the Photographer - Issue Two 2022

The Magazine of the BIPP / 2022 / Issue Two

100 YEAR EDITION th

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ISSUE T WO, 2022

Qualifications 6 We take a look at the latest qualifying panels from BIPP members A Literary Century 16 BIPP member Mark Gerson reflects on his career photographing iconic literary figures Rally Sweden 24 Grahame Soden ABIPP covers the faced paced and icy environment of the FIA World Rally Championship

the Photographer is published four times a year by the British Institute of Professional Photography, The Artistry House, 16 Winckley Square, Preston, Lancashire PR1 3JJ T: 01772 367968 E: admin@bipp.com W: www.bipp.com

CEO: Martin Baynes President: Jon Cohen

Venture Awards 31 Find out the process behind the winning images from a leading photographic studio’s annual competition

Choosing Lighting 44 The Light Doctor, Simon Burfoot, prescribes a selection of fundamental techniques to light your subjects

FEP Spotlight 32 We speak with the FEP’s Photographer of the Year 2022 and discover the stories behind the winning images

Bubble Beats 52 Kym Cox FBIPP merges art and science in a series of images that capture a visual vibration of sound

Interview with David Puttnam 36 Politician, educator and film producer, we speak with member David Puttnam about his lifelong passion and connection with photography

Inescapable 54 Kirsty Anne Wilson details her own experience living with chronic illness and mental and physical battles endured, which she’s documented through her photography

Directors: ABIPP Monir Ali ABIPP Barrie Spence LBIPP Johanna Elizabeth (Chair) LBIPP Lucy Newson FBIPP John Miskelly (Treasurer)

Editor: Joel Hansen, editor@bipp.com

Regional Chairs: Barrie Spence ABIPP (Scotland) Argha Dutta LBIPP (North West) David Taylor FBIPP (Midlands) Irene Cooper ABIPP (Yorkshire) Monir Ali LBIPP (South East) Matt Curtis LBIPP (Cotswold)

ISSN: 0031-8698. Printed and bound by Magazine Printing Company, Hoddesdon, Herts

Advertising: Tel 01772 367968 E-mail: admin@bipp.com UK Subscribers £30, Rest of the World £60

Neither the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) nor any of its employees, members, contractors or agents accepts any responsibility whatsoever for loss of or damage to photographs, illustrations or manuscripts or any other material submitted, howsoever caused. The views expressed in this magazine are the views of individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the BIPP. All advertisements are accepted and all editorial matter published in good faith. The Publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, that any particular product or service is available at the time of publication or at any given price. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, or stored in a retrieval system, or broadcast, published or exhibited without the prior permission of the publisher.

This magazine is the copyright of the BIPP without prejudice to the right of contributors and photographers as defined in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. Registered at Stationers’ Hall, Ref B6546, No. 24577. © BIPP 2022

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CEO M A R T I N B AY N E S

D

ear Members, Welcome to the summer edition of the photographer. Over the past few days, we have had the hottest days on record. Last week, I visited four of our regions for their ‘Regional Awards’. All four meetings were well attended and some wonderful photography was on show. Congratulations to all the merit winners who scored over 75, to the 1st 2nd and 3rd places, a great achievement and the regional photographer of the year, you should be very proud of yourselves. Some fantastic work once again shows our membership’s diversity with images from all different disciplines of photography doing well.

attractive for people to be involved, we will be able to have multiple ambassadors in a region spreading the workload and having more events happening in the regions both via electronic means and in person.

As you receive this magazine, we will have released a slideshow of the images on social media and we will have some of the images in the next magazine.

By the time the magazine arrives with you, the national print competition will be open, we are excited to see who will be crowned British Institute of Professional Photography, ‘Photographer of the Year 2022’.

My thanks to our regional chairs and their hardworking helpers who are all volunteers. Barrie Spence, Gerry Coe, Argha Dutta, Irene Cooper, David Taylor, Monir Ali and Matt Curtis. We can’t thank you enough.

One of the BIPP’s big projects for 2022 was the updating of our Articles of Association, this is the governing document from which we work. It has been many years since it has had a full overhaul.

John Miskelly FBIPP, who is our Hon Treasurer has worked tirelessly on bringing them up to date, with input from the Board of Directors. The changes will allow the membership to be more engaged and make decisions on important matters. One of the biggest is allowing us to have the AGM online so members from their studio or home can attend and vote, which was not possible in the past.

We are also making changes to the regions and updating the language used to make it more accessible for groups in these sometimes massive regional areas to put on events, to be more inclusive and give better value to the membership.

Regional chairs will be updated to ambassadors and committees to leadership groups making it more 2 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

Of course, the membership will need to vote on the changes which we are communicating via email and letter. I hope the members get behind these improvements and attend the EGM via Zoom on September the 6th when we will vote on the changes. Before this EGM during the consultation period, any member will be able to ask questions and ask for amendments to the proposed changes.

Over the next few weeks and months a huge amount is going on, please read the newsletter we send you for the most up-to-date information.

Qualifications are now open for October, now is the time to start preparing your supporting evidence and getting 20 images together. We only have 13 spots available on the 3rd and 4th of October, which will be the last qualification for 2022. We are excited to say will be at the RPS house in Bristol in their purpose-built qualifications theatre.

My thanks go to Evan Dawson the CEO of the Royal Photographic Society and his team for this opportunity.

As well as the EGM on the 6th of September we will have the AGM in November (hopefully the 24th, TBC) along with the national awards and Christmas bash, put this in your diary and let’s have a wonderful day and evening celebrating photography. We are looking at either Preston or the centre of Birmingham for the venue and will let you have the details as soon as we can.

Have a wonderful and profitable summer.

PRESIDENT J O N CO H E N

I

n my time at Fujifilm I got to know the One Vision team pretty well, although MD Derek Poulston would wryly point out that contact from me usually meant a price increase.

Despite this I was allowed onto their stand at the Societies Convention and I really enjoyed catching up with Derek along with Chris Roberts and Nick Pancisi, it was great to see that they’re still developing new ideas, installing new technology and continuing to support emerging photographers as well as their established clients.

Derek sums up their operation and ethos like this: “First and foremost, we are a team of like-minded people that are passionate about the process of taking and making pictures. We love what we do, and having the love for the art of photography is how it all started over 50 years ago. Many of our staff are keen photographers. In fact, many of the team are either photo enthusiasts or working photographers in our spare time, 3 with photography degrees. Between us we have over 110-year’s experience in picture framing, and a combined 150-years plus in photographic printing”.

I spoke to One Vision customer Anneka Harden as it’s always nice to get a client perspective (thanks Anneka!). Having given up a successful career in nursing to follow her passion Anneka is now a multi award winning photographer and highly complementary about One Vision’s support and service.

Anneka made the point that going for awards has been instrumental in pushing her photography forward, she obviously loves working with young families and this really comes over in her images. Much of her work comes from referrals and Instagram but it’s backed up by something that Anneka has worked hard to develop - a strong and recognisable brand.

In Anneka’s own words “I’ve been a photographer for 8 years (4 years full-time). I’ve always provided a mobile service as I didn’t want to have a home studio, so I just started to travel to my clients.

Over the years, on recommendations alone, my client base has expanded massively. Not only for clients loving my work but also because I provide a mobile service which offers a clear advantage for parents, among many other things they don’t have to stress about getting everything ready to leave the house.

I love nothing more than to see my work displayed on peoples’ walls in their homes. I offer albums and mostly pieces of wall art from One Vision Imaging, who I’ve used since the start of my photography career.

During the session I chat to my clients about the products

I offer and show them examples on my phone, as well as taking along a few physical wall art samples in One Vision’s handy ‘Art Bags’. I even hand deliver the wall art clients have purchased as I believe this adds to the quality of my “mobile” service.

I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and am happy to continue to work this way”.

It’s great to hear Anneka so positive about seeing her work printed, for me quality prints are what really set professional photographers apart and thankfully in the UK we have no shortage of high quality professional print operators.

I also saw some lovely print work when NW Regional Chair Argha Dutta and I visited the Williamson Art Gallery to meet Kirsty Anne Wilson and see her degree exhibition. It’s a lovely gallery and Kirsty Anne had a perfect spot to display her work, a series of stunning A0 size (84x119cm approx) prints all produced by DS Colour Labs in Stockport. It was no surprise but still excellent news to hear that she received a first, as well as best in the entire degree show, more about Kirsty Anne’s work in this issue.

As for me myself, well while backpacking up in the Outer Hebrides I met up with Storm Alex which certainly made for some spectacular weather (gold stars to Terra Nova for bomb proof tents!) but then on a much nicer note I met up with Steve Walton FBIPP at his home on the beautiful island of Scalpay, I’ve always admired Steve’s landscape work so it was great to catch up with him.

Tony Othen’s book, The best of Times the Worst of Times, was a nice welcome package when I returned, it’s a collection of historic and often poignant images with a thoughtful introduction about his feelings on the purpose of photography, the why we took an image rather than how we took an image.

This book was produced by Colin Wilkinson’s Bluecoat Press in Liverpool, I think it’s Colin’s last book before retirement, Colin has helped so many photographers bring their work to a printed publication, as Tony Othen says of his book “This book would never have seen the light of day but for the tireless efforts and considerable vision of Colin Wilkinson of Bluecoat Press. His lifelong contribution to the photographic world has been enormous”.

Echoed by many photographers I think, best wishes to Colin for an enjoyable retirement.

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 3

E D I TO R ’ S N OT E 2022

T

his issue marks the 100th year of ‘The Photographer’ magazine, first published under the title the ‘Record’ in July 1922.

Being in circulation for an entire century is a testament to the quality of content the publication has sustained throughout its history, and the fact we’re publishing in 2022 - in the era print media has become near obsolete - shows there is still a place for print in a digital world.

Especially for photographers, the appreciation for printed images is something we all recognise, whether for an exhibition or wedding album - the value of the material object is undeniable.

Although the necessity of the medium is fading, we, as humans, still want to possess actual items regardless of their availability digitally. The resurgence in vinyl is a perfect example; even with endless amounts of music at the touch of a button, vinyl itself symbolises something more.

