RPS Creative Eye Magazine 85

EXHIBITION 2021

THIS YEAR’S EXHIBITION IMAGES SELECTED BY ROGER FORD FRPS EFIAP/g

It was an honour to be invited to be invited to select the Creative Eye Group 2021 Exhibition which proved to be a challenging, but thoroughly enjoyable experience. With in excess of 400 images submitted and an online selection process for the first time, I decided to go back to basics: I would base my selection on the Creative Eye Group’s strapline:

the photographer

As far as possible I would include a full range of subject matter, camera techniques and post processing. When viewing the exhibition, I hope that the result of adopting these principles is apparent. Congratulations to all the photographers who submitted such excellent work to provide a stunning exhibition. Thank you to the Creative Eye Group’s Committee for their assistance and in particular Matt Clarke, for evolving a new online selection process.

CONNECT

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Or search Facebook for ‘RPS Creative’ flickr Flickr flickr.com/groups/3510780@N20/pool

Or search groups for ‘RPS’

Contact: David Ryland ARPS david_1@btinternet.com

Editor: Steve Varman creative.publications@rps.org

Website: rps.org/ceg

COMMITTEE

Chair Moira Ellice ARPS creative.chair@rps.org

Vice-Chair David F Cooke FRPS davidfcooke@btinternet.com

Treasurer Nigel Rea ARPS creative.treasurer@rps.org

Secretary Gillian Beckett ARPS CPAGB creative.secretary@rps.org

Exhibition and Events Co-ordinator Moira Ellice ARPS creative.chair@rps.org

Exhibition Secretary Matthew Clarke BPE3* creativeimage@rps.org

Membership Secretary Bill Coles LRPS creative.membershipsecretary@rps.org

Publications & Web Editor Steve Varman LRPS creative.publications@rps.org

Archivist Barry Freeman ARPS DPAGB APAGB bazfree.photo@gmail.com

Cover: Vase with Nine Sunflowers by Brian Fleming LRPS

Contribute an article

Tell us about your stories, projects and distinction successes. If you would like to submit something for consideration, for either the eNewsletter or Creative Eye magazine, please contact Steve Varman at: creative.publications@rps.org

Next issue: September 2021

© 2021 All rights reserved. Apart from storage and viewing in its entirety for personal reference, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior permission of the copyright holder. The Royal Photographic Society, the Creative Eye Group and the Editor accept no liability for the misuse of any content or for any breach of copyright by a contributor. The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the policies of the Royal Photographic Society or the Creative Eye Group. Unless otherwise indicated, all images are from, and copyright of, the authors.

The Royal Photographic Society, RPS House, 337 Paintworks, Arnos Vale, Bristol, BS4 3AR, UK t

VAT Registration No. GB 753 3057 41 Registered Charity No. 1107831

Submissions by 31st July 2021

Image requirements: At least 2400px on the longest edge, Adobe RGB, TIFF or JPEG.

We look for personal expression in which

seeks to stimulate the imagination and arouse the emotions of the viewer

FROM THE CHAIR

The Members’ 2021 Projected Image Exhibition, selected by Roger Ford FRPS, took place online in January. We celebrate the Exhibition with this special edition of the Creative Eye magazine, superbly put together by its Editor, Steve Varman LRPS.

In March, the Group’s AGM was held online, where we welcomed members from as far away as Australia. With Nigel Rea ARPS being elected Treasurer, the only change to our Committee was the election of Dr David F Cooke FRPS EFIAP as our new Vice-Chair. It gives me great pleasure to welcome David into this role and to give him an opportunity, in this edition of the magazine, to provide his personal introduction to you.

After the AGM, RPS President, Simon Hill HonFRPS, gave an inspirational talk about his photographic career and then brought us up to date with a summary of the Society’s strategic plan. The meeting concluded with a showing of the Members’ Exhibition.

Our first online talk of the year, “Woodland Ways” given by Paul Mitchell FRPS, on Saturday 17 th April, commenced at 3:00pm with all attendees showing a mark of respect for HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle by honouring the National one minute’s silence. My sincere thanks are due to Jan Harris ARPS for her thorough and efficient administration of all aspects of this event, from sourcing the speaker to hosting on the day.

