takes 5 minutes and the bus costs about a pound. There is a bus stop adjacent to the east end of the area, which is where you want to be. Take in what the HQ has to offer, pay a visit to Martin Parrs premises if that’s your thing, and then I would suggest combining your visit with a trip into Bristol itself. The docks area has been regenerated as well, and I enjoyed a trip on the ferry all around the area. (Catch it from behind the station). Plenty to see and do.

CEO PODCAST We thought some of you might find the WEX Togcast interview with Michael Prichard interesting. https://thetogcast.podbean.com then scroll down the page to No 32

DIG CENTRES 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.

Thames Valley Centre

Eastern Centre

Southern Centre

DI Centre Scotland

WELCOME It is so encouraging to see the new members lists each month. Amongst this months list are a few folks who took up our offer for a free trial membership as offered at the DI Expo last September. Welcome to you all – we hope you will enjoy the group and engage with our activities.

Peter Rees FRPS - Shrewsbury Gordon Thomas ARPS - Bristol Kevin Maskell FRPS - Herts Geraint Bather ARPS - Bexleyheath Bryan Rees LRPS - Northwich David Ward ARPS - Bromsgrove John Horne ARPS - Epsom Andrew Leeming LRPS – Worcs Edward Flannighan - Wigtown Roy Backhouse LRPS – Bedford Alan Hodgeson FRPS – Macclesfield Richard Tucker ARPS – Swiss Alison Buchanan LRPS – Uckfield Barbara Springall LRPS – IOW Neil Atkinson - Whitely Bay Barry Hoffman LRPS – Herts John Wilcox LRPS - Wisbech Caroline Preece LRPS – Arundel Pam Hunt – Wareham Susan Leonard LRPS – Ossett Janine Ball LRPS – Deal Robin Cooter - Rugby

Cliff Spooner LRPS – Hereford John Murray - Woodford Melissa Peakman LRPS – Harrogate Jonathan Cowdock LRPS – Kent Keith Lock – Birmingham Jonathan Burridge – Mid Glam Dave Wild - Mansfield Margaret Collis ARPS – Bristol Robert Smith ARPS – Dunoon Diane Seddon LRPS – Louth David Balaam – Ashted Jacki Rosin - Coventry Avril Christensen - Ashford Bob Collis - Reading Emma Wardrope - Glasgow Mark Freeth - Stafford

John Urquhart LRPS – Ellon Janie Chapman – Northampton J Fraser- Mitchell LRPS – Herts Paul Minshull – Worcester James Kirkland – London Richard Vincent – Gloucester Roger Ford FRPS – Beckenham Angela Ford ARPS - Beckenham Greg Duncan ARPS – Broadstone Jean Jameson LRPS – London Phil Dunbar - France Kay Fackrell - Bromley Lynne Curren - Singapore Sarah Healy - Redhill Eric Tatham - Rugby Kenneth Keay - Lydney

DIGIT The DIGIT Editorial team have almost finished putting the next issue together so we would anticipate this being out by the end of the month.

Don’t forget DI Online members that you will receive an email with a link to enable you to read it online using the same easy to read page turning software that we use for this DIG News.

So watch your door mats – watch your emails – as it promises to be another great issue.

SIG LINK Only the Travel Group have sent us anything to promote to you this month‌..

click on the ad to go direct to the event page for more information

AN OVERSEAS MEMBER We are especially delighted to have a contribution for this months featured Overseas member Lajos Nagy, from Romania. Can we imagine how isolated he must feel as a Society member over there. UK DIG members complain when they don’t have a Centre on their doorstep, but Lajos rarely has the opportunity to engage with his fellow group

members. So we are really pleased to have invited him as your guest this month and to share with you his story and beautiful images.

CLOSE TO NATURE Since my childhood I like walks in the nature, observing and feeling the life, the pulse, and the wonder of nature – let it be stones, rocks, waters, rivers, plants, forests, meadows, and animals – is an urge of the photographer to make the magical experience immortal.

To see and to show as if I have immortalized those characteristic moments, the ones I experienced, then those happenings, feelings and moods that I want to display in pictures for the ones interested.

Grey Heron with fish

Currently, my exhibited pictures are a small selection from my nature pictures photographed over the last 20 years. These pictures show plants and animals in their features, appearance, and habits. Pulsatillas in counter lights, a butterfly in its gracefulness, or a deer passing over the river in the fire of the sundown. Birds with their caught prey, beeeaters with grasshoppers or dragon-flies, and flying, fishing, swallowing fish and fighting water birds. Here is also the fox with fish stolen from the birds.

Pulsatilla 13

The technical help brings us really closer to the nature. A good macro lens takes us closer to the micro worlds, plants, butterflies, and insects.

A good tele lens take us closer to the shy, wild and dangerous mammals and birds. But these lenses must be paired with a good camera and with the good eyes of the photographer.

And now, let the pictures talk for themselves about the wonderful nature.

Lajos Nagy, EFIAP/d1, MPSA, MAAFR

Mine is bigger than yours

Run away with the fish

Each month we welcome contributions to DIG News from our members, so if you are organising an event for DIG members or perhaps have a private exhibition of your work then why not get in touch. A few short paragraphs and an image and you are pretty likely to get it included.

We hope you have enjoyed this months issue – being house bound because of the snow has at least meant DIG News will be issued a few days early this month.

Regards

Janet

Janet Haines ARPS DIG Chair digchair@rps.org