The feel, touch and smell of print fulfils something digital can’t. Or maybe it’s just nostalgia? An idealised identity we project onto parts of the world that no longer serve a purpose, but I’m not sure if that’s entirely true.

I think so much of our lives are spent staring into digital screens that print media gives us a break away from flicking from one tab to the next or mindlessly scrolling through a social feed.

As it’s a milestone edition, I wanted to provide features that commemorate the longevity of The Photographer. I was glad to encounter the ideal story when Sharron Caunce, the BIPP Office Manager, pointed out that one of our members, Mark Gerson FBIPP, turned 100 years old this year.

It was an absolute privilege to interview and photograph Mark at his home in Primrose Hill, 4 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

London. Much of my job role is office-based, and the majority of my interviews take place over the phone, but for this, I felt it was important to meet Mark in person. To chat and unravel the life of a man who captured such a wealth of iconic portraits of literary figures and to then take his portrait is an experience that will remain with me.

Another feature I’m thrilled to publish in this edtion was my interview with honorary BIPP member David Puttnam. When I first came across David’s name in our database, he was currently a Lord in the Houses of Lords, which sparked my interest to Google his name to find out more. I discovered that not only has he been an instrumental figure for the Labour Party, of which I’m a supporter, but that he was the producer behind an array of classic films, in particular, Midnight Express, which is a film I’ve always remembered for the striking visual portrayal of a Turkish prison. David’s career has moved across photography, film, politics and education and impacted the culture of Britain and beyond; learning his story was fascinating, and, most of all, it was inspiring to hear his understanding, appreciation and passion for photography.

Outside of my interviews, I’ve asked members to contribute pieces. As always, I was amazed by the variety of photography our membership produces.

Katrina Whitehead’s article exploring photography in crime novels is an area I’ve not encountered before, and her images most definitely convey an apt eeriness to them. The subject matter crosses from science into art, which is also seen in Kym Cox’s Bubble Beats images that take a systematic approach to create unique patterns formed by music.

Another element I want to bring to the 100th year edition was a look into the magazine heritage, which I was able to start to unpick after visiting Birmingham Library with the CEO, Martin Baynes. We found what looks to be much of the magazine collection archived, which is something I hope to bring into the public eye over the 100th year.

BIPP 100 Y E A R S O F T H E B I P P M A G A Z I N E

The Magazine of the BIPP / 2022 / Issue One

Fleeting Reflections Dive into the world of elusive abstract imagery with Mike Curry FBIPP

FEP Spotlight

Nikon Z9

Meet multi-disciplined photographer operating between New York and Lisbon, João Carlos

Dr Paul Wilkinson examines one of the most sought-after cameras on the market

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 5

F E L LO W S H I P FINE ART

Fellowship Barrie Spence

Joining the BIPP in March 2019, Barrie Spence has rapidly become a staple throughout the association, from first becoming Regional Chair for Scotland to then sitting as a board director for the organisation. Alongside the internal support he volunteers for the membership, he’s quickly progressed through the BIPP qualifications structure and, in just a few years, now holds a Fellowship honours in Fine Art with the BIPP after qualifying in April this year.We speak with Barrie about his journey and find what it takes to create a successful panel.

How does it feel to have achieved your Fellowship?

It was a massive relief - for a variety of reasons, I’d missed a couple of the previous qualification dates and was feeling the pressure on this one (procrastination didn’t help). I think I smiled all the way home afterwards.

What was the inspiration behind the panel?

The theme for the panel came from a pair of images shot with Lilith during her extended stay with us during the first lockdown in 2020.

When shown them, Trevor Yerbury told me to shoot more like them as a fellowship panel. Fortunately for Lilith (unfortunately for the project), she had been able to get home to Gothenburg by that point, but she came back to shoot more in October 2020 and again in January this year.

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Images © Barrie Spence

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F E L LO W S H I P BARRIE SPENCE

Can you tell us a bit about the planning process?

Really, it was planned to shoot lots of variations on the theme and then pick and assemble what fits as a panel! Because these images have a strong geometrical component, we shot many where poses were reversed to balance other shots.

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Images © Barrie Spence

F E L LO W S H I P FINE ART

What was the most challenging part of the journey?

I al always find the initial selection of the set of images to be the hardest part. That can be make or break for a panel - not that an image might not be a strong image, but that it doesn’t fit well in the panel. When I’m advising anyone, I always tell them that the whole panel is the first image the judges see and it should be pleasing to the eye in itself.

I think many of us find it hard to select objectively from our own work and that gets harder if our work spans a broad set of subject matter and genres - trying to fit to a single category and not show a bit of everything can be a real struggle (the first time - it does get easier).

Images © Barrie Spence

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 9

F E L LO W S H I P BARRIE SPENCE

What piece of advice would you give to someone starting their BIPP qualification journey?

Don’t attempt it without the advice of a mentor (and listen to them). You need the help and guidance of someone who understands the process to help you avoid simple (and possibly) costly mistakes.

Also, reach each out to as many people as possible to get their input.

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F E L LO W S H I P FINE ART

What was the most important factor in creating a successful Fellowship panel?

I think there are a number of factors. The images themselves are the obvious answer, but that’s just the start - meticulous attention to detail in the image processing and the construction of the panel itself, but print quality and presentation are all significant factors.

Images © Barrie Spence

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 11

F L E E FTIIO NN G AR ES FP LE ENCCTEI O N S MAI KSES OC CUIRAT R YE SFHB I P P

I

just joined the British Institute of Professional a treat. :) I’m so proud of him too. Ideally my thought Photography last November as a business partner. was to have three rows of seven, but since it is not the When I was told I had a qualification for Licentiate process followed here, I had designed the panel for the to aim towards in the first year, I decided to go for two rows of ten as normal. Popped back downstairs a print qualification rather than a digital one as it while the judges deliberated and also after they were was important to me that the photographs had to given my supporting evidence which was printed as a be panelled physically. We aim to get prints on our magazine by GraphiStudio. None of my panel was in clients walls so being assessed that way makes sense to the supporting evidence and I used it to show some me. Secretly, I like the panel t was all very encouraging alternate images using different creation as well. Of course it techniques, some in colour, and constructive and I costs more to print and mount some mono and different topics loved how everyone’s it all and take it to The Artistry (portraits and even some travel/ House, but I think it is so heart was in the right place. I also abstract landscapes). worth it. I asked for a mentor and Annemarie Farley kindly enjoyed enormously the fact we The panel was art nude and helped give me advice to try could meet people again, from all in mono on a matt, fine and make this successful. Many the lovely folks who work at The art paper. It was loosely titled thanks for her patience and and Flesh’ although Artistry House, the judges and ‘Fabric encouraging words. it ran the full gamut and the chair of judges and the other folks pedant in me should have called On the day, we assembled it ‘Fabric and/or Flesh’ (urgh. attending their qualification.” downstairs at Preston and after Yes I know). It seemed no time a lovely wander through the park to source some coffee, at all until I was being called upstairs to hear what the we had breakfast with fellow panelists. I was first on the judges had to say. I was completely delighted that day so popped upstairs to assemble my panel aided by not only had they unanimously qualified it for Barrie and Martin Baynes. I was very specific that I had a Licentiateship, they had also unanimously to go before Barrie as I knew they would be viewing upgraded it to an Associateship qualification. his fellowship panel next and I knew they were in for To add icing to the cake they had thought it

“I

A single shot of a reflection of an office building in Canary Wharf entitled The Kiss © Mike Curry

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F L E EFTI IONNGARSEPFELN E C ET I O N S M I K EF ICNUERAR RY TF B I P P

merited being assessed against the Fellowship criteria.

Here’s where it fell down slightly and I got some lovely feedback from one judge in the room and from others less formally throughout the morning and even days afterwards on how it was ’so close’. Lots of things to think about on how to achieve the next rung. It was all very encouraging and constructive and I loved how everyone’s heart was in the right place. I also enjoyed enormously the fact we could meet people again, from the lovely folks who work at The Artistry House, the judges and chair of judges and the other folks attending their qualification.

studio and rather than some direct sunlight in the east facing window, I put some scrim over the outside of the window to soften the natural light in the shooting space. After that it was selecting an aperture disc to pop on the front of the lens baby and making a good twist of the lens after attempting focus. It all converts into different degrees of smoosh after that. Well there was also contending with our dog (Kara) running into shot in a behind the scenes lens baby shot that I like to call, ‘Help! My dog is melting’. This particular shot was mostly done in camera and with only a very small amount of lightroom work and no photoshop at all.

I have been asked about the cover photograph on my supporting evidence. It is titled ‘As In A Dream’. That was perhaps the most anomalous picture there. While still an art nude study, it was an experiment on art nude taken with a lens baby. On that particular day, I wanted the delicious light from the small corridor next to the kitchen at the

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 13

FIONA SPENCE A S S O C I AT E S H I P

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Image © Fiona Spence

A L I S O N M C M AT H L I C E N T I AT E S H I P

I

t feels great to have achieved LBIPP. Presenting my panel in print was a fantastic experience as I received tremendous feedback in-person from the judges. That day gave me the motivation to move forwards with confidence. I won’t let anything stop me and have already started work on my next panel after encouragement from the judges.

This particular image I call Summer’s Gaze. It was inspired by Sally Mann, an American photographer known for her black and white portraits of her family and the American South. I love the intensity of her images. They can often make the viewer feel uncomfortable, exploring the time between childhood

Image © Alison McMath

and adolescence. When Kiera walked into my studio with her mum, I immediately knew I had to take her portrait in this style. Her face was covered in freckles from a recent holiday and her blue eyes were so intense.

Taking inspiration from Sally Mann, I went for the look of a girl playing dress up in her mother’s clothes.

I raided my prop box, finding a floral headband and a vintage head scarf. We headed to our local park on a late summer afternoon. I shot wide open to create that blurry background and focused in on her eyes. Luckily Kiera was great at taking direction and gave me the perfect intense gaze, almost a frown. Post processing involved upping the contrast and brightening her eyes a little. I wanted it to look gritty and as real as possible.

