RPS Northern News November 2017

NORTHERN NEWS NORTHERN NEWS NORTHERN NEWS Issue 1

Issue Issue 43

May 2017

September2017 2017 November

Northern Diary Sunday 19 November 2017, 10:30 to 16:00 Newton Community Hall, Newton, Stocksfield NE43 7UL

FOTOSPEED PRINTING WORKSHOP An in-depth instructive workshop demonstrating the importance of colour management and printing to ensure the best possible files as well as matching papers to images.

Tea/Coffee available but please bring packed lunch RPS Members £10, Non Members £15

Booking via the RPS website

Friday 19 January 2018, 19:30 to 22:00 Whickham Community Centre, Front Street, Whickham, NE16 4JL in conjunction with Whickham Photographic Club

FELLOWSHIP EVENING This event is to inspire and explain the Fellowship standard for the RPS. This is a great opportunity to view successful Fellowship panels close up and ask questions.

The evening will be hosted by Leo Palmer FRPS Free for RPS members £5 for non-members Places limited - booking via the website essential for members and non-members

Sunday 25 February 2018 SPECIAL EVENT - SEE PAGES 32 & 33

Sunday 18 March 2018, 10:30 to 16:00 Newton Community Hall, Newton, Stocksfield NE43 7UL

Photographing landscape; whatever the weather with Tony Worobiec FRPS This workshop will alert you to the potential of photographing landscape irrespective of the weather conditions. See website for full information.

RPS Members £41 Non-members £55 Booking via the RPS website All bookings should be made via the Northern Region Events page on the RPS website 2

Message from

NORTHERN NEWS Issue 4

Carol Palmer ARPS

November 2017

Regional Organiser Northern Region

THE NORTHERN TEAM Regional Organiser Carol Palmer ARPS northern@rps.org Deputy Regional Organiser Geoff Chrisp LRPS Treasurer Bob Turner ARPS Secretary Bob Gates ARPS northernweb@rps.org Cover Image

We have had 3 events since our last newsletter one of which, Hadrian’s Wall Guided Walk is included in this newsletter. The other 2 events both RPS Distinctions related were an Advisory Day followed 4 weeks later with a LRPS assessment.

Our Advisory Day held in the new location at Newton was oversubscribed and we had to close the books to any new bookings. It was great to see such a large turnout with over 50 people at the event.

Our advisors, Hazel Mason, Bob Gates, James Frost & Leo Palmer were kept busy throughout the day and gave advice to 20 members for LRPS & ARPS portfolios.

Some of those present had signed up for the October LRPS assessment and had been encouraged to come along because at a previous advisory day they had been advised further work was needed to bring their portfolios to the standard. Encouraging them to have it checked again before the Assessment seemed very sensible and proved beneficial as they all were recommended for the distinction.

We saw some interesting portfolios during the day with some ready for submission and others work in progress.

© Gerben van Dijk LRPS

It is always good to get feedback and we had some good comments from the audience including the following:

NORTHERN NEWS INFORMATION

“I came away feeling inspired to do better and with loads of notes on achieving the technical standard."

© 2017 All rights reserved on behalf of the authors. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder. Requests for such permission must be addressed to the Editor.

The Royal Photographic Society, Northern Region and the Editor accept no liability for any misuse or breach of copyright by a contributor.

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the RPS or the Northern Region.

Editor: Bob Gates ARPS northernweb@rps.org

"As I said yesterday, as a first timer I just wanted direction, plus reaction to diverse types of shots."

"Next stage must be to create a coherent and interesting highquality panel which I know will be fun”.

“I would just like to pass on my thanks to yourself and all involved for their time, help and advice yesterday”. and “Thanks for organising a really good day. I have gained a great deal from attending. Have already started to alter my portfolio” 3

And so, to the Assessment Day held in the Royal Station Hotel, Newcastle where there were 25 panels assessed for the Licentiate distinction. The Chair for the day was Bob Gates ARPS and the assessors Tony Potter ARPS, Malcolm Kus ARPS, John Simpson ARPS, Hazel Mason FRPS and myself.

The audience had travelled from as far north as Aberdeen and south to Stamford with many in between. There were a considerable number from our region and some there just to observe the day. Many were nervous and just hoping their portfolios were assessed quickly.

There was some excellent work assessed and the overall pass rate for the day was 80% with four portfolios given the opportunity to resubmit after some further work on specific prints or replacing the images and only one not recommended. An excellent day.

