RPS Landscape Group Newsletter, June 2017

NEWSLETTER JUNE 2017 / VOL. 2 / NO. 5

CONTENTS 01 Editorial 02 Will You Help?

Our search for a new treasurer 03 News Round-Up 04 Brecon Beacons Photography Walk

Curve of the Bay

Š Paul Stone

Editorial This month's newsletter features reports from three field trips - two from photography walks in Wales and one from the south coast of England. Thanks go to Peter Douglas-Jones and Paul Stone for organising and leading these trips. If you have yet to find a field trip in your region, do consider organising one yourself. It is a great way of meeting like-minded photographers and you will get great support from our Events Manager, Mark Reeves.

You will see on the next page that our Treasurer, Arron Davis, will stand down at our AGM in November. Please give some thought to the article and let our chair, Richard Ellis, know if you are willing to put yourself forward.

It has been encouraging to see the positive response to our invitation to join postal print circles. Again, more on the next page. You can see a summary of all the ways you can submit images on our new Image Sharing and Critique page.

Following our next newsletter, due in mid July, there will be a summer break until early September. If you have any news, about exhibitions in August or September for example, please send details by 12th July. There remains plenty of room for members' contributions.

With kind regards Jim Souper Newsletter Editor

05 Welsh Waterfalls Photography Walk 06 South Coast Scenic Shoot 08 What's On A selection of exhibitions and events of possible interest to group members.

09 Events Details of group events and new event categories 11 Members' Gallery More members' images

Submissions The deadline for submissions to the July newsletter is Wednesday 12th July.

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.

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

NEWSLETTER JUNE 2017/ VOL. 2 / NO. 5

Will You Help?

Volunteer required as Treasurer

The committee is looking to appoint a treasurer for the group committee as Arron, our current treasurer, is stepping down at the AGM for personal reasons.

The role has two main parts: Firstly, the processing of payments from our online bank account and preparation of quarterly accounts for the group, which are sent to the RPS HQ. Secondly, being a member of the committee and helping the continued development of our exciting programme.

In terms of time commitment, the treasurer role can be accomplished in one day per quarter. In addition, the committee has three face to face meetings per year, plus a few evening teleconferences.

You will enjoy the role if you are computer literate, able to run a basic spreadsheet and do online banking.

The committee is a welcoming and fun group, so enthusiasm is key here.

If you think you would be interested to help please email Richard Ellis, Group Chair, at landscapef16@gmail.com and we can set up an informal chat.

Postal Print Circles Prove Popular The Group's postal print circles, launched towards the end of last month are already proving popular. There are two circles complete and about to be launched, each with 12 members. Thanks to David Fiddes and Diane Wynn for co-ordinating these first two groups.

Print circles, which are run using postal portfolios, are aimed at those who like to work with prints to share their work and receive critical feedback, and compliment the group's critique page on facebook.

Once these first two groups are established, it is hoped that more circles can be started - there is already a waiting list. Anyone wishing to join a circle should contact David Fiddes at daudistrachur@gmail.com. Full details of how print circles work can be found HERE.

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News Round-Up LPOTY deadline approaches The deadline for entries to the 11th Landscape Photographer of the Year competition is less than a month away.

The competition closes at midnight on Saturday 8th July. There are four main adult categories - Classic View, Living the View, Your View and Urban View. See here for details.

Scottish Nature Photography Awards touring exhibition A touring exhibition of work by winners of the 2016 Scottish Nature Photography Awards opens at the Moray Arts Centre, Findhorn on 4th July.

A reminder that a special edition 10th Anniversary book has just been published, including some of the best images from the first 10 years of the competition.

The exhibition will also be shown at venues in Aberdeenshire and Dumfries and Galloway. A list of venues can be found here.

Return visit to Stonehenge

SIGLINK

Following the popularity of our special access dawn shoot at Stonehenge, a return visit has been organised for Sunday 25th March 2018.

The RPS will have exclusive access to Stonehenge and sunrise will occur during the time we will be on site, although we cannot guarantee that you will see the sun!