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 15

MARK GERSON A LITERARY CENTURY

A Literary Century in Images Mark Gerson FBIPP, who recently turned 100 is the BIPP’s oldest and longest-serving member, after joining the association in January 1940. Mark’s entire photographic portfolio consists of portraits of renowned literary figures from over the 20th Century from poets, authors and playwrights; they’ve all been captured and sitting in dust jackets of publications around the globe The legacy of images was celebrated in an exhibition entitled Literati Photographs hosted by the National Portrait Gallery in 1996, where many of Mark’s images feature in the gallery’s permanent collection.

After reaching out for an interview, Editor Joel Hansen visited Mark in his home in Primrose Hill, London, in March 2022.

Do you remember when you first wanted to become a photographer?

My sister, who is 15 years older than me, worked in a very well-known photographic studio in the centre of town called Linear. Consequently, this brought my interest in photography.

My mother was very interested in getting me into photography, especially as my elder sister had already been involved in it, so my mother arranged an apprenticeship for me. The apprenticeship wasn’t an apprenticeship as such but as a way of getting cheap labour – I soon realised that but it got me in there. The place I worked in was called Chester Studio’s and they’re based on Blenheim St West 1, just off Baker Street.

What type of photography was done in the studio?

It was all to do with products, the people in Chester Studios had various contracts but it all referred to products, not portraiture or anything like that.

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Mark Gerson © Joel Hansen

MARK GERSON A LITERARY CENTURY

The Faber Poets ((Frederick) Louis MacNeice; Ted Hughes; T.S. Eliot; W.H. Auden; Stephen Spender)

By Mark Gerson, 23 June 1960 How did you go from working in a product based photographic studio to photographing famous literary figures?

What happened was, I had an aunt, Betty Miller, whose son Jonathan Miller was a known theatre director. I took photographs of Betty for her first book, and then it was through her that I got in touch with a magazine which she wrote for that was called John O London’s Weekly - it was very well known in its time – and then John O London’s Weekly give me the entry into photographing literary people.

I also realised what the copyright situation was – that if I wanted to retain copyright – I had to invite them to be photographed otherwise if they had commissioned me, they retain the copyright. It was a very important point.

So, you would request to photograph people and sell it on to maintain your copyright?

Exactly. I realised this right away after working for a few months for John O London’s Weekly that it was extremely valuable. So of course, now later on when people ask me for photographs, I already had the copyright. Having the copyright, I photographed people like Evelyn Waugh, Edith Sitwell; a lot of the people I photographed were for the publishers Faber & Faber.

Image © Mark Gerson

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MARK GERSON A LITERARY CENTURY

I come across a iconic shot titled The Faber Poets featuring Louis McNeice, T.S. Eliot, Ted Hughes, W.H.Auden, Stephen Spender…

It has been used time and time again.

It not that it is anything special as a photograph, but it is the people in it.

Did you have an interest in writing or poetry yourself?

No, I gained interest over time, but I never started with an interest in it particularly.

Throughout your portfolio, do you have any photos you are most proud of or any memorable images?

Yes, there is that one [points to a photograph on the wall], that is Royster William Golding who wrote Lord of the Flies, that’s been very wildly used.

Another photograph is outside there on the wall, which I got after my exhibition in the National Portrait Gallery called Literati.

This image by Annemarie sparks that word again - Passion - this time for flowers. That combined with appropriate technique helped by old Russian lenses allow her to create a mood and atmosphere.

In this picture of Royster William Golding playing chess, what made you frame how you did?

Sheer chance. It was in his home, if I remember rightly, it was Dorsetshire and just happened to be playing chess, and it all came together.

What was it like seeing all your photographs in one exhibition?

I was very proud of it. It meant a lot to me personally, because once people knew I had an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, it gave me a bigger status, which wouldn’t have happened in any other way.

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Royster William Golding by Mark Gerson, August 1970 When did the National Portrait Gallery start collecting your images?

There was a chap there called Terence Pepper, he was a kind of press officer and I got very friendly with him, so consequently, when he would need something doing, he would ring me up and ask me to photograph ‘so and so’. And that introduction was very valuable because I would contact the people and no one was going to say no, we don’t want the people at the National Portrait Gallery to photograph them – the status was much too high.

Image © Mark Gerson

MARK GERSON A LITERARY CENTURY

J.B. Priestley; Jacquetta Hawkes by Mark Gerson, July1960 Did you have a ‘go to’ camera you used throughout your career?

I started off using a 5inch by 4inch camera, which was very cumbersome really – it had to be on a tripod, and you had to put the slide in and take the slide out. After that I started to use the Rolleiflex, which I really enjoyed, I used it with an attachment as well which gave me a viewfinder at eye level.

When looking through your portfolio, I noticed many images were taken in the subject’s homes, was this a choice you made?

I enjoyed doing it, you do get a different viewpoint if you’re photographing in their home. I mean I had a studio in Marble Arch where they could come, but it isn’t quite the same thing, whereas by chance you could just get a shot in their home which you wouldn’t get normally – it means quite a lot.

I got very friendly with Anthony Burgess for example and photographed him with his first wife and then his second, it wasn’t just taking a photograph, it was the fact you were really friendly with them, which made a hell of a difference because you get that rapport.

Image © Mark Gerson

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MARK GERSON A LITERARY CENTURY

“I

enjoyed doing it, you do get a different viewpoint if you’re photographing in their home. ”

Mark Gerson © Joel Hansen

What was it like when you first joined the BIPP or IIP in 1940?

Of course, 1940 was the beginning of the 2nd World War. I did a course at the Region Polytechnic in photography; it was a very strange time, the 2nd World War had started but nothing really happened – it was called the ‘phoney war’ – things happened after Dunkirk. I was a very patriotic person and I wanted to do my bit as it were and went to Uxbridge to do a test and it wasn’t until later, I went into the Air Force, because there was no uniform for me, so I had to wait until February 1941 until I entered the Air Force, where I spent 5 years.

What was your role in the Air Force?

Pilot Operative.

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MARK GERSON A LITERARY CENTURY

Anthony Burgess by Mark Gerson, 1964

So you helped out in the control rooms?

That’s right. I never did anything in action – I flew in something called an Armstrong Whitley which was kind cumbersome air craft which did about 130mph – it was never used in action – I enjoyed it because it felt like you were doing something, although you weren’t really but the effort seemed to be the right thing to do. I enjoyed flying – it was incredibly exhilarating.

Do have any standout moment from your career?

The photograph of Evelyn Waugh certaintly. The shots I took of him between the two sphinx is just right: I’m very proud of the photograph.

Image © Mark Gerson

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MARK GERSON A LITERARY CENTURY

Evelyn Waugh by Mark Gerson, 1963 What was the process? Did you meet your subjects and speak to them first? And suss out the surroundings before photographing them?

Mainly if you’re working in someone’s home you go for where the light is, so you get the meter out and think that’s nice I can do something here.

What advice would you give a photographer today?

The photographer themselves must have the personality which allows them to get the photograph.

I met Lord Snowden at a few shows, and he always had a good personality – charming.

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Images © Mark Gerson

MARK GERSON A LITERARY CENTURY

Edith Sitwell by Mark Gerson, 1962 It must have been incredible, you’ve must have met some of the most iconic figures of the 20th Century?

I had a close relationship with Roald Dahl. I got some good shots of him, he was living in small town, Great Missenden, in Buckinghamshire and he did all his work in a little hut in the garden which was rather interesting and in one of my shots, you can see he’s all wrapped up because it was a bit cold.

Do you keep up with the world of photography today?

Oh yes. I’m always interested in seeing something which strikes me.

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 23

F I A W O R L D R A L LY GRAHAME SODEN ABIPP

Rally Sweden 2022 Grahame Soden ABIPP, ARPS, based in Sweden, shares his experience covering the FIA World Rally Championship, from the planning process and gaining access to the photographic equipment needed and the techniques used to capture an impactful shot in the fast-paced, snowy conditions.

Umeå – “The Roaring River” A settlement where Umeå now stands was first mentioned in the 14th century and, by the 1600s, the settlement had grown to around 40 dwellings.

Umeå is about 600 km (370 miles) north of Stockholm and ca. 400 km (250 miles) south of the Arctic Circle and is the nearest “big city” to where I live. “Nearest” and “big city” are relative terms: it is about 160 km (100 miles) from Lycksele Kommun where I live, and has just 130,000 souls living there.

It enjoys a sub-arctic climate with summer highs of 30°C (mid 80s°F) and winter lows of -30°C (-22°F). It has many good hotels & restaurants, boutiques, a cinema, opera and concert hall, and was the European Capital of Culture in 2014.

And in 2022 it became the new home to Rally Sweden!

24 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

F I A W O R L D R A L LY GRAHAME SODEN ABIPP

The FIA World Rally Championship The Fédération Internationale De L’Automobile (FIA) is the governing body of world motor sport and the WRC is an FIA accredited event that began in 1973. Rally Sweden is the WRC Promoter in Sweden and has been based in Karlstad, about 800 km (500 miles) south of Umeå since inception.

Over the last couple of years, the deteriorating snow & ice conditions that far south (no doubt due to global heating) have caused Rally Sweden to look for a new home “up north” and Umeå was chosen.

I have moved house a few times in my life and can vouch that the logistics of even a domestic move can be difficult & stressful. I can’t imagine what it must be like moving a commercial, international, major sporting event – an event that requires hundreds of miles of road, spectator & media facilities, accommodation & infrastructure. Oh, and don’t forget Covid.

All I can say is well done FIA, Rally Sweden, and Umeå!

Images © Grahame Soden

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 25

F I A W O R L D R A L LY GRAHAME SODEN ABIPP

The Event The event took place from Thursday 24th February 2022 to Sunday 27th. I began my application for accreditation just before Christmas 2021; fortunately I also booked hotel & restaurants at the same time.

They were booked solid after Christmas.

As I live in Sweden and have Swedish citizenship too – I could apply for accreditation direct to FIA, or to the local promoter Rally Sweden. I applied to both, which was just as well because FIA rejected me (twice!) but Rally Sweden accredited me as a Journalist on 7th February. This meant that I was able to get into all the stages, and take photographs, but couldn’t enter the restricted photo-zones, which was OK with me. I’ve had this restricted access at other big sporting events and know it’s just a question of limited supply and massive demand for a photo-pass – not a reflection of your abilities.

