The Iris Spring 2007 - RPS · Cover Gentoo Penguin in a heavy sea by Dawn Osborn FRPS IFC Coyote by...

The

MagazIne of The naTure group of The rps

Issue no. 97 spring 2007

IrIs

www.thenaturegroup.org 1 The Iris - Spring 2007

Contents2 Editorial

3 From the Chair

4 Notice of AGM

5 Proposed Amendments to Regulations

7 Report on Chairman’s Day

8 Rocky Mountain Delightby Richard Revels FRPS

12 Taking the ‘A’ Roadby Chuck Ecclestone ARPS

16 Diving for Associateshipby Colin Ackerman ARPS

20 Non illegitimis carborundumby Dawn Osborn FRPS

24 Photographing Invertebrates in my Gardenby John Bebbington FRPS

26 Field Meeting Report

27 Field Meetings 2007

29 Regions information

30 Book Reviews

Picture Information

Cover Gentoo Penguin in a heavy seaby Dawn Osborn FRPS

IFC Coyote by Richard Revels FRPS

BC Raven by Richard Revels FRPS

Publication information

‘The Iris’ is published by the Nature Groupof the RPS three times a year. Copy andpublication dates are as follows:

Winter Copy deadline 20th AugustPublished late November.

Spring Copy deadline 20th DecemberPublished mid/late March.

Summer Copy deadline 20th AprilPublished mid July.

All contributions should be submitted tothe Editor. Items covering any aspect ofnature photography and/or natural historyare welcomed, including reviews onequipment and relevant books.

Copy may be sent by email or on disc as.txt or .doc files, or printed using doubleline spacing on one side of the paper only.

Digitally captured photographic images arepreferred supplied as Tiff files on CD. Theyshould be at least 2555 pixels on thelongest side. Scanned transparencies arealso acceptable providing they are scannedto the same specification. Original slides/transparencies are also acceptable, however,the Editor cannot specify how long theymay be away from the author.

No payment will be made for material usedand whilst every care will be taken, neitherthe Editor, the Nature Group or the Printerscan accept liability for any damage that mayoccur to photographic material submitted.

The views expressed within The Iris aresolely those of the contributor and do notnecessarily reflect the views of the NatureGroup Committee or the Editor.

Distribution:

‘The Iris’ is forwarded to members usingaddress labels produced by the RPSMembership Dept in Bath. Any member notreceiving their copy should contact thatdepartment so that their name appears on alabel in the future. However the Secretarywill be pleased to post single copies to thosemembers who have failed to receive them.

Copyright:

© All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced, stored ina retrieval system, or transmitted in anyform or by any means without priorpermission of the copyright holder.

© Photographs and articles - individualcontributors. All other material theNature Group of the Royal PhotographicSociety.

Printed by Stanley L Hunt (Printers) LimitedMidland Road, Rushden.

Design & layout by Dawn Osborn FRPS

CommitteeOfficers

Chairman: David Osborn FRPS 19 Mount Street, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9DB Tel: 01263 511221 E-mail: [email protected]

Vice Chairman: Geoff Trinder ARPS The Croft, Carrhouse Road, Belton, Doncaster, DN9 1PGTel: 01427 872051

Immediate Past Chairman: Robert Hawkesworth FRPS5 Ravensdale Drive, Wollaton, Nottingham, NG8 2SL Tel: 01159 281050

Secretary: Margaret Johnson LRPS53 Mapperley Orchard, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 8AHTel: 01159 265893 E-mail: [email protected]

Treasurer: Trevor Hyman LRPS 3 Northcourt Lane, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 1QATel: 01235 524909 E-mail: [email protected]

Committee Members

Webmaster:Nick Jarvis ARPS31 Meadow Way, Irthlingborough, Northants, NN9 5RSTel: 01933 651477 E-mail: [email protected]

NG Rep to Advisory Panel: John Bebbington FRPSQuantock View, Newtown, Langport, Somerset, TA10 9SETel: 01458 253027 Email: [email protected]

Programme Co-ordinator: Colin Smith FRPS3 St Hilda’s Close, Chorley, Lancs, PR7 3NUTel: 01257 271981 E-mail: [email protected]

John Jones ARPS 31 Bridgefields, Kegworth, Derby, DE74 2FWTel: 01509 672125

Ex-officio members

Editor of The Iris: Ms. Dawn Osborn FRPS5 Crompton Close, Little Haywood, Stafford, ST18 0YS Tel: 01889 881928 E-mail: [email protected]

Exhibition Secretary: Peter Jones ARPS 3 Curlew Close, Mountsorrel, Loughborough, Leics, LE12 7EDTel: 01509 412286 E-mail: [email protected]

The Chairman of the A&F Nature Distinctions Panel, thePresident, Director General, Hon. Treasurer and Finance Officerof the Royal Photographic Society are also ex-officio members.

Nature Group ExhibitionsCopies of Nature Group Exhibitions dating back to 2000, areavailable to book for camera clubs/photographic societies. If you would like to book one of these or the current or nextyears’ Travelling Exhibition, please contact: Peter Jones ARPS,details above.

Field Meeting ReportsPlease send these directly to the Editor (address above) by postor email.

The Iris - Spring 2007 2 www.thenaturegroup.org

EditorialTime seems to pass so quickly these days - isthat because we are all so much more busy? Iknow that I seem to spend an increasing amountof time sitting in front of a monitor and notenough time behind a camera. That said, I doenjoy viewing the images of other naturephotographers and regularly browse naturewebsites including the Nature Group’s ownwebsite. If you have not yet taken advantage ofthis aspect of the group, please do so at yourearliest opportunity. You can post notices toother members requesting help, advertisingphotographic items you may have for sale, aswell as sharing images via the Members Gallery.Details of how to register are given on page 30.

The response from members to host a fieldmeeting this year was even more dissappointingthis year than last. Perhaps because the requestwent out earlier than usual and you forgot tovolunteer because you were busy? It is not toolate - events for the Autumn can be included innext issue of The Iris and events for the summercan still be announced via the website noticeboardand events page. Even more reason to register asa website member!

Another event which needs your support isthe annual Spring Meeting which as usual iscombined with the AGM and the opening of theAnnual Exhibition. Whether you entered theExhibition or not, this is your opportunity toview one of the best natural history exhibitionsin the UK. On top of that, if you come for thewhole day you can enjoy an informative talk onDigital Photography by Mike Lane FRPS. Thiswill be an excellent day and its FREE! It will costyou nothing more than your time, travellingexpenses and the price of your lunch.

Please become more actively involved in thegroup and its activities - you will find that weare much better value if you do.

Finally, I do hope you will all enjoy thisissue, there are a selection of successful panels toview, excellent articles from Richard Revels FRPSand John Bebbington FRPS as well as reviews ofsome new and revised natural history books.

It is with feelings of both pride anddisappointment that I find myself at the PCwriting this final copy from the ‘Chair’.

I feel immensely proud to have served as yourChairman for the past 2 years - I confess tofeeling rather disappointed that having justbecome accustomed to the role, I now have tohand it on and over.

I truly can’t believe where the time has goneand would like to thank you all one last timefor your support of the group. The Naturegroup is one of the strongest and mostsupported of the RPS’ special interest groups.This is due entirely to the membership’ssupport of the group’s activities and yourcommittee. I do hope, as always, that itcontinues to grow and evolves from strength tostrength into the future from the solid andstrong position that it currently holds.

One of the best ways that the membership cansupport the group is by entering our annualexhibition and due to the efforts of the entrantsand Peter and Suzie, our Exhibition Secretaries,the exhibition has grown in stature and nowhas the reputation of being one of the bestNatural History shows available.

Since writing this the exhibition will havebeen selected. The digital entry is up by 100%which is excellent news. I’m sure that theimages throughout will be of a very highstandard and that we’ll all be privileged to seeanother exceptional showing of fine qualitynatural history images. If you’ve never managedto take in the exhibition, then it’s a must soplease continue to show your support for thegroup by either visiting the opening atSmethwick PS at the AGM or book the travellingexhibition for your local group or society.

