RPS Landscape Group Newsletter, June 2018

NEWSLETTER JUNE 2018 / VOL. 3 / NO. 5

Index 1 Editorial 2 News Roundup 3 Members Gallery 4 Committee News Image by Mark Reeves - See Page 11

Editorial Hello. Welcome to this first newsletter from me.

I must thank my predecessor, Jim Souper, for all his hard work and attention to detail in all the previous newsletters.

He has set a high standard for me to follow, and technology doesn’t always help. Naively I thought that transferring Microsoft Word formatting would stay the same – from Jim’s machine to mine. NO! the formatting went haywire – so any problems on this edition should be corrected by next time.

As always, these newsletters are nothing without your input.

I hope you will continue to send in your images and short articles. Remember, there will always be other Members interested in your photographic endeavours, or experiments.

If you are going somewhere for your holidays, especially if slightly off the beaten track, why not make some notes as a basis for a travel article in a future edition? Up to 500 words and, say, four images is all that is required.

5 Conference & AGM 6 Northern Ireland 8 China 10 Infrared Photography 11 My Favourite Location 12 Events

Submissions The deadline for submissions to the next newsletter is Friday 20th July. Please note that it may be necessary to hold some submissions for a future newsletter.

Enjoy your holidays, or summer shooting.

If you have an idea for article, please send a brief synopsis of the purpose and content of the piece. Please submit your images as jpegs, sized to 72 dpi with 1200 pixels along the longest edge and borderless.

Regards Mick Rawcliffe Newsletter Editor

Please send all submissions by email to: landscapenews@rps.org

Ideas about the newsletter are always welcome. Constructive criticism, or suggestions for new articles can stimulate healthy debate. This is your newsletter – anything to do with Landscapes, Seascapes etc widen our knowledge.

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News Round Up Library Live is Manchester Central Library’s cultural programme, where unexpected, sociable and stimulating things happen.

Hit the North From incisive studio portraiture to grand rural vistas, Hit the North celebrates northern photography across five decades. The exhibition is curated by Manchester-based Hobo Photo, which promotes photography with high-quality roving exhibitions.

First Floor Exhibition Hall Until 30 Jun 2018 Mon-Thurs, 9am-8pm; Fri & Sat, 9am-5pm

Chronical Ffotogallery – Cardiff

This show marks 40 years since the first dedicated photography gallery opened in Wales. Displays of archive and contemporary material chart the gallery’s development, and its role in the careers of some now famous names, such as Martin Parr and Paul Graham.

Ffotogallery.org

Until 4th August

Free

Landscape Photographer of the Year 2018 (Take a view) #12 The 2018 Landscape Photographer of the Year competition is open for entries. Closing date is 7th July 2108 Could you be the 12th winner?

Those of you who saw the 2017 touring exhibition at Network Rail mainline stations will appreciate the high standard of landscape photography in the UK. Anyone can enter.

Further details of the competition, including the different categories, can be viewed at https://www.take-a-view.co.uk/

NEWSLETTER MARCH 2018 / VOL. 3 / NO. 3

Members' Gallery

Grass Wood by John Patterson LRPS

Spring Woodland by John Patterson LRPS

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E-Critique circles

Committee News

Following the success of the print circles we are delighted that Gerry Phillipson has volunteered to set up an e-critique circle. The circle will allow members to get constructive feedback on the digital images by the circulation of an electronic image rather than a physical print. Gerry is now looking for members to join the circle and it is his intention to have the first circle with 10 members. If there are more requests for membership then we will operate a waiting list as for the current print circles until we have enough members for another circle.

The essence of the way that the circle will operate is that members will submit their image by the beginning of the month. The circle co-ordinator will then circulate a folder with all the image in, which members will receive. Each member will then write a critique of each photograph and circulate it to the group. In this way it is hoped that the photographer will develop a broader photographic base. To participate on the circle it is essential that your anti-virus software is up to date.

The circle will operate monthly.

If you are interested to join the first circle please contact Gerry at phillipsongerry@gmail.com. Gerry will then send you further details.

Members day On Sunday, 25th November we will hold a Members day at Smethwick Photographic Society’s HQ, The Old Schoolhouse Churchbridge, Oldbury West Midlands B69 2AS Starting 10.00 for 10.30am through to 16.30 Teas and coffees will be supplied but please bring your own lunch.

