OPS Weekly Newsletter 22 March 2026

• Please start putting together your entries to our Digital Image Competition no 3 which takes place on 7 April.

1. Last meeting held on Tues 17 March: Best Use of Light competition

The results were:
First: Steve Field – Sun and Snow Scorched
Second: Keith Worthington – Cheetahs at Dawn
Third: Steve Field – Brightwell Barrow

Highly Commended
Mathew Lodge – Starlight Sunlight Lamplight
Maurici Brunet – Dancing Under Fire
Pete Warrington – Backwater Swan

Commended
Alan Lewis – Flamingo
Ian Bray – Night Vision
Jill Bain – Light on the Trees
Sandra Newton – Mycena covered in Pin Mould

Congratulations to all who took part.

2. Next meeting Tues 24 March: Imagine with Rob Ferrands

Rob will talk about photography as a ‘practice’: does it make any difference to the making and showing of our images. He has come to believe that it does by shaping imagination within ideas of change and continuity; what may otherwise be considered as haphazard is dignified by the idea of developing practice through time. Practice becomes a deliberate frame within which we may see the world and exercise our imagination.

3. Upcoming meetings/events

• 31 March: The Cameraman’s Cut with Colin Clarke ARPS
• 7 April: Digital Image Competition no 3 – Judge: Mark Buckley-Sharp
• 14 April: Less is More with Linda Wride

You can see the programme here and download it:

4. Photographic events in and around Oxford

Camera Club: Spring Exhibition
Camera Club is part of The North Wall’s YouthLab programme, which supports young people aged 12-17 in developing their creative skills alongside professional artists. Every year a group of 6-8 aspiring photographers works with artist Elina Medley to create images using digital SLR cameras and then to curate an exhibition of photography.
Sat 28 March to Thur 2 April.
This exhibition takes place at Magdalen Road Studios

FOTO FOLIO : A Studio Portrait Photography Workshop imagex
A Studio Portraiture workshop for advanced enthusiast – professional photographers.
1-5PM/£50 + booking fee/Sat 11th Apr 26
imagex, Unit C2, Bure Place, Pioneer Sq, Bicester, OX26 6FA

Spring Wonder: mindful photography walk & gentle writing reflections
The Lamb and Flag with the Writing Well
Mindful image gathering and guided writing response. All levels welcome. Free coffee and pastries.
10am–12.30pm/£30/Sat 18th Apr 26
The Lamb & Flag12 St Giles Oxford

Oxford Photomarathon
12 topics, 12 Photos, 24 Hours
July 25-26 2026
The First Oxford Photomarathon will start at 10:00am on July 25, 2026
Save the date! You will have 24 hours to take 12 photos – the subjects will have a distinct Oxford theme, but you can be based anywhere in the world if you can’t make it here.
www.oxfordphotomarathon.com

5. Exhibitions further a field

Best photography exhibitions to see in 2026
• Astronomy Photographer of the Year, National Maritime Museum
• Bird Photographer of the Year, touring
• RPS Landscape Group Members’ Outdoor Exhibition, touring
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year 61, Natural History Museum
• Boris Mikhailov: Ukrainian Diary, The Photographers’ Gallery
• Lee Miller, Tate Britain
• Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2025, National Portrait Gallery
• Richard Avedon: Facing West, Gagosian Grosvenor Hill
• The Last Resort, Martin Parr Foundation
• Catherine Opie: To Be Seen, National Portrait Gallery
• Sony World Photography Awards 2026, Somerset House
• Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait, National Portrait Gallery
• Tim Walker’s Fairyland: Love and Legends, National Portrait Gallery
• Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2026, National Portrait Gallery
More detail here:

6. General photographic interest

‘I was relieved I got the shot without my phone ending up in the sea!’: Easelyn Pineda’s best phone picture
As the weather turned, the photographer caught two traditional Filipino spearfishers in motion
The Sony World Photography awards 2026 exhibition is at Somerset House, London, 17 April-4 May.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/mar/21/easelyn-pineda-best-phone-picture

Manure dryers and devil dancers: the British empire’s attempt to use photography to control India
In a new exhibition, the featured images reflect Britain’s attempts to classify and curb the subcontinent’s population, but they also demonstrate the nobility of their subjects – and the futility of the task
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/mar/19/british-empire-photography-to-control-india-colonialism

I spent a decade underwater to capture these beautifully surreal seascapes
In the digital world, where cameras are equipped with ultra-high resolution sensors and hyper-sensitive autofocus systems, loaded with clever AI-powered technology, it can be difficult to see how photography can get any better.

How Many Images Are Stored On Your Phone?
Before you tell me the answer to this question, let’s look at some 2026 data from a report conducted by photoaid.com. Smartphones capture 92.5% of all photographs, with just 7.5% made by conventional cameras. 61% of people typically keep their photos private, while 55% review them for nostalgia and 53% share them on social media. Nearly 54% of smartphone users, not surprisingly, find it overwhelming to search their phones for specific photos.

Royal Photographic Society
What’s On: ongoing and upcoming events
https://events.rps.org/en/?search=&sortBy=date&category=&date=TODAY&keywords=&_gl=1*1o0ug6h*_up*MQ..*_ga*Nzc4MTI4NzAxLjE3NzQyMTM0NzM.*_ga_S81K0HL4FW*czE3NzQyMTM0NzIkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzQyMTM0NzIkajYwJGwwJGgw