Well done to:

Geoff Chrisp, Hexham Susan Dawson, Morpeth Paul Hood, Newcastle Jacqueline Mair, Newcastle Julia McNeill-Richardson, Cumbria Philip Preshaw, Newcastle Adelle Rowe, Hexham David Theobald, Hexham

Man Ray Hands Š Adelle Rowe LRPS

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An Associateship by Exemption Mo Coade ARPS I first became interested in photography through my father, who had an old battered Hasselblad and used to turn an outhouse into a temporary darkroom. I can still remember the smell of the chemicals on his hands. Then I bought my first SLR when I went to art school at 19. I’ve been taking photographs ever since.

I joined the RPS soon after I returned to study in 2012, I’d been aware of the RPS for a while, through camera societies and web presence, then I visited the RPS stand at the Photo Show in Birmingham and talked to the members there. I also discussed RPS applications with other members who are part of the Saltburn Photographic Society. They were very helpful. I felt confident about my work; the support focused mainly on the application process.

I had, at the same time, been working toward my MA in Fine Art and Education at Northumbria University. I used photography as my arts practice and gained a distinction for my exhibition at Baltic 39 in Newcastle. I was also awarded the artist teacher prize. This gave me an opportunity to exhibit my work at The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, during February and March 2015.

On reading the exemptions section in the RPS magazine, I realised that my MA work could be the way to achieve LRPS or ARPS. There is a specific list of degrees and awarding bodies that qualify for exemptions, and although my qualification isn’t on that list, I collected images from my exhibitions and website and added the detailed degree information that supported my application. I sent in a detailed letter of application along with the degree and exhibition information. This became my statement of intent. The images submitted all grew from my interest in the industrial heritage of the North East.

Although generally abstract, the images are all of real occurrences and places. I submitted this information to the exemptions committee. It was a straightforward procedure. I was awarded ARPS. I would have applied sooner and perhaps also applied for some of the bursaries that the RPS offer, however, as a mature student, I was working full time, as well as studying for the MA, and there was very little time for applications.

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I now take a camera of some sort with me everywhere I go. I stop and record all the time.

I’ve recently retired from teaching, so I’ll be able to take advantage of the unexpected. The images are an ongoing visual conversation with myself. To quote Weegee, “F8 and be there”.

I’m currently working on a shared exhibition to be shown at Kirkleatham Museum, near Redcar, from mid October2017 to January 2018. I hope to submit work to other exhibitions and competitions. I also have a small photography business, mainly shooting weddings and families. I will be travelling a lot, including a longhaul journey around the Pacific Rim. This will need a bit of planning but I hope to start in summer 2018/19.

And I am out with my camera all the time.

For full details of the RPS Exemption Scheme see the RPS Website at http://www.rps.org/distinctions/exemptions

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SALT PRINTING A dabble with chemistry in a digital age Roy Elwood FRPS In an age of mass production, hand crafted objects can be rewarding to make and much appreciated.

Each will be unique. Salt prints are made on good quality watercolour paper with simple chemistry and without the need for a darkroom. It is a form of contact printing so requires a ‘negative’ the same size as the print, but one can be made using a computer and clear acetate. Basic needs are some sort of contact printing frame, a brush or rod, a couple of dishes, an eye dropper or syringe and paper and chemicals.

Only a brief outline is possible here but if you are tempted there is loads of information on the web.

I made my own contact frame, but one can be bought or improvised from a strong photo frame. It needs to accommodate the size of paper you will use, not just the image size. Its purpose is to keep the negative and paper in register and requires a hinged or two-piece back to allow inspection during exposure. Watercolour paper is prepared by immersing briefly in a saline solution and drying. This is done in daylight but to ‘coat’ the paper to make it light sensitive you need to work in subdued tungsten light, perhaps a small table lamp with curtains drawn. You coat with suitably diluted Silver Nitrate and I work without using additives. It easily stains almost anything including hands so protect the working surface from the odd drip and consider cloves. It has a long shelf life and only becomes light-sensitive when it reacts with the salt.

Early pioneers used cameras that made large format negatives, usually glass plates, and a few are still used. Nowadays the way a computer can be used has contributed to a revival of interest in old processes. The selected image file is converted to mono and ‘inverted’ to create a negative image. It is a low contrast process so I usually beef up the contrast. Flip the image to allow emulsion to emulsion contact and print on inkjet sensitive film. Fotospeed and Permajet supply special contact film. Like the pioneers, you can make images without negatives e.g. the fern leaf was laid in the frame in place of a negative. Note that it is a negative image.