I’m getting a bit old for the cut & thrust of big events and realised that I would probably be on my feet for longer as a journalist than otherwise, so had to opt for lighter gear than usual for sports photography. I took an APS-C crop-sensor body with a 70–200 mm f2.8, (plus a 1.4 extender sometimes) and a full frame with a 50 mm lens. Camera settings for the action were auto iso (limited to iso 3200), 1/1000th sec, aperture f2.8 to f4 or 5.6. Burst mode and a fairly

26 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

steady hand meant a good “keeper” percentage to choose from. The lighting in the evening was a problem, as every light source (car spots, gantry lights, track side lights) were all at a different colour temperature so I have, mostly, not tried for perfect white balance as it was not possible.

Over the past couple of years I’ve really sidelined my APS-C body as it can’t compete with the full-frame bodies but – it does give greater reach. I gave it a good try-out with the 200 mm lens (and the lens extender) in the week before the event, and was pleasantly surprised. In good light with a high-enough shutter speed for the “action” it was more than good enough.

Friendly, exciting, well-organised, and LOUD! That just about summarises my experience. And very close to the action, virtually track-side – certainly at the Red Barn Arena.

After a snowy start on the Thursday, the sky cleared and Rally Sweden enjoyed near perfect weather – not too cold, clear, good sunshine – for the whole event.

The Historic event at The Red Barn Arena in Umeå, and the Sunday Power Stage at Sarsjöliden took place in idyllic conditions for photography and winter picnics.

F I A W O R L D R A L LY GRAHAME SODEN ABIPP

Results 1st K. Rovanperä (Finland) & J. Halttunen co-driver in a GR Yaris Rally 1 - car 69 2nd T. Neuville (Belgium) & M. Wydaeghe co-driver in a i20 N Rally 1 - car 11 3rd E. Lappi (Finland) & J. Ferm co-driver in a GR Yaris Rally 1 - car 4

Grateful thanks to: Hans Bäckström, Deputy National Press Officer and Accreditations Officer, Rally Sweden, for my accreditation and Katharina Wand, my muse, driver, eyes & ears.

Images © Grahame Soden

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 27

F E P S P OT L I G H T P E D R O LU I S A J U R I A G U E R R A

FE P Sp o tl i g h t Pedro Luis Ajuriaguerra is a professional photographer living in Bilbao, Spain. He currently collaborates with magazines such as BAO Bilbao Magazine, Bilbao Tourism, Bilbao Bizkaia Tour Magazine, BilbON Magazine and freelances for different sports promoters such as MGZ Promotions, Euskobox, Matchroom, Athletic Club de Bilbao and for institutions such as the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.

Pedro’s photographic work has featured in multiple exhibitions throughout the world; alongside this, he’s sat as a judge in over 25 international photography contests. A member of the Federation of European Photographers (FEP), his most recent accolade was achieving FEP Photographer of the Year 2022 and category winner in both Sport and Nature.

T

hanks to macro photography, we can discover and appreciate details that are otherwise hidden from us. In this project, Insects the Little Strangers, I have photographed a variety of insects to give them greater prominence by showing their unique beauty.

All kinds of insects, damselflies, butterflies, Coleoptera mosquitoes and more - all distinctive, extravagant and beautiful, with a multitude of details unseen by the naked eye. We can see the devil’s horns on the damselflies crown, which with the dew drops shows us a spectacular beauty with its compound eyes.

28 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

“A

ll kinds of insects, damselflies, butterflies, Coleoptera mosquitoes and more - all distinctive, extravagant and beautiful, with a multitude of details unseen by the naked eye”

F E P S P OT L I G H T P H OTO G R A P H E R O F T H E Y E A R

You can see the two beetles facing each other as if it were a boxing match with their antennae as if they were gloves or reminding us of an outer space creature from the Ridley Scott movie. Do you remember ALIEN? The buzzing mosquito with its beautiful feather duster on its hair, hence its Latin name Chironomus plumosus, resembles Rosy from the Fraggle Rock.

Butterflies, with their beauty and details, show us their fragility. Pachliopta polyphontes is a species of butterfly from the family Papilionidae that is found in Sulawesi and Moluccas islands in Indonesian.

In the photograph, the compound eyes are striking, each one formed by a large number of simple eyes that allow the butterfly to obtain a mosaic image. The kind of orange crest reminds us of the crest of a Mohican, similar to the ones seen in Michael Mann’s movie “The Last of the Mohicans”, and the drops of water give it an even more unique appearance.

You’ll see I am passionate about capturing the decisive moment in my sports work.

The ones displayed in this feature show two images with completely unique moments; one of them in the ring captured at an evening organised

by Matchroomboxing and DAZN, and the other a photograph from a Red Bull cliff diving series held in Bilbao.

Images © Pedro Luis Ajuriaguerra

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 29

F E P S P OT L I G H T P E D R O LU I S A J U R I A G U E R R A

Above image: Red Bull cliff diving series held in Bilbao

Above image: Matchroomboxing and DAZN Boxing Event

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Images © Pedro Luis Ajuriaguerra

VENTURE STUDIOS AWA R D S 2022

Ve n t u r e S t u d i o s

Venture Photography launched in 1998 and was formed out of a passion to create a new generation of portrait photography for the general public. Once a year, they invite their photographers from the 23 studios in the UK, Hong Kong and USA to enter the Venture Photographic Awards, where their staff photographers hand-pick their best images to enter the contest.

Venture forms a judging panel from a selection of figures from across the photographic industry, with this year’s judges being: BIPP Editor & Communications Manager Joel Hansen, Robert Rosser Creative director of Envir & Cult, George Butler International reportage illustrator and artist, Fiona Elizabeth FBIPP award-winning wedding and portrait photographer.

Alicia Hall ABIPP, Ventures Creative Director, informs ‘the Photographer’, “to focus the photographers on thinking outside the box and to create new and interesting images, we do the following:

1faceInternal training program for new starters with face-tostudio time on all areas of photographing people that

lasts over five months to qualify them as a Venture ‘Core Skill’ photographer. Once completed, the photographers also qualify for licentiateship with the BIPP

218 Next is the ‘Advanced Skills’ program, which spans over months with eight modules focused on specific photographic techniques to learn, master and create the highest standard of images for customers.

3

We run a monthly photography challenge that gives photographers a different focus to shoot images within a particular theme or style. There’s a cash prize, and points are collected to produce an overall winner at the end of the year.

4

We host two annual in-person workshops where all photographers, regardless of experience or skill, come together and learn new techniques to take back and master at their

studio. We share the content across our social platforms to inspire the Venture community.

5

I have a HUGE ethos on ‘sharing is caring’. If we have someone in a studio who is particularly awesome at a specific technique, we create ‘how to’ videos, which we share with our teams to inspire them to make their own versions. The exercise creates a positive learning culture and promotes a supportive community of creative ideas and kindness.

6giveWephotographers also have internal benchmarks, audits and visuals to the insights into how to get their work at the standard Venture requires. Each studio has weekly meetings to help set actions and goals to improve the team.

If anyone is interested in a career with us, we have a careers page on the website, encouraging people to apply to advertised roles and submit their CVs for future opportunities. We also have various locations available for new franchisees to come on board and are opening new sites this year”. www.venturephotography.com Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 31

L AU R A S C H R A N DT A B I P P P H OTO G R A P H E R O F T H E Y E A R

Laura Schrant Venture Studios Southampton Gold award

C

onsidering this award stretches over the past two years, including the time of COVID-19, one can imagine how the studios may have been affected by the social distancing practices that were in place while collecting for the 2022 Venture Photography image bank. Yet, this allowed us to be creative in different areas and led us to come up with captivating photography concepts and editing styles. Telephoto lenses truly became our friends and experimenting with layers and layers in Photoshop began to be my favourite pastime. The “Monthly challenges” which Venture hosts across all studios kept us motivated and made us reinvent editing techniques, such as reverse colour pop as seen in the digital composition (right). Ironically, this photograph is lit with colour gels, which most people would never even think about turning monochrome.

After that, it’s just a bit of Photoshop magic.

32 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

I seem to have developed a love for monochrome, appearing again in the dancing sequence, originally inspired by an advert that appeared on social media. With the help of an easy three-light setup, some good music, distanced dancing and several outfit changes, my client Vivian and I created this beautiful constellation together after working out this exciting concept. It would certainly count as one of my favourite photoshoots due to its fun vibe, closely followed by a shoot with a grey whippet called Echo and his owner, a session that could not have been more joyful. We captured some fun bath-time shots involving a shower cap, an experimental balancing act involving a tomato on top of Echo’s nose, some tongue-twirling and treat catching action shots, as well as a beautiful fine art set right at the end, which I couldn’t be more proud of to have won an award for.

Images © Laura Schrandt

L AU R A S C H R A N DT A B I P P V E N T U R E AWA R D S 2022

Laura Schrant Venture Studios Southampton Silver award

Laura Schrant Venture Studios Greenwich USA Silver award

Overall, winning “Photographer of the Year 2022” reminds me to be innovative and try to achieve something original that neither Venture nor I have done before. I will be focusing on new ideas, and trying to develop my skills and creativity further. I am personally not focused on recreating photographs I have already taken and personalised to the people I worked with. Don’t get me wrong, if you are a learning artist, please do so, take inspiration from the concept or try out the lighting setup, educate yourself, test things out and develop your own idea from it. But for my own future, I am looking forward to being inspired by other Venture photographers, especially with the thought in mind to study a completely different cultural perspective when I will first step into the Venture Hong Kong studios and start a new adventure.

Image © Laura Schrandt

Laura Schrant Venture Studios Southampton Gold award Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 33

2022 V E N T U R E AWA R D S

Above: Image from Creative Studio Award that went to Hong Kong by Abbey-Jade Birden LBIPP

Below: Judges Choice Award Image by Ben Huntley from Venture Studios Eton

34 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

Image © Ben Huntley

E L E A N O R S TA P L E TO N L B I P P D I R E C TO R S C H O I C E AWA R D

W

inning the Directors Choice 2022 for Venture, just feels incredible. I went in just hoping to win one award for my photography, but what an amazing feeling to walk away with five. I am definitely most proud of this award.

