RPS Southern Region - March Newsletter

Newsletter March 2016

Paul Gilmour LRPS Regional Organiser

Contents 01 Introduction -­‐ Astro Photography

02 Article

Astrophotography

03 Event Detail Astrophotography

04 Event Detail

01: Welcome To Your March 2016 Newsletter!

Interested in Astro-­‐photography but don’t know where to start?

You still have time to book your ticket for our educational & informative Astrophotography Event on 3rd April.

Landscape Group: Inaugural Event Chichester & West Wittering

An unmissable event which promises to be an awesome day, with astrophotography expert, Dr. Lilian Hobbs LRPS, enlightening us all to what can be achieved with a relatively straight forward set up in An Introduction to Astrophotography at Marwell Hotel, near Winchester, on 3rd April 2016 at 10:00am.

Turn the page to enjoy a great article about basic astrophotography

by Paul Gilmour LRPS followed by the full event listing.

Don’t miss the event report from Martin Silman, sharing our positive morning of the 11th March, at Little Duck Forge in Eastney. The ‘Photograph A Blacksmith’ event proved to be a great success, with Martin planning regular events at our new, easy to reach venue.

Check out future events, news and updates on the region’s activities inside!

05 Volunteering

06 Event Detail

LCE Show Southampton

07 Distinctions : Advisory Days

08 Event Report Copyright Issues For Photographers

09 Event Report

Blacksmith Visit & New Dates

10 Dave’s Practical Tips

Image Credit: © Dr L ilian Hobbs LRPS

02: Back To Basics – Night Sky Photography by Paul Gilmour LRPS

I have to confess, I don’t really know the night sky too well, I only know some of the more famous constellations and where you can find certain planets but that’s about it. However I’ve always had a fascination with astronomy and I am always on the lookout for significant events in the astronomical calendar. What better way to combine an interest of astronomy with photography without the need to acquire very expensive astronomical telescopes! As much as everyone would love a top of range large aperture telescope to view and capture the most distant galaxies and nebula, a simple wide-­‐angle lens will still enable a stunning image of the night sky. I often find as a landscape photographer, a wide-­‐angle lens with a wide maximum aperture is ideal for images of the night sky.

There are plenty of resources on the Internet for photographing the night sky, in particular star trails. Software like Startrails.exe (Startrails.de) merge a series of images into one stunning star trail. With film you would need to leave the camera shutter open for hours and pray you ended up with a usable image free from any uncontrolled light leakage or image blur.

A tripod is a must along with a shutter release cable or similar remote trigger. Which comes onto two important considerations when photographing the night sky; How long to expose your image and digital noise.

I used the “500 rule” as a guide to decide on the maximum length of your exposure to ensure stars were free of blur. Realistically there is always going to be some star blur especially noticeable if you zoom in at 100% crop. Click here for further reading.

Maximum exposure time = “500 rule” / focal length of lens

Using a shorter exposure and a low ISO setting ensured my images were relatively noise free. This isn’t always possible of course however and I generally find an ISO setting of up to 800 and even 1600 perfectly acceptable. Modern digital sensors do a remarkable job of minimising any noise in low light.

Top tips for night sky landscape photography:

• Choose a cold, cloud free night ideally around new moon.

• Use a sturdy tripod, mirror lock up and a remote shutter release to prevent unintentional blur. Most modern cameras feature a ‘bulb’ long exposure setting.

• Ensure you wrap up warm and have a torch handy with you.

• Use a wide-­‐angle lens with a wide aperture. A 14mm-­‐20mm is ideal for night sky landscapes.

• Manual focus at infinity. Focusing is particularly difficult so it helps to use your camera’s “Live View” and your widest aperture to focus.

• Use the “500 rule” as a rule of thumb for calculating your exposure, to ensure your stars remain sharp. Remember to factor in any crop magnification to your calculation (Nikon DX 1.5x, Canon APS-­‐C 1.6x).

• Use a high ISO setting -­‐ as high as ISO 1600 works very well and allows you to capture images you would otherwise not be able to. A lower ISO setting minimises image ‘noise’.

• Complete some post-­‐processing concentrating on noise luminance slider first then the others. Adjust the colour balance to your liking and ramp up the clarity slider!

• Get to know the night sky, study maps or use a phone app. Polaris ‘North Star’ is an obvious starting point for star trails.

