New Year is by tradition a time to reflect on both past and future. I have been a member of The RPS Imaging Science Group for around 15 years but this is a mere fraction of the Group history. Their first meeting took place 100 years ago this month.
This snippet from the notes of their first meeting brought out some other connections too. Frank Foster Renwick and Olaf Bloch are also Past Presidents of The Society. But for me this connection goes further, back into my roots in analogue photography.
My career in photography started with the R&D group at Ilford and that was the connection with Renwick and Bloch. Both of these made significant contributions to silver halide photography and much of my early work was informed by theirs. Even when my Long Road to Digital started their work was important to me.
So now time to look forward. Olaf Bloch made some particular contributions to the photographic products used in the Apollo project featured in the Space Steps exhibition. I want to recognise this contribution with an article in The PhotoHistorian. Somehow the unexpected accession to Presidency has got in the way but I am determined to finish it.
I have a background in photo printing and it is time to get back into print making. I am now in my 3rd year as a Trustee of The Society and I recognise I am not as good a photographer as the other Trustees. 2020 for me is a time to work on my strong points and help others utilise theirs. I hope to maintain this through 2020 and my term as President of The Society.