The RPS Journal July 2014

MASTERS OF DESIRE HOW THE MACALLAN HAS COMBINED SINGULAR IMAGES WITH SINGLE MALT

THE

JULY 2014 / VOLUME 154 / NUMBER 6 / WWW.RPS.ORG

LOVING THE LEICA PAUL HENSEL CELEBRATES AN ICONIC NAME

FUTURE PERFECT THE STUDENTS WITH A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

© Karolina Henke

ON LOCATION WITH KAROLINA HENKE AND THE B1 LOCATION KIT Karolina Henke says her best images are shot in the spur of the moment, capturing something unforeseen, something honest.

That is why she packs the B1 Location Kit, a portable solution allowing her to shoot with precision, power and speed regardless of where her creativity leads her.

“I love the idea of a professional flash with TTL. Anything that makes my job easier is a good thing. It means I can focus on what really matters: the creative part.” – Karolina Henke For more information visit www.profoto.com/uk/b1

BEST PROFESSIONAL LIGHTING SYSTEM Profoto B1 Off-Camera Flash

OPENING SHOT

| JULY 2014 | 337

YOUR PRAISE, GRATEFULLY RECEIVED

A COMING UP

IN FUTURE ISSUES The winners of the RPS International Exhibition 157, Toby Smith on HS2, his completed Environmental Bursary project, and a look at the cream of recent Fellowship portfolios

fter a week on the picturesque Isle of Mull, I returned to a large and growing batch of emails of congratulations on the new-look RPS Journal. I’m still receiving calls from friendly Members saying how they love the reworked version of the publication that has been a key part of their membership for so long.

Thank you! It’s wonderful to be creating a publication for such an engaged bunch of people. Of course, as with any change, we have also been looking hard at the previous issue to see where we can improve, and where we can allow the new aspects of the Journal to become part of the furniture.

This issue reflects some of the summer holiday spirit in its cover – one of the images from the Travel Photographer of the Year exhibition, opening later this month in London.

It’s nice to be able to display a travel image with a difference, and I think this one, by David Oliete, took the genre to another level.

We were chuffed to get hold of Colin Prior FRPS, too, just before he jetted off to the mountains of Pakistan for his long-running

Karakoram project. See how he put together some of his best shots on page 388.

Elsewhere in this issue, we meet the fresh talent emerging from the country’s photography courses, where ideas are new and the images that emerge are raw, aspirational and exciting.

I also had the chance to sit down with the inspirational Ken Grier, who through his work marketing The Macallan has rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s greatest photographers. Read more on page 366.

It has been a real pleasure settling into the Journal, and there’s some great stuff to come: I am currently admiring the winning images for the International Exhibition 157, one of which may well make the cover next month.

CLARE HARRIS Editor

MIKE WILKINSON

PATRON AND SPONSORS

VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 337

THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154 NO 6 WWW.RPS.ORG

LOVING THE LEICA PAUL HENSEL CELEBRATES AN ICONIC NAME

FUTURE PERFECT THE STUDENTS WITH A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

JULY 2014 / VOLUME 154 / NUMBER 6 / WWW.RPS.ORG

LEICA ANNIVERSARY  TPOTY 2013 WINNERS  PHOTOGRAPHY GRADUATES

IN THIS ISSUE

MASTERS OF DESIRE HOW THE MACALLAN HAS COMBINED SINGULAR IMAGES WITH SINGLE MALT

THE

388

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

Prior knowledge: an insight into the work of the landscape king

Patron Her Majesty the Queen President Derek Birch ASIS HonFRPS Vice-President Walter Benzie ARPS Treasurer Geoff Blackwell ARPS Director-General Dr Michael Pritchard FRPS Published on behalf of The Royal Photographic Society by Think 20-23 Woodside Place, Glasgow G3 7QF | 0141 582 1280 thinkpublishing.co.uk EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Editor Clare Harris rpsjournal@thinkpublishing.co.uk 0141 582 1379 Deputy editor Andrew Cattanach andrew@thinkpublishing.co.uk Contributing editors Gavin Stoker, Geoff Harris Design Matthew Ball, Katherine Pentney Sub-editors Sam Bartlett, Kirsty Fortune Advertising Sales Adam Lloyds adam.lloyds@thinkpublishing.co.uk 020 8962 1253 Publisher John Innes john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk

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 policy of The RPS or those of the publishers. All material correct at time of going to press.

ISSN: 1468-8670

Cover Castellers de Vilafranca, David Oliete

354 Engrossed, by Hazel Manning ARPS

338 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

340 | BIG PICTURE Australian photographer Toby Burrows on a dreamlike image

354 | DISTINCTIONS Hazel Manning ARPS and Terry Homewood LRPS

343 | NEWS Travel shots on show, plus a shared definition for nature photography

405 | MEMBER GUIDE Travel Group trips to Myanmar, plus workshops and events from Regional and Special Interest Groups, and Overseas Chapters

353 | BOOKS New releases, including the thought-provoking Photography Today and a Martin Parr update

416 | TIMES PAST X-ray specs: a scientific advance

COLIN PRIOR

EVERY MONTH

© 2014 The Royal Photographic Society.

All rights reserved.

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343 COVER STORY The ever-popular Travel Photographer of the Year award opens for entries

376 406

Student star: Maisie Cousins

Talk: Tim Flach HonFRPS on shaping animals

384

Dr Alexander Kumar's showcase goes to the ends of the earth

MAISIE COUSINS; TIM FLACH, RUNNING CHICKEN; DR ALEXANDER KUMAR

FEATURES

366 | STILL LIFE Top photographers and The Macallan make the perfect blend 372 | EMINENTLY LEICABLE Five of the firm's classic cameras after 100 years in the frame 376 | FUTURE STARS We talk to a few of photography's hottest prospects to see what makes them tick

THE CRAFT

395 | MUST TRY & LATEST KIT The Olympus OM-D E-M10, and more of what's new

384 | MEMBER SHOWCASE Dr Alexander Kumar: 'I often find myself tripping over miracles and scraps from heaven'

398 | MASTERCLASS Get it right with a studio light

388 | BEST SHOTS Mountain and landscape expert Colin Prior FRPS explains why he heads for the heights 414 | APRIL UPDATE The Society's Council report

400 | SPACE CRAFT The lowdown on astrophotography

396 Latest kit: the Samsung Galaxy 2

403 | MY FAVOURITE CAMERA Charlie Waite FRPS, landscape ace VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 339

BURROWS 340 | BIG PICTURE | TOBY

CREATE AN ETHEREAL ATMOSPHERE TOBY BURROWS EXPLAINS HOW HE ACHIEVED HIS IMAGE, THE SHALLOWS

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DETAILS Name Toby Burrows Age 43 Training Toby studied painting at Sydney College of the Arts, and learned photography while managing London’s Holborn Studios.

THE ASSIGNMENT The series from which this image is taken is called Soliloquy, shot in a tank in my studio.

The camera was elevated above the water’s surface, and a pigment was added to create a

diffused appearance to the water. I needed to balance the amount of pigment I added to give the diffused feel, but retain clarity in order to see the detail. It was a delicate balance.

EQUIPMENT A Hasselblad H2 with a Leaf 75 mediumformat digital back, and an 80mm lens.

For lighting, I used Broncolor Scoro power packs with Broncolor Beauty dishes and an Octalight as a fill.

TECHNIQUE Lighting the subject to avoid reflections was challenging.

I directed the flash heads close to the water at a 45-degree angle, and directed the model to be very still when she was submerged.

TIPS Ethereal shots can be achieved in many ways. Break up the image by shooting through foreground objects or create an environment that’s dreamlike by nature.

Get out in the early-morning mist!

VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 341

343

NEW CHAIR FOR SINGAPORE Tay aims to grow membership 346

COMMON RULES FOR NATURE Societies agree on definition 347

STARS OF THE STREET Latest 365 competition winners 351

INFOCUS NE W S, V IE W S, E X HIBITIONS A ND MEMBER INSIGHT

Indian photographer Sahil Lodha’s image gained a special mention award

MATHURA, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA, 2012 © SAHIL LODHA

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR OPENS FOR ENTRIES Winners from 2013 go on show this month as travel fans are encouraged to submit images THE POPULAR TRAVEL Photographer of the Year competition (TPOTY) 2014 has opened for entries.

Established in 2003 by photographer Chris Coe and

ENTER NOW!

his wife, Karen, the competition has grown to become one of the most entered awards in the world.

To celebrate holiday season, we’ve used a highly commended image from David Oliete’s Castells series on this issue’s cover, and Sahil Lodha’s Mathura, which

OLYMPUS PROTÉGÉS

gained a special mention in the Best Single Image section of Vanishing & Emerging Cultures, above. Lodha said: ‘This image is part of my four-year project on Holi festival, to continue reliving childhood memories.’

The TPOTY exhibition runs from 11 July to 17 August at the

Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) near Hyde Park, London. Find out how to enter the 2014 competition at tpoty.com Society members have been getting around, too. Turn to page 405 to read about the RPS Travel Group’s latest expeditions

A BRAND-NEW COMPETITION WILL PAIR WINNING ENTRANTS WITH EXPERT MENTORS FROM THE FIELDS OF FASHION, WILDLIFE AND MUSIC. TURN TO PAGE 347 FOR DETAILS VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 343

344 | IN FOCUS |

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY HONOUR

Society Member James D Robinson’s portrait of Dr Lucy Worsley

Amateur’s photograph becomes part of permanent collection RPS MEMBER JAMES D Robinson’s portrait of author and TV presenter Dr Lucy Worsley has been accepted into the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent photography collection.

‘I approached Dr Worsley to see if she’d be willing to sit for a portrait,’ said James.

‘Luckily she was kind enough to agree. I got in touch with the National Portrait Gallery and the rest, as they say, is history.’

OBITUARY

JENNY LEATHES MA ARPS SADLY, JENNY LEATHES MA ARPS lost her long battle with cancer on Friday 11 April. Her background was in the arts and after graduating with a first in art and design, she went on to teach art, ceramics and photography.

Jenny, 54, left teaching to concentrate on photography.

She obtained her MA at Falmouth College with her book titled Granite

xxxxxxx 344 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

Land. Jenny put a great deal of enthusiasm into her role as Regional Organiser for the South-West Region and she will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Martin Howse ARPS, SouthWest Regional Organiser A full version of this obituary can be found at rps.org

VIVIEN HOWSE ARPS; JAMES D ROBINSON

Jenny Leathes on Dartmoor

JULY 2014 FOCAL POINT

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

KENT STATE MASSACRE (1970)

BY PHOTOJOURNALIST ZED NELSON HonFRPS

SOCIETY FINDS ITS PRINTS CHARMING 157th Print winners selected, and more …

‘AS A YOUNG teenager, I remember seeing photographs of the 4 May 1970 Kent State Massacre – the shooting of unarmed American college students by members of the Ohio National Guard.

Even though the event had taken place 10 years previously, I was shocked by the visual evidence of brutal violence and injustice shown in these photographs. The students had been peacefully protesting against the US

invasion of Cambodia during the Vietnam War when the National Guard opened fire, killing four students and wounding nine.

I was politicised by these photographs. I don’t actually wish I had been there and taken the images, but they inspired me and made me realise the potential power of the still image.’

See Zed’s own inspiring work at zednelson.com

GETTY; © THAT ONE LONDON PLACE, BY SAMANTHA FISHER

ENTER NOW }DVJ Photographer of the Year 2014 Until 31 October bit.ly/DVJ photographer }2015 Sony World Photography Awards Until 8 January 2015 bit.ly/sonyworld photographyawards }CBRE Urban Photographer of the Year 2014 Until 8 August www.cbre photographer.com

Dromluska, Black Valley, by Leo Palmer FRPS

SOCIETY LUMINARIES WIN TOP US AWARD

LEO PALMER FRPS and Tony Potter ARPS have become the first UK photographers to be awarded the distinction of Grand Master of the Photographic Society of America (GMPSA).

‘I have been exhibiting for 25

years, and doing GMPSA has been a fantastic outlet for my work,’ said Palmer.

It took Potter seven years to get his distinction.

‘Getting the GMPSA was a lot of hard work, but I’m pleased and relieved,’ he said.

O

ver 6,500 images were submitted for The Society’s 1 57th International Print Exhibition from contributors around the world. With the help of the selectors, nearly 300 were shortlisted and prints obtained for them to make the final selection. These were a fascinating range of monochrome and colour prints from which the final choice of 100 prints for the exhibition was made.

Anne McNeill, Jordi Ruiz Cirera, Tim Rudman FRPS, Paul Seawright and Marc Aspland FRPS were the selectors, with Tim chairing the panel. It was a real pleasure for me to observe their assessments.

Each had their personal favourites, but they worked well together to select the RPS Gold, Silver, Bronze and Under-30s Gold Award winners. The exhibition opens its UK tour at London’s Greenwich Heritage Centre on 31 July.

Another key event in May was the two-day All About Imaging: Transactions symposium held by the University of Westminster. This was supported by the Imaging Science Group on behalf of the Society, but was

not just a science event: it was focused on today’s thoughts about the art and science of photography.

In the wide topics covered by the lecturers there were some intriguing questions about the future of photography, covering perception of images and the ranges from reality to creativity. The opportunity to bring together experts in different areas was appreciated, and we thank Sophie Triantaphillidou and Heather Barnett of the Faculty of Media, Arts and Design for organising the event.

Congratulations to the recent recipients of Society Licentiateship and Associateship Distinctions.

Many of those are achieved after learning about the standard of images that need to be presented and taking opportunities to attend Advisory days. Our Distinctions staff and volunteer Panel Members are also working hard to provide feedback to those who were not successful, and I hope they will take the advice on board and be encouraged to try again.

With our excellent new RPS Journal, which has attracted widespread praise, we can now look forward to an August issue that is no longer tied to July as The Journal reverts to monthly publication!

DEREK BIRCH ASIS HonFRPS, President of The Royal Photographic Society

VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 345

346 | IN FOCUS |

CARLOS CLARKE IMAGES HEAD NORTH

Major body of work finds new home in Bradford museum

OVER 100 IMAGES BY BOB Carlos Clarke, including portraits of Keith Richards, Macro Pierre White and Rachel Weisz, have been acquired by the National Media Museum in Bradford.

The controversial British photographer, who died in 2006, was synonymous with

glamour, eroticism, fashion and fame, but the collection also features some less well-known images. These include a live-performance shot of Mick Jagger from 1971 and examples of his intriguing still life work.

Carlos Clarke divided opinion with his provocative imagery but, as museum curator Greg Hobson observes, there is a

consistent level of quality in his work, particularly in the photographs he printed himself. ‘He represented many of the things that were most interesting, but also most challenging, in the rapidly evolving photographic landscape of the 1980s and 90s,’ he added.

For more details go to nationalmediamuseum.org.uk

LICENTIATE 01/14 Yilu Li, Hong Kong

Didier Verriest, Belgium Edwin Ong Wee Kee, Sarawak

ASSOCIATE CONTEMPORARY 04/14 Julie Laot, Cheshire Clive Little, Surrey

LICENTIATE EXEMPTION 05/14 Michael Basham, Gloucestershire Julia Chamberlain, Surrey Jill Lewins, Cheshire

ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONAL & APPLIED 05/14 Colin Clarke, Surrey Emma Delves-Broughton, Somerset Eric Dunne-Magner, Ireland Nick Pascoe, Hampshire Tummalapalli Veerabhadra Rao, East Godavari

ASSOCIATE EXEMPTION 05/14 Roz Collins, Hampshire Samuel Legge, Gloucestershire Kristina Mack, Essex FELLOW RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND APPLICATION OF PHOTOGRAPHY 05/14 Dr Terry Speake, Cheshire

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David Tay (second from left) wants to increase his Chapter’s membership

NEW SINGAPORE CHAIR We’d like to welcome the Singapore Chapter’s new Chair, David Tay FRPS. ‘The committee will organise activities such as sharing sessions by recent successful

RPS Distinctions applicants, photography trips and workshops,’ said Tay. ‘Meanwhile, one of the committee’s main tasks is to grow its membership.’

