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RPS Yorkshire Region
Welcome to God’s Own Country.
We’re a region of breathtaking diversity and the largest county in the UK. Read on to discover what we do, how to contact us, and see our news and events.
Our region includes the high hills and glacial valleys of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Its beautiful and rugged coastline stretches from the Humber Estuary to the Tees. We also have vibrant and exciting cities and towns. There are many historic sites and places including rivers, waterfalls and canals. Photographic opportunities abound!
We aim to provide and coordinate opportunities for photographers of all abilities and levels to enjoy their hobby, share, learn and develop skills in positive, supportive and enjoyable environments. Activities include:
- Arranging occasional events for members to obtain preliminary advice before submission to an RPS Advisory Day.
- Arranging and supporting formal Advisory Days in association with RPS Headquarters.
- Facilitating visits to areas of photographic interest along with a knowledgeable leader.
- Arranging occasional Zoom lectures, which provides an opportunity to hear from photographers working in Yorkshire. Members who have obtained distinctions may be invited to discuss their successful portfolios.
- Publicising the meetings in the Region that are organised by the Special Interest Groups.
- Publishing regular newsletters.
- Establishing ‘meet the Committee meetings’ on Zoom six times a year. One or more of your Committee members will be available to discuss any Regional issues that members wish to raise.
Follow Us On Facebook
Our new Facebook page is now live. Head on over and join in the discussions or take part in a new quarterly photo theme.
GET IN TOUCH
See the committee page for contact emails for RPS Yorkshire Committee members. For general enquiries:
Latest News
Ray Brightman FRPS AFIAP DPAGB HonPAGB BPE3
It is with great sadness that we report the passing away of Ray Brightman at the age of 91 on the 24thDecember 2025.
Ray was the longest serving member of Sheffield Photographic Society and we regarded him as the “father” of SPS. He first joined Sheffield PS in the 1950s and was in continuous membership and able to attend meetings until last year.
Ray has been President of the Society four times, in 1968-69, 1975-76, 1988-89, and 2000-01, and also a Past President of the Yorkshire Photographic Union (YPU) and was appointed as a Life Vice President of the YPU. He was on the YPU Lecturers List for over 25 Years and was a much sought after and well-travelled exhibition and competition judge - covering Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
He is one of a very small group of people who have been awarded the Hon PAGB by the Photographic Alliance Of Great Britain, known as the J S Lancaster Medal, for exceptional service to the PAGB and the YPU.
Ray was one of the early adopters of the audio visual medium in this country and was quickly recognised for the high quality of his work in that field. In the days of manual projection, he was a great exponent of the Purlock DuoFade dissolver, which was capable of snap changes and other effects impossible to achieve with the later bulb-dimming systems. Ray gained his FRPS in slide-sound sequences in 1973 and was soon appointed to the assessment panel for that distinction, a role which he held for many years. He was a committee member of the RPS Audio Visual Group, becoming its Chairman in the early 1980s.
Ray gained his FRPS in 1973 and has also been awarded the Fenton Medal by the Royal Photographic Society for major contributions to photography.
Many members will not know that Sheffield PS organised a National Slide Exhibition for 10 years from 1989 to 1998 and that Ray chaired the Organising Group for those Exhibitions, devoting a huge amount of time to the task of organising these very successful events.
In Sheffield PS itself Ray won nearly all of the Cups and Trophies in the various classes over the years including the Society Trophy for Best Print on 3 occasions and in former times the Trophy for the Best Slide in the Exhibition an amazing 9 times. In 2018 Sheffield PS awarded Ray a Certificate of Appreciation to recognise his achievements and his contribution and support to SPS over so many years.
In latter years Ray’s photographs of “Old Sheffield” have become a much loved feature of our Annual Exhibition. His collection of historical photos of Sheffield are now archived in the Ray Brightman Exhibition Collection on Sheffield Archives’ Picture Sheffield web site.
Ray was,a long time member of the Yorkshire Monochrome Group and attended the monthly meetings in Shipley until Covid intervened. He contributed to their exhibitions and the 25-year anniversary book. His monochrome images of old Sheffield were greatly appreciated there as well.
Ray was friendly and helpful to all at SPS and always ready to offer his experience and knowledge to other members. He will be sorely missed.
Mike Newman, President, Sheffield Photographic Society, 15.01.26.
Introducing Portrait of Bradford!
@rpsyorkshire is celebrating Bradford City of Culture 2025 with pop-up street portraits, capturing the incredible diversity, energy, and spirit of the city through its people.
We’re hitting the streets for just 3 exclusive sessions this year and we want you to be part of it!
Whether you live here, work here, or just love Bradford, this is your chance to step in front of the camera and show what makes the city of Bradford so special.
Follow us for shoot dates and locations and to see the amazing people we capture along the way.
Let’s celebrate Bradford, one portrait at a time. See the images on instagram https://www.instagram.com/portrait.of.bradford/
Quarterly Photo Theme – Shadows - Open Call
RPS Yorkshire is inviting photographers of all levels to explore the theme of Shadows—from dramatic silhouettes to delicate light play, shadows tell stories, create mystery, and transform the ordinary into art.
Tag #RPSYorkshire or email your photo submissions to yorkshirecomms@rps.org. Selected images will be part of a photo book and/or exhibition in 2025, showcasing Yorkshire’s vibrant photographic community.
