RPS Landscape Group Newsletter - October 2021

Landscape Group Newsletter October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

© Down on the Farm by Candia Peterson

SUBM I SSI O NS The copy date for submissions to the next newsletter (November) is Friday 29th October 2021. Please note that it may be necessary to hold some submissions for a future newsletter.

If you have an idea for an article, please send a brief synopsis (up to 50 words) of the purpose and content of the piece. Please submit your images as jpeg attachments, sized to 72 dpi with 1200 pixels along the longest edge and borderless. Do not embed images in an email.

Please send all submissions to: landscapenews@rps.org

CO N TEN TS

Quick links to RPS Landscape Website…………………………..…..….3 Editorial by Peter Fortune, RPS Landscape SIG Newsletter Editor…..4 Chair Chat by Richard Ellis RPS Landscape SIG Chair…………….….6

By Degrees Project update.………………………………………………..7 Manchester Architecture and Abstracts by Brenda Dean LRPS….…..8 Instagram Advert…………………………………..………………………13 Letter from America by Candia Peterson Part 1 Get off my land!……………………………………….……….14 Appeal for Newsletter Articles…………………..………………………..19 Let There Be Light by Robert Harvey…………………………………….20 Profile of Diana Wynn, Committee Treasurer……………………..……28 The Good Practice Guide for Landscape Photographers

by Mark Reeves……………………………………………………….…30 Landscape Group Events……………..………………………………….33 RPS Landscape Group Monthly competition Winner Announcement…………………………………………..……34

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QUICK LINKS TO RPS LANDSCAPE GROUP WEBSITE The Landscape group website features photography submitted to the Landscape group monthly competitions. Member’s images are displayed throughout the RPS Landscape Group website.

Click on the ‘image’ links below to open pages on RPS Landscape Group homepage or go straight to the homepage from here, www.rps.org/groups/landscape/. Find out how take part in the Landscape group events, circles, competitions and projects.

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EDITORIAL By Peter Fortune, Landscape Group Newsletter Editor At the time of writing (just before the RPS AGN) the agenda looks interesting and like the Landscape Group they have turned it into a day’s event with what looks to be very worthwhile presentations from some highly eminent photographers. The meeting took place via Zoom or in person at the RPS HQ. For the first time in several years I regret that I could not attend because of prior family commitments but from talking to people it was obviously a very interesting and successful day.

Sarlat Square

Where I live, the weather is taking a distinctly autumnal turn and Christmas feels to be getting closer. Indeed the local big stores have had there Christmas displays up for a couple of weeks. It may be my memory playing tricks but when I was young enough to believe in Father Christmas nothing Christmassy seemed to happen until the last few days before the big event. Perhaps I am just getting old! Well of course I am but I do remember the thrill of being given my Brownie 127 camera - the ultimate point and shoot camera - light years away from the modern sophisticated devices we now sport. However I still have and treasure the black and white pictures which I took even though as a six year old i had to be very careful and controlling about pressing the shutter since film and D&P cost so much. Oh how lucky we are to live in a digital age!

The well respected Ansel Adams said that a good photographer managed to take 20 great pictures a year. It is point to think about despite the fact that he was using a plate camera and was known to wait for hours for the light or the clouds to come good. This wasn’t parsimony even though plates were very expensive, it was just a question of getting it right in camera. I have seen photographers with high end equipment firing off bursts of five or more shots in the hope that one would come good. I have often pondered how many very similar almost worthless shots these photographers have in their catalogues?

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Wothorpe Ruins Most photographers use Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to do their post production processing. I have a personal preference for Lightroom Classic (LrC) over Lightroom (the web based application). When I started being very serious about photography I did not use Lightroom at all, finding it not very intuitive, so I edited my images in Photoshop (Ps) and the stored them in dated and subject named folders. Nowadays I start by loading my images into LrC, weeding out the mistakes and no hopers and then doing preliminary edging. Only when I want do something that is not straightforward to do in LrC do I take the image into Ps. I find that I am switching to Ps fewer and fewer times as time goes on.