Decide whether you prefer to mask the image for a clean edge or, as I have, let the brushed edges show. Lightly mark the image area on the presalted paper and you are ready to coat in subdued light. Coating the paper can be tricky. I use a syringe to transfer just the right amount of silver nitrate to the paper, spreading it across one end of the image area. I then brush it carefully over the marked area. Some use a glass 8

rod. The paper is then dried with a hair dryer. When dry the negative and paper are put emulsion to emulsion into the contact frame. It is now ready to expose. Some use a UV lamp to help standardise exposure, but I prefer traditional daylight. The point of the split back is so from time to time you can bring it into subdued light and check how it is doing. It will lose some density in fixing so needs to be darker, but it is trial and error. In bright sunlight, perhaps five to ten minutes, on a very dull day perhaps an hour, so you need good light!

Finally washing and fixing. In subdued light rock the print in a bath of water and you will probably see a white deposit, then transfer to a dish of hypo. Finally wash in clean water before drying. Hypo was discovered a little later than silver nitrate but is readily available and cheap as is salt (you can use sea water). Sliver nitrate is expensive but a little goes a remarkably long way.

No mass reproduction system like the one you are reading this on will do justice to hand made prints that are essentially one-offs. I like smallish ones, about 7 x 5 inches and have made a few special birthday cards.

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My LRPS Story

by Whickham Photographic Club member

Gerben van Dijk LRPS My serious photography life began when my dad gave me his old digital camera and a couple of lenses. I got gradually involved in my local club and heard about the RPS and its distinctions. As a challenge to myself I decided to get a panel together. Selecting some of my personal favourites that I thought would hit the selection criteria.

Many thanks to members of the Whickham Photographic Club that stimulated and supported me on this journey. A special thanks to Roy Elwood FRPS who gave my initial selection a critique on his living room floor where we got the hanging plan together. Also helpful was the Advisory day. I took my panel of 10 and an extra 10 spares. Only one image was swapped out for a spare to make the final panel.

I didn’t enter the panel immediately as I was waiting for a suitable day in the region. I attended the assessment day in York on the 21st May 2017. A day full of nerves and wonderful photography. I learned so much just by attending. After some debates that led me to believe it would not pass, I got the verdict that my panel would be recommended for the Licentiate.

I had already learned so much, and regardless of the result it has been a wonderful journey and it absolutely made me a better, more thoughtful photographer.

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Organiser Tony Mearman LRPS reports on the Scott Kelby

WORLDWIDE PHOTOWALK Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photowalk 2017 On the first Saturday of October each year, photographers and enthusiasts around the world prepare their cameras and meet up at a designated location in their home town to walk around and take photographs, socialise, make new friends, win prizes and be a part of a great cause during Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk. This year is particularly special because it marked the 10th Anniversary of the Worldwide Photowalk with almost 1,000 walks taking place all over the world, more than 20,000 photographers participating in the world's largest organised photography event.

Group shot from Bath 2014 led by Glyn Dewis and Scott Kelby on the far right.

I took part in a couple of WWPW's when I lived in the South of England and when I moved home from Berkshire to my roots in Co Durham in 2016 I thought it would be a good idea to lead a walk in Durham to help promote the City and enable local photographers to participate in this unique event.

The walk is administered via the worldwidephotowalk.com website where interested photographers can identify a walk near to where they live and register directly online. All registered walkers have the opportunity to submit one photo from the walk with a chance to win a prize from one of the major sponsors Canon, B&H Photo, Think Tank, Wescott, Drobo and a few others. Alternatively, photographers can apply to lead a walk in their own home town.

The WWPW proudly supports The Springs Of Hope Kenya Orphanage, an organization that feeds, houses, educates and empowers young orphans so that they can grow up to not just survive but succeed. All the proceeds of the walk go this nominated charity.

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Durham Group shot on the Town Hall steps

The Mayor and Mayoress of Durham kindly agreed to come along and officiate at the opening of the walk, I'd had a meeting with the Markets Manager to make sure we could be accommodated at the Town Hall and there would be a space for the Mayor's car to park on the Market Place.