Follow @rpsyorkshire on Instagram and Facebook
RPS Yorkshire Celebrates Bradford 2025 - Open Call
Let’s celebrate Bradford through the lens of its vibrant community. RPS Yorkshire wants to capture the heart of the city, its people, places, and rich history through photography. Whether it’s an old photograph or a mobile snapshot of today, share your moments with us! Tag your photos on Instagram using #RPSThisIsBradford or email your photo submission to yorkshirecomms@rps.org for your work to be featured and join in the celebration of Bradford’s past, present, and future!
Follow @rpsthisisbradford on Instagram www.instagram.com/rpsthisisbradford/
Photo Events in Yorkshire and surrounding areas
Lost Identity - Hasan Rahmani
A Moment of Silence
It began in a conversation that should have been simple. I knew what I wanted to say, but the words in my mouth were slow, clumsy, and strangely heavy. The language was not my own. Each sentence emerged twisted, stripped of the subtleties and rhythm I knew so well. When the moment passed, I felt as if part of me had been left behind — unheard, unexpressed, invisible.
That was when I realised that language is not only a tool for communication; it is the mirror in which we see ourselves. And when that mirror changes, so do we.
Hasan Rahmani is a conceptual photographer who explores how moving to a new country and learning a new language can change one's identity and a sense of belonging.
This collection explores how identity can be broken apart and rebuilt when navigating a new culture and language. The exhibition invites you to reflect on what it means to feel lost — and to find yourself again — through the power of everyday words.
3rd November to 22 January 2026 at The Bowery, Leeds, LS6 2AL
Encounters With The Calder
Jim Souper is a landscape and nature photographed based in West Yorkshire. His work reflects both his love of the natural landscape and his long-standing interest in landscape history. He studied contemporary photographic art at Batley School of Art & Design, graduating in 2009. He is an associate of the Royal Photographic Society and was certified as a climate aware photographer by the Carbon Literacy Project in 2022.
‘Encounters with the Calder’ is a personal exploration of our human relationship with the landscape and nature from both historical and contemporary perspectives. Following the course of West Yorkshire’s River Calder, Souper’s photographs depict the influence and impact of human activity along the reiver, from medieval times to the present day.
When: Saturday 31st January until Sunday 5th April, weekdays 09:00 – 17:00, weekends 10:00 – 16:00
Where: Photography Gallery, D Mill 2nd Floor, Dean Clough Mills, Halifax, HX3 5AX
All the Wood’s a Stage
The RPS Northern and Yorkshire Regions have arranged for Joe Cornish FRPS and Simon Baxter to host a small group visit to their exhibition “All the Wood’s a Stage” at Nunnington Hall in North Yorkshire.
There will be an introduction in the Oak Hall by Joe and Simon, they will then lead you upstairs to the exhibition space on the top floor to chat with you and answer questions you may have about their photography. Unfortunately, the exhibition is not accessible for people with mobility issues as it is up several flights of narrow stairs.
In addition, there are also two beautifully shot short films for visitors to enjoy. This exhibition promises a truly uplifting experience, inviting visitors to fall in love with woodland life all over again.
We want to share this excellent opportunity with those of you interested in landscape photography and anyone who would like to discover more about this genre.
The visit is being held on 12th March 2026 commencing at 10am.
Ian Beesley - Life Goes On
Life Goes On by Ian Beesley is showing in Gallery 2, Salt's Mill, Saltaire, until 2nd November 2026. Esteemed social documentary photographer Beesley, who was born in Bradford, will make some changes and additions to this exhibition of his life’s work during Bradford’s year as City of Culture. Life Goes On is open 10am-5pm, Wednesday to Sunday, admission free.
Committee and Contacts
GET IN TOUCH
See the committee page for contact emails for RPS Yorkshire Committee members. For general enquiries:
In the gallery
2024 Photo Walk - Manchester
Manchester photo walk in July 2024, provided a variety of city backdrops, walks along the Rochdale canal and a visit to Castlefields Viaduct. Because this event was so popular we had to run a second one and both days proved successful with over 18 per day attending. Although we all walked together it is interesting to see the variety of shots and perspectives we each shared.
2024 Photo Walk Anglesey
n June 2024, a group of ten photographers took to the island of Anglesey in North Wales for a weekend of strolling and obviously some photography. We had regular meet points and always started and ended the day with coffee or a beverage of choice. Although Anglesey is not a very large area geographically it does boast all different types of photography, with beautiful landscapes, coastal and heritage walks.
2024 Photo Walks - YSP
Yorkshire Sculpture Park; The Autumn photo walk took place in October being the last in the year, autumn rarely disappoints, with lighting and warm colour hues. Again a very successful day with over 16 attending, and as we independently strolled around there would be some obvious photography of choice and a chance to see the latest sculptures in and around the landscape. Once again it is interesting to see the variety and different perspectives when we were all in the same location.
Contemporary North Showcase
Contemporary North meets in York and is a subgroup of the RPS Contemporary Group. Shared here is a link to their regular newsletters that showcase their members' work. Many of whom are also members of the RPS Yorkshire Region. Enjoy!
RPS Yorkshire 2023 Exhibition
Our 2023 online members exhibition is now live. Thank you to all who took the time to submit work. Please do browse a while and enjoy!
Copyright Notice
The RPS Yorkshire website comprises and contains copyright materials. You may not distribute, copy, publish or use the images or any part of the images in any way whatsoever. You may not alter, manipulate, add to, or delete an image or any part of an image. Copyright for all the images remains with the photographer, contributor, or The Royal Photographic Society.