EDWARD CHEONG; © THE ESTATE OF BOB CARLOS CLARKE

DISTINCTION SUCCESSES

JULY 2014

From below, clockwise, Marco Pierre White in Cemetery, 1990, Vanessa-Lee, 1994, Lock, 1991 and Keith Richards Smoking, 1987

DAMIAN MCGILLICUDDY; MILES WHITWORTH (IMAGE CREATED ESPECIALLY FOR THIS ARTICLE)

NATURE APP

LEAFSNAP UK FREE Have you ever needed to know which tree you were photographing? Leafsnap UK, a free iPhone app from the Natural History Museum, might be the solution. It enables you to match a photograph against a database of 156 tree specimens.

When you upload a leaf photo it's also sent to the Leafsnap database, which can be used by botanists and other forestry researchers.

REQUIRES iOS5 OR LATER. NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON ANDROID

| IN FOCUS | 347

OLYMPUS LAUNCHES MENTORING SCHEME OLYMPUS IS OFFERING amateur photographers the chance to be an Olympus protégé and be mentored by the best in the business, including rock photographer Mick Hutson, nature photographer Lindsay Dobson and Olympus principal photographer Damian McGillicuddy, who will be mentoring the fashion genre.

To apply, entrants need to select which photographer and specialism they would like to learn more about, then upload an image relating to that field with a few lines on why they should be chosen. Olympus and the mentors will select three prospective protégés for each category and the shortlisted entrants will then be put to a public vote. The winner from each category will then get to work with their chosen mentor.

The project will culminate in an exhibition at Olympus’s Image Space Gallery in London.

For more information go to olympusproteges.co.uk

See how Damian McGillicuddy shoots images such as this

This image contains digital manipulation, can you spot it?

COMMON RULES SET FOR NATURE SHOTS Three societies lay down new definition in effort to tackle excessive digital manipulation in nature photography

THE SOCIETY, ALONG with two other leading photography organisations, has agreed on a common definition for nature and wildlife photography.

The Photographic Society of America (PSA), the Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique (FIAP) and The Society will all use the same definition for nature and wildlife categories for competitions and exhibitions, offering further clarity to competition entrants, as well as supporting efforts to clamp down on those entering “illegitimate” images.

Society member Richard Nicoll has conducted extensive research into digital manipulation among images entered into nature and wildlife sections of exhibitions, some of which was published in the Society’s Nature Group journal, Iris (issue 118). ‘I have been taken aback and dismayed by the sheer volume of dodgy images doing the rounds of the

international exhibition circuit,’ he told The Journal.

To date, Nicoll has found over 86 images by 38 authors that show evidence of digital manipulation, in various major exhibitions.

‘The issues I found were not simply where someone had cloned out a distraction or a blemish, but where they had deliberately misrepresented the original scene.’

The new common definition brings into line varying stipulations given for exhibitions run by all three organisations, including reference to the rule on adding, relocating, replacing or removing elements of an image.

‘The change in definition goes a small way towards addressing this problem, which I fear is otherwise discrediting nature photography competitions worldwide,’ Nicoll added.

The new definition will come into effect from 1 January 2015.

To read it in full visit bit.ly/ naturephotographydefinition

VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 347

348 | IN FOCUS | WHAT NOT TO MISS

OPEN FOR BUSINESS Museum of Science and Industry UNTIL 3 AUGUST

NORTHERNERS

The story of contemporary British manufacturing and industry as told through the lenses of nine Magnum photographers. The team visited over 100 diverse workplaces, from factories to craft workshops.

Held at MOSI in Manchester. mosi.org.uk

UNTIL 28 JULY

about your coming exhibitions EMAIL: RPSJOURNAL@ THINKPUBLISHING.CO.UK

CLOSE AND FAR: RUSSIAN PHOTOGRAPHY NOW Calvert 22 Gallery, London UNTIL 17 AUGUST

A new generation of photographers explores identity and place in contemporary Russia, alongside the rediscovered works of Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky, who was commissioned by the last tsar, Nicholas II, to take colour images of his empire. calvert22.org

ABOVE THE LINE British Council, London

BEYOND THE BORDER Impressions Gallery, Bradford

UNTIL 25 JULY

UNTIL 27 SEPTEMBER

This exhibition shows insights from Nick Danziger HonFRPS into the secretive state of North Korea. The renowned photojournalist took over 80 colour images during his trip last August, with subjects ranging from ordinary life in Pyongyang to a taxi ride with a national hero. bit.ly/nickdanziger

Sophie Gerard looks at how women have shaped the Highland landscape; Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert focuses on the Antonine Wall; Stephen McClaren concentrates on Americans of Scottish ancestry, and Colin McPherson examines the physical Scotland-England border. impressions-gallery.com

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UCKFIELD ART GROUP SUMMER EXHIBITION 19 JULY

The theme of this year’s show in Uckfield, East Sussex, is From Photograph to Painting and visitors will have the chance to chat to the artists involved. You can also create a “floral masterpiece” to take home and vote on your favourite picture. uckfieldarttrail.co.uk JULY-AUGUST

ALSO SHOWING `` Olivia Arthur: Jeddah Diary Aberystwyth Arts Centre, until 19 July `` A Thousand of Him, Scattered: Relative Newcomers In Diaspora Stills, Edinburgh, until 20 July `` Legacy: Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and the Caucasus Side Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne, until 20 July `` Explore the Street - RPS London Street Photography Exhibition RPS London, The Cave, Greenwich, until 30 July `` Aaron Baghetti’s Tilt Up C99 Art Project, London, until 31 July `` Nature Camera Action!

Bradford Media Museum, 18 July to 12 October

COLIN MCPHERSON, MARRIED COUPLE; NICK DANZIGER/BRITISH COUNCIL; OLYA IVANOVA, ANNA ALEXEEVNA, KICH-GORODOK, 2010, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST; RORY LEWIS; © ALESSANDRA SANGUINETTI/MAGNUM PHOTOS; FIONA FLOWER, WATERLILY

TELL US

Rory Lewis is showing a new collection of over 100 portraits from northern England featuring sports personalities, politicians and actors, including Ian McKellen (pictured) and Patrick Stewart.

The exhibition takes place in Liverpool before moving to Manchester and then London, and is raising funds for Unicef. rorylewisphotography. com/northerners

350 | IN FOCUS | RPS AWARDS TICKETS AVAILABLE This year’s Awards ceremony will be held in September in London.

Tickets are limited.

For details on how to apply for tickets, please contact Jo Macdonald, Awards Manager, on jo@rps.org

CHAPTER FOCUS

RPS INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION 157 You can catch all the selected photographs for The RPS International Exhibition 157, including this year’s awardwinning images, at Greenwich Heritage Centre, London, from 31 July to 28 August.

Other venues include Aberystwyth Arts Centre, 6 September to 8 November; Banbury Museum, 22 November to 10 January, 2015; and the Royal Albert Hall, 16 January to 16 February 2015. See the next issue of The Journal for the winning images.

MALAYSIA

WE SPEAK TO CHAPTER ORGANISER NICK NG FRPS

First established On 23 February 2012 by Nick Ng FRPS, when it was officially approved by The Registrar of Societies Malaysia Chairs Chan Hua Chiang FRPS is the East Malaysia Chair and Steven Leong ARPS is the West Malaysia Chair Number of members 69 Greatest achievement ‘We organised a month-long event with talks, seminars, exhibitions and photo hunt competition last June,’ said Nick Ng. ‘This was followed by some promotional booths at the Kuala Lumpur Photo Fair in September 2013. In November 2013, we had a photography trip to Malacca, a historical state in Malaysia. From 28 May to 1 June

2014, we had a photography tour to the beautiful state of Kelantan, where we also enjoyed a photography seminar by members.’

What’s coming up?

In September, the Chapter will once again have a promotional booth at the Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival. There are also plans for some seminars about studio lighting.

Best place to see photography in Malaysia?

The National Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur Notable member Alex Goh Chun Seong ARPS. A former press photographer, Alex’s photos have appeared in various local publications. Two of his images are shown above, and he’s also a winner in the Monthly 365 competition (facing page).

RPS Qtr Pg Strip DP 180x64 120514_Layout 1 21/05/2014 12:31 Page 1

«clikpic»

YOUNGEST RPS MEMBER Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Charlie Durán, proud grandparents of the youngest RPS Member.

Born on 7 May to Jenni and Nathan, Sophie Catalina Durán received a gift membership at 20 hours old.

Try the new Clikpic for only £40 pa

includes ecommerce

Visit www.clikpic.com for a FREE 14 day trial 350 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

Co m mp o a an bile tib d p le ta ho w bl n ith et es s

• Stunning range of new templates.

• New admin system makes it even easier to use.

• Stylish slideshows and carousels throughout.

• New blog styles with extra options.

• Easy upload and link to your social media.

• And much more besides!

LIVELIHOOD & SPLASGING FUN TIME, BOTH ALEX GOH CHUN SEONG

Websites for photographers

JULY 2014

| IN FOCUS | 351

365 MONTHLY COMPETITION

YOUR WINNING PHOTOS

EACH MONTH THE SOCIETY HOLDS AN ONLINE COMPETITION. THE THEME FOR MAY WAS STREET PHOTOGRAPHY – HERE ARE THE WINNERS

CLEANING IN PROGRESS Spyros Gennatas I was lucky to witness this scene when I took this picture in central Lisbon in 2007 using my Canon EOS 30D camera. The man in the suit really looked like someone who belonged to the past, not only because of his old-fashioned suit, but also in the intensity of his facial expressions and movements.

FATHER AND SON Alex Goh Chun Seong ARPS I was waiting for the birds to come down and feed when the father carrying his son suddenly entered the picture.

At that moment,

A PATIENT DOG Robert Vanloo This shot was taken on a Saturday morning at the weekly market of Namur in Belgium.

When I arrived at the hamburger stand, the dog was just there sitting with nobody else around.

I just had time to take out my pocket camera (Panasonic Lumix LX3) and shoot before some “real” customers turned up.

the lighting was perfect, highlighting them against the background, with the pigeons flying up to surround Submit your photos for the next them like competition at a halo.

ENTER RPS-365.ORG

VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 351

K s the U s o r c a res rs • 8 Sto 75 yea r o f d lishe • Estab pricing e v i t i t e advice & • Comp e g d knowle t r e p x •E service g n i n n d wi • Awar

e d i w n o i at n s e r o t k u . o c . o Visit: s hot p l a c . w w w : k Clic 3 0 3 0 3 0 6 0 7 8 0 Call:

BOOK REVIEWS

Jacob Holdt, Palm Beach, from the slideshow American Pictures, 1970–5

NOT SIMPLY THE USUAL SUSPECTS

This modern history of the medium is guaranteed to enlighten

COURTESY JACOB HOLDT

PHOTOGRAPHY TODAY Mark Durden Phaidon (£45) PHOTOGRAPHY TODAY SETS itself the enormous task of tracing the key aesthetic developments in contemporary photographic art from the 1960s to the present. Given the scale of this ambition, the book is predictably weighty – both physically and intellectually. The accounts of the work of the photographers included are, however, accessible and highly readable.

The 150 or so artists discussed include most of the key names to be expected in a survey of this type – Klein, Eggleston, Moriyama, Sherman, Arbus, Goldin and Shore. In addition, there are a few less obvious inclusions – such as Laurie Anderson, Erwin Wurm and Tehching Hsieh – for whom the pro-filmic performance is at least as important as the photographing of it.

The inclusion of artists for whom photography is only an element of their practice, and the concomitant omission of other significant figures (Saul Leiter, for example) more obviously engaged in what most readers will understand as "photography", is probably the most controversial

aspect of this book, perhaps leaving some readers questioning the curatorial decisions that have shaped this volume.

Fortunately, the book remains rhetorically coherent, thanks to its organisation into 11 thematically unified chapters, dealing respectively with authorship and reproduction, portraiture, colour, street photography, landscapes, history, embodiment, documentary, subjective/ autobiographical photography, fantasy and imagination, and finally what we might predict for the future of photography in light of the trends and concerns foregrounded throughout.

Overall, this is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. Production values are high, with generously proportioned, high-quality images accompanying the author’s clear explanatory text. Photography Today provides a thorough account of key developments in contemporary photographic practice.

It will be valuable for readers looking for an accessible introduction to contemporary photography and a welcome addition to any photography enthusiast’s collection.

MIKE CHOPRA-GANT LRPS

| IN FOCUS | 353

EXTREME CLOSE-UP AND FOCUS STACKING Julian Cremona Crowood Press (£16.99) This introduces us, as its title suggests, to the wonderful world of high-magnification photography and the technique of focus stacking.

Equipment, lighting, image processing, filing and storage, and the importance of understanding the subject – especially in investigative projects – are discussed in depth, and are beautifully illustrated. Despite several years’ experience in this area, I have learnt a great deal from this book, and recommend it to beginners and natural history photographers alike.

JOHN BEBBINGTON FRPS

UNFAMILIAR STREETS Katherine A. Bussard Yale University Press (£45) Featuring the work of Richard Avedon, Charles Moore, Martha Rosler and PhilipLorca diCorcia, this book will no doubt be on the reading list of every institution teaching photography within the next academic year. And rightly so.

Bussard presents an articulate and compelling argument: that the ‘pictorial treatment of locality’ is an important part of the future of street photography. It is an important contribution to the debate.

MO CONNELLY LRPS, CHAIR, DVJ

MARTIN PARR Val Williams Phaidon (£59.99) Essential reading, Martin Parr has been lovingly updated with new photographs and three additional chapters exploring his most recent projects. Val Williams provides a thoroughly engaging narrative on Parr’s career, outlining his artistic prowess. Parr’s photographs act 'as a mirror to the way we live' and this collection manages to instil perfectly his wit, charm and engaging social commentary.

JONNY MACINTOSH

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DISTINCTIONS

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AWARDEES TALK THROUGH THEIR PORTFOLIOS

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Refuge, left, and Alone (above)

TELLING TALES

‘I have a preference for the people in my images to be turned or looking away’

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Name Hazel Manning ARPS About Hazel lives in Market Harborough and is a member of Leicester Forest Photographic Society. She judges for the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain.

y portfolio, for an ARPS in Visual Art, shows images that within them hold the makings of stories, the intention being for the viewer to be drawn to their own interpretation of what is before them.

The inspiration behind the panel was an image from my LRPS submission (Evil Juggler) which led me down the creative montage route.

My panel came together over an extended period of time, during which images found their way in and out of the selection.

Many images are on the virtual ‘cutting room floor’ –

although pleasing, they didn’t sit well in the final panel.

Some came together in the space of a few hours, others much longer.

No decision was ever made as to the intended mood or atmosphere of the panel although, upon reflection, there is perhaps a darkness present. I like to use people in my images but have a preference to have them turned or looking away, because I feel this invites the viewer to become more involved with the image as a whole.

I’m a Canon girl and have a 7D and a G12. Most components were shot with

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MANNING 356 | DISTINCTION | HAZEL ARPS VISUAL ART

the 7D and one image might contain elements from a variety of locations.

Adobe Photoshop assisted with my composite work, with initial processing done in Lightroom.

I also use Nik and Topaz in the final stages for colour cohesion. The thumbnail view in Lightroom was essential, both in the selection of images for inclusion and for moving around the final images to achieve a cohesive order.

My journey to the ‘A’ was enjoyable and rewarding, and I’d gladly do it all again.

HANGING PLAN: ’The thumbnail view in Lightroom was essential in the selection of images’

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ASSESSOR’S VIEW

Peter Paterson FRPS, Visual Art Deputy Chair

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ithin this portfolio of work Hazel gave us really surreal, artistic images.

The use of strong colour in some and the use of light all worked well together, giving a sense of drama and atmosphere.

She also showed very skilfully how to marry the different elements within the images, with no real tell-tale signs of where the joins were, and uses light, shadow and reflections to good effect.

There was also a great deal of thought in the

construction of each individual image and the general layout of the portfolio as a whole, with clever use of differently sized images.

The images within the portfolio also showed that the photographer had a very personal approach to her way of seeing the world around her.

It was generally felt that this was a cohesive piece of work by the photographer, with her own style and technique, and well up to the standard for Associateship in Visual Art.

