the Photographer - Issue Three 2023

The Magazine of the BIPP / 2023 / Issue Three

Now there’s a new way to get video colour right.

For videographers, filmmakers and content creators.

■ More control of colours in the vectorscope diagram or on waveform monitors ■ Colour swatch map with colours in two saturation levels ■ Economic design for proper handling ■ 5 reference cards for all needs datacolor.com/scv

ISSUE THREE, 2023

Into the Depths 5 Paul Ives tells us of the creative, commercial and technical ins and outs of creating images underwater

Art & Technology 28 A look at the transforming world of digital imaging as AI starts to impact the photography industry

No Safety Net 44 Brian Morgan documents a travelling circus on a journey that goes beyond photography and into self-discovery

Navigating the Landscape 13 Paul Reiffer takes a deep dive into the intricacies of AI image creation and what it means for photographers

Analogue Renaissance 34 As new technology transforms our industry, we speak to people thriving in the analogue space

In Conversation with 20 American member Sabrina Kaye talks about a career in adventure elopement photography and her plans to venture abroad

A Ground-breaking Fellow 39 Dr R M Callender explores the life of the pioneering inventor of the Vivex camera, Douglas Arthur Spencer, and his impact on the world of photography

Alchemy of Marketing 52 Richard Bradbury continues his business advice series with a look into the essentials of understanding your market and product

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

CEO: Martin Baynes

Editor: Joel Hansen, editor@bipp.com

President: Jeff Brown

Advertising: Tel 01772 367968 E-mail: admin@bipp.com

T: 01772 367968 E: admin@bipp.com W: www.bipp.com

Directors: FBIPP Paul Reiffer (Chair) ABIPP Monir Ali ABIPP Barrie Spence ABIPP Jessica McGovern LBIPP Matt Curtis FBIPP Johnson Wee

UK Subscribers £30, Rest of the World £60

Mongol 100 58 Leo Francis takes us on an adventurefilled journey photographing an endurance race across Lake Khovsgol in Mongolia

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

Neither the BIPP nor any of its employees, members, contractors or agents accept 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 2023

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

D

ear Member,

Welcome to the Autumn edition of The Photographer. I hope you find this edition as interesting as I have. A huge nod to our editor, Joel, for navigating through topics as diverse as Artificial Intelligence and traditional film photography.

I want to thank all who attended the online AGM; there was a lot of information given about the work that has been going on over the past few months to secure the future of the BIPP. I would, as always, like to thank all the volunteers but especially the directors, with a special mention needed for Jessica McGovern, who has invested a considerable amount of time, effort and skill over the past few months, and the time she has committed is incredible resulting in the new branding and the fantastic new website. This was part of several changes and improvements we are introducing, including a blanket Public liability insurance and professional indemnity for the working membership; this will hopefully be in place towards the end of October or the beginning of November. This is to help the BIPP promote its members as professional photographers with the correct insurance and skills. We have also now included in the resources area of the website all the documents and templates you will need as a photographic business.

Turning our attention to membership subscriptions, we’ve listened to your feedback and are in the process of streamlining our options. We will consolidate these into three straightforward membership levels. To continue enhancing our offerings, we’re implementing an average membership price increase of 11%, marking our first such adjustment in over eight years. Though it translates to an average monthly increase of just £2 for most members, we believe it will make a world of difference in sustaining and expanding our suite of benefits and services.

In other engaging news, the judging for the 2023/4 International Print Competition recently took place in Preston. An enormous thank you to all our esteemed judges for their voluntary contributions and keen eyes.

Over 300 images made it to the finals, leading to an 2 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2023 / Issue Three

exhaustive yet thoroughly rewarding two-and-a-halfday judging session. The awards day is coming up, and it promises to be an event to remember. I urge you to book your tickets early, as we have special rates available for a limited number of seats.