I thank you for your continued support and I wish you much enjoyment with your photography.

FROM THE VICE-CHAIR

As a relatively new member of the group, I am impressed at how dynamic the group is and by the number of different events and activities there are to help our members. Also, we are very fortunate to have a dedicated team of committee members and volunteers who organise and run these.

Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, many of them had to be cancelled for 2020 but one thing which we were able to run and which has proved to be very successful is the series of online talks. These have been attended by members and non-members throughout the world.

My main role for the next 12 months is to help to develop our events and activities so we can benefit all our members by helping them to become better creative photographers.

To do this, I thought I should start with considering the definition of creative photography. There are many possible definitions but one which I feel encapsulates the essence of this genre of photography is: ‘Creative Photography’ is the product of the creative vision of the artist as photographer. It is work designed to fulfil that vision and to be appreciated primarily for its own imaginative, aesthetic and intellectual content’.

The Key phrases for me in this definition are ‘creative vision’ and that it is ‘to be appreciated for its own imaginative, aesthetic and intellectual content’.

In addition, the subject matter of creative photography is not specific and can be wide-ranging in the same way that the paintings you see in art galleries are but, for me, the two phrases I have identified form the backbone of the genre.

To make good creative photographs successfully, then, you need to identify your artistic interests and develop the necessary creative vision and technical skills required to produce the images you want.

Our plans for development of the group should enable you to do just that. To assist in providing the necessary support and learning, we have identified the areas which need to be covered as organising your ideas, discovering your artistic interests, developing creative vision, inspiration, technical knowledge, capturing your ideas in an image, post capture manipulation and presenting your work.

We will be using these headings to guide all our events and activities to ensure that, over time, each of the headings is covered using the most appropriate medium. As part of this, we are planning the development of an extensive members’ only resource base which will provide the necessary teaching and support to help you achieve the goal of making good creative images. We are aware that each of our members will be starting from different skill levels so we plan to cover as wide a range of support as we can.

Work has already started on this and I will ensure that you are kept informed of the developments in regular newsletters.

I hope you find this initiative as exciting as I do and that, as it develops, it will benefit you in your own work and add another level to the benefits of being a member of the group.

David

Moira

AWARDS

In this difficult time which we find ourselves, all the creative arts have been actively portraying Life in Lockdown. This image invites viewers to reflect on their own experiences. The image has been carefully crafted using ‘a message in a bottle’ showing a man dressed ready to leave but trapped inside with Government’s instruction to ‘Stay Home’ . The hands on the glass remind me of those relatives visiting care homes able to only see but not touch their elderly loved ones. Even the inclusion of a block of flats in the background is significant for many urban areas. This image is truly an image of our time and in my opinion is deserving of the gold medal.

The backdrop for this image was a photograph of an empty bottle on the shoreline. I was fascinated by the backlighting and textures of the water and glass. I took several shots of this and although the natural backlighting made an interesting image, it just wasn’t telling a story. When we were placed in the first lockdown I had the idea to use Photoshop to put myself into this bottle to convey a feeling of being trapped, which I hoped would resonate with the viewer. The Photoshop composite had many layers to add the various elements within the bottle and I used blending modes to blend the glass bottle and make it appear transparent whilst still retaining the textures in the glass.

Life In Lockdown by Roger Dixey ARPS GOLD AWARD

ROGER FORD ROGER DIXEY

This swirling square portrait has a wonderful dynamic composition based on the diagonal of a square. The colours of blue, reddy brown and green compliment each other perfectly. Added to this is the inclusion of the rustic coloured ‘leaves’ in the bottom left-hand corner which add significantly to the colour palate within the image. The masterstroke is the posing and lighting of the model with the eyes shut and the exceptional positioning of the hands and fingers to give the effect of pushing and pulling ...and all this in a swirling movement.

