ALISTAIR HOW
HPS PRESIDENT 2024 - 2025
It is a privilege to be asked back to undertake a second presidential year by members. Harrogate Photographic Society continues to build on the heritage of over a century of promoting photography in the town and region.
In my first year of presidency (2023/24), it was good to see so many exceptional photographers share their work with us. Barry Webb just a week after his outstanding FRPS award, David Gilliver literally a day after receiving the People's Choice award in the Macro category at the British Photography Awards to name two. It was also good to try something new such as the two-week editing challenge and the interview with Florian Warnecke. Members have also enjoyed photographing Harrogate Town AFC women’s and first team matches, and we appreciate the opportunity given to us.
Once again, we have a packed season of talks and photographic experiences. I hope the range of talks inspires and encourages members to learn more and challenge them to take on new photographic experiences. We have blended some regular favourites together with new ones and as always, we try and have a good number of face to face speakers. New for this year will be an evolution of the two week challenge, and speakers covering areas like travel, sport, street photography and urban night photography.
In addition we have monthly focus group where members can present images for discussion and supportive critique. We also have ad-hoc photowalks and other events.
The programme also includes our presidential outings which we hope members will enjoy, and these will be eligible to go forward for the annual competition. This year the annual outing will be to Edinburgh where we will be meeting up with Edinburgh Photographic Society.
PRESIDENT’S OUTINGS 2024
25 to 28 April – Harrogate Flower Show
May – Limestone landscapes
May – Yorkshire Sculpture Park
8 & 9 June – Tractorfest at Newby Hall
June – A postcard from Harrogate – with at least 4 images
6 & 7 July – Dunscombe Park Steam Rally
21 July – Historic Vehicle Rally at Newby Hall
August – Aircraft on the ground or in flight
9 to 11 August – Yorkshire Wartime Experience at Hunsworth, Bradford
August – An image with only two colours from any of the summer outings
August – An abstract image from any of the summer outings
August – A triptych from any of the summer outings
6 to 8 September – Edinburgh
2024 - 2025 Season
MONTHLY PROJECTED DIGITAL IMAGE THEMES
• Speed and Power
• Pets and domesticated animals
• Long exposure
• Industry
• Sunrise or sunset
• Retail
2024 – 2025 PROGRAMME
Meetings are held in The Friends’ Hall and also broadcast live on Zoom. Non-members are welcome to join us either in person on on zoom for a charge of £5
Monday, September 9, 2024
WELCOME SESSION, PROGRAMME INTRODUCTION AND PRESENTATION OF AWARDS
Our President and Committee extend a warm welcome to all members to start the 102nd season of Harrogate Photographic Society. The programme for the year will be shared with members and the prize and certificate winners will be awarded and celebrated at the session and after in a social setting.
We look forward to meeting and welcoming existing HPS members, some new members and visitors at the opening evening of the Season Programme. Doors open at 7.15pm and evening starts at 7.30pm.
Monday, September 16, 2024
HARRY KINGMAN
Bhutan – The Land of Thunder Dragon
Harry Kingman is a long standing and enthusiastic traveller to locations often rarely visited. Bhutan, a small kingdom nestled in the Himalayas, provides a unique photographic experience but also great practical challenges.
The talk is based on a birding/cultural exploration of Bhutan taken in February/March 2020. The journey started in Kathmandu in Nepal before flying to Paro to begin the journey across the country. Like many expeditions it didn’t go exactly to plan.
Monday, September 23, 2024
SIMON SUGDEN
Urban Exploration and Decay
Simon, or Suggy is a Yorkshire photographer born in Ilkley and based just outside Keighley. Suggy has been doing photography now for over 10 years with a passion for landscapes, urban decay and architecture amongst other things.
Urbex or Urban Exploration peaked in the covid years with many photographers able to access locations previously off limits. It has now created a whole new genre of photographing the decayed and disused. His work is now captured in print in a new book ‘Derelict Britain – Beauty in Decay’.
Speaking of the book Chris Gaffney, Head of Archeological and forensic sciences at the University of Bradford says: “Simon Sugden has captured the beauty in buildings in their second life of decay and dereliction. These buildings have become abandoned, no longer in use for their original purpose, but the echoesof their former life, whether as human habitation or workplaces, can be seen as the buildings gradually decay. The buildings range from Yorkshire mills, farmhouses and fairgrounds to religious buildings, asylums and factories. Some of these buildings are returning to nature, others are little touched by the changes but all have a new kind of beauty."
