Why war photography is getting riskier
How to devise a dance shoot in five steps
JOURNAL BY RICK FINDLER
FEBRUARY 2018 / VOLUME 158 / NUMBER 2
WWW.RPS.ORG
Jeff Bridges
exposes
Hollywood
OPENING SHOT More than the sum of its parts
In the March issue of the Journal discover how to crowdfund a photography project, admire the best shots of Honorary Fellow Mark Power and learn how taking images helped one LRPS recover after a life-changing event
FROM THE THEATRE OF WAR TO AN intimate glimpse into the world of Hollywood, via a Chinese tea room, this issue shows how enlightening and inspiring photography can be. Rick Findler exposes the challenges of being a photojournalist on the front line as major news organisations shy away from commissioning freelance photographers working in conflict zones. He spells out what it is like to risk your life for your work, with no guarantee of publication. The commitment shown by Findler is demonstrated by photographers throughout this edition, including the actor Jeff Bridges, who speaks to Teddy Jamieson about a decades-long love affair with his Widelux. The panoramic camera, a gift from his wife, was initially an antidote to nerves between takes. Now photography is one of his passions, and he has been recognised by the industry for his skill and distinctive style. A trio of Distinctions portfolios is celebrated in the second of our Fellowship specials. They include an applied portfolio of images shot in a Chengdhu tea house, and fine-art photographs inspired by traditional ink paintings and classic children’s tales. Few of us are instantly recognisable from the back of our head – but Brian Griffin HonFRPS took a shot of Queen guitarist
MAJOR PARTNERS
SUPPORTING PARTNERS
NEXT ISSUE
Brian May from this angle. The result was a clever, unforgettable photograph of a haircut that instantly evokes the guitarist, a specialist in stereoscopic imagery. The art of capturing the character of a subject in a single frame is what carved Griffin a reputation. He created some of the most memorable album covers of the 1980s – and a body of work that goes far beyond the heady world of pop music. Enjoy his selection of ‘Best shots’, ranging from a deflatedlooking Lord Coe in the face of public criticism, to a determined-looking Margaret Thatcher clad in a hard hat, turning like Isadora Duncan. And in a fascinating insight into the world of dance and performance, Maria Falconer FRPS reveals how she planned and executed one shoot. They say never work with children and animals. What is the advice on inflated condoms? Finally, Dan Cox, a cataloguer from the Victoria and Albert Museum, brings to life an image from one of the original and best, William Henry Fox Talbot.
KATHLEEN MORGAN Editor
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 81
THE ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY Fenton House, 122 Wells Road Bath BA2 3AH, UK www.rps.org reception@rps.org +44 (0)1225 325733 Incorporated by Royal Charter Patron Her Majesty the Queen President Robert Albright HonFRPS Vice President Del Barrett ARPS Treasurer Derek Trendell ARPS Chief Executive Dr Michael Pritchard FRPS Published on behalf of The Royal Photographic Society by Think Red Tree Business Suites 33 Dalmarnock Road, Glasgow G40 4LA thinkpublishing.co.uk EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Editor Kathleen Morgan kathleen.morgan@thinkpublishing. co.uk 0141 375 0509 Deputy editor Alec Mackenzie Contributing editors David Clark, Fiona McKinlay, Jonathan McIntosh, Gavin Stoker Design Matthew Ball, Andrew Bell Sub-editors Sam Bartlett, Andrew Littlefield Advertising sales Elizabeth Courtney elizabeth.courtney @thinkpublishing.co.uk 0203 771 7208 Editor-in-chief Clare Harris clare.harris@thinkpublishing.co.uk Group account director John Innes
132
Soldiers of the Africa Union Mission during a deadly siege in Somalia
Every reasonable endeavour has been made to find and contact the copyright owners of the works included in this newspaper. However, if you believe a copyright work has been included without your permission, please contact the publishers. Views of contributors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Royal Photographic Society or those of the publishers. All material correct at time of going to press. Circulation 11,374 (Jan-Dec 2016) ABC ISSN: 1468-8670
Cover A selection of Jeff Bridges’ on-set photographs
82
124 Steve Davis, by Brian Griffin HonFRPS
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
112 Jeff Bridges prepares one of his Widelux prints for exhibition, 2016
RICK FINDLER; BRIAN GRIFFIN HonFRPS
© 2018 The Royal Photographic Society. All rights reserved.
CONTENTS
FEBRUARY 2018
CONTRIBUTORS
EVERY MONTH
Maria Falconer FRPS (PAGE 120)
With a commercial specialism in dance photography, MA-holder Falconer’s images have been exhibited in the UK, the USA, Belgium, Ireland, east Asia and at Arles Photography Festival
84 | BIG PICTURE Snow monkey by Johan Siggesson
102 | DISTINCTIONS Fellowship special, part two
87 | IN FOCUS Society news, views and more
146 | MEMBER STORIES Vivien Howse ARPS at the outer limits of pinhole photography
100 | BOOKS New titles by Robert Thompson FRPS, Duane Michals, Scott Mead and Kate Flint
160 | THE COLLECTION Branch of small dark leaves by William Henry Fox Talbot, 1858
102
Gemma Padley (PAGE 124)
An editor and journalist, Padley’s main focus is on photography. Her clients have included the Photographic Museum of Humanity, Getty Images, Magnum Photos, the BBC and LensCulture
142 The Journal’s lowdown on five camera bags for the new year
Rick Findler (PAGE 132)
A freelancer with a special interest in conflict, Findler’s work in Syria has been widely recognised in press industry awards. His images from Burundi were voted ‘best in show’ at the Photomonth Photo-Open festival
FEATURES
THE GUIDE
112 | LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION The dude abides: on set with Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges and his beloved Widelux
141 | LATEST KIT Gavin Stoker delivers his verdict on the £2,250 mirrorless Leica CL
120 | STRICTLY SPEAKING Maria Falconer FRPS reveals the steps required to successfully capture a dance shoot
142 | FIVE OF THE BEST The Journal helps readers get a handle on five camera bags, featuring models from Think Tank, Manfrotto, Tenba, Gitzo and Billingham
124 | BEST SHOTS Honorary Fellow Brian Griffin shares his unconventional journey, from shop floor to the heart of the rock and pop hits factory 132 | IN THE LINE OF FIRE Why do freelancers put their lives on the line for images from the world’s conflict zones? Rick Findler reveals what drives him
145 | MEMBER TEST Tom Soper LRPS: hands on with the Canon 6D MkII 148 | EVENTS The next three months of great Society get-togethers and gatherings from the regions and groups
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 83
BIG PICTURE
84
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
Snow monkey By Johan Siggesson This image by Swedish wildlife photographer Johan Siggesson captivated the judging panel of the Travel Photographer of the Year 2017 awards. Shot in Jigokudani, Yudanaka, Japan, it illustrates his determination to show snow monkeys in an original and unfamiliar light. He explains: ‘Photographing the snow monkeys in Hell Valley in Japan is easy. They are everywhere, they are close and they are not afraid. I noticed that if I composed the image in a certain way it would look like an almost human creature is climbing up from below.’ The judges’ verdict? ‘What a clever image. Johan has captured a scene in which the monkey looks like a mysterious half-human creature emerging from the deep. The detail in the hand is fascinating.’ Visit tpoty.com
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 85
PAGE 89
PAGE 94
PAGE 95
HEAIDNG HERE
MAGNUM PHOTOS’ DAVID HURN EXPLORES ARIZONA
KIRSTY MACKAY IS ONE TO WATCH
IN•FOCUS News, views, exhibitions and competitions
STAGE IS SET A live demonstration from day one of last year’s Photography Show, which welcomed 30,000 professional and amateur photographers
Fellows to star at 2018 Photography Show LUMINARIES SUCH AS Art Wolfe HonFRPS, Zed Nelson HonFRPS and Gered Mankowitz FRPS will be among the major speakers at The Photography Show 2018.
SIGN UP
This popular event returns to the NEC in Birmingham from 17-20 March. It will feature talks, practical demonstrations, stands representing camera brands and a broad range of
Spirit Horse by Art Wolfe HonFRPS
not join this workshop on Saturday 3 March? The cost to RPS members is MOVEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY Why £71. See page 153 for more information on this and other Society workshops
FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 87
IN FOCUS
Art Wolfe HonFRPS
photography-related businesses. The show’s new features include a themed stage, The Great Outdoors, which will be a platform for live demonstrations on shooting everything from landscape and wildlife to weddings. There will also be an enhanced mobile and social stage offering advice on the latest editing apps. Other speakers include Magnum Photos’ Bruce Davidson, National Geographic photographer Ami Vitale and Pulitzer Prize-winner Daniel Berehulak. Nicholas White, recipient of the TPA/RPS Environmental Bursary winner for the under-30s, will also share his experiences. As in previous years, the RPS stand will offer the chance to meet staff from the Society and the Journal.
Focus on female Chinese artists Programme highlights contemporary work
Visit photographyshow. com
Peep Stream: The Book of Kichiku, video installation by Funa Ye, 2015 88
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
STARTING THIS MONTH, NOW, a series of exhibitions, commissions and events, will highlight female contemporary artists working in China. It will take place at venues around the UK, including the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art in Manchester and Turner Contemporary in Margate. For full details of the programme, running from 16 February to 2 September, visit cfcca.org.uk/now/
Legacy of war A POWERFUL AND poignant collection of images exploring what happens when a war has ended – including the rebuilding of lives and homes, and the long process of coming to terms with the past and present – is to be released. War is Only Half The Story features photographs from The Aftermath Project, founded by the awardwinning documentary photographer and filmmaker Sara Terry in 2008. The project’s aim is to ‘promote postconflict storytelling by
IN THE AFTERMATH Main picture: Touareg Rebels Music Band from The Dynamics of Dust series by Philippe Dudouit Right: Hidden Scars, taken in Chechnya by Stanley Greene
INTERACTION; ALAMY
Hive, a video still by Wang NewOne
NEWS IN BRIEF
some of the world’s finest photographers’. The non-profit organisation’s annual grant competition has featured the work of more than 50 photojournalists from 15 countries, including Jim Goldberg, Nina Berman, Andrea Bruce and Stanley Greene. They have produced work on historic and ongoing conflicts. The book will include essays by Clare Cavanagh and Donald Weber, as well as poems by Nobel laureate Wislawa Szymborska. It is being published by Dewi Lewis, price £35.
Earth by Will PriceLockyer
RPS SCHOOLS CERTIFICATE l Will Price-Lockyer, a student at Crispin School, Somerset, has been awarded the RPS Certificate in Photography. The certificate is available to students who excel in their GCSE photography exams. For information on the schools certificate please contact the Society’s education manager Liz Williams at liz@rps.org rps.org/learning/schoolscertificate BOOK DOCUMENTS LIONS’ TOUR l Rugby enthusiast Ken Skehan ARPS has just published a book giving a fan’s-eye view of the British Lions’ 2017 Tour. Focus on the Fans: Lions Rugby 2017 is, in Skehan’s words, ‘a celebration of the role fans play in making elitelevel sport what it is today’. It is available from focusonthefans.com BEIJING MEMBER’S COMPETITION SUCCESS l Kaiyu Lu LRPS, a Chinese member of the Society based in Beijing, has been named as a winner of the Historic Photographer of the Year competition. His picture was an atmospheric shot of the Great Wall of China on a winter’s morning.
Kaiyu Lu LRPS’s Great Wall image
FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 89
IN FOCUS BROMO RUSH HOUR
By Suwandi Chandra
The area surrounding Mount Bromo comes to life each day when commuters and tourists travel to witness the sunrise from the summit of Mount Penanjakan, Indonesia. I captured this photo at 4.45am using a tripod and a Pentax K3, with bulb-mode setting, attached to a remote shutter release in order to get enough exposure time to capture the star trails in the sky, and the light from the traffic in the valley below. Crisscrossing the Sea of Sand, these bands of light contrast with the signature plumes emanating from the active volcano. If you look closely, you can see hikers with torches making their way to the Bromo crater.
Society 365 competition The most popular online entries showcasing images taken during 2017 NATIONAL THEATRE
By Christian James Wood This photograph is part of People, Places, London, a personal project that I’ve been working on over the past year. It features a striking collection of character portraits that tell some engaging stories. This portrait was inspired by the work of fashion photographer and director 90
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
Nick Knight, and by the Royal National Theatre in London. I captured this image using my Phase One IQ140 system, coupled with a 80mm Schneider Lens and the settings f/10, 1/2,000sec and ISO 100. Alongside this, I relied on a strong overhead light to keep the image looking dark and dramatic.
DEL BARRETT ARPS Vice president,
The Royal Photographic Society
VoiceBox Compost compositions In praise of natural selections
ENTER NOW Inspired by this issue’s selection of images? Then vote for your favourites and submit your photographs for the next monthly Society competition at rps-365.org
STARS
By Kristina Zvinakeviciute I’m passionate about macro art photography, so I challenged myself to take a
picture of dandelion fluff. I was inspired by the act of making a wish before blowing the seeds away and watching them scatter across the sky like falling stars.
Using a Nikon D810 camera paired with a Nikon Micro 105mm f/2.8 lens, I wanted to show how beautiful the small things that we often overlook in everyday life are.
A BIG THANKS TO EVERYONE who contacted me about ‘Not model behaviour’, my previous column in the Journal. I’ve had hundreds of replies and I’ll provide an update in the near future. Recently, my thoughts have turned to natural history. I have to confess that this is not my favourite genre, although perhaps I should say was not my favourite. My eyes have been opened to new ways of looking at nature and I’m now slightly obsessed. It started with Into the Woods: Trees in Photography, a small show at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the first to include images from the RPS Collection. I then visited Visions of Nature and Natural My eyes Histories: Traces of the Political, have been two separate opened to exhibitions held new ways in Vienna. Both of looking of these were very different from at nature the photography I normally associate with natural history, because of their emphasis on humanity’s relationship with nature, including – with a nod to Joel Sternfeld HonFRPS’s On This Site – how nature reclaims what humanity borrows for politically motivated violence. So I’ve started my own nature project – the compost heap. I’m using photography to explore how a compost heap changes. Bread disappears, fungi appear, paper decomposes, the parsnip has been there for a month now. If the project is going to be valid, I must ensure that I don’t curate the compost, or have the carrots for dinner, because these images need a tad of colour. More importantly, it shows that you don’t have to stray far from home to find a photographic project.
FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 91
IN FOCUS
WHAT TO SEE THIS MONTH
TOWN TO TOWN Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol UNTIL 12 MAY
Scottish
MARTIN PARR HonFRPS; ASHLEIGH SCULLY / WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR; ANDREAS GURSKY / DACS 2017, COURTESY SPRÜTH MAGERS; ELLIOTT ERWITT HonFRPS / MAGNUM; TOM WOOD
4 photographer
Niall McDiarmid took these engaging portraits in more than 200 towns around Britain over the past seven years. They show, in his words, ‘a multicultural society at a time of huge change’. martinparr foundation.org
Dunraven Street, Tonypandy, Rhondda Valley, May 2014
AMERICAN BLACK AND WHITE Magnum Print Room, London UNTIL 23 FEBRUARY
Two members of
3 Magnum explore
THE PIER HEAD Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool UNTIL 25 MARCH
These images 2 by street photographer Tom Wood were taken in the 1970s and 80s on the Mersey ferries between Liverpool and the Wirral peninsula. Most of the photographs are being shown for the first time in the UK. openeye.org.uk
SHOWING
facets of the USA in this exhibition, featuring photographs from Matt Black’s ongoing series The Geography of Poverty and images of Pittsburgh taken in 1950 by Honorary Fellow Elliott Erwitt. magnumphotos.com
ANDREAS GURSKY Hayward Gallery, London UNTIL 22 APRIL
Gursky’s
1 acclaimed large-
scale images often feature contemporary man-made spaces. To mark the reopening of the Hayward Gallery after a refurbishment, this retrospective involves around 60 of the fine-art photographer’s works. southbankcentre.co.uk
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh UNTIL 29 APRIL
On show are 100 winning and shortlisted
5 images from the 53rd Wildlife Photographer
of the Year competition. Chosen from almost 50,000 entries, they highlight the extraordinary diversity and fragility of the natural world nms.ac.uk
Merrie Albion: landscape studies of a small island Flowers Gallery, London, until 10 March // Swaps: photographs from the David Hurn Collection National Museum, Cardiff, until 11 March // Into the woods Victoria and Albert Museum, London, until 22 April // When we were young: photographs of childhood from the National Galleries of Scotland Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, until 13 May VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 93
Dolly good show FOLLOWING THE success of Swaps: Photographs from the David Hurn Collection, on show at the National Museum of Wales until 11 March, a new collection of the 83-year-old photojournalist’s work has just been published. 94
Arizona Trips features a selection of pictures made on Hurn’s travels in the state between the years 1979 and 2001, and includes some brilliantly observed and characteristically quirky images of everything from wild horse wrangling to nearly-nude male dancers.