Hope to see you on the 3rd April 2016 at Marwell Hotel to learn more about astrophotography

03: Introduction to Astrophotography

With Dr Lilian Hobbs LRPS

3rd April -­‐ 10.00 – 16.00 Marwell Hotel, Thompson’s Lane, Colden Common, Winchester S021 1JY

Topics to be covered include: • • • • • • • •

What is Astrophotography Photographing the Night Sky Part 1 Photographing the Night Sky Part 2 The Moon Bright Galaxies using your DSLR Planets using a small telescope Solar photography including eclipses What’s next, I am hooked, a peek at Advanced techniques

About the Speaker Dr. Lilian Hobbs LRPS has been an astro-­‐photographer for over 40 years, she is currently President of the Southampton Astronomical Society and Lilian’s observatory has been featured on the BBC Sky at Night.

Lilian is the author of the ETX telescope book and a regular speaker to local astronomy groups. Her astronomy photos can be seen at http://www.lilianhobbs.com/astronomy

In this session Lilian will introduce you to the world of astrophotography. She will show you how to photograph the stars and constellations, the moon, a comet that should be visible in April, meteors and bright galaxies using your DSLR or video camera or even a GoPro and with equipment which you may already own.

Many of us may have a small telescope hiding in a cupboard somewhere, Lilian will show you how to attach your camera to that telescope or spotting scope and image the moon or the bright planets like Jupiter which will be well placed in April.

Astrophotography isn’t all about nighttime work, it includes the sun as well. Lilian will show you how to safely photograph the sun and the transit of Mercury across the sun in May.

Click Here To Book Online

Tickets RPS Members £30.00 Non RPS Members £45.00 Other Information Free tea, coffee and cold drink refreshments, along with biscuit snacks will be served.

Lunch is not included in the price, so please bring your own, or pre-­‐order directly with Marwell Hotel.

Free parking on site.

Image Credit: © Dr L ilian Hobbs LRPS

04: Landscape Group Inaugural Event

Chichester and West Wittering

Two hours of urban photography, followed by lunch and then move on to West Wittering, where the intention is to do some long exposure photography and finish with sunset.

Free to all RPS members and their partners. £5 to non-­‐members payable on the day.

2nd April 2016 -­‐ 10.30 – 19.30 Meet At Chichester Cross, Chichester, Sussex. PO19 1HD

This event is now fully booked. Please contact organiser, Paul Graber (Click Here) to register your interest for future, similar events.

Photo Credit: Chichester Canal © Kate Lomax

05: Have You Ever Considered Volunteering As A Team Member For Your Region?

A Warm Welcome Awaits New Team Members!

We plan to hold the next Annual General Meeting soon, which is the perfect time for new team members to join us.

Volunteers are valued members of the Royal Photographic Society, who engage with our Region in offering their time and enthusiasm, in helping to organise and run regional events.

You may have thought about getting more involved, and if so, please do get in touch by emailing, Regional Organiser, Paul Gilmour LRPS at southern@rps.org.

Perhaps you have specific skills, such as IT experience, in book keeping, event management or simply want to help out and any way you can. A warm welcome awaits.

We look forward to hearing from you soon

06:

The LCE Southampton Photo & Video PRO Show 2016 21 April -­‐ 11.00 – 18.00 The Novotel Hotel, 1 West Quay Road, Southampton SO15 1RA st

FREE ENTRY – VISIT OUR STAND Limited Free Parking Is Available At The Novotel – Visitors Please Enquire At Reception Meet the Royal Photographic Society at this year’s London Camera Exchange Photo & Video Pro Show! Discover what events are coming up here in the Southern Region, learn about the distinctions process and many special interest groups you can join. There are exhibitions and competitions along with online courses and workshop to develop your photography skills.Learn all about membership and what the many benefits of being a member include. A special 20% discount will be offered for anyone who visits us at the show and then joins up as a member!

The LCE Southampton Photo & Video PRO Show 2016

Canon & Nikon sensor clean clinics will be in session, offering a FREE basic sensor clean on your Canon or Nikon DSLR by Pro Service Centre technicians! (One only per show visitor).

Free Live Interactive Studio-­‐Style Workshops by Manufacturer Specialists/Photographer Ambassadors are to be held. Details to be confirmed, but proposed as follows (no pre-­‐booking available). Times are approximate: 11.30am to 12.30pm -­‐ Sony UK live Photo/Video demos/workshops (in conjunction with

Manfrotto & Lastolite) 12.45 to 1.45pm -­‐ Canon UK live Photo/Video demos/workshops (in conjunction with

Manfrotto & Lastolite) 2 to 3pm -­‐ Nikon UK live Photo/Video demos/workshops (in conjunction with

Manfrotto & Lastolite) 3.15 to 4.15pm -­‐ Olympus UK live Photo/Video demos/workshops (in conjunction with

Manfrotto & Lastolite) 4.30 to 5.30pm -­‐ Manfrotto/Lastolite UK Ambassador running live workshop on using

Lastolite & Manfrotto products (Studio Lighting inc LED Panels,

Backgrounds & Reflectors, Tripods, Manfrotto Digital

Director) Click here to visit the Royal Photographic Society's website for further details

07: Distinction Advisory Days

Would You Like To Know More?

