East Anglia Observer
Regional Organiser’s Update
Dear Members,
Welcome to the Spring Edition of East Anglia Observer.
As the days grow longer and the warmth of spring returns, it’s the perfect time to dust off your camera and embrace the great outdoors. With brighter days and nature bursting back to life, there are endless opportunities to capture stunning landscapes, wildlife, and vibrant seasonal colors. Whether you enjoy a peaceful woodland walk, coastal exploration, or the buzz of local events, spring is an inspiring time for photography.
Speaking of events, this season also brings plenty of opportunities to meet fellow photographers, share ideas, and showcase your work. Be sure to check out the upcoming gatherings and photowalks the Region and SIGs have planned in the coming months.
A key date for your diary is our Annual General Meeting on 12th April—a great chance to reflect on the past year, discuss plans for the future, and get involved with shaping the Region’s activities. We’d love to see as many members there as possible!
If you want feedback why not book a place on our free Photo Clinics where you can share images and get input from fellow photographers. Talking about discemenation of images, we would love members to submit articles and photographs for inclusion in future copies of East Anglia Observer. Maybe your image could be on the next front page.
If you want take things further and publish your own zine or photobook, we will be running a Phootbook Workshop with Simon Ciappara FRPS in July at Foxton Village Hall.
Simon
Regional Organiser East Anglia
Mobile Phone Photography - Part 1 Travel
Photography
This is the first of a series of articles by Bob JohnsonARPS on use of phone cameras.
I will begin here with travel photography as this was one of the very first genres to benefit from the mobile revolution. In future pieces I will look at portraiture, landscape, panorama’s, accessories, photo apps and processing. Please note that I use the iPhone and so my examples will be from that but all the modern phones offer very similar features.
The first camera phone as we would recognise it was the J-Phone, released by Sharp in the year 2000 with the firstApple iPhone not arriving until June 2007. Interestingly my first digital SLR was the Canon EOS 350D which I purchased in 2006. The J-Phone and its successors completely transformed travel photography as people could now take their holiday snaps and send them electronically to their friends and family.
The first phone with a really serious camera was the Nokia N95 which was released in 2007 and boasted 5-megapixels and a Carl Zeiss lens. This compared favourably with the 2megapixels from that years first iPhone but the so called ‘smart phones’ had so many other advantages over the Nokia’s that they were quickly left behind. Fast forward to today
Images: Cruise America, Himba Women Namibia
and my stunning iPhone 16 Pro offers me a host of features including 48-megapixels, ultra wide angle and up to 25 times digital zoom. In fact my iPhone is so good that I now rarely travel internationally with an SLR unless I plan to shoot wildlife.
So what are the phone's advantages for travel photography apart from the high picture quality that the modern phone provides? Well the first obvious benefit is its small size which allows the phone to just slide into my pocket. But for me the key advantage when travelling is the ability to instantly send pictures to my family, friends and of course to share on social media.
As I write this piece I am on a coach tour of New Zealand with my wife and twenty two other Brits. We have a group WhatsApp and everyone is posting pictures to it and it is all getting very competitive in a light hearted way. Not a single one of my fellow travellers has brought a camera on the trip other than their mobile phone and as the only serious photographer on the trip I am able to help everyone to improve their photography using the WhatsApp chat.
Another advantage of the phone is that even in the most far flung places everyone is comfortable with them and are usually quite happy to have their picture taken. The San Bush Women in Namibia is a good example of this as I am not sure that she would have not been so relaxed had I been using my big SLR. What can also help to break the ice in these more remote situations is being able to instantly show the people their picture which would not have been possible before the year 2000.
Images: Icelandic Horse, San Bush Woman Namibia
As the mobile phone cameras continue to improve I think that less and less people will be travelling with anything other than their smartphones. I imagine that ten or fifteen years ago if I had taken a coach trip around New Zealand there would have been at least a couple of SLR’s and several point and shoot cameras on the bus. Now all twenty four of the passengers carry a camera each and the whole lot would fit into a shoe box.
Taj Maha, Reflection
Tram Christchurch New Zealand
East Anglia - Photobook Workshop
19th July 2025 - Foxton, Cambridgeshire
The RPS recognise the important of photobooks as a object and it has its genre within Distinctions and this workshop will provide participants with an introduction to the genre from a recognised expert Simon Ciappara FRPS.
Photobooks are a powerful and accessible way to share and preserve photography, serving as a creative platform for disseminating visual stories, ideas, and cultural narratives. They occupy a unique space between traditional photo albums and fine art, making them versatile tools for photographers to connect with audiences.
Photobooks allow photographers to craft a cohesive narrative, where the sequencing and layout of images guide the viewer through a story. This curated experience enables deeper engagement than standalone photos often achieve.
Unlike exhibitions or digital galleries, photobooks are tangible, portable, and shareable. They can reach diverse audiences, crossing geographical and cultural boundaries to bring photography into everyday spaces.