In this edition of the Newsletter we have an article on the changing architecture of Manchester by Brenda Dean, and the first of an occasional series of articles entitled “Letter from America” - Get off my Land by Candia Peterson The Committee Member who is profiled this month is Diana Wynn who is the Landscape Group Treasurer. Mark Reeves writes about caring for the environment while taking photographs and Robert Harvey describes different sorts of light and the issues around taking photographs in them. There is also an advert for a volunteer role to project manage the development of an outdoor exhibition of members’ photographs. Of course the Quick links and Events pages are there as well as the advert for our Instagram page and our regular appeal for articles of which we are always short. Hopefully that means there is something for every photographer.

An Avenue in autumn October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

All Images © Peter Fortune 5

CHAIR CHAT Richard Ellis, RPS Landscape SIG Chair

In this newsletter we are launching our conduct guidelines for being out in the landscape. This aims to remind us all of our responsibilities and to provide guidance on how to minimise your impact whilst making images. I hope you will find it useful and take the messages on board.

One thing that is on our wish list as a committee is to hold an outdoor exhibition. We have now developed the concept within the committee and would like to recruit a volunteer to run the outdoor exhibition.

A can-do attitude and good project management skills are as important as any software skills so if you think this could be a project you would enjoy then please get in touch landscapef16@gmail.com.

A more detailed project description is available. Exhibitions are so inspirational and I was fortunate to attend “The Poetry of Landscape”

by Edward Hyde ARPS and Vanda Ralevska. The variety of work in this exhibition was stunning and a real tribute to the two photographers.

I attended the RPS AGM last weekend and it was very gratifying to see the programme starting with a talk by the Australian landscape photographer Len Metcalf. Len is an artist and educator and challenged us all to think about how we can use our work to enrol people in preserving the landscape.

He cited the example of a photograph used in an Australian election campaign to prevent the construction of a dam in a beautiful valley.

This definitely gives us all food for thought.

Autumn is now upon us and many photographers are out shooting misty mornings and the changing colours. I hope the new season inspires you all.

Best wishes Richard

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Royal Geographical Society teams up with The Landscape Group We are really pleased to announce that the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) is lending its support to the Landscape Group's new By Degrees project.

(In case you missed it in the last newsletter,

By Degrees is an innovative collaborative project to make landscape images at the 45 locations where lines of latitude and longitude intersect over Britain and Ireland. For more details and to take part, see here https://rps.org/groups/ landscape/projects/by-degrees-home-page/

In his letter of support for the project, RGS president Nigel Clifford says: "On behalf of my colleagues at the RGS, I look forward to seeing an exhibition of selected images at our Exhibition Pavilion or at the Director's Gallery in South Kensington... I would also be keen to explore how the RGS might acquire a number of the strongest photographs to hold in our permanent collection."

This is really exciting news as not only is this the first time in their histories that the two societies have collaborated but, more significantly, the anticipated exhibition will give significant exposure to a selection of By Degrees images. Our thanks go to RPS president Simon Hill HonFRPS who is also a fellow of the RGS and facilitated our contact with Nigel Clifford.

All members of the landscape group and the wider RPS are invited to join in and participation is entirely free.

Mark Reeves Events Manager (professional events)

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MANCHESTER ARCHITECTURE AND ABSTRACTS

By Brenda Dean LRPS

In recent years the urban landscape of Manchester has been regenerated with the addition of several contemporary buildings, many of which have won prestigious awards for their designs.

Juxtaposed between the traditional architecture reflecting Manchester’s rich heritage, they provide numerous photographic opportunities. The lines, shapes, colours and repeated patterns provide a range of possibilities for abstract compositions whilst the structures, tones and lights around Salford Quays offer opportunities for long exposure shots at dusk.

NCP Car Park© Brenda Dean

It was therefore, opportunistic that the RPS offered a course ‘Manchester Architecture and Abstracts’ led by Colin Jarvis ARPS. Generally taught over a day on location, the restrictions surrounding Covid-19, resulted in it being adapted to a hybrid online / on-location approach covering three sessions. I signed up for one of the six available places.