Pier Walker, above, and Don’t Look Back (right)

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HOMEWOOD 358 | DISTINCTION | TERRY LRPS

NATURE, RED IN TOOTH AND CLAW

‘For a long time I have been passionate about travel and wildlife, and they account for a large proportion of my library’

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Name Terry Homewood LRPS About A hobbyist photographer who loves to travel, Terry has lived in London, Poland and China, and is now based in Northampton. He loves taking photos of wildlife, aviation and cityscapes.

he images used in the panel were taken during four overseas trips over a four-year period, between 2010 and 2013.

For a long time I have been passionate about travel and wildlife, and when I look back at the photographs I have taken, travel and wildlife account for a large proportion of my library. For my Licentiateship, I also wanted to present a body of work that functioned together as a group.

I think my portfolio displays my ability to “see” an image and, where possible, I will deliberately exclude clutter. I spend time when composing an image to consider what I don’t want in the frame. While some of this can be done in post-processing using Photoshop, I am a Lightroom user, which encourages me to try to make the right decisions in camera. As I tend to prefer a wider ratio, either 16x9 or 16x8, I know when I take an image that the top and bottom areas of what I am seeing through the viewfinder will likely be cropped.

When taking these images, it was not my initial intention to use these specifically for a Licentiateship application.

My exposure to The Royal Photographic Society and the THE CHASE Very early one morning we came across two young male lions. We decided to stay with them and as they started to target a lone buffalo we knew the time was close.

The final image was taken at 1/10th of a second, panning the camera.

Nikon D300, 70-200mm, handheld, panning from stationary vehicle. Tones and contrast adjusted in Lightroom.

WORKING ELEPHANTS This image was taken while sitting in a dugout canoe. I knew that shooting from such an unstable platform meant I should keep the shutter speed relatively high.

Image was processed in Lightroom, with adjustments to clarity and contrast.

Nikon D300S, 70-200mm, handheld.

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HANGING PLAN: ‘I spend time when composing an image to consider what I don’t want in the frame’

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HOMEWOOD 360 | DISTINCTION | TERRY LRPS

Licentiateship programme came relatively recently.

I want photos that not only take me back to the place I was, but also evoke the memories of the experiences I had. For me, photography is

personal, but at the same time I enjoy the feedback from others, both positive and negative. I think it is the sharing and feedback that allow us to grow and develop as photographers.

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I WANT PHOTOS THAT NOT ONLY TAKE ME BACK TO THE PLACE I WAS, BUT ALSO EVOKE THE MEMORIES OF THE EXPERIENCES I HAD

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FERRYMAN In January 2012, I spent a week in the Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Each morning, we would have to cross a river into the national park. Every morning the “ferry” would appear majestically from the morning mist. Toning, clarity and blacks all adjusted in Lightroom.

Nikon D300S, 70-200mm, handheld.

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HOMEWOOD 362 | DISTINCTION | TERRY LRPS

GLACIAL ICE REFLECTIONS This image of glacial ice on the Svalbard archipelago in Norway was taken from a Zodiac (RIB) launched from our main, ice-reinforced expedition ship. Nikon D700, 70-200mm, handheld. Clarity and contrast adjusted in Lightroom.

TIGER FEET My camera was set to a default ISO 1600, f/4 because of the low light levels.

The goal was to get the timing right, as the tiger turned and the rear foot was raised to reveal the paw pattern.

Lightroom adjustments for clarity, shadows, vibrance and highlights.

Nikon D300S, 200-400mm, monopod, from safari vehicle.

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ASSESSOR’S VIEW

Robert Gates ARPS

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his panel of wildlife and landscape images shows that Terry has the necessary skills to satisfy the Licentiateship panel. The pictures show that he has an empathy with his subjects and he has captured them well.

The lazing leopard gazing directly at the camera shows good use of a long focal-length lens and has a clean, uncluttered background. Likewise the zebra, which has been photographed feeding, has a nicely diffused background, the result of a well-chosen aperture and lens.

The early-morning picture of the elephants and their mahouts shows a good appreciation of light and Terry has chosen a good format for the image. The blue image of the lone waterman is a very simple, minimalistic image, which

shows some personal input from the photographer.

The image of the lions going for the kill is a very impressionistic image showing some evidence of creativity. The ice floe has been beautifully captured, the original image being very sharp and well exposed.

There are no blown highlights that are lacking in detail. This is also the case in the image of the bird, which shows plenty of detail in both shadow and highlight areas. If any panel is to be successful, this is one of the most important aspects to check.

Detail should always be present where appropriate.

Terry has shown that he is a competent photographer with good visual awareness and can consistently produce images of high quality. The Licentiateship panel had no hesitation in recommending he be awarded the Distinction.

ZEBRA IN DRY GRASS The aperture here was left wide enough to throw the background out of focus, while keeping the zebra and the tall dry grasses in focus. Adjustments to clarity and shadows, as well as cropping to my favoured 16:9 aspect ratio, were made in Lightroom. Nikon D3s, 200-400mm, beanbag for support from safari vehicle.

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364 | DISTINCTION |

ATTEND A DISTINCTIONS ASSESSMENT DAY

ADVERTISING PROMOTION

I

AT T E N D A N A S S E S S M E N T D AY

LRPS

 Prints and digital

ARPS

 Travel

WEDNESDAY 16 JULY

MONDAY 1 SEPTEMBER

 Prints and digital

 Natural History

THURSDAY 17 JULY

WEDNESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER

 Prints only Chiles Stanley Building, London EC2A 4AR

 Contemporary WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER

 Professional and Applied

SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER

WEDNESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER

 Prints and digital

 Visual Art

WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER

WEDNESDAY 15 OCTOBER

 Multimedia

 Multimedia

SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER

SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER

 Prints and digital

FRPS (NOT OPEN TO AUDIENCE)

 Travel

MONDAY 1 SEPTEMBER

 Natural History WEDNESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER

 Contemporary WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER

 Professional and Applied THURSDAY 25 SEPTEMBER

 Visual Art THURSDAY 16 OCTOBER

 Multimedia SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER

TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER AND WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER

BOOK NOW For the latest availability please visit rps.org/events and for details on attending each of these dates, please contact Ben Fox on 01225 325751 or by email at ben@rps.org FIND OUT MORE For more information on assessments, including how-to guides and application forms, go to rps.org/distinctions EXPERT ADVICE Turn to our member guide on page 405 to find dates for advisory days, where you can gain expert advice on your portfolio

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A PHOTOGRAPHER’S CANVAS

Permajet’s Joseph Reiner on creating outstanding prints The importance of the artist’s canvas is easily forgotten as each brush stroke reveals an incredible new creation. It is as much the canvas as the paints themselves that can lead to a piece of work being in a gallery for 100 years and still commanding awe from the viewing public.

For photographers who want to achieve a powerful printed image on an archivalquality paper, like the fantastic work of Terry Homewood and Hazel Manning, we recommend they turn to PermaJet’s FB Gold Silk 315gsm paper.

Bob Moore HonFRPS, former president of The Royal Photographic Society, says: ‘FB Gold Silk is an excellent addition to the extensive range of PermaJet papers.

‘It’s a moderately warm 315gsm paper that equally suits black and white and colour images. It has one particularly amazing feature – the paper comes out of the packet flat. It contains no curl whatsoever. No more trying to

flatten paper on the edge of a table and no more worrying about the printing heads striking on the paper edge. It runs through my printers like a dream. This has to be my favourite PermaJet paper ever.’

For a day-to-day printing paper, we would recommend Permajet’s Oyster 271gsm – a staple for enthusiasts and pros across the world. The subtle texture on the heavyweight base is perfect for day-to-day printing, as it is the whitest oyster/pearl paper on the market. The UV-protective finish and microporous supercoat give a high degree of water and fade resistance – perfect when printing a statement image on A4 paper, which is only £13.95 when bought online.

To purchase the FB Gold Silk or Oyster papers just go to the PermaJet website, or give us a call. We’re always happy to help and provide the best support for photographers at all levels. www.permajet.com 01789 739200 @PermaJet

BEN FOX

Assessing a portfolio

nspired by what you’ve seen on the preceding pages? Come along to an assessment day to see more portfolios being assessed by the Society’s expert panels, and learn what makes for a successful submission.

LRPS and ARPS assessments are open to an audience, for which tickets are free to applicants and members, £5 for non-members, and must be ordered in advance.

Unless otherwise stated our assessments take place at The Royal Photographic Society headquarters, at Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH.

An image by Annie Leibovitz, featuring Kevin McKidd for the Skyline edition of The Macallan

DESIRE BEYOND REASON

EDITOR CLARE HARRIS MEETS KEN GRIER OF THE MACALLAN, TO FIND OUT HOW SOME OF THE WORLD’S TOP PHOTOGRAPHERS CAME TO SHOOT THE STORY OF A SINGLE MALT

GRIER: THE MACALLAN 368 | INTERVIEW | KEN

PREVIOUS PAGE: © ANNIE LEIBOVITZ, THE BAR; THESE PAGES © ALBERT WATSON X 2

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hisky and photography.

What’s the connection?

It’s a question I ask myself in the taxi on the way to see Ken Grier, director of malts at Edrington, and marketing mind at The Macallan, sponsor of the Society’s prestigious annual awards ceremony. After five minutes in his effervescent company, however, I begin to form a link.

The reason for my trip to meet Grier, at the group’s bottling plant of the on the western edge of Glasgow, is to discuss The Macallan Masters of Photography.

Dreamed up by the marketing expert and long-term camera enthusiast, the Masters of Photography series has so far led to greats Rankin, Albert Watson, Annie Leibovitz and Elliott Erwitt (all Honorary Fellows of the Society) shooting for the brand, with each set of images distinct, layered and with its own particular charm. Readers will recall seeing images from the latest series, by Magnum photographer Erwitt, in the March edition of The RPS Journal.

‘Even before Edrington owned The Macallan, the brand was renowned for its involvement in the world of art,’ says Grier, evidently pleased to have an hour to talk about photography – his great passion. Art, says Grier, is something that adds a sense of luxury to a product that is already one of the finer things in life. It’s about creating, as Grier puts it, ‘desire beyond reason’. The work of Rankin, the first in The Macallan Masters of Photography series, encapsulated this sense of desire. ‘I’d seen Rankin’s work, and I liked that he was in the fashion genre; his work edgy and interesting.’

Over the summer of 2009 Rankin shot some 4,000 Polaroids in and around The Macallan distillery on Speyside, with the key images showing his model (and wife) Tuuli, draped over the copper “line arms” of the stills. The resulting images were whittled down to a thousand, each one sold alongside a very limited-edition bottle of whisky.

Images taken by Albert Watson, a photographer who Grier describes working with as ‘some of the best days of my life'

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As a marketing stunt, the association with Rankin opened up Macallan to new buyers. But it is clear this was about far more than PR. The love of craftsmanship – of photography and whisky making – ran through the project. ‘At the end of each day, Rankin and Tuuli and myself and the guys would spread the Polaroids out on the great big table we have in the old hall in Macallan and go, “What do you think? Yeah, that one, that one, that one!”. It was fantastic,’ says Grier.

The son of a keen photographer, Grier grew up in Dumfries and loved to take photos with his dad’s kit. As a business student, he’d take time out from his textbooks to leaf through photography publications, devouring the images of Stieglitz, McCullin and Horst, among others. Since working on the Masters of Photography series, however, he’s not had the heart to pick up a camera – preferring instead to watch and learn from the greats. Of the shoot with Albert Watson, which came a year after Rankin, he fizzes: ‘Albert is utterly fantastic, because he was so patient, let me be in all the shoots, explained what he was doing with the lighting, what his thinking was. They were without doubt some of the best 12 days of my life.’

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Watson shot two models as they journeyed through Spain, to the cooperages of the Jerez region, and back to Scotland to see the treasured uisge beatha, or water of life, being poured into sherry barrels to age. His idea was to shoot in two registers: for a series of signed folios, which would be sold alongside the collectors'-edition whiskies; and for a set of platinum fineart prints. ‘We produced a little book, which is quite gorgeous,’ says Grier. ‘It gives you an idea of how Albert was doing things in a very craftsmanlike way, you know, telling a story.’

With Leibovitz, an RPS Centenary Medal winner, the story was told Hollywood-style, as Grier stood back and watched the master at work over a short, sweet and technically perfect two-day shoot. The focus of this particular story was the Scottish actor Kevin McKidd, who began his working life sweeping the floors at The Macallan distillery. ‘I’ve got to say,’ adds Grier, ‘Annie conducted the most professional pre-production meeting I’ve ever 370 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

WE GIVE THEM THE CANVAS TO PAINT ON AND THEN IT’S UP TO THEM HOW THEY SHOOT IT KEN GRIER

attended in 34 years. She had thought about the shoot intensely, she had a wall covered with locations, and she had just nailed the mood perfectly. She’d found great locations, and we loved the story.’

What is it about the Masters series that has brought in the names that everyone wants to work with? It’s not just the fee; Grier confesses he has met around 80 photographers to find the right fits for the project. ‘There are so many people here that love the idea of the freedom of being able to create something that’s truly theirs,’ he says.

‘We give them the canvas to paint on and it’s up to them how they shoot it within that.’ What’s next – or, more to the point – how do you follow the mighty foursome of Rankin, Watson, Leibovitz and Erwitt?

To my surprise, Grier announces that the fifth is in the bag – and he’s already speaking to other photographers to continue down the line. Oh, and there are the so-called capsule projects – small partnerships with the likes of Nick Veasey and Daido Moriyama.

© ELLIOT ERWITT/MAGNUM PHOTOS; GETTY; CORBIS; © RANKIN X 2

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KEN GRIER: THE MACALLAN

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Gotta lotta bottle: an image from Magnum photographer Elliott Erwitt HonFRPS, from the latest Masters of Photography series

KEN GRIER’S WISHLIST

The great names in photography with whom The Macallan maestro would love to have worked

ARNOLD NEWMAN HonFRPS Known as the “father of environmental portraiture", Newman’s work was featured in the New York Times and LIFE, and is collected around the world

HELMUT NEWTON The German photographer, who died in 2004, set the bar for fashion photography and was a regular fixture in the pages of Vogue and Elle, with his black and white, often erotic, images

IRVING PENN Renowned for his still lifes, as well his carefully considered portraits and fashion shots, Penn’s body of work has placed him among the greats of 20th-century photography

‘I think if you’ve got a dynamism and you do something unexpected, it makes people notice you, and it makes people engage with you,’ Grier reflects. We’ve talked for an hour and more, and his passion for photos is still palpable. In an alternative life, would he swap the marketing man’s spreadsheets for a camera and lens? No question, he says.

As we sign off, shake hands and I finish my water (without a dram, I’m sorry to say), we look back on what Grier has got out of the Masters series, not just professionally, but personally too. ‘It’s been an absolute blast,’ he says.

‘I don’t want to sound like it’s finished, because we’ve got other stuff to do, too much to do, but if you knew the people I’d spoken to and turned down, it’d blow your mind …’ I can only begin to imagine.

The Macallan Masters of Photography series can be seen at themastersofphotography.com

One of the thousands of polaroids taken by Rankin at The Macallan distillery in 2009, featuring model Tuuli

The Macallan will sponsor The Royal Photographic Society Awards ceremony, on 9 September. Read more on page 350 VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 371

TOP FIVE 372 | ANNIVERSARY | LEICA THE LEICA II (1932) BELOW

The Leica ll (or Model D in the US) was the first model to be

fitted with a rangefinder coupled to the lens. This allowed Leitz to describe the focusing as “automatic”,

although not as we know it today.

The lenses were interchangeable using a 39mm screw thread, with six focal

lengths soon available. Later models offered improvements, but the Model ll was the first complete Leica.

LEICA’S FIVE MOST INFLUENTIAL CAMERAS

This year is the centenary of the first ever Leica camera. To celebrate, Society Member Paul Hensel takes us on a tour of milestone models

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etzlar is a pleasant German city that straddles the river Lahn. In the middle of the 19th century, it was the home of a small optical institute specialising in microscopes.

The instruments made there were in better shape than the finances so in 1869 employee Ernst Leitz took control and began to transform the company.