Inspired by the swirling fabrics of the Renaissance, pre-Raphaelite and Art Nouveau movements, particularly pictures by Mucha, I set out to capture the same sense of timelessness in my pictures. I like to use fabrics of many colours to represent life, and covering things hidden from our view and perception. By using an using an ultra-wide lens (14 mm) to distort the subject within a “sea” of fabric and the addition of post-process radial blur, to create the whirlpool effect, I developed the image “Drowning in a whirlpool of colour”. The very pale subject is seen to be sucked into a colourful whirlpool representing how the varied pressures of life can, if we are not careful, overcome us.

Drowning in a Whirlpool of Colour by Richard Luxton ARPS HIGHLY COMMENDED

“ ROGER FORD

“RICHARD LUXTON

A vey simple image, but thought provoking nonetheless. How are the corkscrew and egg related? Is the corkscrew meant to depict a body? Does the egg represent birth? Is the screw part of the corkscrew an abdomen? Does this imply illness? Or, as an alternative view is the corkscrew meant to be viewed as a dog with long ears? We are left to decide for ourselves!

One of my main photographic interests is surrealism, the 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images. The Guardian is one of a series of such images which I have created following this concept. Someone asked me recently what the connection was between objects in another of my surrealist images, and I had to explain to her that there was indeed no connection – and that is the whole point – but of course there is no point, other than to amuse, bemuse or confuse!

The Guardian by Neil Scott FRPS HIGHLY COMMENDED

“ ROGER FORD NEIL SCOTT

My feeling on first sight of this image was on of tranquillity, as borne out by the title. The gentle treatment of the waves and the complimentary sky has induced this reaction. However, one conundrum is the billowing sail of the yacht. There are, in my view, two possible explanations. One is that there was wind but the waves which would have resulted have been flattened by the use of a slow shutter speed. The other is that the yacht was placed in the image in postproduction. In ether case it does not matter - I still wish I had been chilling out there.

My inspiration for Tranquility came from the lovely beaches in the Algarve. We are regular visitors to this beautiful coastline and usually walk along the beach at twilight. This is the time of day when the colours are soft, and muted shades of pink and blue hues appear. I panned the image until I was happy with the result, and then waited for a suitable yacht to appear, which I then blended into the image. I was pleased with the end result, as it replicated the mood of the scene.

Tranquillity by Pat Frewin LRPS HIGHLY COMMENDED

“ ROGER FORD PAT FREWIN

A powerful creative image which certainly lives up to the title. The choice of the multiple images of a scull (on first viewing I thought that the sculls all had sun glasses!) with the magnificent high heel boot crushing the sculls perhaps depicts the dominance of women. The dramatic orange sky, repeated by the treatment of the sculls and the complimentary colour of the pattern in the black boot all adds to the drama

I was browsing some images from a model shoot where a skull had been used as a prop and the combination of the beautiful female and the skull suggested something of the femme fatale which, of course, led to the next question of how to portray the concept but to do it symbolically. The final image combines several different views of the skull duplicated numerous times in various orientations combined with a highly decorative boot from a completely different time and place and a spectacular sunset shot from my front door.

Domination by David Ashfield LRPS COMMENDED

“

“ ROGER FORD DAVID ASHFIELD

A well composed monochrome image which induces a sense of foreboding, reminiscent of the Hitchcock film the Birds. This has been assembled with the ominous crow on a log mirroring the shape of the crow and leading the viewer thorough the image past birds in a tree and a flock of birds in the sky. Ultimately one arrives at the Forbidden Castle ...too scared to enter!

This image was inspired by the Alfred Hitchcock film “The Birds”. I wanted to create a scene where birds were menacing and guarding a path to a distant castle. All of the elements of the scene were composited onto a plain backlit grass background. The foreground log was a piece of driftwood and the bird sitting on it was manipulated in Photoshop (lifting its head and opening its beak to make it more menacing). Other birds and a tree were added to give the image depth and some atmospheric mist was added to the background.

The Forbidden Castle by Roger Dixey ARPS COMMENDED

“

“ ROGER FORD ROGER DIXEY

A contemporary piece of monochrome creative street photography. The three girls on the bench are clearly having fun, possibly meeting up in a break during lockdown. The decisive moment has been well caught with the expressions on their faces and body language. However, what takes this image to another level are the three mannequins in the shop window behind them. They appear with blank faces in line above the three girls. But what are they? Are they guardians? Are they ghosts? Are they a vision of the future? We are invited to use our imagination to decide.

