RPS-Benelux Chapter eJournal – volume 24 – Autumn 2021

VOLUME 24 / AUTUMN 2021

WWW.RPS.ORG

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

VIEW FROM THE RPS BENELUX CHAPTER ORGANISERS

LIFE CAN CHANGE QUICKLY SOMETIMES Sometimes changes occur completely out of our control and you just have to make do with it. New challenges arise, you get stronger and soon you discover you survive them!

The Royal Photographic Society Benelux Chapter Copyright The copyright of photographs and text in this eJournal belong to the author of the article of which they form part, unless otherwise indicated

So too our programme for our weekend in Pelt. We had hoped sincerely to have Carl De Keyzer give a presentation on Sunday 19th September. He’s off on assignment in Sicily. He’s a MAGNUM photographer and a busy man. We would have been so lucky to have him at our RPS weekend. Our plans changed a few times but now we have a nice programme for the Sunday.

So too for our Documentary Photography Workshop on Saturday 18th September, we have Pieter van Leeuwen hosting it and something completely different will be put forward for the attendees. Lots of fun so if you’d like to join, please sign up.

Read all about it in this issue on pages 72-78. For the full programme see also our Events page at the RPS Website.

After a long time of lockdown restrictions and a positive movement towards a return to ‘normal’, we will follow the guidelines and distancing of 1.5m with ventilated areas.

A lot of energy has been put into our Pelt weekend and we

Cover photo © Brigitte Kuckenberg-Wagner What´s going on kid?

would like to thank everyone who has helped out and joined in.

Our Yearly Members Print Exhibition People at Work is impressive (prints by Supercolor.be) and are the results of our 2020 Summer Challenge, so do visit the Cultural Centre Palethe

Editor & Designer eJournal Armando Jongejan Proof reading Dawn Black

even if you don’t make it to our weekend.

This issue is the Autumn one so hopefully everyone has had a wonderful Summer and is ready for the new season with new photographic challenges.

Webmaster André Meyer-Vitali Liability Disclaimer The author of an article is responsible and liable for all content, text and images provided by them.

Neither the RPS Benelux Chapter nor the editor is responsible or liable for any content therein Photo Requirements 3000 pix long side and quality 8 no watermark or text in the photo and no borders around the photo

We start off the season with a Zoom on 14th September at 8pm following a three-weekly schedule, we will alternate with physical meet ups in Het Palet in Rotterdam.

Armando has put together another wonderful eJournal so please enjoy.

Carol Olerud ARPS and Didier Verriest ARPS

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IN THIS ISSUE - AUTUMN 2021

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VIEW FROM THE RPS BENELUX CHAPTER ORGANISERS Carol Olerud ARPS and Didier Verriest ARPS

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IN THIS ISSUE

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LITTLE STORIES, DARK AND CHEERFUL DREAMSCAPES Brigitte Kuckenberg-Wagner, interview by Armando Jongejan FRPS

18 PHOTO FESTIVAL PELT Carol Olerud ARPS 26 CHAPTER EXHIBITION Carol Olerud ARPS

42 A SUCCESSFUL A-PANEL Katherine Maguire ARPS 54 FARM SECURITY ADMINISTRATION André Bergmans 62 SINGLE DAD Harry Borden

Weekend

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72 BENELUX CHAPTER WEEKEND AND WORKSHOP DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY Carol Olerud ARPS

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The RPS Benelux Chapter INTERVIEW

Brigitte KuckenbergWagner “It's not that important what you see, but how you can see it”

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LITTLE STORIES, DARK AND CHEERFUL DREAMSCAPES

an interview with Brigitte Kuckenberg-Wagner by Armando Jongejan As photographers we are inspired by many

What was the trigger? Other photographers,

other photographers. Sometimes you see

personal reasons, expression, photography

something completely different then your own

as a tool, technical skills…?

work but it has a ‘wow factor’. The artwork of

For several years, drawing and painting were my

Brigitte - from Germany - has that factor!

