September 2017 Capital Interest

CAPITAL INTEREST SEPTEMBER 2017 / VOLUME 3 / NUMBER 4 / WWW.RPS.ORG

ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

LONDON

Capital Interest • September 2017 • Volume 3 • Number 4

IN THIS ISSUE

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ANDERSON & LOW HON FRPS

by Del Barrett ARPS

I hope you’ve all had a good summer and been out and about making fabulous images.

I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t been out snapping very much as we’ve been moving house, so my creative energies have been flowing into mood boards and decorating schemes. But I’ve been planning my next photographic project and am going to try something new and well out of my comfort zone ...

10 BRIGHTON PRIDE

by David Balaam, Paul Connor LRPS, John Kelly LRPS, Graham Land LRPS, Greg Lambert ARPS, Susi Luard ARPS, Jennette Russell LRPS, Roger Towell ARPS

14 SUCCESSFUL DISTINCTIONS

This month, we have a bumper issue of fabulous images, starting with three stunning projects from Honorary Fellows Anderson & Low.

John Cheshire LRPS Chris Potter LRPS

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Last, but by no means least, congratulations to John Cheshire LRPS and Chris Potter LRPS on achieving their Licentiates.

WHAT I DID ON MY HOLIDAYS

by Jonathan Taylor, Del Barrett ARPS, Greg Lambert ARPS, Joe Jacob, Barry Hoffman LRPS, Mark A Phillips ARPS

30 DAVE'S DIARY

by Dave Harris LRPS

32 USEFUL LINKS Del Barrett ARPS (del.barrett@rps.org) Cover image © Anderson & Low Hon FRPS 2

Capital Interest • September 2017 • Voumel 3 • Number 4

ANDERSON & LOW Hon FRPS It’s not every day that RPS members are invited to contribute to the prestigious TED Talks, but that is exactly what happened this summer when Honorary Fellows, Anderson & Low, were invited to participate in TEDX – a much awaited TED event in London.

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onathan Anderson and Edwin Low have been collaborating as Anderson & Low since 1990. Based in London, their photographic art is held in many prominent galleries worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the V&A and the National Portrait Galleries of both England and Australia, and they were official artists for London 2012. But it is their visionary approach to the craft that sets them apart and that prompted the invitation for a TED Talk; a visionary approach evidenced through any number of reviews that describe their work as “ground-breaking”, “shattering the boundaries” and forcing us “to rethink the definition of photography”.

unleashes the imagination of the viewer.

Indeed, as Anderson says in the TED Talk, ‘look differently and find magic anywhere’.

When we look at their images, we enter fantasy worlds where heroes, legends, magic and myth are implied, and yet the carefully constructed worlds appear to be grounded in reality, and the boundary between our world and an imaginary one is often deliberately blurred.

For TEDX, Anderson & Low chose to present three of their projects - Chrysalis, Manga Dreams and, their most recent work, Voyages (see following pages for images). The talk is confident, clever and amusing. But don’t just take my word for it - tune in to TEDx on YouTube to enjoy this rare treat of a glimpse at the world behind the eyes of the experts.

Looking at the projects and commissions of Anderson & Low, one cannot fail to be impressed by the staggeringly diverse array of subject matter, but even more striking is the way that they individually tailor their methodology in harmony with each idea.

Their practice is intelligently, as well as critically, informed and ingeniously references other forms of art and culture. This, taken together with their bespoke approach,

For those not familiar with TED, it is an ideas driven organisation that brings together creatives, thinkers and entrepreneurs for stimulating discussion. The talks are then made available online.

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Capital Interest • September 2017 • Volume 3 • Number 4

ANDERSON & LOW CHRYSALIS

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To start their journey of showing us their world, Anderson & Low chose their project Chrysalis. The results are surreal, kaleidoscopic, geometric and abstract; but it is the way that these images were constructed that is so thought-provoking. Each component is an architectural detail, which has been de-constructed and then re-mastered via magnification, miniaturisation, tessellation, colouration, digitisation, rotation inter alia before being re-constructed. As mentioned in the TED talk, this then begs the question of when a photograph is no longer a photograph, and there appears to be no answer.