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During the remainder of the 19th century and into the early years of the next, new manufacturing processes and a widening understanding of the properties of optical glass meant the company could develop an everwidening range of products. This enabled Leitz to become one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of optical instruments.

The coupled rangefinder on the earlier models takes a bit of getting used to, but can be very accurate and works

well with wide-angle lenses. Pocketable and with a collapsible Elmar, the Model II remains a serious photographic tool.

LEICA TOP FIVE

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THE LEICA I MODEL A (1925) RIGHT

The Leica 1A was the first production model. It was fitted with a fixed but collapsible 50mm f/3.5 Elmar lens in 1926 and stayed in production until 1932 when interchangeable lenses had become established. The camera had three film cassettes, one in the camera and two in a fitted case that also held a rangefinder. A properly serviced 1A using modern film is well capable of producing critically sharp 16 x 12-inch prints. The contrast may be a little low by today’s standards but the quality is excellent and the camera amply demonstrates why it was a success.

THE UR LEICA (1914) LEFT AND BELOW

The Ur Leica was Barnack’s prototype.

It had a simple focal-plane shutter with a fixed slit width, changing between the two speeds by varying

the return tension.

The shutter was not “self-capping” so the lens had to be covered during winding, but shutter tensioning and film wind were interlocked to prevent double exposures.

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TOP FIVE 374 | ANNIVERSARY | LEICA

THE LEICA M 240 (2012) LEFT

Engineer Oskar Barnack joined Leitz’s company in 1911. He had pitched an idea for a new miniature camera to his previous employer, but it was shelved. Under Leitz, however, things were going to be different.

Barnack’s prototype was completed in 1914. The First World War intervened and it was not until 1925 that Ernst Leitz ll (son of the founder) made the bold decision to proceed, and the camera was scheduled to appear at the Leipzig Fair in the spring of that year. The Leica – for Leitz camera – was introduced to 374 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

what was a slightly sceptical market. It was billed as a revolution.

Leica changed the face of photography forever: to this day, the general appearance of a digital compact-system camera is much the same as a 1925 model. Barnack’s design turned cine film on its side to create a double frame of 24 x 36mm, helping popularise the new 35mm format. The 100,000th camera was made as early as 1932 – remarkable given that the purchase price was roughly equal to an average month’s wage at the time.

THE LEICA M3 (1954) ABOVE

The Leica M3 was a completely redesigned camera.

It used a quickchange bayonet lens mount, while the viewfinder and rangefinder were combined for the first time and fitted with automatic

brightline frame selection and parallax correction.

A lever wind and a single, non-rotating shutter speed dial for one second to 1/1000 second brought the camera up to date. The Leica M3 was widely used by the leading photographers of the era.

THOMAS HOEPKER; JEFF MERMELSTEIN; ALFRED EISENSTADT, ALL COURTESY LEICA

The M 240 is the latest digital camera from Leica and its ancestry is clearly recognisable.

However, 60 years after the introduction of the M3, it is at the leading edge of technology, albeit in a niche defined by the rangefinder/ viewfinder combination that is the characteristic feature of Leica M photography.

LEICA TOP FIVE

| ANNIVERSARY | 375

THREE ICONIC IMAGES TAKEN ON LEICA CAMERAS V-J DAY IN TIMES SQUARE ALFRED EISENSTAEDT In perhaps his most famous photograph, Eisenstaedt snapped the amorous couple in Times Square, New York on 14 August 1945, the day Japan surrendered, ending World War II.

1

MUHAMMAD ALI, WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION SHOWS OFF HIS RIGHT FIST THOMAS HOEPKER Hoepker took this shot in Chicago in 1966 when he had exclusive access to the 24-yearold champion. He was impressed

by Ali’s wit and intelligence.

2

SIDEWALK JEFF MERMELSTEIN In 1999, Mermelstein won the European Publishers Award for Photography, which resulted in the publication of his first book, SideWalk. This is one of the book’s best-known snaps.

3

JOIN UP NOW The Leica Society is the UK organisation for Leica enthusiasts – both users and collectors. New members are very welcome.

For more information, visit www.theleicasociety.org.uk

JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 375

WATCH OUT FOR (from left) Emma Uwejoma, Paul Rennie, Maisie Cousins, Steffen Michels and Jemma Ridyard PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLES BEST

| NEW TALENT | 377

FIVE FUTURE STARS S

Photography students across the UK have been airing their work during the annual degree shows. Colin Pantall meets five people whose images are already making waves

ummer means graduation season at Britain’s universities, a time when a flurry of end-of-year shows reveals what is hot and what is not in the land of academic photography. But it’s at the fringes where the really interesting work is mostly found; work that is personal, obsessive and carefree. Chances are taken, mistakes are made, but there is passion.

It might not be perfect, it might even be a little dysfunctional, but it’s certainly different, something to celebrate – whatever stage of your photographic development.

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378 | NEW TALENT |

Images from the What Girls Are Made Of series

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aisie Cousins’ work is from the carefree end of the spectrum. ‘My work is impulsive and celebrating of life in a feminist way,’ says Cousins, 22, who is from the University of Brighton. ‘I’m reacting against being passive and bored. It’s about wanting to keep moving.

Sometimes my work is continuous and has no overall structure so it’s more about a sensibility to the world.’

At first glance, Cousins’ work seems feminine and soft, with a heavy fashion overlay; there are pinks and blues, and figs and petals on a bed of bubbles.

But scratch a little more deeply and the influence of 1980s feminism comes in; blood-red smears on a rusty wall, fingers wavering into a moist-fleshed dragon fruit. It’s hedonistic and sexy, but it also has an edge; no surprise given the range of Cousins’ influences.

‘I really like Japanese artist and photographer Nobuyoshi Araki, but a lot of my inspirations come from outside photography. The films of Peter Greenaway and Derek Jarman influence me, and so does abstract painting.’

After graduating, Cousins hopes to develop her burgeoning video and film work, but she also wants to start working in fashion. ‘I want to be able to carry on taking pleasure in making photographs.’

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MAISIE COUSINS Age: 22 University of Brighton BA (honours) photography

| NEW TALENT | 379

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ore self-examination comes in Emma Uwejoma’s Ngwako project, but where Maisie Cousins looks at herself through body and pleasure, Ngwako focuses on 22-year-old Uwejoma’s British-Nigerian heritage.

‘When I grew up I never felt I belonged,’ says Uwejoma, who is graduating from the University of South Wales.

‘I went to school in Dorset and was the only black kid in school.

Was I English like my mother

or was I a Nigerian Igbo like my father?’

It is touching work, in which Uwejoma oscillates between her British and Nigerian selves. We see her sitting on a sofa dressed in traditional clothes. To her side sits a prospective husband. He EMMA UWEJOMA looks at her quizzically, taking up all the sofa with his sprawledAge: 22 out legs. This, the picture University of suggests, is part of a package South Wales, where the trade-off is Uwejoma’s Newport independence and freedom.

BA (honours) But things aren’t that simple. documentary ‘There are things I want to photography

embrace and become part of; a world where my identity is not formed by the colour of my skin, where time is fluid and life is led according to the natural rhythms of nature and life rather than by the rule of the calculator and the clock. Is that over-romantic?

I don’t know. I’m still learning what it means to be an Igbo woman from an English home.

I hope this project will help me discover who I am, what I am and where I come from.’

Part of Emma Uwejoma's Ngwako project

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Graduates can gain RPS recognition

SOCIETY DISTINCTIONS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC QUALIFICATIONS The Royal Photographic Society Exemptions were set up to recognise Members and non-Members who have obtained a photographic qualification.

Anyone who has completed a photographic course that is recognised by the Society can apply for an exemption at LRPS or ARPS level. The application process is easy – you just need to fill in a form and send in a photocopy of your qualifications.

RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS The Society recognises many qualifications, including NCEE Level 3 Diploma, BTEC, City and Guilds, and also Licentiates of the BIPP and MPA, which we will award the LRPS. Other qualifications at a higher level include BA (honours), Combined BA (honours) MA, and also Associates of the BIPP, MPA and Fellows of the BIPP and MPA, which we will award the ARPS. For more detail, see rps.org/ distinctions/exemptions For fees and enquiries contact distinctions@rps.org

Flour power: Paul Rennie's high-speed techniques 'enable you to see things that you cannot see with the naked eye'

S

PAUL RENNIE Age: 52 University of Huddersfield BA (honours) photography

everal photographers have taken science as their inspiration. One such photographer is Paul Rennie, whose fascination with high-speed photography links the work of William Henry Fox Talbot and Harold Edgerton to the programming of arrays of contemporary speedlights.

‘I got interested in high-speed photography because it enables you to see things that you cannot see with the naked eye,’ says Rennie, who has just completed a BA (honours) in Huddersfield.

‘The process I use involves a camera with an open shutter in a darkened room. I then use an array of high-speed flashes but restrict the power to the lowest setting. That means the exposure time is around 1/70,000 second.

The process is basically the same

one that Fox Talbot used in 1851, but he used a spark from a Leyden lamp.’

For his images, Rennie fills balloons with flour, paint, or simply with air, and then bursts them – capturing the results. And the results are odd. The balloons look like strange organisms, outtakes from a documentary on life in the deepest of seas, the flour becomes almost solid, like a cloud-shrouded planet.

‘I want to bring back highspeed photography as an artform,’ says Rennie, who also hopes to develop his process commercially.

‘I have also created a highspeed photographic controller that can be programmed for different types of photography.

There are lots of controllers on the market, but mine is among the most adaptable.’

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382 | NEW TALENT | STEFFEN MICHELS Age: 25 University of Westminster BA (honours) photographic arts

J.M.V.S./Capricorn

A A wet-plate collodion of a receding lake on Horsell Common, Surrey

J

emma Ridyard also uses photography to look at the world in a more considered way. Using alternative processes such as wet-plate collodion, 22-year-old Ridyard’s work is a response both to the digital disposability of images today, and also a way to more fully explore the layers of history in wild landscapes.

‘I only started doing wet plate a couple of months ago,’ says Ridyard, who studied at Plymouth University. ‘I love the fact that once you’ve made a picture, it’s not just a photograph; it’s an object. I’m influenced by 382 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

people like John Blakemore and Richard Long. Long made a lot of work on Dartmoor and he also had that mix of working and walking.’

There is a prehistoric sense of place in Ridyard’s work. This is especially apparent in her picture of a receding lake. Here the water has fallen back, exposing the banks. In the background a tree rises, its roots uncovered. The place seems primordial, but this is Surrey’s Horsell Common in 2014, at a photography show in 2014, showing work that uses 19th-century processes with a 20th-century sensibility.

JEMMA RIDYARD Age: 22 Plymouth University BA (honours) photography

nother take on science and the self is apparent in the output of Steffen Michels, a London-based photographer graduating from the University of Westminster, who takes a conceptual approach to making and showing work in which patterns of moles on the skin are similar to the patterns of constellations in the night sky.

‘It made me think about the ways we mirror the night sky.

It’s so vast and distant, but at the same time it shows we are made of the same atoms.’

Michels is inspired by artists such as Simon Faithfull and Katie Paterson, but is also impressed

by Thomas Ruff’s pictures of star fields and his manipulated Mars pictures. The way in which Michels is exhibiting the work is especially noteworthy.

‘I’m showing them as small prints in the top corners of a blacked-out room I’ve made especially for the show. They are 12cm by 9cm and you have to look at them through binoculars.

I’m using the binoculars to create that feeling of what it’s like to look at actual stars. With binoculars you don’t look, you inspect, and this can be applied to skin. The binoculars make the looking very intimate, very close.’

| NEW TALENT | 383

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ALEXANDER 384 | SHOWCASE | DRKUMAR

Selfie at -65° Celsius

Life at the limit Capturing these otherworldly pictures took Dr Alexander Kumar to the edge of human experience

A

t the Society’s Bath headquarters this month, Dr Alexander Kumar is exhibiting breathtaking pictures of a winter spent at Concordia Station, Antarctica. One of the most inhospitable areas of the world, Antarctica was the perfect place for Kumar to investigate the limits of human durability in his research that could help shape a manned mission to Mars. We caught up with the jet-setting doctor to hear how he captured his amazing images.

Could you start off by describing how you came to take these shots?

The exhibition features a selection of images from a series I took over a period of one year. I took them while overwintering in Antarctica where I was conducting human spaceflight research towards a future mission to Mars for the European Space Agency.

With three months of

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complete darkness, temperatures of -80° Celsius and nine months of complete isolation, living at Concordia is the closest you can get to being on another planet.

How do you decide what to photograph?

Once I find a topic I question it with my camera until I am satisfied I have gotten beneath its surface to expose its beauty.

Sometimes it’s by chance.

Certain stories jump out at me, others I stumble upon like a stubborn root in a forest. In these extreme environments, I am walking through God’s land and often find myself tripping over miracles and scraps from heaven.

What inspired you to travel to such a remote place and document your experience?

Looking back, a real interest for me was war photography – documenting conflicts, catastrophes and disasters –

Name Dr Alexander Kumar Lives Out of a very large suitcase Camera Canon 5D mark II Lenses AF EX 8/3.5 circular fisheye EX DG, 24-70/2.8 IF EX DG HSM, 62mm circular polarising, multicoated filter EX DG and 82mm UV-filter, multicoated EX DG

The Milky Way Galaxy above Antarctica in the winter darkness

| HISTORY | 385

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ALEXANDER 386 | SHOWCASE | DRKUMAR working under challenging conditions in austere, extreme and hostile environments.

With my polar photography, Antarctic explorers and photographers Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley inspired me.

Their images struck me down, chilling me to the bone, but at the same time exuding gentle and calming warmth, from the coldest place on Earth.

I had never lived or worked at -80° Celsius before, or used a camera in such conditions.

And so, a new challenge was set.

In my day job, working as an NHS and international doctor, I am used to dealing with the limits of physiology and life, trying to dodge death and get that “little extra” from it. The same is true with photography.

With some careful planning, adaptation, improvisation and luck, I pushed this equipment to its limits to capture some photos of another world.

Standing on Planet Concordia

Can you tell us about the equipment you used?

I used a Canon 5D mark II body, Sigma lenses, filters and a tripod.

I quickly learned how to change the settings I needed without having to take off my big down mitts, as frostbite was a very real danger.

Did you use any specific techniques when getting these shots?

I try not to manipulate the images too much. Certainly, in editing, I only “turn up” what is already there. I never add anything to an image.

In Antarctica in winter I found life turned to black and white in the months of darkness. I enjoyed shooting in monochrome, sometimes even leaving in the odd colour to accentuate certain feelings or items.

Can you tell us how you first came to photography?

I grew up in a family of artists. In a strange way, I learned new skills, and attention to framing and composition of things around me, without ever having handled a camera. At 19, while a

VISIT!

THE SOCIETY HEADQUARTERS

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Life on Mars

THEIR IMAGES CHILLED ME TO THE BONE, WHILE EXUDING A GENTLE AND CALMING WARMTH

student, I bought myself a secondhand Canon 500N film camera on eBay, took off to Morocco in the summer and started a passion, curiosity and expensive addiction.

How do you know when you have captured a subject well and it’s ready to exhibit?

I know when I have done it justice when I show someone

else the image and they say what I was thinking when I took the picture. For me, a photo’s ready when I have answered the questions I posed when I first set eyes or ears on the subject. When I have gotten to the truth... Truth is beauty.

My grandfather taught me that.

To find out more about Dr Kumar’s work, visit alexanderkumar.com

DR ALEXANDER KUMAR'S EXHIBITION WILL RUN UNTIL THE END OF JULY AT THE ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY, FENTON HOUSE, 122 WELLS ROAD, BATH BA2 3AH

PRIOR FRPS 388 | BEST SHOTS | COLIN

PEAK PERFORMANCE Celebrated landscape photographer Colin Prior FRPS talks about his love of mountains and the exciting Karakoram project with Geoff Harris LRPS

COLIN PRIOR FRPS K2 AND THE GODWIN-AUSTEN GLACIER, PAKISTAN 'This image of K2 dates from my trip to the Karakoram in 2004. I was using an Ebony 5 x 4 camera and seven lenses, so I was weighed down, and had two personal porters. I wanted to

| BEST SHOTS | 389

shoot in a similar way to some of the early photographic explorers of the mountain, such as Vittorio Sella. I still don’t know how Sella did it, using a massive camera, heavy lenses and so on. He even shot panoramas. My image was taken

from the upper Vigne Glacier, named after botanist and geologist Geoffrey Vigne. This image looks good in black and white because it shows K2 with a pyramidal shape. The Schneider APO 400mm lens gives lots of compression.'