Owen Street © Brenda Dean October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

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No 1 Spinningfields © Carol Hudson

The first session took the form of an online briefing which included safety considerations within urban areas, equipment, travel and locations; both within the city centre and at Salford Quays. In general, tripods were not recommended within the city centre however, they were necessary for dusk shots at Salford Quays. Equipment suggested included a wide angled lens (17-40mm FF) and a mid-range telephoto lens (24-105 mm FF): a polarizer to reduce reflections in the glass and increase saturation: 0.6 and 0.9 graduated filters were useful for dusk shots with an occasional 10 stop filter for cloud management. We were given an online guided tour of suggested locations together with comprehensive course notes containing maps and useful details including accessibility via train, tram, car and foot.

Colin had taken example shots for each location which were used to both inform and model possible shots.

Owen Street Towers © Liz Kenny

They also formed the basis for discussion of compositional, visual and technical elements that would help us achieve successful architectural and abstract shots.

The second part, spanning a period of over a month, involved unaccompanied visits to the locations where we had the opportunity to both familiarise ourselves with the areas and take our shots before submitting four or five of them for feedback and critique in the final session.

I initially decided to spend one day within the city centre and, on another day, a late afternoon and evening at Salford Quays. This worked well as an approach and I have since revisited them, further exploring possibilities and building on previous shots.

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© Francis Sandbach

First Street Area © Francis Sandbach

© Liz Kenny October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

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Talk Talk Staircase © Simon Freemont October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

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I felt comfortable working alone in the city centre on a weekday with enough, but not too many, people around. A Sunday morning may be quieter however, you may wish to work alongside another person. Unencumbered by a tripod and travelling light with one camera and two lenses, I was easily able to cover five locations near Deansgate.

The NCP Car Park opposite the Premier Inn on Stanley Street provided endless opportunities for exploring the geometrical patterns, shapes and tones created by its three-dimensional surface. We were encouraged to hold the camera at weird angles using the diagonal lines to create dynamic patterns and to zoom in close removing distracting elements whilst simplifying the composition. The glass and steel buildings of Spinningfields Business District provided a great opportunity for exploring reflections and patterns. The award-winning Manchester Family Courts and the iconic No 1 Spinningfields with their respective rectilinear forms and cantilevered platforms allowed for the sculptural interplay of light and shade, dynamic profiles and the use of negative space. The area surrounding Manchester’s new cultural facility HOME, around First Street, has created new spaces in which the buildings relate to each other; inviting opportunities to connect them within shots. In this area I focused on the different textures, colours and shapes on the surfaces of the buildings. Experimenting for example, by holding the camera at different angles, following lines and compressing two buildings alongside each other using a telephoto lens. The tall residential towers, located within landscaped public space on Owen Street, provided opportunities for both wider angled shots and exploration of the patterns created with their subtly different tones of silver grey and anthracite. There were other locations, including the Northern Quarter where shots of graffiti on buildings could be taken.

Salford Quays late on a sunny afternoon brought a continental feel to the course. The internationally innovative MediaCityUK is home to a range of creative industries and broadcasting companies with equally creative architecture. The colours and reflections on the facades of the buildings here change with the time of day. As dusk falls the Quays are transformed by coloured lights enhancing the form of the bridges, the Imperial War Museum and the Lowry. We were encouraged to use graduated filters to balance exposures and to create wide angled shots of the buildings and their reflections in the water. A tripod was necessary here and given the time of day I felt more comfortable working alongside another photographer.

Participant feedback was extremely positive in terms of their experiences and the opportunities offered by the locations. The initial briefing provided a focus and successfully inspired both varied and individual outcomes, as can be seen in the images from all course members on these pages. The gap between the first and third sessions provided sufficient time to plan and take shots. Concentrating purely on visual elements was absorbing bringing a freedom and enjoyment which unleashed creativity and encouraging new approaches.