Saturday is Market day with traders and throngs of visitors packed into the Market Place. I arranged for our walking group meet at the Town Hall steps which would be an ideal place for a group photo and convenient location for the Mayor and Mayoress.

We had 35 people registered for the walk including 14 members of Durham Photographic Society but the majority were people I hadn't met before, some from North Yorkshire, some from Northumberland and a couple of young students just starting at Durham University.

The Mayor said a few words, welcoming the walkers and telling us about the beautiful photo opportunities around the City Centre. We had a group photo with the Mayor and Mayoress on the Town Hall steps before setting off down Silver Street towards Framwellgate Bridge and onto the riverside.

Although the City is well known to most of the people taking part in the walk, we still managed to find a few new locations that created interest amongst the group. Originally I suspected the riverside walk to Prebends Bridge would be a bit boring, especially with the Cathedral donning a 'bandage' during its refurbishment but nevertheless, we did spend a little more time than anticipated which meant we were quickly running short of time for our scheduled 2 hour walk.

On reaching the Cathedral, we started taking pictures in the Cloisters which was used for location shots in the very first Harry Potter film “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone� also one of the few places within the Cathedral where photography is permitted. At this time I realised that I needed to be back in the Market Place for 12 noon to meet with the group, before heading down to the riverside

by Browns' Boathouse to take a few pictures. Our walk concluded with a trip on the Prince Bishop River Cruise, a one hour trip up and down the River Wear, another opportunity to grab a few photos from a slightly different perspective.

Following the walk, attendees are invited to upload their best photo from the day to the official website; Scott and his team will then determine the winning images before announcing prize winners.

Thank you to all those photographers and new friends that supported the walk, maybe we can do another one in 2018!

Please check out my Adobe Spark story with lots of images from the Durham City walk: Spark 14

A successful Licentiate panel from Teesside member Ian Thoms LRPS After feeling a little lost with my photography for a few years I was lucky enough to visit some cold, snowbound areas in and around the Arctic Circle and this stark landscape forced me to look harder for compositions and open my eyes to what was in front of me. Painters start with a blank canvas and add the elements and photographers do the opposite, start with everything and only leave the essentials Finding what’s right for is a voyage all photographers must take and by being in a minimalist landscape I feel I have begun a journey and found some peace and calm.

This portfolio is a collection of images I have taken and my aim has been to put together a body of work that illustrates the shapes, curves, and lines in the locations I have visited.

I hope I’ve been able to capture something that holds the viewers attention for more than just a few moments.

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Winning images from Northern members In the recent RPS competition for images for the Society membership card, Hexham photographer Bob Turner ARPS has scooped one of the top three places. It will be used on membership renewal documents as well as the membership card.

Bob says, "I took the picture at Blyth in Northumberland when the beach huts had been newly built.

The huts stand on a promenade with a 4ft drop to the beach so I stood on the beach which put me at about eye level with the centre of the huts. I was attracted by the bold colours and the symmetry of the huts and I waited until a suitable subject came along, capturing the dog in just the right place without any people in shot. The camera used was a Nikon D200 with Nikon 12-24mm lens".

Š Geoff Chrisp LRPS

from his recent successful Licentiate Panel

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HADRIAN'S WALL Our first guided walk A report by Regional Organiser Carol Palmer ARPS Throughout our region we have some amazing landscape, seascape & cityscape and we intend to offer an ongoing series of guided walks for our members and our first walk took place on Sunday, 17th September on a stretch of the Hadrian’s Wall which included the iconic Sycamore Gap, Crag Lough.

The weather forecast did not look promising with heavy skies and rain suggested but the BBC weather app was wrong again as we had the sort of conditions photographers enjoy. Dark skies, light shafts, occasional blue sky, some sun and a little rain. Better conditions than had been envisaged.

Geoff Chrisp, our leader checked that we all had food, drink and warm clothing before we set out and briefly told us what to expect of the terrain and mentioned some of the iconic photo stops. The walk was 5 miles with ascents of 366 metres. Geoff admitted he was not a historian but he certainly knows this area very well and with the help of Marj Baillie who was also the back marker provided us with lots of information about the Wall.

View East © Jim Souper LRPS

Leaving Steel Rigg car park was the first ascent onto the Wall and it got everyone’s hearts and lungs working in record time but the views from the top were spectacular.

Those of us who live in this area, sometimes take for granted this scenery but seeing it again through the eyes of those new to this part of the world makes us locals look again and really appreciate these stunning vistas.