Let’s not forget Tracey Lund, who has graciously accepted the role of Team Captain for World Photographic Cup Team GB, taking over the reins from Richard Bradbury. Tracey, we’re all eager to see where your leadership takes us in the year ahead!

Furthermore, we’re launching a monthly print competition come January. This new initiative will effectively replace our regional competitions, although the well-loved International Print Competition will continue in its current format. Look out for more details towards the end of the year.

On the board front, I’m delighted to welcome Matt Curtis and Johnson Wee to our ranks. Their fresh perspectives are sure to enrich our collective wisdom.

Conversely, a resounding thank you is owed to John Miskelly, who leaves us after a tremendously productive term. His commitment, particularly in scrutinising past governance issues and modernising our articles of association, has been invaluable.

Also, it’s with a heavy heart that I echo our collective condolences to the family and friends of Stephen Dunn.

Known for his kindness, skill, and astute understanding of the intricacies of our organisation, Stephen leaves behind a legacy of genuine friendship and professional integrity. His presence will be deeply missed by us all.

In the coming months, we’re dedicated to fostering a stronger sense of community within the BIPP and continuing with the momentum of the latest rebranding of the company and the refurbishment of the website.

Your active participation and ideas will be pivotal in making these efforts a success. Together, we can elevate the BIPP and advance the field of professional photography.

PRESIDENT JEFF BROWN

T

he year is certainly flying over; it seems like 5 minutes ago since I was writing my first President column for issue two of our 2023 magazine, and now autumn is nearly here, it won’t be much longer until we are looking towards 2024 and a whole new year for our businesses.

As I’m sure most of you agree, running a business and being your own boss is a rollercoaster of a ride. Some weeks, things couldn’t get any better – you’re on a high, and everything you touch turns to gold. In other weeks, everything seems to be going against you, then the bookings and enquiries tail off.

I’ve been there myself on many occasions in all of my businesses, my photography ones, my mentoring company, my website business and in other ventures, but what keeps me going forward is overwhelming selfbelief, keeping myself visible online because visibility is credibility, and this combined with the fact I just don’t think I could work for anyone else. Other than my time as a military photographer, I’ve always run my own businesses from age 14. With the exception of a few years working in a Dixons electrical store, and even though I worked in their photographic section, I still hated it! I just couldn’t get passionate about their business, not in the way I get passionate about my own – I’m sure you can relate.

For me, an essential factor contributing to success and growth is having a plan, setting out your business goals, and taking positive daily steps to achieve them. Even at the very beginning, when things seem to be running slow, and nothing appears to be producing the results in any volume, it’s all about keeping your goals in mind, tweaking your plan as you go and maintaining consistency.

But when procrastination and imposter syndrome start to kick in, how do you keep up the consistency and motivate yourself to get stuff done? This is something I’ve faced on many occasions, but remember, there is so much opportunity out there for us as photographers, more now than in the history of our industry. I always say to my mentoring clients that you have to think like a

business person first and a photographer second; we are business people who just happen to take photographs.

Nobody is out of reach, and especially in today’s world, we can connect and network more efficiently now than we could just ten years ago. No goal is too big – some goals just take more time to achieve than others. No matter how amazing and talented other photographers appear, they all started at the bottom and worked their way up. They had a vision and a dream, then took those small steps each day in the right direction.

I’ve been asked to speak at our International Image Awards this year, and as it is November and close to the start of 2024, I’ve decided to talk about something many of us often struggle with, and that is our own mental health, self-belief and keeping those negative thoughts at bay. I want to help you set yourself up for a productive and positive new year, giving you the tools and tips to get stuff done. Ten years ago, I was at my lowest point ever when one of my business ventures failed; I lost over £120,000 and was a further £60,000 in debt. At first, my options looked very bleak; I couldn’t see past the darkness in my head, my mindset was at an all-time low, and I even tried to take my own life. Slowly, I turned things around – it wasn’t easy, but it started with simple daily actions, like mapping out my goals and minimising negativity. Today, I still keep to the same format of goal setting, visualisation, a positive mindset, consistency and always personal projects to inspire creativity. I’ve seen how it has changed the direction of many of the photographers I work with, too.

