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Haud that Front Page…there is some genuine big news to give you in this issue. COVID had really put a stop to a lot of our normality, and in many walks of life we’ve had to modify our behaviour. Some of it has been positive though, and the advent of Zoom (other online meeting suppliers are available) has opened up a whole host of speakers. RPS Scotland has curated a fantastic range of talks over the past two years, which are still on our YouTube page (go to the webpage via the QR code on P4 to get to them). However, the Good Old Days of face to face meetings was fun too, with the opportunities to chew the breeze with your fellow photographers a very informative as well as enjoyable experience. There was a biennial conference type weekend in the past, and we’re going to resurrect that for 2024. We have organised PhotoFest ’24, 6th/7th April, Stirling University. I’ve included a copy of the programme on P4, and as well as the absolutely stellar array of speakers we are hoping to have Distinctions Advisory sessions, photowalks, printing workshops, and some retail therapy too. The general theme of the weekend is the best of Scotland and photography, and on the Sunday we’ll be celebrating all the recent Distinctions successes, as well as having the print selection for our annual exhibition and our AGM. It’s all organised, and we’re nalising the booking process, but put the date in your diary and get your ngers ready to click the “book” button. It’s going to an awesome weekend.
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November 2023 Newsletter
A Flight of Fancy Roger Hinton LRPS Monthly Competition Autumn is de nitely here, with Storm Babet causing various degrees of chaos, including it seems to the internet connection of RPS Scotland members. Congratulations to Roger for his beautifully balanced and appropriate image. November’s topic is Creative and you should submit your crazy entries to Ken, sized at 1000px wide, by as many pixels as you want tall, via Scotlandweb@rps.org.
Last month saw a wee plug for The Creative Eye group, and so this month we’re featuring the Landscape Group, who’s Chairman is Colin Balfour LRPS from Edinburgh. The Secretary is Viv Cotton from Linlithgow, so a strong Scottish SIG. RPS Landscape SIG
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The Landscape Special Interest Group is dedicated to encouraging landscape photography and advancing the skills of its practitioners. Since its launch in 2016, the group has welcomed photographers of all levels, from beginners to experts, and offers a range of events, publications, and online platforms for members to share their work and collaborate with others. Landscape photography has a long history and has become one of the most popular forms of photography, with techniques such as intentional camera movement, multiple exposures, and the use of lters allowing photographers to capture the ephemeral beauty of landscapes. The Landscape Special Interest Group aims to spread understanding of these techniques through practical use and collaboration. The group also produces a regular e-newsletter and a print magazine, two regular editions and one special edition every year, as well as offering opportunities for members to share their images through print and e-critique circles and a members-only Facebook Group. We run monthly and themed competitions which are open to all members. We also run speci c projects which encourage collaboration. This year we are running three projects: The Shipping Forecast, Postcards from Home and the Zine Project. We are also running projects in conjunction with the Digital Imaging Group. The rst is on Coastal photography and the next is on Architecture and the Built Environment. We also run regular professional and member-led events, many of which are in Scotland. For more details please visit: https://rps.org/groups/landscape. There is a joint SIG / RPS Scotland talk coming up on December by Alex Nail FRPS. In the far northwest of Scotland, between Torridon and Ullapool, is one of the UK's most remote and dramatic mountain landscapes, "The Great Wilderness". Over the past four years, landscape photographer Alex Nail has extensively photographed this little-known area, culminating in his new book of the same name. In this talk, Alex will go through the project from conception to completion. He will explain how he structured his approach and planned expeditions into the mountains. He will discuss the technical and creative aspects of mountain photography, from composition to lighting to postprocessing. The talk will be interspersed with stories of his adventures throughout the seasons, his successes and failures, and the many moments of transcendent light he has experienced. https://www.alexnail.com/great-wilderness-book/
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What’s On in November? Making Space: Photographs of Architecture. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh 07/10/23-03/03/24. https://www.nationalgalleries.org/visit/scottish-national-portrait-gallery Photoforum - South West: 11th November Shambellie House, Dumfries https://rps.org/regions/scotland/photoforum/ Landscape SIG: 5-11 November Cairngorms in Autumn, https://rps.org/groups/landscape/events/pro-led-events/ Contemporary / Documentary SIG: November 22nd Zoom Neil Goodwin CBE ARPS 19.30. To join this group email Steve Whittaker, sqarehole@btinternet.com Further Ahead RPS Scotland / Landscape SIG: December 7th Alex Nairn: The Great Wilderness https://rps.org/events/regions/scotland/2023/december-2023/alex-nail-frps/? _cl=MTswOzE7YU1oT2RRazBqWUc1cDFob1JOZFlwS2pqV05tRE1LN3B3TjJ5R2g0 cmdKSkt2TW5iamtmeFBNWTBTblZQcW5UcTsxLDMsNA== Contemporary / Documentary SIG: December 12th Zoom David Collyer FRPS 19.30. To join this group email Steve Whittaker, sqarehole@btinternet.com RPS Scotland Online Photoforum: 21st January 2024, invigilated by Douglas J May FRPS https://rps.org/regions/scotland/photoforum/ 6th/7th April 2024: PhotoFest ‘24 and AGM and Exhibition Selection, Stirling University
