RPS Yorkshire Newsletter January 2017

Yorkshire News

Newsletter for Photographers in the Yorkshire Region January 2017

YORKSHIRE

in this issue

Contacts - who’s who in Yorkshire: P.1 Note from your RO P.1 Something new for 2017. P.1-2 Notes from your RO YPU Judges’ Day P.2 and P.2A 2017 Yorkshire Print Exhibition P.2 AGM & Members’ Day P.2 Wendy North LRPS, a journey to L. P.3 New members and successes P.4 What not to miss in Yorkshire P.4 West Yorks Police Dog training P.3A & P.4 October Advisory Day P.4

Yorkshire Region contacts Regional Organiser: Mary P Crowther ARPS E: photobox50@gmail.com T: 07921 237962 Regional Treasurer: Robert Helliwell ARPS E: bobhelliwell@clara.co.uk T: 07802 413570 Newsletter Editor: Brian Crossland LRPS E: RPS.Yorkshire.News@gmail.com T: 07540 824112 Website:

Try something different for 2017 Dear Members, Colleagues and Friends, I hope this newsletter finds everyone in good spirit, following the delights of our many cultural and religious festivals.

Perhaps you’d feel the benefit of an energetic photographic walk with the recently formed Landscape group and their organiser Jim Souper. A visit to a Contemporary group meeting may suit you more, with interesting and stimulating conversation pieces on display.

However you chose to celebrate, we hope you had a wonderful time and here’s to a prosperous 2017.

Regards

Mary

Whatever your chosen genres of photography why not take the opportunity to do something different in 2017. Break out of that mould, you could be inspired or surprised, or both.

Your Regional Committee already has a few events planned for 2017.

As well as holding Distinction Advisory Days, we are hosting an Assessment Day in York and continuing to expand the Café Sessions/ Self Help Groups, with continued support.

We’re organising a ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ Print Exhibition, hoping to exhibit in Hull, City of Culture 2017, and other venues and on-line galleries throughout 2017/2018. Previously, members exhibitions have had little support, so to encourage more participation, this Print Exhibition will be open to all Yorkshire’s budding photographers.

Further details of this joint venture with ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ Tourist Board, will appear on the website.

We intended to re-visit RAF Linton-upon-Ouse in 2017. Along with other photographic shooting days. We are still fixing dates.

We’re arranging a Members’ Day at Wakefield in April, to provide a showcase of members’ work. We will be inviting several photographic societies and clubs to promote their members’ activities. This will include an opportunity for their members to display and discuss their prints, or provide a photo-story to the group. Places will obviously be limited. This event will also include our brief, formal AGM where we elect/re-elect candidates to the Regional Committee. If anyone has the odd day or two to spare and would like to join us, we do have vacant roles to fill, please contact Mary Crowther to discuss. …..continued over the page..

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..Something new for 2017 ..continued The Yorks Region aims to promote local Photographic Society and Club not-for-profitactivities. If clubs wish to send details about their events, or a brief report about one, with a couple of 2-5MB we will try to share them through the RPS website, our Region’s page and this Newsletter, to be received by all members, many universities and a range of relevant organisations, as well as being published on www.issuu.com .

Please contact either Mary Crowther or Brian Crossland - details on the website and page 1 of this newsletter.

For all events please check the website or Journal for full details and book in advance.

We look forward to meeting all members at the events, advisory days and other meetings, but feel free to contact us over any relevant item.

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YPU Judges’ Day - 15th October 2016 - more on page 2A Many of the readers of this newsletter will be members of local clubs and societies, affiliated to the Yorkshire Photographic Union (YPU), and will have met some of the region’s judges when they’ve visited to appraise their club’s images. Out of the 60 Yorkshire judges, around 36 attended this, the first meeting for YPU judges. It turned out to be a very helpful day for all judges to share ideas, discuss issues and share a few techniques. This voluntary service is coordinated by Alan Stopher CPAGB, the YPU Judge and Lecturer List Secretary and this Judges’ Day was also Alan’s idea. The day was well organised and all agreed that many positive outcomes had been achieved or could start being developed following our opportunity to all get together in this way.