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
Hurn is of Welsh descent and says, ‘Arizona is the driest state in America and Wales is the wettest. So it seemed to me it was such an extraordinary contrast.’ Arizona Trips is published by Reel Art Press, priced £29.95
David Hurn journeys into Arizona
DAVID HURN HonFRPS / MAGNUM PHOTOS
RPS Fellow explores the Arizona state of mind over two decades
IN FOCUS
ONE TO WATCH
Kirsty Mackay Award-winning photographer is motivated by social justice
WORKING 9 TO 5 A group of bighaired entrants taking part in a Dolly Parton lookalike competition in Phoenix, Arizona in 1979
KIRSTY Mackay was born and brought up in Glasgow, and now lives in Bristol. In December 2017, she won the Rebecca Vassie Memorial Award for her project The Fish That Never Swam.
describe the lowered health and life expectancy for people in Glasgow. A major research paper was published last year investigating the causes, but it felt like no one was talking about this issue.
How did studying for an MA in documentary photography from the University of South Wales affect your work?
Is there a common theme to your work?
It was a really brilliant course and helped me to start making work that commented on social issues. What inspired The Fish That Never Swam?
It’s all about ‘the Glasgow effect’, the term used to
I start a project for two reasons. The first is to understand a subject. The other thing that keeps coming up in my work is injustice. The subjects I pick are ones that deeply bother me. If I’m bothered by something, that’s what I’m going to tackle.
Visit kirstymackay. com
KIRSTY MACKAY
PLAN AHEAD OUR ROUND-UP OF KEY COMPETITION DATES PINK LADY FOOD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR Celebrating 1 the best in food photography and film, with an overall top prize of £5,000. Closing date: 6 February. Visit pinkladyfood photographer oftheyear.com
RPS INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION 161 Entries from all 2 genres and styles are welcomed. Winners will be exhibited in the touring exhibition. Closing date: 4 April. Visit rps.org/ competitions/ipe-161
INTERNATIONAL GARDEN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR This garden, 3 plant and flower photo competition features 11 categories. The main competition is open from 20 February-31 October. Visit igpoty.com
Chris in Govanhill, from The Fish That Never Swam
FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 95
IN FOCUS
TOP SHOT
Patient in safe hands
AN IMAGE OF a child being comforted as if she were being prepared for anaesthetic has won a photographic competition. The picture, by Dr Mark ZY Tan from the Royal Bolton Hospital, impressed the judges of the competition, organised by the Royal College of Anaesthetists in partnership with the Society. The theme for the competition, marking the 25th anniversary of the founding of the royal college, Y SERVICE EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY SENSATIONAL PRICES SPEEDY SERVICE was ‘In Safe Hands’. Entries were invited from fellows Y SERVICE Large ofFormat Print & Canvas Wrap Specialists EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY SENSATIONAL PRICES SPEEDY SERVICE and members the college. Dr Tan, who used his infant Large Format daughter as a model forPrint his & Canvas Wrap Specialists FINE ART PAPERS FUJI POSTER photograph, said:308gsm ‘When we PRINT PAPER Photo RagŽ 4 FREE P&PWinning TILL April 30 Check code RPS414 MultiUK Award Service Matt Finechildren Art – Smooth Satin 270gsm anaesthetise thereFuji Y FINE ART PAPERS FUJI POSTER German Etching 310gsm – Semi-Matt &9".1-&4 0' 063 -08 Y Y Y Photo RagŽ PRINT PAPER is oftenMatt a heightened level Fuji b Fine Art308gsm – Textured Glossy 240gsm 7"5 */$-64*7& 13*$&4 Q Q b Multi Award Winning Service Matt Fine Art – Smooth Fuji Satin 270gsm Photo RagŽanxiety. Baryta 315gsm – Slightly Shiny of stress and We use Y 3JR. BD1 German Etching 310gsm – Semi-Matt &9".1-&4 0' 063 -08 Y Y Y ProAm Imaging Ltd. 17, Northgate, Bradford. BD1 3JR. Glossy Fine Art - High Gloss 10�x8� to 60�x43� b our hands to Art distract, Matt Fine – Textured Fuji Glossy 240gsm 7"5 */$-64*7& 13*$&4 Q Q b maging.com (T) 01274 723622 (F) 01274 735389 (E) sales@proamimaging.com Photoprotect RagŽ Barytaand 315gsm comfort, make – Slightly Shiny fBD1 how3JR. to ProAm Ltd. 17, Northgate, PleaseImaging visit our website for full Bradford. details ofBD1 how3JR. to Glossy Fine Art - High Gloss Group Test of Labs... 10�x8� to 60�x43� Dr Mark ZY Tan’s Advanced Photographer them feel safe.’ printing register and easily your files for printing maging.com ProPhotoPrints, 1 Market (T) 01274 723622 (F) 01274prepare 735389 (E) sales@proamimaging.com winning imageArcade, Halifax HX1 1NX. f how to Please visit our website for full details of how to Group Test of Labs... (T) 01422shows 354008a(E)baby info@prophotoprints.co.uk Advanced Photographer Visit rcoa.ac.uk/rcoa25/ ProPhotoPrints, being1comforted printing register and easily prepare your files for printing Market Arcade, Halifax HX1 1NX. " 1PTUFS b -08 13*$&4 " 'JOF "SU b ISCOUNT ONawards-competitions AWARD WINNING CANSON PAPERS 31/12/15 SOME SAVINGS UP TO 60%...SPECIAL 35% DISCOUNT ON AWARD WINNI (T) 01422 354008 (E)...ENDS info@prophotoprints.co.uk
. .
PROPHOTOPRINTS PROPHOTOPRINTS
com com
TS alists NTS TS ecialists alists NTS
www.prophotoprints.co.uk www.prophotoprints.co.uk
EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY
. .. .
. .. .
" 1PTUFS b -08 13*$&4 " 'JOF "SU b
SENSATIONAL PRICES
SPEEDY23/03/2016 SERVICE 15:27
EXCEPTIONAL QUALITYSENSATIONAL SENSATIONAL PRICESSPEEDY SPEEDY SERVICE EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY PRICES SERVICE
EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY
ecialists
SENSATIONAL PRICES
SPEEDY SERVICE
&9".1-&4 0' 063 -08 Y Y Y
7"5 */$-64*7& 13*$&4 Q Q b Award Winning Service MultiMulti Award Winning Service
&9".1-&4 0' 063 -08 Y Y Y ProAm&9".1-&4 0' 063 -08 Y Y Y Imaging Ltd. 17, Northgate, Bradford. BD1 3JR. 7"5 */$-64*7& 13*$&4 Q Q b
(T) 01274 723622 (F) 01274 735389 (E) sales@proamimaging.com o.uk ProAm Ltd. 17,forNorthgate, Bradford. BD1 Please visitImaging ourLtd. website full details ofBD1 how to 3JR. ProAm Imaging 17, Northgate, Bradford. 3JR. register and723622 easily your les for printing (T) 01274 (F)prepare 01274 735389 (E)fisales@proamimaging.com ax HX1 1NX. (T) 01274 723622 (F) 01274 735389 (E) sales@proamimaging.com .co.uk o.uk ProAm Imaging Ltd.website 17,for Northgate, Bradford. Please visit for full details ofBD1 how to Please visit our our website full details of how to3JR. nts.co.uk register and easily your for printing register and723622 easily your fisales@proamimaging.com lesfiles for printing Halifax HX1 1NX. (T) 01274 (F) prepare 01274prepare 735389 (E) www.proamimaging.com ax HX1 1NX. co.uk Please visit our website for full details of how to toprints.co.uk nts.co.uk Multi Award 7"5 */$-64*7& 13*$&4 Q Q b Winning Service
"SU b
Group Test of Labs... Group Test of Labs... Advanced Photographer Advanced Photographer
toprints.co.uk
'JOF "SU b
&9".1-&4 0' 063 -08 Y Y Y 7"5 */$-64*7& 13*$&4 Q Q b
Please visit our website for full details of how to order and easily prepare your files for printing
www.proamimaging.com www.proamimaging.com www.proamimaging.com
Halifax HX1 1NX. 'JOF "SU b "SU b
23/03/2016 15:17
Group Test of Labs... Advanced Photographer
96
www.proamimaging.com www.proamimaging.com
PROPHOTOPRINTS Large Format Print & Canvas Wrap Specialists PROPHOTOPRINTS PROPHOTOPRINTS Large Format Print & Canvas Wrap Specialists Large Format Print & Canvas Wrap Specialists PROPHOTOPRINTS Insley_RPS_Apr_16.indd 1
FINE ART PAPERS FUJI POSTER Photo RagŽ 308gsm PRINT PAPER Matt Fine Art – Smooth Fuji Satin 270gsm FINE ART PAPERS FUJI POSTER FINE ART PAPERS FUJI POSTER German Etching 310gsm – Semi-Matt Photo RagŽ 308gsm PRINT PAPER Photo RagŽ 308gsm PRINT PAPER Matt Fine Art – Textured Fuji Glossy 240gsm MattArt Fine Art – Smooth Fuji Satin Fuji 270gsm Satin 270gsm Matt Fine – Smooth Photo RagŽ Baryta 315gsm – Slightly Shiny FINE ART PAPERS FUJI POSTER German Etching 310gsm – Semi-Matt – Semi-Matt German Etching 310gsm Glossy Fine ArtRagŽ - High Gloss to 60�x43� Photo PRINT PAPER Matt Fine Art308gsm – Textured 10�x8� Fuji Glossy 240gsm Matt Fine Art – Textured 240gsm Matt Fine Art – Smooth Fuji Glossy Fuji Satin 270gsm – Slightly RagŽ Baryta 315gsm– Slightly PhotoPhoto RagŽ Baryta 315gsm ShinyShiny German Etching 310gsm – Semi-Matt Fine Art - Gloss High Gloss 10�x8� to 60�x43� GlossyGlossy Fine Art - High to 60�x43� Matt Fine Art – Textured 10�x8� Fuji Glossy 240gsm 1 Market Arcade, Halifax HX1 1NX. – Slightly Shiny Photo RagŽ Baryta 315gsm ProPhotoPrints, Glossy Fine Art - High Gloss(T) 01422 10�x8�354008 to 60�x43� (E) info@prophotoprints.co.uk
PROPHOTOPRINTS Large Format Print & Canvas Wrap Specialists PROPHOTOPRINTS / THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
EXCEPTIONAL QU EXCEPTIONAL QUALIT
EXCEPTIONAL QU
Multi Award Winni
&9"
7" Award MultiMulti Award WinnW
ProAm&9"I
www.prophotoprints.co.uk Pro Please ProAm registe (T) (T) 012740 www.prophotoprints.co.uk www.prophotoprints.co.uk Pro Ple Please reg registe ProPhotoPrints, 1 Market Arcade, Halifax HX1 1NX. (T) 0 www.pro ProPhotoPrints, 1 Market Arcade, Halifax HX1 1NX. www.prophotoprints.co.uk Ple (T) 01422 354008 (E) info@prophotoprints.co.uk (T) 01422 354008 (E) info@prophotoprints.co.uk " 1PTUFS b -08 13*$&4 " 'JOF "SU b
7" Multi Award W (T) 01274
Group Test of Labs... Advanced Photographer
Group Test of Labs... Group Test of Labs... Advanced Photographer Advanced Photographer
www.p www.pro www.p
ProPhotoPrints, 1 Market Arcade, Halifax HX1 1NX. " 1PTUFS b -08 13*$&4 " 'JOF "SU b " 1PTUFS b -08 13*$&4 " 'JOF "SU b
register and easily prepare your files for printing
Pro Am_RPS_Aug_17.indd 1
EXCEPTIONAL QUALIT
Large Format Print & Canvas Wrap Specialists
Multi Award Winning Service
Group Test of Labs... Advanced Photographer
. .
. .
(T) 01422 354008 (E) info@prophotoprints.co.uk
Insley half_RPS_Apr_16.indd 1
EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY
. .
" 1PTUFS b -08 13*$&4 " 'JOF "SU b
23/03/2016 15:32 InsleyEXCEPTIONAL advertiisng 1/4_RPS_Apr_16.indd 1 QUALITY SENSATIONAL
PRICES
SENSATIONAL PRICES
14/07/2017 12:53 15:17
23/03/2016 SPEEDY SERVICE
SPEEDY SERVICE
Group Test of Labs... Advanced Photographer
reg
PROP PROP
Large Forma
Large Forma
OBITUARY
Arnold Hubbard FRPS ARNOLD HUBBARD died in November at the age of 92. The dedicated photographer was devoted to his craft, and known throughout the UK and beyond for the quality of his work – especially prints and, his personal favourite, monochrome prints. Joining Sunderland Photographic Association in 1959, he served as club president and, for 15 years, syllabus secretary. He was rewarded with life membership. He was a listed judge for the Northern Counties Federation and the PAGB, visiting clubs throughout the country to show his work and talk about photography. In 1979 he joined the RPS and gained ARPS, followed by FRPS, in monochrome prints. He was an active member of the Northern Region committee for 22 years until deafness took its toll. In 2007 he received the RPS Membership Award for his support and photographic work. Hubbard and his work will be remembered and greatly missed among his many photographic friends everywhere. JANE H BLACK ARPS
From Britain on the Verge, Peter Dench’s series of A1 portraits
MY PLACE By Peter Dench
The A1 connects and divides You’ve recently been doing a project on the A1. Why?
Britain is about to change. The fault lines that exist across the country have been exacerbated by the nation’s 2016 decision to leave the EU and the unconvincing outcome of the June 2017 general election. Communities and families have been divided. I wanted to know how people were feeling about the
future. The A1 was my tendril to them, an artery that connects as much as it divides, a route of certainty in a time of tumult. What makes the A1 an interesting location?
It covers a wide social and physical landscape, beginning in the high-rise heart of London, zipping north through the suburbs, the industrial East Midlands,
the cold north-east England and the picture-perfect east coast of Scotland. How long did you work on the A1 and how did you select your subjects?
I spent six weeks intermittently documenting the 410 miles of the A1. I’d park at roadside diners, cafés and truck stops, or pull in to towns and cities, to find interesting subjects.
ESSENTIALS
Distinctions success Congratulations to these Society members Accredited Senior Imaging Scientist and FRPS December 2017 Vasilios Papasrefanou, London Stephen Matthew Pearson, Liverpool
HARRY BORDEN HonFRPS ‘I’ve increasingly used my Lastolite reflector on portrait shoots during the past few years. I enjoy working with available light and the reflector can be used in an artful way to make something look more lit. It also gives a kick light in the eye. It’s a big reflector, about 180cm x 125cm. Mine is grubby and not as reflective as it used to be, but it’s pretty much a constant on all my shoots.’