In view of the popularity of this event, tickets

are initially being offered exclusively to members of the Landscape Group plus a friend, partner or spouse.

The Digital Imaging Group's Expo 17 will take place on 23rd September at the Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport. Speakers include landscape photographer Paul Sanders.

Erratum

Apologies to Alan Gray and Brian Flemming, whose names I spelt incorrectly in crediting their images of Loch Eck last month. The versions of the newsletter available online have been corrected.

See here for details.

MEMBERS' NEWS Do you have any news, an award or exhibition for example, that may be of interest to members? If so, please email landscapenews@rps.org.

NEWSLETTER JUNE 2017 / VOL. 2 / NO. 5

Brecon Beacons Photography Walk

by Peter Douglas-Jones I was joined by half a dozen RPS members for my April photography walk in the West Brecon Beacons, including two who travelled from Somerset and another from the Wirral. After meeting at the Cross Inn, we doubled up on transport and drove about two miles to the bottom of the hill.

Llyn Y Fan Fach

© Peter Douglas-Jones

While a couple said they would go slowly and that we should not wait for them, the remaining five of us walked stolidly up to the reservoir, maintaining a good pace. There were shots there. The sky was largely overcast, wind low.

Then we all - separately - walked to the rim of the escarpment, taking shots as we went.

We had planned lunch back at the reservoir at 1.00. The light improved dramatically at 12.45. We did not all lunch together. And the word went round that 2.00 or 2.15 back at the cars would suit people. This made return road journeys manageable, some people having to drive for four hours to get home.

Some of us stayed on for kite feeding back at the Cross Inn. There were eighty kites plus some buzzards, crows and magpies. Some took shots. I was content just to watch the spectacle.

Mountain Refuge

© Mark Reeves

The pattern emerging from these days and weekends in south Wales is that the people come with realistic expectations and a good attitude. It was a pleasure for me, and I hope for those who came. It is quite remarkable how far people are willing to drive for a day's photography.

People are friendly and I can't remember a sour note at any event.

A gallery of images from the day can be viewed HERE.

Llyn Y Fan Fach

© Nigel Goode

© Arron Davis

Kites in the Landscape

© Mike Basham

NEWSLETTER JUNE 2017/ VOL. 2 / NO. 5

Welsh Waterfalls Photography Walk The Landscape Group's Welsh waterfalls field trip, on Saturday 6th May, was the latest in a number of visits to Wales led by Peter Douglas-Jones. This one took the form of an informal walk, to photograph some of the waterfalls along the rivers Nedd, Pyrddin, Mellte and Hepste.

Pont Nedd Fechan III

© Peter Douglas-Jones

© Nigel Goode

© Alastair Purcell

© Arron Davis

© Mike Basham

A larger gallery of images can be viewed HERE. Peter is planning further walks, to the Lliw Valley reservoirs in October and Dinefwr Castle in November.

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South Coast Scenic Shoot

by Paul Stone The day started at Langstone just north of Hayling Island in Hampshire at 8am on Sunday 7th May. There was a group of six people (unfortunately, two could not make it due to feeling unwell).

Wellie boots were the order of the day as we made our way out on a narrow path across the mudflats of Langstone Harbour (the original and only way of getting to Hayling Island before roads & rail links arrived) to get the right angle to shoot Langstone Mill and The Royal Oak square on. We had to keep a close eye on the tide as it was coming in fast across the mud flats. It was a cold & dull start to the day with cold winds & the weather doing its best to rain on us. Ninety minutes were spent at this location taking a series of images, which recorded Langstone from as many angles as possible.

Time to move on, over the Hampshire border, to our next location at Bosham in West Sussex. As the tide was nearing its highest point of the day, we first went to the top of the harbour by the old village school built in 1834. The full extent of the Harbour and the village of Bosham from a distance were photographed here.

Langstone Mill

© Paul Stone

Langstone I

© David Glyde

Next it was into the village itself where group members were free to walk around as they wished, selecting their own locations to shoot, have some lunch & visit Bosham Gallery where an exhibition of Charlie Waite’s landscape photos are currently on display.