means of expression. Although I had always taken a lot of photographs, I only used them for documentation and as a memory aid, for

On your website you write “It's not that

example to capture landscapes, lighting moods,

important what you see, but how you can

etc. The pictures that emerged afterwards were

see it.” Can you explain what you want to

always somewhere between real and surreal

express?

and were my way of expressing myself,

This sentence was uttered some years ago by a

processing my experiences and my thoughts.

photographer from Malaysia whom I had met

With the further development of digital

briefly at an award ceremony in Linz

photography and image processing,

(Trierenberg Super Circuit). Whether this

photography took on a completely different

statement really came from him or whether he

meaning for me: as a fantastic medium for my

was just quoting another, I don't know and it's

fantasy worlds.

not that important but it has stuck with me ever since. After all, it fits in perfectly with my work.

Little by little, I switched from "analogue"

I don't document, but create pictures with

painting to digital art - my husband, who works

photographic means that have been created in

in the IT-sector and provides me with the best

my imagination.

technical support, is not entirely innocent in this!

Seemingly uninteresting, simple things can take

Digital technology opened up unbelievable

on a completely different meaning when they

experimental possibilities. It makes it possible to

are removed from reality and assigned to other

create new worlds with parts of the picture,

objects in a different size.

fragments of reality, my dream worlds.

Your work is also described as

The final results are completely created by

‘dreamscapes‘. I must admit, the results of

you: Photos, rendering and editing. Are you

your imagery uses a lot of creativity and

able to explain about how you start and how

post processing skills. Why did you start

you develop your ideas into impressive

with these fantasies and surreal images?

artwork?

I can't say why but I remember that even as a

I only use my own photos and since I take a lot

child I lived a lot in fantasy worlds, perhaps

of photos I now have a huge archive. I sort the

because I was forced to occupy myself alone for

photos that I think are relevant by keyword to

lack of other playmates in our neighbourhood.

make them easy to find again. If an existing

For example, I often played with imaginary

picture doesn't fit, maybe because the light or

dwarves and elves and tried to draw them.

the perspective isn't right, I try to take specific

Perhaps my direction was determined from that

photos. If the desired project only exists in my

time. Fantasy and surrealism continued to

imagination there is still the option of building it

accompany me and remained even during my

in 3D (I use Blender), rendering it and then

studies in free painting and graphics, and later

texturing it in Photoshop. Ideally, the rendered

has become the predominant theme.

parts cannot be recognised as such.

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© Brigitte Kuckenberg Wagner - What about earth?

Page 5 | © Brigitte Kuckenberg Wagner - My little island

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The path from the idea to the finished image is very different. Sometimes I already see another image in front of me when I photograph something or I read, hear, see something and

an idea arises in my head. Often I dream images... in the best case I remember them and manage to realise them. Sometimes I'm just fascinated by some object, then it's often enough that I free it in Photoshop and place it in front of a different background... then I just try to let myself drift and let the picture develop

itself. There's always a point at which I recognise it and then specifically finish it.

The finalisation itself is done in Photoshop. I put the individual parts of the picture on top of each other in many layers and there are also several partly masked adjustment layers dealing with light, shadows, colour tones etc.

that have to be adjusted. I supplement missing parts with matte painting.

Nature is often a subject in your work. For what reason are you influenced by nature and the climate?

Of course, the topic of man and nature

concerns me and I worry about how future generations will fare. Almost every day (at the moment somewhat suppressed by Corona virus) one hears and sees contributions in the media about climate change, environmental pollution, etc. You can see how badly the forest is doing when you go for a walk.

Apart from living as environmentally consciously as possible, I can't do much about it on my own but I always take up the subject in my pictures to draw the viewer's attention.

© Brigitte Kuckenberg Wagner - Put on your Sunday clothes Pages 8-9 | © Brigitte Kuckenberg Wagner - Not available at the moment

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And what is your relation with time and

What do you have you had in mind for

technical constructions in your images?

several years, but is not finished yet?