ARPS Exemptions December 2017 Sue Abbott, Norfolk Roseanne Baume, Dublin Paul Mayes, West Yorkshire Lesley Redfern, Midlothian Sarah Houben, London Jayne Watkins, Caerphilly Graham Watson, Yorkshire THE RPS JOURNAL / 97
IN FOCUS
Volunteer voices heard Society survey proves illuminating
sessions to remain at the Society’s headquarters. Half of respondents said there should be a dedicated area for volunteers on the RPS website. When asked on a scale of zero to 100 how ‘fit for purpose’ the current volunteer policy is, the average score was 60, indicating improvement is required. Nicola Young, volunteer support manager, said: ‘The views and experience of the Society’s volunteers are greatly valued, and these results will help shape the future for existing volunteers and volunteers to come.’ Explore the volunteer survey results at rps.org/volsurvey
Thanks to our volunteers More than 20 years’ service / President’s Commendation Jane Black ARPS Richard Brown FRPS Andy Golding ASICI FRPS Roger Hance FRPS Clive Haynes FRPS Ralph Jacobson ASICI ASIS HonFRPS Ann Lanagan Leigh Philip John Preston FRPS Michael Pritchard FRPS Tim Rudman FRPS Margaret Salisbury FRPS Nick Scott FRPS Brian Steptoe FRPS Jeff Vickers FRPS Twelve years’ or more service Steven Boyle ARPS Martin Fry FRPS Alan Hodgson ASIS FRPS Anne Sutcliffe FRPS Kin Hong Healthy Tam ARPS Kevin Sean Wilson FRPS Andy Wilson FRPS Eight to 12 years’ service D Baxter LRPS Anne Braybon
William A Cooper ARPS Kevin Elsby FRPS David F Cooke FRPS Joy Hancock FRPS Colin Harrison FRPS Malcolm Kus ARPS Tessa Mills FRPS Vanessa Kay Parker ARPS Anthony John Potter ARPS Horst Witthueser LRPS Four to eight years’ service Chris Barbara ARPS Ken Bingham LRPS Edwin Djuanda ARPS Hoosain Mia Ebrahim ASIS FRPS Peter Ellis LRPS Philippe Garner HonFRPS Robert Gibbons FRPS Robert Helliwell ARPS Rob Kershaw ARPS Adrian Mccarthy Chelin Miller ARPS Alison Morrison-Low Andreas Pfeiffer Nigel Rea ARPS Siegfried Rubbert LRPS Jonathan Taylor Tim West FRPS
ON SHOW
See this image by Katy Grannan in Another Kind of Life: Photography on the Margins at the Barbican Art Gallery, London, 28 Feb–27 May
Member opinion I HAVE OFTEN wondered why, from a constituency that should include all enthusiastic photographers in the UK (and beyond), the RPS has such a tiny membership. Then, recently, I have heard several members claim that they would not remain RPS members were it not for the excellent services they get through their special interest groups (SIGs). Yet, as far as I can ascertain, only a minority of members belong to one or more SIG. Perhaps this is because SIGs are not given a sufficiently high profile within the Society – a situation which will not be helped by the demise of the oneyear ‘free trial’ offer to new members. Might raising the position of SIGs within the Society be one way of making RPS membership more attractive to its potential constituency? Eric Begbie LRPS
98
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
The decision to end the ‘free group for a year’ scheme was taken by the Society’s trustees after some 10 years of operation on the grounds of cost, and the fact that it was not growing group membership as intended. All the groups were consulted in July 2017. By November only two had indicated they would like to continue with it. The trustees see groups as a valuable aspect of Society membership and would like to see more members joining them. In a follow-up email to the groups a number of initiatives were outlined intended to promote the groups to the Society membership during 2018. The groups’ excellent publications and meetings warrant a much wider audience. If you’re not a member of a group do take a look at what they offer. Visit rps.org/ special-interest-groups
Dr Michael Pritchard FRPS, chief executive, The Royal Photographic Society
SHUTTERSTOCK; KATY GRANNAN, COURTESY THE ARTIST AND FRAENKEL GALLERY, SAN FRANCISCO
A RECENT ONLINE survey sent to 431 RPS volunteers revealed two of the most common reasons for volunteering are to give something back and work with like-minded people. Of the 190 volunteers who completed the survey, 39 per cent thought training in communications skills would be useful, and 77 per cent said that email would be the most appropriate format for a regular newsletter from HQ to volunteers. Sixty per cent of respondents indicated that they would like the current face-to-face format for volunteer induction days to continue, but with delivery taking place in venues across the UK; whereas 32 per cent said they would like the
IN FOCUS BOOKS
A force of nature This comprehensive work is suitable for all levels of ability CLOSE-UP AND MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY: ITS ART AND FIELDCRAFT TECHNIQUES Robert Thompson FRPS Routledge (£36.99)
This lavish book by Thompson, a member of the Society’s natural history Distinctions panel, is a delight. It provides a comprehensive overview of approaches to – and equipment for – close-up and macro photography. Section one, ‘Digital fundamentals’, offers advice on having a ‘roadmap’ – an important step in personal development as a photographer. Thompson goes on to discuss digital cameras and support devices, and explains a range of concepts including metering modes, aperture, depth of field, lenses and flash. ‘Fieldcraft and methodology’ advises on setting up cameras for macro work. This is often overlooked and can save a great deal of time and frustration if carefully done in advance. The section also covers topics including composition, wide-angle 100
macro, challenging conditions, seasons and working at magnifications greater than life size, concluding with a section on filters. ‘Portfolio case studies’ includes dragonflies and damselflies, butterflies and moths and their immature stages, plants, freshwater life, the seashore, lichens and fungi, abstract and patterns. There is also information on an important step in beginning close-up and macro: working in your own garden. In ‘Digital workflow and presentation’, Thompson stresses the need for logical and relevant methodology when downloading, processing, captioning and filing images – critical if you are capturing large numbers of images – and discusses the presentation of images. A section on additional resources – publications, online, equipment suppliers, software, forums and photographic organisations – concludes a work I would wholeheartedly recommend to beginners as well as those more experienced in the field of close-up and macro.
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
JOHN BEBBINGTON FRPS
PORTRAITS Duane Michals Thames and Hudson (£34.95) Duane Michals HonFRPS is best known for using sequences of images to make intriguing narratives. Portraits concentrates mainly on single images of a wide range of famous sitters, including Leonard Cohen, Buster Keaton and René Magritte. Idiosyncratic and visually inventive, they feature multiple exposures, collages and handwritten text. The book includes Michals’s own thoughtful and often humorous reflections on portraiture and celebrity. ABOVE THE CLOUDS Scott Mead Prestel (£45) This book by the investor, photographer and philanthropist Scott Mead is a collection of 80 images taken from aeroplanes during his international travels. Battling with the technical problems of shooting through passenger jet windows, Mead’s cloudscapes, mountain ranges, cities and remote islands capture the sense of wonder evoked by air travel, while the aerial perspective gives them a detached and meditative quality. FLASH! PHOTOGRAPHY, WRITING AND SURPRISING ILLUMINATION Kate Flint Oxford University Press (£25) Flint’s book is a study of the history, technology and uses of flash photography. She discusses what flash lighting has enabled photographers to achieve, and how attitudes towards it have evolved. Almost 400 pages of both scholarly and entertaining text are illustrated with images by a range of photographers including Weegee, Jacob Riis and Harold Edgerton.
ROBERT THOMPSON FRPS
Black darter (Sympetrum danae) female
DISTINCTIONS Take your inspiration from these stories of recent successes
An elderly man starts his day in the teahouse carrying with him his smoking pipe, which doubles up as a walking stick
102
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
START YOUR JOURNEY What are Society Distinctions? These are standards of achievement offered at three levels. For information visit rps.org/distinctions
Licentiate (LRPS) Applicants must show photographic competence in approach and techniques. There are no restrictions in subject matter at this level
Associate (ARPS) Evidence of a creative ability and personal style, plus complete control of the technical aspects of photography
Fellowship (FRPS) The highest Distinction is given for excellence and a distinguished ability in photography. It is open to Associates of the Society
Aim for excellence
The Society’s Fellowships set the highest standards in photography WE FOLLOW LAST MONTH’S FEATURE on FRPS successes with three more submitted to November’s Fellowship Committee – two in the fine art category and one in applied. The applied images, by Claudia Xiaoli Lee, from Taiwan, illustrate a traditional teahouse and its significance as a social space. The images managed complex composition and lighting contrasts beautifully, portraying the teahouse and its customers sympathetically, to show a real ‘sense of belonging’. Da-Wei Jiao, also from Taiwan, produced a strong, highly creative parable on ‘womanhood’, from naked innocence through temptation, exploitation and disillusion. The dark prints drew in the viewer, each image having complex layers of meaning. Carol McNiven Young reflected the work of artists illustrating children’s books in the 20th century, with a series of prints, presented as double-page illustrations for a picture book of classical fairy stories. After six years as chair of the Fellowship board, now committee, it is time for me to step aside. It has been an honour to see members developing their photography in so many different ways to the level of ability shown in these pages during that time. I would like to thank the Distinctions staff, and those who have served on the board for the rigour of their debate in reaching their decisions. They freely give their time, in what is only a small section of more than 100 members who support the Distinctions process for the benefit of the membership. It is a privilege to be part of it. ROY ROBERTSON HonFRPS chair, Fellowship committee
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 103
DISTINCTIONS
Claudia Xiaoli Lee This Fellowship journey was inspired by of the social scene at a Chengdu teahouse How does photography fit into your daily life?
FRPS APPLIED
Since my two children have grown up, I have the luxury of time and I need to find something meaningful to do. I like to travel and was fascinated by the amazing photos I used to see on travel websites. In 2013 I decided to acquire a better DSLR and attended a couple of crash courses on photography before I planned my trips. In the last three years I have made an average of four annual overseas photography trips. Besides my family and social activities, most of my leisure time has been spent on photography. Describe your FRPS journey
After I obtained my ARPS in October 2016 I planned to give the FRPS a shot. That prompted 104
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
‘The images manage complex composition and lighting contrasts beautifully’
TOP
The teahouse is a social venue for these silver-haired men to relax and kill time ABOVE
The joy of puffing away at his pipe is clearly shown by the expression of this man RIGHT
Practice makes perfect. A man pouring hot water from one kettle to another without looking. It is a skill that he has developed over the years by doing so every day
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 105
DISTINCTIONS
the question as to which pictures I should submit. After going through my archived images I came upon photos I made in July 2016 at the Guan Yin Ge old teahouse in Pengzhen Town, Chengdu. I had the idea of using my portfolio to raise awareness of the significance of the teahouse, which provides a social space for elderly people. I decided to go back to the same teahouse again, and between November and December 2016 I made another four trips to complete my project. What or who inspired your portfolio?
I took inspiration from the elderly people I photographed at the teahouse. After observing them on many occasions I had a better understanding of their lifestyle and cultural heritage. The RPS Singapore Chapter chairman, David Tay, was another source of inspiration. He gave me a comprehensive explanation about the Society and its Distinctions, and with his encouragement I decided to join the RPS and apply for an ARPS. He motivated me to create better pictures and unlocked my passion in illustrating human life’s elusive moments – the emotional, the intimate and the unusual.
‘I managed to capture the detail of his face despite the strong backlighting’
Which of your portfolio images makes you proudest?
I have always loved how a photo can tell a story, such as in the first image of my portfolio, which shows an elderly man starting his day in the teahouse. I managed to capture the detail of his face, despite the strong backlighting, and the smoke creates a good atmospheric mood for the picture. What piece of equipment can’t you do without?
For this portfolio, two of my Canon lenses – 16-35mm and 70-200mm. 106
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
ABOVE
Sit back and relax. Leaning back on a bamboo chair, a man relaxes and enjoys his cigarette unperturbed RIGHT
Ever ready to serve. A waiter answering to the call of a customer who needs a bamboo chairs BELOW
Lonely. A tea “connoisseur” with a blank stare on his face passes his time idly all alone
STATEMENT OF INTENT
Old teahouses are part of the indigenous culture of China. As society transforms and the past makes way for urban development, these teahouses are under threat of disappearing altogether. However, the Guan Yin Ge old teahouse in Pengzhen Town (Chengdu, China) maintains the traditional culture with persistence. People here lead a simple life and treat the old teahouse as a place for relaxation and bonding among friends and neighbours. My portfolio portrays the lifestyle beyond the façade of this oftencrowded teahouse. It illustrates some of the moods and moments that make the Guan Yin Ge such a special place, which gives its greyhaired customers a sense of belonging. The portfolio is intended to raise awareness of the significance of this old teahouse, which provides a social space for elderly people where they can find true contentment in their lives. THE INSPIRATION ‘I took inspiration from the elderly people I photographed at the teahouse. After observing them on many occasions I had a better understanding of their lifestyle and cultural heritage’
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 107
DISTINCTIONS
LEFT
Finding the way
interested in this new technology and in 2007, encouraged by my sister, I bought my first DSLR. Describe your FRPS journey
I read about fine-art photography on the RPS website and I realised this category was close to my endeavours. I decided to do my best and try to attain the FRPS Distinction. Technically, arranging human figures in different poses with their surroundings is easy, but it is more difficult to explore ideas and create a unique story. I begin by combing through my first drafts, rejecting any that are too similar to the others or of insufficient quality. Then I improve my chosen images. Finally, I print the portfolio and arrange images according to one consistent theme. What or who inspired your portfolio?
Photographers who have influenced my style of photography include Lang Jingshan (1892-1995), the Chinese pioneer inspired by traditional ink paintings with their impressionistic, dreamlike atmosphere, and the American photographer Jerry Uelsmann (born 1934), best known for his seamlessly grafted composite images in black and white. Which of your portfolio images makes you proudest?
The second image in the portfolio, ‘Cleaned of sins’. It is the only print in the collection not composed of several images. It was taken with one shot but is in perfect harmony with the other pictures.
Da-Wei Jiao Surreal storytelling lies at the heart of this Fellowship portfolio How does photography fit into your daily life?
FRPS FINE ART 108
My father, born in 1911, was a press photographer with his own small news agency. As a child I often watched him developing photos, and accompanied him many times when he photographed some important government event or person. At that time cameras were too
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
expensive for most people to buy – for the price of a Leica you could buy a small house in Taipei city. I had the chance to take pictures, but I had little interest. Memories of observing my father at work were deeply ingrained and as time passed I discovered I shared his passion for photography. When DSLR cameras became popular I was
What piece of equipment can’t you do without?
At the beginning I used to work with large-aperture telephoto lenses. It allowed me to employ the shallow depth-of-the-field technique to emphasise the main object and simplify the plane arrangement. With more experience I realised wide-angle or mid-range zoom lenses allow you to express the character of the main object and its complex relation with its surroundings.
Which path to take?
STATEMENT OF INTENT
Cleaned of sins
THE INSPIRATION ‘Photographers who have influenced my style of photography include Lang Jingshan (1892-1995), the Chinese pioneer inspired by traditional ink paintings with their impressionistic, dreamlike atmosphere, and the American photographer Jerry Uelsmann (born 1934)’
To break free from our settled patterns of nude photography perception, images of still and in-motion nude bodies in the portfolio interact with surrounding objects, creating a surreal atmosphere. A naked and innocent woman, like a newborn baby, plunges into the dazzling world with its myriad temptations, watched by the ferocious eyes of a cat in the dark night, forecasting the looming disappointment.
Although cleansed of her sins, she can’t resist temptation. Tossed like a toy between money, religion and desire, she faces the bitter taste of disillusionment. The arrangement of the prints creating a story of increasing tension leads the spectator to enter the world of illusion. The prints are rendered in low-key monochrome, evoking a mood of ambiguity and melancholy.
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 109
DISTINCTIONS
Carol McNiven Young This Fellowship project is rooted in classic children’s tales How does photography fit into your daily life?
FRPS FINE ART
After a career in brand marketing it was perhaps unsurprising that when I moved into semi-retirement five years ago I took up photography. What did take me by surprise was how quickly I became addicted to the hugely enjoyable ‘workflow’ of creating my own images. Now fully retired, hardly a day goes by when I am not preparing for shoots, taking photographs, researching ideas or creating images in post-production. I cannot draw or paint, so photography is a way to express my creativity. After achieving my LRPS in September 2016 and experimenting with genres, my chosen style is now creative and artistic portraiture. Describe your FRPS journey
I greatly enjoyed creating a portfolio of pre-Raphaelite-style images for my ARPS and as soon as that was complete last March I started work on my Fellowship. I attended advisory days for all 110
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
three Distinctions and found them invaluable. For the FRPS in particular it’s difficult to know if an idea and its execution will meet the standard. The advice I received enabled me to significantly improve the impact of my portfolio. The advisors also encouraged me to stick to my plan to include storybookstyle captions in my images, which I had felt was perhaps something of a risk. It was also useful and enjoyable to hear the critiques of other hopeful Distinction candidates’ portfolios.
experiments I decided on textured vignettes and borders.
What inspired your portfolio?
In terms of equipment, Adobe Lightroom due to its ability to quickly transform an average shot into an impactful image, while being intuitive and easy to use. The human asset I value most highly is my photo buddy Bob, who is my ‘critical friend’ – invaluable in reviewing images when your own brain becomes biased simply because of the time and effort you have put into creating and editing them.
The charming illustrations of children’s storybooks such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Lavender’s Blue, and their skill in subtly combining fantasy and reality. The greatest challenge was creating then maintaining a visual consistency, which would allow me to include modern and traditional storybook characters. After many
Which of your portfolio images makes you proudest?
Alice and the Mad Hatter – ‘We’re all mad here you know’ and of Cruella de Vil and the Dalmatians – ‘Forget diamonds, give me fur!’ Working with the Dalmatian dog on set was particularly challenging as the poor chap was deaf, so it was somewhat tricky to get him to follow our stage directions. What piece of equipment can’t you do without?
