News

We are delighted to announce that we intend to return to St Luke’s on 2 Sept and run a physical meeting programme, backed up by a Zoom feed until at least the end of 2021. We look forward to seeing as many of you as are comfortable attending in person.

Below we describe our plans to keep everyone as safe, and having as good an experience, as possible – recognising that, for many members it will be a big step to come back into an enclosed space with others.

Things will undoubtedly change at short notice during that period: we already know that the speakers planned for 16 and 23 Sept are unable to attend and the (excellent) replacements we have found will present via Zoom only. In addition, we will, of course, react to any changes in Government advice. We will do our best to keep the programme on the website and forum up to date

Please see the guidance document for information on how things will run and the things you should consider. The main issues are that we require everyone who is not doubly vaccinated to take a lateral flow test no more than 48hours before the meeting, and that we recommend that even those who are vaccinated also do so for added safety (and certainly if you have any symptoms at all).

We look forward to seeing some of you at St Luke’s and have our fingers firmly crossed that our attempt at dual running with Zoom will be successful.

It was so lovely to see everyone face to face again at our summer picnic and to catch up on what everyone’s been doing.   Many thanks to Emma Durnford for organising such an excellent event and to James Kirkland for the creative framing. Looking forward to getting back to St. Luke’s on 2 September.

Back in the summer of 2014 the RTPS studio group moved their monthly meetings from a church hall in Kew to Peter Beardow’s new studio in West Molesey, at the suggestion of our group leader Martin Pearson.

For us it was a trip into the unknown to a just built and as yet incomplete space, it was also full of possibilities as we brushed copious amounts of dust off the floor, eager to use an incredible set of  lights, props and backdrops. Over the following months Peter outlined his plans for the building, green area, kitchen, a changing and make up room and bathroom facilities for the models, separate facilities for the photographers and well organised storage space. All of those plans came to fruition.

Peter was imaginative, clear thinking, almost frighteningly intelligent, he could be sharp in the way that clever people can be and he was ambitious. He was also incredibly generous, following his clear instructions he then trusted us with the equipment that we honed our skills with, clearly delighted that his studio was fulfilling our ambitions too.

We were aware of course that Peter was becoming less mobile, we were also amazed at some of the innovative solutions that he came up with to counteract this, and we’d help him with the maintenance and organisation of the lighting and props. That was the least we could do in return for his generosity.

Peter would show us his own work, his photography was precise and technically flawless, his lighting of dancers revealed their sculptural beauty and his ideas and imaginative composition. He had a rapport with his models and a marvellously dry sense of humour in the shots he could create with them, clear visual stories that grabbed the viewers’ attention, one poster advertising Hampton Hill Photographic Club’s annual exhibition readily comes to mind.

We will all miss him, the last seven years have been quite a journey, we’ve learned a lot and had great times working together.

John Phillips, Studio Portraiture Group Leader, Richmond and Twickenham Photographic Society

Many congratulations to former RTPS secretary and long term member Ann Healey who has been accepted as a Fellow into The Royal Photographic Society, the highest distinction which can be achieved with the RPS.

Ann tells us below of her fascinating distinctions journey with the RPS – an insightful and informative story which will be a real inspiration to many of us.Read More >

If the four walls of your home are starting to feel a little too familiar during these uncertain times, then why not escape on a virtual tour of Richmond & Twickenham Photographic Society’s annual exhibition which is running on-line from Thursday 1 April until Thursday 20 May 2021.

You’ll be able to immerse yourself in some stunning landscapes, beautiful wildlife and some thought provoking portraits and street scenes from a photographic society which is one of the largest and oldest in the country.  Once again the work of GCSE and A level students at St. Catherine’s School for Girls in Twickenham will be going on display.

The show, which boasts over 300 images, is set in a 3D museum space, so visitors can explore the rooms independently or be guided around the exhibition. It’s free and can be accessed from a link from the exhibition tab on this website (link coming soon).

The society has around 120 members from beginners to professionals and new members are warmly welcome.  Email info@rtps.org.uk for details of how to join.

Richmond & Twickenham PS’s annual and popular exhibition is normally held at the Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington and hopes to return there in 2022. And while no digital encounter can fully emulate the physical experience of visiting an exhibition, the virtual platform which RTPS has embodied, comes very close.

Congratulations to member Jocelyn Horsfall for being a Finalist in the International Garden Photographer of the Year https://igpoty.com/ for her stunning image ‘Texture Foliage” and to member Dick Hawkes for two of his images achieving a Highly Commended. All 3 images were entered in the Special Awards:Captured at Kew.

Votes are now open for the Travel Photographer of the Year People’s Choice.  Image No 99 is by our President Pat Barbour and is especially poignant as her mother is pictured far right and this is one of the last times that she walked.  Why not show Pat your support and vote for her.  It’s a cracking image….

Travel Photographer of the Year People’s Vote 2020

Congratulations to members Colin Clarke and Mike Woodman who have made it onto the prestigious 2021 shortlist for The British Photography Awards.

No mean feat as they were competing against more than 5,350 photographers, both professional and amateur.

You can view the entries here: https://www.britishphotographyawards.org/2020-shortlist and you can vote for them in People’s Choice.

Mike (who is working here under the name Marc Wainwright) has two images shortlisted: ‘Life in the Square’ in the Architecture category and ‘My Own Gob Shot’ in Self Portrait.  Colin’s image ‘Papa George – Blues Man’ is in the Portrait category.

Three wonderful images – but what’s your favourite?  Go on, vote for it!

Congratulations to Susi Petherick on becoming an Associate with the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS) – just five months after achieving her LRPS.

Susi reveals the inspiration behind her stunning Fine Art panel (pictured here):

“Determined to use this Covid year to move my photography on, I started working on my ARPS panel before a date could be finalised for my LRPS. After full lockdown in London was over (the first time) I took to visiting Kew Gardens most days to walk and be creative with my trusty Nikon D850 and a range of lenses. Unable to face being inside the glasshouses in a mask, I took to peering in through the windows from the outside and the idea for my A panel was born. I took the idea of feeling an outsider (a familiar one to me for much of my life) and evoked this feeling by showing what lies beyond the glass, sometimes fully visible and sometimes not but always out of reach.

“I did all my own printing and for the first time mounting. It was lovely to see them all laid out across the living room floor looking like the panels of the glasshouse. What a learning curve the whole thing has been.
“I’ve so appreciated the continued inspiration from Richmond and Twickenham club through the year – thanks to all!”

And thank you Susi, for being such an inspiration to all of us!