Suggy loves to explore up and down the country in his search for capturing new images, whether it be a stunning views or the interior of an old and abandoned building. He finds a certain kind of beauty to the decay of old buildings that are forgotten or ignored and often overlooked. Most of the time he gets permission to photograph these but then sometimes he might not.
Monday, September 30, 2024
CLUB EVENING (to be confirmed)
Including the start of the two week challenge
Monday, October 07, 2024
JOHN GILL
After The Coal Dust and Other Stories
John lives in a former coal mining area of South Yorkshire. He has always photographed people, and describes himself as basically a documentary/street photographer. He admires the documentary photographers of the past - when black and white was the primary medium.
As a photographer he started on traditional 35mm and 120mm roll film but now almost all of his photographs are taken digitally; although he has experimented with some colour work he much prefers monochrome as a medium.
John does not socialise easily so photography allows him a way to interact with people from a distance; he feels more of an observer than a participant. Human beings are the driving force for change, including landscapes; frequently human involvement can have a detrimental effect, so even in John’s landscapes there will often be a human element.
Unlike many speakers, John says that he does not have a scripted, set-in-stone talk; to keep his presentations fresh he introduces new and varied images, so be prepared for an informal and engaging evening.
John’s presentation will include aspects of his joint After The Coal Dust project documenting life in the former industrial areas of the UK, and candid portraits as social documentary photography; all images will be in black and white.
Projects: After the Coal Dust, the Getting Old series, Travellers’ Horses, Cold Turkey, 100 Faces and Weird Stuff.
Books: After the Coal Dust with his wife Bridget (published in2020), The Black and White Book (2022) and Two (2023).
Monday, October 14, 2024
GERRY SLADE
Equine, Field Sports and Dogs/Animals
Gerry is a leading horse and dog photographer. Gerry’s work and interests have seen him train and handle numerous dogs, from Spaniels and Labradors to working German Shepherds. This has given him a great insight into dogs generally and how to get the best from them and therefore look their best in photographs. He has a natural affinity with animals and loves to capture their personality in a picture. www.gerryslade.co.uk
Monday, October 21, 2024
CLUB EVENING – Challenge the Hive
Have you ever given up on an image, exasperated by the challenge, even when you thought there was something good there? Or perhaps you need inspiration to revise your original to provoke a new way of looking at it. Over the last two weeks members will be invited to take on the editing of editing ‘problem’ images from other HPS members. Can the hive rise to the challenge?
Monday, October 28, 2024
PRINT COMPETITION 1
Hand in date 8th October
Judge - Harry Kingman
Dates to be confirmed
Annual Exhibition - St Peter’s Church Harrogate - Free Entry
Our annual exhibition of photographs from members showcasing the talent and creativity of Harrogate Photographic Society. This year our theme is ‘ELEMENTS’ which will compliment the wider range of photographic genres submitted by members. Many of the displayed prints will be available for purchase, and in addition to the displayed prints there are other photos and photo cards available to purchase. Members will be available should you want to have a chat about photography and joining the club.
Entry is free and the exhibition is in the foyer area of St Peter’s Church in the centre of Harrogate
Monday, November 4, 2024
SPEAKER (to be confirmed)
Monday, November 11, 2024
KEITH SNELL PhD EFIAP MPSA LRPS*
New York Boogie Woogie
Keith is a medical research doctor, with a career in teaching and research before moving to Cumbria in 2008 where he started to broaden his photographic horizons after 50 years of being a keen photographer. He is a multiple award winning photographer covering a range of genres.
New York Boogie Woogie is a presentation exploring cityscapes through in-camera multiple exposure - NYC abstracted as you've never seen it before.
Monday, November 18, 2024
PRINT COMPETITION 2
Hand in date 8th October
Judge – Tony Caunt
Monday, November 25, 2024
PRINT COMPETITION 3
Hand in date 8th October
Judge – Richard Spurdens
Monday, December 2, 2024
JJ WALLER
Street Photography
JJ Waller is a pioneering Brighton-based Covent Garden street entertainer and comedy performer. He toured festivals and comedy clubs world wide, winning numerous plaudits which included a Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival with the show Mad Pookie 2.
Parallel to this touring, along with Mick Perrin and Luke Cresswell he devised and produced a number of large-scale outdoor events for Heineken. Using a canvas as diverse as floating pontoons on Glasgow’s River Clyde and oil-rigs on Brighton beach. The earlier of these events were the fore-runners to the creation of the musical Stomp.