Weed on the Jetty

© Steve Oakes

The Royal Oak

© Michael Maddison

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We met back in the car park some three hours later and moved on to the next two photo locations. The first was along the shore road, on the opposite side of the harbour to the village. Here we were guided to a safe location out on the mudflats to shoot Bosham at the nearest point, looking directly across the harbour opposite the main part of the village. The second location was at the south end of the harbour looking north up the harbour with the village and the South Downs in the background.

Bosham I

© M M Rainey

Next stop was Bosham Hoe, which is another arm of the Langstone Harbour. It is opposite West Itchenor and where the Chichester Channel runs up to Chichester past Birdham and Dell Quay. These last two are also good photography locations - I will save those for another day to visit. This location is where the photo of the group members below was shot. Again, we were shown yet another pathway running out across the mudflats from which other parts of the harbour could be photographed.

Finally, we made our way back to the shore road at Bosham to our final location. It was another footpath leading across Bosham Harbour, which is only available to use at low tide giving more alternative angles to shoot the harbour and Bosham Village. We all said our farewells and I guided the group back out to the nearest main road for our journeys home.

A gallery of images from the day can be viewed HERE.

© Angela Mukhopadhyay

© Paul Stone

© Susan Ede

Bosham Church

© Steve Oakes NEWSLETTER JUNE 2017 / VOL. 2 / NO. 5

What's On

A selection of exhibitions & events which may be of interest to landscape group members

Exhibitions On Landscape Exhibition II: Inspired by First Light Northallerton The second On Landscape photography exhibition, co-curated by Jo Rose, Curator at Joe Cornish Galleries and Tim Parkin, editor of On Landscape.

Kevin Percival: Tanera Ullapool The exhibition presents a ‘portrait of place’ very much unique to this photographer’s practice and passion for the land. At Rhue Art, Ullapool from 17th June to 24th August.

Yan Wang Preston: Mother River Bradford A photographic odyssey taking the viewer on a journey along the entire length of the Yangtze, often known as China’s Mother River. At Impressions Gallery, Bradford, until 24th June.

The Word-Hoard: Love Letters to our Land Wordsworth House, Cumbria Guest-curated by award-winning author Robert Macfarlane, the exhibition celebrates the beauty of our landscape and the evocative language once used to describe it. It features images by his parents, Cumbrian-based photographers Rosamund and John, alongside some of the endangered words for our landscape, weather and nature that Robert has collected. On show until 3rd September.

Britain in Focus: A Photographic History Bradford In partnership with BBC Four, this exhibition explores the changing ways we share and consume photographs, At the National Science and Media Museum, Bradford until 25th June.

Poetics of Light: Pinhole Photography Bradford Original prints of pinhole photography from around the world. At the National Science and Media Museum, Bradford until 25th June.

Sirka-Liisa Konttinen: The Coal Coast Newcastle upon Tyne Photographs exploring the ‘terrible beauty’ of Durham’s coal-scarred coastline. At the Side Gallery until Sunday 9th July.

Tim Rudman: Iceland - An Uneasy Calm Isle of Wight Another chance to see Tim Rudman's powerful black and white images of Iceland, at the Dimbola Lodge Museum and Gallery until 16th July.

Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year London Winning and highly commended images from over 4,500 entries to the 2016 competition will be on show at the Royal Greenwich Observatory until 23rd July.

British Art: Ancient Landscapes Salisbury Featuring the work of some of the greatest names in British art from the last 250 years, as their work records and reflects on some of our most treasured ancient landscapes. At the Salisbury Museum from 8th April to 3rd September.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 London The exhibition features a collection of 100 exceptional images, drawn from more than 50,000 entries. At the Natural History Museum until 10th September 2017.

Conferences, Fairs and Festivals Patchings Festival Calverton, Nottingham This year's festival runs from 13th to 16th July and plays host to 250 artists, photographers, craft makers and designers.

Valda Bailey: Fragile Bosham The exhibition showcases Valda Bailey's enduring fascination with fragility in the landscape and the illusions present when contrasting elements are juxtaposed. At the Bosham Gallery until 30th July.