STATEMENT OF INTENT
My portfolio is inspired by the charming and idiosyncratic illustrations found in early 20th-century children’s storybooks, which have remained favourites down through the generations. The great talent of book illustrators such as Sir John Tenniel and Kate Greenaway was to represent key scenes with a compelling technique combining both detail and simplicity, which allowed the characters to seemingly ‘float up’ from the page unencumbered by distracting backgrounds. This portfolio presents my own photographic portrayal of some traditional – and some more recent – children’s stories, focusing similarly on a simple yet compelling cameo encapsulating a key scene; thus inviting the viewer to place the depicted character into their own imagined storyland inside their head. Vignettes, border embellishments and a two-page layout are incorporated to enhance the storybook theme. THE INSPIRATION ‘My Fellowship portfolio was inspired by the charming illustrations of children’s storybooks such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Lavender’s Blue, and their skill in subtly combining fantasy and reality’
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 111
WIDE BOY
The Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges began taking photographs to calm nerves between takes. He tells Teddy Jamieson why shooting with his beloved Widelux gives him a unique insight in to the world of acting
112
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
CREDIT SITS IN BOX 4MM DEEP
JEFF BRIDGES
CREDIT SITS IN BOX 4MM DEEP
Bridges as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit, 2010
SOME ACTORS, JEFF BRIDGES SAYS, READ between takes on the film set. Others knit cardigans. Bridges prefers to take photographs. He has been doing it on nearly every movie he has made since he shot John Carpenter’s sci-fi film Starman in 1984. By now, for him it’s become part of the process of making films. ‘Often, when I’m working on a movie I’ll think: “Oh look at that beautiful shot,”’ he says. ‘Or “I want to draw a picture,” or “I want to write a song.” ‘It used to kind of bother me when those ideas came into my mind because it would distract me
from what I’m doing. But over the years I’ve learned that when I start to shake up my creativity – which is certainly what making movies is all about – all kinds of aspects of my creativity come up. ‘And photographs, they’re a way of relaxing or distracting you from what you’re doing, which can be very helpful. You can put too much effort into something. A lot of actors, you’ll see them reading or knitting sweaters; just something to get their mind off what they’re going to do on the film when the cameras are rolling, so it comes off fresh and not too studied, you know?’ VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 113
JEFF BRIDGES
This morning it is a balmy 28°C in Santa Barbara, California, and Bridges is sitting in his office behind a desk that belonged to his grandfather, looking out at a fir tree that has been there for 40 years, and which he and his wife Sue refer to as their ‘first child’. He is at home, in every sense you might say, surrounded by guitars and a ‘little keyboard’ in case the mood to make some music takes him. And as he speaks he is looking at some of the photographs he has taken down the years on and off set. Bridges talks in a slow, friendly drawl so familiar from the films he has made. Listen to his voice and 114
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
maybe you think of the taciturn pianist in The Fabulous Baker Boys (in which he played opposite his older brother Beau and Michelle Pfeiffer), the ageing stoner in The Big Lebowski or faded country musician Bad Blake in Crazy Heart, a performance which landed him the best actor in a leading role Academy Award in 2010. While his screen persona often toggles between enthusiasm and indolence, Bridges’ attitude towards photography defaults to the former, although he’s not one to make grand claims about his work. If anything, he plays down its worth. He had been making films for more than a decade
CREDIT SITS IN BOX 4MM DEEP
‘I love her concentration – she almost looks like a statue’
CREDIT SITS IN BOX 4MM DEEP
before he started taking photographs on set. But his interest in photography goes back to childhood. As a child he borrowed his actor father Lloyd’s Nikon and took pictures of his family. The teenage Bridges set up a darkroom in their bathroom and would take Polaroids of his friends which he would later use as source material to paint portraits of them. In his later teens he drifted away from photography. But a chance viewing of images by Mark Hanauer taken on a Widelux swing-lens panoramic camera, developed in Japan in the 1950s, sparked his interest. And when Sue bought him a Widelux as a present he was hooked.
JULIANNE MOORE The Big Lebowski, 1998 I’ve got a lot of favourites [such as] Julianne Moore dressed up as her Valkyrie character. I love her image and her concentration – she almost looks like a statue but she’s working on
this dance routine, and I love the psychedelic appearance of the floor and what that’s doing. And if you look, some of the dancers are just lying down taking a break, and there’s a guy’s leg coming in. I’m fond of that one.
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 115
JEFF BRIDGES
The Widelux is nothing like a Nikon of course. ‘For me,’ Bridges says, ‘it is most like how the human eye sees. It almost has peripheral vision. It’s a combination of a moving camera and a still camera. The shutter moves itself so it’s quite forgiving. You can handhold for 1/15 of a second and get a pretty sharp image.’ The resulting pictures offer a photographic equivalent of the widescreen cinematic format. ‘You can really look around in the picture and see different things to focus on,’ Bridges notes. ‘It’s almost a 70mm Cinemascope frame so that lends itself to taking pictures of movies.’ 116
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
It was his Starman co-star Karen Allen (one of cinema’s knitters, by the way) who saw the pictures he was taking on set and encouraged him to make a book of them. Since then, he has continued to do that on nearly all his films. ‘I always ask permission,’ he explains. ‘I usually start it at rehearsal when we’re reading around the table. I usually ask: “Do you guys mind if I do this?” And I’m an actor, so I know intuitively when’s a sensitive time for a guy, so I won’t bust in. ‘I try to capture what making a movie in the late 20th century, early 21st century, is all about. It’s changing pretty fast.’
CREDIT SITS IN BOX 4MM DEEP
‘I know intuitively when’s a sensitive time for a guy‘
CREDIT SITS IN BOX 4MM DEEP
Peter Bogdanovich, director of Texasville, 1990, with other crew members
Taking pictures is a chance, he adds, to give something back to the people with whom he has been working. ‘It’s a nice gift for the cast and the crew. It’s almost like having a home movie of that time in my life. I can look at those and it takes me right back to those days.’ The way he talks about the images, you could be forgiven for thinking Bridges sees them just as snapshots. And yet even the slightest glance at them will show that they are formally inventive and visually adept. But what is he seeking when he looks through the lens? He needs a concrete example to get him thinking
about that. ‘What are you looking at?’ What about his image of the director Peter Bogdanovich as seen through the windscreen of a car on the set of Texasville, say? ‘So, that one, the Texasville shot of Peter, that’s an actor’s point of view. Unless you’re an actor in that spot you’re not going to get that view, so that’s kind of unique. ‘And I love in that photograph that Peter is very focused. You can see he is looking right at me. But everybody else is doing their job. That guy in the hat to Peter’s right, he’s the camera guy. He’s looking at some light. How it’s bouncing. VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 117
JEFF BRIDGES
‘There’s another guy who’s a grip. They’re all doing their jobs. And then as I look at that photograph I see the geometric shapes of the door and the steering wheel.’ Some of that is unplanned, he admits. Such is the nature of the Widelux. ‘You’re not looking through the lens. It’s got a viewfinder, so you’re going to get more than what you see. There’s something capricious about the camera.’ It’s interesting, I suggest, that he is not afraid of clutter in his images. They can be quite busy. For a filmic comparison, they sometimes perhaps resemble a still from a Robert Altman movie. 118
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
‘Or Garry Winogrand,’ he counters, bringing it back to photography. ‘That’s somebody who comes to mind. They’re everyday pictures in a “making a movie” setting.’ Is Bridges a keen observer of the work of other photographers? ‘I don’t study too many. Some come to mind. Lartigue. Are you familiar with him?’ The French photographer Jacques-Henri Lartigue captured society at play in the early years of the 20th century and, like Bridges, has an eye for informal situations. ‘He used a Widelux–type camera,’ Bridges says.
CREDIT SITS IN BOX 4MM DEEP
‘There’s something capricious about the camera’
CREDIT SITS IN BOX 4MM DEEP
‘Most of the photographs from that time are very stiff. His are almost snapshots.’ The actor goes on to mention Richard Misrach, Anthony Friedkin and Mary Ellen Mark, who he worked with on the film American Heart, as influences and inspirations. ‘And I’ve been photographed by some great photographers myself,’ he adds. Did you ever ask for advice? ‘[Richard] Avedon. I remember him shooting a portrait and how fast he was. When you push the button that’s the deal. And you’ve got to be quick on the draw sometimes. And not be so worried about the frame. You just go.’
PATO HOFFMANN Wild Bill, 1995 It was [meant to be] a dream that Wild Bill was having, and it was going to be shot in the Los Angeles forest. This was July, right, and it was hot. We bring up all these snow machines and we’re up there and what
happens? It starts to snow. In the middle of July. So, in that picture you see the snow on the ground. That was a unique thing. We didn’t use the snow machines at all. The magic of that story enhances the magic of the image.
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 119
TECHNIQUE
HOW TO PLAN A DANCE SHOOT
MARIA FALCONER FRPS
With a heady mix of movement and inflatable props, Maria Falconer FRPS reveals the secrets of her work
120
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
M
Y COMMERCIAL photographic practice involves creating images for dance companies in theatres, studios and on location. It’s not unusual for me to be making pictures at the beach, the docks, in a stately home or even squashed into a lift. Dancers like to move – everywhere. Some years ago I trained as a contemporary dancer at the Laban centre for dance in London. This helps me to direct and communicate with dancers because I speak their language. As an image maker I’m instinctively attracted to moving bodies and light. I’m inspired by the energy of dance and physical theatre, and love the drama of performance. But not all my work involves live performances. Often a dance company or choreographer will ask me to create an image for them, usually to advertise a specific event or dance piece that is about to tour. I love these collaborations – working with choreographers and performers, taking time to create something eye catching. Dance and photography are both visual art forms. You could say that they are natural partners, and when the chemistry is right the results can be memorable. I have collaborated with some wonderfully creative people over the years, and the images we have produced have helped to promote their work around the world. In the UK my work has been published widely, including in newspapers such as The Guardian, The Times and The Scotsman. My dance photography has been exhibited in the UK, Ireland, Belgium and the USA.
MARIA FALCONER FRPS A commercial photography and video practitioner, the MA graduate is a part-time university lecturer who also runs workshops VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 121
TECHNIQUE
UP IN THE AIR ‘Unpredictable creatures, condoms are hard to aim, so it is impossible to guess how they will fall. Chance can play right into your hands, however’
122
of caution and pack far more that I usually use. I learned a long time ago, though, that being able to improvise is far more important than having a lot of gear – when I forgot to pack soft boxes for a shoot and used a pile of pillowcases borrowed from our hotel. Tommy had booked us an empty studio to work in, but we needed to bring our own lighting. And so by 8.30am we were already busy unloading the car and carrying in all the bags. That done, we sat down with a cuppa and a plate of
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
chocolate biccies, and put on our thinking caps.
THE CONCEPT Tommy is making a 2 piece about gay rights, and understands how important it is to get the promotional image right. It has to represent his concept in a single frame, while being visually powerful enough to sell the show. Tommy is accompanied by Vince Virr, a dancer from his company and a stunning performer who will appear in
the promotional image. At this stage the piece has yet to be choreographed, so we are starting with a blank canvas. It’s a fabulous opportunity to create something.
THE PROPS After a productive chat 3 Tommy starts pulling things out of a large bag like a magician. Magazines, hats, a series of small ornaments, a pink pillow and some oranges … but when the condoms emerge I instinctively know we are on to something.
MARIA FALCONER FRPS
GEAR ISN’T EVERYTHING On a bitterly cold 1 morning Paul Hill and I load the car and set off for Dundee. Paul is my partner, in life as well as photography, and he enjoys helping with my dance shoots when he is free. We are off to work with Thomas Small (Tommy to his friends), artistic director of dance company Shaper/ Caper, to make a promotional image for his next work. It’s never easy to guess just what equipment we will need, so invariably I err on the side
BRAVE NEW WORLD Falconer captures the spirit of dance in her photographs: ‘For me, making a promotional image is about experimentation and risk taking’
It takes 45 minutes and a load of hot air to blow up 60 condoms, then 15 minutes to herd them on to the set. By the time our dancer is in costume and some lighting set up, half the condoms have drifted off, burst or deflated. Tommy heads to a local shop to strip its shelves of condoms, much to the sales assistant’s bemusement.
CREATE MAGIC I want crisp lighting to 4 create drama as well as make the condoms ‘sing’. So I
decide on bare-bulb side lighting directed with barn doors and black wrap. This combination gives a very hard, direct light which proves to be perfect. I use a Canon 5D MkIII with a 24-70 f/2.8 lens to get close and move around unhindered. I rarely work with a tripod – it just gets in the way. We organise the space with a ladder at each side so Paul and Tommy can shower Vince in condoms as he dances. Unpredictable creatures, condoms are hard
to aim. When handfuls drop down it is impossible to guess how they will fall. That element of chance can play into your hands if you are ready for it. When a condom drifts in front of Vince’s face I click the shutter, knowing this image is a winner.
THE RESULT It takes a full day to get 5 a shortlist of six images. Working as a team we play with movement and light, bouncing ideas off one another and continually
reviewing the results until we are all happy. That’s how the creative process works – there are no magic formulae. For me, making a promotional image is about risk taking, problem solving and vision. It’s about imaginatively reflecting the spirit of the dance work and the joy of collaboration. To book a workshop with Maria Falconer FRPS visit mariafalconer.co.uk/ workshops.html
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 123
BRIAN GRIFFIN HonFRPS
BEST SHOTS
124
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
P O P RT A
Maverick photographer Brian Griffin HonFRPS tells Gemma Padley why he only stops taking pictures to sleep VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 125
BEST SHOTS
H ABOVE
RIGHT
DON McCULLIN, EARLY 1980s I took this image of Don McCullin HonFRPS at his home in Somerset. I got on with him very well – he was a very nice man and quite melancholic. I’d met him before because we’d taken part in talks together. I asked him to stand in an area of undergrowth in his garden because he was wearing safari-type clothes. It was a magazine commission, originally shot in colour I think, although I can’t recall which magazine it was for.
COVER ARTWORK FOR A BROKEN FRAME, DEPECHE MODE, 1981 I’ve long been inspired by painting; in particular German and Russian social realist painting from the late 1920s and early 1930s. This image is my answer to social realism. I used my flashlights to light the corn and figure, combined with my car’s tail lights. I can’t remember how the idea came about, but I had meetings with Depeche Mode and their manager to discuss concepts.
126
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
BRIAN GRIFFIN HonFRPS
IS IS A LONG AND DISTINGUISHED CAREER, BUT Brian Griffin HonFRPS shows no sign of slowing down, talking en route to The Old Sessions House in London for the exhibition Here We Are. His work is on show at the venue alongside other British photographers including Martin Parr HonFRPS, Tony Ray-Jones, Tom Wood and Bill Brandt. ‘I’m 24/7, me,’ says Griffin, who was named an Honorary Fellow of the Society in 2006. ‘I only stop to go to sleep. Martin and I have always been the same – 24/7 guys.’ His latest book, Pop, marks a watershed moment in his 45 years in the business – a chance to reflect on his achievements since his career was kick-started with a commission from the magazine Management Today. Pop’s 350 pages focus on Griffin’s music photography. It is a compendium of work created for record covers, posters, and during press sessions, gathered for the first time and featuring many of his previously unpublished images from 1977 onwards of artists such as Ian Dury, The Clash, Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnymen, Iggy Pop, and Elvis Costello. Born in Birmingham in 1948, Griffin spent his formative years working in a factory that made conveyors before taking a job as a nuclear pipework engineering estimator. At 21, he began
ABOVE
BRIAN MAY, 1990 I photographed Brian in my studio in Rotherhithe for an advertising campaign for Sony. He was such an interesting man, full of light and energy. His hair was something to behold. He turned away from me and I thought, ‘Wow, that looks interesting’, so I placed him in front of the camera, and there it was – a penis! So I based this shot on a phallus, which I’ve always thought guitars – especially lead guitars – were an extension of anyway.
ABOVE
KING SUNNY ADE AND HIS AFRICAN BEATS, AURA, ISLAND RECORDS, 1984 Over the course of my career I’ve developed basic in-camera photography techniques and more complex ones in my studio to make the photographs I create more exciting and a bit different from other people’s images. This is an example of a technique I created by vibrating knicker elastic so it left a trace. It was also a triple exposure and very difficult to do. King Sunny Ade had so much patience. This is one of my favourite images – all my invention. VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 127
studying photography at Manchester Polytechnic, moving to the big smoke not long after he graduated, with dreams of being a fashion photographer. A meeting with Management Today art director Roland Schenk led to a fruitful relationship with the magazine that would continue into the 1980s. In 1980 Griffin set up his own studio in Rotherhithe, southeast London, a district in which he still lives. It was the era of new wave or post-punk, and magazines such as The Face, i-D, and NME were publishing his images of bands and musicians. Creativity was in the air, and infectious. ‘The rock ’n’ roll media circus was like a big club,’ says Griffin in Pop. ‘We all knew each other. I did a tremendous amount 128
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
ABOVE
LORD COE, 2012 I photographed Lord Coe for the National Portrait Gallery’s project Road to 2012. I was not allowed to publicly show this, although the photograph has now been received into the gallery’s collection. Lord Coe had been getting a lot of flak and [people were sensitive] about this photograph and
how I had depicted him – the only image of him where he was photographed in any depth. I had him kneel on a beanbag with the table next to him. I don’t know if I asked him or he did it automatically, but he put his hands behind his back as if submitting himself to something – almost as if he was about to be tortured or executed.