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Rainbow Š David Grey

Stops were made at regular intervals and I think that I can say without contradiction that everyone was in awe of Sycamore Gap and comments were made about the beautiful symmetry of that wonderful tree. And to make it special we arranged for the sun to make an appearance just as we arrived. It was also the coffee stop!

There was much amusement when we were discussing the tree which was made even more famous in the film Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. For those of you remember the film Robin arrived in Dover from the Crusades and travelled to Nottingham via our tree in Northumberland, (where he rescued a boy up a tree), closely followed by Aysgarth Falls in Yorkshire! Film producers certainly have a licence to fabricate!

Sycamore Landscape Š Brian Flemming

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Our next major phot stop was Highshield Crags with views towards Crag Lough with its pair of swans gracefully swimming in the lake and Hotbank Farm. It is very exposed here and very blustery and as it is a steep drop no one wanted to get too close to the edge.

After lunch, we made our way to Milecastle 37 which is rather special: the arched span of the north gate has partially survived and it was just the place for a group photo and again we were blessed with good light.

Š Carol Palmer ARPS

From here we backtracked slightly to return by a different route and were on the north side of the Wall, little used by walkers but with tremendous views of it. We visited the lime kilns with Cuddy Crags in the distance and then the rain came down. We all had a good soaking but then just as we reached the point where Sycamore Gap came into view again the sun briefly made an appearance and out came the tripods with some slow shutter speed images being captured.

Finally, we arrived back at the car park where an enterprising businessman had brought his coffee wagon to provide drinks to any weary walkers - not that we fell into that category of course!

All in all, a very successful walk and enjoyed by all.

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Sycamore Gap © Peter McGonigal

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Licentiate Distinction A member from Stockton-on-Tees tells her story

Irene Berry LRPS My journey into photography started 3 years ago when I retired from my Nursing job. My husband, Mike, has been taking photographs for 40 years and has been a long term member of The Gallery Photo Group, and wanting to do something together I joined this group, bought my 1st serious camera, a Fuji XT1 and hey presto I was away.

When my husband decided to do his ARPS we went to several Advisory days and when I saw what other people were presenting and the very constructive advice they were given I decided to go for my LRPS.

I have recently joined the Northern Region Documentary Group and am finding it very interesting.

I

feel

drawn

towards

street

photography. I just have to gain confidence when

We do travel extensively so many of my images are taken from these trips. Travel can be so inspirational, however you don’t have to go far to get a good photograph, places close to home can be just as rewarding to capture.

approaching people and opening my mind to see the image.

I know that my photographic journey has just started and I am still evolving as a photographer. I don’t feel that I have developed my own unique style just yet; I guess that will come in time.

For details of all RPS Distinction Advisory days see the RPS Website www.rps.org/distinctions

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I Suppose You Both Take the same Pictures words by Guy but thoughts from both of us Guy Davies ARPS Paula Davies FRPS Some people assume that because Paula and I often go out together, either just ourselves or on photographic workshops, we must end up taking the same pictures. In fact it goes further than this.

I have heard remarks like, “I don’t want to go out with a group because we’ll all end up with the same pictures.”

Well, our experience is that not only do we come home with different pictures, but quite often they are so different that you would not realise we had been standing near to one another at the time. The thing is that we all see things differently, and even if we stand side by side and point our cameras in the same direction, we will have different compositions, use different focal lengths, and use different apertures and shutter speeds. Not only that, but we will usually apply different post processing so that our interpretations of the scene will be markedly different.

A great example of different interpretations occurred some years ago when we were visiting some photographic friends on the south coast in Hampshire. It was October and we had gone out to West Wittering in Sussex to take some pictures. The four of us, Paula and I and our friends Jean and Glyn, set off along the beach towards some beach huts. Glyn went off to explore close ups while the rest of us continued on. The autumn storms had blown the sand into large dunes in front of the beach huts, and as the three of us walked over one dune we all saw a picture. Three tripods hit the sand simultaneously and we all took our shots. Although our compositions were similar, our interpretations of the scene were quite different. I saw a strong monochrome image and produced the picture in Fig 1, whereas Paula’s interpretation, Fig 2, was in colour. I also used a spot of Buzz Simplify to take out some of the details and emphasise the graphic nature of the image, and Paula used the Orton technique to create softer effect.