The story behind this photo is a bit of a crazy one! My subject Tiffany came into Venture with her brother Wayne and Joyce her grandmother. It was honestly the most memorable shoot I have ever done in my four years working at Venture. I had SO much fun. Sadly Joyce passed away recently, I had Tiffany come back in May this year as she is pregnant with her first, she is naming her baby girl Joyce. It just makes the photo mean so much more to them and to me. It felt

amazing to show one of my clients the award in person. Safe to say she was very moved.

Soon after their first photoshoot, lockdown happened. I was creating stuff on photoshop, experimenting with different methods with all the free time I had and got inspired by an artist called Temi Coker. I fell in love with the contrast of black and white with bold colours and textures. This piece is inspired by him but I wanted a more feminine spin on it and this was the outcome.

The original photo was shot in a technique inspired by Platon, I was looking for that wider shot with high key lighting and a closed off pose to capture this great expression.

Ellie Stapleton Venture Studios Fulham

Image © Eleanor Stapleton

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 35

D AV I D P U T T N A M RETROSPECTIVE

Interview with

David Puttnam A career spanning photography, film, politics and education, David Puttnam became an Honorary Fellow of the BIPP back in 2001.

The son of an acclaimed war photographer, David developed a passion for photography from an early age, which remained with him and led to his becoming an agent for the likes of David Bailey, David Montgomery, Richard Avedon and Brian Duffy. This was followed by a thirty-year career as a producer on multiple award-winning films such as The Mission, The Killing Fields, Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express. From October 1997 to October 2021, he sat as a Labour Peer in the House of Lords, and pursued an active role in a variety of areas, from educational and environmental issues to digital skills.

Today David commits his time to being Chair of Atticus Education, an online education company founded in 2012 which delivers audio-visual seminars to students all over the world.

Editor Joel Hansen spoke with David over a video call, reflecting back on his much decorated career.

What was your earliest memory of photography?

My Dad was a Fleet Street photographer; I didn’t meet him until I was almost 5 years old because he was away in the war; he was a war photographer. When he came back, he became a picture editor at Associated Press and used to take me with him to work on Saturdays to help establish a closer relationship - It’s odd to meet your dad when you’re 5. So being introduced into the environment of Fleet Street, and being in and around his office was wonderful, just fantastic. Also, to earn some extra money, he used to do wedding photography on Sunday’s; he’d take me along pretending I was his assistant, which made me feel terribly important.

An officer at his desk wearing a gasmask, 26 February 1940 taken by Puttnam, Len A. (Captain) War Office official photographer © IWM F 2747 36 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

D AV I D P U T T N A M E A R LY Y E A R S

Can you tell me more about your Father’s photography career?

He [Captain Leonard Puttnam] was one of the founding members of the Army Film & Photographic Unit (AFPU); he was one of the original five from Fleet Street who went right through the war. He was decorated several times and was one of only two photographers who was evacuated twice from Dunkirk, because Churchill wasn’t happy with the coverage of the first phase of the evacuation which he found too depressing – they were sent back to rephotograph it! He was in every way an amazing man.

All his wartime images are in the Imperial War Museum, along with captions – he used to write all his own captions.

What led you to photographic agency work? And what was it like being an agent for the likes of Bailey and Duffy?

There weren’t many [agents], there was one woman and a guy in Paris, they were the only two I knew. Because I’d been working in advertising, I’d got to know a number of photographers very well; I’d been a client of theirs. When I decided to leave advertising, I wanted to get into the film industry, and to do that I needed to earn some money, and the only way I could think of was to start my own business. And that was it, I started a photographic agency, and I was very lucky, because of the relationships I had, I was able, quite quickly to attract a number of well-known photographers; before long it became quite a successful business. I didn’t enjoy doing it that much - I didn’t like the process of selling photography, whereas I’ve always collected photography.

So as soon as I could, I divided the company up amongst the people who worked for me and took myself off into the film industry, about which I knew nothing!

Image from Chariots of Fire, produced by David Puttnam © 1981 Twentieth Century-Fox Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 37

D AV I D P U T T N A M RETROSPECTIVE

Are there any photographs that have stuck with you?

A photograph of my dad’s. When he died, the Associated Press did a very beautiful book for me of a selection of his photographs and one in particular is extraordinary. It was on the morning war was declared, 11 o’clock on the September 1st; he went to Parliament Square, found a guy, put an army beret on him, gave him a kit bag and photographed him with Big Ben in the background as the hands reached exactly to 11 o’clock. The picture made it on the front page of all the newspapers. It’s a wonderful photograph, but it also shows that my dad had the imagination to prepare himself for that moment and, as it were, create the picture. The Associated Press made a beautiful framed print for me which I’ve donated to the Imperial War Museum.

A British soldier, with his kit bag on his shoulder, watches the minute hand of Big Ben, in London, as it approaches eleven o’clock on . With the first stroke of the hour he knows that Britain will be at war with Germany © Len Putnam/AP/ Shutterstock 38 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

D AV I D P U T T N A M FILM

What films inspired you growing up?

When I was very young, they were almost always American films. I liked musicals, westerns, all the usual stuff, but I think the film that changed my life is a film called East of Eden, it’s where I came across James Dean, and I realised a lot of my own teenage angst was explicable within the movies.

A few years later another film that made a huge impact on me, was The Battle of Algiers, it really solidified my belief that the medium of film could be seriously important.

How did you make the transition to being a film producer?

The important thing was that, as a result of the success of the photography agency I had some capital, so I joined a friend who was a movie agent, and we went into business together.

In a sense, it was a combination of my cheque book and his address book.

What were the most important factors when you were looking at a script for a film?

Stories I could identify with. Nearly all the early films I produced were semi-biographical; they were about my life, and those things that had most affected me. My very first film was essentially about how I met my wife at school, and my third film was really about my failure at school – I was a catastrophic student – and how my life evolved from that. In fact, three of my first four films were semibiographical.

Today I suggest to all my students, your lived experience is really the only real raw material you have that’s entirely authentic, use it!

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS © 1978 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Courtesy of Columbia Picture Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 39

D AV I D P U T T N A M RETROSPECTIVE

What’s your view on the mainstream film industry?

I think the moment I initially departed from the mainstream was in the 70’s, when I became somewhat vocal in my attack on Rambo – In hindsight I’m very proud I took that early position because I’d picked up very early on something that people have taken a while to understand. Basically, the premise of Rambo was you can solve complicated problems with a large enough gun and a well-built body – obviously it’s ludicrous, and a very simplistic way of looking at life.

You then overlay the impact of Marvel movies, where you’re encouraging audiences to believe that increasingly complicated issues can be resolved by someone swooping down from a high building with supernatural powers; so what’s happened is we disconnected ourselves from complexity and as a result are losing the ability to challenge and deal with the enormous challenges of the twenty-first century.

What made you move into education, and what keeps you active in that sector today?

A combination of revenge and fascination. I was written off at school, along with millions of other kids; it was clear I would never get to university. So, I had to leave school at 16, go out to work, and go to night school to discover that I was in fact a natural learner and actually quite smart; the exact opposite of what my school told me. So that left a question in the back of my mind: how come they got it so wrong? And how many other kids are they also getting it wrong with?

George Formby entertains troops, 13 March 1940 taken by Puttnam, Len A. (Captain) War Office official photographer © IWM F 2747 40 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

D AV I D P U T T N A M E D U C AT I O N

What changes do you expect to see in the creative sector in the next 30 years?

I expect to see a rapid increase in the utilisation of ‘wearable devices’; I see them becoming as common as mobile phones, and that could have a profound effect on the way people interact – in some ways it could be damaging, because people could shrink increasingly into their own worlds; on the other hand, it will literally allow them access to other worlds, in a way that’s never been possible before. I see it stimulating growth around entire industries producing interactive content – If used intelligently I see it as a powerful tool for learning as well as promoting entirely new opportunities in the area of entertainment.

What’s the most important thing about fostering creatives?

I always tell my students that the most important quality of all is resilience; it’s very tough out there if you’re going to be any good – you need to be very tough. So your ability to deal with disappointment, your ability to deal with inevitable knockbacks, your ability to deal with criticism; whether its valid and encourages you to improve your work, or ignorant, in which case you’ve just got to move on and deal with.

Lord Puttnam speaking at LaSalle, College of the Arts, Singapore

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 41

D AV I D P U T T N A M POLITICS

When did your interest first start in politics?

I initially wanted to be a professional tennis player, and I was pretty good. But I came to understand that there were tennis clubs where it was all about how well you played, and there were others where it was about meeting the ‘right’ people, they were a different kind of group…let’s call them Conservatives. I found these two tribes very interesting and it was through tennis that I first became aware that there were unhealthy class divisions.

That stayed with me.

One thing you said in your speech upon leaving the House of Lords is you believe there is an absence of serious debate in politics.

Why do you think that is? And can it be resolved?

I’m afraid I’m a bit of a pessimist. I’d like to think we could go back to what I see as a committed, sustainable democracy, but frankly. I’ve a nasty feeling that moment has escaped us.

I’ve been seriously engaged in politics for over thirty years, during which time I reckon I’ve scored no more than four or five serious wins. Everyone single one of those was built around the building of a consensus. – that’s to say, in every single instance I had to reach across into the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties to find or negotiate an element of agreement that got things through; nothing I ever did that was useful was achieved purely through the Labour Party. But sadly, the opportunities for that type of consensus building are rapidly evaporating.

What’s your outlook on the future of politics in Britain?

Pretty dismal. I don’t see a resurgence of the type of ideas we’re going to need, even of a full understanding of the challenges we’re facing. Within my own party, whilst understanding some of their reasoning, I’m horrified by the reluctance to talk about Europe. For me, Brexit was a catastrophic mistake, and will eventually be seen as a catastrophic mistake.

It saddens me to admit it, but in June, my wife and I became Irish citizens; in one sense, you could say we’ve cut and run.

As I tried to say in my retirement speech, I’ve become somewhat ashamed of Britain, I certainly never thought I’d say that. When you look at things historically it’s been at times a pretty shameful country, nowhere more so than in its treatment of Ireland.

Britain probably needs to acknowledge that before it can really move on.

You said you’ve collected a lot of cameras over the years?

It’s more of a reluctance to ever throw a camera away, so I’ve got cameras going way back.