Communications between clubs and judges is occasionally problematic and bookings can become confused, but after having the opportunity to share the problems, a small group offered to review the procedures and requirements, based on everyone’s feedback. Interesting to think we live in an age where we are surrounded with wonderful systems of communication, and we still can’t do it.

The day included presentations from experienced judges and club photographers who are currently enjoying a range of National and International exhibition/competition successes. The increased complexities for higher level judging, such as inter-federation and international competitions, were outlined by some who are currently busy in that area.

On a lighter note, although it may not have seemed so at the time, a collection “Judges’ Tales’ were discussed. These included a judge arriving at a club, to find that the venue had changed and they forgot to communicate; others had changed scoring/marking requirements and definitions, but had said nothing; at least one had arrived to judge on the night, to find the category had changed; and a few other ’tales’ are best not published.

So could you be a judge? Can you recognise a good photograph? Every 2 or 3 years, the small turn over of judges leads to half a dozen potential vacancies. 2018 should see the next recruitment drive, so ask your club secretary, YPU Representative or President for details, or keep an eye on www.ypu.org.uk where details are updated regularly.

Apologies are offered to the meeting’s photographers who supplied images for inclusion, but space was limited. Watch out for future newsletters or www.issuu.com in early January.

2017 Print Exhibition The RPS Yorkshire Region has teamed up with “Welcome to Yorkshire” for the 2017 Print Exhibition. This will be open to any photographer residing in Yorkshire, not just RPS members.

It is an open print section, but must be anything which the photographer sees as indicative of, or portrays a meaning of ‘Yorkshire’.

Entry is from December 2016 to 31st March 2017 watch the website for more details.

Awards will be RPS Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, certificates and Highly Commended ribbons, with some sponsor awards of paper from Fotospeed. We are in talks with galleries across the region and the details of these will be released as soon as they are confirmed.

All Exhibited images will also go on the RPS Website and Welcome to Yorkshire on line Galleries.

2017 AGM and Members’ Day, 8th April, 10:30 - 16:30.

New Brookhouse Club, 221 Barnsley Road, Wakefield, WF1 5NU. Following a 10-15 minute formal AGM, the Members’ Day will start with our Guest Speaker, Dave Burgess ARPS. Then, a selection of Societies, Clubs and RPS Special Interest Groups - each displaying their activities/organisations and any forthcoming events - will each have around 10 minutes to allow their individual members to tell a story in pictures about their personal photographic work and interests. Please watch the website for any updates to details, including timings.

YPU Judges’ Day - 15th October 2016 Many photographers see their work as a solitary activity, although many will agree that much can be gained by sharing ideas with a group of like-minded individuals. Much can be learned about your progress and performance by receiving the comments of others and by seeing a range of different photographs, either by seeing something you like or just by seeing a different approach. Within most photographic communities, this is achieved by the use of a series of competitions organised within, and occasionally between, camera clubs and societies.

Panoramic shot of the judges present on the day. Photograph by Andrea Hargreaves EFIAP DPAGB BPE2

Part of the day included some advice and much discussion about how to appraise images which are typically categorised as ‘Altered Reality’. This enlightening activity was led by Andrea Hargreaves and Sally Sallett and included much detail about how they had created their own work, along with some good pointers to help those who may not have previously known how they could start to analyse and judge such art forms.

Andrea Hargreaves describing her techniques… … and more from Sally Sallett ARPS CPAGB BPE2* Photographs by Marilyn Roberts DPAGB

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Alan Stopher surrounded by the 5 senior judges and exhibitors who helped to make the day of benefit to all. (left to right) Dave Burgess, Alan Stopher, Marilyn Roberts, Erica Oram, Sally Sallett and Andrea Hargreaves.

Wendy North LRPS I used photographs to support my work as teacher and teaching advisor, but wasn’t attracted by ‘serious photography’ until 2010 when I was enthused by an inspiring New Zealand photographer called Lorraine Gibb. I joined my local camera club in Penistone and entered online competitions.

My photographic development has been influenced by my art education and as well as joining my local club, I began to look at the broader world of photography, made possible by the access we now have to photography and photographers online. I had two prints and one digital image accepted on the first occasion I entered the annual Yorkshire Photographic Union (YPU) Exhibition and there is nothing like success to get people hooked. I achieved my CPAGB in November 2012.