Fig 1 Guy – Out of Season (mono) Fig 2 Paula – Closed for the Winter Quite often though, we will go to the same places and come home with different images. For example, on one of our visits to Tuscany we were wandering round the little village of Lucignano d’Asso just after lunch and Paula spotted an unusual stone sculpture of a lion on top of a wall beside the road. Her picture of this, Fig 3, included some of the street and buildings behind, and when we got home she imported a Tuscan gentleman from another village to fill in a space to balance the composition. On the other hand, I was not inspired and although I took several shots, I found nothing that really excited me. However, we then went for a short walk out of the village and as we came over the brow of a small hill I saw sunbeams breaking through dark clouds after a rainstorm over the nearby hills. I found that really exciting and I grabbed several shots while the light was changing. One of these 25

Fig 1. Out of Season © Guy Davies ARPS

Fig 2. Closed for the Winter © Paula Davies FRPS

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gave me the picture in Fig 4. All it needed was a little bit of work in Photoshop to liven up the contrast in the right places. Two quite different pictures taken within a few hundred yards of one another.

Fig 3 Paula – On Guard Fig 4 Guy – Tuscan Sunbeams

Fig 3. On Guard © Paula Davies FRPS

Fig 4. Tuscan Sunbeams © Guy Davies ARPS

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Earlier this year we were in London for a three day workshop shooting in a variety of locations, from sunrise to almost midnight. Naturally, we did take many pictures of the same locations, but the differences are still there. As well as different interpretations of the same scene, one using wide angle or even fisheye lens and the other using telephoto to pick out details, we move around choosing different viewpoints and maybe picking portrait style compositions as well as landscape styles. (How many times do we forget to turn the camera on its side to get a different view? I confess that I am as guilty as anyone!) With night photography there is also the creative opportunity to use long exposure times to blur movement. In my shot of Big Ben (Fig 5) taken from across the river at 8 pm in April, I used a 1 second exposure to soften the ripples in the water and enhance the reflection of the illuminated clock tower. About 45 minutes later Paula took some shots of Big Ben from Westminster Bridge (Fig 6) using a 20 second exposure to get light streaks from passing double-decker buses.

Here we have essentially the same subject shot from two different viewpoints, using different exposures and having different camera orientations.

Fig 5 Guy – Big Ben Evening Fig 6 Paula – Passing Bus - (see back cover) When you go out together with other people, whether it be informally or on an organised workshop, there is always the temptation to take what others have seen in case that is the ‘best’ picture at that location, but really there is no such thing as the best picture. The best picture for you is generally not the best for anyone else. The best picture for you is the one that has your stamp of individuality on it. We both believe that a bit of excitement is the primary requisite in making a good picture. If you simply point your camera at whatever everyone else is photographing, you will rarely get a good picture out of it. You need to be excited by the light or the subject or the composition, or something else in the frame, and then you will put your own stamp on the image. That is when you will start taking and making your best pictures.

Fig 5. Big Ben Evening © Guy Davies ARPS

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A successful Licentiate Panel from Morpeth member Patricia Wood LRPS Initially I was not really interested in applying for a distinction, but my partner had gained his LRPS and persisted in trying to persuade me to apply. I eventually conceded and asked Malcolm Kus ARPS and a RPS panel member for his advice.

I pulled together some images together for his advice. After looking at many images we decided on 15 to go forward to an Advisory Day. I found this extremely helpful and not as scary as I had imagined.

I would advise anyone thinking about Distinctions to attend an Advisory Day.

Putting my portfolio together taught me to look at my photographs in an entirely different way as I had to consider the criteria laid down by the RPS for this level of distinction. For my distinction, I wanted to show technical camera skills and a photographic eye and the ability to put a balanced panel together. My ambitions are to attempt to gain my ARPS in the future.

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MY WAY TO THE LRPS Richard Dennis LRPS

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LRPS Panel by Patricia Wood ( 13th April 2016 )

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DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY with

TOM STODDART HonFRPS and TIM SMITH Sunday, 25 February 2018 10:00 to 16:00 Newton Community Hall, Newton, Stocksfield NE43 7UL A unique opportunity in our region to see the work of two top photojournalists RPS Members £10

Non-members £15

Tim Smith is a freelance photographer who combines editorial and commercial work with long

term exhibition, publishing and mixed media projects. He is based in Yorkshire. The region and its diverse communities have provided the inspiration and acted as a springboard for national and international projects which have resulted in dozens of exhibitions toured in Britain and over twenty countries overseas. His main interests as a photographer and writer have been showcased in twelve books. Much of this work explores the links between Britain and people in other parts of the world and includes publications on Ukraine, Yemen, India and Pakistan.