On that subject make a date in your diary anddon’t forget to join us on Saturday 30th March2007 for our AGM. This year the morning startswith a presentation from Mike Lane FRPS.Mike’s work is exemplary and I’m sure we’ll bein for a fabulous show. After lunch there willbe the formality of the AGM, where not only

do the committee report to the membership onthe activities of the previous year, but themembership also get the opportunity to voicetheir concerns and air suggestions for futuregroup policy and activities. The day will finallybe rounded up with the opening of the AnnualExhibition, which even without Mike’spresentation, would make the day one wellworth the effort of attending. A little publicisedfact, but the exhibition opening affords theonly opportunity, anywhere, anytime, thatanyone will ever get the chance to see theaccepted prints mounted and displayed and thatcertainly is a spectacle well worth viewing. So Ilook forward to welcoming you all to the 2007AGM.

Getting involved is what the Nature Group’s allabout, albeit in organising or attending one ofour series of field meetings, supplying anillustrated article for The Iris or by justsupporting and attending one of our manyannual events like the recently held Chairman’sDay held at Smethwick PS back in October.There was strong support for the event and 50members joined me for an excellent day ofdiscussion and a series of first class imagelectures, making it one of the most memorablenature group days I’ve ever had - for those thatmissed the day, you really did miss a great daywith some great lectures.

So I’m afraid that, that’s just about all from meand as all good things must come to an end Iwould like to take this opportunity to wish youall the very best for the future; thank you allone last time for your support of the Naturegroup; and would especially like to wish Geoffevery success as Chairman during his period ofstewardship.

From the chair


The 31st Annual General Meeting,Spring Meeting and Exhibition Opening

of the RPS Nature Group will be held at:-

Smethwick Photographic SocietyThe Old Schoolhouse, Oldbury, West Midlands

(for directions see below),

Saturday 31st March 2007

Timetable

10.30hrs Assemble for 11.00hrs. start

11.00hrs ‘A Digital Lane.’ presented by Mike Lane FRPS

12.30hrs Break for lunch. Light lunches will be available in the clubhouse (ploughman’s or jacketpotatoes). There is also a dining area if you wish to bring sandwiches.

14.00hrs 31st Annual General Meeting.

Agenda1. Apologies for absence.2. Minutes of the 30th AGM 2006, printed in issue 95 of ‘The Iris’.3. Matters arising4. Chairman’s Report5. Treasurer’s Report.6. Secretary’s Report.7. Election of Officers and Committee8. Proposed changes to Rules & Regulations9. Any other business10. Date and venue of the 32nd AGM - Saturday 26th April 2008

14.45hrs Opening of the 2007 Annual ExhibitionPresentation of the Awards followed by a showing of the accepted projected images. Accepted Prints will be on display. for the duration of the day


Directions:-Leave the M5 at Junction 2 and get into right hand lane. At roundabout (with trafficlights) approximately 200 yards from motorway take A4034 right towards WestBromwich and immediately get into left hand lane of dual carriageway. At first trafficlights (approx 1/3 mile) turn left into Park Street. After a hundred yards or so turn rightinto Churchbridge (cul-de-sac). The Old Schoolhouse is last but one building on left.


Proposed Amendments shall read as follows:

6.1 The Group shall be administered by aCommittee comprising Officers andOrdinary Committee Members elected bymembers of the Group at an Annual Generalmeeting as follows:-Three Officers (one Chairm an; one Hon.Secretary; one Hon. Treasurer); one Vice-Chairm an; the Editor of the Group M agazine; the Exhibition Secretary; one Group Representative to the SocietyAdvisory Council;a m inim um of four Ordinary M em bers ofthe Com m ittee

6.2 The following shall be ex-officio Membersof the Committee:-The President of the Society; the Vice-President of the Society; the Director General of the Society; the Hon. Treasurer of the Society; the current Chairm an of the Nature A & FDistinctions Panel and the Im m ediate Past Group Chairm an, all of whom are non-voting

6.5 Election shall be by secret ballot. The Hon.Secretary shall prepare voting papers asrequired and act as returning officer. He orshe will nominate three members of theGroup not standing for election to act asscrutineers. If the number of vacanciesequals the number of nominations received,an election shall be deemed unnecessary.

6.8 The Officers and Committee shall be electedfor a period of two years and may offerthemselves for re-election. No member shallserve a continuous period of more than 8years, and may only offer themselves for re-election after a minimum period of 2 yearsnot in office. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman may only serve in those officesfor a maximum period of 2 years.

Article7 - Power of Executive7.1 The Officers and Committee shall be vested

with widespread powers of management,administration and direction of the Groupand to do and authorise all acts andoperatives or purchase and perform allbanking operations subject to the articlesunder 10.9 and 10.10.

10.1 The Group’s funds shall be held with theSociety’s bankers and used for day-to-dayshort-term transactions

10.5 Proper accounts, comprising at least anIncome and Expenditure account andBalance Sheet, showing the state of Groupfinances, as at 31st. Decem ber, shall beprepared each year and a copy of theseaccounts sent to the Director General ofthe Society, by the end of January, forpreparation of the Society’s consolidatedannual accounts. The Group accountsshall be audited by a professional auditorand then presented to the next AGM foradoption. A copy of these adoptedaccounts shall be sent to the DirectorGeneral as soon as possible after the AGM .

10.6 The Hon.Treasurer shall produce an annualbudget before the commencement of theFinancial Year. If it is planned to use pastsurpluses in the year in excess of £1000 thiswill require the confirmation of the DirectorGeneral of the Society. The budget for theyear should clearly identify individual itemsor events with a gross income of more than£1000. The organisers of any event, witha gross incom e of m ore than £1000, m ustproduce a budget estim ate for the GroupHon. Treasurer, in sufficient tim e for him /her to include the details in the annualbudget.All events should, in normalcircumstances, produce a small surplus or atleast break even. Events are required toinclude VAT in the ticket price though thisneed not be shown separately.

Continued on page 6

Proposed Amendments to the Regulations of the Nature Group of the RPS


Continued from page 4

Prior confirm ation of the DirectorGeneral m ust be obtained, before suchitem s or events m ay proceed.

10.7 The Hon.Treasurer shall producequarterly VAT returns, as soon as isreasonably possible after the end of thequarter in question. The totals of Incom eand Expenditure used m ust agree withfigures in the spread-sheet and ledgerrecords. VAT receipts should be obtainedwherever possible and kept for futurereference (or as required by Council).

10.9 Signing Arrangements:- The mandate of anyaccount held by the Group shall have assignatories the President of the Society; theVice-President of the Society,the Hon.Treasurer of the Society; the Director

General of the Society;the GroupChairman; the Group Hon. Treasurer; theGroup Hon. Secretary.

11.4 The Society will reimburse the Group forcertain Life Members of the Society whohave elected to join.This reim bursem entwill take place each year and a list ofthose m em bers will be sent to the Group.

In addition, wherever the word ‘will’ has beenused it is changed to ‘shall’ and reference ismade to ‘the Director General’ throughout.

These Regulations were revised by the NatureGroup Committee and accepted by the RPSCouncil 2006.

If adopted at the AGM, the new regulations willbe printed in full in the next issue of The Iris.

David Osborn Photo-toursspectacular wildlife photo-tours organised by David Osborn FRPS EFIAP

In order to maintain the exclusivity of photo-opportunities, the group size for all of the above tours is limited.

The Canadian Rockies

September 2007

Birds of Florida

March 2008

Wildlife of the Falkland Islands

November 2008

For full details on these and other toursTel: 01263 511221 Email [email protected] www.davidosbornphotography.co.uk


Keeping with tradition, at some point during theirperiod of office it falls to every group ‘Chair’ toorganise the event known as ‘Chairman’s Day’.Mine was held on Saturday October 21st 2006 andworking with a well tried and tested formula, Iorganised my day based on travelogues andtutorials given by a number of the group’s mosteminent workers. The event was held at The OldSchoolhouse, HQ of Smethwick PhotographicSociety. 50 group members attended, lookingforward to some quality presentations and images -they were not to be dissappointed.

After an arrival meet & greet, tea & coffee, theday was opened with a ‘welcome address’ fromthe ‘chair’ followed by the opening presentation. I chose to show a travelogue on the birds and wildlife of ‘the sunshine state’, Florida. The generalimpression of Florida is one of glitz and themeparks; a place to visit as a family rather than one forthe discerning wildlife photographer, a fact whichcouldn’t be further from the truth. Even away fromthe Everglades, Florida, with its wealth of accessiblebirdlife, is a fabulous place and offers quality photoopportunities. It is also an excellent place to get togrips with flight photo-graphy as there are so manyopportunities. If you’ve never visited Florida be sureto join me on my next photo-tour.

