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This article was published in "The Photographic Journal" Jul/Aug 1996.
Varied paths to an RPS Distinction. Nature Associateship: Claire Thomas.
"I am naturally patient, quite meticulous, enjoy being outside and am really interested in wildlife. What better hobby for me than natural history photography?
I received a camera for Christmas when I was 11 and soon learned to print and develop my own black and white photos. Quite to my surprise I gained a prize in an Amateur Photographer competition with a black and white portrait of a mandarin duck which I had printed myself. Encouraged by this I focused my energies improving my photography, not only improving my composition but also developing my own style of more intimate photos, showing interaction between individual animals and also with their environment. I have found that while being personally more satisfying, these photos also have an air of difference making them stand out from the field to other people such as judges. I am lucky enough to have continued to do well in competitions, winning 10 national and several local, and the prize money has enabled me to upgrade my equipment to an EOS 5 with longer lenses.
Generally I am quite economical in my use of film, believing in quality not quantity. I usually know the type of picture I want to take, and am quite prepared to wait for the right moment.
I don't read technical photographic books but enjoy looking at other people's portfolios. Recently I have particularly enjoyed one by Art Wolfe and the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolios are a great source of inspiration. Other favourite photographers of mine are Kennan Ward whose pictures of Alaskan wildlife, especially bears and wolves, are amongst my favourites, and Thomas Mangelsen whose photographs have a magical quality I strive to emulate.
My whole portfolio has been built up over a number of years. I have made repeated visits to local nature spots: the Farnes, Bass Rock, Linconshire and Scotland. I have also been lucky enough to travel widely during my summer holidays, to Alaska and Botswana among other places. I have met professional photographers and film-makers in the field and taken the opportunity to learn from their methods of working and finding the best angle. Possibly the most important lesson I have learnt from them is the value of knowledge of your subject allowing you to anticipate their next move.
I gained my LRPS when I was 14 and since then I have been frustrated at the age limit imposed for the ARPS. Surely the standard of photography is what is important? But I have bided my time building up as good a portfolio as I could.
The RPS booklet advises photographers to seek advice on their portfolio before submission and I have sought the views of others. Informal occasions such as the Scottish Nature Fair have provided the opportunity to ask the experts to comment on my own work and I have received helpful comments and encouragement from Niall Benvie, Joe McDonald and also from Chris Packham when I was judging an RSPCA competition alongside him. I haven't attended many RPS events since few if any young people come along, but I have found the North East Distinction days to be helpful. I have presented portfolios there when ordinary members and those with higher distinctions have commented on what they think the RPS judges would like or dislike! I have listened but my own choice has usually influenced my final decision.
The selection of the photographs to be included in my ARPS application took just a few hours one afternoon early in January. I wanted to show my best photos but realised that they had to hang together as a coherent set. Despite my originals being transparencies I wanted to submit a set of prints all to be displayed at the same time rather than a sequence of projected slides. This would illustrate my own style of photography much better. I preferred a compact group and so chose to display them as three rows of five prints, and tried to link the orientation, perspective and colours of the prints vertically as well as horizontally. The choice of three rows also fitted well with my desire to show prints from three geographical areas: Africa, U.K. and North America where I had taken my best photographs. To emphasise their differences I had in the past chosen slightly different mount board colours for my prints from these three locations, fortunately these didn't clash, I know how fussy the judges are about mounts.
My complete collection of about sixty 12x16 inch colour prints window-mounted to 16x20 inch was set out all over the dining room covering every available surface. I'd never seen all my prints out together; I was very encouraged by the overall standard and enjoyed the chance to look through them all and remember taking them. However, it was soon down to business and I was able to quickly cut the number down to half by removing all the wild-places landscapes and also taking out the wildlife that didn't reach an "A" standard either in composition, content or print quality. Gradually the number was whittled down to twenty and then the selection criteria changed to which prints hung comfortably together. Some of my favourites were unfortunate to fall at this fence where the problem of clashing tones of blue arose. At last it was down to the required fifteen prints set out symmetrically, heads looking towards the centre where the theme was family groups of young animals or birds. No time for second thoughts was allowed... it was packed up and in the post the next day!
I am delighted by my achievement. It's not official until I'm 18, but certificate or no certificate, I have made the grade."
Claire Thomas A.R.P.S.
May 1996
Soon after this article was published the RPS
council removed the age restriction for the ARPS distinction and Claire was in fact able
to receive her ARPS award before her 18th birthday.