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EVENTS Lee Filters Factory Visit (FULLY BOOKED) Tuesday 20th June, 11:00 to 15:00 Andover, Hampshire A rare opportunity to see Lee filters being made!

See here for more details.

Norfolk coastal field trip (FULLY BOOKED) Saturday 24th to Sunday 25th June

Happisburgh Guided photographic trip to part of the Norfolk coast.

See here for contact details.

Using filters for landscape photography Friday 30th June, 10:30 to 21:30

Bude, Cornwall Led by professional photographer Russ Hoddinott, this outdoor workshop will share Russ's expertise in using filters for landscape photography at locations in Cornwall. See here for details.

Peak Landscape Challenge Photography Workshop Saturday 22nd July, 9:30 to 18:00

Peak District This workshop, run by Paul Hill MBE, Nick Lockett MA, and Maria Falconer FRPS will appeal to those who want a chance to immerse themselves in photography, be challenged, and explore landscape photography from an aesthetic as well as from a technical point of view. This trip has been organised

by RPS HQ - see here for details.

Using filters for landscape photography Sunday 3rd September, 11:00 to 20:00

Northallerton Led by professional photographer Mark Banks, this outdoor workshop will share Mark's expertise in using filters for landscape photography at locations around the Tees estuary. See here for details.

Guided Walk along Hadrian's Wall Sunday 10th September, 10:30 to 17:00

Steel Rigg (Northern Region event) Geoff Chrisp is leading a walk supported by Marj Baillie LRPS along part of Hadrian’s Wall and points of interest will include the iconic Sycamore Gap, Steel Rigg, Crag Lough. See here for further 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.

A day with Nigel Hicks Sunday 17th September, 10:30 to 16:00 Bovey Tracey, Devon (South West Region event) Nigel will talk to us about his own work, his courses, publishing books and his work with National Geographic Creative. See here for full details.

Long Exposures on the Lancashire Coast Sunday 8th October

Blackpool This day will be ideal for improving your longexposure skills at various interesting locations along the Lancashire coast. See here for details.

Stourhead National Trust house and gardens 14th October, 9:00 to 13:00

Near Mere, Wiltshire With hills, water and classical architecture overlaid by a fabulous collection of trees and shrubs, Stourhead was described as "a living work of art" when first opened in the 1740s. See here for details.

Landscape Group weekend conference Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th November

Near Skipton, North Yorkshire Please see panel on the next page, or click here for details.

An evening talk with Charlie Waite Friday 3rd November, 19:30 to 22:00

Near Skipton, North Yorkshire This talk by eminent landscape photographer Charlie Waite is part of the Landscape Group's weekend conference and AGM but tickets for just the talk are available to RPS members and members of the public. See here for details.

A number of events in late 2017 and early 2018 are also listed on the group's events page. These include talks by Paul Gallagher (Basinstoke) and Joe Cornish (Wrexham), both organised by the local region.

Our next Stonehenge Dawn Shoot, on Sunday 25th March 2018 is now open for booking.

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.

Annual Conference and AGM We still have tickets for both residential and non-residential delegates for our first Annual Conference and AGM.

Our keynote speaker is Charlie Waite. In addition, we have talks by Steve Gosling, Melvin Nicholson, Carol Emmas and Jesse Alexander. Peter Paterson FRPS will lead a distinctions workshop on Saturday morning.

The weekend will also include guided location shoots in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales and several opportunities for delegates to exhibit some of their own work.

Click here to book your place

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MEMBERS' GALLERY

Portnahaven at Dusk

© David Smith LRPS

© Alastair Purcell

View from Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park

Llyn y Fan Fach

© Jim Souper

© Mike Basham © Nigel Goode

Submission Guidelines Please send your Members' Gallery by email to landscapenews@rps.org.

Please submit your images as jpegs, sized to 72 dpi with 1200 pixels along the longest edge and borderless. It would also be helpful if you would provide a caption and a note of any RPS distinction that should be added to your credit for the image.

The deadline for the next newsletter is Wednesday 12th July 2017. Thank you!

NEWSLETTER JUNE 2017 / VOL. 2 / NO. 5