The trip to Florida was then followed by asuperb practical presentation on flash photographyfrom Richard Revels. This exceptionally interestingand useful. For those of you not familiar withRichard’s work, he’s certainly one of the finest inhis field - invertebrate/insect photography -although he produces quality images throughout.Richard began his presentation by showing hisequipment of choice and discussing his flash/fill-flash technique in a Q&A format. This wasfollowed with a selection of fine images from awide spectrum of wildlife photography.

Colin Smith finished the morning off for usby showing a miscellany of work from just aboutanywhere and everywhere. I have never seen apresentation like it and commend Colin on hisapproach. He said it was “like throwing a pack ofcards into the air; whatever order they land in ishow they’re shown.” The presentation wasaccompanied by an informative and interestingcommentary and was exceptionally effective,

giving us all a wonderful a opportunity to viewsome quality imaging. Colin’s presentationwrapped up the first half of the day and set thestandard of expectation for the afternoon.

A superb lunch was served - as always atSmethwick - and a great vote of thanks must berecorded to Judith Parry and her team whoalways look after the group on our SPS visits.

The dreaded after lunch session was openedby our Immediate-past Chairman and it fell toRobert to ensure that no one dropped off aftertheir hefty lunch!! As a complete change fromthe morning’s showings, Robert’s presentation‘Choir boys to Lady’s slippers’concentrated onflower photography. talking us gently through histechnique and approach, Robert showed a lovelycollection of flora images from soft focus todifferential focus, macro and in habitat work.

The final presentation of the day was given byJohn Bebbington, another fine insect photographerand an exceptionally resourceful man who oftenbuilds what he needs for a specific purpose! John’spresentation gave an honest insight into hispersonal approach to photography. Having given ushis thoughts and theories he then showed us theshots that didn’t quite work as well as the ‘crownjewels’, the ones that did. John gave a lovely talkand highlighted what could be achieved withingenuity as opposed to a never ending cash flow!!

Following the excellent presentations by ourguest lecturers was a presentation of recent A&Fsuccesses. I would like to thank all whose panelswere shown and in particular Jane Greatorex,Alan Boutel and Chuck Ecclestone for attendingto present their ‘A’panels and to Dawn andAndrew Gagg for presenting their ‘F’ panels. Thiswas greatly received by members who enjoyedviewing the work and assessing the standardrequired to make a successful submission.

The only thing remaining was to thankeveryone for attending and close what was anexcellent and memorable meeting.

Once again, may I thank everyone whoassisted in the organisation of the event, inparticular the guest speakers for their time andwonderful presentations, and to everyone whojoined me on the day. You all helped to make itone of my most enjoyable Nature group days.

Chairman’s Dayby David Osborn FRPS

The Rocky Mountains were one of the regions Ihad always wanted to visit, and last September Ivacationed in the Canadian Rockies with DavidOsborn FRPS, to photograph the spectacularscenery. Landscape photography is somewhatremoved from my main interest of Britishinsects, but nature comes in many shapes andforms, and it is good to try something differentfor a few weeks. No nature photographer shouldever become bored with so many different kindsof nature to photograph.

The new flight hand luggage restrictions inforce at that time, meant that a rethink ofequipment and size of backpack was needed.My heavy Canon EOS 1D Mk11, great for actionphotography, was not really required on thistrip, so instead I travelled with my Canon EOS5D for landscapes and EOS 20D for birds andmammals. My lens armoury also needed to becut down to a minimum and I decided on theCanon EF 17-40mm f4L, EF 24-105mm IS f4Land the EF 400mm IS f4 DO together with a1.4x extender.

I purchased a small non-photographic backpackthat would hold all these items and yet stillconform to the smaller hand luggage size limit.The cameras and lenses were all individuallywrapped in bubble pack pouches and fitted intothe backpack with no problem, although thetotal weight was above the hand luggage limit.Before reaching the check-in desk, a camerabody and a lens went into the pockets of myDomke Photogs jacket, as did my two EpsonP2000 hard drives, on which I would be savingall my images. By weighing everything at homeI knew that this would reduce my backpackweight to just below the limit. As it happened itdid not get weighed and everything wentwithout a hitch at Gatwick Airport.

We touched down at Calgary Airport, Canadasome 7 hours after leaving the UK. En-route wehad mostly clear conditions enabling us to seeand take pictures of Greenland’s glaciers and theCanadian tundra as we flew over these remoteplaces.

The formalities at Calgary Airport were completedwithout complication and soon we had picked upthe hire cars and were on our way north to Banff,where we stayed for the first two nights.

The weather the week before arrival had beencold with falls of snow and our first morningstarted very misty indeed. Some moody shotswere taken in several locations before moving onto Lake Minnewanka. As the morning warmedup the mist began to lift revealing a splendidscene of the lake with banks of mist and fogcoming and going, with the mountains and bluesky as a backdrop. Along the rocky shoreGolden-mantled Ground Squirrel Spermophiluslateralis and Yellow-pine Chipmunk Tamiasamoenus were feeding on the grass seed-headsin a desperate rush to fatten up before thewinter set in. Various other locations were visitedthat day, and I soon realised why everyone whovisits the Rocky Mountains raves about them.The landscape really is impressive.

The following morning, as we set off for ourearly morning search for pictures we cameacross Elk Cervus elaphus browsing the treesand shrubs in town. A few shots were taken inpoor light, before continuing the search forpictures in the Banff area. At mid morning webegan the journey north to Jasper, ourdestination for the next 6 nights. En-route wesaw our only Bear of the trip, a Black BearUrsus americanus which was crossing theroad in front of us. I managed a couple of shotsthrough the windscreen of the car before itdisappeared into the trees.

During the next few days the weather wasmostly cloudy with sunny periods; the snowthat had fallen a few days before we arrivedbegan to melt at the lower altitudes. Thesemostly overcast conditions did not prevent usfrom visiting and photographing various lakes,rivers and waterfalls in this region, togetherwith any wildlife that presented itself.However, there were no opportunities for anygood sunsets or sunrises during our stay inJasper.


Rocky Mountain Delightby Richard Revels FRPS


Elk were regularly seen beside the Athabasca Riverand in several other areas. The rutting season hadbegun and we were hoping for some goodpictures of fighting stags, but with the exceptionof two immature stags sparring, the Elk rut did notlive up to our expectations. Mule Deer Odocoileushemionus were occasionally found grazing on theroad verges, but despite visiting a number ofsuitable areas we failed to see any of the world’slargest deer, the Moose Alces alces. As with anyphoto-tour, it’s all about being in the right place atthe right time and there is a certain amount ofluck involved. A few people we spoke to hadrecently seen Moose in this area, and we foundtracks, but failed to find this impressive animal.

We were fortunate to find a Coyote Canis latranshunting in a grassy area beside a road - I managedto take a few pictures of it before it moved off intowoodland. Two other mammals were very obliging,Red Squirrels Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, whichwere found at several locations, and a close relativeof rabbits and hares, the Pika Ochotana princeps.Pika live in rocky areas and posed well for us asthey busily gathered up large amounts of grass,which they were storing underground for winterfood and bedding.

In most places there was a lack of small birds;no doubt most had already flown south for thewinter. However three medium sized birds werevery obliging, the Raven Corvus corax, a shybird in the UK but very bold here, sometimesapproaching us within a few feet, as did GrayJays Perisorous canadenis and Clark’sNutcrackers Nucifraga columbiana. Thesebirds provided us with much entertainmentand some very nice images.

One day we drove west into British Columbiain the hope of finding Moose in the marshyareas beside the rivers. Although we failed tofind our main quarry, when we stopped tophotograph some Aspen trees Populustremuloides in full autumn colour, MourningCloak butterflies (Camberwell Beauty to us inthe UK) Nymphalis antiopa were seen flying.Walking along the roadside some 300 yards Ifound seven dead ones which had been killedby traffic. At such a rate, the total road kill ofthis butterfly along that stretch of road mustnumber thousands each year! Only two otherspecies of butterfly were seen during our stay,the Small White Pieris rapae and a Comma(Polygonia species), which had slightlydifferent markings to ours in the UK. Thesewere seen in several different locations, butwere far from common. No doubt that duringthe summer many more butterflies inhabit thelower regions of these mountains.

