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DEEN PHOTOGRAPHYISSUE N°1 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 £2.99

SHOOTING IN THE GRANITE CITY

ZOOMIN

THE CLASH

STUDENTPOINT

WILD LIFE

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WELCOME

WELCOME to Deen Photography, a magazine created by photogra-phers for photography’s passionate and photographers of the North East, who want to refine their skills be inspired by stunning images and take better pictures.

In this magazine, you will find everything you want to know and everything you have ever wanted to know, about shooting in the sil-ver city including tips, ideas, informations and advice.

Bonfire Night 5/11

Aberdeen Beach

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WILD LIFE ..............................................................................4SEAL SEASON .............................................................................4

SHOPPING .............................................................................5WHERE TO SHOP ? ......................................................................5

ZOOM IN ..............................................................................6THE GIRL BEHIND HUMANS OF ABERDEEN .................................6RGU PHOTOGRAPHY SOCIETY ....................................................10

STUDENT POINT ......................................................................11WHICH CLUB HAS THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHER ? ..........................11

THE CLASH .............................................................................12INDECISIVE ? HELPING YOU TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE ! .......12

FOR SALE ..............................................................................13CLASSIFIED ADS ..........................................................................13

C O N T E N T S

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W I L D L I F EOut of the water, they resemble beached torpedoes; below the surface, seals are the sleek ballerinas of the seas. In britain, our two breeding species: the Harbour or common seal and the grey seal are popular subjects with photographers.

Where ?

Donmouth Local Nature Reserve is a beach site in the historic Old Aberdeen part of the City where the River Don meets the sea. A great place to see seals and a range of interesting birds. The paths run across King Street to the Brig ‘o Balgownie, the original bridge in to the City from the North, then down the other side of the river to the sea.

The site was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1992. It is the place in Aberdeen to get the chance to see and shoot some seals.

How ?

The most dramatic photographic opportunities often come at the start of the mating season. Initially, the big bulls protect their females and clubs within a harem. This harem is important to the male, as once the pups are weaned, females are then ready to mate. Mating start in October continuing into late January for the north-east-coast colonies. Fight among bulls, can be violent, with spectacular photography on offer as waves crash over the seals, though there are plenty of intimate moments to capture as well.

In order to photograph seals, you should try to

shoot as low as possible. When shooting low to the ground, there are two things to watch out for that can ruin a shot: wonky horizons are a curse, while you should also check your backgrounds for unsightly out-of-focus seals that might be rendered as dark blobs.

Right conditions

On a dull day, the North Sea can look grey and quite uninvinting, so if you are shooting animals in the surf or when they are poking their heads above the waves, then a blue sky is definitely better. Visiting colonies on sandy beaches in really wild weather can also offer dramatic photography opportunities. Although your gear might take a hammering if unprotected, there are opportunities to create images of seals lying in a blizzard of blowing sand. When coupled with low autumn sun, this can achieve an especially stunning effect.

Unfortunately, over the last 10-20 years, harbour seal populations in many parts of Scotland have shown dramatic declines. Current work focuses on developing our individual-based studies to help identify the factors that are driving these changes.

SEAL SEASON

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S H O P P I N GWHERE TO SHOP ?

PC World48-50 Hutcheon St, Aberdeen AB25 3TB

Jessops Aberdeen31-33 Market St, Aberdeen AB11 5PY

Snappy Snaps12 Back Wynd, Aberdeen AB10 1JP

CurrysUnit 1, Berryden Retail Park, Aberdeen AB25 3SG

The Studio27 John St, Aberdeen AB25 1BT, Royaume-Uni

Peacock Visual Arts21 Castle St, Aberdeen, Aberdeen City AB11 5BQ,

The Rosemount Gallery81 Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen AB25 1NS

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All the places you need to know with all you need !

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“Hi, can I take a picture of you?” It is with this really clear and direct line that Caitlin Grupping approaches people during her sporadic photo sessions. No matter where the session takes place, whether it is in a park, on the beach or on a street, this is always how she starts the

conversation. What would you answer if you were the one that had to answer this unusual question? Some would be astonished, surprised, bewildered or even intrigued by the question asked by a 21 year old girl with light brown hair and blue eyes dressed in a cream down jacket, black and white mini skirt with black tights, boots and a purple scarf, carrying her Canon 70 D camera, who is always ready to take some photos. She tries to pick the right people or the ones who seem to be the right ones, someone who is alone, not in a hurry and who does not seem busy. If the people don’t reply by a plain “no”, they ask why she wants to take a picture of them. “That’s when I get to the point”. At this turning point Caitlin explains the purpose of her demand and describes her page in a couple of words which is not an easy task, when most people are not aware of the existence of her page and not used to using social media.