Yes, time... somehow intangible, even if you can

I would love to see more of my images on

measure it with all kinds of technical

covers - books, DVDs, etc. - in addition to the

constructions. I probably learned to love it from

current calendars and reproductions.

my (Dutch) grandfather. He was a watchmaker and made me happy as a child when I was

You have created so many impressive

allowed to sit in a corner of his workshop and

artworks, what is the next step for you?

"repair" old watches. I had a box of discarded

I don't really ask myself this question. I like to

parts and was allowed to screw, equipped with

take part in international competitions again

a magnifying glass and the smallest tools. It was

and again and am happy to receive an award

also a great honour to be allowed to wind up

and thus a confirmation of my work every now

the many clocks that hung on the walls in the

and then. I just keep working, realising ideas as

shop and ticked more or less loudly but

my head is full of them and if I can reach the

comfortably.

respective viewer and trigger emotions wonderful!

Technical constructions still fascinate me today, whether it's the gears of a clock or large

If you want to see more wonderful examples of

machines. Together with the theme of time,

Brigitte’s artwork, please visit her website,

these always provide inspiration for pictures.

Facebook or Instagram pages.

© Brigitte Kuckenberg Wagner - Time Slot

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© Brigitte Kuckenberg Wagner - Just in case Page 15 | Brigitte Kuckenberg Wagner - Let your dreams fly Pages 16-17 | Brigitte Kuckenberg Wagner - And now?

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The RPS Benelux Chapter PHOTO FESTIVAL

Photo Festival Pelt It has been a long time, but finally, an event not from behind your laptop, but out there in the real world

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Janet Haines ARPS

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PHOTO FESTIVAL PELT | EXHIBITION OUTSIDE: LENS OP DE MENS

by Carol Olerud ARPS

A lunch and small walk around the town of

Carol Olerud was a jury member and she has a

Pelt gave us (Didier Verriest, Jeroen Dorrestein,

panel of five of her photos hanging with the

Trevor & Nurit Simpson and Carol Olerud) a

other jury members at POI 06 (Page 21).

taste of what there is to see and experience. It’s

More information is on the RPS website.

amazing! About 850 photos are spread all around the town and printed on large boards attached to all kinds of materials. You can walk around and follow the route or just do your own thing.

Five of our members sent in photos and were selected. We found nearly all of them, which was very lucky! Awards have been announced during the online live opening and we discovered that Janet Haines ARPS has received the Bronze Award for Amateur Photographer.

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Jan Ros ARPS

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Ton van der Laan LRPS

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The RPS Benelux Chapter PHOTO FESTIVAL PELT

Chapter Exhibition Our own annual Exhibition at Photo festival Pelt, with work from many of our Benelux Chapter members in the ‘Zinnezaal’ of Cultural Center Palethe

BENELUX CHAPTER PRINT EXHIBITION - PEOPLE AT WORK - PHOTO FESTIVAL PELT

by Carol Olerud ARPS

A small team met in Pelt to organise, arrange and hang our photos.

Didier Verriest, Jeroen Dorrestein, Trevor & Nurit Simpson and Carol Olerud travelled in three cars (social distancing!) and crossed into Belgium (International Travel!) on Friday 4 th June 2021 where we met with the Pelt Photo Festival Committee. They showed us our location and we set up work.

The 30 member’s photos were prepared and laid out around the area on the ground floor of Cultural Center Palethe.We have information boards and we also brought our RPS Benelux Chapter Flag to help highlight our exhibition.

We measured out the lines and set the heights and spaced out of all our photos. This always takes much longer than you think! The printing of all our 30 photos was sponsored by www.supercolor.be which is fantastic, they all look great.

People at Work is the result of our 2020 Summer Challenge.

Address and opening times Cultural Center Palethe Jeugdlaan 2 3910 Pelt Until 30th September 2021 Every working day 09.00 – 16.30 h and during activities in the cultural center.