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Letter from America

By Candia Anderson

1. Get off my land!

In December 2019, just before Christmas, I packed up my life and my four dogs and left my home of seventeen years in the French Alps and moved to another set of mountains, the Catskills of Upstate New York. My reasons for doing so were complex and not for these pages but suffice it to say I was lucky enough to be entitled to an automatic Green Card and my path to immigration into the Land of the Free, whilst not without some Covid-related complications, was remarkably smooth.

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Frozen Reservoir

Frozen October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

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Phlox in the woods

The Delaware River October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

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Fall Colours

Having now been settled here for the duration of the pandemic, and in spite of it, life here has been extremely easy. To be sure, I had anticipated a lot of travel from my new base both within the US and back to Europe but, unfettered by local lockdowns (there were none of any consequence!) I have made use of my time exploring my new playground for landscape photography.

I live in an area in which beauty abounds; thickly forested rolling hills (not really mountains in the Alpine sense despite them being called such by the locals) vast reservoirs serving New York City and, all around, the branches and tributaries of the mighty Delaware River flowing through my village. All of this I anticipated, as I did the seasons; long, bitter winters with snow on the ground for months on end turning, almost without a spring, to blistering summers, lush and green, in turn giving way to the glorious colours of “Fall”.

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What I had certainly not expected was quite how difficult it all is to photograph. With no great National Park on my doorstep I had, nevertheless, imagined woodland trails and scenic hikes, easy access to views and vistas, rivers I could walk along and lakesides I could visit. Of course, these exist but getting to them is incredibly difficult and access hard to find. Private land is sacrosanct, and boundaries are marked with large signs declaring it “posted”. I still haven’t worked out what “posted” actually means in the linguistic sense but what you know it means beyond a shadow of doubt is Keep Out – in bold capitals! You also know, this being the good old the US of A, that behind every posted sign is a man with a gun who is not afraid to use it. You just don’t want to argue with those signs.

It is so frustrating when you find a lovely little lake and drive around it, only to discover that that every single bit of the water’s edge is someone’s private land – their own little vista point, forbidden to all passers-by. I soon learnt that almost the only way to scratch the itch of landscape photography was to find the safe spots on the roads to pull over and get as close as I could. I have dealt with busy roads, curious (but mostly kindly) police wanting to know why I’ve stopped, the occasional house owner telling me not to park on their bit of public road (no driveways blocked) but, given the beauty in front of the lens as opposed to the bustle behind, it was worth the while.

Down on the Farm

All the images that pepper this first Letter from America were taken under these circumstances and most of them in my first year, giving a flavour of the changing seasons. As my local knowledge has grown and I’ve travelled further afield (including to Maine earlier this summer) I have, of course, found new places where access is easier and I look forward to showing my fellow landscape groupers some of these over the coming months.

All image © Candia Peterson October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

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Let There Be Light

By Robert Harvey BA ARPS EFIAP CEnv CSci MCIWEM Light is an amazing medium to work with. Essential to all photography, its quality is critical to successful landscape images. There are many different types of light and they suit different subjects. When planning a shoot, it pays to think about what light will work best.

Front Lighting Front lighting refers to light coming from behind the photographer, illuminating the subject faceon. This usually works best around the golden hour early and late in the day, when the sun is low in the sky, giving the most attractive light on the landscape. This image were taken around 30 minutes before sunset. It shows the warm tones and well-saturated colours associated with golden hour lighting. On Cherhill Down, the dry grass of summer and downland contours create texture in the scene.

Front lighting is usually even across the subject and contrast is easily handled. This, however, leads to the principal disadvantage, which is that the light may appear rather flat. Front lighting gives little modelling or sense of depth to the landscape. It can make the subject appear almost as if it were two-dimensional, particularly if there is a plain blue sky devoid of clouds. A further disadvantage is that the photographer’s shadow may be in the foreground of the picture. When this happens I usually duck down, or set a 10-second timer and run out of the way.

Cherhill Down, Wiltshire. Canon 5Diii, 24-70mm f/4 at 35mm. ISO 100, 1/25s at f/16. Tripod. July.