Attending a Distinctions Advisory Day as a spectator allows you to listen to expert critique to understand more about what is expected of you when submitting your panel for assessment.

Or, more importantly, perhaps you already have your proposed panel together, and would like to present your work for advisory critique. Then you need to attend an Advisory Day as a participant. Portsmouth Area Representative, Martin Silman, runs through the format on the day, and what you should expect to experience as a participant.

Distinction Guidelines Online

Check Out Distinction Successes

Get Advice Online

This year, we have held two ‘Distinctions Advisory Days’ – in Bournemouth and Guernsey. The format sounds quite simple – members or non-­‐members considering applying for LRPS or ARPS distinctions take their panel of photographs along to the event along with 12-­‐15 others and each is reviewed by 1 or 2 assessors who constructively critique them in front of an audience of up to 50 spectators. In reality, you need to prepare carefully for the day, ensuring you have the right number of images at the right size, very preferably mounted. So preparation is key.

If you are considering applying for a distinction and have a range of photos with which you are confident could form a successful panel, we recommend you book as a participant as part of an advisory day. Unlike the formal assessments, these events are always constructive and feedback on the overall composition of the panel and the individual photographs within it is always designed to ensure that you leave better able to achieve your chosen distinction than when you arrive.

For the audience, the day is always informative – you see a wide range of great photographs, you get to hear experienced assessors critiquing the panels and the photos therein and you get to m eet and chat to many fellow photographers.

We aim to run a series of Advisory Days across the region over the remainder of this year. Details are still being finalised. Please let us know as early as possible if you intend to participate in any of the events, which are proposed to be scheduled such:

u July – Portsmouth u September – Southampton u November – Basingstoke

We plan to conclude the year’s successful Distinctions in December, by hosting an event, A Celebration Of Distinctions, in the Winchester area.

Please explore the links above to check out the available resources designed to help you on the RPS website

08: Event Report

Copyright Issues For Photographers Many photographers choose not to publish their favourite work on social media sites such as Flickr, or Instagram, or even within their photographic membership sites, for fear of having their work stolen. If you are shooting purely to sell, then you probably have an electronic watermarking system in place, however, if you are a keen amateur who wishes to sell or discuss your work with your peer group, how do you reasonably safeguard yourself, whilst enjoying the benefits of sharing your work, such as feedback, group critique, and getting a style established? On the 6th March, RPS Southern Region held an event Copyright for Photographers at the Greenham Common Arts Centre. The event was extremely well attended, our 34 delegates, both members & non-­‐members, confirming the need for education and enlightenment in the area of copyright issues.

The lively event was presented in two parts, with a sociable refreshment and lunch break in between, allowing delegates to chat and interact.

Andy Finney, RPS representative on the British Copyright Council, delivered an informative and compelling presentation on what copyright is and how to avoid falling foul of the various pitfalls for the unwary. He also gave an insight into the work the British Copyright Council is doing to protect everyone’s rights. We all felt very privileged when Andy shared with us the Copyright Highway Code document that is scheduled for publication in the near future.

Our second speaker, David Peckham, a specialist in 1:1 tuition in digital photography and post production software & colour management, demonstrated how to create a personalised copyright symbol in Photoshop that you can add to your images. David also demonstrated how you can customise your Lightroom import workflow, to automatically embed copyright metadata in your images. David’s expertise as a professional photographer and digital editor was well received and the opportunity to discuss with a seasoned professional some of the blips we all encounter in our personal digital life was warmly welcomed. Make sure you read, Dave’s Practical Tips feature in this newsletter.

The feedback from the event was very positive, with delegates still discussing the day at another event a week later! Look out for similar events making sure you book early to avoid disappointment!

