NEWSLETTER number 13
June 2006 Editor – Rod Wainwright LRPS – 01249 656297: email editor@silver-fox.com

This Issue - Western Region Members’ Colour Images

What a treat we all had at the May meeting – variety is the spice of life and we witnessed it in abundance with many members displaying their photographic passions, their expertise and, not least, their sense of humour. To celebrate the event this issue of the newsletter contains a selection of those images so take a look at the centre pages to share the variety. The response form members in providing images for publication was terrific and fully justified including nearly all the those received.

Regional Organiser’s News - Robert Albright FRPS

Events For Your Diaries

On 11 June we look forward to a visit from Peter Rees FRPS with his lecture ‘Still in the Dark’. Peter is a very distinguished photographer and printer. He is coming all the way from Shrewsbury so we would like to have a good turnout by the membership.

On 9 July Colin Harrison FRPS will select entries for our Annual Print Exhibition in The Podium, Bath . You may bring prints on the day but we would prefer if you bring them in at the June meeting to give us a chance to get organised better in advance.

Our Field Day is on 13 August when we will meet outside the main entrance to Lacock House and Grounds at 10.30 a.m. You may either stick together in groups or do your own thing photographically before we meet in The Red Lion at 1pm for lunch.

New Distinction Qualification

I am working with The Society on a new LRPS category, Photo Harmony. This category is designed to enable applicants to demonstrate their skills in the production and visual progression of images linked to sound. No words or story with a specific beginning, middle and ending is required. The emphasis is on matching the images with appropriate transitions and harmonising them with the sound . The selection, quality and sympathetic progression of the images is the prime factor being assessed; the appropriateness and recording quality of the soundtrack will also be taken into account. The purpose of this category is to display a set of images that harmonise with each other and with the sound used. The sequence should be constructed so that images dissolve harmoniously in terms of colour or tone and graphic design.

The category is not designed to display images which may be excellent when considered individually but which fail to harmonise with each other and with the sound chosen. It is the norm that the sound and the images start and finish together. Where music is used, it is recommended that the original ending of the music be preserved rather than an arbitrary fade-out.

AV differs from this category by placing far greater emphasis on the balance between concept/story, script, sound recording/editing and images. There are many RPS members and prospective members producing image series in the way described so we want to provide them with an outlet to test their abilities. Some may later move on to AV but many will wish to progress through the other Distinctions Panels. We aim to stimulate interest with Photo Harmony and to gain new members for The Society.

Conversion to Monochrome in Photoshop ® by Andy Beel FRPS

Conversion to monochrome in Photoshop is a dark and mysterious subject. At my last count, I had heard of at least seventeen different methods of converting to mono. Tony Poole showed me the method I describe here; it offers great control over all tones when used with care.

To convert to monochrome from an RGB colour file. Always duplicate the background layer (control + J). Create a Hue and Saturation adjustment layer, > Image / adjustments / Hue and saturation or use the keyboard short cut (Control + U), click OK.

Create a Channel Mixer adjustment layer > Image / adjustments / Channel Mixer (check the monochrome box). There isn’t a keyboard short cut for this operation. You may wish to increase the contrast of file by adjusting the channel mixer sliders. I generally end up with the proportion of all three channels adding up to around 100%. Click OK

Return to the Hue and Saturation adjustment layer under the Channel mixer layer and change the blending mode of the Hue & Saturation layer to colour. Double click the half black circle to open the layer. Click on the down arrow next to Edit > Master to reveal the individual colours of reds and yellows etc. By trial and error adjust the hue and saturation of each individual colour to lighten or darken the corresponding areas of the picture. If you increase the hue (colour of say the blue channel, blue areas in the picture will become darker), the saturation control leaves the hue the same but makes the appearance of the colour richer or less intense. There is not necessarily a requirement to adjust the Lightness.

Be aware that it is possible to go too far and posterise an individual colour or colours. It helps to take a reality check after you have completed the Hue & Saturation adjustment by temporarily turning off the H&S layer to review the original with benefit or otherwise of the H&S layer. The effect can also be varied or adjusted by turning down the opacity of either the Hue and saturation layer and or the Channel Mixer layer. Another possibility is to create a layer mask and work on the mask to vary the effect.

Depending on how contrasty you made the file at the Channel Mixing stage you may need to increase or decrease contrast with a curve or levels. The accompanying snap “…. sometimes I just sit” was created without the use of dodging or burning.

May Members Day Colour Images

1 – ‘ Bamburgh Beach at Dawn’ Elizabeth Restall LRPS. 2 – ‘Cottage Door’ Ron Morgan LRPS.
3 – ‘Power’ J Barton. 4 – ‘Pattern Piazza Assisi ’ Elizabeth Restall LRPS. 5 – ‘Buffalora’ Jeffery Bartlett ARPS. 6 – ‘ Lindisfarne Anchor’ Maureen Albright ARPS. 7 – ‘Petals’ Colin Rayner.
8 – ‘Katie’ Ron Morgan LRPS. 9 – ‘Amaryllis’ Colin Rayner. 10 – ‘Weymouth & Railings’ Ron Morgan LRPS. 11 – ‘ County Batsman ’ Mike Tucker. 12 – ‘Tiger Moth’ Alan Lewis LRPS.
13 – ‘Grasses On the Ledge’ John Long ARPS. 14 – ‘ Venice Lagoon’ Robert Albright FRPS.
15 – ‘Turnstile’ Alan Lewis LRPS. 16 – ‘Maya’ Jeffery Bartlett ARPS. 17 – ‘Iron Lady’ Rod Wainwright LRPS. 18 – ‘Princess Farhana with fans’ 19 – ‘Jud Fry’ 20 – ‘Cool Kajira Djoumahna’ all Ann Cook FRPS. 21 – ‘ Lake Maggiore ’ Robert Albright FRPS. 22 – ‘Nicky’ John Long ARPS

Caption Competition Winner

Congratulations and a £10 Jessops Gift Voucher goes to Valerie Rawlins with the caption “National Trust”
Thank you everyone who sent in an entry

Please contact Rod Wainwright with articles and suggestions for the Newsletter

01249 656297 – editor@silver-fox.com