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Side Lighting

Somerset Lavender at sunrise. Canon 70D, 24-105mm f/4 at 24mm. ISO 100, 0.5s at f/22. Tripod. June.

Side lighting can be effective in emphasising contours, shapes and textures, especially when raking across the landscape early and late in the day. Patterns of light and shadow add interest to a photograph. Well-used, this can be one of the most successful kinds of illumination in landscape photography.

Rows of flowering lavender are rounded in form. The rows shown on the right are oriented towards the south-east. Sunrise in June, when the lavender is in flower, is in the north-east, roughly at right-angles to the lines of lavender. This creates side-lighting, which gives great modelling to the rows. There is a strong sense of depth and three-dimensionality to this picture, which is lacking when the lavender field is front-lit.

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Back Lighting Back lighting occurs when the sun is in front of the photographer. This can be more interesting than front lighting and sometimes dramatic. It works particularly well when there is a little mist to soften the light, translucent foliage through which the light can shine or a colourful sky beyond the subject.

Shooting into the light means photographing the shaded side of the subject. Contrast is likely to be high and exposure needs to be carefully controlled. When shooting towards the sun (or any bright light source), it is advisable to use a lens hood and to remove all filters in order to reduce the likelihood of flare on the image.

Backlit trees in Savernake Forest, Wiltshire. Canon 5Div, 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 at 244mm. ISO 100, 0.5s at f/22. Focus stacked. Tripod. Nov.

Back lighting offers the opportunity to use aerial perspective, also known as recession, in an image. Objects that are further away are frequently softened by the atmosphere, making them appear to have less contrast than those nearby. This is particularly the case if there is mist in the air (for example in woodland) or haze (as may be the case in mountains). The result is that the picture conveys their relative distance, giving a sense of depth to the image.

Backlit sunflowers at sunset, Alton Barnes, Wiltshire. Canon 5Div, 24-70mm f/4 at 45mm. ISO 200, 1/60s at f/22. Tripod. Aug. October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

Sunflowers face east when mature, which enables them to warm more quickly in the morning. At sunset, the sun is behind them so their faces are backlit.

Because they are yellow, they still appear bright in the image as a result of light reflected from their surroundings. The strength of this image comes from its dramatic sky, with the rim of the sun forming a focal point behind the sunflowers.

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Overcast Lighting Most people like to be outdoors when the sun is shining. For beginners in photography, it would be possible to overlook the benefits of overcast lighting.

Direct sunlight does not suit some subjects, even when the sun is low in the sky. An example is highly reflective surfaces, for which sunshine is too bright. This seashell sculpture faces east and my first attempt to photograph it, under a clear sky just after sunrise, was a failure.

Constructed from stainless steel, the sculpture reflects plenty of light from an overcast sky to bring the image to life.

This photograph was taken on an overcast afternoon. I included the town of Aldeburgh in the background to give context and a sense of place.

Seashell sculpture , Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Canon 5Diii, 24-105mm f/4 at 60mm. ISO 100, 0.3s at f/16. Tripod. May.

Woodland is usually best photographed on a bright overcast day. This avoids contrasty patches of light and shadow as a result of direct sunlight filtering through the tree canopy. The avenue of beech trees shown here looks great in early May when the leaves are fresh and vibrant green. A thin layer of cloud has attenuated the sun sufficiently to show them at their best.

Bright colours can appear more saturated on an overcast day. This is particularly true of warm hues such as orange and yellow, typical of woodlands in autumn. Mountains can be well-suited by overcast light under a dark, menacing sky, as can derelict buildings or indeed any composition suggesting a sense of foreboding.

Beech avenue, Kingston Lacey, Dorset. Canon 5Diii, 70-300mm f/4-5.6 at 170mm. ISO 100, 1.6s at f/32. Tripod. May. October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

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Spot Lighting

Hardknott Pass viewed from Hardknott Roman Fort. Canon 5Div, 24-70mm f/4 at 26mm. ISO 100, 1/25s at f/16. Tripod. Oct.