The day will include:- A guest speaker, a Q&A session, followed by Members’ presentation of their prints/pdi’s. Please bring your images for a constructive and informal presentation and critique.

This is an opportunity to meet your landscape colleagues, and all the Committee Members will be in attendance.

Free to Landscape SIG members - £5 to others. Bookings through the Events page.

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2019 Landscape Conference and AGM I am pleased to announce that the 2019 weekend conference is now open for booking.

The conference will take place over the weekend of 1/2/3 March 2019 in Great Malvern, Worcestershire. With more still to be added, the line-up so far features talks by experts on a range of subjects including monochrome landscapes, woodland photography, photographing in northern climes and planning the perfect location shoot. There will be practical workshops on postprocessing landscape images, mounting your prints and how to gain RPS distinctions with landscape images as well as a number of guided location shoots in the local area. I am hoping to be able to also include a speaker or workshop on using drones for landscape photography.

Not only will we have more speakers than in 2017, but also attendance will be at a lower price.

Taking advantage of the early booking discount, landscape group members can book fully inclusive residential places from £290 in a single room or £240 in a shared room. Alternatively, attendance on a non-residential basis starts at £95 for the weekend.

For more details and to make your booking, see the conference web page.

Inevitably, places are limited and in our most recent members' survey, 2/3rds of the 200 respondents told us they were likely to book a place on the next conference. So I hope you will wish to come, and I encourage you to book early!

Mark Reeves Events Manager

Iceberg, Disko Bay, Greenland by speaker Marianthi Lainas

http://rps.org/events/2019/march/01/landscape-group-weekend-conference-and-agm

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Northern Ireland by Lawrence Eagling

Northern Ireland is a landscape photographers’ dream location, with a diverse array of photographic opportunities within reach. From central Belfast it’s a short hop along the coastal road north for vistas from rugged cliffs across the wild Irish Sea or turning inland, heading south east through rolling green countryside to the Mourne mountains. I have been lucky enough to call Northern Ireland my home for the past 6 years and throughout this time I have been exploring a wide range of photographic scenes. During my travels I have found some breath-taking viewpoints which I return to throughout the seasons and I am confident there are many more to be found.

As a marine biologist I am drawn to the water, and my favourite locations revolve around the northern most parts of the Irish Sea, edging into the Atlantic. The sheer variety of coastline around Northern Ireland provides a fantastic scope for seascapes from beautiful soft beaches, to craggy cliff edges and even sea waterfalls, all of which make for great opportunities!

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When away from the coast I love to be in the Mourne Mountains as they offer a real sense of peaceful wilderness. Often you can walk for several hours and not see another person (although the descending cloud and mist often play a factor here)! With a variety of peaks and crags, with views down long deserted valleys to reservoirs and the sea behind, under a constantly changing weather system, this region never disappoints for photographic opportunities.

Lastly, a favourite location close to where I live, Strangford Lough and the surrounding countryside offers great shots of tamed fields, reflections in the water and stunning sunsets which are all fantastic resources to have so close to home. If you are visiting the area, I would highly recommend exploring some of these places slightly off the beaten track away from the better known sights.

I hope you have the opportunity to visit Northern Ireland, I cannot recommend it enough for photographers, and I’m confident you will find it an inspirational place.

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Be There Early!

A Journey into China Duncan Locke LRPS In April 2017 I did a combined landscape and nature photography tour in China. This article covers two superb landscape locations: Huangshan Mountain, which translates as the Yellow Mountains in English and the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (NFP), the inspiration behind the floating islands in the film Avatar.

Internal tourism is becoming very developed in China. Be warned that almost every major landscape destination you visit will be crowded and for say sunrise, you have to be there (very) early to have any chance of getting your camera set-up at the front!

The Yellow Mountains are located close to the city of Huangshan and Zhangjiajie NFP is about 40km north of the city of Zhangjiajie. There is a mass of information available on-line about both locations (Wikipedia has good summary articles on both – search Huangshan and Zhangjiajie NFP) so I will not go into detail here. Both locations consist of massive vertical mountains or rock pillars formed by glaciation or erosion by weather with trees that seems to grow in impossible places. The Yellow Mountains are the higher of the two reaching up to over 1800m whereas Zhangjiajie NFP goes up to about 1100m.