Extra Sunday openings on 6 June, 4 July, 1 August, 5 September, 14.00 – 17.00 h.

© Carol Olerud ARPS

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Alessia Peviani LRPS

Beekeepers

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André Bergmans

From left to right | Firebrigade | On the roof

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Armando Jongejan FRPS

From left to right | Ironing - Shanghai | Grinder - Xi’an | Sewing - Luoyang - China

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Carol Olerud ARPS

From top to bottom | Drummer | Street repairmen | Barmen

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Didier Verriest ARPS

From top to bottom | Carl Mertens (Solingen) | Frank Huyghe (Oostende)

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Fernanda Cotelessa

Office Cubicle

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Gerry Phillipson LRPS

Top from left to right | Riot Police - Toulouse | Waiter - Venice | below | Carbody worker - Gourdon

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Jan Ros ARPS

From top to bottom | Miller | Blacksmith

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Jeroen Dorrestein LRPS

From left to right | Tram Driver | Mechanic

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Katherine Maguire ARPS

From top to bottom | Bridge cooling seen with damaged retinas | Cleaning in progress

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Nicole Will

From left to right | Ready for a New Day| Almost Ready for a New Day

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Sue Goldberg LRPS

From top to bottom | Concentration | Ready for your order

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Ton van der Laan LRPS

From top to bottom | Heen en weer | Op de steigers

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Trevor Simpson

From top to bottom | Fisherman | Street workers

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The RPS Benelux Chapter DISTICTIONS

A successful A-panel “When I looked at this layout, it hit me, that I could solve me problem by having the central image by itself, with no images below and above it”

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DAMAGED RETINAS - ARPS DOCUMENTARY - 9 JUNE 2021

by Katherine Maguire ARPS

In our eJournal volume 19 – Summer 2020, we wrote about the work of Katherine. In February 2020 Katherine won the BI-monthly competition, with her photos ’damaged retinas’, organised by the RPS Documentary Group. At that time she was working towards her A-panel

which is all about her sight with damaged retinas.

At this moment we can say Katherine was very successful with her documentary panel. We want to celebrate this success with an article about her body of work!

Statement of Intent Shallow depth of field is one of many effects that a photographer can use, but for me it is the way I experience the world.

My vision has been permanently blurred by a rare disease called Presumed Ocular Histoplasmosis Syndrome. This has caused scars on my retinas to form and has resulted in loss of vision.

In this series the viewer is given a glimpse into

my restricted world with damaged retinas, each image is a split between a ‘normal’, expected vision and mine, which is missing the depth that makes everyone else’s world complete and safe.

This is my view of Amsterdam.

103 Words Pages 43 - 53 | © Katherine Maguire ARPS

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© Katherine Maguire ARPS - Associateship presentation plan

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Damaged Retinas

Now due this blurred vision, I am no longer able

I was awarded my ARPS on the 9th of June 2021

to drive a car. Whilst I can still read the road

with my documentary panel, which is intended

signs, it takes me longer to do so and thus my

to show the viewer an insight into how the

reaction time is reduced and makes driving

damage to my retinas has affected my vision. It

dangerous. I can use public transport but I need

has just been over 10 years since I obtained my

to be close to signs to read them in order to

licentiateship and there have been a number of

take the correct bus/tram/train. Due to having

false starts along the way to my ARPS, before I

some of my peripheral vision missing, it makes

found the right subject to develop into a

riding a bike difficult as I can miss other bikes/

successful panel.

people approaching from my left-hand side until it is too late and is an accident waiting to

More than 30 years ago, I was diagnosed with

happen. I have lost count of number of near

having scars close to the macular on my retinas,

misses I have had just by walking around

but the cause of them was never discovered.