I’ve collected photography for fifty years, and been photographed by some really great photographers; I’ve had my portrait taken by Irving Penn, Bailey, Duffy, and Donovan.

42 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

D AV I D P U T T N A M FUTURE

Do you have an opinion on how photography may look 20-30 year from now?

I’ve collected photographic books all my life; I’ve hundreds of them and I’m constantly tempted to think the great days are over. However earlier this year I was at the Saatchi gallery and saw an exhibition of the work of a photographer I’d never heard of, but whose photographs, which in some ways hark back to the fifties and sixties, are quite brilliant. They’re contained in a book entitled ‘American Mirror’ by Philip Montgomery; he is clearly quite young, and his photographs are extraordinary; they helped remind me that photography, even my kind of photography, isn’t dead.

There were some sensational images in that exhibition – his work convinced me that it’s the soul of the photographer that matters. Philip Montgomery truly understands the moment.

The Chatman family, Ferguson, Missouri, November 2014. From the series ‘American Mirror’ courtesy of the artist © Philip Montgomery Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 43

44 Image the©PHOTOGRAPHER Simon Burfoot / 2022 / Issue Two

Choosing Lighting WITH

The Light Doctor: Simon Burfoot The UK Sales Manager for The Flash Centre, Simon Burfoot, has worked in the industry for over three decades.

His career spanned across retail, hand printing, working in processing pro labs and even behind the lens as a wedding photographer for 20+ years. Today, he’s a qualified lighting educator. He uses this knowledge to run his training company, The Light Doctor, which provides 1-1 and group training sessions teaching studio and location lighting techniques for all genres. He also regularly teaches for The MPA, The SWPP & The Photographer Academy and is an ambassador for Loxley Colour, Ricoh Pentax 645z medium format & Ricoh Pentax K1 DSLR Systems.

In this feature, Simon outlines the fundamentals of choosing the correct lighting.

Choosing the correct lighting for your subject can make the world of difference to your images, and possibly save you time in post-production. Understanding what you are doing and how you are using your lighting will only add another level to your images.

Firstly, we need to understand the 4 main types of light which are, Soft, Hard, Specular (or shiny) and Diffused (or matt). Let’s have a look at each one and add some context,

Soft Light

can be very a flattering light and will lessen the appearance of wrinkles and acne scars saving you time in editing. Soft light is governed by the size of the light source in comparison to the subject. The larger the light source in comparison to your subject, the softer the more natural the light will be. In easy terms, if I am shooting a person with a flashgun, the light will be fairly hard as it is a very small light source compared to my subject even if I am using it in close.

However, if I am shooting an ant, the light from the flashgun will be quite soft due to the physical size of the subject compared to the light source. You can see how hard the light is by looking at the shadow & highlight transitions. Soft light should provide a very soft edged shadow gradually fading out into the highlights.

A softbox is a great modifier to use because generally it will be a fair size larger than the subject and provide a soft light if used in close and a harder light further away. If you want a really soft light don’t be afraid to get the modifier in as close as you can, just out of shot, even if it’s a 6’ softbox!. A decent sized umbrella will do the same job nearly as well, especially if you can purchase a diffused cover to enclose it.

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 45

T H E L I G H T D O C TO R S I M O N B U R F O OT

Hard Light

Soft Diffused

can be quite unflattering and masculine, so we need to be careful. Hard light is once again governed by the size of the light source in comparison to our subject. The smaller the light source the harder the light will be. I would generally use hard light to shoot a guy to make him look more edgy or if I had a teenage girl who wanted to look a bit older. I would not normally shoot a middle-aged lady as it will show every single “experience line” and they aren’t going to thank you for that! It’s your choice to what you like your images to look like at the end of the day and if you want hard edged shadows, use smaller light sources! The summer sun is a huge light source but as its nearly 93 million miles away, it is small in comparison to us so produces a very hard light. Next time the sun is out, look at your shadow, the edges will be very sharp!

Specular

Hard Light

or Shiny light can give a great lift to your images. In basic terms a shiny light is an undiffused light. Contrary to popular belief, specular light is no harder than diffused light, lets remember that is only governed by the size of the modifier in comparison to the subject. By using a specular light source, you are adding contrast, which in turn, will provide deeper shadows but the transition of the shadows to the highlights will still be soft edged if you use it in close, or harder as the light source becomes smaller (further away). It is still a little bit less forgiving than diffused light.

Diffused or Matt light will reduce the

contrast giving you much softer shadow to highlight transitions and also give you an in camera “skin smoothing” effect thus reducing your work in post. Once again, if you use a 1-meter softbox in close to your subject with its inner and outer covers on you have a soft, diffused light source. If you remove the inner and outer covers but don’t move the softbox, you have a soft, specular light source that is no harder, but you have added more contrast!

Hard Specular 46 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

Images © Simon Burfoot

T H E L I G H T D O C TO R CHOOSING LIGHTING

“T

here is nothing wrong with the cheaper options at all, if that’s the look you are going for. Whilst teaching people in their studios, I show them the differences and the results always amaze them.”

Soft Diffused

Top Tips!

I hear the phrase “At the end of the day, light is light” far too often. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and here is why. When purchasing a softbox or any type of modifier to shape your light, there is a vast range out there along with a big difference in price! The main reason for this is the quality of materials used in the manufacture of the product. You will pay a lot more money for a modifier made by Elinchrom, Profoto, Broncolor etc compared to Phottix, Godox, Pixapro etc. The materials used are very different, and believe me, having shot with most of them over the years the difference is big! The cheaper modifiers tend to give a less diffused look as the quality of the diffusion material

tends to be a bit “crispy and crunchy” which will provide a more contrasty look. The more expensive options use a different, silky, higher quality material which provides a less contrasty look. There is nothing wrong with the cheaper options at all, if that’s the look you are going for. Whilst teaching people in their studios, I show them the differences and the results always amaze them. I was always taught “Buy well, buy once” and I live my life by that advice. I am not saying always buy the most expensive option every time, what I am saying is do your research well and ask for advice before buying a modifier that won’t necessarily give you the look you are after!

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 47

PA R I S - R O U B A I X D AV E D O D G E

Life Behind (handle) Bars

Dave Dodge Photography is a Hampshire-based corporate photographer working on various corporate photography assignments across the UK and beyond for multiple clients, from small independent businesses to well-known brands. His most recent assignment brought him to Paris in the fast-paced environment of the historic Paris-Roubaix cycling race. He shares his experience with the Photographer.

Paris-Roubaix is one of the most iconic cycle races in Europe and is part of the spring classics.

First raced on the 19th April 1896, this one day race covers 280km across the infamous dusty cobbled roads from Paris to the historic Velodrome in the town of Roubaix (close to Lille). A race I have watched on tv as a fan for many years, and this year I got to work on it.

the small french towns. When planning shoot locations we have to decide whether to go to the numerous iconic locations which have been photographed 100’s of times before, or searching out somewhere different. With hundreds of media in attendance, you need endeavour to create something different to increase your chances of selling your images to the cycling press and teams.

Covering a pro race where the riders are travelling at speeds averaging 40-50 mph is very challenging and a lot of planning is done in the hotel bar the night before.

We have to choose locations along the course where we can capture interesting images, and figure out a route so that we can get to these spots before the riders.

I try to tell the story of the race through my images. By creating images with interesting angles, and crops helps to make your images stand out from the generic ‘racing’ images you see. A few ways of achieving this are:

Race day is spent waiting for the peloton to come through, fire off as many shots as possible in about 90 seconds, then jump in the car and try to get ahead of them further along the course as they zig zag through 48 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

* Shooting with a slower shutter speed and a radial ND filter lets you be more creative with your shots, such as having a person in the crowd in focus, with the cyclists blurred as they pass by.

Images © Dave Dodge

PA R I S - R O U B A I X D AV E D O D G E

* Sitting on the floor on the outside of a corner and capturing the riders with a panning shot to give an indication of the speeds they travel at.

* ‘Details’ such as close ups of the riders hands blooded and

blistered at the end of the race, showing the conditions like the dust being kicked up by the team cars and tv helicopter hovering 30m above the riders heads, and the harsh cobbles all work well.

* Close ups of the riders dust covered faces at the end of the race showing the pain of pushing their bodies to the limit during a day in the saddle.

Because of the constant jumping in and out of cars, climbing onto walls, standing in farmers fields, I try and keep kit to a minimum. I use a Black Rapid Double Harness, with my Canon 5d Mk3 & Mk4 attached. Lens wise I tend to use Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8L IS USM and Canon EF 24105mm F/4L IS II USM for action images, as well as a Canon EF 85mm F/1.4L IS USM for details.

More of my cycling work can be seen on my website www. pelotonpix.uk or instagram @pelotonpix

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 49

Crime Photo Novel

by Katrina Whitehead

S

ome of you may know me as a former Chairwoman of BIPP (Yorkshire) which is a position I thoroughly enjoyed, having met and encountered some very inspirational photographers over the years, with the regional competition and award ceremony being a highlight.

On leaving art college, I worked for the media for 19 years, monitoring local, national and international news stories for agencies including the Press Association and it was back in 2000 that I decided to return to studying as a mature student in order to gain the necessary qualifications for a change of career into teaching.

Alongside teaching photography to undergraduate and postgraduate students, I was given the opportunity to apply to study a PhD in Practice at the University of

50 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

Huddersfield. Photography has always been at the core of my research and practice for over 30 years, from studying it at night school, converting my bedroom into a darkroom and spending long hours developing negatives, to gaining a Masters qualification and an increasing interest in the practice of self-publishing photo books.

Armed with my knowledge of the photo book, together with my interest in regional cold case murder stories I had monitored on the regional news, I put forward a proposal to research photographs featured in crime nonfiction novels.

For my PhD research, I have analysed many key texts including the first recorded non-fiction crime novel The Mystery of Marie Rogêt, written by Edgar Allen Poe and based on the true story of Mary Rogers who was found drowned in the Hudson River. I have also been studying Images © Katrina Whitehead

Sugar Mill

Howden

s

Marshe

“For the practice-based research, I have been investigating forensic photography and the use of ultra-violet and infrared techniques with its ability to unveil detail we cannot see with the naked eye.”