PRIOR FRPS 390 | BEST SHOTS | COLIN

C

olin Prior is on a high at the moment – literally. When we speak, in addition to running workshops on the Scottish Highlands, he is busy planning to return to his beloved Karakoram mountains in north Pakistan.

‘The Karakoram range is at the western end of the Himalayan chain,’ Prior explains. ‘It’s a four-year project and I’m going to try to document these amazing mountains in a way that’s never previously been attempted.’

Prior first went to the Karakoram range in 1996 and believes the mountains have haunted his dreams ever since. ‘What appeals to me as a landscape photographer is the shape of the mountains – they are unique and 390 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

THE GASHERBRUMS FROM THE GONDOGORO LA 'This is a good example of a panorama from the Karakoram, showing the peaks of the Gasherbrums. For this image I used a Fujifilm GX617 panoramic film camera with a 300mm lens.'

COLIN PRIOR FRPS ULI BIAHO TOWER (LEFT) 'This shows the tower and the Baltoro Glacier, and was shot at dawn with a 70-200mm lens. It typifies the drama of the Karakoram.

Landscape like that is hard to find. The Karakoram range lends itself to telephoto lenses, which I like as you don’t suffer from so much keystoning and other distortion. I hate distortion in mountain photography and will also use a 24mm tilt and shift lens to keep the graphics of the mountain pure.'

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COLIN’S FIVE ESSENTIAL TIPS SIMPLE IS BEST Strive for simplicity when shooting mountains, and don’t make things too complex

1

SOLAR POWER Try to work at the best times of year, when the sun is in the best position.

You need to work out the optimal angle of the sun, through reconnaissance

2

4

AVOID CLICHÉ Aim for originality.

There is a lot of cliché in landscape photography and everyone tends to shoot in the same place, so everyone’s images look the same. Try to capture intimate images that distil something from the landscape

5

QUALITY NOT QUANTITY It’s best to shoot mountains when the light quality is better. The composition is enhanced by low light, so either shoot early or late

3

USE EFFECTS SPARINGLY Don’t pump up the saturation in software.

If there is no light, you can’t create it. I’ve judged two competitions this year and I see lots of these ‘landscapes on steroids’

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PRIOR FRPS 392 | BEST SHOTS | COLIN beautiful. Because they are made from hard granite they are weather resistant, so they have these lovely, elegant shapes. They are more like towers and cathedrals than the bulky mountains you get in Nepal. It’s a vertical landscape, so it’s quite a different photographic challenge from the long, wide landscapes fo r which I’m known.'

The project – which is supported by Rab, Lee Filters and Lowepro – will take Prior up the to end of 2017, with a book and exhibition planned for autumn 2018. It sounds fantastic, but is remote Pakistan not a bit of a risky place for a western photographer with lots of expensive gear? Prior is phlegmatic.

'I’ll be working with many of the guides and cooks I used last time, and in this part of Pakistan, called Baltistan, the locals are keen for more western photographers and trekkers to visit as it’s good for the economy.'

Since winning an underwater photography competition, Camera Beneath the Waves, at the age of 23, Prior has built a strong reputation as a commercial photographer and, more recently, as a specialist in landscape and mountains. 'In the 90s I landed a dream commission shooting the British Airways calendar, which took me all over the world – first class.

Photographing mountains has always been my passion, though. People ask me why I don’t photograph wildlife; for me, landscapes give the best opportunity to express how I feel about the natural world. All the building blocks are there.'

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LICHENS AND WILD FLOWERS, DALSAN (ABOVE) 'A problem of shooting mountains is that you can end up with a lot of blue and white in your images.

I like to find images within landscapes – landscapes in miniature, if you like.

This was taken on the 5x4 Ebony camera in 2004.'

TRANGO TOWERS (RIGHT) 'Shot earlier this year, it’s taken from the campsite at Urdakas at dawn. I was lucky, as the sun broke through a veil of mist for a brief moment.

The light is strong, but there is still an ethereal quality. I used a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens on the Canon EOS-1D X.'

COLIN PRIOR FRPS

MARSCO AND GARBH BHEINN, RED CUILLIN, FROM BLAVEN, SKYE 'This was taken two years ago on the summer solstice. I slogged to the top with a 55lb rucksack, and waited for the sun to drop in the sky. To my horror, a weather front moved in but after about 20 minutes the rain stopped. The sun put this amazing light on Red Cuillin. I used a Fujifilm GX 167, a 90mm lens and a 0.9 grad filter to hold back the sky. This image will be in my new book, Scotland’s Finest Landscapes (pub. Constable).'

| BEST SHOTS | 393

IN THE BAG } Lowepro bag } Canon EOS-1D X SLR }Canon EF 14mm f/2.8 L } Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 Mk II } Canon tilt-and-shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5 } Canon TS 90mm f/2.8

} Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L Mk II } Canon EF-300mm 1:2.8 L IS } Canon RS-80N3 remote release } Lee filters, mainly ND grads and a polariser

VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 393

THE MUST TRY

CRAFT JULY 2014

THE L ATE S T TECHNOL OGY, TECHNIQUE S A ND SK ILL S

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Gavin Stoker inspects the lightest yet OM-D camera, which puts street photographers in the picture

O

lympus’s OM-D E-M5 made waves by taking the OM brand out of the 1970/80s into the digital era, and now retro-looking cameras with high-end features and big price tags sell well. The E-M10 follows the E-M1 in tempting DSLR users to the system. It is the lightest and most compact of the OM-D trio and the best suited to shootfrom-the-hip street photography.

There is strong competition in the OM-D’s price range, notably from Fuji’s X-A1 and X-E2, Sony’s A5000 and A6000, Samsung’s NX300 and NX30, Panasonic’s GX7 and GX1 plus Nikon’s ‘1’ series V3 – but here the asking price feels fair, especially as it gifts us a latest-generation ultracompact 14-42mm lens and mechanical zoom. Olympus has gone for the smallest form factor possible, while offering a decent

PRICE From £699.99 with 14-42mm lens SENSOR 17.2 megapixel 4/3-inch CMOS sensor LENS MOUNT Micro Four Thirds SCREEN 3-inch, tilting LCD (1.037K dot) WEIGHT 350g (excluding accessories) MORE olympus.co.uk VERDICT Affordable entry into Olympus’s OM-D system; a street photographer’s dream tool

focal range, equivalent to 28-84mm in 35mm film terms.

For getting creative or shooting candidly, we’re spoilt by a high 1.4 million-dot resolution viewfinder plus a tilting 3-in ch touchscreen LCD just below. The supplied zoom comes into its own when shooting full-HD 1,920 x 1,080-pixel clips too, as it’s quiet in operation and its transitions are smooth and steady. The E-M10 punches above its weight.

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396 | THE CRAFT |

1

LATEST KIT

3

2

PermaJet Smooth Pearl premium From £15 for 50 A4 sheets, or £30 for 50 A3 sheets One of a number of manufacturers to release a Smooth Pearl paper to market www.permajet.com

1 After Ilford Switzerland’s demise came a rush by inkjet media firms to plug the gap left by the absence of its papers, including Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl, and keep photographers printing.

The first was PermaJet with its 280gsm Smooth Pearl and Oyster products.

PermaJet’s equivalent premium paper promises a seamless switch for Ilford users, as it claims to be 100% compatible with existing Ilford Smooth Pearl ICC profiles, while the paper itself is more affordable. PermaJet offers free ICC profiling for any photographers looking to match what they see on screen with the output from their inkjet printer.

IN BRIEF Affordable ‘premium’ paper developed to be 100% compatible with Ilford Smooth Pearl ICC profiles THREE MORE TO TRY Fotospeed Photo Smooth Pearl, Tetenal spectra jet fine art & photo-quality papers, Fujifilm Fine Art Etch paper 396 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

Sony a77 Mark II £999 body only High-end DSLR-styled ‘SLT’ camera pitched as 2014’s ultimate APS-C sensor model www.sony.co.uk

2 Sony’s full-frame a7 compact trio –

Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 £399.99 Second-gen Android 4.3 ‘Jellybean’-powered camera with touchscreen control and 21x zoom www.samsung.com

3 The 2012 Galaxy Camera model

a7, a7R and 4K-video-shooting a7S – appear to be taking the industry by storm. So the company has used some of their ‘tricks’, such as a latest-generation Bionz X processor and XGA OLED viewfinder for its MkII DSLR-styled a77.

Key features are a 24.3-megapixel resolution – high for an APS-C sensor camera – plus 79 AF points, a 12fps shooting speed for up to 60 frames sequentially, plus three-way tilting 1,288k-dot resolution LCD. There’s also a new flexible spot AF function, meaning that the AF point can be expanded should you lose track of a subject.

Bringing the tech bang up to date, NFC and wi-fi connectivity are also on board, making this Sony’s most fully featured sub-£1,000 enthusiast camera to date.

was, for us, the most fully realised ‘connected’ camera to date. Now comes the second-generation model, wi-fi and NFC equipped and ready to receive as many apps as you care to install.

However, this is evolution, not revolution. A slight disappointment is that Samsung hasn’t installed a physically larger APS-C sensor, as already offered by the manufacturer’s ‘NX’ interchangeable lens cameras, to make it a more serious photographic proposition. It has also jettisoned SIM card support. Still, the 21x optical zoom provides plenty of framing choices from a fixed position, and operation will feel familiar for handset users and photo devotees.

IN BRIEF Speed, resolution and rugged feel place this just below the a99 in Sony’s high-end Alpha line-up THREE MORE TO TRY Canon EOS 7D, Nikon D7100, Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4

IN BRIEF More camera than phone, it’s the closest any compact has come to being truly connected THREE MORE TO TRY Samsung Galaxy Camera (original), Nikon Coolpix S800c, Nikon Coolpix S810c

6 4

5

Nikon D4S £5,199 body only The current ‘daddy’ of DSLRs for Nikon users costs as much as a budget car. And … ? www.nikon.co.uk

4 Nikon’s much-hyped successor to

Tenba Messenger DNA bags From £102

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM £849.99

Want a bag that doesn’t look like a typical camera bag? This should tick that box www.tenba.com

‘Art’ series lens aims to set benchmark for latest-generation DSLRs’ megapixel counts www.sigma-imaging-uk.com

the D4 is very much a working pro’s tool, with a price tag to match. So what’s new? With a slight nudge to an 11fps shooting speed at a resolution of 16 megapixels, if it’s resolution over speed you require then a 36-megapixel D800/ D800E might be a better bet. In most respects save resolution the D4S does strut its stuff as the flagship of the range, however, with light sensitivity expanded to an incredible ISO409,600 equivalent Built for whatever life throws at it, the D4S has room for two batteries lasting up to 3,000 captures each in the grip in its base. A dual charger is provided.

Speed of capture, though, remains the D4S’s selling point; from powering up to taking the first shot there’s no let-up, and so it reliably continues.

weather-resistant everyday bag with one suitable for storing expensive photo gear holds obvious appeal.

The DNA 11 can hold a mirrorless camera with three to five lenses, or a larger DSLR with two or three optics.

The padded sleeve at the back will take an iPad or 11-inch MacBook Air. Pro DSLR users are directed to the slightly bigger DNA 15 that can fit a full-frame model with two or three lenses, flash and even audio gear. Tenba suggests you could leave a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens attached to a body and it would still fit. We get two padded interior sleeves with the DNA 15, one for a 15-inch laptop, the other an iPad.

IN BRIEF A hulking beauty of a camera that when twinned with £1,000 glass is pretty much untouchable THREE MORE TO TRY Canon EOS-1D X, Sony a99, Pentax K-3

IN BRIEF A surreptitious yet stylish camera bag as at home with street photography as it is board meetings THREE MORE TO TRY Tamrac Apache, Lowepro Pro Messenger 160 AW shoulder bag, Interceptor messenger

5 The Messenger DNA’s mix of a

6 Canon, Sigma and Nikon-

compatible lenses are available, with a Sony fit soon. A chief selling point is that ultrabright f/1.4 aperture guaranteed to deliver beautiful ‘bokeh’ effects, and ably resolve the high megapixel counts of latest-generation DSLRs. With 13 elements in eight groups, it has a minimum focusing distance of 40mm. Dimensions are 85.4x99.9mm and it weighs 815g. Initial reviews have praised it as meeting or exceeding the likes of a Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus APO-Distagon at several times the Sigma’s asking price. On a full-frame camera it comes into its own and pretty much blows the competition out of the water.

IN BRIEF A new ultrabright ‘go to’ lens for portraits, still life, close-ups, landscapes and even casual snaps THREE MORE TO TRY Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm f/1.4G, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus APO-Distagon VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 397

MASTERCLASS 398 | THE CRAFT | TECHNIQUE

Trip the lighting fantastic

Chris Burfoot ARPS on how to begin lighting studio portraits

F

or many, flash photography involves putting a speedlight on the hot shoe, setting the camera to ‘P’, the flash on full auto and letting the electronics work their magic to establish optimum conditions.

This technique doesn’t yield the most dynamic results, however, and a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between lighting, subject and environment is crucial in creating superior photographic images.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Burfoot has taught studio lighting techniques for almost 30 years and is an RPS lecturer.

Use a reflector

3 Reflectors produce a light that is controllable and is sometimes a preferred tool over using flash. Here we have added a reflector panel on the left to lighten the shadows and turned the model’s shoulders away from the camera. Clever use of height and light levels help to create striking images and ensure that the 3D effect is maintained.

WORKSHOP!

STUDIO PORTRAITURE

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What not to do

1 Placing the light source at the same position as the camera creates ‘custard pie’ lighting – when light hits the face directly, flattening the image and removing its threedimensional effect. It also creates an unpleasant shadow on the background and can lead to the dreaded red-eye. Imagine photographing a football lit from the front: this would flatten the image of the ball, resulting in a picture of a disk.

Additional lighting

4 Adding a second light gives depth to the photograph and increases the opportunity to experiment with the character and intensity of the light. A second light can be used to illuminate the background or to back-light the subject. Care must be taken to ensure the second light goes where it is supposed to, so a snoot or honeycomb should be fitted to give extra control.

Single light

2 Creative positioning can improve images

immensely. With a light to the side, the shadow from the background is removed and a ‘lit’ and ‘unlit’ version of the face is created. The contrast between the two may be too stark but it creates a three-dimensional subject. Adding a second light from the left could fill in the shadows but care is needed to avoid the custard pie effect, and the creation of two sets of shadows.

From the back

5 Light from behind creates separation from

the background, bringing the hair to life by emphasising its colour and texture. Often, hair absorbs light and, if not lit correctly, can look dull.

It’s important not to oversaturate it with light – especially on blonder hair – as it will burn out. A quarter or half an f-stop more than the main exposure will give effective results with blonde hair, going up to a full f-stop for very dark hair.

AIMED AT PHOTOGRAPHERS WITH LITTLE OR NO EXPERIENCE, WITH CHRIS BURFOOT DETAILS: 26-27 July and 25-26 October. See rps.org/events

Quadra Hybrid RX: New Lower Price, Even More Kit

The World is Your Background © Sam Mellish thanks to Jorden Aleppo

Quadra Hybrid RX kits are now even better value and come with more in the box, making your Elinchrom Quadra extra versatile this summer.

Every kit comes with a FREE Lead Gel Battery and Charger plus an 18cm High Efficiency Reflector and 1 Head Kits also come with a FREE Skyport Eco. See website for details.

Prices from £999, Savings up to £200* plus FREE accessories worth up to £236*

*Compared to TFC web prices 30/4/14

www.theflashcentre.com

400 | THE CRAFT | INDEPTH

To infinity, and beyond Astrophotography takes a great deal of time, patience and money, but Dave Watson LRPS has few regrets when it comes to capturing the heavens in all their glory 400 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

I

have been fascinated by the night sky for as long as I can remember, going to Cubs on a winter’s evening and picking out the Seven Sisters and Orion’s belt with its large nebula. I soon developed a passion for photography, but it wasn’t until 2010, when I moved to a small village in Spain – 3,000 feet up in the mountains, with no light pollution and 280 clear nights per year – that I decided to seriously take up astroimaging.