I’m very much looking forward to speaking at our International Image Awards evening, not just because it’s a chance to see some truly amazing work by our talented members from the UK and around the world but also because it is a fantastic opportunity to meet up with fellow members in person, enjoy a delicious meal and of course, a few drinks. I hope to meet many members in November, and it would be great to see a packed turnout for our annual event. Let’s conquer 2024 together as the BIPP takes on a new direction and mission for its members.

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 3

THE BIPP NEWS

D I R E C TO R

D I R E C TO R

M AT T C U R T I S L B I P P

JOHNSON WEE FBIPP

I

G

’m Matt Curtis...I’m a photographer...That’s it, that’s what I do, that’s what I’ve always done. So what else can I tell you about ME?

I was born in ‘73 and spent my first eleven years in Scotland before moving to Warminster in Wiltshire.

I was distinctly average at school, always having more interest in music than any academic subjects, so I enjoyed learning the saxophone and teaching myself various other instruments along the way.

But back to photography. Having learned the basics, I landed my first job selling cameras in the early ‘90s and by ‘97, I was working in a local studio and introducing the latest in digital developments, such as Adobe Photoshop and digital retouching, to their wellestablished business. I stayed with them, learning by working alongside their BIPP qualified photographers, and progressed to become one of their wedding photographers and studio specialists.

From there, I made the logical progression and set up my own business in 2014, initially working from home. In January 2017, I opened Chinns Court Studio in Warminster, where I offer all aspects of studio photography as well as wedding photography.

Having worked with qualified photographers, I understood the kudos of achieving the level of professional recognition BIPP qualifications offer.

Gaining my qualification was a priority when I set up my own business to put myself ahead of the competition.

ood day to the BIPP, board of directors and fellow esteemed members of the association.

I am Johnson Wee, a seasoned wedding and portrait photographer based in Malaysia, with a rich 13-year history in the photography industry.

I’m immensely grateful for the honour of receiving your votes and being chosen as one of the new directors on the board. To be shortlisted amongst such esteemed veterans in our field is a true privilege.

Over the last nine and a half years, I have been a speaker and educator. This has given me a unique perspective on the global photography standard, witnessing the evolution of photography across various countries.

In recent years, I’ve noticed a departure from the fundamental aspects of photography, which are the bedrock of our craft.

In this new role, I carry the responsibility of expanding the reach of the BIPP, the world’s oldest professional photography association, to untapped regions. Language often acts as a barrier to effective communication, but I am confident in my ability to bridge this gap and help raise the bar in photography standards, particularly in Asia. I firmly believe that the qualification systems are still one of the most brilliant approaches to learning the fundamentals and honing your skills.

I feel immensely proud of this achievement and of the Institute, and I hope to continue to carry that pride and passion through my role as director.

I can still vividly recall my journey through qualifications. I had to demonstrate not only the fine details of pre- and post-production but also knowledge of printmaking, where I learned to select the suitable mats and the correct paper choice to ensure that my panel stood out.

Thank you all for your support, and please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or issues.

I can’t wait to serve the association and, most importantly, all of you, my fellow members.

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THE BIPP NEWS

W P C T E A M C A P TA I N

E D I TO R

T R A C E Y LU N D F B I P P

JOEL HANSEN

I

I

’m Tracey Lund FBIPP, a professional wildlife photographer from Hull, and I am now introducing myself as the 2024 World Photographic Cup Team UK Captain.

It was an honour to receive the call from Martin Baynes a couple of months ago about this new role. I have big shoes to fill following the fantastic job Richard Bradbury FBIPP did as Team Captain.

I have been a member of Team UK for the past four years and have been lucky enough to be awarded a Silver and 2 x ‘Best in Nation’ awards. I have loved being part of the competition, so now, being the Team Captain, I look forward to continuing the team’s success going forward.

