The Royal Photographic Society
27/07/10
One of the most positive steps I’ve ever made in terms of developing my photography is joining the Royal Photographic Society. The Society was originally founded in the winter of 1851/2 and was called simply The Photographic Society, becoming The Photographic Society of Great Britain in 1874 and subsequently The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain in 1894. The Societies’ mission as an organization is to promote and develop the art and science of photography, which it has done so with a success that has earned it worldwide acclaim. Its members form a community, which freely exchanges information, ideas and techniques, and which runs a calendar of workshops thru its regional networks. Among it’s facilities and provisions are an extensive website featuring work of members from all over the world; a vibrant forum via which members can seek advice, make useful contacts and share their work with others; an internationally renowned distinctions system; regular exhibitions and publications of members work; online member portfolios, special interest groups, a monthly magazine featuring articles and examples from a huge array of photographic interests as well as technique guides and reviews of significant products.For me the most striking feature of the RPS are the regional Distinctions Advisory Group meetings, which take place around four times a year in my area (West Mid’s) and bring together photographers (both RPS members and others) from a myriad of disciplines who share work and give guidance on development of portfolios for distinctions submission. These meetings see some of the most distinguished practitioners in the UK (and sometimes from beyond our boarders) including Leigh Preston, Ray Spence, Bob Moore, Rod Wheelans and Anne Sutcliffe, volunteering advice and ideas on subjects ranging from practices within particular disciplines (e.g. travel, visual art, portraiture, wildlife, etc) to more general advice on practical matters such as printing technique, image manipulation and image mounting. The quality of developmental input available at these sessions is simply second to none and in a commercial setting would without doubt cost at least two metaphoric limbs. In fact, even without the wide range of other services that the RPS offers, I personally think access to these meetings more than justifies the £99.00 annual subscription.
Find out more at www.rps.org