“The page is a copycat of the original, Humans of New York, it’s more or less a project to remember that we are all human. Everyone has a history, a story, a conflict. We live in this city surrounded by so many people yet, in a sense this makes us feel more alone. We rarely take the time to get to know people. The page allows us to connect and relate to strangers, to appreciate the diversity of humanity. At the same time the photo itself should be the story, descriptive in the manner of lighting, composition, that it portrays who the person is, in that sense it’s an art. If nothing else it satisfies a curiosity, an innate desire to understand others.”

Usually the future interviewee is keen on carrying on and Caitlin proceeds with her personal and rather intrusive question. “I do not plan what I am going to say, I prefer it to be improvised. That way it is more fun, I let the vibe of the person and my instinct of their character dictate the questions I ask.” Generally one will lead to the other and she starts with something vague such as: “what would be the advice you would give to a younger you?”Here they say something like, just love yourself for who you are and then she leads with: “Has there been a time you haven’t loved who you are?”“Why is that?”

The initial question is easy and kind of fun to answer. It opens a door to ask the more intriguing questions whereas opening with the latter can be seen as rather intrusive.

Z O O M I NTHE GIRL BEHIND HUMANS OF ABERDEEN

“The page allows us to connect and relate to strangers, to appreciate the diversity

of humanity.”

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Z O O M I N

After having replied to her questions and that some pictures have been taken, their portrait and their quotes will be uploaded on to the Facebook page and they will get the chance to be seen by thousands who follow her page on Facebook.

In one session Caitlin manages to collect around twenty-five interviews and pictures and then posts them on a regular basis in order to keep the followers fascinated and keep the page active. So far she has done two sessions of a couple of hours each. Caitlin had the idea to create the page Humans of Aberdeen three months ago which is when she found out that such a page had already been created in 2012 by Rik Douglas, but was not really active for a while. Prior to her involvement, Peter Cumming, a 26 year old former Business Management student from RGU had joined the page in June, in order to reactivate the page.

However they did not share the same vision of the page and had only met once. Caitlin sees the page as a real representation of the people, in a world where we are all connected but tend to be more and more lonely. She considers what she does for the page as an art, whereas Pete reckons that the page is more a “social enterprise” and intends to “spread it across other media’’. Catlin easily admits that their collaboration is not at its best, smiling, she confesses that Pete does not have a “great grasp of social interaction” and above all, “he does not express a passion for what he is doing when shooting and interviewing for the page”. Since she joined the page, the number of their fans on Facebook has dramatically increased. This is not really surprising because once you get to know Caitlin and start conversing with her, you can find out that she is really interesting, open minded and outgoing. It immediately comes to your mind that she is a joyful and happy person.

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She is the kind of person we would all like to have as a friend. At first sight, she seemed to be just a 3rd year Law student, living a student life with its ups and downs like other students, but eventually you will notice that she is in fact original and quite different.

Caitlin’s parents met each other in Aberdeen while studying at Robert Gordon University, her father studied Engineering and her mother followed the nutrition course. It is not surprising that after Caitlin growing up in Dollar, Scotland and completing her private school, she decided to study in Aberdeen. Prior to coming to Aberdeen and starting her law studies, Caitlin took a gap year and travelled through South-America and got involved with a charity in Chile. “I taught English at two schools in the south of Chile. Having grown up in a small town, I always had such a desire for an adventure.

I would sit on the bus to the nearest city and strike up a conversation in my rudimentary Spanish. At the end I had taught myself to speak Spanish to a reasonably fluent standard,

had moved in with a Chilean family that spoke no English and travelled alone. Since then my appetite to meet people and experience new things has just kept growing.”Once Caitlin finishes her law studies, she projects to head towards a more artistic and creative domain than law, which she considers more as a “back up”. She lives her life in a way that she would enjoy

every single day, her motto could be: “make the days count instead of counting the days”. She believes that she has learnt more whilst travelling than while attending lectures. I personally do not know if she has ever read Montaigne or even heard of him, but she considers education and life the way Michel de Montaigne depicted in his books “Les Essais”. Montaigne believed that learning through experience was

superior to wisdom gained from books.

For this reason, he encouraged tutors to educate their students through practice, travel, and human interaction. In doing so, he argued that students would become active learners, who could claim knowledge for themselves.What Caitlin does for the page also gives her the chance to acquire experience in a different way than travelling or studying at school or at university.“In doing so, I have spoken to people that I never would have. I have learnt a lot about others and myself and feel a better person for it. Also it’s a creative release and more productive

Example of post on the facebook page

“I have learnt a lot about others and myself and feel a better person for it.”