The WPC is a true showcase of some of the most talented photographers worldwide, and it is fantastic for promoting international friendships and collaborations.

It encourages photographers to push the boundaries of their art and provides a platform for them to promote their work, gain recognition, and make connections in the industry.

As Team Captain, I’m excited to foster talent from across all genres. With the new changes within the BIPP and its latest monthly competition, it will provide a great platform to see all the incredible work members produce regularly.

I feel passionate about this competition, especially since I have been involved myself and have attended the awards ceremonies over the years. I am looking forward to putting this year’s team together, and I know it will be hard to make the final decision, but I’m enthusiastic to start the process!

I will do my best to put a strong team together from all our talented members at the BIPP and beyond.

t’s been a few editions since I last penned an editor’s note, and I wanted to utilise this column to provide you with a personal update. After holding dual roles as Editor and Communication Manager for the BIPP, I will now be dedicating my efforts exclusively as a freelance magazine editor.

My dedication and responsibilities as an editor remain unchanged. I will persist in carefully curating compelling content, featuring stories from the BIPP and its membership, and reporting on industry updates. ‘the Photographer’ has endured over a century, serving as a valuable platform to showcase our members’ work and enhance their visibility through editorials. As always, I encourage you to share your articles, ideas, and images.

This issue, in particular, was an absolute joy to compile.

It allowed me to delve into a diverse array of captivating topics and curate a wide spectrum of powerful imagery – whether immersed in the depths underwater, venturing into the expansive cosmos, experimenting with AI, or displaying the artistry of analogue photography.

Additionally, being privy to the journeys behind impactful long-form documentary projects, thrilling expeditions of adventure photographers, or the innovations of pioneering camera inventors is truly inspiring for a creative soul like mine.

Most interestingly, as a journalist and photographer at this time, it is surreal to witness AI technology unfold before our eyes and make waves in the industry. As someone working in a visual creative field, learning to use AI was something I enjoyed playing with last year, but now, particularly after this issue and now I’m freelancing again, it’s something I aim to continue to try to progress in and continue to learn about, as the AI era feels ever impending.

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 5

U N D E R WAT E R P H OTO G R A P H Y PAU L I V E S F B I P P

Diving into the Depths:

Mastering Underwater Photography and Its Commercial Potential In the realm where creativity meets the deep blue, a seasoned advertising and commercial photographer shares a captivating journey. From a humble studio in St Albans to the enigmatic depths of underwater photography, this article explores the logistical intricacies and boundless commercial prospects of venturing beneath the surface. Beyond mastering the art of diving, we delve into the delicate dance of capturing aquatic wonders while contending with water’s optical illusions and diminishing light.

I

Image © Julian McDonald ABIPP

’ve been an advertising and commercial photographer after I left Blackpool and Fylde College, and having spent just over a year assisting mainly in London, I started a studio in my home town of St Albans in 1985. Soon after that in 1989 diving became a hobby and very quickly a passion and within just a few years I qualified as an Open Water Instructor. Initially I resisted combining the two but inevitably I became drawn into shooting underwater.

In this article I’d mainly like to talk about the logistics and limitations of working underwater, along with the commercial opportunities.

6 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2023 / Issue Three

D I V I N G I N TO T H E D E P T H S U N D E R WAT E R P H OTO G R A P H Y

Firstly skills – be at one with the fish!

Well clearly if you want to shoot underwater, diving is a skill you need to master – after all it’s an alien environment to us humans. Obviously, you can snorkel in shallow water and there are some very accomplished free divers that create great images, but realistically you need to spend time underwater to create great images. Particularly if you’re looking for great wildlife action you may well need a lot of patience and time, needing to stay in one place for some time, with the added limitation of your air supply and decompression limits (the amount of time you can safely stay at a given depth underwater).