At both locations it is necessary to first ascend to altitude – in our case for both by cable car. Descent from the Yellow Mountains was by cable car, but from Zhangjiajie NFP by the world’s highest outdoor lift, the 326m high Bailong Elevator (see on-line articles).

The photography at both locations is very similar and from viewing platforms with the camera most often on a tripod.

Unless you go well off the beaten track these are reached by paved paths with stone steps to go up and down (there is no shortage of up and down!) and the platforms even if in precipitous positions are well made with secure hand rails.

Hoar frost – Yellow Mountains Next morning we were due to photograph the sunrise at about 0600hrs. ‘Be in reception ready to leave at 0430hrs’ was the instruction for a sunrise site about ten minutes walk away. Why leave so early? We need to ‘Be there Early’ – you’ll see why! We were ready at 0430hrs only to look out on thick fog – so no sunrise. Fortunately a miracle happened and a few hours later the fog cleared and we were left with a fine sunny day – weather that we kept for the remainder of our time in the Mountains – and it was not cold either so no more frost or thermal underwear!

On the second day we did leave at 0430hrs and got the sunrise and although I wasn’t at the front of the viewing platform I was close enough to get some good images. We spent the remainder of that day walking between hotels stopping to take photographs on the way including sunset.

Next day, after a dawn shoot, we made our way back to the first hotel taking photographs until sunset. On the final morning we took more photographs on our walk back to the cable car.

There is one major difference between the two locations: in the Yellow Mountains you have to walk everywhere whereas in Zhangjiajie NFP there is a well developed road network so minibuses can take you close to the viewing platforms. In the Yellow Mountains there are very good western style hotels but at Zhangjiajie NFP accommodation in the mountains is extremely limited and we spent two nights in a guesthouse, best described as adequate!

Arriving by cable car in the Yellow Mountains midafternoon, we were unexpectedly greeted by a thick cold mist and hoar frost on the trees. Thermal underwear weather, but great for photography so we made the most of it as we walked to our hotel.

Sunrise – Yellow Mountains

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Rock Formations – Yellow Mountains Transfer from Huangshan to Zhangjiajie NFP involved two long coach journeys and an internal flight and saw us arriving late into the town of Wulingyuan which is close to the National Forest Park. After an overnight stay we arrived by cable car in the Park late morning to be greeted by excellent photographic weather with low cloud around the peaks, which we had for a full day before rain stopped play.

Rock Pillar with Natural Bridge behind (top left) – Zhangjiajie NFP

Mountains in Low Cloud – Zhangjiajie NFP Do go if you can! Transport, accommodation and food are all good to excellent. For a change from Chinese food, there is a large branch of McDonald’s close to the viewing platforms in the Zhangjiajie NFP! Two practical points to finish.

Firstly in both locations, it is not practical to take more than an overnight bag plus your camera gear up into the mountains. Our Chinese guide provided us with overnight bags to put a few clothes, battery chargers, laptop, etc. in and we left our main luggage in the hotels that we stayed in before and after going into the mountains.

Secondly there is a lot of walking involved, the paths are good with steps to go up and down, but do wear walking boots and go prepared for mountain weather. Be warned that in the Yellow Mountains you have to walk everywhere carrying your camera gear. Unless you have lightweight gear, or if you have traditional heavy DSLR gear, you are very fit then do make use of a porter (cost about £100/day) – most of us did and they were both essential and excellent!

Rock Pillars in Cloud – Zhangjiajie NFP

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Workshop review – by Mick Rawcliffe Beyond Visible Light – an insight into Infrared Photography by Simon Weir I recently attended a Landscape workshop, presented by Simon Weir, an acknowledged expert on the intriguing subject of Infrared Photography (I.R.). Simon made a very enjoyable and entertaining presentation to last year’s Landscape AGM and Conference, at Skipton. This full day workshop allowed more time for detail and practical instruction in the field.

Simon is personable and a good communicator.

Following a short introduction about himself, the participants introduced themselves, giving Simon a flavour of what knowledge and equipment everyone had brought to the venue. As requested by Simon, most people had brought a visible light camera in addition to their own infrared filters or a dedicated conversion.