Amsterdam. So, I have not used my bike since I

This resulted in my vision being slightly blurred,

got my diagnosis in 2013. My large blind spot

which had a limited impact on my life. It was not

means that I sometimes have problems

until 8 years ago that I had the next major

determining depth, some 3D objects merge with

problem with my vision. A large black spot

their backgrounds and appear 2D from a

appeared, which was caused by a CNV (an

distance, especially if the object is on my left-

abnormal blood vessel) forming on the retina of

hand side. It is no longer possible for me to use

my left eye. The doctors then diagnosed

manual focus on the camera so, in order to get

Presumed Ocular Histoplasmosis Syndrome (a

sharp images I need to use lenses that have an

rare disease of the retina), my retinas were

auto focus option. I have never really thought of

found to have white histo spots, from which

myself having a disability, this is just how I see

CNVs can form. This blood vessel caused more

the world and have learnt to live with it.

damage to my left eye’s retina and its macular resulting in a degeneration in my vision, more

Both the decision to share this with everyone

blurriness, a large blind spot as well as the loss

and how to show how I see the world has not

of some my peripheral vision. The damaged

been easy. Working on this project has also

retina resulted in the early onset of cataracts

helped distract me from another illness that I

two years later and after cataract surgery at age

am currently learning to live with. It has taken

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almost 3 years to develop how to show my

vision (which should not be confused with

vision problems and without the help of the

myopia) cannot be corrected by glasses. I need

Benelux study group, to get advice from and to

to regularly test my vision as there is a small

bounce ideas off, it would not have been

risk that new CNVs will form again resulting in

possible for me to obtain my ARPS. The split

more vision loss.

view idea came out of one of those sessions.

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Producing the digital images

Creating the presentation layout.

All images were taken using a lens with fixed

The presentation of the images did not really fit

focal length of 50 mm. Each image is created

in the standard layout of 3 by 5. My layout had

from two images taken between 30 second to 2

the blurred half being on the outside and

minutes apart, the first at f/2.2 with a focal

working in towards the centre. This worked fine

distance of 5m and the second at f/10 with the

for columns 1, 2, 4 and 5 but not for column 3,

lens focused via autofocus, selecting via the

there would always be a mismatch, so I tried

viewfinder where the camera should focus.

with having images with a horizontal split In

Each image is then halved and left half of the

column 3, but it still left me with mismatch with

first image is combined with the right half of the

the central image, blurred against blurred or

second to create a new image. One half is then

sharp against sharp. It was during a discussion

moved slightly to ensure that there is a

with the study group that I considered having

misalignment between the two. The image is

the central image totally blurred. The horizontal

then cropped to remove any dead space. The

split images were still not working and it was

divider is added as an extra layer and placed on

after one zoom meeting, resulting in comments

top of the joint, the width is calculated to be

about some of images having colour problems,

1cm when printed on a A4 print.

that I decided to shoot new images for my panel.

Printing the images I was unable to create mounts myself because

From this session I produced 13 new images, I

of I have problems working with my hands.

had then a panel 13 images and I arranged

Therefore, the mounts were produced by a

them in the standard 3 by 5 layout but with

commercial company, but they could not

images 3 and 13 missing. When I looked at this

produce mounts with cut-outs separated by

layout, it hit me, that I could solve me problem

1cm. Thus, I could no longer print straight from

by having the central image by itself, with no

the combined image on A4 paper, as it would

images below and above it. So, I moved away

result in the loss some of the image behind the

from the standard layout and came up with the

mount. In order to have the prints mounted

layout that you see in my panel today, 6 on the

correctly, I would need to print on A3 paper, so I

top, 3 in the middle and 6 on the bottom.

created a Photoshop template with two frames the size of mount cut-outs separated by 2cm.

This meant that I had re-spilt the combined image back into its original two halves. Creating a new image from the template and inserting the appropriate half into each frame. The new recombined image is then ready to be printed on A3 paper.

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The RPS Benelux Chapter HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Farm Security Administration Some of the photos made became icons like ‘Migrant Mother’ by Dorothea Lange.