Mastery of your diving skills is important. Too many people try to task load themselves by taking in complete underwater camera systems before building up the necessary experience and buoyancy skills to be able to free your mind to be creative.

Paul Ives diving into Egypt’s unspoilt reef

On my last trip to the Red Sea I saw an inexperienced diver separate from his buddy and get swept away into open water because of this. Luckily the boat crew saw him surface many hundreds of meters away from the dive site and sent out the zodiac!

The risks are serious, but you also need to be experienced enough to make and plan your own dives. Following dive groups led by experienced dive masters around a dive site will rarely provide creative opportunities. Imagine being a landscape photographer and having to take all your images while keeping up with a hiking group?

Cameras and water don’t mix!

Today’s underwater camera options are fantastic. Most camera systems, from small compacts to high end video cameras can be housed and most housing provides access to all functions you would have on land. Though strict maintenance protocols are required as mostly there are just rubber O rings keeping the sea water from destroying your gear! However, with improvements in camera technology, particularly in low light ability, and dynamic range, you can also look at using available light a lot more effectively.

Improvements in video lights and strobes also give you so much more versatility in choosing the right way to approach what you want to shoot.

Images © Paul Ives

A macro shot using strobes of a Lanzarote sea horse, a fish that is tiny and shy and difficult to photograph

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D I V I N G I N TO T H E D E P T H S PAU L I V E S F B I P P

Image: An underwater portrait of my friend, a dive buddy and photographer Daniel Avery. An accomplished commercial photographer, Dan first started as my assistant many years ago and is now working for Next as their senior photographer. We share a passion for shooting underwater. I’ve helped Dan shoot many pool shoots while he worked for brands such as Speedo through Pentland.

The shot was taken on the Barge Dive site in Egypt, a small shipwreck – you can see the shadow of the hull of our liveaboard dive boat on the top left.

Shot on a Nikon D810 with Nauticam housing using available light, a 17-35mm Zoom Lens at an 80th Sec, F7.1, ISO 1250.

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“M

astery of your diving skills is important.

Too many people try to task load themselves by taking in complete underwater camera systems before building up the necessary experience and buoyancy skills to be able to free your mind to be creative.”

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 9

The bow of the Chrisoula K in the Red Sea. Shot on a Nikon D700 with Nauticam Housing, a 16mm Fisheye at a 100th Sec, F11, ISO 500

Get rid of the water In my first mentoring session in underwater photography, I was always told to get rid of the water!

What this really means is to get as close as you can to your subject. Firstly, water actually isn’t that clear – the visibility or the ‘vis’, as we divers call it, has a huge bearing on the clarity and detail that you can capture through a lens. Sea water is filled with suspended matter, sand, fish poo, plankton etc, and even very clear water can be problematic with what’s suspended in it.

This is especially relevant if you’re using lighting, as it will light the particles in the water as well as your subject. So, careful strobe positioning must be used to light your subject correctly and not the water in between; getting close means using wide-angle lenses with close focusing or macro lenses to minimise this.

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“M

ore recently, I became interested in shooting less subjectdriven images, looking at underwater spaces and the unexpected landscapes found in our seas, lakes and rivers, providing me with fantastic new challenges.”

Images © Paul Ives

D I V I N G I N TO T H E D E P T H S U N D E R WAT E R P H OTO G R A P H Y

Let’s talk about some physics Inverse square law: double the distance, quarter the intensity While water will cause the light to fall off much faster than you would expect, the light will also diminish depending on the depth of the water and will, of course, filter out the colours of the light, too. Colour is selectively absorbed by the water, and this colour absorption is also affected by the turbidity of the water and dissolved material. Red, orange and yellow wavelengths are the first to go, with blue being the last. So remember, light falls off from depth, and your light sources must all be considered pre-shoot.

The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection Light travels in straight lines, except when it hits water, where, of course, it will be subject to refraction. Water will also reflect a lot of light back up off the surface, and being much denser than air – things also look closer than they truly are. Add to that a lot of fish are shiny and reflective, you’ll have some spectacularly blown-out highlights to contend with, too, if you’re using external lighting sources.