Since then, I have given up conventional photography altogether.

| THE CRAFT | 401 The Butterfly Nebula in the constellation of Cygnus imaged with hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur filters

EQUIPMENT

The Andromeda Galaxy in the constellation of Andromeda imaged with red, green and blue filters

Astroimaging can become an obsession and should come with a public health warning: “astrophotography can seriously damage your wallet”.

Do not say I didn’t warn you.

You can image many types of astronomical objects, including the sun, moon, planets and deep-sky objects.

They all require different equipment and techniques, but as my interest is only in deep-sky objects, my equipment is optimised to create the highest-quality images possible in that field.

When I’m imaging deep-sky objects, such as galaxies and nebulae, I use a refracting telescope designed for astrophotography. It has a four-element apochromatic object lens, which is virtually free of spherical and chromatic aberration, and has a very flat field. The telescope has a focal length of 450mm at f/5.3, but using a reducer I have the option to image at a focal length of 328mm at f/3.8, which gives me a maximum field of view of 3.0° x 2.4° of the sky.

The most important piece of equipment is the telescope mount.

It has to be very sturdy, capable of accurately tracking the photographed object (relative to the Earth’s motion) and be computer controlled. To ensure accurate tracking, I use a separate 400mm focal length telescope and camera, as well as software to track a star and correct any errors in the mount’s movement. This is known as autoguiding and it controls the mount to an accuracy of about 0.0003°.

There are several choices when it comes to cameras. I use a monochrome astronomical camera capable of 16-bit resolution and has a sensor that can be cooled to 40°C below ambient temperature, and is easily controlled via a computer. As it is monochrome, red, green and blue filters have to be used to achieve colour images.

CAPTURING THE IMAGES

One of the main problems I encounter is unwanted noise in the image. This is simply because images are taken in the dark and there is a lack of signal – that is, light – and so thermal noise can swamp the signal, so the higher the ambient temperature of the sensor the

FOR ACCURATE TRACKING, I USE A 400MM FOCAL LENGTH TELESCOPE AND CAMERA COMBINED WITH SOFTWARE more noise you get, hence the use of a cooled astronomical camera.

I reduce noise by taking what are known as dark calibration images.

These are images taken at the same exposure and sensor temperature as the object image, but with the lens cap in place. This records only the generated random noise. I normally take 35 of these images and integrate them into a single averaged image for later processing.

I also take what are called flat field images. These are taken while the telescope is evenly illuminated with white light, which captures any vignetting and dust mote imperfections.

I take 20 of these for each filter.

To further reduce noise while effectively increasing the signal strength, I have to take many pictures of the object and then integrate these into a single image. The general rule is that the more images you capture the lower the noise will be and the higher the quality of the final image. You simply cannot have enough data.

The exposure time also has to be considered. Bright objects need less exposure – around three minutes – while dim objects need 10 minutes, and in some cases 20 minutes. The Andromeda Galaxy (main image), for instance, has a very bright core and this requires exposures of 30 seconds for the core and five minutes for the main body of the galaxy, 36 images being VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 401

402 | THE CRAFT | INDEPTH

FIG 1: A single captured image before processing

captured at each exposure for each filter, plus 25 x 10-minute exposures with the hydrogen alpha filter to boost the red, ionised hydrogen gas areas.

IMAGE PROCESSING

Now the fun really starts. For the Andromeda Galaxy, I ended up with 319 images (Fig 1) plus 170 calibration images taken over five nights, with a total exposure time of 18 hours, all of which have to be processed to a single coloured image. Using specialised astroimaging processing software PixInsight (pixinsight.com), I process the images in stages, creating first the averaged calibration images, including both darks and flats. I ensure the object

FIG 2: A stack of 36 luminance images integrated into a single image

images are all then registered and the stars in each image are perfectly aligned, so each image has the appropriate calibration masters applied to it. For each red, green and blue filter used, the calibrated images are then integrated, stacked and tonally stretched to create the necessary master colour channel images (Fig 2).

I import the red, green and blue master channel images into Photoshop, each on its own layer and colourised using a hue/saturation layer, with blend mode set to screen, and each with its own grouped curves-and-levels adjustment layer adjusted to give the correct colour to the background, stars and main object. A master

luminance image, taken with a clear UV filter, is then applied as a layer with the blend mode set to luminosity, adding greater detail.

To this composited colour image I add aesthetic colour balancing, saturation and contrast adjustment in selective areas, and lighten and darken areas to highlight small details and create a feeling of depth and isolation.

However, it is important at this stage to respect the scientific data that has been captured and not change it. So, after about two to three weeks’ work, I have my final image.

You can view Dave Watson’s website at qdigital-astro.com

HOW TO GET STARTED IN ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY Want to snap the stars? Here are five steps to get you up and running

CAMERAS Two cameras are required: one for autoguiding, the other for imaging. The autoguider camera can be a low-cost, 8-bit monochrome model with a 1,280 x 1,024-pixel sensor. For the main imaging camera, start by using your DSLR, although you will need to invest in the appropriate adaptors to fit your telescope.

TELESCOPES An apochromatic (APO) refracting telescope is best with a focal length of 450-600mm, f/5-6.

You will also need a separate, low-cost 450mm, f/5 telescope for autoguiding, but this need only be achromatic.

1

THE MOUNT A good-quality German equatorial mount is required to give a stable platform and accurate tracking, and be computer controlled.

You also need hardware to support the telescopes rigidly, as well as a heavy-duty tripod.

3

ALL IMAGES: DAVE WATSON

2

Watson’s set-up – the red muffs in the equipment image are anti-dew heaters

402 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

SETTING UP Start by getting the autoguiding working, but make sure the mount is aligned to the north celestial pole and

4

balanced correctly, otherwise autoguiding will be impossible. The free application PHD Guiding (stark-labs.com) is ideal for this purpose.

IMAGING Pick a bright object to start with, such as the Orion nebula, and take at least 12 images at an exposure of three minutes. Try using the free software DeepSkyStacker (deepskystacker.free.fr) to stack your images.

Do not take dark or flat frames until you get used to processing, but introduce them later to improve the quality of your initial attempts.

5

| THE CRAFT | 403 A Hasselblad 500 CM: ‘You really felt you were making a photograph with a Hasselblad’

NATIONAL TREASURES See some of Charlie Waite’s most important landscapes, as well as new works, at his exhibition Silent Exchange, at Lyttelton Exhibition Space, National Theatre, London

M Y FAV O U R I T E C A M E R A

Hasselblad

Landscape photographer Charlie Waite FRPS has been admiring the world through this medium-format classic for more than 30 years Name Charlie Waite About One of Britain’s leading landscape photographers, and an RPS Fellow, Waite has more than 30 books to his name, with work in private and corporate collections around the world

The Hasselblad camera seemed to me a contemporary format in the late 1970s and early 80s. I used the first model, the 500C, and then the CM and CX. Fashion photographers embraced

the Hasselblad, landscape people messed around with it, and art directors loved it. It was a very handy format for commercial photography, especially front covers of magazines.

Magazines like Vogue, Vanity

Fair and Country Life had covers that were shot on Hasselblads.

They’re such basic and efficient tools. Their lenses are brilliantly engineered and they were all fixed focal length back then – with no zoom. And inside there was this great big mirror that you could hear snap when you took a photo, reminding you how straightforward the fundamentals of photography actually are. You really felt you were making a photograph with the Hasselblad camera.

I loved the fact you could use Polaroid film, too, which for me worked as a kind of diary or memento of where I’d worked. I would just write on the back where the photo had been taken and I could look back at all the places I have snapped over the years.

I think that digital photography is a wonderful thing but it has brought with it a degree of recklessness.

In post-production, when you’re looking at a whole lot of non-edited images, you often wish you’d been more discerning on the day. I think that’s why older cameras are so much more rewarding.

It’s spiritually good for us to pick up a camera and use it as a device to access how we respond to the world around us. You’ve got a memory, yes, but photography allows you to emotionally react to everything around you. The Hasselblad camera helped you take your time and consider what you were photographing more closely.

VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 403

Photography Tours and Workshops.

To the best in the world with the best in the world.

Viva Cuba!

An exhilarating adventure in colour and sound.

17th - 27th November 2014 With Phil Malpas and Clive Minnitt

Light and Land.

T +44 1747 824727 E admin@lightandland.co.uk www.lightandland.co.uk

MEMBER

| GUIDE | 405

GUIDE

YOUR RP S GROUP S, E V ENT S & COURSE S PROGR A MME

JULY-AUGUST-SEPTEMBER

GO TO

RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES

Discover a gem TRAVEL GROUP PLANS TWO MORE TRIPS TO MYANMAR

L

ong hidden from the tourist eye, Myanmar, once known as Burma, is now revealing itself. Following Aung San Suu Kyi’s acceptance of “responsible tourism”, travellers are getting to know the country’s rich culture, fabled cities and idyllic beaches.

Armed with a taste for adventure, three separate parties of the Society’s Travel Group members visited the country earlier this year.

They found a photographer’s paradise, with breathtaking landscapes and astounding archaeological sites, inhabited by the genteelest people.

There is an abundance of jawdropping sights to be recorded, including the grandeur of

Rangoon’s colonial architecture, the breathtaking Golden Pagodas of Shwedagon, the ruined temples of Bagan and the enchanting Inle Lake, with its distinctive leg-rowing fishermen, stilt villages and floating gardens.

Given the success of these trips it will come as no surprise that two further trips have now been arranged. Both are open to all members of the Society, not just the Travel Group.

Above: Modelling a parasol IMAGE: KEITH POINTON LRPS

Right: Intha fisherman, Inle Lake

IMAGE: JOHN CUCKSEY ARPS

27 November to 10 December 2014 and 22 May to 4 June 2015 Places are limited. For further details and booking forms contact Keith Pointon LRPS at bagpoint@aol.com or Temple Cottage, Whitcott Keysett, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 8QE VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 405

GROUPS 406 | GUIDE | REGIONAL

Regions

MEET PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIEW WORK IN YOUR AREA CENTRAL MIKE SHARPLES ARPS, 07884 756535 MIKES.SHARPLES@VIRGIN.NET

LONDON SALON (SPECIAL EVENING VIEWING FOR RPS MEMBERS) TUESDAY 01 JULY / 19:30–22:00

`` £2.50 members `` Special arrangement has been made for all RPS members to have a private viewing of the exhibition `` Smethwick Photographic Society, Churchbridge, Oldbury B69 2AS `` Mike Sharples ARPS, as above

JANET HAINES: LOOKING TO RPS DISTINCTIONS THURSDAY 07 AUGUST / 19:30–22:00

`` £2.50 `` Joint with Smethwick Photographic Society, Churchbridge, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 2AS `` Mike Sharples ARPS, as above

VIVECA KOH JOINT LECTURE WITH SMETHWICK PS TUESDAY 04 SEPTEMBER / 19.30–22.00

`` £2.50 `` Joint with Smethwick Photographic Society, Churchbridge, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 2AS `` Mike Sharples ARPS, as above

MIDLANDS SALON SPECIAL EVENING VIEWING FOR RPS MEMBERS TUESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER / 19.30–22.00

`` £2.50 `` Special arrangement has been made for all RPS members to have a private viewing of the exhibition `` Smethwick Photographic Society, Churchbridge, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 2AS `` Mike Sharples ARPS, as above EAST ANGLIA

Renowned nature photographer Tim Flach will give a talk for the East Midlands Group IMAGE: ORANGUTAN GROUP, TIM FLACH HonFRPS

`` For LRPS and ARPS (Travel, Professional & Applied, Nature and Visual Art) `` Foxton Village Hall, Hardman Road, Foxton CB22 6RN `` Ann Miles, 07710 383586, ann@pin-sharp.co.uk EAST MIDLANDS RALPH BENNETT ARPS, 01636 651277 RALPH.EMRPS@GMAIL.COM

EAST MIDLANDS REGION HQ SPONSORED LECTURE TIM FLACH PLUS SUPPORT

IAN WILSON ARPS, 07767 473594

SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.00

IAN@GREENMEN.ORG.UK

`` £10 spectators/£7.95 concession `` Tim Flach HonFRPS will discuss the

NATURE GROUP FIELD MEETING SATURDAY 12 JULY / 9.30–16.00

`` Free for National Trust members/ £5.90 for non-members

`` Wicken Fen Nature Reserve (National Trust), Lode Lane, Wicken, Ely, Cambs CB7 5XP `` Ann Miles, 07710 383586, ann@pin-sharp.co.uk `` For detail see Nature Group

DISTINCTIONS ADVISORY DAY

key themes of his work, particularly reflecting on the way in which we shape animals and their meaning through images `` Radisson Park Inn Nottingham, Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG5 2BT `` Ralph Bennett ARPS, as above EIRE DES CLINTON FRPS, 0035 341 983 7824 DESCLINTON@EIRCOM.NET LONDON

LRPS ADVISORY EVENING TUESDAY 8 JULY / 18.30–21.00

`` £20/£15/£10 spectators `` All attendees must book `` 1 Aylesford Street, London SW1V 3RY `` londonevents@rps.org STUART WALKS EMBANKMENT SUNDAY 20 JULY / 15.00–18.00

`` Free `` On this semi-guided walk you will explore and photograph these streets as well as learn about the area's history `` Westminster Pier, Embankment, London SW1A 2JH `` londonevents@rps.org

ARPS ADVISORY DAY SATURDAY 26 JULY / 10.00–17.00

`` £15/£10 spectators `` 1 Aylesford Street, London SW1V 3RY `` londonevents@rps.org FRPS ADVISORY DAY SUNDAY 27 JULY / 10.00–16.00

`` £25 members `` Booking is essential `` 1 Aylesford Street, London SW1V 3RY `` Del Barrett ARPS, as above NORTH WALES

SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.30

DEL BARRETT ARPS

DON LANGFORD LRPS, 01758 713572

`` £20/£15/£10 spectators

LONDONEVENTS@RPS.ORG

DONCHRISLANGFORD@BTINTERNET.COM

406 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

| GUIDE | 407 LRPS ADVISORY DAY

LANDSCAPE AND SEASCAPE FINE ART LECTURE

BY JOHN HOOTON FRPS

SUNDAY 13 JULY / FROM 10.30

`` £20/£15/£10 spectators `` Canterbury Christ Church University,

SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 14.00–17.00

`` £6/£5 members `` John is an award-winning

Old Sessions House, North Holmes Road, Canterbury CT1 1QU `` Terry McGhie ARPS, as above

landscape and seascape fine art photographer from Ireland `` Craig-y-Don Community Centre, Queens Road, Llandudno LL30 1TE `` Christine Langford, donchrislangford@btinternet.com

ARPS ADVISORY DAY (VISUAL ART AND TRAVEL) - CRAWLEY DOWN, WEST SUSSEX SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / FROM 10.30

`` £20/£15/£10 spectators `` Crawley Down, East Sussex,

TRAVEL GROUP WEEKEND IN CONWY

The Haven Centre, Hophurst Lane, Crawley Down RH10 4LJ `` Terry McGhie ARPS, as above

FRIDAY 26 – SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER

`` Free `` Conwy LL32 8AJ `` Allan Hartley ARPS, 01524 261173,

SOUTH-WEST

HartleyAlmal@aol.com `` For details see Travel Group NORTH-WEST DR AFZAL ANSARY FRPS, 07970 403672 AFZALANSARY@AOL.COM

DISTINCTIONS ADVISORY DAY SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.30

`` £20/£15/£10 spectators `` This is an opportunity to receive advice on your work for the LRPS and ARPS distinctions. Booking is essential. `` Hough End Centre, Mauldeth Road West, Chorlton, Manchester M21 7SX `` Dr Afzal Ansary FRPS, as above.