I will not focus on these icons but show some work that, at best, was only used by the government at the time

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© Dorethea Lange - LC-USF34-018287

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A PICTORIAL RECORD OF AMERICAN LIFE IN THE 1930s (PART 1)

by André Bergmans In this article about the Farm Security

Because of the economic crisis that had already

Administration (Historical Section) I will show

started in 1929 (Black Tuesday) and the

some of the less known photos of

agricultural crisis (Dust Bowl) the problems were

photographers like Dorothea Lange, Walker

many: rural and urban poverty, sub-standard

Evans, Carl Mydans, Arthur Rothstein and Lee

housing conditions, unemployment and many

Russell, just to mention a few.

migrant workers, drought, dust storms and erosion of the land, just to mention a few.

What these photographers have in common is that during part of their career they worked for

GEOGRAPHY

the Farm Security Administration (Historical

The limited few iconic photos that came out of

Section) on photographic assignments for the

the total FSA collection might give the

US government under president Roosevelt to

impression that the FSA was all about rural

support his New Deal policy.

misery and poor farmers. Using a geospatial tool called ‘Photogrammar’, it is revealed that

Some of the photos became icons such as

the FSA photographers were literally all over the

‘Migrant Mother’ by Dorothea Lange, ‘Fleeing a

place. They were not only provided with a script,

Dust Storm’ by Arthur Rothstein and ‘Portrait of

camera, film and flashbulbs but also with a car.

Allie Mae Burroughs’ by Walker Evans. I will not

The range of topics is impressive: erosion in the

focus on these icons but will show some work

countryside, a housing project in Maryland,

that, at best, was only used by the government

snow in Vermont, life in small towns, farmers

at the time.

and sharecroppers, fishermen, mining and big city life.

THE FARM SECURITY ADMINISTRATION The 170,000 photographs taken between 1935

PROPAGANDA

and 1944 under the direction of the Farm

The FSA assignments served a purpose: to

Security Administration (FSA) and the Office of

support the New Deal. The assignments were

War Information (OWI) constitutes one of the

often based on a detailed script with a list of

richest photographic archives in the United

topics the photographer had to ‘hit’. In a neutral

States. The collection is kept at the Library of

sense we could label the assignment as a paid

Congress and is in the public domain.

job based on instructions and in RPS terms it was ‘Applied Photography’. But the FSA work has

In a nutshell, the objective of the FSA

also been challenged many times as being

photographic assignments was to make the

straightforward propaganda and not always

public aware of certain problems in American

fully honest. There is one case for example

society, create a sense of urgency to address

where, in post-processing, an image was

these problems and get further support and

manipulated. In the case of the ‘Migrant Mother’

funding for the New Deal policy. Further, the

in the double sense as the manipulation

assignment was to photograph the result of the

concerned the hand of the mother.

good work done by the government and gain

See also the article written by Mike Yates FRPS.

even more support. Later the objective shifted to photograph the happy American way of life in general and also the US preparations for the Second World War.

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Another example was a serious controversy at

THE COLLECTION

the time about the out of context use of an

I am convinced that knowledge of the

image made by Arthur Rothstein of a skull in

photography of the past enhances photography

the desert. Also, his first project in the

of today but working with the archive of the

Sheshandoa National Park was heavily

Library of Congress and the Photogrammar tool

challenged in a documentary but defended by

built by the University of Richmond also brings

James Deutsch in the Journal of American

the joy of treasure hunting.

History, June 2012.

So, I highly recommend to have a look. All It is generally admitted that many images made

images in this publication are from the Farm

by the FSA were often staged, including the

Security Administration/Office of War

famous image ‘Fleeing a Dust Storm’ by Arthur

Information Black-and-White Negatives, Prints &

Rothstein.

Photographs Division, Library of Congress.

Individual numbers of the photos are indicated

To research the aspect of propaganda in the FSA photography (selective photo making, selective usage, adding and leaving out context and further manipulation) would take a

in the caption.

In our Winter volume we publish Part 2 of this FSA article.

research of a master thesis level and probably even more than one.