Our stay in Jasper ended as the weather startedto improve. We headed south for 3 nights stayaround Lake Louise. Again the scenery of thisarea impressed me and for the first time we hadsome decent sunrises and sunsets. Mule Deerwere seen around Lake Louise train station butdid not stay to be photographed. We spentsome time in interesting conversation withtrain drivers who were waiting for a green lightto continue on their journey back to themineral mines with their 135 empty wagons.These trains are huge compared to ours here inthe UK, with 130-150 carriages driven by threeengines being quite normal. We were told thateach of the engines weighed the same as a 747jumbo jet! The drivers told us that theyfrequently see Bear and Deer along the tracks,but had only seen one Mountain Lion Felisconcolor and one Lynx Lynx canadensis inthe last 15 years.



Our final 3 days were spent in the Banff area.The Aspens were beginning to loose their leaves,but we enjoyed sunshine for much of this timeand were treated to excellent sunsets over theVermillion Lakes. One of these was particularlyspectacular with strange layered clouds catchingthe last rays of sun.

A small flock of Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadenisstopped the traffic near Two Jacks Lake as theyvisited a mineral lick beside the road. Theseimpressive wild sheep are fairly fearless of man,so quite easy to photograph. Mule Deer wereseen in Banff, feeding on the flowers and shrubsin gardens just a few feet away from us. None ofus had a cameras as we were on our way to haveour evening meal, but several other people weretaking pictures with their mobile phones.

Other highlights included visits to two rapidlyretreating Glaciers. The Athabasca Glacier hadretreated about a mile in the past 150 years,whilst the Angel Glacier was calving miniicebergs in the lake beneath it as it thawed.I enjoyed this visit to the Alberta region of theRockies and look forward to returning toanother area in the future.

More images from my trip can be seen at:[email protected]

Pictures: Page 9: Medicine Lake

Gray Jay Page 10 Ground Squirrel

Red SquirrelsPika (related to Rabbits and Hares)Yellow-pine Chipmunk

Page 11 Elk stag calling for a mate Sunset at the Vermilion Lakes

Inside front cover: CoyoteInside back cover: Raven

“If you do well this year you will be eligible formembership of the Royal Photographic Society”,so said my college tutor as I was embarking on ayears advanced City & Guild course. I had alreadycompleted the C&G intermediate course andobtained distinctions in both elements, but nowhad to produce photos and written work for fiveelements and consequently put any thoughts ofthe RPS right to the back of my mind. In the eventI was lucky enough to pass all the modules withdistinctions and was a gold medal nominee.

When the euphoria of passing the course calmeddown, thoughts of the RPS crept back into mymind, a phone call to the distinctionsdepartment indicated my C&G passes countedfor an exemption and as soon as I had receivedthe C&G certificates they were sent to Bath, myLRPS was awarded February 2004.

My next challenge was the ARPS. I discovered itwas possible to apply by submitting images on aCD. One of my chosen modules for the C&G wasNatural History, this had involved a hecticfortnights photography at Albufera Marsh, aninternationally recognised wetland site innorthern Mallorca. I decided that fifteen of the

images taken at this time would make a suitablesubmission for an ‘A’ panel and I duly submittedthirteen images of birds, one image of aSwallowtail butterfly and one image of a MoleCricket! The result of this rushed attempt wasthat in March 2004 I was notified of failureciting ‘unbalanced composition, shallow depthof field, burned out highlights, etc.’ After mysuccesses in the previous three or four years thiswas a major blow and I immediately went backto the drawing board and decided to start afresh!

I joined the Nature Group and attended an A&Fworkshop with a few prints and an idea for apanel theme. The guidance given was excellent,and I returned home with a clear direction inwhich to take my photography together withadvice to purchase the Nature Group InteractiveCD (available from Trevor Hyman, the NGTreasurer). The CD was very informative andclearly set out the best approach to meet thedaunting task of fulfilling the requirements ofthe ‘Distinctions and Qualifications Criteria’.

Using an EOS 20D and latterly an EOS 5D, over thenext couple of years I produced an assortment ofimages from which to select my panel and was put


Taking the ‘A’ Roadby Chuck Eccleston ARPS


in touch with a Fellow of the RPS who acted as mymentor. Two or three draft panels were sent to himfor comments, initially it seemed that I was takingone step forward and three back, but eventually Ihad about twenty or so images that might possiblybe of the required standard. Although I work withdigital cameras I decided to submit prints - I feltbetter able to control the presentation of the finalimages and thus give the assessors a better chanceto see what I could produce.

The CD gives clear guidance with regard toassembling a coherent panel with good balance ofsubjects, colour arrangements, etc., but it is farfrom easy to translate this advice into reality.

The title of my panel was to be ‘Flora and Faunaof the Isle of Wight’. I had been advised by mymentor to ensure all my subjects had room tobreathe in the image (close cropping does thesubject no favors), this helped me to select thefinal fifteen from my shortlist of twenty images. I decided on three rows of five photographscomprising of five flowers, five insects and fivebirds. These were carefully laid out to give a goodbalance with a mixture of subjects in portrait andlandscape orientation in each row. I also ensured

the images at the end of the rows looked ‘in’and that there were no colour clashes betweenadjacent images. I utilised contextual shots,close-ups, flight shots etc. to give a good mix ofinterest to the panel and to demonstrate variedphotographic skills.

My images were printed using an Epson 1290,mounted on to backing card, mounts cut and allcarefully assembled with labels showing displaypositions, subject titles etc. I posted off myapplication forms, cheque, statement of intent,A4 layout sheet etc. and awaited the panelmeeting in September at Bath with bated breath.

On the day of the assessment I was as nervous asa schoolboy sitting his first exams. I sat restlesslyin the display room waiting for the proceduresto commence. The Chairman Roger ReynoldsHon. FRPS gave a brief explanation of how thepanel works and we were straight into theprojected images submissions. I think the firstthree or four were unsuccessful and I thoughtthis did not bode very well for my panel.However a superb panel of underwater shotsbroke the duck and from then on more panelsbegan to pass. The comments on some of the

failed submissions noted that too many shotswere ‘cropped too close’, some were ‘not sharp’or had ‘colour casts’ whilst others were ‘let downby poor printing’.

Eventually my panel was brought in, the twelfthsubmission to be viewed that day. By this time Iwas a nervous wreck!! The prints were displayedand the Chairman invited the selection panel tocheck them out close-up and then asked panelmembers to give detailed comments. These werequite brief and as far as I can remember included‘some slightly over sharpened,’ ‘well presented,’‘each one of high quality’!!! I had passed!

Gaining my ARPS involved a lot of hard work andquite a few frustrating hours, including numerousre-visits to sites searching for the best lightingconditions, sun position etc., however the plusesfar outweighed the minuses. I learned a great dealand many of the skills I developed are now usedon a regular basis for my images but I still haveso much more to learn. My advice to anyonecontemplating going for an assessment is join theNature Group, buy the Interactive CD-ROM guideand go for it, you won’t regret it.

www.thenaturegroup.org


Statement of Intent

Isle of Wight Flora and Fauna

This submission shows that it is not necessary to travel great distances to undertake natural historyphotography; the diverse wildlife that can be found close to home is available to all.

I live on the Isle of Wight and have endeavoured to illustrate some of the diverse Flora and Faunafound within its varied habitats and coastline.

My photographs include rarities mainly specific to the Island and also common species that can befound on the mainland as well as the Island. Together they form part of the Islands seasonal naturalhistory environment.

Introduction and EquipmentI learned to dive together with my wife in 1996in the Florida Keys and I am now an Instructor.Subsequently we have been privileged to dive inBonaire, Saba (Dutch Antilles), Red Sea, StVincent & the Grenadines, Grand Cayman, GrandTurk, Lembeh Straits and Bunaken (Sulawesi),Roatan and of course the UK.

Since the very first time I entered into theunder-water world, I had the desire to capture onfilm the beauty of the coral, creatures and fishthat I encountered. After a short instructioncourse in Grand Cayman with renownedunderwater photographer Cathy Church, I becamehooked on diving with a camera. Rarely a divegoes by when I do not have my camera with me.In fact when I dive without a camera it feels allwrong, just as if some vital piece of divingequipment is missing.