His photography took pole position when he commenced an Editorial Photography Degree under the inspirational tutelage of Magnum photographer Mark Power. On leaving University, Waller completed a 12 month period as Artist in Residence at Gatwick Airport. He then toured the world as assistant to photographer Paul Lowe, at the time also with the Magnum Agency. Waller subsequently spent a number of years as a photography producer in the advertising industry, working on many award-winning campaigns in both the US and the UK.
Since then he has continued to undertake a wide range of local and national project with a clear human and record focus. His images regularly appear internationally in print and online publications, billboards, books, tour posters and programmes.
Waller's first solo book project JJ Waller’s Brighton Volume 1 was published by Curious-publishing.co.uk
Further publications now include: Brighton vol 02, St Leonards on Sea, Blackpool, Brighton & Hove Albion, Brighton vol 03, Brighton Pride, Sussex by the Sea, Lockdown - Informal Portraits of This Time.
Monday, December 9, 2024
BOB GIVEN
Sports and Action
Monday, December 16, 2024
RICHARD WALLS
Kidson Landscapes
Richard is British landscape photographer living and working in Upper Swaledale, the most northerly and magical of the Yorkshire Dales.
With his partner, Polly, Richard owns and manages The Old School Art Gallery & Craft Centre in Muker, where you can view his photographs alongside the work of some fabulous artists, print makers and artisans.
Kisdon Landscapes is the culmination of six years of exploring and photographing Kisdon Hill and the surrounding landscape. It's first and foremost a photography book (rather than a guide book), with the primary aim of capturing and reproducing the hill's beauty and sense of place.
Kisdon Landscapes takes the reader on a photographic journey over and around Kisdon Hill, through the meadowlands, limestone gorges, heather clad moorland, mires and ancient woodland, that make Kisdon so special. The journey begins at Loaning End on Birkdale Common, where the Swale begins, and ends at Ivelet Bridge, where Kisdon’s influence finally wains.
The book is designed to take the reader on a series of photographic journeys to, over and around the hill. Each journey is proceeded by a hand drawn map and a short commentary.
Monday, December 23, 2024
no meeting
Monday, December 30, 2024
no meeting
Monday, January 6, 2025
PRESIDENT’S EVENING
‘Something for everyone’
President Alistair How is a regular speaker to clubs up and down the country and will take the best of his images and content to share with members. The focus will very much be on explaining how the image was captured and with a selection of genres hopefully there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Subject include Landscape, Street, Sport, Travel, Night Photography and Architecture.
All are welcome and this is a free session for any visitors
Monday, January 13, 2025
ALISON TAYLOR
Coastal Photography
Alison is a retired teacher and University administrator, and she is now a keen seascape/landscape photographer. Alison spends most of her time wading in the sea and exploring the North East Coast. She was awarded an ARPS in 2020 with a panel based on the Lonely Sea and the Sky and many of these photographs are in her presentation this evening. Alison’s favourite locations are on the North East coast between Northumberland and Bridlington although she also loves visiting the Outer Hebrides and Scottish Coast. She likes to look for shapes formed on the shoreline by the sea and the sand and she is fascinated by waves; they are relentless but also every one of them is unique. Using different camera techniques it is possible to capture every mood of the sea in a way that often isn’t visible to the naked eye and often there is no sense of location as Alison likes to aim her camera out to sea. It is impossible to control the conditions on the shoreline and much of the time they aren’t in your favour and very unpredictable. A photographer has to learn to work with what is in front of the lens and this is what makes coastal photography so addictive.
https://www.alisontaylorphotography.org/
Alison will share some of her best images and what she has learnt from her travels around the coastline.
Monday, January 20, 2025
GLYN DEWIS
Portraiture and iPhone photography
Glyn Dewis is a photographer, educator, YouTuber and best-selling author currently living in the South West of England.
Primarily a portrait photographer, the covid pandemic forced Glyn to try other genres of photography because he was unable to take portraits. This, he cautiously admits, was the best thing to happen to him as a photographer. With a goal to produce landscape and seascape images he could proudly display, it was only when Glyn began approaching landscapes and seascapes with the same mindset as his portraiture that the results started to appear.
To date Glyn has written 4 books covering photography and retouching techniques, and he is really pleased that all of them have been best sellers on Amazon.