BRIAN GRIFFIN HonFRPS
BEST SHOTS
RIGHT
SEWAGE PIPE LAYER, BROADGATE, CITY OF LONDON, 1986 This is from a series I took of the workers on the Broadgate project. I could do anything I wanted but it had to be on the Broadgate site itself. I was there an hour or two and made a series of images of workers, published in my book, Work. I’d thought about the idea beforehand – the workers were like knights in a cathedral with their swords. I wanted to give them [status], like they were kings lying in state. To me, the workers are kings as well. BELOW
MARGARET THATCHER, NUMBER 10 DOWNING STREET, 1986 I took this as part of a commission for the City of London’s Broadgate project, constructed between 1985 and 1990, sponsored by property development company Rosehaugh Stanhope.
Thatcher was due to open a section of Broadgate and the developers commissioned me to do a portrait of her at Number 10. She was the most interesting politician I’ve photographed. Although some
of the male politicians were incredibly famous they were also incredibly boring. She was very dynamic and a delight to photograph. I said, ‘prime minister, can you dance like Isadora Duncan,’ and she did.
‘He put his hands behind his back, almost as if he was about to be tortured or executed’
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 129
of work … For a single or album cover, a poster or a publicity shot, I was one of the go-to photographers … It was a wonderful feeling, because that work was on every high street, on buses. My friends would see it, my mum and dad would see it.’ Griffin became known for his experimental approach and writes how his studio ‘had a special atmosphere that generated creativity’. But he admits it wasn’t always easy. ‘It was a commercial environment, like the music business was [and is],’ says Griffin. ‘I could be creative, but it was really difficult at times. People would say, “Wow, you’re not photographing THAT band? That’s incredible!” but in fact it would be like, “oh my god, I’m trying to organise four twentysomethings who don’t want to be photographed.”’ His perseverance paid off, as did Griffin’s fearless attitude. ‘Although inspired I was still naïve technically,’ he writes. ‘However, it led to some major visual inventions.’ Pop by Brian Griffin is published by Gost, priced £40. Visit briangriffin.co.uk 130
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
ABOVE
RIGHT, TOP
WANDSWORTH ROUNDABOUT, 1977 This is a piece of my own work, but a band called Placebo – not the most recent group, but an earlier one – used it on the cover of one of their albums, England’s Trance, released by Aura in 1982. It’s in the Pop book but it’s also published in Brian Griffin Copyright 1978. I was fascinated by the paintings of 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter Caspar David Friedrich, so this is my answer to his work.
JOE JACKSON, LOOK SHARP! (A&M RECORDS), 1979 This is probably the easiest and most famous album cover I have ever shot, but it’s a classic. The art director of A&M Records got the shoes and suggested Joe wore them. It was sunny and I asked Joe to stand in a patch of sunlight that was falling on the ground. I took my Olympus OM1 loaded with black and white film, and pressed the shutter. It was like falling off a log – so simple: ‘Joe – stand there, “bang”, got it’. One of the great album covers of all time.
BRIAN GRIFFIN HonFRPS
BEST SHOTS
PETER ASHWORTH
RIGHT
STEVE DAVIS, WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPION, 1987 I only pulled this image out of my archive earlier this year. I put it on Facebook and it exploded. I couldn’t believe how many people liked it. Davis was so sharp with his eyes, and in the studio his eyes were incredible. I put this little flash spotlight on his eye to make the ball of light and he positioned himself so perfectly. The cue was on a lightstand, horizontally, coming in from the side. It’s all about his eye and how sharp he is. It was an obvious idea, but it works.
PROFILE Brian Griffin HonFRPS After studying photography from 1969-72, Griffin made his name as a music and portrait
photographer. More than 20 monographs of Griffin’s work have been published, and his images have been shown in 50 international solo
exhibitions. In 2013 Griffin received the Centenary Medal from The Royal Photographic Society in recognition of his lifetime achievements.
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 131
NO CONTRACT
132
A
FREELANCER
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
NO FINANCE
NO SECURITY AT
BY FRONT-LINE PHOTOGRAPHER RICK FINDLER
WAR
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 133
OPINION
Volunteer fighter ‘Macer Gifford’ searches for a sniping location in Raqqa, Syria, and, right, a member of the Syriac Military Council (MFS)
A
side from the evident risks and dangers, there are many difficulties faced by freelance photojournalists covering conflict in today’s world. In fact, some would say the difficulties far outweigh the benefits. So why do it? A few months ago I found myself sleeping on the rooftops of abandoned houses under the barrage of US airstrikes and ISIS mortars in the heart of Raqqa. As I documented the brutal conflict between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Islamic State group, a couple of interesting feature ideas began to take shape. One involved a small group of Christian Syrians known as the Syriac Military Council (MFS) who had joined the SDF in the battle against ISIS. The other centred on a British sniper by the name of Macer Gifford – the nom de guerre of a former foreign exchange trader – who had left everything in the UK to join the MFS. Earlier that day I had run into two journalists who were shocked to learn I was sleeping on the front lines. Under 134
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
the instruction of the companies they worked for, they had been restricted to only a few hours a day in Raqqa and were ordered to sleep in Palmyra, a city three hours’ drive away. I felt lucky not to have a concerned editor dictating play from a desk, prioritising concerns about costs and responsibility, telling me what I could and couldn’t do. This example demonstrates one of the benefits of being a freelancer covering conflict in today’s world. Another is not having to adhere to a narrative or storyline suggested by an editor, allowing you to be in control of the feature’s subject matter. It allows you the freedom to break a feature down into different packages, or alter the path of a story should it change course while in the field which, given the dynamic nature of any conflict, can often happen. There are, of course, many difficulties and challenges faced by a
‘All in, it cost more than £1,200 to be in Raqqa for a single day, before I had even taken a picture’
photojournalist when covering conflict. In many ways it has become much tougher – up-front costs for a trip coupled with the stress of selling material on my return are always in the forefront of my mind. Add this to the more recent newsroom politics regarding usage of freelance work, as well as having to research and organise my own itinerary, travel and insurance, and it is a wonder anyone is drawn to this job. While researching my most recent trip to Raqqa, the going daily rate for a fixer was between $350-$600 – around £260-£440. After calculating flights and transfers, the cost was soon more than £1,200 for a single day in Raqqa, before I had even taken a picture. Costs differ from country to country, but there has been a steady increase since I covered my first conflict in Libya in 2011. There, a local man, Mohammad, played the role of my fixer, translator and driver for no fee, even refusing to accept payment when I insisted at the end of the trip. Understandably, the opportunity to make money has been seized by the people who are unfortunate enough to live in these
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 135
OPINION
Smoke rises from a US mortar explosion in western Raqqa
dangerous places, using their local knowledge to earn decent money from the world’s multimillion-dollar media organisations. It is just hard luck that we freelancers are expected to pay the same amount without the help of any of these wonderful budgets. To combat this one has to research the trip more thoroughly, and figure out how you can circumnavigate these costs, while keeping self-preservation in mind. On the last trip to Raqqa, for example, I contacted a small group of fighters directly and arranged for them to pick me up at the Syrian border. From there I piggybacked from vehicle to vehicle until I found myself on the front lines in western Raqqa. From the moment I set foot in Syria to my return to northern Iraq I didn’t spend a penny. I was under their protective umbrella, therefore not needing additional help. The same went for when I was in Mogadishu in 2014; I attached myself to AMISOM, the African Union Mission in Somalia, where I was fed, watered and allowed to sleep on their base. In Burundi in 2015 I
Front-line MFS soldiers on the roof of their base as the sun rises
befriended Gildas, a local freelance journalist for Associated Press, who doubled as my translator and, on more than one occasion, my life saver. Another major factor that plays against the freelancer in today’s world is the increasing fear of responsibility that agencies and newspapers feel they have for us, reducing the potential number of outlets for our content. In 2012 The Sunday Times published a story by a colleague and me from northern Syria. By 2013 the newspaper had emailed us to let us know it would not accept any more words or pictures from us, stating that ‘the dangers of operating there are too great and we do not wish to encourage freelancers to take exceptional risks’. Their decision followed the death of The Sunday Times staff journalist Marie Colvin in February
‘Put simply, I have a front-row seat as the world’s history unfolds in front of my eyes’
2012 during the siege of Homs. She was killed alongside French photojournalist Remi Ochlik in a rocket attack for which Colvin’s relatives filed a civil action against the Syrian government, claiming they deliberately tracked and targeted the journalist to silence her reporting. The agency that had employed American video journalist James Foley, abducted by ISIS in 2012, similarly changed its policies after his murder. He was executed in Syria by ISIS in 2014. In the light of his death, Agence FrancePresse released a statement saying they would ‘no longer accept work from freelance journalists who travel to places where we ourselves would not venture’. Is it not our decision as a freelancer to decide what risks we are prepared to take? If publications continue to accept pictures from local photographers but not western freelancers, what makes their lives more expendable then ours? Such attitudes are hugely debilitating to our profession. Given these challenges, it is difficult for some to imagine why I do this job, but I have plenty of motives. The VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 137
OPINION
benefits include the gratification of getting a story published you have worked hard to source, research and complete. Another is the importance of telling the stories of people living in extreme circumstances and informing audiences of world events. Put simply, I have a front-row seat as the world’s history unfolds in front of my eyes. I certainly couldn’t do this job without the passion, drive and devotion I have for photographing conflict, it is just a shame there isn’t much money in it. If I had this much passion, drive and devotion toward banking I’d be a millionaire. Most people are puzzled when I explain that I voluntarily travel to the front lines of the world’s most dangerous conflicts, put my life on the line for a photograph and take major risks to document a war in some far-away country. They are even more perplexed when I tell them I have no financial backing of a publication, no emergency evacuation team should things go wrong and that I stand to make little money, if any, from the entire endeavour. Some people choose to free climb perilous cliffs or do solo missions to the South Pole. I choose to document war. Visit rickfindler.co.uk 138
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
PROFILE Rick Findler An award-winning freelance photojournalist based in London, Findler has reported from conflict zones including Syria, Iraq, Somalia and Burundi. His work has featured in The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Wall Street Journal
THE DEATH TOLL Last year 65 journalists connected with the provision of news and information were killed in the line of duty, according to Reporters Without Borders (RWB). Over the past 15 years, 1,035 journalists have been killed. The 2017 figure is made up of 50 professional journalists, seven citizenjournalists and eight media workers, reported the nongovernmental organisation. Of these, 60 per cent
were murdered or deliberately targeted. Syria was the deadliest country for journalists in 2017, with 12 killed. The lowest death toll in 14 years – 18 per cent less than in 2016 – was attributed to journalists leaving countries judged too dangerous. RWB said this was partly due to more awareness of the need to protect journalists. Visit rsf.org
RICK FINDLER; GETTY IMAGES
A rebel gunman fighting soldiers loyal to Colonel Gaddafi in Misrata, Libya, 2011
THE GUIDE
EQUIPMENT. ACTIVITIES. WORKSHOPS
FEBRUARY
Five of the best Gear spy Member stories Event listings
LATEST KIT BY GAVIN STOKER
Leica CL
The £2,250 APS-C sensor-incorporating mirrorless system camera goes under the microscope MINIMALIST IN appearance, despite its rangefinder-style top-plate knobs and dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation, the robust yet sleek CL doesn’t offer the ultimate in full-frame capture for a body-only price tag north of £2,250. Instead, its APS-C chip delivers
detail-packed 24-megapixel files at a continuous shooting speed of up to 10fps, and compatibility with Leica M and R-system lenses via adapter. The compact Leica also offers a back-plate LCD screen plus an eye-level electronic viewfinder with 2.36 million-dot resolution.
Responsive and reactive, street photographers and photojournalists will enjoy using this model. In such circumstances, though, they might want to disguise the bright red logo that suggests, even to the uninitiated, that this is an expensive ‘pro’ camera, despite the compact proportions.
Price: From £2,250 body only Sensor: 24MP 23.6x15.7mm APS-C CMOS Lens: Kit options include either a 18mm prime or 18-56mm zoom lens Display: 3-inch fixed LCD at 1.04 million dots; EVF at 2.36 million dots Weight: 403g including battery More: leica-camera.com Summary: Premium-build mirrorless camera, at an inevitably premium price; alternatives could include Panasonic’s newest G9 model
FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 141
THE GUIDE 5 OF THE BEST
1
2
3
4
5
Camera bags Bring your gear out of hibernation with a new means of transport 1. THINK TANK SIGNATURE
2. MANFROTTO STREET BAGS
3. BILLINGHAM 72
£100
4. GITZO CENTURY MESSENGER
5. TENBA SOLSTICE BACKPACKS
£244.99
From £19.95
For those wanting to travel light, but still needing to stash their kit, come Manfrotto’s ‘Sling/Waist Pack’ for a premium CSC or entrylevel DSLR, while a ‘Street Pouch’ houses a CSC with lens attached plus two additional lenses, or a DSLR with standard zoom affixed.
Like the look of Leica’s CL and want something equally fancy, yet unobtrusive, to carry it in? Enter the UK-made, pouch-like and compact ‘72’, with shoulder strap. Made from hardwearing moisture and heatresistant materials, five colour combinations are available.
From £149.95
From £120
thinktankphoto.com
manfrotto.co.uk
billingham.co.uk
manfrotto.co.uk/gitzo
tenba.com
Traditionalists may like this modernised, hand-sewn version of a classic shoulder bag, offering weather protection, durability and the tactile feel of fine wool. Two sizes – a ‘10’ or ‘13’ – refer to the size of tablet that can fit inside, alongside DSLR camera and lenses.
142
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
Gitzo’s ‘Century’ range of black, Italy-made bags were issued for its 100th birthday. Its two messenger bags – for travel or city photographers, in ‘Traveller’ or ‘Compact’ options – are able to house a DSLR or CSC respectively, or even a DJI Mavic Pro drone.
For those with an array of gear, three Tenba packs (in 12l, 20l or 24l sizes) offer practicality and security. With fully adjustable interiors, even the 12l model can house a DSLR, mirrorless camera or DJI Mavic drone, three to four lenses, plus an iPad Mini.
MEMBER TEST THE GUIDE
A DSLR for advanced amateurs The latest full-frame offering from Canon is reviewed by Tom Soper LRPS ON TRIAL Canon 6D MkII INTUITIVE DESIGN The Canon 6D MkII is aimed at the serious hobbyist
SITTING ATOP THE ENTHUSIAST range, the 6D MkII is aimed at the serious hobbyist, or perhaps a photographer turning pro.
FEATURES This camera has many of the features we expect these days: plenty of resolution (26.2MP), live-view shooting, variangle screen, good battery life and excellent ISO performance, plus Bluetooth and GPS capabilities. The touch-sensitive screen is intuitive and responsive, with beautifully punchy colours, and it is easy to work through the menus. However, with only a single card slot, not the fastest frame rate and questions over its dynamic range, the 6D MkII seems more a choice for the serious amateur, or maybe as a back-up body for a pro. HANDLING The 6D is comfortable to hold. It is solid but not too weighty, nicely balanced – at least with the 18-105mm test lens I use – and its leather-effect finish gives a pleasant and secure grip. The focus is generally quick and accurate. The camera manages some great results shooting flowers and bees in bright sunshine. I am also impressed with the number of in-focus photos when using burst mode to shoot my son running towards me in a fairly gloomy garden. The only time focus really struggles is when I am photographing my baby son indoors in very low light.
TOM SOPER LRPS A UK-based commercial and wedding photographer, Soper has contributed to National Geographic Traveller Magazine. To see some of his work visit tomsoper photography.com
PERFORMANCE For interior photography the 6D MkII is a revelation due to its fully articulating screen. It makes a huge difference being able to see what I am shooting when the camera is positioned right up in the corner of a small room. In semi-automatic modes the metering performs well but needs the occasional tweak. However, the lack of a dedicated exposure compensation button makes the required adjustments a little slow to perform. In post-processing the images are pretty sharp and, as with most Canons, the colours are exceptional. Jpegs straight out of the camera are top quality and noise levels are good: I found images up to ISO 6,400 are just about usable.
THE VERDICT
Overall I enjoyed my week shooting with the Canon 6D MkII. If you are looking to step up to full frame, this all-round performer is an excellent choice.
NIGEL SPENCER ARPS
GEAR SPY GAVIN STOKER KEEPS HIS EYE ON FORTHCOMING RELEASES l The subject of a successful Kickstarter campaign at the time of writing, ‘Reflex’ claims to be the first update on a manual 35mm-film SLR in more than 25 years. Promising an
interchangeable lens mount, the Reflex can be used with a variety of other manufacturers’ lenses, while a daylight-changeable film back purports to allow users to swap
quickly to a different film mid-shoot. l With fewer people making hard copies of their digital images, Canon is offering a couple of sub-£50 printers in the Pixma TS205 and TS305.
The latter features wi-fi and Bluetooth, making it easier for smartphone and tablet photographers to print their snaps as borderless 6x4” prints. Speeds are a zippy 65 seconds per copy.
FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 145
THE GUIDE MEMBER STORIES
Infinite possibilities
Vivien Howse ARPS shares how a love of pinhole photography has influenced her work A SERIES OF serendipitous events led Vivien Howse ARPS to discover her passion for pinhole photography. Initially experimenting with lumen prints and photograms, she began creating pinhole cameras from tin cans and fibre-based paper, discovering that exposing these tiny light boxes to 146
the elements in her back garden helped to create striking celestial images.
TIN-CAN ALCHEMY ‘I made more than 20 pinhole cameras out of tin cans of various dimensions and placed them around my garden. At first I used resin-based papers but now I use fibre-based paper. The surrounding
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
atmosphere, light and natural elements react on the emulsion of the paper, causing it to disintegrate. ‘The paper records this over several months, producing the traces and textures of time. I found that after three to six months’ exposure, the results were really exciting – with old fibre papers creating extreme textures.’
WORLDS FROM AFAR ‘The capture of light in the pinhole camera combined with rainfall, tiny organisms and rust from the camera produces unique results. These become my working negatives, which I scan into the computer, and require little post-processing treatment. The more textured they are, the more they look like worlds from afar.
CLOCKWISE, FROM FACING PAGE Vulcan, Minshara, Sarpeidon, Haven and Tarok
‘I enjoy the anticipation of retrieving my cameras as I never know what they have absorbed. Even better, this technique merges my love for photography and the outdoors.’
CAMERA OBSCURA AND THE COSMOS ‘When showing my early images to friends, some of them merely saw small, round fragments of stained paper. However, others, like me, saw the universe spread out before them. Emerging from each tin can was a distant planet with its own
atmosphere of swirling gas clouds and a barren planetary landscape. ‘The results made me think of the Leonardo da Vinci quote: “Who would believe that so small a space could contain the images of the whole universe?” ‘Although Da Vinci was talking about a camera obscura – known today as the pinhole camera – I feel my approach echoes his musings.’
VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY ‘I’ve been told that this form of photography has
been taken as far as it can go, but I disagree. I’m on an thrilling voyage of discovery and hope to push the boundaries of pinhole photography by creating an abstract art form. ‘As Gustav Holst stated: “Every artist ought to pray that he may not be a success. If he is a failure, he stands a good chance of concentrating upon the best work of which he is capable.” ‘He went on to compose The Planets suite and created his universe in music. I intend to create mine in my back garden.’
MY LIFE VIVIEN HOWSE ARPS A sponsored trek in Peru 10 years ago catalysed Howse’s interest in photography. Inspired to join the Society in 2009, she achieved her LRPS the same year. She lives in Cornwall with her husband and is a member of the Contemporary, Visual Art and Analogue groups. In 2013 she was awarded her ARPS for a project on local artists’ studios.
VOL 158 / FEBRUARY 2018 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 147
THE GUIDE EVENTS
Find details of Society activities over the next three months
REGIONS
Meet photographers and view work in your area CENTRAL Mike Sharples ARPS, 07884 657535 mikes.sharples@virgin.net
Winter meeting members’ day Saturday 3 March, 10am-4pm, £8
Winter meeting of the Rollright group Village Hall, High Street, Long Compton, Shipston-onStour CV36 5JS Andreas Klattt, 01608 684848, rpsva@klatt.co.uk
The photojournalist and newspaper picture editor has won many press awards during his career and is probably best known for his work as a royal photographer, especially with Princess Diana. This event is being sponsored by the region Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton CB22 6RN
Distinctions advisory day Sunday 8 April, 10.30am-4.30pm, spectators £10
LRPS and ARPS (all categories). Event now full, space for spectators Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton, Cambridge CB22 6RN Ian Wilson ARPS, as above
EAST ANGLIA Ian Wilson ARPS, 07767 473594 ian@greenmen.org.uk
Inaugural meeting Saturday 10 February, details and cost TBA
The Costessey Centre, 1 Longwater Lane, Costessey, Norwich NR8 5AH
Documentary photoessays workshop Saturday 17 February, 10.15am-5pm, £65/£55/ £50 group members
See the Documentary Group for more information
RPS Creative Group print and PDI exhibition selections, and AGM Sunday 25 February, 9.45am-4pm, £15/£10 Society members not entering either exhibition
Whittlesford Memorial Hall, Mill Lane, Whittlesford, Cambs CB22 4NE Moira Ellice ARPS, 01473 720 928, moira.ellice2011@ btinternet.com
Ken Lennox HonFRPS Sunday 11 March, 11am-4pm, free 148
EAST MIDLANDS Stewart Wall ARPS, 07955 124000 stewart@stewartwall.com
Giles Penfound and Paul RG Haley talk about photographing conflict and beyond Sunday 18 February, 10.30am-4pm, £10
The two retired Leica-using military photographers talk about their life on the battlefields and onwards Whatton Jubilee Hall, Church Street, Whatton in the Vale NG13 9EL Stewart Wall ARPS, as above
‘Who says it’s visual art’ by Jay Charnock FRPS and ‘iPhoneography to Fellowship: my continuing journey’ by Viveca Koh FRPS Sunday 11 March, 10.30am-4pm
Presentations on visual art Whatton Jubilee Hall, Church Street, Whatton in the Vale NG13 9EL Stewart Wall ARPS, as above
‘Visions through a viewfinder’ – the
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
Journal you can find out more about a free RPS-sponsored event hosted by the East Anglia Region (below and p158). On 11 March celebrated photojournalist Ken Lennox HonFRPS will share work and stories from his time as a royal
photographer, including portraits of Princess Diana. Read on for events taking place in the next three months, and for further information on these and even more activities, please visit rps.org/events EMMA WILSON
photography of Roger Hance FRPS Sunday 22 April, 10.30am-4pm, £10
LondonBookworms@rps.org
A Sunday-morning walk with the London Naturally Group Sunday 25 February, 10.30am-1pm
Roger Hance FRPS describes his work covering sports, natural history, landscapes, portraiture and photojournalism Whatton Jubilee Hall, Church Street, Whatton in the Vale NG13 9EL Stewart Wall ARPS, as above
All details tbc, but please put the date in your diaries London London Naturally, london_ naturally@rps.org
Regular meeting of the SE London Group Tuesday 27 February, 7-9pm
EIRE Michael O’Sullivan info@mosullivanphoto.com
Greenwich Gallery, Peyton Place, London SE10 8RS London Cave, londoncave@rps.org
LONDON Judy Hicks and Neil Cordell londonevents@rps.org
London Region street walk Saturday 10 March, 9.45am-2pm
Celebrating London 2017-2018 Until Sunday 30 September Sign up to take part in the region’s capital-wide project Celebrating London Celebrating London team, celebratinglondon@rps.org
London Cave, londoncave@rps.org
Regular meeting of the SW London Group Tuesday 13 March, 7-9pm
Street walk Saturday 10 February, 9.45am-2pm
The Prince of Wales, 138 Upper Richmond Road, Putney SW15 2SP London RO2, londonro2@rps.org
Regular monthly walk for those who enjoy street photography London Cave, londoncave@rps.org
The Bookworm Club Wednesday 21 March, 6.30pm-9pm
Regular meeting of the SW London Group Tuesday 13 February, 7pm-9pm
The Crusting Pipe, 27 The Market, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8RD London Bookworms, LondonBookworms@rps.org
Details tbc, but please put this date in your diary The Prince of Wales, 138 Upper Richmond Road, Putney SW15 2SP London Web, Londonweb@rps.org
The Bookworm Club Wednesday 21 February, 6.30pm-9pm The Crusting Pipe, 27 The Market, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8RD London Bookworms,
Sunday-morning walk with the London Naturally group Sunday 25 March, 10.30am-1pm
GO TO
rps.org/events for the latest event updates
London Naturally, london_naturally@rps.org
Regular meeting of the SE London Group Tuesday 27 March, 7-9pm Greenwich Gallery, Peyton
CREDIT SITS IN BOX 4MM DEEP
Welcome to Events, your guide to what’s going on in The Royal Photographic Society community. These listings are arranged by regions, special interest groups, chapters, Society workshops and exhibitions. In this month’s
EVENTS THE GUIDE
Place, London SE10 8RS London Cave, londoncave@rps.org NORTH WALES Martin Brown LRPS, 01691 773316 northwales@rps.org
NORTH WEST Brian Smethurst, 01942 719766 bsmethurst@hotmail.co.uk
‘A lifetime of images’ by Richard Tucker ARPS Sunday 4 February, 10.30am-2pm, £8/£5 Society members
Tucker takes us through his work covering nearly 60 years Wilmslow Guild Centre, Bourne Street, Wilmslow SK9 5HD Alan Angel FRPS, 0161 980 0106, aandjangel@btinternet.com
Advisory day Sunday 18 February, 10.30am, £20/£15/£10 spectators
GMP Social and Sports Centre, Mauldeth Road, Hough End, Chorlton, Manchester M21 7SX Brian Smethurst, as above
7th meeting of the NW Digital Imaging Centre Sunday 25 February, 10.30am-3pm, £10/£8 group members
See the Digital Imaging Group for more information
Natural history with David Tolliday, followed by AGM Sunday 11 March, 10.30am-3pm GMP Social and Sports Centre, Mauldeth Road, Hough End, Chorlton, Manchester M21 7SX Brian Smethurst, as above
Portraiture seminar Sunday 15 April, 10.30am-2pm, £8/£5 Society members
The RPS Northwest annual portrait day Wilmslow Guild, Bourne Street, Wilmslow SK9 5HD Alan Angel FRPS, aandjangel@btinternet.com
Stoddart HonFRPS and Tim Smith Sunday 25 February, 10.30am-4pm, £70/£60 group members An opportunity to see the work of two top photojournalists Newton Community Hall, Newton, Stocksfield NE43 7LU Carol Palmer ARPS, northern@rps.org
Distinctions advisory day Sunday 15 April, 10am-4pm See website for costs. Advisory day for Licentiate and Associate Distinction Newton Community Hall, Newton, Stocksfield NE43 7LU Carol Palmer ARPS, northern@rps.org
A journey through Fellowships and Beyond with James Frost FRPS & Hazel Mason FRPS Saturday 21 April, 11.30am-3.30pm, £7.50/£5 Society members
A day of adventurous travel photography Distington Community Centre, Church Road, Distington, Workington CA14 5TE Carol Palmer ARPS, northern@rps.org
Water movement workshop Sunday 22 April, 9.30am-4.30pm, £15/£10 Society members
The aim of this workshop. which is for the beginner/ intermediate photographer, is to introduce you to the techniques used to capture images of moving water Lythe Bank car park, Sandsend, Whitby YO21 3TD Carol Palmer ARPS, northern@rps.org NORTHERN IRELAND Richard Corbett, 07805 381429 richard@richardcorbettphotography.com
SCOTLAND James Frost FRPS, 01578 730466/07881 856294, james.frost11@btinternet.com
NORTHERN Carol Palmer ARPS carolmpalmer@btinternet.com
Processing landscape images, with an optional photo walk Sunday 4 February, 10am-5pm
Fully booked. See Landscape Group for more details
Documentary photography with Tom
The Dreamer
Scotland Region members’ print exhibition 2017/18 – Aberdeen Sun 4 – Sun 25 February, 10.30am-4pm A selection of regional members’ work Aberdeen Arts Centre, 33 King Street, Aberdeen AB24 5AA James Frost FRPS, as above
POSTCARD FROM ...
California A life story lies behind this image CELINA WAS BROUGHT TO California from Mexico by her undocumented parents when she was five. Now a 20-yearold college student, she is a DACA (deferred action for childhood arrivals) recipient. As her parents toil in the unforgiving fields of California’s Central Valley to provide for Celina and her siblings, she and thousands of other ‘dreamers’ have become political pawns in a legislative tug of war. The current US administration has vowed to end the DACA programme, leaving Celina’s future in question. My crew and I arrived at her small family home as the sun was rising. Celina’s parents were obviously cautious about us being there. Never having seen the property, we had to work fast. As we entered the kitchen, morning light was pouring through a small dew-
SUBMIT
covered window above the sink that made the room look something like a Vermeer painting. I quickly asked Celina to wash some dishes and she got to work, allowing me the time to take advantage of the sun and capture this contemplative image. In my role as head of photography for EcoMedia, a division of CBS that harnesses the power of advertising to create tangible social change, I travel across America and internationally to tell stories like Celina’s. This project was enabled by the California Endowment and highlights the work of CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Los Angeles). ERIC J SMITH A member of the USA Pacific Chapter, Smith is head of photography for EcoMedia and a contributor to National Geographic
you have an inspirational Postcard? POSTCARD Do Email rpsjournal@thinkpublishing.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 149
THE GUIDE EVENTS
Landscape Group holiday to Lewis and Harris Thu 22 – Thu 29 March, 2.30pm-noon See the Landscape Group for more details
Scotland members’ exhibition print selection and region AGM Saturday 31 March, 10.30am-4pm, £10 Society members Join in the selection of the Scotland members’ exhibition for 2018 Bridge of Allan church hall, Keir Street, Bridge of Allan FK9 4NW James Frost FRPS, as above
Scotland members’ print exhibition 2018/19 – Lerwick Saturday 7 April-Saturday 21 April, 10.30am-4pm Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick ZE1 0EQ James Frost FRPS, scotland@rps.org
Photoforum Lasswade Sunday 8 April, 10.30am-4.30pm
An informal day to meet members and receive constructive feedback on work Midlothian Camera Club, 7 Polton Road, Lasswade EH18 1AB James Frost FRPS, 0788 1856294, scotland@rps.org
Fellowship advisory day Sunday 29 April, 10.30am-4pm
Fully booked Edinburgh Photographic Society, 68 Great King Street, Edinburgh EH3 6QU James Frost FRPS, as above SOUTH EAST Regional committee
Uckfield, Eastbourne Road, Halland, East Sussex BN8 6PT Bruce Broughton, 07482 275811, bruce-broughton@ hotmail.co.uk
South East Region advisory day – LRPS only Saturday 3 March, 10am-4.30pm, £20/£15/£10 spectators
The Kings Centre, 27 Edison Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6PT Paul Connor LRPS, 07803 795634, rpssussexarearep@ gmail.com
South East Documentary Group meeting Sunday 25 March, 10am-1pm
See the Documentary Group for more details
Capture to print Sunday 8 April, 10am-3.30pm
Discover the right paper for your image, how to get the best from your printer and view award-winning prints. See the DI Group for more details SOUTH WALES southwales@rps.org
SOUTH WEST Mick Medley, 01626 824865/07980 073808, rpsswregion@gmail.com
Regional AGM and lecture Sunday 25 February, 10.30am-4pm The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL Mick Medley, as above
DI Group Western: Martin Addison FRPS – ‘Looking outside the frame’ Sunday 25 February, 10.30am-4pm, £10/£8/£6 Group members
southeast@rps.org
See the DI Group for details
Long exposures/coastal exploration Saturday 3 February, 9.45am-5pm, £25/£15/£5 group members
Afternoon talks Sunday 25 February, 1.15pm-4pm, £7.50 nonmembers/£5 members not attending the AGM
Long-exposure photography on the coast around Brighton Old Fort car park, Forthaven, Shoreham-bySea BN43 5HY Richard Ellis, 07713 988476, landscapef16@ gmail.com
AGM and members’ day Sunday 11 February, 10am-5pm
Combined AGM and members’ day with a series of 20-minute presentations by members Croxtead Farm Hotel, near 150
running in parallel with the print-mounting workshop Littleton Millennium Village Hall, The Hall Way, Littleton, Winchester SO22 6QLL David Ashcroft LRPS, 07710 302684, southernsecretary@rps.org
An afternoon of talks by Les Loosemore ARPS The Dolphin Hotel, Staton Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL Mick Medley, as above
RPS South West Group Cornwall exhibition Saturday 17 March – Monday 7 May
A selection of prints from members of the group Chi an Bobel Conference Centre, Heartlands, Robinson’s Shaft, Dundance Lane, Pool, Redruth TR15 3QY Vivien Howse, 07884 168446, vivien.k.howse@gmail.com
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
Ben Cherry talks Sunday 25 March, 10.30am-4pm, £20/£10 Society members
A day of lectures and techniques with Ben Cherry The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL Mick Medley, as above
A day with Robert Canis Saturday 7 April, 10.30am-4pm, £10/£8/£5 group members
DIG Thames Valley welcome internationally recognised photographer Tim Pile to discuss his work at a full-day event on Sunday 25 March Image: Waterfall Beauty
Canis’s two lectures will be ‘Passion projects’ and ‘Nature in miniature’ The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9NG Linda Wevill FRPS, linda.wevill@btinternet.com
The Hamworthy Club, Magna Road, Canford Magna, Bournemouth, Dorset BH21 3AP Dave Peckham, 07486 498707, davepeckham@mac.com
Special access to Stonehenge, dawn shoot – fully booked Sunday 25 March, 6-7.30am
See the Landscape Group for more details
Distinctions advisory day Sunday 22 April, 10.30am-4pm
Basing House and canal photowalk Tuesday 24 April, 10am-2pm
For Licentiate and Associate. See website for costs The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL Martin Howse, 01326 221939, martin.g.howse@gmail.com.