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote including an awardwinning photo book Redheaded Peckerwood by Christian Patterson about two teenagers who went on a killing spree, inspiring several films.

For the practice-based research, I have been investigating forensic photography and the use of ultra-violet and infrared techniques with its ability to unveil detail we cannot see with the naked eye. I have always been interested in infrared photography, which is something I never quite got around to practising in the days of my film processing, as it was always a little bit more expensive than regular film, with a much higher risk factor!

Armed with my mirrorless Fuji X-T20 and an infrared filter, I set about tackling the subject from a digital

Skipwith Common

perspective with less of the risk factor and a much higher rate of success. I began focussing on woodland areas, not the pretty ones with ponds, fishermen and swans (they are fine for Instagram) but the more obscure, dense woodland where you might hear tales of bodies being found by dog walkers. With many challenges along the way, mostly surrounding the need for hot, sunny days to get the best results (not something living Up North is known for!), I would sometimes come home without having taken any photographs at all, deeming an area ‘too pretty’. I am constantly seeking the eerily beautiful quality that infrared can give to a landscape, drawing on the phenomenology of my own experience as a lone woman entering a space which, at times, can feel a little bit dangerous, in my quest to build a portfolio of work to be featured in my very own crime photo novel.

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 51

Bubble Beats Albert Einstein said, “Everything in Life is Vibration”, referring to the constant motion of atoms that make up the universe. Yet, these subtle movements aren’t generally visible unless you look through a microscope. A project by Kym Cox FBIPP helps give some insight into this concept, with images showing the rhythmic vibration of sound rippling across a bubble’s hollow and transparent surface, giving stunning visual results.

I

’ve been working and photographing soap bubbles, soap films and foams since 2009 and for most of it, considered my work as being ‘ArtScience’ and myself as an ArtScientist photographer and artist.

The ‘Art’ references bubbles’ historical and contemporary art symbolism and the ‘Science’ because I engage with the scienctific community for collaboration that leads to knowledge and inspiration. It’s also an appreciative nod and thank you to the scientists I work with.

Bubbles and films are tremendously useful and important tools for scientific and mathematical research because they obey Plateau’s Laws - a set of rules governing their behaviour.

Imagination can only take me so far, extending bubble behaviour and knowledge, scientifically, goes a long way to influence and create new work that is unique and interesting for an audience. So, ArtScience it is then.

Every two years bubble researching guys get together at an Eufoam Conference, (somewhere in Europe), to present their research and outcomes; academic posters, papers and presentations for a huge variety of foams.

I’m interested in the soap bubble ones… obviously.

At Eufoam 2018, University of Lieges in Belgium Dr. Florence Elias, (Paris Diderot University) presented soap films responding to musical sound waves. The film was placed in front of a loudspeaker.

My Way by Frank Sinatra 52 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

“B

ack in my studio, I set-up an iPod Classic, an old Technics amp and the soap film. I asked friends, family and professional photography colleagues to choose the songs/ piece of music.”

We watched in awe as the film boogied-on-down to the beat. It was the most amazing presentation. So inspiring… very, very inspiring, especially as historical and contemporary art practitioners have endeavoured to represent music, visually, in their work. I’ve discovered working with and photographing bubbles that nothing is straight forward or as simple as those who know exactly why, how and what they’re doing.

Strange Magic by Electric Light Orchestra

Back in my studio, I set-up an iPod Classic, an old Technics amp and the soap film. I asked friends, family and professional photography colleagues to choose the songs/piece of music. Enormous thanks to Paul Williams, Stu Culley and loud speaker/amp expert David Hartwell and my son, Ben for introducing me to Spotify and his Sony, Bluetooth amp. Initial images were poor and extremely time-consuming to set-up and photograph.

Roxanne by The Police

Ripples by Genesis

Perth by Bon Iver Images © Kym Cox

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 53

K Y M COX B U B B L E B E AT S

The vibrating soap film moved backwards and forwards, therefore in and out of focus. At the same time light iridescence colours disappeared completely.

The film, being made of liquid, drains constantly under gravity, however this process is not uniform across the film, due to the surrounding atmospheric conditions.

Changes in film thickness will vary considerably across the film.

music and photographing begins again, and again, and again, and again.

For every image I keep hundreds are deleted. Eventually there’s enough to create a ‘Bubble-Beats’ series. For this I print the lyrics, listen to the song and go through images selecting those that are most representive and the liklihood viewers will relate to.”

Every colour produced is dependent on this thickness, hence variations and patterning. When black spots begin to appear in numbers the film is about the burst, (if you want to know more search ‘thin film/soap bubble interference’).

And so the process of creating another film, playing the

“Bubble-Beats is an ongoing series, get in touch if you want me to give your song a go OK. Joel… your choice of ‘The Books’ is top of this list!

If you want to watch Dr. Elias’s work in action, check out her videos; Soap film opera: “The Lonely Shepherd”

by Gheorghe Zamfir from the Kill Bill Vol.1, Original Soundtrack.”

Time-lapse Sequence of Soap Bubble Iridescence 54 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

Images © Kym Cox

KIRSTY ANNE WILSON P H OTO E S S AY

Inescapable I recently held my graduate exhibition for the end of my photography degree and to my great surprise I was awarded as the winning piece of art within the whole show that encompasses three degree courses including photography, fine art and illustration and animation. My work is now going into the college archives to be displayed across the campuses and will be preserved within the college forever.

My project is called inescapable and I’d like to tell you a little about it.

From the outside we only ever have a superficial view of someone else’s illness. We see the after effects of treatments such as chemotherapy, disability in the form of wheelchairs and see health regained in the form of recovery. What we do not see is the struggle that ensues after a life changing diagnosis that shatters a persons identity, one that changes them forever into someone they do not even recognise anymore. An identity that then must be reconstructed, often behind closed doors, alone, in a place where nobody can see or share in their struggle or pain. We do not see the daily struggles faced to just sit up in bed, to move without pain that would leave most people on their knees.

Inescapable depicts the experiences felt of learning to live with a chronic illness and pain in the face of on going adversity. It is the embodiment of my everyday life experiences and those of many others living with a chronic illness and or chronic pain. Inescapable explores the themes of pain, illness, loneliness, loss but also more importantly of bravery, hope and a determination to overcome and never give up.

The images in this series delve under the veil of the hidden spheres of my life. They open a world to the viewer that is otherwise inaccessible. This connects with the inaccessibility of my own life in general society

Image © Kirsty Anne Wilson

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 55

KIRSTY ANNE WILSON I N E S C A PA B L E

connecting the two experiences through immersive and powerful imagery. The images are printed A0 size so they are really quite literally inescapable to the viewer, and are pinned to the wall not framed to prevent any type of physical or metaphorical barrier to the audience given that every day I face so very many barriers in life. The paper I chose to print on is hahnemhule photo rag, this was a deliberate choice as the prints may well degrade over time supporting the fragility of my life with my illness representing the instability of my health and the precarious line between life and death that I often have to tread, pinned up with metal tacks echoing the metal frame of my wheelchair supporting me.

All the images in this series were quite simply taken in my living room using a Nikon camera tethered to a laptop with a remote shutter to hand. The process is 56 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

long and difficult as even setting up a back drop can take me hours with needing to rest in between.

A great documentary photograph is one that can engage on an emotional level even if only for a brief moment.

The photographs in this series show us what we need to see even if on many occasions we would rather look away. Taking power from duality of photography to both inform and confuse, inescapable takes you on my very personal journey of self-discovery and encourages you to look beyond the immediately visible, to think more deeply and make your own connections with the sides of yourself that are often unseen.

The irrationality I feel at life for me is ‘inescapable’ and the images in this series are designed to be unavoidable.

Images © Kirsty Anne Wilson

KIRSTY ANNE WILSON P H OTO E S S AY

“

The irrationality I feel at life for me is ‘inescapable’ and the images in this series are designed to be unavoidable.”

My greatest wish is that you are forever changed after viewing images like this and understanding their story, that you leave here questioning what you think you understand but most of all that you go on your own personal journey of self discovery. That you take forward that even in the darkest moments of irrationality you have a purpose and a voice, and thus far you have survived 100% of your bad days.

“I cannot make sense of my own limitations and weaknesses and the irrationality of my life, but through photography it has become possible to find a way through and live within the horrors of my existence, accept the person I am, understand the reality of my life, and embrace both my strengths and weaknesses and be proud and considerate of myself and the person I am.

Kirsty Anne Wilson 2022 Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 57

E V E R Y D AY I S A S C H O O L D AY D R PAU L W I L K I N S O N

Why Qualifications Success: Why Qualifications Are Worth Every Second (and Penny) Spent.

Qualified OK, so let me start with an admission: I am a massive fan of qualifications.

Of course, you may not concur, but given you’re reading this in the BIPP’s fantastic magazine, I guess that you are, at least to some extent, in agreement.

But that begs the question: if pretty much everyone who joins the BIPP is, to a greater or lesser degree, a proponent of qualifications, why do so few of us go on to gain qualifications beyond Licentiate?

I have theories on that but, sadly, no provable answers.

Maybe it’s the costs involved; maybe it’s that we’re all too busy or that inherent fear of failure that seems to be a part of most of us creatives. But, likely, it’s a combination of all of the above.

without sounding like a ‘club’. It is not. I am working hard to ensure it is the opposite of that; qualifications are there for the benefit of all of our members, irrespective of genre, style or subject.

So let’s deal with the thorny issue of cost: putting together a panel with its supporting evidence, finding the time to select and test prints, getting them mounted and then hauling them up to Preston for assessment is not a cheap exercise (as I write this, the fuel alone is nearly £200!). Then there’s the additional entry fee that helps cover the cost of the judges (who give up their time for free!) to get there and stay overnight.

Undoubtedly, it is a significant investment that deters many of us from going through the process.

And it’s completely understandable.

And that’s before we get onto what I think is the primary obstacle: confidence - the confidence to enter, the confidence to test ourselves, the confidence to try (even if, ultimately, the body of work is unsuccessful), and the confidence that we can do it.

Having judged for the past decade, I have experienced the crushing disappointment when a panel is unsuccessful - all that time and investment lost. And, more importantly, the kick to the applicant’s confidence.

But working with a mentor, finding your style and conceiving a body of work that truly represents you at that moment is one of the most valuable journeys you can undertake.