The Photograpmmar visualization platform shows by photographer and by county the intensity of photography.

Similar overviews by city are available. The FSA covered all aspects of life in the USA.

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CANNING AND PRESERVING

The FSA collection holds about 200 images on the theme Homes and Living Conditions/ Household Activities/Canning and Preserving.

The images don’t only show the result of the canning process but also give best practices for preserving and canning, labelling and storing food.

A LONG CAPTION The image of Dorothea Lange has a long caption: Title: Fruit jars being sterilized on old lady Graham's back fence in berry season. Near Conway, Arkansas. Caption: "We just gather and can peas, beans, berries, and sausage when we butcher the hogs in the winter. We put up seventy-five quarts of berries, sixty of beans, sixty of kraut, thirty of grapes and twenty of peaches. I swapped two bushels of grapes and got two bushels of peaches and I swapped one bushel of grapes for one bushel of apples" Dorothea Lange / July 1938 (Page 55)

© Carl Mydans - LC-USF34-006366

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From top to bottom © Dick Sheldon - LC-USF34-040202 © Paul Carter - LC-USF341-T-011279 © Russell Lee - LC-USF34-031832

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EROSION

Year on year drought and ineffective land

I included two images of Walker Evans. One

management caused soil erosion. The

image clearly illustrating erosion but the other

increasing number of cyclones may also have

one has focus on the tree. Apparently, he could

caused Dust Bowl conditions. FSA

not resist to capture this as an arty image.

photographers were apparently requested to photograph the problem of erosion as many of them had pictures in their portfolio describing this problem.

From top to bottom © Walker Evans - LC-USF347-003057-C © Walker Evans - LC-USF34-003039-C

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From top to bottom © Jack Delano - LC-USF34-043859-D © Russell Lee - LC-USF34-010115-D © John Vachon - LC-USF34-060791-D

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The RPS Benelux Chapter PHOTOBOOK

Single Dad

Intimate portraits of single-parent fathers alongside stories of love, loss and the healing power of family

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© Harry Borden - Neil with Kiwa and Ngaire

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SINGLE DAD - HARRY BORDEN

published by Hoxton Mini Press and photos by Harry Borden Harry Borden is one of the UK’s finest portrait photographers whose work has been in The New Yorker, Vogue and TIME. The image of the single dad is often distorted by out-of-date notions of masculinity – the strong and resilient father, the working father, the emotionally distant dad. In this book, esteemed portrait photographer Harry Borden, himself a separated father with four children, reveals the tenderness and vulnerabilities of 48 single dads. Each has suffered a loss of some kind and has struggled to adjust to being the main carer, but through their heartache and with the help of their children they have found a renewed sense of purpose. The result is a muchneeded celebration of the innate ability in all fathers to nurture and love, and a contribution to the ongoing debate about what it is to be a man in the modern world.

Do you want to see and read more?

Just order the book.

‘Single Dad’ Photography by Harry Borden Foreword by Sir Bob Geldof Price £17.95 Hardcover, 168 x 222mm 104 pages, cloth spine Hoxton Mini Press ISBN: 978-1-910566-89-3

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© Harry Borden - two double pages of the book

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© Harry Borden - Simon Mulligan Jasper

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© Harry Borden - Simon Mulligan with Jasper

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© Harry Borden - Nate with Vey and Dexter

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© Harry Borden - Royston ‘Stone’ with Fin

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© Harry Borden - Kit with Joseph

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© Harry Borden - David with Isabelle

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The RPS Benelux Chapter PROGRAMME

Benelux Chapter Weekend The program is split over two days Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th September

PELT - BELGIUM: PROGRAMME WEEKEND OF 18TH & 19TH SEPTEMBER 2021

by Carol Olerud ARPS This event is all about Photo Festival Pelt.

COSTS AND OVERNIGHT ARRANGEMENTS

The RPS Benelux Chapter is one of the partners.