Through the images of Chrysalis, Anderson & Low seamlessly bind the tropes of fact and fiction to the point that the viewer no longer knows where one ends and the other begins. all images © Anderson & Low Hon FRPS 5

Capital Interest • September 2017 • Volume 3 • Number 4

ANDERSON & LOW MANGA DREAMS The fluid boundary between fact and fiction continues with the next stage of our journey – Manga Dreams. Again, we are challenged with defining reality. To borrow from Saussure, the signifiers are real people, but the signified is so much more than teens styled as their favourite comic book protagonists. Through the connotation of themes associated with Manga comics, such as action, adventure, bravery and heroism, Anderson & Low explore critical issues of contemporary youth culture.

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Capital Interest • September 2017 • Voumel 3 • Number 4

all images © Anderson & Low Hon FRPS 7

Capital Interest • September 2017 • Volume 3 • Number 4

ANDERSON & LOW VOYAGES ‘The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper’ (W B Yeats) is one of the quotations that accompanied the recent exhibition Voyages. And had Yeats seen this latest body of work, he would have undoubtedly agreed that the number of magic things in the world had increased.

Voyages features images of model ships stored at Blythe House (the repository of the Science Museum) but the way in which they are presented conveys the sense that they are dreamlike and mysterious. The viewer imagines the Flying Dutchman, the Marie Celeste or the Pequod.

The images evoke Turner and paintings more than photography. The sharp senses of Anderson & Low see beyond the physicality of the ships to the enigmatic voyages of great literature and legend, and the recurring themes of magic and myth.

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Capital Interest • September 2017 • Voumel 3 • Number 4

all images © Anderson & Low Hon FRPS 9

Capital Interest • September 2017 • Volume 3 • Number 4

Image (c) John Kelly LRPS

Image (c) Greg Lambert ARPS

Image (c) John Kelly LRPS

BRIGHTON PRIDE The sun shone and the rain stayed away but there were still plenty of rainbows at this year’s Brighton Community Parade. In conjunction with the South-East Region, the London Region organised an awayday to Brighton. Here are a few of the fabulous images from the day ...

Image (c) Graham Land

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Image (c) Paul Connor

Capital Interest • September 2017 • Voumel 3 • Number 4

Image (c) David Balaam

Image (c) Graham Land

Image (c) Jennette Russell LRPS

Image (c) David Balaam

Image (c) Roger Towell ARPS

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Capital Interest • September 2017 • Volume 3 • Number 4

Image (c) Paul Connor

Image (c) Greg Lambert ARPS

Image (c) Susi Luard ARPS

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Capital Interest • September 2017 • Voumel 3 • Number 4

Image (c) Jennette Russell LRPS

Image (c) Susi Luard ARPS

Image (c) Roger Towell ARPS

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Capital Interest • September 2017 • Volume 3 • Number 4

DISTINCTIONS

JOHN CHESHIRE LRPS It was in 2004, when I was in my late 30's, that I purchased a Konica Minolta DiMAGE A1 bridge camera and really became hooked on photography. The DiMAGE allowed me to learn about shutter priority, aperture priority, shooting raw and some basic post processing.

I replaced the two images that did not pass with new images. The two new images were taken in Dec 2016 on a trip to Thailand. My reassessment was booked for early Feb 2017 and this time I did attend.

I enjoyed the assessment day and saw all submissions that day since digital images are shown last. The screen used to display the images is an enormous plasma display which of course is perfectly calibrated. The large display really leaves you no place to hide and it was therefore both exciting and somewhat nerve-racking to see my images sequenced.

In October 2015 I got my first DSLR, started reading more and learning more about photography. In May 2016 I joined my first camera club and it was there I learned about RPS distinctions. I decided to challenge myself to attempt the LRPS distinction and booked an assessment for Oct 2016. At that point in May 2016 I did not yet have 10 images I believed good enough for an LRPS panel, so I knew I had to raise my game. I did not attend any LRPS advisory days or receive advice from elsewhere.

One thing I think worth noting is that there is not really a hanging plan with digital image panels because they instead simply have a display sequence. I tended to look at my 10 images as a typical two rows of 5, leaving two portrait crop images at either end of my bottom row of 5. However, a digital panel as the judges see it does not have a top row and bottom row - it just exists as a sequence of 10 images displayed in turn.