Spot lighting occurs when clouds or other landscape features cause sunlight to highlight a subject, while leaving other parts of the composition in shadow. This can be a powerful aid to composition, which is highly desired by photographers. However, clouds cannot be arranged nor accurately predicted so it is a matter of going out in suitable weather conditions and waiting. An overcast, blustery day with small breaks in the cloud can give particularly good results – if the light falls where you want it.

This picture shows Hardknott Roman Fort in the foreground and Hardnott Pass beyond, which has the reputation of being the steepest road in England. The day was mostly overcast but a brisk wind was moving the clouds rapidly across the landscape, allowing occasional beams of sunlight through. This kind of weather is not unusual in the Lake District. I waited until such a sunbeam fell onto the Pass, emphasising it as the focal point of the picture.

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Reflected Light Nearly everything we photograph is by reflected light, since only a few photographic subjects (such as the sun, stars, light bulbs, lightning and bioluminescence) emit their own light. When photographers refer to reflected light, they mean light that has been reflected at least once before it reaches the subject, that is to say two or more times in total.

Advantages of reflected light include avoiding unwanted contrast between sunlight and shade.

Most significantly, the shift in wavelengths caused by reflection may give wonderful qualities to the light, resulting in subtle tones that the camera records even when our eyes do not.

Reflected light can be particularly welcome on a bright day when direct light is harsh and contrasty, making it unsuitable for many landscape subjects. I photographed this ancient yew wood on a sunny summer afternoon. The dense shade cast by yew trees cuts out virtually all direct sunlight.

Instead I was working by light reflected within the wood, which imparts rich tones to the tree trunks.

The sky before sunrise and after sunset is another source of reflected light. When clouds become colourful during civil twilight, they reflect light of that colour onto the landscape.

Yew grove, Kingley Vale, West Sussex. Canon 5Diii, 24-105mm f/4 at 28mm. ISO 100, 2.5s at f/22. Tripod. July.

Buttermere before sunrise. Canon 5Diii, 16-35mm f/4 at 23mm. ISO 100, 8s at f/20. Tripod. Oct.

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Crossover Lighting Many photographers capture images at sunset, then pack up and go home. Sometimes, however, the best light comes well after the sun has disappeared. When photographing the built environment, artificial lighting can bring the subject to life. Cross-over lighting refers to a balance between artificial light and reflected light from the sky during twilight. This creates an atmosphere and makes the main subject stand out, lifts it from the background and directs the viewer’s attention.

Whitby Abbey Steps makes a pleasant composition at sunset in summer; however the buildings are muted in colour and matt in tone. An hour after the sun has gone, however, there is a balance between ambient light from the sky and artificial town light on the steps. Similarly, a building such as a church or pub is much more interesting when artificial lights both within and outside give a warm, welcoming glow.

When photographing by cross-over lighting, care is needed to control the exposure of highlights. If the sources of artificial light are included, it is easy to overexpose them and lose detail. To reduce the likelihood of flare, all filters should be removed. Cross-over lighting is usually best around 30 to 40 minutes after sunset from autumn to early spring and an hour or more after sunset in summer. It coincides with the end of civil twilight and the onset of nautical twilight, as the brightest stars start to become visible. Often the effect continues to improve for longer than you might expect, so keep taking pictures until the sky becomes too dark to register.

Whitby Abbey Steps, North Yorkshire. Canon 5Diii, 16-35mm f/4 at 26mm. ISO 200, 0.8s at f/16.

Tripod. July.

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About the Author Robert Harvey BA ARPS EFIAP CEnv CSci CIWEM is a professional photographer based in Wiltshire. He is inspired by remote locations such as coasts, mountains and deserts, where untamed land is sculpted by natural elements. His photographic schedules are often dictated by sunrise, sunset, moon, tides and weather.

Robert leads

photography tours throughout Britain, as well as overseas. He regularly lectures to specialist photographic audiences around the country and teaches at Lacock Photography. This article is an edited extract from his latest book Britain’s Best Landscapes and How to Photograph Them, which is available with free postage from www.naturalworldphotography.net.

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This is the sixth of the series of articles about our committee members and their photographic journeys. This month we feature Diana Wynn.