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and satisfying than staying in and watching Netflix. Life is short and must be lived! I would rather selfishly use the project for my own entertainment and creativity, but I think it’s a win-win.”As Caitlin asks people really personal questions regarding their prides, achievements and failures when walking around during her sessions in Aberdeen, I thought that it would be fair and interesting to ask her some questions she dares asking strangers.“I like to think that the thing I am proudest of is my future, the possibilities that I have in store. I like to think that the future will be a reflection of all the work I have done to create opportunities and who I am as a person.” “What is your biggest failure or regret?” I asked straight away.Looking grim, Caitlin said: “I get too attached, I adopt other people’s problems as my own and I often get hurt by it. I dated a suicidal guy for a year, he often blamed me for his condition. I would ask myself why wasn’t I good enough,

why I couldn’t make him happy, why I couldn’t fix him. I was certain that if I could change or be what he needed everything would be okay. It wasn’t healthy for me but I just couldn’t let go, luckily I have managed to separate myself from that situation now, but I still make the same mistakes.”Caitlin does not know what her future holds, neither what will happen to the page. “It’s hard to imagine passing on the page as it is so easy to become attached and protective over a project you’re passionate about. However if I had to, I suppose I’d say just go for it. Forget all inhibitions, social awkwardness and constraints. Make sure the person is at ease and understands the purpose of what you are doing, but make the most out of it and enjoy every person, every story.Getting strangers to open up isn’t easy, but it certainly isn’t impossible.”

Caitlin Grupping 12/11 Butchart Recreation Centre, University of Aberdeen

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When was the society launched ?

It was started in October, it is the first Photography Society ever in RGU, and Karen Mitchell, Sanjay Kumar and Aneliya Kalcheva took the initiative.

Why did you join the society ?

First of all, I do like to click photos, to meet people from different backgrounds, cultures and countries all sharing the same interest. Everyone has got different views, opinions and knowledge. Some are amateurs, experts and even professionals.

What do you like in photography ?

I do like to catch the moment for example when I am looking at my photos, I like the fact that it helps me remember memories and evokes so many souvenirs. It actually sends you “back in the days’’. I love it, especially as I am getting older. Twelve years ago I started watching National Geographic, that is what gave me the passion I now have for photography.

What do you do as a member of the society ?

Well, the first meeting will be next week (17th November to 24th) at Duthie Park, not to far from RGU, we will get to know each other and do our first session. Every session will be based on a theme for instance water, sea, forest or anything else, all the themes have not been decided yet.

Why would you advice people to join, how would you convince them ?

It is not about convincing, it is about sharing, you do not have to convince people it is an art. It is a common interest, the more we are, the more we share and the more we learn. So if you are interested, feel free to join, does not matter what camera you use or how much you know about photography.

RGU PHOTOGRAPHY SOCIETY

Contact

07925600389

Prasad Pardeshi, RGU Photography Society Secretary

S T U D E N T P O I N T

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S T U D E N T P O I N TWHICH CLUB HAS THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHER ?

Nox

Garage

Institute

Others (Gavrillo, Tropicana, The Tunnels)

16%

17%

23%

44%

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T H E C L A S HINDECISIVE ? HELPING YOU TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE !

VS

- Sharp vari-angle display

- Excellent JPG detail at high ISO

- Integrated Wi-Fi and GPS

- Lacks depth of field preview

- Pentaprism viewfinder

- Self-timer deactivates after use

- Excellent high ISO image quality

- Weather-sealed design

- Top-notch control layout

- Limited autofocus during video recording

- Lacks built-in GPS or Wi-Fi

- A little slow to start

Pentax K-3

Nikon D5300

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F O R S A L ECLASSIFIED ADS

NIKON COOLPIX P7100PERFECT CONDITION£200

CULTS - 07935674831

NIKON 18-55MM LENSNEW, NEVER USED. £45 OR ONO

ABERDEEN - 07314532784

MANFROTTO BEFREE COMPACT TRAVEL TRIPOD £119

STONEHEAVEN - 07954892756

NEXT MONTH

> Whatever the weather> Aberdeen Uni Photography Society> From the sky> Gallery> Interview of James Baker> Travel portraits> Industrial landscapes

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Paul de VillepinProfessional wedding photography and portrait photographer based in Aberdeen

Contact 07925600389

paulgdevphoto@gmail.com