A photobook isn’t just a collection of images; it’s an art form. Through creative design, choice of materials, and contextual elements like text or captions, a photobook enhances the photographic content, offering layers of interpretation.
Photobooks often serve as archives of personal or collective histories, documenting moments, movements, or eras in a way that’s both personal and enduring.
Unlike digital platforms, the tactile experience of flipping through a photobook creates a more intimate connection. It encourages reflection and a slower appreciation of the work.
Interested in learning more about photobooks then join us at Foxton. Book via East Anglia Events
Simon JG CiapparaFRPS,is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and sits as an RPS assessor for the Photobook Genre. An accredited Camera Club Judge Simon regularly adjudicates club competitions all over the East Anglia in the UK.Widely regarded as a Fine Photographic Artist, Papermaker, Printer and Bookmaker Simon’s work has found acclaim in many European competitions and has found its way into several “Private Collections”.
As well as Judging Camera Club competitions Simon can provide talks “Discussions” on his Fellowship, Photo Project creation, PhotoBook Making, Paper making and paper choices, fostering creativity in one’s practice, “Off The Wall” moving photography into three dimensions and much more. All talks are interactive and didactic, lectures require audience participation and conversation.
East Anglia - Photo Clinics
New for 2025 the Region has introduced Photo Clinics as a new event series. The first Photo Clinic was held in February and with our first few participants was considered a great success by those who attended.
Here are a couple of the images submitted by members at the February Photo Clinic. For this clinic feedback was provide by Holly Stranks FRPS and Simon Fremont ARPS
What is a photo clinic?
A photo clinic is a focused, interactive session where photographers—amateurs or professionals—submit one or two images to receive expert feedback and personalized guidance. These clinics are designed to help you improve your photography skills by focusing on specific aspects of your work, such as composition, lighting, post-processing, or storytelling.
How the photo clinics will work?
Image Submission: Participants submit 1-2 images ahead of time. Expert Review: Experienced photographers, editors, or mentors analyze your work. Feedback: Feedback will be given in a live group session so that all participants will benefit from the feedback. Practical Tips: Experts provide actionable advice on how to improve and might suggest techniques or tools to use.
Why join a Photo Clinic?
Targeted Improvement: Gain insights on specific strengths and weaknesses in your photos.
Quick Progress: With focused feedback on 1-2 images, you’ll see faster improvement. Networking: Meet other photographers and mentors to exchange ideas and inspiration.
Where to find a Photo Clinic?
Photo clinics are on-line using zoom. The next Photo Clinic is scheduled for the 20th March.
Book via East Anglia Event
Andrea Frasca
Peter Baker
East Anglia - Advisory Day
2025 Advisory Day
Following the successful 2024 Advisory Day at Foxton Village Hall, Cambridgeshire we will be returning to there on the 11th October for the 2025 Advisory Day.
Similar to the format used in 2024 we will be be providing advice for those looking to achieve a distinction at Licentiate (LRPS), Associate (ARPS) or Fellowship (FRPS). For Associate and Fellowship Levels we will cover Landscape, Visual Art and Photobooks
Tickets will be available for Advice and Observers. Observer tickets are a great way to learn about the process before starting your distinctions journey.
Book via East Anglia Events
Sharing Distinction Successes
We really enjoy hearing from those members who have gained a Distinction at all levels as each distinction is the result of many hours of hard work learning new photographic techniques, creating a narrative and refining the images to align with that narrative.
Please contact eastanlgia@rps.org and we will arrange to have your panel shared on the Regions microsite on the RPS website.
Event Calendar
Date Event
20th March Photo Clinic (Zoom)
12th April East Anglia Region AGM (Zoom)
13th April Photowalk Flatford Mill
14th April Talk Walk Talk - Sparrows Nest Gardens
24th April Photo Clinic (Zoom)
27th April Talk Walk Talk - Hylands House
17th May Old Hunstanton and Snettisham - Photowalk (in-person)
22nd May Photo Clinic (Zoom)
19th July Photobook Workshop - Foxton Village Hall (in-person)
11th October Advisory Day - Foxton Village Hall (in-person)
Booking Events
Events can be booked via the following link East Anglia Events
Volunteering
Sense of Fulfillment: Contributing to a cause you care about can bring a profound sense of satisfaction and purpose.
Networking Opportunities: Volunteering can expand your social and professional network, connecting you with like-minded individuals and potential career opportunities.
Making a Difference: Volunteers play a crucial role in addressing societal needs and creating positive change.
We currently have vacancies on the East Anglia Region Committee for the following roles:
• Engagement and Events Officer
• Communication Officer
We are looking for volunteers to support running events! Just 6 hours of your time can make a big difference to the event programme within East Anglia.
If you are interested in any of our volunteer roles, please reach out for more details to EastAnglia@rps.org. Thanks.