Profile of Diana Wynn RPS Landscape Group committee Treasurer

When did you first become interested in photography and how?

I was bought a camera for my 11th birthday and have enjoyed Photography ever since although at a far lower level initially, as film was so expensive.

Ancient Hut Circle

What does photography mean to you?

It is my main hobby and now plays a big part in my life. After my husband died I became very interested because it gave me something to concentrate and focus on.

What do you most like to shoot?

No specialty at all - sadly landscape is currently one of my less prolific areas of photography. I do wildlife, macro, and creative. I don’t do street, people, or portraits.

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How do you approach a shooting? Do you choose the location/subject in advance, or do you drive somewhere and start taking pictures?

I always decide in advance where I am going and always have my camera with me. In 3 weeks time I am going to the Brecon Beacons. I research a trip like this one, to ensure I make best use of the time I have there.

Are you a member of a camera club?

I am a member of Honiton Camera Club in Devon, where I was Competition Secretary for 7 years but recently resigned from that post, however I instantly became Chair for this year.

Lavender Fields

What is your favourite camera?

What are you working on now?

I have 2 cameras at the moment, a Fuji XT2 and a Fuji GFX50R (medium format).

Currently, the X-T2 is my favourite but the GFX50R which is relatively new, will probably become my favourite in the future.

I am in the process of preparing to submit 10 photos to the PAGB. I am hoping for a Credit (CPAGB) distinction.

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Credit Mark Reeves ARPS October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

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T h e G o o d P r a c tic e Gu id e for L a n d s ca pe P h o to g r a p h e r s B y M a rk Re e v e s

Landscape photography can be seen as a paradox. As landscape photographers, many of us are excited to travel to and photograph more remote places or spots where not many people go or locations to which we have never been before. There is a thrill to be found in solitude and wilderness but, in going there, our presence inevitably compromises that which we seek.

Most of us don’t want to photograph wilderness scenes or supposedly tranquil places with a load of people in the frame, or find that our viewpoint is a quagmire because so many others have stood on the same spot before us and trampled the ground to a pulp. Not only do these things detract from our experience as photographers, but the human presence inevitably impacts on these wild – or not so wild – places.

So it goes without saying that each of us has a duty to minimise our impact when we photograph; whether that be our impact on the environment or on other people – be they photographers or not. With this in mind, the Landscape Group committee has developed a guide to good practice for when we are in the countryside. The guide has been compiled by drawing on various sources including the National Trust, Keep Britain Tidy, UK Hillwalking and the Countryside Code. We invite and encourage all our members to follow the guide. In future, copies will be given to all new members of the group when they join.

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All images © Mark Reeves ARPS 31 32

Good prac)ce guide for landscape photographers Intr oduction When working in the field, whether in the countryside or in an urban location, landscape photographers should respect and care for the surrounding environment. Our over-riding maxim should be: “Take only photographs, leave only footprints”.

The points below are recognised good practice and all members of the RPS Landscape Group are encouraged to follow them.

Respect for the Environment •

Never leave litter; everything you arrived with should go home with you.

•

Consider carrying a compostable bin bag in your kit and using it to collect any litter you find on the way back to your car and depositing in a suitable bin.

•

Stick to footpaths where they exist. Wear appropriate footwear so you don’t need to leave a path to walk around mud and puddles. This will minimise soil erosion and disturbance of wildlife.

•

Avoid the busiest locations and go where fewer feet tread. © Mark Reeves ARPS

•

Don’t share your locations on social media. Doing so can create photographic hotspots, causing significant soil erosion and disturbance to wildlife.

•

Sometimes it’s inevitable that we have to relieve ourselves whilst on location. Poo should be buried in soil, well away from water courses (ideally at least 30m) and paths. Nonbiodegradable items must be disposed of in litter bins.

Respect for Wildlife •

Never deliberately disturb wildlife in order to get your image. Wait for the wildlife to leave or find an alternative viewpoint or location. If specifically photographing wildlife or working near wildlife, follow the RPS Nature Group’s Code of Practice

Respect for People •

Be considerate of other photographers; don’t walk into their frames, give them space and wait for them to finish if you wish to photograph from the same spot.