Ongoing?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000v4db Dealbh is Slighe - Image and Path, a wonderful series of photography programmes, hosted by Calum McLean. It is in Gaelic, but there are subtitles, and each episode is short but very sweet. Recommended. ‘zine The recent Talk-Walk-Talk Coastal organised by Landscape and DI has now nished, and there are plans to make a Grand e-zine of the best images from each location, but in the meantime, here is the one produced by the Arbroath Group. https://issuu.com/royalphotographicsociety/docs/twt
PhotoFest ’24…great location, fantastic speakers, old and new friends, glorious photography, distinctions celebration, B&B accommodation, private dinner. The weekend will have it all. Numbers will be restricted (although the cap is quite high) both for attendees and for overnight accommodation, so when booking goes live…and you will be the rst to know about that…get booked, don’t leave it till the next day. RPS Scotland PhotoFest - 6th/7th April 2024 6th April
7th April
Registration & coffee
Registration & Coffee
Break-Out room Workshops 9.30
Celebration of Distinctions Exhibition 10.00
Photowalk
Landscape - Colin Prior
Celebration of Distinctions Presentation
Mindful Photography - Paul Sanders
Nature in Mull & Shetland - Mick Durham
Advisory Session
Simon Hill Hon FRPS - The RPS
AGM
2.00 Printing for success
Social Portraiture - Karen Gordon
Exhibition Print Selection
3.00
Advisory Session
Scotland’s Night Sky - Andrew Allan
4.00
Photowalk
Large format Colloidian Photography & Mental Health - Simon Riddell
11.00 Printing for success
12.00
5.00
Close
7.30
Dinner
Close
Down Came the Rain Mike Tibbs ARPS
Exhibition
RPS Scotland
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2024. January: Eden Court Theatre, Inverness February: Aberdeen Arts Centre
Fa’s fa? Kirsten Bax LRPS…RPS Scotland Treasurer. I have lived in Dumfries and Galloway since 1986. I’m divorced with two adult sons and one granddaughter, who is a keen photographer aged 4. I took up photography more seriously after I retired in 2014. Before that I had been loaned an old Nikon D80 and some lenses by a close friend. When I retired I gave myself a Nikon D7100 as a present to get me going with photography. I also did the Open University T189 course which was really good for getting a grip on the basics of digital photography. Since then I have had a D750 which I loved using until it fell into a stream in Cumbria and packed up. I then got a D780 as a replacement on insurance. I really liked it but I only had it for four days before it was smashed on a rock while I was on a workshop in Northumberland. I let go of the tripod for a moment and the gale took it. The moral of both incidents is never turn your back on your tripod! The D780 was terri c but quite heavy. I had already been thinking about going mirrorless so I then got a Z5 which is much easier to handle. I’ve been very careful with it so far! I stayed with Nikon as I have collected about 10 lenses over the years. After I retired I was persuaded by another friend to go along to Dumfries Camera Club and join in there. I have been a member there since about 2017. I have crept up the leagues and achieved CPAGB in 2019 and LRPS in 2021. I had a go at ARPS with a photobook earlier this year but didn’t pass. I am still working on the project and may re-submit next year, but in a different category. I shoot all sorts of things, landscape, still life, street, abstracts and ICM, whatever happens to catch my eye. I enjoy going on trips with RPS. I have recently been to Linlithgow and have also done the talk-walk-talk project at Portencross. I’m on social media but not good at getting round to uploading stuff.
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My favourite photo is of a pale pink tulip. I really like it as it conveys a Zen calm which I was aiming for. I was recently asked why I take pictures of owers in vases. I replied that I enjoy the process of creating the images and the owers are beautiful.
Those who also served… It is with much sadness that I have to tell you of the passing of Morton Gillespie ARPS, after a short illness, on the 25th October. In a time when many people are negative and problematic Morton was always kindly, thoughtful, and positive. He was beyond helpful, and he will be missed by his wife Wanda, his children and grandchildren, and his many photobuddies in the Highlands and beyond, especially Dave…they have been buddies for over 25 years, and latterly they have organised and cajoled and herded the Northern Bunch. No easy task, but one which Morton just got on with, as was his way. I’ll leave you with his last entry to the annual travelling exhibition, and it was very much of his style…understated, deep, and beautifully seen. Hebridean Sea
Morton Gillespie ARPS
RPS Scotland Committee RPS Regional Organiser: Dave Ferguson LRPS scotland@rps.org Committee: Ken Ness FRPS scotlandweb@rps.org Kirsten Bax LRPS scotlandtreasurer@rps.org Steven Whittaker ARPS scotlandsec@rps.org Local contacts Northern Dave Shillabeer ARPS Grampian Nigel Corby FRPS Tayside Robin Millar Fife Monica Vella Ken Goodfellow LRPS Mark Reeves FRPS Central Bob Black Lanark Douglas Thompson FRPS Glasgow Anne McKelvie Borders Fiona Cadger ARPS Colin McLean LRPS Ayrshire Clive Watkins LRPS South West Jean Robson FRPS