My first underwater camera was the iconicNikonos V which stood me in good stead forapproximately 4 years. This was later supercededby my current setup which consists of a NikonF90x film camera in a Subal housing. I use twolenses extensively, the Nikkor 105mm F2.8D formacro and close-up work and a 20mm F2.8Dfor wide-angle. The vast majority of underwater

photography relies on the use of an artificiallight source. I use a single underwater flashgunmanufactured in Germany by Subtronic and anUltralight arm to aid positioning of the flashgun(especially important to avoid backscatter inunderwater images). I shoot exclusively usingFuji Velvia 50 and 100 ASA film and have nointention of changing to digital in the fore-seeable future even though I own a Nikon D200digital which I use for land shots.

Since I first started to dive with a camera Ihave taken well over 10,000 images and haveamassed a slide collection of 7,000 cataloguedimages in my image database. All of the slideshave been scanned with a Minolta Dimage Elite5400 to get them into my image managementdatabase. This makes finding the slides that I aminterested in much quicker.

At least 90%, of the total number of imagesthat I have taken to date have been takenunderwater. Therefore it was only logical whensubmitting for the LRPS to choose the imagesfrom my underwater collection. Selecting just 10images for the LRPS from my collection was verydifficult but eventually I made a selection thatdemonstrated a broad range of lightingconditions, a variety of subject matter and which


Diving for Associateshipby Colin Ackerman ARPS


showed marine life that was easily recognisableand hopefully known to the submissions panel.

When the panel met on 5th July 2006 I wasdelighted to be informed the following day thatmy submission had been successful. Afterenjoying my success for a couple of weeks I feltthat I needed to keep up the momentum andhave another project to work towards.

I decided to focus on working towards theARPS in the Nature category as my next longterm project and goal. Having read the criteriafor the Associateship it was clear right from thebeginning that making an ‘A’ submission wasgoing to much more difficult.

Research and FeedbackThe first task I set for myself was to look throughas many of the previous ARPS Nature categorysubmissions that I could find in order too get afeel for the standard. Here the RPS forum andthe Nature Group web site were very useful.What made life difficult was the fact that I wasunable find an example of a Nature submissionwith images of the underwater world. Wideningthe search to include Google also proved to befruitless. Looking at the many successful ARPSpanel submissions only confirmed the highstandard required for success.

One of the more important elements of anARPS submission is the Statement of Intent. Idecided to approach this by reading as many asI could find, so that I had some idea of therequirement. Having read a number of them itwas clear that they seemed to vary in length,from a couple of lines to a fairly largeparagraph. A quick Post on the RPS forumsolicited a response from John Long ARPS. Johnis a regular contributor on the RPS forum andhas read many Statements of Intent atassessments of ARPS submissions. His advice wasto keep the Statement short and to the point. Idecided to follow his advice and wrote downthe following keywords and phrases with theintention of stringing them together intosomething more meaningful:- vibrant colour,texture, natural behaviour, camouflage anddeterrent.

Planning and OrganisingI then set to work looking through all of the7000 images, in my iMatch Image ManagementDatabase, bookmarking those where I had amatch against my list of keywords and phrases. I ended up with 255 bookmarked images. Thislong and tiring exercise brought me to theconclusion that perhaps I was ahead of the

game, in that maybe, I did not need to shootadditional film in order to have enough imagesto make my submission. It did not mean ofcourse, that the images were of a high enoughstandard, just that they fitted into a potentialStatement of Intent. Of these, I selected 20images that in some instances embodied morethan one of the keywords or phrases in the listand which I felt fitted together as a cohesivepanel.

It was then time to sit down with pen andpaper to create a readable Statement of Intent (Iam still not accustomed to using a PC when Iam trying to be creative). A couple of hourslatter and with the help of my wife to bounceideas off, I had a paragraph that I was pleasedwith. It was concise and too the point, moreimportantly not too long.

Verification and AmendmentsI then opened an account with pbase.com thephoto hosting web site and uploaded my shortlisted 20 images, along with my Statement ofIntent. I Posted the link to my images on boththe RPS forum and the Nature Groupnoticeboard, requesting comments andcriticism. I also sent an e-mail to Malcolm HeyFRPS an underwater photographer whose workI was familiar with, inviting him to commenton my possible submission. It was then that Istruck lucky. I not only received an e-mail fromMalcolm but I was also contacted by JackJackson FRPS, FRGS who is a well knownadventure, travel and underwater author andphotographer. He was the first person to obtaina Fellowship with an underwater submission.Following the advice given to me, I made somechanges to my panel. I learned that thedistinctions panel were very sensitive to imagesin which part of the creature was chopped off. I also modified my Statement of Intent to readas follows:“It is my intention with this portfolio toshow some of the vibrant colours of themarine life of the coral reef. To show howcolour and texture can be used by thecreatures of the reef to deter potentialpredators or to effectively camouflagethemselves and avoid being preyed upon.Also, by demonstrating the naturalbehaviour of a number of different species,to hopefully, inspire more people to visitthe underwater world”.



The final sentence having replaced “Also by demonstrating thenatural behaviour of a number of different species, to furthereducate people about the underwater world”. Jack felt that thisfinal sentence was opening me up to failure as he was of the opinionthat my images were not guaranteed to be able to “educate peopleabout the underwater world”. This was a valid point and so Imodified the Statement accordingly.

The next stage of the process was to clearly identify and name themarine life in my images. Fortunately, I have an extensive selection ofidentification books collected over the years, so it was just a case oftrawling through them for the common and scientific names and thendouble checking.

Finishing TouchesI had every intention of attending a Distinctions Workshop in Bath toobtain advice about my submission, but, a quick post on the RPSforum gave me a response that I was not expecting. The post’s author(rightly or wrongly) was of the opinion, that as my submission wasin a very specific and narrow field, I would be unlikely to receive anyuseful advice if I attended, so I didn’t.

I had originally intended to be ready for a submission in 2007,but, as I almost had the necessary items up together and the ARPSnature category panel was meeting on 5th September I decided toforge ahead. Since time was very short (less than 2 weeks until thePanel met) and I was confident that my colour managed system andworkflow must have been acceptable, having successfully gained theLRPS, I decided to submit once again on CD-ROM.

Finally, it was just a case of copying the relevant image TIF filesonto CD-ROM along with the Statement Of Intent, the Identificationtext file and my submission details. Posting my submission byRegistered Delivery completed the process. All that was then left to dowas wait until 5th Sept to see what my fate would be.

Result and ConclusionsOn the 6th Sept I received an e-mail from the Distinctions ManagerCarol Agar (who had been exceptional helpful and patient inanswering a stream of questions throughout my submission)congratulating me and informing me that I had sailed through.

In conclusion, there were times when it was stressful, frustratingwhen things didn’t seem to be going well but enjoyable when Ireceived positive comments about my images. When I heard that I hadbeen successful, I had the greatest sense of achievement which put ahuge smile on my face. Would I recommend others to try for it; yes,definitely.

For the future I plan to submit for the Fellowship but with a landbased set of nature images. That however, will be sometime in thefuture, as the Fellowship will almost require me to start from scratch;as I only have a small number of land nature images in my collection.

Both my LRPS and ARPS panels can be viewed at:www.pbase.com/ckajca and my personal web site: www.aboveusthewaves.com

I have been interested in photography in somedegree or another since childhood andcertainly for all of my adult life. Observingnature was another keen interest encouraged bymy parents. However, it was only during theearly 90’s that I decided to put the camera onthe tripod instead of the spotting scope and trymy hand at photographing the things Iobserved. This all happened during a familyvacation to Mallorca - the birds were latemigrating for one reason or another, butwildflowers were in abundance and soon myattention was captured and I was hooked.Springtime vacations in Crete followed andbefore too long my slide catalogue ofMediterranean flora had become quiteextensive. Consequently, I decided to make an‘A’ submission in nature with a panel of slidesof Mediterranean Wild Flowers, which wasapproved in September 1994.

I was quite pleased having achieved myAssociateship and for quite a few yearshappily pursued wildflowers at a variety oflocations both in the UK and Europe.Someone, I forget who, suggested that Ishould apply for my Fellowship with flora.

Slowly the idea of working towards a Fellow-ship grew, but not in quite the same directionthat others expected it would. Flora is not aneasy subject, but having already achievedsome successes with my images of Flora, I feltthe need for something more demanding! A subject new for me. Something different.Birds! Now there was a challenge!

I was fortunate that my Brother, David, wasdeveloping and growing in the photo-tourismbusininess and on several occassions foundmyself called upon to lead or co-lead groups fortrips to the Falkland Islands.. I love the FalklandIslands - I would consider relocating there if Ithought I could make a living. The Islands andtheir wildlife are wonderful. Anyway, I digress.