A photowalk along the canal and around Old Basing House and the village Basing House and canal, The Street, Old Basing, Basingstoke RG24 7BH Bhupinder Ghatahora, ghatahora@hotmail.com
SOUTHERN Paul Cox ARPS, 07748 115057 southern@rps.org
Longridge mount-cutting workshop Sunday 11 February, 10am-4pm, £50/£40 Society members
The region is holding a clinic
Southern Region Distinctions advisory day – LRPS and ARPS Sunday 25 February, 10am-4pm, £20/£15/£10 spectators
The Living Rainforest, Hampstead Norreys, Thatcham RG18 0TN Bhupinder Ghatahora, ghatahora@hotmail.com
A day out photographing at Mount Edgcumbe Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, Mount Edgcumbe, Torpoint PL10 1HS Mick Medley, as above
RPS Southern Region free drop-in clinic Sunday 11 February, 10am-4pm
See the Digital Imaging Group for more details
Living Rainforest photowalk Saturday 3 March, 10.30am-2pm
Field trip to Mount Edgcumbe Saturday 14 April, 10am-4pm, £2/free to Society members
Littleton Millennium Village Hall, The Hall Way, Littleton, Winchester SO22 6QL David Ashcroft LRPS, 07710 302684, southernsecretary@rps.org
DIG Southern lecture: ‘Creative photography and a feeling of impression’ by Steven Le Prevost FRPS Sunday 11 February, 10.30am-3.30pm
THAMES VALLEY Mark Buckley-Sharp ARPS, 020 8907 5874, mark.buckley-sharp@tiscali.co.uk
GO TO
rps.org/events for the latest event updates
DIG Thames Valley: Vanda Ralevska – ‘The experience of creating images’ and ‘Time to stand and stare’ Sun 18 February, 10am-3.30pm, £15/£12/£8 group members
See the DI Group for more details
EVENTS THE GUIDE
WORKSHOPS Hear from the experts and hone your skills
Introduction to the creative eye Sat 3 Feb, 10am-4.30pm £95/Society members £71 Bath HQ
Camera phone Sat 4 Feb, 10am-4.30pm £55/Society members £41 Bath HQ
Portraiture photography and getting the most from your subject Fri 9 Feb, 9.30am-5pm
£115/Society members £86 Amersham
Cinematic Hollywood lighting Sat 10 Feb, 10am-5pm
£125/Society members £93 Surrey
Two-day wedding workshop Sat 10 – Sun 11 Feb, 10am-5pm
£170/Society members £127 Lacock
Two-day Photoshop workshop Sat 10 – Sun 11 Feb, 10am-5pm
£165/Society members £123 Bath HQ
Still life/product photography Thu 15 Feb, 10am-4.30pm
£155/Society members £116 Amersham
Cosplay lighting Sat 17 Feb, 10am-5pm £125/Society members £93 Leigh
Night shoot Sat 17 Feb, 6-10pm Capture images using a range of styles, props, backdrops and techniques
£35/Society members £27 Bath HQ
£65/Society members £48 Bath HQ
Macro and art photography Thu 22 Feb, 10am-4.30pm
Introduction to mindfulness, meditation and how this links to photography Thu 15 Mar, 10am-4.30pm
£55/Society members £41 Amersham
Paint with light Fri 23 Feb, 10am-4pm
£95/Society members £71 Amersham
Art-nude photography Sat 24 Feb, 10am-5pm
£125/Society members £93 Lacock
Basic studio lighting Sat 24 Feb, 10am-5pm
£125/Society members £93 Leigh
Movement photography Sat 3 Mar, 10am-4.30pm
£95/Society members £71 Bath HQ
Developing personal projects and storytelling with Ben Cherry Thu 8 Mar, 10am-5pm £120/Society members £90 Amersham
Creative techniques in Photoshop Fri 9 Mar, 10am-4.30pm
£115/Society members £86 Amersham
Exhibition-quality digital printing Sat 10 Mar, 10am-4.30pm
£115/Society members £86 Chester
Duo Dance: classic and contemporary lighting Sat 10 Mar, 10am-5pm £150/Society members £112 Leigh
Shooting for stock Mon 12 Mar, 10.30am-4.30pm
£105/Society members £78 Amersham
Lighting for composites Fri 16 Mar, 10am-5pm £125/Society members £93 Leigh
Photographing landscape, whatever the weather, with Tony Worobiec FRPS Sun 18 Mar, 10.30am-4pm
£55/Society members £41 Newton
Studio lighting with a male model Sat 24 March
£93/Society members £125 Leigh
Introduction to your digital camera Sat 24 March, 10am-5pm
£85/Society members £63 Bath HQ
Studio portraiture Sat 24 – Sun 25 March, 10am-5pm Lacock
Introduction to Photoshop Sun 25 March, 10am-5pm
£95/Society members £71 Bath HQ
Child portrait photography Sun 8 April, 10am-5pm £120/Society members £90 Amersham
Shooting modern architecture Fri 13 April, 10am-4.30pm
£99/Society members £74 Nottingham
Street photography – Spitalfields Market Fri 13 April, 10am-4.30pm
£115/Society members £86 London
Introduction to Lightroom Sat 14 April, 10am-4.30pm
£95/Society members £71 Bath HQ
Two-day wedding workshop Sat 14 – Sun 15 April, 10am-5pm
£170/Society members £127 Lacock
Printing with Lightroom Sun 15 April, 10am-4pm
£95/Society members £71 Bath HQ
Learning from history – photographing plants and gardens Sat 21 April, 10am-4.30pm
£55/Society members £41 Bath HQ
Art-nude photography Sat 21 April, 10am-5pm £125/Society members £93 Lacock
Art figure painting with light Sat 21 April, 10am-5pm £125/Society members £93 Surrey
Running your own photographic business Mon 23 April, 10am-4pm £190/Society members £142 Bath HQ
Portraiture photography and getting the most from your subject Thu 26 April, 9.30am-5pm £115/Society members £86 Amersham
Environmental portraiture Sat 28 April, 9am-5.30pm
£120/Society members £90 Derbyshire
Camera phone Sat 28 April, 10am-4.30pm
£55/Society members £41 Bath, HQ
Classic dance lighting Sat 28 April, 10am-5pm £125/Society members £93 Leigh
Photographing landscape, whatever the weather, with Tony Worobiec FRPS Sun 29 April, 10.30am-4.30pm
£55/Society members £41 Bath HQ
‘Have I got nudes for you’ and ‘Journey to my Fellowship’ Sunday 25 March, 10am-3.30pm, £15/£12/ £8 group members See the DI Group for more details
DIG Thames Valley presentations and the Len Deeley Memorial Trophy PDI competition Sunday 22 April, 10am-3.30pm, £15/£12/ £8 group members See the DI Group for more details WESTERN David Norfolk ARPS, 07771 515273 western@rps.org
Provisional meetings 18 February:
Technical session 18 March: Show and tell RPS HQ
Western Region advisory day – LRPS and ARPS (all five categories) Saturday 7 April, 10am-4.30pm, see website for costs
Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH Michelle Whitmore, michelle@ michellewhitmore.co.uk
Richard Olpin LRPS Sunday 22 April, 9.30am-1pm, £5
Olpin will give an insight into how to be more creative photographers, plus a members’ show and tell The Parish Room, Highnam Community Centre, Newent Road, Highnam GL2 8DG YORKSHIRE Mary Crowther ARPS, 07921 237962 photobox50@gmail.com Facebook: bit.ly/RPSYorkshire
Contemporary Group North East Saturday 17 March, 1.30-5pm, £3/free for Society members See the Contemporary Group for more details
Distinctions advisory day Saturday 31 March, 10.30am-4.30pm, £20/£15/£10 spectators only, finger buffet food by prior booking £6
New Brookhouse Club, 221 Barnsley Road, Sandal, Wakefield WF1 5NU Robert Helliwell ARPS,
FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 153
THE GUIDE EVENTS
01904 50023, bobhelliwell@clara.co.uk
Members’ day – Carolyn Mendelsohn Saturday 21 April, 10.30am-4.30pm, £10/£5 Society members
Mendelsohn is an awardwinning portrait photographer and artist, and is known for her compelling portraits, her personal series and lifestyle work New Brookhouse Club, 221 Barnsley Road, Sandal, Wakefield WF1 5NU
Members’ day – Ian Day FRPS Saturday 21 April, 10.30am-4.30pm, £10/£5 Society members New Brookhouse Club, 221 Barnsley Road, Sandal, Wakefield WF1 5NU
Members’ day and regional AGM Saturday 21 April, 10.30am-4.30pm, £10/£5 Society members New Brookhouse Club, 221 Barnsley Road, Sandal, Wakefield WF1 5NU
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
Explore more aspects of photography and digital imaging ANALOGUE David Healey ARPS, 07968 746211 analogue@rps.org
ARCHAEOLOGY AND HERITAGE Mike Sasse, 01892 531179 mike.sasse@btinternet.com
AUDIO VISUAL Howard Bagshaw ARPS, 01889 881503 howard.bagshaw@ntlworld.com
DIGITAL IMAGING CONTEMPORARY
Elaine Herbert ARPS, eherbert@alphalink.com.au
BENELUX
Richard Sylvester LRPS, Benelux@rps.org Distinctions celebration weekend Sat 24 Feb, 11am-4pm Sint-Katelijnestraat 26, Ghent, Belgium Janet Haines, Richard Sylvester, Benelux@rps.org
CANADA
webadmin@rps.org
CHINA BEIJING
154
Janet Haines digchair@rps.org
Peter Ellis LRPS, 07770 837977 wordsnpicsltd@gmail.com
South West Contemporary Group meeting Sunday 11 February, 10.30am-4.30pm Carol and Graham’s house, Dartington TQ9 6XX Rod Fry, 01803 844721, rod@rodfry.eclipse.co.uk
Regular meeting of the group’s members Central Buildings, 13 Bull Ring, Third Floor, Suite 4, Wakefield WF1 1HB Patricia A Ruddle, 07572 124290, patriciaruddle@ btinternet.com
Look outside the frame with Martin Addison FRPS and the Digital Imaging Group, 25 February
DIG Thames Valley: Vanda Ralevska – ‘The experience of creating images’ and ‘Time to stand and stare’ Sunday 18 February, 10am-3.30pm, £15/£12/ £8 group members
THE CREATIVE EYE GROUP Barry Freeman ARPS creativechair@rps.org
AGM and print and projected image selection Sunday 25 February, 9.45am-4pm, see website for costs
Members’ print and projected image 2018 exhibition Sat 24 March – Mon 2 April, Wed-Sun and Easter Monday, 11am-4pm, free
GO TO
rps.org/events for the latest event updates
Chris Renk, germany@rps.org
JAPAN TOKYO
Wei Han (Richard), oolongcha@hotmail.com
Shan Sang Wan FRPS, shansangwan@yahoo. com.hk
MALAYSIA
CHINA CHONGQING CHINA WESTERN
CHINA SHANGTUF
Guo Jing, shangtuf@yahoo.com.cn
CHINA QUANZHOU DUBAI
Mohammed Arfan Asif ARPS, dubai@rps.org
GERMANY
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
DIG Thames Valley: ‘Have I got nudes for you‘ and ‘Journey to my Fellowship’ with Tim Pile Sunday 25 March, 10am-3.30pm, £15/£12/£8 group members An open event organised by
ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY MEMBERS AROUND THE WORLD
Yan Li, yanli88@yahoo.com
Xiaoling Wang, hgudsh@163.com
How not to take competition winners but to explore different ways of seeing photographs Merryfield Village Hall, Copse Lane, Ilton, near Taunton TA19 9HG Dennis Knowles, 01884 254775, dennisknowles123@ btinternet.com
The AGM of DIG, together with the selection of prints for the exhibition, followed by an informative talk Smethwick Photographic Society, Old School House, Churchbridge, Oldbury B69 2AS Janet Davies, digsecretary@rps.org
7th meeting of the NW Digital Imaging Centre Sunday 25 February, 10.30am-3pm
£10/£8 group members A two-part lecture to help and inspire your sports and action photography, with a ‘bring a print’ competition The Hough End Centre, Mauldeth Road West, Chorlton, Manchester M21 7SX Peter Jarvis, 01704 220980, peterjarvisphoto@mail.com
DI Group Western: Martin Addison FRPS – ‘Looking outside the frame’ Sunday 25 February, 10.30am-4pm, £10/£8/£6 group members
Digital Imaging Group annual general meeting and print exhibition selection Sunday 4 March, 10am-4pm, see website for costs
Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview Close, Woosehill, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 3DA Alan Bousfield ARPS, digthamesvalley@rps.org
Whittlesford Memorial Hall, Mill Lane, Whittlesford, Cambridge CB22 4NE Moira Ellice ARPS, 01473 720928, Moira.ellice2011@ btinternet.com
Wingfield Barns, Church Road, Wingfield, Suffolk IP21 5RA Moira Ellice ARPS, 01473
DIG Southern lecture – ‘Creative photography and a feeling of impression’ by Steven Le Prevost FRPS Sunday 11 February, 10.30am-3.30pm
£12/£8 group members Prost will discuss many of his award-winning prints and show a PDI presentation of images before and after processing Ringwood BH24 1DW, Greyfriars Community Centre, 44 Christchurch Road, Ringwood BH24 1DW Barry Senior HonFRPS, digsouthern@rps.org
Contemporary Group North East Saturday 17 March, 1.30-5pm
OVERSEAS CHAPTERS AUSTRALIA
720928, Moira.ellice2011@ btinternet.com
SRI LANKA
HONG KONG
Yoshio Miyake, yoshio-raps@nifty.com
Romesh de Silva, romesh@access.lk
INDIA
Michael Chong ARPS, michaelcsc1985 @gmail.com
Richard Tucker ARPS, tucker42@bluewin.ch
Rajen Nandwana, rajennandwana @gmail.com
INDONESIA
Agatha Bunanta ARPS, agathabunanta @gmail.com
ITALY
Olivio Argenti FRPS, cirps@olivioargenti.it
MALTA
Ruben Buhagiar, info@rubenbuhagiar.com
NEW ZEALAND
Mark Berger, rps@moothall.co.nz
SINGAPORE
Steven Yee Pui Chung FRPS, peacock@ sandvengroup.com
SWISS CHAPTER TAIWAN
Joanie Fan Hui Ling ARPS, djpassionfoto @gmail.com
USA ATLANTIC CHAPTER USA PACIFIC CHAPTER Jeff Barton rps@vadis.net
the Digital Imaging Group Thames Valley Centre Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview Close, Woosehill, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 3DA Alan Bousfield ARPS, digthamesvalley@rps.org
Capture to print Sunday 8 April, 10am-3.30pm
John Herlinger will talk about the dark art of colour management and how to get the most from your printer, while Margaret Salisbury FRPS will explain how to choose the right paper for the image and show some of her award-winning work Madginford Hall, Ergemount Road, Bearsted, Maidstone ME15 8LH Bruce Broughton, digse@rps.org
Presentations and the Len Deeley Memorial Trophy PDI competition Sunday 22 April, 10am-3.30pm, £15/£12/ £8 group members With a variety of short talks from attendees, this is your chance to tell us what you are doing. Followed by the annual PDI competition Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview Close, Woosehill, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 3DA Alan Bousfield ARPS, digthamesvalley@rps.org DOCUMENTARY Mo Connelly LRPS, 01590 641849 dvj@rps.org
Alison Baskerville workshop Saturday 17 February, 10.15am-5pm, £65/£55/ £50 group members
Join documentary photographer Alison Baskerville for a workshop exploring how to produce well-thought-out photographic essays Anteros Foundation, 11-15 Fry Bridge Street, Norwich NR3 1LJ Mo Connelly LRPS, as above
Northern Documentary Group – documentary photography with Tom Stoddart HonFRPS and Tim Smith Sunday 25 February, 10.30am-4pm An opportunity to see the work of two top photojournalists Newton Community Hall, Newton, Stocksfield NE43 7LU Carol Palmer, northern@rps.org
South East Documentary Group meeting Sunday 25 March, 10am-1pm
Guest speaker Graham Sergeant FRPS will show some of his award-winning AV presentations, and discuss how we can use AV to present documentary photography. Afterwards is a review of members’ work – prints or DPI Tangmere Village Hall, Malcolm Road, Tangmere PO20 2HS Janey Devine, docse@rps.org HISTORICAL Monica Thorp monicathorp@thorpmilngavie.plus.com
Group visit to Liverpool Friday 16 March, 10.45am-4pm
Visit Hardmans’ House, a time-capsule photographic studio, and Liverpool Maritime Museum. The day will include a guided tour of the house and a talk from the curator of photographs at the museum Hardmans’ House, 59 Rodney Street, Liverpool L1 9ER Gilly Read, readgilly@hotmail.com
Annual general meeting Saturday 14 April, 11.30am-12.15pm
RPS Historical Group AGM, Victoria and Albert Museum V&A Seminar Room 5, Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL Janine Freeston, janinefreeston@aol.com
Afternoon lectures Saturday 14 April, 1.303.30pm, £5/free to group members
Three experts in different aspects of the history of photography will present illustrated lectures on their specific field of interest V&A Seminar Room 5, Victoria and Albert Museum, London SW7 2RL Janine Freeston, janinefreeston@aol.com IMAGING SCIENCE Gary Evans gary@garysevans.com
LANDSCAPE Mark Reeves LRPS, 07968 616551 rps.landscape.events@gmail.com
Long exposures/ coastal exploration Saturday 3 February, 9.45am-5pm, £25/£15/£5 group members
Long-exposure photography on the coast around Brighton
Old Fort car park, Forthaven, Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 5HY Richard Ellis, 07713 988476, landscapef16@gmail.com
Processing landscape images, with an optional photo walk Sunday 4 February, 10am-5pm, £70/ £60 group members
GO TO
rps.org/events for the latest event updates
TRAVEL Keith Pointon LRPS, 01588 640592
Adobe-certified professional Carmen Norman will lead this workshop on processing landscape images using Lightroom and Photoshop Rakefoot Studio, North Row, Bassenthwaite, Cumbria CA12 4RJ Mark Reeves LRPS, as above
bagpoint@aol.com
Grand tour of northern India Thu 12 – Thu 26 April, £2,465
Highlights include an evening trip along the Ganges to witness the Ganga Aarti ceremony in Varanasi; a visit to Bishnoi tribal villages and a wildlife park at Rathambore Starts in New Delhi travel@rps.org
Holiday to Lewis and Harris Thu 22 – Thu 29 March, 2.30pm-noon, see website for costs A chance to photograph on Lewis and Harris with the benefit of a local guide Lewis and Harris, Cabarfeidh Hotel, Stornoway HS1 2EU Tim Parish, timp.parish@gmail.com
VISUAL ART Viveca Koh FRPS, 07956 517524 viveca.koh@gmail.com
Visual Art Group 2018 members’ print exhibition Sat 17 February – Sat 10 March, 10am-4pm
Special access to Stonehenge, dawn shoot – fully booked Sunday 25 March, 6-7.30am
Exhibition of all the selected images from members of the Visual Art group Croydon Clocktower Museum, Katherine Street, Croydon CR9 1ET
Jim Souper, 07922 169843, landscapenews@rps.org
Visual Art Group 2018 members’ print exhibition official opening and annual luncheon Saturday 17 February, noon-4pm