He is a member of Panos Pictures. This London-based photo agency represents photojournalists worldwide who document issues which are under-reported, misrepresented or ignored.

Agricultural workers returning to their homes near Rajkot at dusk. Despite the recent focus on industrialisation, agriculture remains a vital part of the Indian economy and employs roughly half the country's workforce.

From the exhibition, 'India's Gateway: Gujarat, Mumbai & Britain'. Photo © Tim Smith.

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SARAJEVO-1992: Sheltering from a heavy mortar bombardment, 67 year old Antonia Arapovic hugs her neighbour's terrified child in the darkness of an underground cellar during the siege of Sarajevo. © Tom Stoddart HonFRPS

Tom Stoddart began his photographic career on a local newspaper in his native North-East of England. In 1978 he moved to London and began working freelance for publications such as the Sunday Times and Time Magazine.

During a long and varied career he has witnessed such international events as the war in Lebanon, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the election of President Nelson Mandela, the bloody siege of Sarajevo, the wars against Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

In 1997 Tony Blair gave Stoddart exclusive behind the scenes access to his election campaign as the Labour Party swept to victory after 18 years of Conservative government in the United Kingdom.

Over the years Tom has worked with charities and NGO’s such as Medecins Sans Frontieres, Oxfam, Christian Aid, Care International and Sightsavers. His extensive work on the catastrophic AIDS pandemic blighting Africa has been widely published and exhibited.

His photography has been honoured with awards from World Press Photo, Visa pour l’image, Pictures Of The Year and the Eddie Adams Workshop.

In 2012 his ‘Perspectives’ retrospective outdoor exhibition was displayed at London’s South Bank and attracted 225,000 visitors.

Now established as one of the worlds most respected photojournalists, Stoddart is represented by, and works closely with Getty Reportage, to produce powerful photo-essays on the serious world issues of our time.

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Dear Northern Members, I’m pleased to announce the official Facebook group, exclusively for Northern members. As well as for keeping up to date with news and updates, it will be a place for you to share images and support other members with feedback, comments, ideas and discussion.

You can join here: NORTHERN FACEBOOK PAGE The Facebook group’s privacy setting is ‘closed’, which simply means members only - so you’ll be asked to provide your RPS membership number before being accepted into the group. The group’s content won’t be visible to the public, only members can see, post and share.

I’m very much looking forward to welcoming you to our Facebook community!

Kind regards, Carol Palmer Regional Organiser northern@rps.org

From the RPS Collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum

Here's a snowy landscape to get you in the mood for winter! This picture was taken by the explorer and pioneering travel photographer Samuel Bourne (1834-1912).

He returned, briefly, to Enland in 1867, to marry his fiancĂŠ Mary Tolley and they both returned to India later that year. His first daughter was born in Calcutta in 1869.

A keen amateur photographer, he made a photo tour of the Lake District in 1858. After exhibiting in London in 1862 he left his position at a Nottingham bank and set sail for India to work as a professional photographer. He set up studios in Calcutta and Simla and remained in India for six years.

They left India in 1870 and settled in Nottingham where Samuel set up a cottondoubling business with his brother-in-law J B Tolley.

He made several trips to Kashmir and the Himalayas, photographing at high altitudes and low temperatures using a 10x12 camera and the Wet Plate Collodion process. On one expedition to the Himalayas he had 30 porters to carry all his equipment. These were long expeditions lasting six to nine months.

Samuel Bourne is regarded as one of the finest commercial photographers of the 19th century.

During this time he wrote many articles and letters for the British Journal of Photography. In 1866 he made his final expedition in India with Dr G R Playfair, a botanist and geologist from Agra, photographing the source of the Ganges.

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In 1892 he was elected President of the Nottingham Camera Club.

The RPS Collection holds five of Bourne's albums, each containing about 100 albumen prints of Indian architecture, landscape and people including Indian aristocracy. In addition, the Collection includes over 100 large format wet collodion glass negatives of English landscapes.

This material was acquired by the RPS in the 1960s from his descendants.

Bob Gates ARPS

Passing Bus Š Paula Davies FRPS

www.rps.org/regions-and-chapters/regions/northern