A new challenge - birds. There are lots ofbirds in the Falklands and many are nowherenear as concerned about the presence ofhumans as they are in even the remote partsof Europe. Since I knew the islands well andwas already doing a considerable amount ofmy photography in the Falklands, it seemedreasonable to consider Falklands wildlife as atopic for a Fellowship submission.


Wildlife of the Falkland Islands -

A Fellowship journey southby Dawn Osborn FRPS

I would not want to mislead anyone into the beliefthat selecting 20 images from some far away placewas going to achieve a Fellowship. The successfulapplication you see here was certainly not my first!

I first applied in Spring 2001 with a panel ofdigital prints (made from slides and negs).Digital imaging was still in its infancy andalthough many of the images went on to receivemajor awards in international exhibitions, myapplication failed. I was advised that it was theprint quality which let the application down andI accepted that I would have to upgrade my kit;scanner, printer, etc. Later that year after seeingmy presentation on ‘Orchids of Europe’, a panelmember told me,that many of the images I hadshown were suitable material for a Fellowshipapplication. However, I was not dissuaded - itwas now the challenge rather than the goal whichmotivated me, even though I was a relative novicein bird photography. I already had several morevisits to the Falklands arranged for the years aheadand I would try again. This I did, in 2005.

I cannot really offer any sound advice to anyonepursueing a Fellowship in Nature. I did everythingthat the RPS ’Criteria’ suggested at that time:attend a workshop; seek the advice of the panelchairman; etc. The images I sought to submitwere shown to the Nature Panel Chairman and

the feedback was sound. I attended a distinctionsworkshop - three Nature Panel members plus theChairman were in attendance and the advice givenwas ‘go for it’. So I did.

My panel of prints were submitted and followingthe assessment in early September, I was advisedthat I had received the approval of the NatureDistinctions Panel. It was a happy day!

Fellowship applications these days are not sosimple though - even a panel deemed to be ‘ofthe required standard’ by the Nature DistinctionsPanel has to undergo a further assessment by the‘Fellowship Review Board’. The Review Board ismade up of the Chairman from each of theDistinctions Panels, plus others, and it is theirremit to ensure that there is ‘consistency’ acrossthe full gamut of categories. Following theReview Board meeting in November 2005 I wasadvised that my submission was not felt to be ofthe standard required by the Review Board.

Hurt? Yes! Angry? Very! I requested guidance andwas referred back to the Distinctions Panel whofelt they were unable to offer further sound advice. My chief complaint was that there was little or noopportunity to see what constituted a successfulapplication and therefore it was near impossible to gauge what was required by the Review Board.

However, I was about to embark upon anothertrip to the Falklands and I would not allow thissetback to spoil my enjoyment of experiencingthe Falklands wildlife once again - even without acamera, this would still be a wonderful vacation!Released from my expectations of what type ofimages constituted a Fellowship panel, I allowedmy imagination more freedom and returnedhome with a more diverse collection of images.

Upon my return, Roger Reynolds FRPS, hadbeen confirmed as the new Nature PanelChairman, and in January 2006 he offered to bemy ‘mentor’. It was a tough order, to producetwenty pieces of work before the end ofFebruary and I doubt I could have managed itbut for the fact that I was ‘between jobs’. In anyevent, I was very much ‘up for it’!

I have to say that it is the waiting that istiresome. The assessment was held at thebeginning of March and I was duly advised that(again) I had passed this stage of the process.The Review Board would not meet again untilearly May and I would have to wait until then tofind out if my work would pass this final stageof the assessment process.

Eventually I received a phone call advising methat I had been successful. Another happy day,but it was all anti-climax from there on.Considering the build up, I confess I thoughtthere might be an opportunity to wallow inone’s success. I received a letter which offeredthe opportunity to have my certificate presentedby our President at Fenton House. The date wasless than two weeks hence and unfortunatelyconflicted with another equally important andpre-existing commitment. No alternative datewas offered and so I requested that myFellowship Certificate be returned with myprints. It was all rather disappointing!

Of course I am very pleased to have achievedmy Fellowship distinction, but some of theenjoyment and sense of achievement which Ibelieved it would have was diminished becauseof the lack of a formal presentation.

In retrospect, the only advice I would give isthis: write your Statement of Intent and thenselect your images (rather than writing thestatement for the images). That and what my



Dad used to say: ‘Non illegitimis carborundum’and ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and tryagain’!!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank thefollowing members for their support, guidanceand encouragement: Colin Smith FRPS, MartinWithers FRPS, John Bebbington FRPS. Tony BondFRPS, Tony Wharton FRPS, Malcolm Hey FRPS,Robert Hawkesworth FRPS, Richard Revels FRPS,and Roger Reynolds FRPS. Thanks are also owedto my Mother and Brother, David.

Photographing Invertebrates in my garden

by John Bebbington FRPS

Dolichovespula vulgaris (Common wasp) worker, head.

Vanessa atalanta (Red admiral) on rotting fruit,

Rose chafer feeding on pollen of Arctotis cultivar

Acronicta aceris (Sycamore moth) mature larva;

Apis mellifera (Honeybee) worker approaching stamens of Papaver rhoeas (Corn poppy)


I suppose that I have always been lucky in havingaccess to a decent garden – even as a young childin a ‘not-very-well-off’ family, I had a schoolfriend whose parents owned a large house withseveral acres of land including a good-sized pondand a large flower garden. I can rememberspending many hours catching leeches, dragonflynymphs etc. and watching a huge variety ofinsects and spiders in the garden.

By the time I became seriously interested ininvertebrate photography I was working as atutor for the Field Studies Council (FSC) at Rhyd-y-Creuau, the Drapers’ Field Centre, in Betws-y-Coed, North Wales. The large Centre garden wassemi-cultivated, and my own garden (sharedwith my wife-to-be, and fellow tutor) althoughwell cared for was surrounded by mixedwoodland.

I began to run a moth trap in the early 1970s,and around the same time met Michael Proctorwho became my mentor and provided enormousencouragement as well as (at times) quite severecriticism - always justified and alwaysconstructive.

Promotion and a move south to Juniper Hallprovided a complete contrast - from acidic rocksin a mountainous landscape to the rolling chalkdowns of Surrey. It also provided a maturegarden with an enormous range of plants andinvertebrates, surrounded by woodland andgrassland, managed for wildlife by the NationalTrust and which I could access at will. Then camethe chance to run my own photography coursesboth at home and overseas.

On retirement I moved to Somerset - anothercomplete change of geology and landscape - andwe were fortunate to find a house with astunning view and a mature garden which hadalso been managed for wildlife. Over the last 3years (it seems much less) we have been tryingto impose our ‘style’ on the garden withoutreducing its diversity. So far, so good - this yearwe have had 25 species of butterfly breeding orpassing through and, since the end of May, 250+species of macro moth in the trap (including 7of what my wife has christened the ‘macho’moth - the Convolvulus hawk). We’ve also hadStriped hawk nectaring on our Honeysuckle andnumerous visits by Humming-bird hawks.

Although the garden is only 90 by 30 feet it hasan enormous range of nectar and pollen-producing plants and larval foodplants (beingmarried to a botanist has enormous advantages!)and large numbers of insects obviously attractspiders. The moth trap is also very popular withpasserine birds!

Perhaps the only group of invertebrates whichwe could do without is the molluscs – we haverelocated several thousand slugs and snails towoodland and hedgerows over a mile away withlittle apparent effect on the populations!

Although I really enjoy botanical photographymy real passion is for insects, spiders and otherinvertebrates and this is what I tend to focus on.My aim is to illustrate aspects of their biology -predation and its avoidance, parasitism, feeding,mating behaviour for example. During the lastyear I have been involved in a botanical projectwhich included pollination biology. It has beenvery enjoyable watching the insects and waitingfor photographic opportunities.

I still use Pentax film cameras but I may betempted to ‘go digital’ in 2007 when the newK10 DSLR is released. I have several excellentmacro lenses with focal lengths between 50 and180mm; the latter is my favourite tool as itallows me to get decent magnification without‘spooking’ my quarry. I also use a 100mmextension tube (I paid the exorbitant sum of£105 when they were first available) but recentlyfound a couple for £10 each and a 2x converter.

I prefer available light photography but I’m happyto use flash, either a single unit as fill-in or two(balanced 2:1) as the main light source. My gearis quite old-fashioned - Pentax MZ series withdedicated TTL flashguns (from eBay for 99p each!).