NATURE Kevin Elsby FRPS wildlife@greenbee.net
Nature Group members’ 2017 exhibition in Edinburgh 1-28 February, Wednesday evenings 7-9pm
Other dates available by appointment Edinburgh Photographic Society, 68 Great King Street, Edinburgh EH3 6QU Sandy Cleland FRPS, 01968 676271
Nature Group AGM, spring meeting and exhibition Saturday 21 April, 10am-4.30pm
41st annual general meeting,
spring meeting and annual exhibition opening Smethwick Photographic Society Clubrooms, The Old Schoolhouse, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 2AS Duncan Locke LRPS, duncan.locke@btinternet.com
Croydon Clocktower Museum, Katherine Street, Croydon CR9 1ET David Wood, 020 3105 0548, wood.david.j@virgin.net
Join the Landscape Group for a photography trip to Lewis and Harris from 22 to 29 March
Central Visual Art Group: winter meeting members’ day Saturday 3 March, 10am-4pm, £8/£5 ploughman’s lunch
Village Hall, High Street, Long Compton, Shipston-on-Stour CV36 5JS Andreas Klattt, 01608 684848, rpsva@klatt.co.uk
A day with Robert Canis Saturday 7 April, 10.30am-4pm, £10/£8/£5 group members See the South West Region for more details
Visual Art Group spring weekend with AGM – now fully booked Fri 20 – Mon 23 April White Swan Hotel, Bondgate Within, Alnwick NE66 1TD Andreas Klatt ARPS, 01608 684848, visualart@rps.org
FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 155
EVENTS THE GUIDE
EXHIBITIONS
Sally Smart ARPS, exhibitions assistant 01225 325724, sally@rps.org
RPS International Photography Exhibition 160 – Aberystwyth Until Saturday 10 March
Showcase of a diverse range of images selected from a worldwide open call Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Brick Lane, Aberystwyth SY23 3DE
RPS International Images for Science exhibition This touring exhibition features stunning images with a scientific story to tell
Worcester: Until Thu 22 Mar, 8.30am-10pm
The Hive, Sawmill Walk, The Butts, Worcester WR1 3PD
Derry: Sat 10 Feb – Fri 9 Mar
Millennium Forum, Newmarket Street, Derry/ Londonderry BT48 6EB
The Big Bang Fair: Wed 14 – Sat 17 March
The National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Halls, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT info@thebigbangfair.co.uk
The Photography Show: Sat 17 – Tue 20 March, 10am-5pm
The National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Halls, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT thephotographyshow@ futurenet.com
Edinburgh: Sat 31 March – Sun 15 April City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE 0131 529 3993, customer. care@edinburgh.gov.uk
PATRONAGE
Salons/exhibitions with RPS-approved patronage Southampton International Exhibition 2018 Closing date: 4 February southamptoninternational exhibition.co.uk RPS 2018/07
Salon Photo de Riedisheim Closing date: 11 February spr-photo.fr RPS 2018/11
2017 Huangbai Mountain International Photography Exhibition
Closing date: 24 February huangbaishan.com RPS 2018/06
22 Gran Tour delle Colline, Trofeo Colline del Chianti Closing date: 5 March grantourdellecolline.it RPS 2018/23-26
German International DVF-Photocup 2018 Salon Niedersachsen Closing date: 18 March germanphotocup.de RPS 2018/16
Cheltenham International Salon of Photography Closing date: 2 April cheltenhamcameraclub. co.uk RPS 2018/18
COUNCIL REPORT
Tuesday 28 November 2017 at 10.30am Minutes of council
Subject to minor amendments, the minutes of the 30 September meeting were approved.
Matters arising
Vanessa Slawson was asked to circulate the template for committee terms of reference. Barry Hoffman asked what was expected of committee volunteers in terms of attendance, training and the contribution they were expected to make. Staff input was required on committees. In relation to the reserves policy the treasurer noted that the Society’s policies were clear that all monies held by the groups and regions belong to the Society. A detailed look at the structure and financing of regions was required. This could be a project for the representatives committee. Alan Hodgson reported that he and Gary Evans were talking to a potential sponsor for the science exhibition. The revised organisation chart would be circulated and uploaded to the website.
Finance
Derek Trendell introduced the 2018 budget and explanatory notes which had been circulated. There were two main assumptions: membership growth at three per cent and sponsorship income for the awards. Other
areas such as marketing had secured extra funding for 2018. A second budget was presented which showed the impact of the new building. This showed a deficit which reflected a reduction in investment income in year one. The new building depreciation was a book entry and the sale of Fenton House, which had been similarly depreciated, would show a substantial profit. He considered the cash impact more important and had asked the finance manager for a detailed cashflow for 2018. His view was that there was nothing in the budget which should cause concern. The 2018 budget was approved by the trustees.
GO TO
rps.org/events for the latest event updates
Governance
Staff salaries
Derek Trendell reported that he had discussed staff salaries with the chief executive and Barry Hoffman. A new approach to these would be taken effective from January 2018, within an overall three per cent increase. The chief executive would circulate a proposal to the trustees.
Staff reports
Membership. A proposal had been submitted concerning the ‘free group for a year’ scheme. Only one group had indicated it was interested in continuing with the scheme. In order to ensure a fair position for all groups the trustees agreed to withdraw the scheme completely. Robert Albright asked that the leavers/joiners reports would continue to be circulated until such time as GDPR made a change necessary. Future reports would be password protected. Alan Hodgson commented that the Swansea induction day had been very useful and asked for his thanks to be passed to Nicola Young.
Awards
Del Barrett introduced a
report examining the future of the Society’s awards with the ending of The Macallan sponsorship. There was general support for continuing with the awards in London but other aspects were questioned. It was agreed to support the recommendations made and Jo Macdonald would be asked to look at possible venues. Alternative sponsors would be sought.
Ferrofluid glowing multicolour by Ella Main, part of the RPS International Images for Science exhibition touring the UK
Committee standardisation. A number of anomalies relating to Society committees and their membership were noted and suggestions were made to bring consistency to them. A discussion around the role of staff on committees took place. Committee terms of reference were also discussed. Vanessa Slawson noted that there was an opportunity to review and produce properly structured terms of reference, which she offered to undertake. It was agreed that: (i) The president would be an ex-officio member of all committees, and would be entitled to participate in discussions but would not be entitled to vote. (ii) That any trustee could attend a committee meeting as an observer by notifying the chair in advance, but would not be entitled to vote. The committee procedural documents need to be updated to reflect these decisions. There was some discussion about whether the relevant staff manager should be entitled to vote and it was decided to postpone a decision until the committees’ terms of reference had been agreed.
Society policies
It was noted that the Society did not have an equality and diversity policy, and policies were needed in a number of areas, along with a process to deal with complaints. The volunteer agreement needed to highlight the Society’s policies and acceptance of them.
Trustees’ responsibilities
Del Barrett circulated a paper highlighting the areas for which trustees are accountable under charity law. It was agreed that: (i) Each trustee (except the president, who would be the overseer of all aspects)
FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 157
THE GUIDE EVENTS
would take responsibility for one area as follows: • Mission, policy and strategy – Del Barrett • Overseeing CEO and monitoring performance – Barry Hoffman • Finance – Derek Trendell • Public benefit – Richard Tucker • Governance – Vanessa Slawson • Risk review and monitoring – Alan Hodgson (ii) These should be standing items on the agenda for future meetings, with an in-depth discussion and review of each item once a year.
Crowd pleaser The East Anglia Region is delighted to welcome the respected photographer Ken Lennox HonFRPS to Cambridge on Sunday 11 March. Lennox will discuss his career as an award-winning newspaper picture editor and photojournalist. He spent many years as a royal photographer, documenting international tours, and is particularly known for his images of Princess Diana. The event is free but ticketed. Email ian@greenmen.org.uk to specify how many tickets you require.
Groups and regions
A paper looking at aspects of the groups and regions was discussed. Three recommendations in the report were agreed: • To give trustee support to the volunteer manager to introduce whatever standardisation is thought necessary • To move advisory days from the regional remit to that of the Distinctions department, which can draw on the regional volunteers as required • To task the volunteer manager (via the CEO) to chair a small working party of relevant managers and volunteers (if required), with the aim of bringing a restructuring proposal to the trustees.
Distinctions
Committee and panel members. Andy Moore circulated the proposed 2018-2019 Distinctions committee, Fellowship committee and panel members. Robert Albright expressed his support for Ray Spence as Distinctions committee chair and for the other names. The names were approved, subject to three queries being resolved. The Distinctions committee would be asked to look at succession for committees and panels as a matter of urgency. The position of trustees occupying multiple roles within the Society and the need for them to focus on their responsibilities as a trustee without any potential conflicts was raised. The same point for other Society volunteer roles was raised. It was proposed that over the next council term the 158
number of panel members with multiple roles be eliminated to open up positions to other members. It was pointed out that having individuals on both Licentiate and Associate panels was helpful in appreciating the relative standards. Vanessa Slawson asked whether the Distinctions committee provided refresher training for panel members returning after a period of absence. Andy Moore’s views on panel recruitment and succession would be sought.
New building
The chief executive reported on the current status with the purchase of the Bristol building. The legal process was proceeding, and he was asking for a completion date to be set. A discussion was held on names for the building and consideration was given to suggestions from trustees and staff. The trustees acknowledged the difficulty of selecting a name.
Exhibitions to grow membership
Alan Hodgson presented a paper proposing the use of Society exhibitions to broaden the membership base and to allow it to diversify into other fields, especially science. He acknowledged that the Society successfully produces a number of exhibitions and the chief executive pointed out that the Society had run competitions in partnership with other organisations in recent years. Alan Hodgson noted the Women in Science programme and the Blue Dot
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
festival. The initiative would be referred to the science committee.
had recently undertaken made reference to a ‘compelling narrative’ for organisations. The Society’s royal charter set this out clearly as educating the public and promoting the highest standards and appreciation of photography. He felt there was a need to set out a long-term goal to reflect more closely the educational mandate of the Society.
Society patronage
A proposal to discontinue Society patronage for salons was considered. This reflected the limited financial return on the scheme, the significant commitment in volunteer and staff time to manage it, and a lack of control over the quality of the awards made in the Society’s name which ran counter to the Society’s strategic objectives. It was asked if there was any benefit to the membership from patronage or if there was another scheme which would bring in membership. It was agreed to end the patronage scheme once existing applications had been processed. The chief executive was asked to write to Jane Black.
Any other business
Open University course representatives
Robert Albright reported on a request from the OU for two Society representatives for the OU/RPS digital photography course review meeting. The education committee would be asked to nominate two individuals to represent the Society’s interests.
Creative Group
The trustees made no objection to a proposal from the Creative Group to change its name to the Creative Eye Group.
The Society’s direction and goals
Robert Albright noted that the NCVO trustee training he
GO TO
rps.org/events for the latest event updates
Nature definition review. A report from Rosemary Wilman was noted. Alan Hodgson was asked to discuss with her elements of the report and revisions to the definition and the involvement of the PAGB. RPS representative to the PSA. The Society recognised the role of Anne Sutcliffe, who had been appointed several years ago as the Society’s representative to the PSA. It agreed to discontinue the role. Where there were matters of mutual interest these could be raised directly with the chief executive. He was asked to write to Anne Sutcliffe to thank her for her work. An overseas member, nominated by council, was needed for the representatives committee. The chief executive was tasked to locate possible candidates and circulate their CVs. Vanessa Slawson asked that access to the anticlash calendar be made available to committees.
THE COLLECTION
The race against time by a pioneer of photography WILLIAM HENRY FOX TALBOT (1800-1877) is well known for inventing the photo-chemical negative-positive process, but perhaps less so for his contribution to photographic reproduction by mechanical means. Talbot, pictured above, had ceased to take his own original photographs after a period of ill health and the death of his mother in the late 1840s. Finally accepting he might never be able to chemically stabilise his silver-based calotypes against the effects of fading by light, he looked to the mechanical methods of the printing press and ink for inspiration to create truly stable, printed photographs. The process he developed, ‘photoglyphic engraving’, was patented in 1858. Much non-digital reproduction of photographic images to this day owes a debt to his ingenious methods. The key improvement was the use of a screen or veil to allow for ‘halftone’ areas in the print. This broke down grey areas into dots of varying sizes to give a convincing
IN THIS YEAR 1858
illusion of greyscale in the final image. Even in relatively large-sized prints, the quality of this halftone process was so thorough as to be almost imperceptible to the naked eye. Following publication in Photographic News in October 1858, the process and a print – ‘Branch of small dark leaves – drew praise from Prince Albert, who ‘watched with the deepest interest the progress of your improvements in an art which is destined to be of so much service to the world’. The print highlights the subtlety of line and delicate tonal range which could be achieved by Talbot’s process, as well as the role natural history played in his work. Photoglyphic engraving was a direct precursor to photogravure and other photo-mechanical processes that have enabled the mass reproduction of photographic images in books and magazines today. This print is available to the public in the V&A prints and drawings study room.
VISIT The RPS Collection is at the V&A Museum, London
Branch of small dark leaves, a photoglyphic engraving by William Henry Fox Talbot published in 1858
Nadar
Charles
1 achieves
4 Dickens
the first instance of aerial photography, from a moored balloon in France.
embarks on his first professional tour giving readings from his works.
American
2 inventor
Hymen Lipman patents a pencil with an attached rubber.
160
/ THE RPS JOURNAL / FEBRUARY 2018 / VOL 158
Dan Cox is a cataloguer at the V&A
Isambard
3 Kingdom
Brunel’s SS Great Eastern, the
largest ship built to date, is launched on the River Thames.
Explorer
5 John
Hanning Speke is the first European to reach Lake Victoria, source of the River Nile.
© THE ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY COLLECTION, VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM; GETTY IMAGES; SHUTTERSTOCK
Dan Cox explores how William Fox Talbot revolutionised the reproduction of images