Whilst many of the high street shops were closed during lockdown the streets were much quieter and had an eirie atmospheric feel. I noticed the manakins in the dark shop windows were silently observing the few passers by so I set out to create a street photograph to convey this. I used a selective depth of field to separate the foreground figures from their observers and this helped to give the manakins a ghostly feel. The use of monochrome gave the image a more graphic feel and some selective darkening of the background clutter simplified the composition.

The Watchers by Roger Dixey ARPS COMMENDED

ROGER FORD ROGER DIXEY

This image has been cleverly composed with the background of trees muted and suitably lit leaving the dancer and skeleton to perform in the foreground. The harmonious colour rendition accents the macabre feel. The position of the skeleton makes it appear that the dancer is supporting the skeleton, and in my mind, the dance somehow seems to be a metaphor about life and death.

I enjoy producing less conventional images. Dance Macabre was a theme that appealed to me. I shot the model dancing with the skeleton in the studio, having first selected an outfit which I felt suited the theme. Having cut out the model and skeleton, I created a background using sections from two different landscape images. A series of overlays, adjustment layers and selectively applied Nik filters achieved the end result. The image consists of 38 layers and was constructed over several sessions as I like to leave an image for a few days so that I can revisit it with fresh eyes.

Dance Macabre by Reg Clark LRPS COMMENDED

“ ROGER FORD REG CLARK

MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION 2021

denotes 5 points (considered for an award)

Peak Conditions by Jeremy O'Keeffe ARPS

Breaking Through by Leon van Kemenade

Brancaster Beach Sunset by David Jordan FRPS

Lighthouse by Dan Chalmer.

