LRPS Assessment Day

The Second half of the mammoth RPS weekend in Foxton was an LRPS Print Assessment Day.  Nerve-racking for all concerned, made worse by a standard which appears to be constantly rising.  The assessment panel comprised Roger Force, Roy Robertson, Chris Palmer, Vanessa Slawson and Richard Walton, with Trevor Gellard attempting to keep everyone in check.  Not an easy task...

A successful panel belonging to Barry Badcock, a fellow member of Cambridge Camera Club.

Another successful panel, this time from Christine Hart of Ipswich and District Photographic Society.

Trevor attempting to keep his troops in order...

Roy discussing a panel while the others fill in their score sheets.

Richard, waxing lyrical...

Ben Fox and Andy Moore putting up another successful panel from Cambridge Camera Club, this time by Chris Fell.

Trevor doing his best to pacify the assessors, but the strain was clearly taking its toll.  Or was it the excellent lunch we'd just eaten?

Ben and Andy in a brief moment of respite, having worked solidly since the Friday evening, and about to pack everything up and drive back to Bath.

An excellent and highly rewarding - if exhausting - weekend.

RPS Celebration of Distinctions

The more quick-witted among you will have spotted that I haven't managed to post anything on the blog for over three months.  This isn't because I've been lazy (heaven forbid) but more that I've been up to my eyeballs in RPS work since I took over as the East Anglia Regional Organiser.  As an illustration, I went away at the beginning of July on a trip to Iceland and still haven't had chance to have a proper look through all the images.  One of these days I'll have a couple of minutes to rub together in order to finish the job, so maybe I'll get round to posting some pictures before next July!

One of the major effort-sinks of the last couple of months has been a big RPS weekend of events, held in Foxton at the end of September.  The first was a Celebration of Distinctions, at which recent LRPS, ARPS and FRPS panels were presented by a series of RPS "heavyweights", including Roy Robertson, Vanessa Slawson, Nick Scott and Roger Reynolds.

One of the great things about the day was the ability to go up and "sniff" the prints at close quarters, and many were truly exquisite.

Ben Fox, Andy Moore's assistant in the RPS Distinctions department, spent some of the time documenting the event using a "new" Polariod app on his iPhone!

Vanessa helping Andy to put up one of the panels.

The RPS Distinctions system is something which Roger is clearly passionate about, and his infectious enthusiasm was soon taken up by a highly receptive audience.

A few pictures which, for those within the RPS, present ideal opportunities for caption competitions!

First, Ann Miles attempting to keep a straight face while reading out a particularly challenging Statement of Intent.

Roger and Roy, who are clearly suffering a bout of mutual suspicion!

Pssst - wanna buy a Distinction?

Andy in "it's almost the end of the afternoon" mode.

Nick seems to have taken up ballroom dancing!

Vanessa and Roy in a quiet moment towards the end of the day.

The "Three Disgraces" posing for a publicity shot!

It was a truly memorable event, and one which I hope to repeat in the region next year too.

Herm

I still haven't quite finished going through the pictures I took in Guernsey owing to work, family and RPS pressures, but I've managed to find a couple of minutes to post those from our trip to Herm on the Bank Holiday Monday at the end of May (i.e. over a month ago!).

First, some people (and dog) watching - Herm is a great place for this.

Then some Homo photographicus, sub-species guernsiensis...

The courtyard outside St Tigual's chapel, and some of the stained glass windows.

 

 

We were lucky enough to go for a trip on the Bumble Bee, a small boat which can get very close to where the seabirds are nesting on Herm.  Of course, everyone's favourite seabird is the Puffin.  Not huge numbers, and a long way away, but huge fun nevertheless.

A view of the nesting colony of gulls on Jethou, with St Peter Port in the background.

A couple of pictures of the "fast" Condor Ferry, which towered above our little boat as we entered the harbour.

The end of a wonderful day on Herm, although I managed to get sunstroke and dehydration by failing to wear a hat and not drinking enough during the day.  Serves me right, but it wasn't very pleasant.