I decided to submit my LRPS panel in the less common and relatively new format for distinctions of digital images. I knew this would naturally limit my choice of photos since the images would be displayed on a 3840 x 2160 pixel screen and I assumed images should be at least close to those dimensions. I chose not to attend my Oct 2016 assessment but did get the result via email very promptly the same day. I learned that 8 of my 10 images passed and I would be invited to make a resubmission.

I did see one digital image panel not pass that day and one of the problems was that it really didn't work as series of 10 images. It did, however, work as two rows of 5.

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Capital Interest • September 2017 • Voumel 3 • Number 4

My panel has quite a mix of colours but I did try to have the images flow in some coherent and pleasing way. Since my Feb assessment was a resubmission with two image changes, the judges really only directly commented on the two new images.

They said that the mirrored portrait fitted nicely and kind of suited being roughly middle in the sequence, I suppose like a connecting domino. My other new image was image number 9 which was described as a nice street / river scene.

They also commented that the colour mix worked well and the 10 images showed a variety of techniques. A judge also noted that image 2 is a jay, since he had reviewed an image of a bird he didn't recognise in a previous panel. My panel was approved for LRPS. When I come to challenge myself for ARPS I will attend advisory days. I will also always attend my future assessments in person. My next distinction panel will be prints. I enjoy printing my images and will really enjoy trying to put together a 15 image ARPS panel in the future.

My local camera club membership and my membership of the RPS are important and inspiring parts of the journey I am on to discover my real photographic style.

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all images © John Cheshire LRPS 17

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DISTINCTIONS

CHRIS POTTER LRPS Chris Potter Hanging Plan 18/2/17

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5

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HANGING PLAN

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4

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all images © Chris Potter LRPS 21

Capital Interest • September 2017 • Volume 3 • Number 4

WHAT I DID ON MY HOLIDAYS...

A selection of how London members spent their summer holidays...

Image (c) Jonathan Taylor 22

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BRITTANY BY SEA JULY 2017 Jonathan Taylor

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WHAT I DID ON MY HOLIDAYS Del Barrett ARPS We did what we do nearly every summer - travel to Burgenland for opera, operetta and winetasting. The opera is set in an old stone quarry, the operetta on the side of a lake (Neusiedlsee) and the wine-tasting is based on the latest Falstaff guide, published every July. So it was a stunning performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto – all dressed in red on a very Christian Lacroix stage set; the spectacle of Der Vogelhändler (Carl Zeller), with a cast of thousands, against a backdrop of the sun setting over the lake and all washed down with some rather splendid wine.

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WHAT I DID ON MY HOLIDAYS Greg Lambert ARPS Part of a series I took at the Old Car City in White Georgia. It is a “collection” of 4,400 junk cars spread over 6 1/2 miles of trails buried in the back woods of Georgia. Absolutely amazing place to visit and I plan to go back as I was only able to scratch the surface.

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Capital Interest • September 2017 • Volume 3 • Number 4

WHAT I DID ON MY HOLIDAYS Joe Jacob There are no holidays for the retired! In July, I did get to the Stratford Butterfly Farm on a trip organised by Olympus Events. These are days out staffed by members of the Olympus team who lend the latest kit, offer advice and generally make themselves very helpful.

The Stratford Butterflies are located near the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon. There are four areas: the Flight Area, the Discovery Zone, the Mini-Beast Metropolis, and of course the Shop. The first three of these are hot and humid – carrying water is a good idea and changing lenses is a bad one.

The main action is in the Flight Area.

There are hundreds of butterflies from around the globe and some other creatures – watch your step. Shooting is best done with a macro lens. It was definitely a fun and challenging day. Snapping the creatures is easy. Getting decent shots very much more difficult.

Stratford is about two hours from Marylebone station (http://www.butterflyfarm.co.uk)

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WHAT I DID ON MY HOLIDAYS Barry Hoffman LRPS Usually, I don’t bother with gimmicky photography – I like portraiture and talking to people and trying to capture emotion. But I also like to test myself, so I decided to do a couple of projects over the summer.

One involved some interesting architecture – more of that another time perhaps – but the second activity (which provoked an eBay frenzy of torch and battery buying) was light painting.