Monday, January 27, 2025
PDI COMPETITION 1
Photo entry closes 1st January 2025
Judge – Roger Poyser
Monday, February 3, 2025
JULIAN ELLIOTT
Travel Photography – Uzbekistan
Julian is an award-winning professional freelance landscape and travel photographer as well as an occasional writer who constantly travels the world.
Where it all started for Julian: “Back in April 2005 when I purchased my first camera I decided that being in the office was not something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I would rather spend my time on the side of a freezing cold hill getting superb light at dawn or seeing the setting sun produce an endless display of colour over a beautiful seascape, mirrored on a beach full of shimmering sands than in the comfort of a cosy office. But it would take until November 2010 before I could fully realize the dream of breaking the daily grind of the office and finally going solo as a full-time professional landscape and travel photographer.”
Monday, February 10, 2025
CLUB EVENING (to be confirmed)
Monday, February 17, 2025
PDI COMPETITION 2
Photo entry closes 1st January 2025
Judge – Bill Johnson
Monday, February 24, 2025
PDI COMPETITION 3
Photo entry closes 1st January 2025
Judge – Jonathan Neale
Monday, March 3, 2025
SPEAKER (to be confirmed)
Monday, March 10, 2025
PANEL COMPETITION
Photo entry closes 28th February
Our annual panel competition. The purpose of the panel is to show a group of images that relate to each other and which, in their arrangement, work together both aesthetically and logically. They may tell a story, or illustrate a concept. The entirety of the panel should ideally work better than any individual image. The judge will also assess whether the panel fulfils the author's statement of intent. A panel entry consists of between four and seven individual images plus a composite all of a common theme or subject, of the author's choice, which work together as a group, and which fulfil the statement of intent. The statement of intent is a brief explanation of the meaning or purpose of your panel, and must not exceed 75 words.
Monday, March 17, 2025
CLUB EVENING
Gordon Haynes and members - Astrophotography – What members achieved
Monday, March 24, 2025
PAUL MIGUEL
Birds and Wildlife
Paul became interested in wildlife at a young age. In his early teens he began trying to photograph birds at local nature reserves, starting out with a Russian Zenit camera!
In 2000, Paul completed a Zoology degree and now works as a professional freelance wildlife and landscape photographer. Paul lives in Leeds.
Monday, March 31, 2025
PETER BENSON
Urban Night Photography
Peter Benson FRPS MCrGP AWPF is a very keen nightscape photographer who has taken photographs in such locations as London, New York, Berlin and Lisbon. His FRPS panel was a very impressive urban night photography project.
Monday, April 7, 2025
JAMES RUSHFORTH
Adventure, Italian Dolomites and Iceland
James Rushforth is a climber, mountaineer, skier, travel writer and guest speaker. An internationally acclaimed photographer and author who has worked with distinguished publishing houses Rockfax, Cicerone Press and FotoVue.
James is amongst the world’s most awarded photographers, and was the Travel Media Awards Photographer of the Year in 2022, GTMA Global Travel Award winner and British Drone Photographer of the Year in 2020, the British Guild of Travel Writers Photographer of the Year in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, a double category winner at the International Photography Awards in 2018, and Epson Digital Splash Photographer of the Year, also in 2018.
In 2021 James authored ‘Photographing Iceland’ – a two volume set of photo-location guidebooks that would claim four prestigious publishing awards during 2022 – Travel winner at the Best Indie Book Awards, Guidebook of the Year at both the British Guild of Travel Writers and Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild annual awards, and Travel Guidebook of the Year at the Foreword INDIES awards.
His work frequently appears in national newspapers, guidebooks and magazines around the world; whilst on social media he is part of the National Geographic Your Shot photography team.
Based in the UK, James spends much of his time exploring the Italian Dolomites and Iceland, where he has authored a number of books to both regions. He has partnered with Wild Photography Holidays to lead specialist photography workshops to the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Romania & Italy.
Monday, April 14, 2025
HPS Centenary Medal Competition
To commemorate the centenary of the 1922 founding of Harrogate Photographic Society - one of the oldest photographic societies in the country in continuous existence - the Committee instituted the HPS Centenary Medal Competition.
This competition, to be held annually, brings together the winners of every competition held at the Society over the previous three seasons with the intention of finding the supreme champion photograph.
Monday, April 21, 2025
EASTER – no meeting
Monday, April 28, 2025
Annual General Meeting - Pop up Exhibition - Cake, Coffee and Quiz
A social ending to the year with a chance to celebrate and socialise with members. A short AGM will be followed by coffee and cake with a light hearted trivia quiz. Members will display some of their favourite prints in the hall.