I do miss the stimulus of travelling abroad butcurrently family circumstances prevent this.However there is (still) a great deal to do in andaround my garden; the challenge for spring willbe to capture more insects in flight.

I think it is a great shame that garden invertebratesare largely ignored - for me they are every bit asfascinating as African big game or birds in Florida!Of course, when circumstances allow me totravel again, I may reconsider!

Beacon Hill Country Park Tuesday October 17th 2006Leader: Robert Hawkesworth FRPS

Psathyrella hydrophila must have been the‘fungus of the year’ in 2006 - it seemed to beprolific wherever I went and I found that some-what odd considering the dry year we had hadand that ‘hydrophila’ refers to the species loveof damp conditions. At the Field Meeting wecertainly found a number of them - many weremost attractive specimens.

There must have been around twenty or soof us from the usual spread of homes, both theEast and West Midlands, Sheffield, York,Lancashire as well as the London area - it reallyis pleasing, and somewhat humbling, to realisethe distances some members are prepared totravel, over 200 miles round trip is not at allunusual. I am most grateful to you all.

I was not too hopeful of finding much,since on a previous recce, admittedly somefourteen days earlier, my wife and I had foundvery little. However within a few yards of thecar park many members were soon at work, lotsof very photogenic groups of Sulphur Tuft(Hypholoma fasiculare), Mycena spp. inprofusion and several examples of the ManyZoned Polypore, or Turkey Tails whichever youprefer (Trametes versicolor).

Honey Fungus is now recognised as a veryvariable group and I do not always find it easyto identify. It is present in the Beacon HillWoods, as in many woods of course. There aretwo main species, Armillaria melea, the mainform and A. tabescens the ringless form, bothof which vary in their appearance.

We found nothing particularly rare but,towards the end of the day, two were foundwhich were of interest. Fungi with blackpigmentation are not particularly frequent sowe were quite pleased to find Mycena galopusvar. nigra, it took some identifying with anycertainty I can tell you. My wife must take thecredit for finding a tiny fungus which grows onfallen cones, usually pine, Baeospora myosura.(On a revisit one week later we found quite agood number of specimens).

All in all the day was much enjoyed bythose present and hopefully produced somegood photographs, it certainly produced a lot ofgood crack and laughter.


Field Meeting Report

Details for images on Page 24

Top (main) imageApis mellifera (Honeybee) worker approachingstamens of Papaver rhoeas (Corn poppy),Langport, Somerset, July 2006.Pentax 100mm FA macro, twin TTL flashguns,Kodachrome 64.

Centre leftDolichovespula vulgaris (Common wasp)worker, head. Juniper Hall Field Centre, Dorking, Surrey,October 200250mm EL-Nikkor reversed onto Pentax 100mmmacro, 2x teleconverter. Twin flash heads. FujiProvia 100F.

Lower leftVanessa atalanta (Red admiral) on rotting fruit, Langport, Somerset, October 2006.Sigma 180mm APO macro, Fuji Provia 100F.

Centre rightCetonia aurata (Rose chafer) feeding on pollen of Arctotis cultivar, Langport, Somerset, July 2005. Pentax 100mm FA macro, twin manualflashguns, Kodachrome 64.

Lower rightAcronicta aceris (Sycamore moth) mature larva; Langport, Somerset August 2005. Tamron 90mm SP macro, Fuji Provia 100F

Sunday, 10 June 2007, Time 10.00am. Oxwich, Gower Meeting place: Car park Grid Ref. 502864 (map 159) Leader; Margaret Hodge FRPS Cost £2.50 parking Interest: Flowers and marine life of seashore. Items to bring: packed lunch, waterproofs, hat,sun-screen and footwear suitable for paddling Contact: Tel 01792 207001

Friday 22nd June - Monday 25th JuneResidential Field Meeting, Juniper Hall,See separate notice on page 29

Tuesday 24th July 2007, 10.30am.Millers Dale and River Wye. Meeting Place: Millers Dale Station Car Park.Grid Reference: Sheet 119 SK 138 733.Leader: Robert Hawkesworth FRPS. Cost: £3 approx for Car Parking Interest: Summer limestone flowers, dragons,damsels and butterflies. Items to Bring: Strong footwear, waterproofs,packed lunch. Additional Info: Toilets in the station buildings.To book for this meeting: Tel 0115 928 1050 Mobile (for use on day only): 07960 177291.

Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th October 2007,North Norfolk Fungi WorkshopSee notice on page 29.

Tuesday 16th October 2007, 10.30am.Rufford Park.Meeting Place: Main Car Park, the entrance isoff the A614 and is well signposted. Grid Reference: Sheet 120 SK 643 647.Leader: Robert Hawkesworth FRPS. Cost: Car Parking in 2006 was free. Interest: Fungi. Items to Bring: Strong/Waterproof footwear,waterproofs, packed lunch. Additional Info: There is a restaurant and asnack bar on site as well as toilets. To book for this meeting Tel: 0115 928 1050 Mobile (for use on day only): 07960 177291

For full details on future Field Meetings checkthe Nature Group website regularly and registerto receive notices.


Field Meetings 2007

A Date for your Diary

Chairman’s DaySaturday 3rd November 2007

At the AGM in March, Geoff Trinder ARPS will become the new Nature GroupChairman. Geoff has decided that he would like to host his Chairman’s Day onSaturday 3rd November 2007. The event will once again be held at theexcellent facilities offered by The Old Schoolhouse clubrooms of Smethwick PS.

Full details will appear in the Summer issue of The Iris, but put it in your diarynow - it will be another day crammed full with interesting natural history talks.

To register your interest please contact Geoff, details on page 2.


Residential Field Meetingorganised for members of the

Nature GroupFriday 22nd to Monday 25th June 2007

Juniper Hall Field Centre, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6DA

A few places are still available for this weekend long event at Juniper Hall. Situatedon the North Downs near Box Hill, Juniper Hall has much to offer the naturephotographer. The surrounding chalk downland has a high species diversity offlowers and insects, while farther afield the BNR Thursley Common, much affectedby fire earlier this year, and the Wey and Arun Canal, provide more specialisedhabitats for the larger aquatic dragonflies and damselflies. We will also be able totake advantage of the centre’s other facilities including the use of a moth trap,laboratory with microscopes, digital and slide projectors, an excellent referencelibrary with a wide range of field guides, and the use of the Centre’s own minibus.

Cost: - £133.00. (incl VAT at 17.5%) payable direct to Juniper Hall, (no monies will gothrough Nature Group’s accounts this year). Includes three nights’ accommodation,full board, packed lunches, afternoon tea and use of the Centre’s facilities

If you would like to join the group and book a place, be added to the waiting list orrequest further information, please write direct to: - Sue Brinsden, Centre Secretary, Juniper Hall Field Centre, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6DA Tel: 0306 883849. Email: [email protected].

In addition, please also register your interest / confirm your booking, with:

Kath Bull ARPS, Segsbury, St John‘s Road, Crowborough, East Sussex TN6 1RTTel: 01892 663751. E-mail: [email protected]

Weekend Fungi Workshop in North Norfolkorganised for Nature Group members

Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th October 2007

Contact David Osborn FRPS for further details -

Tel: 01263 511221 or Email [email protected].


RegionsShown Below are Nature Group members per RPS region together with regional codes and other statistics

CE - Central 71EA - East Anglia 46EM - East Midlands 35LN - London 14NI - Ireland (North) 3SI - Ireland (South) 2N - Northern 13NW - North Western 55SC - Scotland 19SE - South Eastern 88SW - South Western 16SO - Southern 69SV - Severn Valley 17TH - Thames Valley 51WE - Western 45WN - North Wales 12WS - South Wales 14YO - Yorkshire 31Total UK 599Overseas 47Total Membership 626

The statistics are as at 31st January 2007 and based on information provided by the RPS Membership dept.