One of the most significant personal factors in my journey towards LRPS came last year after my mum, then my partner, were diagnosed with serious forms of cancer. Touring out-patient departments and chemo-wards inspired me to capture images to include in my photo-journal, mainly using my Panasonic TZ60, leading to my realisation that I had the makings of a photoproject rather than a set of individual images. I’d joined the RPS as a personal reward for my time out from caring and saw the ARPS as a future goal (I’m better at bringing projects to fruition if I have a fixed goal in mind). I decided to start with my own journey to ‘L’ and I’m so very pleased I did as it wasn’t as straight forward as I’d initially imagined.

I collected my images over the summer and reluctantly, at first, rejected some of my CPAGB images. They did not fit the overall colour and tonal values of my panel. I found working towards the LRPS a totally different experience from the CPAGB, where the focus is on individual images, and the LRPS challenge is to create a ‘set of ten’ that work together as a panel, show variety of photographic technique with each one being technically good. The advisory session I attended last June was very reassuring and helpful. Our adviser suggested a couple of substitutions to strengthen my panel and advised me to place my paler, high-key images on the top. The most crucial advice, however, was for me to deal with the blown highlights that were evident on a few of the images. Something that became an obsession but which I happily got right in the end.

I’m now looking forward to choosing a project to lead me through to my ARPS.

ALL IMAGES IN THIS NEWSLETTER ARE COPYRIGHT THE OWNERS PLEASE DO NOT REPRODUCE WITHOUT THE OWNER’S PERMISSION

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More of the images submitted by the group who visited the Police Dog Training Bottom left by Stephanie Cook LRPS DPAGB, AFIAP: others by Sally Sallett ARPS CPAGB BPE2*.

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What you should not miss - please check the venue and our website before setting off

The Yorkshire Region continues to grow…

Welcome to our new members:

Mr David Hartley Mr Stephen Griffiths Mr James Bolton Miss Christine Forsyth Mr Stephen Evans

Mrs Annette Field Mr Daniel Mann Mr Robin Hudson Mr Ken Smith

Congratulations on receiving your Distinction: Wendy North LRPS Brian Rogers LRPS

John Marshall LRPS Michelle Howell LRPS

• 2017 25th February - closing date for Photography Competition as part of the Don Valley Arts Festival, Old Edlington (DN12 1HH) 17-19th March.

Website for details www.donvalleyfestival.org.uk • 2017 March 11th Advisory Day, New Brookhouse Club, Wakefield.

• 2017 March 31st - closing date - RPS & ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ Print Exhibition. See P2.

• 2017 8th April - AGM and Members’ Day • 2017 April 22nd to June 3rd - RPS 159th International Print Exhibition The Civic, Barnsley.

• 2017 May 13th - Self Help Group, Café Session. VJ’s Art Bar, York.

• 2017 June 17th Advisory Day (inc ARPS Natural History). New Brookhouse Club, 221 Barnsley Road, Wakefield, WF1 5NU. • 2017 July 29th Self Help Group, Café Session. Whitecloth Gallery.

West Yorkshire Police Dog Training Set Session - What better way to start a very cold, very early October morning? A dozen photographers captured the events seen at this training session, and all were intrigued by the obvious demonstrations of mutual respect between officer and dog. Very few commands seemed necessary, but the fluidity of instinctive cooperation could not have been better choreographed.

Photographs by Mary Crowther ARPS, Sally Sallett ARPS CPAGB BPE2*, Stephanie Cook LRPS DPAGB AFIAP

The 37th Frame

…and finally – our recent October Advisory Day We have just had our last Advisory day for 2016 and offer a big thank you to Wakefield Camera Club and the team for all their help with these events at the New Brookhouse Club.

Shown here are distinctions advisors Malcolm Kus FRPS and Steve Smith FRPS giving feedback and comments on some very promising panels.

Picture by Sally Sallett ARPS

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The last bit, squeezed in at the end. When using 36 exposure films, it was expected that a Yorkshireman would manage to get at least one more frame out of the film.