The costs for the workshop are for RPS

We have participated in the judging of the main

Members € 35 and Non-Members €40 to be

exhibition (Carol Olerud ARPS) and various of

paid in advance to our bankaccount:

our members have submitted work that is on

The RPS Benelux Chapter

display in the streets around Pelt (see also

NL44ABNA0247924202 (BICABNANL2A)

pages 18-27). Our Chapter has its own annual

referring to Pelt and your name.

print exhibition People at Work during the photo festival as well, which can be seen in Cultural

Both days are open to all. Sunday is free

Center Palethe, the results of our 2020 Summer

admission. You do have to make your own way

Challenge (pages 28-41).

to Pelt and make your overnight arrangements

Janet Haines ARPS will be present in her formal

if you are staying for both days. If required, we

role as Trustee of the RPS as well.

will arrange for co-ordination between the various members who will be attending.

The program is split over two days.

Saturday 18th September is with a workshop

REGISTER!

on documentary photography. Where we put

Please register your attendance with an email

that all in to practice in Pelt whilst roaming the

and make your payment for the events.

streets. We will come back together towards the

Your money will be reimbursed if we have to

end of the afternoon and have a look at the

cancel the weekend due to the circumstances of

results. Pieter van Leeuwen is giving this

COVID-19.

workshop (pages 74-77).

In the evening we have reserved a nice place to

Looking forward to seeing you, face to face, in

have a drink and a meal together.

Pelt!

Sunday 19th September will be kicked off by

ADDRESS

the Pelt organisation, with an award ceremony.

Zinnezaal Cultural Center Palethe

Janet Haines ARPS will receive the award she

Jeugdlaan 2

won for Bronze Amateur Photographer (see

3900 Pelt - Belgium

page 19), amongst others. We will spend the afternoon talking about the RPS and giving the general public an idea about what you can expect when you become a member. We also have some very interesting guests lined up, including our own Janet, Carol and Armando Jongejan FRPS. Carol’s presentation is titled “Eyes on Hamburg” from a photographic trip of several days in 2019. Armando will talk about his experience of photographing two years behind the walls at the Sint-Adelbert Abbey in Egmond-Binnen (NL) Some of the talks will be in Dutch or English.

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PELT - BELGIUM: RPS BENELUX CHAPTER WORKSHOP DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY

by Carol Olerud ARPS With Pieter van Leeuwen, during Photo th

Festival Pelt on 18 September 2021.

THIS WORKSHOP USES ROLE-PLAY. During the afternoon you will be stimulated to alter your role as a photographer. You will

Pieter van Leeuwen studied at the WUR

choose a different one than what you are used

(Wageningen University & Research) in the

to but still suiting you. The workshop is an

Netherlands and earned a degree in public

exercise in analysing your view on the world

education. He specialized in visual

around you. Putting the mental viewpoint

communication and became photographer as

central helps to tie your pictures together and

well as a writer for Dutch magazines on

give them meaning. Altering your viewpoint

Photography Foto, PF and Shutr.

helps you to get out of your routines and comfort zones.

He coached many dutch photograhers with the scope on communicative skills and artistic

ACCEPTABLE FOR ALL

development. He also coached other coaches

TECHNICAL SKILLS LEVELS

on photography.

Being more about photographic vision, or photographic technique, the workshop is

HOW DO YOU SEE

acceptable for all technical skills levels.

THE WORLD AROUND YOU?

For evaluation purposes we ask you to take your

This workshop concentrates on mental

pictures digitally.

photographic skills. Being photographers, we have our uncertainties. Sometimes we do not know what to take pictures of. We are not always sure if our pictures are relevant or mean something. We might be trapped into routines and take pictures of the same subjects in the same way over and over again. In this workshop you will learn a strategy to address those problems.

Pages 74-75 © Pieter van Leeuwen - Fake Worlds 1 Page 76 © Pieter van Leeuwen - Fake Words 4

77

© Pieter van Leeuwen - Fake Words 2

78

SEE YOU IN PELT !