DistinctionsHonourary FRPS 5FRPS 89ARPS 216LRPS 167Non Distinction holders 149Total 626

MushroomsRoger PhillipsMacmillan 2nd Edition 2006384pp, colour-illustratedISBN 0-330-44287-6 £18.99 pbk

The Encyclopedia of Fungi of Britain and EuropeMichael JordanRevised Frances Lincoln Edition 2004384pp, colour-illustratedISBN 0-7112-2379-3 £16.99 pbk

These are two new editions of previouslypublished works, both covering essentiallythe same ground but in very different ways.Roger Philips’ book was first published in1981 and was quite different from anypreviously published guide, with well printedcolour photographs of studio specimens atessentially life-size. It was rather weighty forcarrying round and was intended to be usedat home, bringing specimens to the book. Ithas become a well-loved reference book. Sowhat of the new edition - well some of thedrawbacks have been addressed, more specieshave been included, some habitatphotographs have been used, identificationshave been corrected where necessary and thenew-fangled English names have been used.Frankly, it does look good and it is goodvalue for money. For me however, it doesstill have some drawbacks. I am not keen onthe smaller format, the full-size pictures havebeen reduced and the names andreproduction ratios which ran beneath thepictures in the previous edition have beenremoved. My edition of the original book isone of the first print runs and the colourreproduction is excellent, I am told that thelater printings were less satisfactory in thatregard and I am pleased to say that the newedition has addressed that issue and isgenerally accurate. If you have never owneda copy then certainly buy this edition, it isvery good. If you have one of the originalsyou would find this edition complimentary,but I would follow Peter Marren’s advice in“British Wildlife” and not throw away myold one.

Michael Jordan’s book is quite different in itsappearance and approach; it was firstpublished in 1994 by David and Charles, andhas retained the look of the original. All thephotographs show the specimens in habitatand they are placed three to a page in acolumn on the outside edge with the textalongside in a column on the inner edge.There is no reproduction ratio mentioned andthat is an omission which could have beenrectified - you must read the text to check forthe dimensions. To my eye the colourreproduction seems pretty accurate; there is ahelpful colour chart at the front of the bookwhere the colours referred to in the text maybe checked. I do not own the previousedition of this book so I have purchased acopy of this new one. I find it very easy touse, it is instinctive and you can turn quicklyto the section you need. All too frequentlythese days, books entitled ‘Encyclopedia’ areintended more for the ‘coffee-table’ and lessfor use as a serious reference book; this iscertainly not so with this book which isdirected toward the serious naturalist. Bothbooks are comprehensive and include all themajor groups of fungi, Jordan’s even includessome Myxomycetes, slime moulds, technicallynot fungi at all, but often encountered whenout on a photographic foray.

Robert Hawkesworth FRPS


Book Reviews

www.thenaturegroup.orgThe nature group website is updatedregularly. Please participate by sharingyour images and short stories.

Latest items to view are recent A&Fsuccesses.

Members who have not alreadyregistered on the website should do so.To register click the ‘new member’ linkand then enter the new password:natur3gr8 in the ‘old password’ field, followed byyour email address and a new password.

Close-up & Macro: a Photographer’sGuide by Robert ThompsonDavid & Charles 2005.ISBN 0 7153 1903 5 hardback (0 7153 1905 1paperback, USA only).

This beautifully illustrated book is in threeparts; ‘Photographic hardware’, ‘Putting it intopractice’ and ‘Photographing the seasons’.‘Photographic hardware’ discusses factorsaffecting choice of a camera system, the prosand cons of film and digital capture (includingthe hidden costs of digital!), useful camerafeatures and a range of equipment and its use. Itends with a consideration of what is reallynecessary in the field and an in-depth sectionon using close-up flash.

‘Putting it into practice’ includes sectionson composition and design, backgrounds,achieving consistency (ah, there’s a dream!)finding subjects, learning from others andtravelling abroad. there are detailed discussionson photographing flowers, insects, fungi &lichens, patterns & abstracts, gardenphotography and aquatic life.

‘Photographing the seasons’ shows us aseries of seasonal subjects, excellently portrayed,with plenty of technical information.

Finally there is a section with useful websiteaddresses, contacts etc. - of course by now thismay well be slightly out-of-date.

Overall I was very impressed by this bookand can recommend it very highly indeed. It is- as I have al;ready said - beautifully illustratedand there is a wealth of information for alllevels. Ronald Thompson does not hesitate toshare with us his wealth of experience.Although I have been working in close-up andmacro for over 30 years I felt that there wasplenty of stimulation to improve myphotography!

John Bebbington FRPS

Exposingnature - the Natural HistoryMuseum Photography Guideby Frank GreenawayNatural History Museum 2006ISBN 0 565 09193 4

This is book with amuch wider scope than‘Close-up & Macro’.The author worked inthe photographic unitof the NHM for 38years and is well-known for hisphotography of bats(stunning - personalcomment!); he hascontributed to over 30 books.

This is a book for anyone who wants toachieve better wildlife images. It begins withwhat to me is a critical piece of advice - ‘knowyour own motivation’ - and continues with‘know your subject;’ and ‘ethics’. Ethics iscurrently a major discussion topic and onewhich it is too easy to sweep under the carpet!

Next is a short section on possiblerequirements for bird and mammalphotography, both when in a hide and stalking,and general close-up photography. This isfollowed by a discussion of composition, styleand image collections.

The meat of the book is a series of sectionson birds, mammals (including advice on howto spot signs of stress in the subject), reptiles &amphibians, insects & other invertebrates, water,plants, and habitats. All are beautifully illustratedby a wide range of photographers.

The penultimate section - ‘Looking ahead’ -discusses the impact of phototourism andeconomic development and highlights the role ofthe wildlife photographer in raising awareness.Finally there is a comprehensive glossary.

To me this book distils, in a fairly slimvolume, a lifetime’s experience in wildlifephotography and will be very helpful especiallyto anyone beginning to travel this rocky road!

John Bebbington


Book Reviews

Updated V3.0 CD-ROM now available - for PC only.Approved by the RPS Council as an official RPSpublication. Over 140 copies sold to date.The best advice for anyone considering applying for an Associateship in Nature Photography is to attend aNature Distinctions Workshop. However for many it isnot always possible to attend, and this CD is designed to cater for such applicants.The guide is the result of collaboration between pastpanel members and RPS Distinctions Manager, Carol Agar,and produced by John Myring. Benefiting from theauthors’ extensive experience of viewing numerousapplications, both successful and otherwise, the Guide leads the user through all of the aspectsthat need to be considered. Advice on selection and presentation of both prints and slides aswell as the additional requirements needed to make a Digital application. The CD-ROM (PC only) is available for only £10 - including p&p. To purchase your copy send a cheque for £10 payable to ‘RPS Nature Group’ to: Nature Group Treasurer, Trevor Hyman LRPS, 3 Northcourt Lane, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 1QA.


The NEW ‘Interactive Guide toObtaining your Nature Associateship’

Photography courses in 2007with John Bebbington FRPS

suitable for both film and digital users.

� Nature photography in the heart of DorsetFriday 20th - Sunday 22nd JulyThe Kingcombe Centre, Toller Porcorum, Dorchester. Dorset. A weekend designed to build confidence in close-up and macro photography of plants andinvertebrates.For details contact the Kingcombe Centre on 01300 320684. Email: [email protected] web: www.kingcombe-centre.demon.co.uk

� Insect photographyMonday 13th – Friday 17th AugustPreston Montford Field Centre near Shrewsbury. A course designed to demonstrate techniques and to solve problems for newcomers toInsect Photography whilst giving excellent opportunities for more experienced workers ina region of exceptional species richness.For details contact Preston Montford Field Centre on 0845 330 7378Email: enquiries.pm @field-studies-council. Web: www.field-studies-council.org/prestonmontford

A Close-up Photo Workshop by Richard Revels FRPS Venue: Bedford Museum, Castle Lane, Bedford, MK40 3XD

Date: Sunday May 20th 2007. 10.00am to 4.00pm.Cost: £80 which includes tea / coffee and Lunch.

Learn the techniques used by Richard to take close up pictures,including the use of flash to freeze insects in flight and supplement theambient light in flat lighting conditions.

A variety of Butterflies, Moths and othercreatures will be available to photographduring the afternoon practical session, sobring along your camera, a macro lens andflash units. Digital users may wish to bringalong a Laptop so that results can be viewed.

Availability is limited to 10 so early bookingis advised. For further information and/orbooking form telephone Richard Revels at01767 313065 or Chris Andrew at BedfordMuseum 01234 353323

The Iris Spring 2007 - RPS · Cover Gentoo Penguin in a heavy sea by Dawn Osborn FRPS IFC Coyote by...

Documents

Transcript of The Iris Spring 2007 - RPS · Cover Gentoo Penguin in a heavy sea by Dawn Osborn FRPS IFC Coyote by...