Snowy Snowy Night (Cyanotype) by Ann Miles FRPS

Golden Venice by Cliff Spooner LRPS

Windswept by Tim Sawyer ARPS

Royal Border Bridge by Yvonne Hart

The Shepherd by Roger Dixey ARPS

Southwold Impressions by Paul Bather ARPS

Spem in Alium by Kay-Elvina Sutton

Blossom Tree by Carolyn Newton LRPS

Tree Movement by John Lacey ARPS

Silver Birches in Autumn by Andrew Whettam LRPS

Impression of a Tree by Ghassan Al-Hassani ARPS

Misty Trees by Pat Frewin LRPS

The Abbey and Tony the Pony by Wendy Irwin ARPS

Black Country Museum by Brian Haggerty LRPS

Forest Mystery by Veronica Worrall LRPS

Wings by Carolyn Newton LRPS

Land Lines by Jan Harris ARPS

Hebridean Coast by Leena Roy

by Louise Jones LRPS

Stranded in the Sunset by Alan Powell LRPS

Up Up and Away by Linda Gates

Dreich by Peter Coleby LRPS

Running the Tide by John Wigmore FRPS

Yellow Flower Blue Glass by David Jordan FRPS

Dark Blooms by Patricia Ness

Dog Stroll by Mary Auckland ARPS

Ickworth Church Window by Nigel Rea ARPS

Misty Morning by John Wigmore FRPS

Sheep on the Downs by Graham Zimmermann LRPS

Lento Molto

by Andrew Whettam LRPS

The Crowd by Lynda Golightly

Little Whelnetham Church by Mick Cant

Chance Meetings by Angela Ford ARPS

Water Lily by William Coles LRPS

Autumn by John Thompson ARPS

Bouquet by David Ashfield LRPS

The Tulip by George Heath LRPS

Purple Lissianthus by William Coles LRPS

Grape Hyacinth by Pat Brennan LRPS LIPF

Wild Rose by Janina Nash LRPS

In Aqua Allium by Mike Hill LRPS

A Hint of Lilac by Pat Frewin LRPS

Vase with Nine Sunflowers by Brian Fleming LRPS

Elegance by Julie Cowdy ARPS Violet Creams by Julie Cowdy ARPS

Dust to Dust by Julie Cowdy ARPS

Wet Cyanotype of Eaten Cauliflower Leaf by Marion Sidebottom ARPS

Sliced Tulip by Philip Quarry FRPS

Birth of a Tomato by Joan Jordan ARPS

Four Roses Multi by John Harrison

Ice Flowers by Ernest Wright

Dance of the Dried Tulip by Linda Gates

Dandilion Dancer by Mark Frisby

Knotted Wood Abstract by Melvyn Frewin LRPS

Car Light by Neil Milne ARPS

Wareham Forest Fire by Katherine Rynor ARPS

Fascinating Rhythm by Keith Sawyer ARPS

Heart Lights by Rob Kershaw ARPS

Autumn Impression by Andy Smith LRPS

Ra by Barbara Bogacka ARPS

Singapore Skyline by Neil Milne ARPS

Dancing in the Mist by David Townshend ARPS

Spiked Water by Simon Joseph

Flowers in the Breeze by David Townshend ARPS

Lockdown #4 by Paul Wells

The End of the Day by Keith Sawyer ARPS

Goldfinger by David Harris ARPS

Nightmare Journey by David Harris ARPS

Curious Curves by Allisdhair McNaull One

Years On by Paul Raynor

Soldiers of Independence by Paul Raynor

by John Jennings LRPS

Indifference by Robin Myerscough

Stack of Chairs by Joan Jordan ARPS

Wind Catcher by Colin Southgate FRPS Painting

With Light by Mike Hill LRPS

The Whole World in Her Hands by Brian Fleming LRPS

Towner Gallery Lines by Paul Bather ARPS

Vortex of Time by Mary Auckland ARPS

The Beast of the Winter Wood by David Jordan FRPS

Flights of Fancy by Lynda Golightly

Breakfast by Carol Graham

Flamingos by Steve Varman LRPS

An Unexpected Visitor by Dave Balcombe ARPS

Misty Morning Chat by Prem Muthu

Mating Red Shield Bugs by Kay-Elvina Sutton

Different Point of Moo by Clive Watkins LRPS

Foxes in a Field by Lynda Mudle-Small ARPS

Kelpies Arise by Ann Healey LRPS

Feeding Frenzy by Barry Freeman ARPS

Baying for the Moon by Mary Auckland ARPS

Thor (Eastern Angles Theatre Company/Ragnarok)