David Ashcroft LRPS North East Hampshire Area Organiser Edited by Kate Lomax Photo Credits: David Ashcroft LRPS

09: Forging Ahead At Our New

Event Photograph A Blacksmith At Work @ Little Duck Forge, Portsmouth

The quirky front door of the listed building that houses Little Duck Foundry, was a treat to Photo Credit: Keith Jones behold, promising all sorts of wonders within, the first being the surge of warmth in stark contrast to the very cold morning outside. Lucille welcomed our photographers with even more warmth, and introduced her non apprentice understudy, who would also be working hard that morning. Under Lucille’s watchful eye, he enthusiastically hammered away at his anvil, creating sparks, and demonstrated white hot, red hot, and stone cold, as the water bath sizzled any remaining heat out of his worked pieces. Lucille, fondly known as the Iron Maid, held our interest with a potted history lesson about the building, and then relating her own journey and the history of Little Duck Forge, set about fashioning some Arum Lilies out of otherwise meaningless sheets of metal. As one of our smaller venues, spaces were very limited on this shoot, yet everyone had space to move around the wide variety of photo opportunities that the venue presented, in addition to the action shots, which were plenty.

Stopping for a welcome tea and biscuits break, Lucille made us all a hot drink and invited us to go outside to the display area known as the garden. We wandered in the full eleven o’clock sun, tea in one hand, cameras around our necks, ready to capture any opportunity for a super shot that presented itself.

Photo Credit Kate Lomax LRPS

Once back inside, the fire pit was glowing red and ready for action. Lucille’s trainee took up his position at the anvil, while Lucille worked beautiful miracles at the glowing coals. Lunchtime came all too quickly and it was soon time to depart, keen to book for the next two events at this venue.

The reviews left on our Meetup page were first class, our photographers clearly appreciative of the opportunity to have access to a unique environment, normally out of bounds to photographic organisations.

If you missed this super opportunity, there are two more in the diary. Book today, details are on the next page. Spaces are very strictly limited because of space restraints. You could capture some very unique shots for your next distinction!

Photo Credit Kate Lomax LRPS

New Dates! Photograph A Blacksmith At Work Two New Dates 13th May 2016 10.00 – 12.00

20th May 2016 10.00 – 12.00 RPS Member £10.00 Non RPS Member £15.00

Don’t Miss Out! Book Now! Click Here To Visit RPS Southern & Then Select Your Date Of Choice To Book

If you missed the first event at Little Duck Forge, book now for either or both of the May dates, released this week. You will have a first class opportunity to capture images that are unique in composition and style. An absolute must for the discerning photographer, you will be presented with unique photo opportunities for great captures. If you came along on the 11th March, you may like to come along again, planning your shoot to make the best possible use of your time and equipment.

Secure your place by booking today!

Click Here To Visit RPS Southern & Then Select Your Date Of Choice To Book

Dave’s Practical Tips

10:

Dave Peckham takes us through his favourite shortcuts and stress savers. A little basic knowhow goes a long way to a containing frustration whilst working through the editing processes of your captures.

Dave is highly respected as a tutor in photography & digital imaging techniques, and can be contacted by emailing davepeckham@mac.com or by telephoning 07434 170644

Lightroom and Photoshop Quick Tips Lightroom Click on the 'Tab' key too quickly hide both the side panels and give yourself a larger view of your image.

• Click on 'Shift + Tab' to view your image full frame in say, the 'Develop' or 'Print' modules.

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Photoshop •

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•

•

As long as the foreground and background colours are set to default then click on 'Cmnd/Control + Backspace or Delete' to fill a layer with white. Click on 'Opt/Alt + Backspace or delete to fill a layer with b lack A quick way to re-­‐select a selection that h as been transferred to it's own layer, in other words bring back the marching ants to a selection, is to hold d own 'Cmd/Control and left click on the layer thumbnail with the mouse.

If sending Tiffs away for printing check that when using the crop tool your background layer has not changed to an editable layer ‘Layer 0' instead of 'Background’ as this might cause p roblems for the printer. If this has happened then you will have to ‘Flatten’ the image.

'Layers > Flatten' from top menu or ‘Right click on a layer and choose ‘Flatten’ from the drop down menu.

Computers – Changing From A PC To A Mac System I am often asked which is the best way to go when changing from a PC (Windows) system to an Apple Mac system and my thoughts are these. The ideal set up would be an iMac together with a ‘colour critical’ monitor, a monitor specifically designed for 'Design and Photographic' work. A monitor that has a 'flat/non reflective screen and can be accurately calibrated and h as a 99% ARGB colour space in comparison to an iMac and 90% of all screens that are shiny, reflective and only have an sRGB colour space. However if you don't have room for two monitors or the budget does not stretch to that, then it is really worth considering a high spec Mac Mini or a Mac laptop coupled with a colour critical monitor. It would be a much b etter solution for editing than an iMac and possibly a cheaper option as well. Also, with the laptop, you would then have the best of both worlds.

File Storage Just a little quote that we tell our customers regarding backing up and storing files….. See next time for an explanation

“If it's not in three places it doesn't exist”