•

Be considerate of non-photographers; don’t block paths, gates and access points and respect personal space.

•

When working in remote areas always go properly informed, prepared and equipped. When working in coastal areas always inform yourself of tide times and heights. Calling out rescue services risks other people’s lives.

•

Leave gates as you find them. Closing open gates, however well intentioned, can cut off livestock from food or water.

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Landscape Group Events Listed below are the events coming up that are not sold out, cancelled or postponed at the time of writing. Go to the Landscape Events page to view all events organised by the Landscape Group here or click on the linked images below.

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RPS Landscape Group Monthly Competition S e p t e m b e r 2 0 21 Winners Announcement Members submitted another stunning collection of images to the Landscape Group competition

1st Place: Garry River at Killiecrankie by Tim Pearson I’d like to claim that the photograph was the result of great planning and hours of research, but in truth it was a last throw of the dice after a frustrating afternoon spent looking for interesting views around Pitlochry while on a brief stopover en route to the north coast of Scotland. It’s not that there aren’t great views to be had, far from it, but I had managed to miss them all and was running out of time before needing to head back to the hotel for dinner.

Stopping by a bridge over the Garry River, I spotted a group of tourists clambering up from the river after a canyoning experience, and realised that their exit point was the best place to go for a clear view up stream. I set my tripod up on the rocks and managed to take just a few long exposures before time and the weather beat me, realising that this would give me the best possible image of an otherwise straight stretch of river.

I posted the picture on social media and had an amazing response, so realised it was probably worth entering into the monthly competition. I’m pleased that people seem to like it and it’s currently the featured image on my website.

Technical details: Nikon D850 with 70-200mm lens at 185mm; 100 seconds at f/16 and ISO64.

Tripod and Lee Little Stopper filter.

Website www.timpearsonwoldsphoto.com

Instagram tim_pearson_wolds_photo

Comments made by RPS Landscape Members when voting for Tim's image

• Light and balance • My eye is drawn to the river and it's flow through the frame. The tones are well handled and there is a good contrast range from white to blacks.

• I love the treatment of the river's flow.

• I'm drawn through the image by the swirling water and the whole thing had such beautiful complimentary colours.

• Beautiful colours (fantastic use of limited colour palette), excellent leading lines in river bends.

Stunner.

• Great "lazy river " capture with long exposure • I love the depth of colour and the swirl of the water leading into the picture giving it depth • Just love the greens in this image • A good sense of movement, lovely colours and reflections and sympathetic processing October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

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1st Place: Garry River at Killiecrankie by Tim Pearson

October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

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2nd Place: Decline by David Travis ARPS

Take a look at more of David's photography on his website http://davidtravisphotography.com/ and on Instagram: @dtravis Comments made by RPS Landscape Members when voting for David's image

• Composition, leading lines, clarity, reflections, stillness of the water and the attention to detail of the editing.

• A stunning tack sharp black & white image. Beautifully exposed.

October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

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3rd Place: Windy Day by Lindsay Southgate See more of Lindsay's photography on her website www.lindsaysouthgate.com and Instagram lindsay.southgate.

Comments made by RPS Landscape Members when voting for Lindsay's image

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October 2021 Volume 6 Number 7

A lovely, atmospheric picture with great movement in the grasses.

The soft light enfolding the strong trunks has been used to create a beautiful subtle image.

It's a different image that depicts the weather very clearly, showing nature and the wind, I want to keep looking at it.

I love the muted colours and the textures created by the movement of the grass. It's good to see a beautiful photograph created from a scene that most people would just have walked past.

A lovely light image showing movement The use of slow shutter (?) helps to tell the story of the windy day with the blurred grass and the sense of movement in the sea. The leading line of the fence creates some depth and draws the eye out to sea. There's a nice contrast between the textures and earthier tones of the grass compared to the sea.

I loved the soft tones but the sense of movement and understated beauty.

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