The RPS and Analogue

Brook Hill

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It would appear that the Royal Photographic Society is feeling a little guilty about its neglect of film photography. In the November issue of their Journal Dr. Barry Senior is suggesting that the RPS may set up a Specialist Interest Group devoted to film photography. To make this viable he says he needs at least a hundred members willing to be active participants. Any RPS member interested should email him at [EMAIL="rps@rps.org") to register their interest.

Tony
 

Steve Smith

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delphine said:
If there was such a group, I would have an interest in joining the RPS.
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That's what I was thinking. I'm not totally sure why though!



Steve.
 

mono

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Must one be a member of the RPS to participate?
How can I become a member?

I was very disappointed when I had a look onto their website a while ago because of d.....!
 

JBrunner

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I would support such an endeavor, if allowed.
 

Kevin Kehler

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I am a regular contributor on the RPS forum and yes, digital does comprise the majority of users. I was actually pointed to APUG when I had a development question no one seemed to be able to answer. The value of the RPS forum is honest critique of one's shots; the value of going for a distinction is the challenge one gives oneself to make a better photographer.

You don't have to be a member to participate in the Forum (just register) but you do need to be a member in order to be awarded a distinction.
 

Thomas Bertilsson

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Overseas membership option. Only about $120 for a year...

Dead Link Removed
 

Barry S

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I'd be willing to join the Royal Photographic Society on the condition that I be allowed to lounge in the club, sitting in a large leather wingback chair with a snifter of brandy while whispering conspiratorially about certain patented "improvements" to the daguerrotype process.
 

tim_walls

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I'm a member of a private club in London thanks to my alumni association, and I can assure you it's highly overrated. Particularly since the smoking ban - fine cigars do not benefit from being smoked in the street.
 

mark snowdon

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I have just received the latest edition of the RPS Journal and it seems that there has been little interest expressed by RPS members in setting up a traditional group. I did e mail them in December last year to say I would join such a group but they need at least 100 people to make it viable.

If there are any RPS members out there, why not e mail them at rps@rps.org to offer support?

Maybe most analogue photographers have now left the RPS!
 

Steve Roberts

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At the time that Barry Senior's suggestion appeared, rather than just submitting a poll response, I emailed the RPS expressing my reservations about a special interest group for traditional users. This was largely on the basis that if "analogue" photography became labelled as a special interest it could find itself being, in effect, officially sidelined and relegated to holding its own events rather than existing alongside digital material in exhibitions, competitions, etc.. When I received a response it was apparent that my message had rattled around the RPS before Barry Senior himself replied to me. After firstly responding to my misgivings, he went on to say that the number of positive replies thus far had been so low that the formation of the special interest group was at that time unlikely to happen.

Though a minority on APUG seem to like to kick the RPS, it does a lot to promote photography in all its forms. If the majority of the content of its Journal reflects the popular trend towards digital matters, that is hardly the fault of the RPS and the Society's emphasis is always on the end result. Though I choose not to darken my doors with digital technology I respect the preferences of other RPS members who do and without exception those others have respected my right to prefer steam-driven cameras, furlongs and pounds, shillings and pence!

Best wishes,

Steve

PS - Would it be an interesting exercise to find out how many APUGGERS are RPS members if that hasn't already been done somewhere?
 

Steve Smith

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Tom Kershaw said:
I'd be grateful if someone could explain to me the point of the Royal Photographic Society.
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I'm not sure either. Perhaps it's a bit of a 'self congratulationary' society... like MENSA.


Steve.
 

Bob F.

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Steve Smith said:
I'm not sure either. Perhaps it's a bit of a 'self congratulationary' society... like MENSA.


Steve.
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To be fair, the RPS certainly had a great input to the science and technology of photography in earlier days but at some point - perhaps soon after WWII when photography became a consumer pastime and industrial concerns took over all innovation - it became what it is now: simply a photography club.

I'm sure it works well as such, promoting its members interests etc but I have never noticed any promotion of photography by the RPS. I'm sure it holds exhibitions of its member's work and internal courses etc, but any photography club of any size does that.

As always, if it interests you, join it (the fees are steep); if it doesn't, don't: it's not compulsory...
 

Chazzy

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I'm sorry to hear that the film special interest group was not created. We need lots of little niches like this to keep film photography before the public.
 

Steve Roberts

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Bob F. said:
I'm sure it holds exhibitions of its member's work and internal courses etc, but any photography club of any size does that...
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For anyone interested the RPS website can be found at: http://www.rps.org/

As you say, Bob, it does hold exhibitions of members' work, some such as the International Projected Image on a national 'travelling' basis. The RPS is divided into regions which are thus able to attract some major figures to what are relatively local events.

In my admittedly limited experience of camera clubs (mainly from the point of view of judging competitions), they tend to be rather parochial and clique-ey with equipment snobbery high on the agenda. (I apologise in advance to those clubs that aren't guilty of such crimes!) The RPS as I see it doesn't go in for "print battles" (god, I hate that term) and their like, but takes a wider view of things and sees photography as something where its members work together rather than in competition with each other. Arguably, though, we are competing when we submit our efforts for selection in exhibitions.

Anyone in the US care to comment on the PSA? I know there are ties between the two organisations.

Best wishes,

Steve

(No, I don't have shares in the RPS ! )
 
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