THE SOCIETY’S DISTINCTIONS
All three images © Sylvia Slavin ARPS. Left Elgol – Loch Scavaig. An awesome landscape, painted with
dramatic light, which sums up Sylvia’s feelings about the island. Top Rainbow over Talisker Bay.
Above Approaching Storm - Blaven.
CLOSE TO HOME
Travel Distinction Panel Chair Leo Palmer FRPS looks at three Travel Associateships, which
represent the great variety, flexibility and possibilities that this category can offer
T
he Travel category is well worthy
of consideration for many contemplating submitting work for an Associateship or Fellowship, and it doesn’t
84 RPS Journal March 2014
have to involve expensive jaunts to exotic
locations!
Travel is fast becoming one of the most
popular categories among those working
toward their Society Distinctions. And, with
travel photography a natural fit for the majority of all-rounder photographers, with no
high level of specialist knowledge or creative
innovation required, it is easy to see why.
Those who have achieved Licentiateship and are looking for where to go next
would be well advised to consider this category.
In the past, there was a widespread misconception that travel photography meant
making journeys to far flung places, to capture saffron-clad monks burning incense
under prayer flags on a mountaintop.
But while this is of course a part of travel
photography, it is by no means the only
part. Above all, it is about capturing a
sense of the time and place. And it could
be your local town, or even right on your
doorstep!
Statement of intent
Travel photography submissions should
revolve around a clearly defined statement
of intent. Although The Distinctions Handbook says that a statement can be up to
150 words, the best are short, sharp and
unambitious.
Don’t be tempted to describe your submission print by print. A single sentence
is a sound starting point, and helps you to
clarify exactly what it is you intend to present, and to focus both your attention, and
that of the assessment panel.
It being the Travel category, the ‘where’ is
important, but it is ‘what’ that is absolutely
vital: you need to define exactly what it is
that you intend to capture and present.
‘Why’ and the ‘how’ can be included too,
but these are of secondary importance.
What is travel photography?
Travel images are not merely holiday snaps.
They tell a story with a defined objective. It
is of no consequence how exotic the location is, or how difficult the images were to
obtain: images captured locally that support
the statement of intent are the equal of anything taken further afield.
That said, don’t be put off working on
a project with a foreign location: there
is nothing wrong with this approach! Although if you choose to do so, it is essential
March 2014 RPS Journal 85
THE SOCIETY’S DISTINCTIONS
Above Pak Ming Leung ARPS: Zebras at Waterhole, Kenya.
Right Stuart Crump ARPS: Cuba. An image with a strong storytelling element.
to plan well ahead, and try to capture all
your images during your visit – otherwise
a return trip may be necessary to complete
your submission.
Sylvia Slavin ARPS
Sylvia Slavin spent five days on the Isle of
Skye, where she was captivated by its beauty and drama, the ever changing weather
and light perfectly offsetting the grandeur
and wildness of the landscape.
Sylvia’s statement of intent explained that
she had set out to capture and recreate the
essence of Skye, and to convey the awe and
wonder that it inspired in her.
She was careful not to be repetitive, ensuring she depicted differing lighting conditions
that supported her statement. As ever in
landscape photography, the most important
ingredient is the quality of light falling on the
land, which Sylvia captured with aplomb.
Pak Ming Leung ARPS
Through his work, Hong Kong member
Pak Ming Yeung visited many countries, in
both the modern and the developing world.
Being a photographer, he was interested in
the people, animals, light and landscape, of
the places he visited.
86 RPS Journal March 2014
Travel Associateship submissions tend
to comprise 15 images from one location,
country or event. This is not an essential requirement, however.
Pak Ming decided to submit three sets of
five images: the animals of Africa in their
natural environment; the landscape patterns
of a Chinese fishing village; and life being
lived by the people of Nepal.
He concisely defined his objective, and
submitted his work in a non-conventional
but attractive layout.
Pak Ming’s images aren’t random snapshots, but careful compositions supporting
his statement of intent. Their design and
presentation is clearly the work of a photographer with a vision and interpretive ability
of the calibre of an Associate – and a first
class example of a carefully thought out and
executed ‘mixed’ Travel submission, showing the variety and flexibility possible within
this category.
Stuart Crump ARPS
Stuart Crump’s statement reads: “In 1959,
Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba, and
in 1962 the United States imposed an embargo on the country. Since that time, many
things have remained unchanged.
“Fidel Castro and his brother Raúl, who
took over power in 2008, are now over 80
years of age. There is therefore little doubt
that Cuba will undergo major changes in the
next few years.
“I decided to travel to Cuba to try and capture some images that reflect the present
way of life there. I will never forget my visit,
and I hope that my images of Cuba have
done justice to the country as it is today.”
Competently photographed and superbly
post processed and printed on fine art
glossy paper, Stuart’s submission looks
stunning. His ‘fly on the wall’ approach in
many of the images works to good effect,
and he presents a personal impression
of Cuba.
Conclusion
Although the three submissions are very
different, they all capture a sense of time
and place.
There are endless options for success within travel photography, including covering
a journey or a specified location, showing
people living their lives, animals, landscape
and architecture. In terms of Distinctions,
it is without doubt a highly recommended
route to follow.
Leo Palmer FRPS
March 2014 RPS Journal 87