I spotted that the RPS had teamed up with a local Buckinghamshire-based studio to deliver all sorts of courses far from the hallowed halls of Bath and so I duly popped along to do some light painting and I am well and truly hooked!

Apart from my newfound auction site addiction, I have discovered a great way to spend the increasingly rainy and dark evening. Hope you like the pics (can you spot which one is a self portrait?).

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Capital Interest • September 2017 • Volume 3 • Number 4

WHAT I DID ON MY HOLIDAYS Mark A Phillips ARPS

What I did this summer. I took pictures (surprise). Lots!! But unlike my many previous ventures abroad, with some vague ideas or a generic ‘travel’ focus, this time I went with two clearly defined documentary projects in mind and focussed almost exclusively on those.

The venue was Havana, Cuba, which has been photographed many, many times. Indeed, this was my third visit, but I was determined not to shoot clichéd images of old cars, run-down buildings and cigars.

The first project – ‘reparacion’ – focuses on the culture of repair. This was a follow up to my previous visit and I revisited some people I had photographed before. As well as capturing their work places, their work and their customers, I also spent time with them when they were not working, or visited their homes, to try to make the project more holistic and more humanist in approach. I plan to make a further visit to do some more work on this.

The second project explores the few urban sports areas in Havana for people to just ‘play’.

These are not the organised venues for boxing, baseball, athletics or the ‘sports city’, which is for elite athletes only, but basic areas right in the heart of the community, where youths and adults go for a little exercise and to work out. Whilst aiming to maintain a documentary approach, my intent with this project was to make images that were more ‘poetic’ and a little ambiguous.

So, ten days, just me and some local helpers. Photographing every day, often for up to twelve hours, in the sports areas in the early morning and late afternoon (for the light) and working on the repair project during the day (as most images were indoors). This was interspersed with coffee, and a few mojitos. A total indulgence!

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Capital Interest • September 2017 • Volume 3 • Number 4

DAVE’S DIARY A regular column about a photographer’s life in London by Dave Harris LRPS HISTORY Photographer of old; child of the darkroom; reborn to digital FAVOURITE GENRE Street; people; life around me PHILOSOPHY Always looking; snapper; grab the moment CAMERA Nikon D750 14-120mm; Olympus Stylus 1 CAMERA CLUB South London Photographic Society LRPS April 2015

WASTING TIME? What is it with retired men?

If there’s one thing I am 100% qualified and competent to write about, it’s retired men. I am one!

Give them an hour of free time, an hour off the leash from activity and domesticity, and they head straight for the local cafe.

I’m fortunate in that I have an excellent cafe down the road. Less fortunate (for my waistline) in that whichever road I head down, there’s an excellent cafe!

Far too much temptation.

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Now I know that I should head for the park with my camera bag instead. Do something worthwhile with that time. Something worthy.

And sometimes I do. If I lived in Sicily, with Sicilian light, I’d do it more often. But today is London light - dull, overcast and threatening to rain.

Even when I do “make a day of it”; if I go with my photography club to Greenwich or Brick Lane, it all revolves around a cafe. An hour of shooting before the cafe, the cafe, an hour of shooting after the cafe, and a final visit to the cafe before heading home. To our credit, we do talk about photography.

Cameras usually. ‘My lens is bigger than yours’ sort of stuff. But definitely shop. I enjoy these trips.

My excuse today is that I’m writing my diary. I’ve had to take my daughter’s iPhone to the Post Office to send off for repairs.

She dropped it down the loo! A common happening, apparently. She only bought it a week ago! (Second area of expertise - I’m quickly running out - foolish behaviour of daughters.)

And the Post Office is right next to an excellent cafe. So I nip in.

Tomorrow, I’ll go to the park.

I should stop making excuses. I enjoy indoor photography. The light is constant, and the ambience more conducive to taking pictures. Not to mention more comfortable.

I’ll just order a coffee and relax. Err... I mean write. With an image or two.

Dave Harris LRPS, 23 August 2017

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USEFUL LINKS

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INFORMATION & ADVICE

HAVE YOU GOT A STORY TO TELL? Or pictures to show? Have you been on a trip, at a workshop or to a fair? Are you working on a project or preparing an exhibition? Have you met a photographer who your fellow RPS London members should know of or visited an exhibition they should see? We love to hear from you.

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