We had a really enjoyable RPS Group meeting on Tuesday 21st September – the first time we have met in person for 18 months. It was a particular pleasure to see a number of recent successful panels at Licentiate and Associate levels, and thanks to Sarah Nichol, Lynne and Jeff Owen for bringing those along.

At last we were also able to see work in progress in print form after our months looking online. Thanks especially to Janey Devine who is currently an RPS Assessor on the L panel as well as both Travel and Documentary and so is very well placed to advise on the recent changes to the assessment criteria. With John Bradshaw’s eagle eye on technical matters and his and Graham Sargent’s long experience as assessment panel members too, the group is very well served to support those looking to pursue the RPS Distinction routes.

Your can find notes from the meeting here https://www.dropbox.com/s/ga0tk5peinfm9az/RPS%20group%20introduction.pdf?dl=0 offering a general introduction to the different levels, and here https://www.dropbox.com/s/4zsgo2rff2tgfmr/RPS%20Distinctions%20Associateship.pdf?dl=0 more about the ARPS. The RPS has considerable information online, which you can find here https://rps.org/qualifications/.

We meet again on Tuesday 18th October, in the small hall at Tangmere Village Centre at 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start.

The Digital Imaging Group of the Royal Photographic Society holds a PDI Competition each year and this was judged last Saturday. It was carried out online so there was a good audience for the judging, with Chris Palmer FRPS, Steven Le Prevost FRPS and our own Janey Devine FRPS in the judges’ chairs.

There were 1,875 entries in three classes, so judging was quite a marathon with 380 images selected for inclusion in the forthcoming catalogue. I watched most of the sessions and as far as I can tell from that and the online results https://rps.org/groups/digital-imaging/dig-main-projected-image-competition/ this year I was the only club member to have work selected. As well as Rain Clearing Luskentyre , I’m very pleased to say I won Chris Palmer’s award, one of the three judges selections in the Open Colour Class for Hearth and Home.

If I have missed any successes do let me know and I will update this. This Annual Competition is free to DI Members and is a great opportunity to have your work shared internationally. The DI Group also organise monthly competitions and an annual print competition. The group is just one of the many special interest groups the RPS runs – have a look at the what’s on section here https://rps.org/what-s-on/ to find out more.

I need to let you know that we have a case of Covid in our house – my grandson. As the rest of us are either double jabbed under 18, we are not required to isolate. As you can imagine, we have a cordon sanitaire around him and we are all taking regular lateral flow tests, which are all negative, as was the test I have just taken.

In the light of all this I am going ahead with tonight’s meeting, but I appreciate some of you may well be more cautious or perhaps needing to shelter someone who is vulnerable in your own households and will prefer not to attend.

We are meeting in the big hall tonight – plenty of space and lots of ventilation. As other precautions already in place, please bring the correct money (£3) and your own pen to sign in.

I will completely understand if you decide not to attend under these circumstances. Tonight’s session is planned as an introduction (with some recent successful panels to look at) and there will be notes available for everyone.

Lorna Brown

The featured image is from Frank Adams successful Fellowship panel