by Mike Kwasniak ARPS

Sophie with a Pearl Earring by Brian Fleming LRPS

Last Drink by Ray Duffill

The Backside of Life by Mike Bareham

The Joker by Steven Whittaker ARPS

Madra Mor Boxing Academy by Mark Edwards ARPS

Underwater 750

by Mark Frisby

Plastic? by Nur Tucker LRPS Alice Through the Looking Glass by Nur Tucker LRPS

Ice Chamber by Steve Peel

Indifference by Steven Molnar LRPS

Folded Body by Steven Molnar LRPS

2020 by Katherine Rynor ARPS

Transition by Reg Clark LRPS

by Jeremy Rodwell ARPS

by Brian Swinyard ARPS

Ballerina by Peter Tilley LRPS

White Flowers Dark Forest by Richard Luxton ARPS

Frozen by Richard Luxton ARPS

Ode to Magritte by Wendy Irwin ARPS

Blue Bottles by Wendy Irwin ARPS

A Touch of Lilac by Pat Frewin LRPS

Blue Bottle with Orange by Alexander Cowie ARPS

Black Daisy and Chair by Steven Whittaker ARPS

Autumn Leaves with Bottles by Alexander Cowie ARPS

Pineapple and Eggshell by Neil Scott FRPS

Royal Academy Here We Come by Brian Fleming LRPS

Drip by George Heath LRPS A Rusty Lockdown by Emma Meaney

Falkirk Wheel by Iain Blacklaw

Watching Time Pass by Rob Kershaw ARPS

Olympic Curves by Brian Titchiner

NYC Iron by David Kors

Hotel Pool by Martin Parratt ARPS

Croydon Parking Garage -

Rear View by Leon van Kemenade Broken

Reflections by David Jordan FRPS

Millau by Jeremy Griffiths LRPS

Hong Kong High Rise by Andrew Whettam LRPS

On the Tiles by Andy Smith LRPS

Painting the Town Red by Barry Collin LRPS

I'm Watching You by Rob Kershaw ARPS

Aliens by Patricia Ness

Twirl by Matt Clarke

by Peter Coleby LRPS

Rush Hour by Karen Brickley LRPS

Hand of the Eagle by Angela Ford ARPS

Lockdown Blues by Mervyn Mitchell ARPS

Line Manager's Meeting by Christine Prickett ARPS

Imposition by Dain Evans LRPS

Circuit Breaker by Melanie Chalk ARPS

Vent and Lamp by John Bull LRPS

Time Traveller by Janet Turnbull Oxford Blues by Margaret Rainey FRPS New York New York by Alan Porter LRPS

The Street Lamp by Terry Day LRPS

After the Over by Paul O'Flanagan LRPS

The Car, the Donkey and the Bicycle by Christine Prickett ARPS

Cuban Car by Gill Beckett ARPS

Crossing London by Andy Smith LRPS

At Speed by Terry Day LRPS

Working Girls by Mark Frisby

Winter Walk by Harman Hopkins LRPS

Position Yourself by Clive Watkins LRPS

After the Show by Colin Prickett ARPS

Lover's Lane by David Ryland ARPS

Michigan Avenue, Chicago by Steve Geer ARPS

Roof Structure by Alexander Cowie ARPS

War Zone by Palli Gajree Hon.FRPS

Vertical Lines, Lille by John Probert LRPS

DIARY

CREATIVE EYE GROUP MEMBERS’ DAY

Presentations of members’ work, including recent projects, distinctions and achievements.

When: Sunday 6th June

Time: 10:30 to 15:00 BST (9:30 to 14:00 GMT)

Cost: FREE (booking required)

Where: Online

CREATIVE EYE GROUP MEMBERS’ 2020 PRINT & 2021 PI EXHIBITION

When: Thursday 24th June to Sunday 24th July

Time: 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 16:00 (Mon-Sat)

Cost: FREE

Where: The Apex Gallery, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3FD

ABSTRACT WITH A BIT OF LANDSCAPE LINDA BEMBRIDGE FRPS

Linda’s work varies from representational to abstract, moving along a continuum between the two, using a combination of in-camera techniques such as multiple exposure, and the embellishment of prints.

When: Saturday 14th August 2021

Time: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)

Cost: FREE (booking required)

Where: Online

WORKING IN THE DARK MIKE KWASNIAK ARPS

A joint presentation with the Western Region

East Anglian photographer Mike Kwasniak has worked with professional theatres, youth theatres and amateur theatre companies since 1984.

In his presentation Mike will share some of his images, along with a little bit of theatre history, an illustration of the challenges, a few anecdotes, a bit of gossip, a horror story or two, a peek inside his camera bag, and an explanation of his nail-biting path to becoming an ARPS.

When: Sunday 13th June 2021

Time: 10:30 to 13:00 BST (9:30 to 12:00 GMT)

Cost: FREE (booking required)

Where: Online

LIGHTROOM TIPS & TRICKS JOE HOUGHTON

Joe is an Adobe Certified Expert in Lightroom, and has used this powerful image processing programme since before it was officially released. He has trained hundreds of photographers at all levels to use Lightroom, and produced video training courses. His catalogue has over 600,000 images in it.

This session will teach you new and fascinating ways of using the power of Lightroom Classic

When: Saturday 3rd August 2021

Time: 15:00 BST (14:00 GMT)

Cost: FREE (booking required)

Where: Online

* For further details regarding events please visit the Creative Eye Group website: rps.org/ceg

THANKS FOR READING

...and a big thank you to this edition’s contributors. We welcome submissions from Creative Eye Group members, so if you have a distinction success, story, image or a project that you would like to share, please let us know. Feedback is very welcome and gratefully received. Please send your comments and suggestions to the editor.

CONTACTS

Steve Varman (Editor) creative.publications@rps.org

Website rps.org/ceg

Social facebook facebook.com/groups/rpscg flickr flickr.com/groups/rps-creative