MARTIN HOWSE ARPS, 01326 221939 MGHVKH@BTINTERNET.COM

Award winner and fine art photographer John Hooton will give a lecture to the North Wales Group in September IMAGE: SUNBEAM EXPRESS, JOHN HOOTON FRPS

SCOTLAND JAMES FROST ARPS, 01578 730466

SUNDAY 6 JULY / 10.30–15.30

JAMES.FROST11@BTINTERNET.COM

`` £40/£35 members `` Now fully booked, but if you wish to

JANET HAINES ARPS: MY DISTINCTIONS JOURNEY SUNDAY 13 JULY / 13.30 – 16.30

`` Free `` Janet Haines ARPS chairperson of the RPS DIG, will be giving a presentation to the RPS DIG Scotland Centre `` Bridge of Allan Parish Church Hall, 12 Keir Street, Bridge of Allan FK9 4NW `` Bill Hogg ARPS, williamhogg@blueyonder.co.uk

NORTHERN JANE BLACK ARPS, 0191 252 2870 J.BLACK70@BTINTERNET.COM

VISUAL ART GROUP MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION 2014

NATURE GROUP FIELD MEETING

SUNDAY 3 – SUNDAY 31 AUGUST / UNTIL 16.00

`` The Photographic Centre, 68 Great

SATURDAY 5 JULY / 09.00–18.00

`` £5 group members `` Bempton Cliffs, East Yorks YO15 1JF `` James Foad, 07810 306365 or

King Street, Edinburgh EH3 7QU `` Jay Charnock FRPS, jaypix@hotmail.co.uk `` See Visual Art Group

01843 580295 `` For details see Nature Group

NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND PHOTO FORUM

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

SUNDAY 10 AUGUST / 11.00–16.00

`` £10/£8 members `` An informal day to meet members and

SATURDAY 12 JULY / 09.00–17.30

`` £155/£130 members `` Workshop in the Peak District `` Monyash Village Hall, Nr Bakewell

discuss your photos

`` Mechanics Institute, St Mary Street,

DE45 1JH `` Reception, 01225 325733, reception@rps.org

Brechin DD9 6JQ `` James Frost FRPS, as above

DISTINCTIONS ADVISORY DAY

LECTURE TOUR BY LEIGH PRESTON FRPS 'A SENSE OF PRIVILEGE'

SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER / 11.00–16.00

`` £20/£15/£10 spectators `` This day has been organised for those

THURSDAY 4 SEPTEMBER

`` Free `` Lecture tour by Leigh Preston FRPS `` St Oswald’s Institute (Durham), Church Street, Durham DH1 3DQ

`` Jane Black ARPS, as above NORTHERN IRELAND

DAMIAN MCDONALD ARPS, 07902 481691 DAMIANMCDONALD@OUTLOOK.COM

GO TO RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES

PHOTOSHOOT AT POLTIMORE HOUSE

working towards the Licentiate and Associate Assessment (Visual Art and Nature) distinction panels `` Church Hall Bridge of Allan, Keir Street, Bridge of Allan FK9 4NW `` James Frost FRPS, as above SOUTH-EAST

attend contact Martin Howse for the reserve list. Please do not send payment `` Poltimore House, Poltimore, Exeter EX4 0AU `` Martin Howse, mghvkh@btinternet.com

SW VISUAL ART GROUP CREATIVE TECHNIQUES IN PHOTOSHOP SATURDAY 12 JULY / 10.30–16.00

`` £8/£5/£3 for group members `` The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL

`` Linda Wevill FRPS,

linda.wevill@btinternet.com

`` For details see Visual Art Group SW VA GROUP MEMBERS’ DAY SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.00

`` £8/£5/£3 for group members `` The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL

`` Linda Wevill FRPS,

linda.wevill@btinternet.com

`` For details see Visual Art Group FIELD TRIP TO SANDYMOUTH BAY SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.00

`` Free `` Please book by email with George `` Sandymouth Bay, Sandymouth EX23 9HW

`` George Collings, gscollings@yahoo.co.uk SOUTHERN PETER HARTLAND ARPS, 07774 184120 SOUTHERN@RPS.ORG

NATURE GROUP RESIDENTIAL WEEKEND 2014

TERRY MCGHIE, 01323 492584

FRIDAY 18–MONDAY 21 JULY / 16.30–16.00

SOUTHEAST@RPS.ORG

`` £285 for group members VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 407

GROUPS 408 | GUIDE | REGIONAL `` Highnam Community Centre, Newent Road, Highnam GL12 8DG

`` Bob Train, 01452 521424, bobtrain@tiscali.co.uk

MEMBERS MEETING MONDAY 18 AUGUST / 10.00–13.00

`` £5 `` Copse Lane, Ilton near Ilminster TA19 9HG

`` Mick Humphries, 01823 443955, mick@somersite.co.uk

RPS HISTORICAL GROUP VISIT TO THE BRUNEL INSTITUTE, BRISTOL SATURDAY 30 AUGUST / 10.30–16.00

`` Free `` Brunel Institute, Bristol, Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Bristol BS1 6TY `` Donald Stewart, donaldstewart42@aol.com `` For details see Historical Group

WESTERN REGION MEMBERS PRINT MORNING SUNDAY 7 SEPTEMBER / 10.00–12.30

`` £2 `` Members can present their finished

`` The Kingcombe Centre, Lower Kingcombe, Dorchester DT2 0EQ `` James Foad, 07810 306365, jamesfoadlrps@inbox.com `` For details see Nature Group

The Southern Digital Imaging Group are to hear a print lecture by Susan Brown FRPS on 21 September

FELLOWSHIP ADVISORY DAY

IMAGE: FILIGREE TREES REFLECTED, SUSAN BROWN FRPS

`` Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview Close, Wokingham RG41 3DA

`` Laurie Pate, 07785 256692, info@rpsdig-thamesvalley.org.uk

`` For details see Digital Imaging Group.

SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.00–16.00

TONY COOPER ARPS, 01225 421097 TONY@PHOTOSCOOP.CO.UK

DI GROUP SOUTHERN: PAIRS, PANELS AND PROJECTS, PRINT LECTURE SUSAN BROWN FRPS SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.00

`` £8/£6 DIG members `` Ringwood, Greyfriars Community Centre, 44 Christchurch Road, Ringwood BH24 1DW `` Barry Senior Hon FRPS, 01425 471489, barry@littlepics.freeserve.co.uk `` For details see Digital Imaging Group THAMES VALLEY MARK BUCKLEY-SHARP ARPS, 020 8907 5874 MARK.BUCKLEY-SHARP@TISCALI.CO.UK

DI GROUP THAMES VALLEY: RIKKI O’NEILL SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10:00–15:30

`` £10/£6 group members 408 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

ENGLISH HERITAGE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE VISIT SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.00

WESTERN

`` £15 members `` Numbers are strictly limited to 12

VICTOR ABERDEEN OF EIZO EXPLAINS THE ADVANTAGES OF HIGH-QUALITY MONITORS

persons. The advisory day is open only to those presenting a Fellowship Panel `` St Mary Bourne Village Hall, Bourne Meadow, St Mary Bourne, Andover SP11 6BE `` Peter Hartland ARPS, as above

prints or discuss and ask advice about their print work in progress `` Claverton Down Community Hall, Claverton Down Road, Bath BA2 6DT `` Tony Cooper ARPS, as above

`` Free `` English Heritage Photographic Archives, The Engine House, Fire Fly Avenue, Swindon SN2 2EH `` Geoff Blackwell, 0114 266 8655, gblackwell@fastmail.fm `` For details see Historical Group

SUNDAY 13 JULY / 10.00–12.30

`` £7 non-members/region members `` Workshop on high-quality monitors `` Claverton Down Community Hall, YOUR EVENTS To ensure inclusion of your events in The RPS Journal please post them on the RPS website six weeks prior to publication. For a list of deadlines, cancellations or lastminute amendments please contact Emma Wilson on 0141 582 1280 or email emma.wilson@ thinkpublishing.co.uk These listings are correct at time of going to print

DI GROUP WESTERN - DEBBIE JONES LIGHTROOM TRAINER SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.00

Claverton Down Road, Bath BA2 6DT `` Tony Cooper ARPS, as above

`` £8/£7/£5 group members `` Merryfield Village Hall, Ilton,

LRPS, ARPS DISTINCTIONS ADVISORY DAY

`` Janet Haines,

SUNDAY 20 JULY / 10:00–16:30

`` £20/15/£10 spectators `` RPS, 122 Well Road, Bath BA2 3AH `` Tony Cooper ARPS, as above

Nr. Taunton TA19 9HG janet.haines@btopenworld.com

`` For details see Digital Imaging Group YORKSHIRE MARY CROWTHER LRPS, 01484 720673 PHOTOBOX50@GMAIL.COM

MEMBERS ANNUAL OUTING SUNDAY 10 AUGUST / 08.00–18.00

`` £35 members `` Coaches from Bristol, Bath and Chippenham to and from Portsmouth for a day at the Royal Naval Dockyards `` Portsmouth BA2 3AH `` Tony Cooper ARPS, as above

MEMBERS MEETING SUNDAY 17 AUGUST / 10.00–13.00

`` £5

EAST MIDLANDS REGION HQ SPONSORED LECTURE TIM FLACH PLUS SUPPORT 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.00

`` £10.00/£7.95 Concession `` Raddison ParkInn Nottingham, Mansfield Road, Nottingham, NG2 2BT

`` Ralph Bennett, 07752870422,

01636651277, ralph.emrps@gmail.com

`` For details see East Midlands Regional Group

| GUIDE | 409

Workshops

YOUR OWN BOOK WITH BLURB SUNDAY 7 SEPTEMBER / 10.00–17.00

`` £85/£63 `` This workshop is sponsored by

HEAR FROM THE EXPERTS AND HONE YOUR SKILLS

Blurb, which will give you a voucher to the value of £29.99 off your first book order

Workshops take place at The Royal Photographic Society’s headquarters and at other venues around the country. `` The Royal Photographic Society, Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH `` For further information and to book, go to rps.org/events and search under ‘Workshops’.

Alternatively, call 01225 325733 or email reception@rps.org

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP MONDAY 8 SEPTEMBER / 10.00–16.30

`` £45/£33 members `` This course is designed to give you an insight into how to photograph birds and mammals

INTRODUCTION TO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY SATURDAY 13 – SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER /

INTRODUCTION TO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

10.00–16.30

`` £160/£135 members `` Introductory workshop `` Lacock, Wiltshire

SATURDAY 5 – SUNDAY 6 JULY / 10.00–16.30

`` £160/£135 members `` With Terry Hewlett ARPS. See page 320 for more on this workshop

INTRODUCTION TO YOUR DIGITAL SLR

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

`` £85/£63 members `` Introductory workshop

`` Lacock, Wiltshire

SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10.00–17.00 SATURDAY 12 JULY / 09.30–17.30

`` £155/£130 RPS members `` With Professor Paul Hill MBE, Martin

SHOOTING FOR STOCK WORKSHOP

Shakeshaft MA and Nick Lockett MA `` Monyash Village Hall, Bakewell

MONDAY 15 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.30

INTRODUCTION TO YOUR DIGITAL SLR

INTRODUCTION TO YOUR DIGITAL SLR

SATURDAY 12 JULY / 10.00–17.00

SUNDAY 24 AUGUST / 10.00–17.00

`` £85/£63 members

`` £85/£63 members `` Led by John Roe ARPS, you will learn

TWO-DAY PLANT AND GARDEN PHOTOGRAPHY SATURDAY 12 – SUNDAY 13 JULY 12.00–19.00, 06.00–13.00

`` £280/£255 members `` Led by Jason Ingram and Paul Debois. `` Mells, Somerset

INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOSHOP SUNDAY 13 JULY / 10.00–17.00

`` £95/£71 members `` Concentrating on key areas of Adobe Photoshop for photographers

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SUNDAY 13 JULY / 10.00-17.00

`` £95/£71 members `` Designed for beginners and intermediate photographers `` Caistor, Lincolnshire

STUDIO PORTRAITURE SATURDAY 26–SUNDAY 27 JULY / 10.00–16.30

`` £160/£135 members `` Aimed at photographers with little or no studio experience `` Lacock, Wiltshire

Learn how to photograph your loved ones IMAGE: STEWART WALL LRPS

the basic functions of your DSLR

TUESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER / 10.00–16.30

`` £95/£71 members `` This is a practical workshop to

SATURDAY 30 AUGUST/ 10.00–16.30

`` £95/£71 members `` You will need a working knowledge of

demonstrate the tools and techniques in Photoshop

your compact digital camera or DSLR for this workshop

ART NUDE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP WITH AWARDWINNING PHOTOGRAPHER STUART WOOD

SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER / 10.00–16.30

`` £115/£90 concessions `` The course is suitable for all photographers wishing to learn about controlled lighting and working with a nude model to producing high-quality photographs `` Lacock, Wiltshire

WEDNESDAY 3 SEPTEMBER / 10.00–17.00

`` £135/£110 members `` With award-winning photographer Stuart Wood

`` Thrumpton, Nottingham LIGHTROOM WORKSHOP

TWO-DAY PHOTOSHOP WORKSHOP

SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER / 10.00–16.00

to Lightroom’s organisational, editing and printing tools and is suitable for a beginner

THE DIGITAL PHOTO-BOOK WORKSHOP: HOW TO MAKE

you to get the most from your images with the potential to license and sell them through image libraries and other stock suppliers

CREATIVE TECHNIQUES IN PHOTOSHOP WORKSHOP

INTRODUCTION TO THE CREATIVE EYE

`` £95/£71 members `` This course provides an introduction

`` £65/£48 members `` This workshop is aimed at helping

GO TO RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES

SATURDAY 27– SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER / 10.00–17.00

`` £165/£140 members `` This course has been designed to be a follow-on to The Society’s ‘One-Day Introduction to Photoshop workshop (Part 1)’.

VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 409

INTEREST GROUPS 410 | GUIDE | SPECIAL

Special Interest Groups EXPLORE MORE ABOUT ASPECTS OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAGING

BROWN FRPS

3D IMAGING & HOLOGRAPHY PETER FREEMAN LRPS, 01462 893633

SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.00

PETERF20@TISCALI.CO.UK

`` £8/£6 DIG members `` Although Susan specialises in long-exposure photography at the coast in monochrome and colour her interests are wide ranging, including landscape and abstract work `` Ringwood, Greyfriars Community Centre, 44 Christchurch Road, Ringwood BH24 1DW `` Barry Senior Hon FRPS, 01425 471489, barry@littlepics.freeserve.co.uk

ARCHAEOLOGY AND HERITAGE RODNEY BERNARD THRING LRPS, 01276 20725 RODNEY.THRING@NTLWORLD.COM

VISIT TO STOW MARIES AERODROME SATURDAY 12 JULY / 10.00–15.00

`` Free `` Visit to the Great War aerodrome set in the rural Essex countryside

`` Hackman’s Lane, Purleigh, Essex

DI GROUP WESTERN - DEBBIE JONES LIGHTROOM TRAINER

CM3 6RN `` Martin Fletcher, martin.fletcher1@btinternet.com

SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.00

`` £8/£7/£5 group members `` Debbie will be conducting a workshop

VISIT TO UPPARK HOUSE AND GARDENS

in the morning on using Adobe Lightroom. The afternoon will be our usual show-and-tell of members' prints `` Merryfield Village Hall, Ilton, Nr. Taunton TA19 9HG `` Janet Haines, janet.haines@btopenworld.com

FRIDAY 15 AUGUST / 10:30–15:00

`` £12 group members `` This restored Georgian house with fine interiors is still occupied by members of the family and photography is not normally permitted `` Uppark House (National Trust), West Sussex, Near Petersfield GU31 5QR `` Keith Evans FRPS, 01732 743943, richard.evans943@btinternet.com

DOCUMENTARY AND VISUAL JOURNALISM MO CONNELLY LRPS, 01590 641849 DVJ@RPS.ORG FILM AND VIDEO

AUDIOVISUAL

JOHN TARBY FRPS, 020 7702 2205

EDGAR GIBBS FRPS, 02920 564850

INFO@TARBY.TV

EDGAR.GIBBS@NTLWORLD.COM

`` HISTORICAL

PETER ELLIS LRPS, 07770 837977

DI GROUP THAMES VALLEY: RIKKI O’NEILL

WORDSNPICSLTD@GMAIL.COM

SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10:00 – 15:30

ARPS ADVISORY DAY

`` £10/£6 group members `` Advance booking essential to be sure

CONTEMPORARY

SATURDAY 26 JULY / 10:00 –17:00

`` £15/£10 spectators `` Pimlico, 1 Aylesford Street, London SW1V 3RY

`` London Region, londonevents@rps.org CREATIVE PHILIP JOHN QUARRY FRPS, 020 8397 0479 CREATIVECHAIR@RPS.ORG DIGITAL IMAGING JANET HAINES ARPS, 01308 428219 JANET.HAINES@BTOPENWORLD.COM

JANET HAINES ARPS: MY DISTINCTIONS JOURNEY

Janet Haines ARPS discusses Distinctions for the Digital Imaging Group in Scotland IMAGE: I DREAMT I COULD DANCE, JANET HAINES ARPS

of a place

`` Woosehill Community Hall, Emmview

RPS DIG, will be giving a presentation to the RPS DIG Scotland Centre `` Bridge of Allan Parish Church Hall, 12 Keir Street, Bridge of Allan FK9 4NW `` Bill Hogg ARPS, williamhogg@blueyonder.co.uk

410 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

JENNYFORD2000@YAHOO.CO.UK

RPS HISTORICAL GROUP VISIT TO THE BRUNEL INSTITUTE, BRISTOL SATURDAY 30 AUGUST / 10.30–16.00

Close, Wokingham RG41 3DA `` Laurie Pate, 07785 256692, info@rpsdig-thamesvalley.org.uk

GO TO RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES

DI GROUP SOUTHERN: PAIRS, PANELS AND PROJECTS, PRINT LECTURE SUSAN

`` Free `` There is no charge for the visit to the library but BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL to enable us to give firm numbers to the institute. Bookings close at 4pm on Friday 16 August. Please book online `` Brunel Institute, Bristol, Brunel’s

Exhibitions LESLEY GOODE, EXHIBITIONS MANAGER

SEPTEMBER

01225 325720, LESLEY@RPS.ORG

Regional Organisers

MEMBER SHOWCASE The Royal Photographic Society headquarters, Bath

INTERNATIONAL IMAGES FOR SCIENCE EXHIBITION

SUNDAY 13 JULY / 13.30 – 16.30

`` Free `` Janet Haines ARPS, chairperson of the

JENNIFER FORD ARPS, 01234 881459

Chenderit School, Banbury

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION 157 31 JULY – 28 AUGUST

JULY

24 SEPTEMBER – 31 OCTOBER

Berkeley Gallery, Greenwich Heritage Centre

Dr Alex Kumar (see page 384 for his work)

Belton House & Grantham Museum, Grantham

Aberystwyth Arts Centre

6 SEPTEMBER – 8 NOVEMBER

AUGUST

6 NOVEMBER – 12 DECEMBER

22 NOVEMBER – 10 JANUARY 2015

John Pollard FRPS

Michael Heseltine Gallery,

Banbury Museum

MISSING, VICKI LEA-BOULTER ARPS (PSA MEDAL, 2013 EXHIBITION)

CALL FOR ENTRIES

2014 INTERNATIONAL IMAGES FOR SCREEN EXHIBITION ENTER YOUR DIGITAL IMAGES IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: Open (Traditional) Open (Creative) Nature CLOSING DATE: 6 AUGUST 2014 Reduced entry fees for members Recognised by FIAP & PSA FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT rps.org/screen2014

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Leica T Accessories T Battery BP-DC13 Black ................................................................................................ £80.00 T Battery BP-DC13 Silver ................................................................................................ £80.00 T Flap Silicon Grey .............................................................................................................. £30.00 T Holster Aluminium, Silver ......................................................................................... £160.00 T Holster Leather, Stone ................................................................................................ £160.00 T Protector Leather, Stone .............................................................................................. £80.00 T Neck Strap Silicon (Black, Melon-Yellow, Orange-Red, White) ..................... £70.00 T Wrist Strap Silicon (Black, Melon-Yellow, Orange-Red, White) .................... £40.00 T Snap (Black, Melon-Yellow, Orange-Red, White) ................................................ £60.00 T Visoflex (Type 202) Black .......................................................................................... £400.00

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Leica X Series Accessories X Vario Neoprene case ........................ £50.00 X Vario Protector Black / Cognac .... £90.00 X Vario Wrist Strap Cognac................ £40.00 X Vario Ever Ready Case Black / Cognac .....£180.00 X Vario Hand Grip ............................... £100.00

X2 Black £1399.00 X2 Protector Leather Black £70.00

tel - 02380 812305 www.twinoaks-residentialcourses.co.uk 2014-09 RPS quarter page 87x135_1 12/05/2014 17:22 Page 1

Camera Strap

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E&OE

| GUIDE | 413 MONKTON NATURE RESERVE

SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Bristol BS1 6TY `` Donald Stewart, donaldstewart42@aol.com

SUNDAY 10 AUGUST / 09.30

`` £3 entry, depending on numbers, or £5 entrance which includes a guided walk of the reserve if enough interest `` Monkton Nature Reserve, Monkton, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 4LH `` James Foad, 07810 306365, jamesfoadlrps@inbox.com

ENGLISH HERITAGE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE VISIT SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.00

`` Free `` Meet at 10.30am at the entrance at

TRAVEL

The Engine House. Booking is essential as numbers are limited `` English Heritage Photographic Archives, The Engine House, Fire Fly Avenue, Swindon SN2 2EH `` Geoff Blackwell, 0114 266 8655, gblackwell@fastmail.fm

KEITH POINTON LRPS, 01588 640592 BAGPOINT@AOL.COM

WEEKEND IN CONWY FRIDAY 26 – SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER

`` Free `` There are views of Snowdonia, bays to explore, and sightseeing cruises can be taken from the harbour `` Conwy LL32 8AJ `` Allan Hartley ARPS, 015242 61173, HartleyAlmal@aol.com

IMAGING SCIENCE DR TONY KAYE ASIS FRPS, 020 8420 6557 TONYKAYE@HOTMAIL.CO.UK MEDICAL

VISUAL ART

DR AFZAL ANSARY ASIS FRPS, 07970 403672 AFZALANSARY@AOL.COM

VIVECA KOH ARPS, 07956 517 524 VIVECA.KOH@GMAIL.COM

NATURE M.JOS@BTINTERNET.COM RYEWATER NURSERY

SW VA GROUP CREATIVE TECHNIQUES IN PHOTOSHOP

BEMPTON CLIFFS FIELD MEETING

`` £8/£5/£3 for group members `` A basic knowledge of Photoshop will

MARGARET JOHNSON LRPS, 01159 265893

SATURDAY 12 JULY / 10.00–16.00

SATURDAY 5 JULY / 09.00–18.00

`` £5 group members `` A chance to photograph coastal fauna `` Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire YO15 1JF `` James Foad, 07810 306365 or 01843 580295

Conwy Castle, to which Travel Group members can go in September IMAGE: ALLAN HARTLEY ARPS

WICKEN FEN FIELD MEETING SATURDAY 12 JULY / 09.30–16.00

`` Free for National Trust members/

GO TO

£5.90 for non-members

`` Wicken Fen Nature Reserve (National Trust) Lode Lane, Wicken, Ely, Cambs CB7 5XP `` Ann Miles, 07710 383586, ann@pin-sharp.co.uk

RPS.ORG/EVENTS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES

Overseas Chapters `` AUSTRALIA Elaine Herbert ARPS, eherbert@ alphalink.com.au `` BENELUX Stephen Johns, steve_johns@me.com `` CANADA John Bradford, jb.rps@cogeco.ca `` CHINA BEIJING Yan Li, yanli88@yahoo.com `` CHINA SHANGTUF Guo Jing, shangtuf@yahoo.

com.cn `` CHINA QUANZHOU Xiaoling Wang, hgudsh@163.com `` GERMANY Tony Cutler LRPS, aec.flynn@ t-online-de EXHIBITION: WASSERSCHLOSS WERDINGEN UNTIL SUN 3 AUGUST / 10.00–16.00

A collection of photographs from the "Weiss" project.

KINGCOMBE CENTRE RESIDENTIAL WEEKEND FRIDAY 18 – MONDAY 21 JULY / 16.30–16.00

`` £285 group members `` Contact James Foad to book

be assumed, but notes will be provided so should be accessible for most levels `` The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL `` Linda Wevill FRPS, linda.wevill@btinternet.com

SW VA GROUP MEMBERS’ DAY

and pay `` Annual residential weekend `` The Kingcombe Centre, Lower Kingcombe, Dorchester DT2 0EQ `` James Foad, 07810 306365, jamesfoadlrps@inbox.com

SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER / 10.30–16.00

`` £8/£5/£3 for group members `` All participants to bring along 10 prints for discussion, but if you do not want to show work we would still like to see you `` The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL `` Linda Wevill FRPS, linda.wevill@btinternet.com

RPS NATURE GROUP FIELD MEETING AT

RPS MEMBERS AROUND THE WORLD

Wasserschloss Werdringen, Werdringen 1, Hagen, Germany Siegfried Rubbert LRPS, 49(0)2331 881511 siegfried@rubbert.de `` HONG KONG Wan Shan Sang FRPS, shansangwan@ yahoo.com.hk `` IBERIAN PENINSULA Peter Mitchell, peter.mitchell@sapo.pt

`` INDIA Rajen Nandwana, rajennandwana @gmail.com `` INDONESIA Agatha Bunanta ARPS, agathabunanta @gmail.com `` ITALY Olivio Argenti FRPS, info@rps-italy.org `` JAPAN TOKYO Yoshio Miyake, yoshio-raps@ nifty.com `` MALAYSIA

Nick Ng, nickng6208@ gmail.com `` MALTA Reuben Buhagiar, info@ rubenbuhagiar.com `` NEW ZEALAND Ron McKie, ronmckie@ paradise.net.nz `` SINGAPORE Steven Yee Pui Chung FRPS, peacock@ sandvengroup.com `` SWISS

CHAPTER Richard Tucker ARPS, tucker42@bluewin.ch `` TAIWAN Joanie Fan Hui Ling ARPS, djpassionfoto@ gmail.com `` USA ATLANTIC CHAPTER Carl Lindgren, lindgren.carl@ gmail.com `` USA PACIFIC CHAPTER Jeff Barton, rps@vadis.net

VOL 154 / JULY 2014 / THE RPS JOURNAL / 413

PROCEEDINGS 414 | SOCIETY | OFFICIAL

Council Report April 2014 A record of April’s meeting of the Society’s Council

SOCIETY FINANCE Geoff Blackwell advised that the draft Society accounts were being worked on and that the audit had been completed. Nick Rogers was dealing with the VAT return and the first of the new returns from Groups and Regions had been received.

MEMBERSHIP Vanessa Slawson reported that the membership strategy implementation was progressing, with the new surveys in hand.

AWARDS Derek Birch reported the death of Jenny Leathes ARPS. He expressed his thanks for Council’s prompt response in approving a Fenton Medal for her.

DOCUMENTATION The revised update of the Election Procedure was approved and the document would be uploaded to the website.

STAFF AND MANAGEMENT MATTERS The Director-General advised that there were changes to flexible working arrangements from June.

DISTINCTIONS Andy Moore would be presenting a draft of the new Distinctions Handbook to Council in June. Rod Wheelans commented on the discussion of Distinctions held the previous month and the evident passion and enthusiasm from those managing them.

EXHIBITIONS A paper concerning the IPE157 selection process was considered together with information that there had been a significant increase in entries overall. Council reiterated its support for the current submission and selection process. The search for

414 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

sponsorship of the IPE was still in hand.

EDUCATION, WORKSHOPS AND TRADE SHOWS Liz Williams reported that The Photography Show in 2015 would take place in NEC Hall 5 later in March. David Cooke reported on discussions concerning the provision of online courses. Vanessa Slawson reported that she and Walter Benzie had attended the LCE Pro Show and the success of this suggested that there were further opportunities to engage with potential members.

RPS JOURNAL The Director-General provided an update. Think Publishing had met again with staff and sample page layouts and cover designs had been discussed.

SOCIETY PATRONAGE

Patronage has been granted to the following competitions The 47th EA International Salon of Photography 2014 Closing dates: 9 & 16 July psea-photo.org.hk 31st Malaysia International Salon of Photography 2014 Closing date: 13 July psmsalon.com The South Devon Salon Closing date: 19 July newtonabbot-photoclub.org.uk 65th Midland Salon of International Photography Closing date: 19 July midland-salon.com

WEBSITE Website usage statistics had been circulated. SEO was being examined to improve the ranking of Society workshops.

The 12th Shanghai International Photographic Art Exhibition Closing date: 27 July www.shphoto.com.cn

GROUPS/REGIONS/CHAPTERS Various Group and Regional matters were considered and a number of points would be raised at the 5 July Regions meeting. The status of the Chapters was considered, with papers from Richard Tucker and Geoff Blackwell being reviewed.

49th Sydney International Exhibition of Photography Closing date: 28 July siep.org.au

NATIONAL MEDIA MUSEUM The Director-General reported that the arrangements for the Members’ Day on 26 April were all in hand.

The 69th Hong Kong International Salon of Photography 2014 Closing date: 26 August pshk-photo.org.hk

ADVISORY BOARD Derek Birch and Walter Benzie noted that the March Advisory Board meeting had been constructive and the Groups’ session had worked well for both Groups and Regions.

A similar structure would be repeated. The next Advisory Board meeting would take place at the Midland Institute, Birmingham, on 27 September.

35th Northern Counties International Salon of Photography 2014 Closing date: 28 August ncpf.org.uk

16th International Photographic Salon SIBIU 2014 Closing date: 15 August orizontfoto.ro

5th PSA China International Exhibition of Photography Closing date: 1 September salon.psachina.org

THE RPS COLLECTION 416 | TIMES PAST | FROM

Hand of history The first X-ray image taken in Britain shows the importance of photography to science, writes Dr Michael Pritchard FRPS

T

he RPS has always straddled the art and science of photography, and the Collection rightly reflects both of these areas. The first X-ray photograph is generally accepted to have been taken on 22 December 1895 by Wilhelm Röntgen, of his wife’s hand.

News spread quickly and

416 / THE RPS JOURNAL / JULY 2014 / VOL 154

throughout 1896 a number of associated scientific “firsts” – angiography, cinematographic X-ray and military radiology – were made.

Alan Swinton (1863-1930) was a Scottish electrical engineer and in 1887 on completing his apprenticeship he moved to London, setting up his own electrical consultancy

Alan Archibald Campbell Swinton (1863-1930)

business. He later opened the first radiographic laboratory in Britain.

Within a few weeks of Röntgen’s announcement Swinton had replicated his work and the first X-ray in Britain was taken in Swinton’s laboratory. X-rays, also known as the “new photography”, occupied his interest for several years and he made important improvements to X-ray tubes and investigated the properties of X-rays and electronic beams.

This resulted in a paper in Nature in 1908 in which he described his ideas for an electrical system for television.

This image was made on 13 January 1896. It was exhibited at the Camera Club on 16 January 1896, and at the Society on 28 January 1896. It is a print from an X-ray negative made through a sheet of aluminium 0.0075 inch thick.

The negative is believed the first to have been made in Britain.

At the Society’s meeting on 28 January 1896 the print and a series of lantern slides from Swinton’s negatives, including a skeleton of a frog, were projected. Swinton lectured to the RPS and his paper The New Shadow-Photography was published in The RPS Journal on 29 February 1896. Such was the public interest that X-ray photographs by Swinton were made of celebrities’ hands including Lord Salisbury, the prime minister, and Sir William Crookes, the scientist.

SCIENCE MUSEUM/SCIENCE AND SOCIETY PICTURE LIBRARY; THE ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY COLLECTION/NATIONAL MEDIA MUSEUM

IN A PAPER IN NATURE IN 1908 HE DESCRIBED HIS IDEAS FOR AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR TELEVISION

MOVE INTO A NEW WORLD

Image courtesy of Damian McGillicuddy

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