Speaking of venue we were using the HQ of Smethwick Photographic Society in Oldbury, West Midlands. Many clubs would give their eye teeth to own such a facility – a photographic Aladdin’s cave with lots of room for lectures, presentations and exhibitions.

Following a short history of I.R. we were given details of the wavelength spectrum – from visible light to Ultra-violet, Xray and radio waves. The Physics were dealt with as a light touch by Simon – an excellent decision, otherwise I think some eyes may have glazed over with the technicalities!

After a short Q&A we drove over to Sandwell Country Park, about 4.5 miles from our venue.

This was ideal, having plenty of grass, trees, water and blue skies with puffy white clouds! Perfect!

The ratio of student to Workshop Leader was different on this course – so instead of approx. 5 to 1 Simon easily handled 10 students. We were not dealing with concepts of composition or hyperfocal points. As can be seen in the attached image we were instructed by Simon to choose any simple vantage point besides a lake with trees, and we all had to set our cameras to the same I.R. settings, and take exposures at different exposures or ISO. Those who had individual queries were adequately assisted by Simon. Then he loaned us screw on I.R Filters to take the wavelength up from, say, 720 nm up to 830. This produces interesting results -so instead of a strange red JPEG image on the camera screen,( at 720nm) a black and white

one is produced at 830nm. Then we used our visible light cameras with filters supplied by Simon – again experimenting at different I.R. values.

Simon must be complemented on his extensive knowledge of I.R. as well as bringing a wide array of filters, together with the most important ‘bits’ – the filter ring adapters. He had obviously prepared well for our benefit.

Back to Smethwick’s HQ around 3.30 and we learnt more, about Anaglyphs (3d images) and how to shoot a busy place and remove people from the shot. This is using the Median filter in Photoshop. A very useful tool for Architectural photographers who want clean lines of buildings without the usual tourists!!!

Before closing, Simon instructed us in appropriate sharpening in Lightroom, and use of the channel mixer, closing with some post processing in Silver Efex Pro. Before leaving for home, Simon gave us a presentation of his images showing his 15 year journey through I.R. The difference from beginning to end was quite marked, and we enjoyed some excellent images of landscapes and Architecture. In punchy Black and White – of course.

From 1000hrs to 1830hrs we were educated, entertained and possibly at times confused, but Simon gave us all an insight into I.R and enough knowledge to take the subject further.

If any of you can find enough interest in your camera clubs for an all day session from Simon, you will receive a value for money workshop, and help to extend the interest in this fascinating branch of Photography.

Simon can be contacted on info@simonweir.com www.simonweir.com

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My Favourite Location Thurstaston Common by Mark Reeves LRPS The Wirral, a peninsula in north west England across the River Mersey from Liverpool is steeped in Norse history. Many local names such as Irby, Frankby, Thingwall and Thurstaston are derived from old Norse and it is estimated that 42% of Wirralians have Norse DNA(1).

Much of the Wirral landscape is farmland, with occasional hills and outcrops formed from the red sandstone which is characteristic of much of Cheshire and Merseyside. Thurstaston Common is home to one such outcrop known as Thor's Stone – named after the Norse god of thunder. Surrounding the stone is extensive is a remarkably diverse area of woodland and heathland which present excellent opportunities for the landscape photographer. Scenery includes pine woods, beech woods, coppiced birch woods, sandy heather-covered heath and areas of small ponds and marshes.

Being close to my home, I can visit the common – and the contiguous Royden Park – easily but it is well worth the visit for photographers living further afield. It could be easily combined with photography at Ness Botanical Gardens, the boat graveyard on the salt marshes around Lower Heswall or the seaside towns of West Kirby and New Brighton.

To visit Thurstaston Common, there is parking off the A540 (grid ref. SJ 246845) or at the entrance to Royden Park at SJ 245858. There is a cafe at Benty Farm, grid ref. SJ245850.

Mark Reeves LRPS

(1) https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/04/secret-britain-vikings-wirral-liverpool (2) http://www.cheshirelife.co.uk/out-about/wildlife/the-legend-of-thor-39-s-stone-on-thewirral-s-thurstaton-common-1-1921733

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Events Nant Gwrtheyrn and Tre’r Ceiri Hill-fort Sunday 29th July, 10:00 to 17:00 Nant Gwrtheyrn Ancient history, industrial history, mountains and coast - all in one field trip! Two walking options are on offer. The first, Nant Gwrtheyrn, is a secret valley at the base of Y Eifl (The Rivals). The second, Tre’r Ceiri Iron Age Hillfort, is a moderate high-level walk on the two landward hills of Y Eifl. See here for details.