But notice the words I have chosen: the panel was unsuccessful. Not the author. The panel.

And, as judges, we are acutely aware of that.

But not every panel can or does succeed.

Qualifications are so different to competitions in that you are not jostling for standings with other photographers. In competitions, you may be entering the most glorious images and still not win anything because everyone else has (rather annoyingly) also created stunning work.

Nope, qualifications don’t work like that. Qualifications (or distinctions as some organisations refer to them) are solely about you and your work; it doesn’t matter what anyone else is up to; this is about you.

I prefer to think of qualifications as a peer review. The judges’ task is to answer the question, “would other photographers of this level be happy to include this author in their ranks?”

I hope I have worded it in a way that conveys the point 58 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

We would love every panel to succeed, and it saddens us when they don’t.

Sometimes I read comments that suggest the judges didn’t understand the work, were biased, or it’s an ‘old boys club’, which depresses me as it couldn’t be further from the truth.

Before each assessment day, I talk with all of the judges, and the one thing that comes across is an excitement that we will see and be blown away by some incredible work. Of course, we would love for every panel to succeed - maybe even one or two to get bumped up an additional level!

During the assessment - we allow an hour for each panel - each judge takes the time they need to assess the body of work.

Firstly, the panel is viewed as an entire piece of work: twenty images as a piece of design. We are looking for

E V E R Y D AY I S A S C H O O L D AY D R PAU L W I L K I N S O N

Are Worth It that initial impact, the ‘wow’ that comes when we first look at the overall design. Then we will study each print on a calibrated lightbox to check the print quality and those oh-so-tiny details.

Once that is done, and every judge is happy, we discuss and vote on the work as a panel: one Chair, five judges, one author, twenty images, and one decision.

And we would love it if it was always a success, but, of course, that cannot possibly be the case.

Irrespective of the outcome, the Chair will nominate one judge to give feedback as there are always points to develop. At the BIPP, we record this feedback so that you can make sense of it later, as retaining information after an assessment - successful or otherwise - is nearly impossible!

Once the judging is complete, the conversation can be slightly different depending on what we have seen. But rest assured, every judge is dispirited if a panel has been unsuccessful. Therefore, the most challenging task is to let an author know when, in the judges’ view, a little more work is needed to get it over the line.

But here’s what I’ve learned in the decade since gaining my first Fellowship: it is entirely worth it. It cannot make or break your business; it doesn’t give you the knowledge you never had, and it certainly won’t guarantee you will win every image competition out there (though I wish it did!)

Gaining my qualifications opened doors I didn’t even know existed; I started judging, mentoring and getting more involved in the industry. That letter ‘F’ gave me the confidence not to be held back by those doubting voices in my head (at least to some extent - I am still an insecure creative, and there’s no getting around that.)

It also helped our business. I know; I hear it too, “you don’t need qualifications to be a great photographer and, besides, our customers don’t know the difference.” And that is, of course, absolutely right. You don’t need qualifications to succeed as a creative or a business.

But think about the Michelin Stars. Every chef I work with either has them or wants them. They push themselves to develop and gain skills. As an industry, they understand the value of this process - not just the glittery prize but the development process itself.

“

Gaining my qualifications opened doors I didn’t even know existed; I started judging, mentoring and getting more involved in the industry.”

And, should they gain those stars, it is publicised everywhere so their customers cannot fail to notice. And it’s not just marketing claptrap; a Michelin-Starred restaurant will always provide excellent food and service!

And I think we can learn a lot from that. I love to think of those culinary marques as similar to photographic qualifications where a Licentiate is akin to a Michelin Star; an Associateship is two, and a Fellowship, that pinnacle of endeavour, is up there with the finest ThreeMichelin-Starred restaurants.

Of course, it is true that the general public probably doesn’t know what photography qualifications mean, so ultimately, it is down to us photographers to tell them.

That is, after all, what marketing is about: educating our clients as to why they should use our services. And pushing for qualifications can only benefit our clients too.

I started this piece by stating that I love qualifications - as BIPP Chair Of Qualifications And Awards, you should expect that - but hopefully, I have explained why I love them. And maybe, just maybe, I can persuade a few more of you to push yourselves and submit your panel. Yes, they are a considerable commitment in time and finance. But ultimately, they are worth every single second and every penny to you, your creativity, your business and your clients.

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 59

E D I N B U R G H CO L L E G E 2022

Edinburgh College Exhibtion Welcome to Edinburgh College HND + BA Professional Photography class of 2022. As I type, I’m reflecting on what a year this has been, in fact a couple of years.

Professional photography has been through tough times, my heart goes out to all those members who persevered and triumphed. I can barely bring myself to mention the ‘C’ word, the pandemic which swept across the globe. I remember back in March 20A20 receiving instructions that lecturers should leave work and organise all their classes on-line, at least until the end of April that year, where the decision would be revisited! That decision was revisited, eighteen months later. How time flew as we busied ourselves learning MS Teams, Zoom and a whole plethora of software to facilitate teaching and learning a practical course, what a couple of years indeed.

However, there was light at the end of the tunnel, we welcomed back students on campus, albeit wearing masks and precisely measuring the distance between

60 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

ourselves for fear of being exposed, not with F-stops either. As a BIPP College partner I am extremely proud to showcase the work of our final year groups on the HND and BA Professional Photography courses in these pages. It has taken perseverance, sheer willpower, blood, sweat and a few tears to get us to this point.

We learn by doing, by practice, by success and failure.

I congratulate all our students as I am sure those of you in the Education Sector are also proud of what has been achieved in your own Colleges and Universities.

This final year sees work produced from many genres, fashion, advertising, documentary, photojournalism, portraiture, and landscape. The examples of work showcased here demonstrate the skills and knowledge acquired in college from research, planning, development to final postproduction.

Words by John Lee, Professor of Digital Media at the University of Edinburgh

Image © Robyn McDiarmid

Image © Anna Turek

Image © Peter Harper

Image © Scott Barron

Image © Sally Pritchett

Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 61

LU C Y N E W S O N L B I P P GET TING INSPIRED

Remember Your Reason Why BIPP Director Lucy Newson explores getting back to your creative roots and reigniting the flame that sparked the inspiration behind the very first images you captured as a photographer.

For many of us, I am certain that our photographic journey began as a hobby.

We will never forget the first camera we owned. Truth be told it’s probably still sitting in the back of a drawer somewhere; a camera that we couldn’t bear to part exchange. I wonder what stories it could tell…the number of times you dropped it whilst changing the settings, or the few times you rewound the film the wrong way, or even the seemingly ‘pointless’ photographs you took of that one flower, just because you could.

In these moments, we were at our most creative.

We didn’t know anything (except that maybe we were doing it all ‘wrong’); so we experimented, and experimented some more.

“

Think back to what first inspired you to pick up a camera. And then what initially made you wish to turn it into a career.”

Going on a walk? Pack the camera. Family gathering? Pack the camera. Trip to the shops on the corner? Pack the camera. We were capturing for the love of it, not a purpose.

The moment photography became our career was both a blessing and a curse.

Of course, and I’m sure we will all agree, that we work in an incredible industry. Photography has a huge impact on all of society, and we play an integral part.

However, when focusing on our photography business, with bills to pay and a career to forge, we have to delegate our time more precisely. And the time we once allocated to hobbyist photography is overtaken by perfecting our niche. With less time available for photographing everyday adventure.

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Creativity doesn’t fit into a fully systematised world. We must make time for it.

Think back to what first inspired you to pick up a camera. And then what initially made you wish to turn it into a career. Work your way back to your creative roots. Allow yourself to feel inspired all over again.

Inspiration fuels creativity.

So what does allocating time for creativity look like?

Where practical, take your camera with you wherever you go. And if not possible, utilise your phone’s camera.

image © Christina Mitrea

When you have seven photoshoots waiting to be edited, it can easily become a repetitive task, adding your signature preset and going through the motions.

As a business model, this is excellent. We want to systematise to make us as efficient as possible, but where does that leave creativity?

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To find your nearest Wex store visit Issue Two / 2022 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 63 wex.co.uk/stores

LU C Y N E W S O N GET TING INSPIRED

My first image captured that sparked my interest in equine

Image from my current portfolio

Image from my current portfolio

Watch tutorials and sign up to training for new editing techniques.

two. Rediscover what initially inspired you.

Now, I know what you’re thinking.

Reserve 15 minutes at the end of a client’s photoshoot, to try something creative - a new idea you’ve had; maybe different lighting?

Spend time flicking through magazines and scouring Pinterest for anything that catches your eye.

“I’m already spinning multiple plates, how on earth can I find the time for rediscovering the ‘hobbyist’ within.”

I’m not accepting any excuses, so I shall list below a few time saving techniques to give yourself that little push to free up time…

See everything as something new and exciting, almost in a child like fashion. And keep things simple.

• Plan & schedule your week’s social media posts in one go, rather than daily • Delegate or outsource that one admin job you hate • Create email templates for your most frequently asked questions - so that you do not need to keep typing out the same responses • Employ an assistant to complete your routine office tasks

Allowing time for creativity and exploration will not only continuously elevate your photography but also have the potential of huge health benefits. Reducing pressure on yourself to make something perfect straight away, can reduce stress. Less stress results in more happiness.

I implore you to make time for creativity, be the hobbyist photographer again; even just for an hour or 64 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2022 / Issue Two

‘Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvellous.’ - Bill Moyers Images © Lucy Newson

The Ede & Ravenscroft group provide photography for students and families on the most special days of their lives at schools and graduations.

Would you like to photograph next years graduates?

We are looking for professional photographers

Our team of professional portrait photographers ensure our customers receive an exceptional image of themselves and their loved ones to cherish.

We are currently looking for new members to join our team with many events in 2022 already scheduled.

• Full time or freelance positions available • Competitive rates of pay • Events held across the United Kingdom • Basic kit required including a camera capable of large images with a fixed lens 50mm or 35mm for cropped sensor. F2.8 zoom lenses preferred. Two 500 watt flash heads with wireless trigger. Tripod and two posing stools or equivalent.

Get in touch: info@graduation-ser vices.com Visit: graduation-ser vices.edeandravenscroft.com/photo