Circular walk around Mynydd Margam led by local photographer Gareth Martin Port Talbot, South Wales 1st July 2018 see here for details

Landscape Challenge Photography Workshop.

Peak District For those who want to move from the Landscape beginners stage 14th July 2018 see here for details

Strathspey location shoot Sunday 9th September, 8:00 to 17:00 Inverness This will be an informal outing arranged by the RPS Scottish Northern Group. Members of the Landscape Group are invited to join up with Highland based members with local knowledge.

This outing will be to Strathspey, with its great scenic landscape opportunities featuring lochs, glens and the UK’s highest mountain range. See here for details.

Staffordshire Landscapes 30th September2018 A guided photoshoot in the Staffordshire Peaks. see here for details

Photographing Landscape – whatever the weather with Tony Worobiec.

14th October 2018 Bath HQ

see here for details For details of all Landscape Group events listed above and of additional workshops and events of interest to group members, please visit the group's events page.

Lake District Autumn Colours Workshop 21st October 2018 with Carmen Norman. Covering many aspects of camera craft amongst beautiful Autumn colours. see here for details Long exposures on the Wirral Coast 27th October 2018 The New Brighton groynes and Perch rock are ideal for exposure experimentation, or for those without filters, there are endless viewpoints for Seascapes. see here for details Glen Affric/Glen Cannich location shoot Sunday 4th November, 8:00 to 17:00 Inverness This will be an informal outing arranged by the RPS Scottish Northern Group. Members of the Landscape Group are invited to join up with Highland based members with local knowledge.

By common consent, Glen Affric is the finest of all Scotland's glens. The glen begins amongst the steep, bare mountains of Kintail far in the west.

Further downriver is beautiful Loch Affric, at the foot of the highest mountains north of the Great Glen. The middle part of the glen is a national nature reserve, magnificently wooded with Scots Pine - one of the last remnants of the original Caledonian Forest. A fantastic location to capture the autumn colours of the Highlands. See here for details.

RPS South Wales Region Talk and Discussion: Mari Owen and Real Wales Photography Tours Sunday 18th November, 11:00 to 16:00 Port Talbot Following the South Wales Region AGM, all members, visitors, guests and non-members present are invited to a talk and discussion with South Wales based Landscape Photographer, Mari Owen and Real Wales Photography Tours. See here for details

Could you host an event?

If you know of a promising and photogenic location in your area, and you would be willing to organise an informal session for other members of the Group, please email to rps.landscape.events@gmail.com.

We welcome all volunteers and would very much like to hear from members in all parts of the UK.

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Event categories

The categories below aim to help members understand what is on offer at any particular landscape group event. They are also a guide for potential event leaders who might be worried that their photographic skills are not sufficiently strong for them to lead an event.

Group A – Field trips where the guide has a good knowledge of the location (e.g. good viewpoints, good subjects, good times of day, tides if relevant etc.) and will have ideas about what to do in case of unhelpful weather or light conditions, but does not wish to offer any advice on photography skills or techniques.

Group B - Field trips where the trip leader has a good knowledge of the location (as in Group A) but is also willing to offer general technical support and advice to inexperienced photographers. The leader is NOT expected to be an expert in anything but should be sufficiently experienced to pass on knowledge of the basics.

Group C - Field trips that focus on a particular technique – such as long exposures or photographing at night. The leaders of these events will primarily offer advice about technique and location knowledge will be sufficient to enable participants to learn and practice the technique(s) concerned.

Group D - Workshops that primarily focus on skills or technique and where location is irrelevant or is a secondary consideration. These may take place indoors or outdoors. The workshop leader may have limited knowledge of the location but will be experienced and skilled in the topic of the workshop.

Booking Confirmations A few members have contacted us because they were unsure as to whether or not they were booked on an event. Here is a brief guide to how you can check this for yourselves.

When you book a landscape event through the RPS website, the system should send you a confirmation email.

If you have not received it and want to check if you are booked on an event, then login to your account on the RPS website, select the tab labeled events and tick the box for events you are booked on.

Any events you have booked will show up in orange.

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