But hey, let’s not get too disillusioned!

All of this can be overcome with the correct diving protocol and a good understanding of the basic techniques.

Shooting underwater will open fantastic opportunities for you to explore with your camera.

Commercially, being able to shoot underwater opened many doors for me: from producing advertising brochures for large UK aquariums via their agencies, as I could work both in and out of the tanks, to shooting fashion products in swimming pools and several rather tedious but well-

paid underwater architectural surveys. But bear in mind health and safety requirements if not diving into benign conditions on commercial projects.

Although stock photography doesn’t have the rewards it used to, images can be placed in libraries, and if you find the time to write travel and dive articles, you may get your work published and can negotiate a decent page rate.

More recently, I became interested in shooting less subject-driven images, looking at underwater spaces and the unexpected landscapes found in our seas, lakes and rivers, providing me with fantastic new challenges.

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 11

D I V I N G I N TO T H E D E P T H S PAU L I V E S F B I P P

A Hawksbill Turtle feeds on the seagrass at Abu Dabbab Bay, Marsa Alam, Egypt. The beautiful creatures go there to feed in the shallow bay, and with a careful approach, they will allow you to swim with them.

Approach I have always seen my role as a commercial photographer as a problem solver and believe, as Ansel Adams said, “you make a photograph”. As with most photography, planning, preparation and subjective selection are key in underwater work. Many images have meant that most of a dive is spent in one spot or working on the same subject when the opportunity arises.

I have many stories of this approach and have included examples in this article. However, seeing and finding your subject underwater is a matter of understanding the marine world around you, not to mention the logistics of getting to remote dive sites. Many of you who shoot terrestrial wildlife would understand the process, I’m sure.

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Also, on many occasions, I’d revisit the dive site at different times of the day so the sun is in the right place for the shot I’m trying to create or so the creatures I’m trying to shoot are active, whether that be at a specific time of the day or even year.

So whatever your reason to try shooting underwater, be ready to be amazed at the fantastic biodiversity you’ll encounter. There are some incredible photographic opportunities to be found once you have mastered the right diving and photographic techniques. The adventures and possibilities are limitless.

As renowned oceanographer Jacques Cousteau once said:

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

Image © Paul Ives

E X P LO R I N G S PA C E R OYA L O B S E R VATO R Y A S T R O N O M Y

ROYAL OBSERVATORY GREENWICH Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15

Step into the celestial realm as we journey through the discoveries of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, a beacon of astronomical research for centuries. This article unveils the latest cosmic marvels captured by the world’s finest astrophotographers for the prestigious Royal Observatory Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards. From stunning images of distant galaxies to ethereal views of our sun, these visuals transport us to the far reaches of the cosmos.

T

he overall winners of the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15 are Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner and Yann Sainty for their photograph Andromeda, Unexpected, which captures a surprising discovery – a huge plasma arc next to the Andromeda Galaxy. Scientists are now investigating the giant object in a transnational collaboration. It could be the largest such structure nearest to us in the Universe. The image will be on display alongside the winners of the other categories in the accompanying exhibition, which opened at the National Maritime Museum on Saturday 16th September 2023.

Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner and Yann Sainty said, “It’s an enormous honour for our team to receive this important award, and we are grateful for all the support, friendship and encouragement we have received along our journey. It encourages us to continue to pursue our passion for astrophotography and, of course, research with dedication.”

Peter Ward with Dark Star (Runner-Up) in the Sun category

László Francsics, judge and astrophotographer, said, “This astrophoto is as spectacular as it is valuable. It not only presents Andromeda in a new way, but also raises the quality of astrophotography to a higher level.”

The Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year award was won by two fourteen-year-old boys from China. Runwei Xu and Binyu Wang collaborated to capture The Running Chicken Nebula; Yuri Beletsky, judge and professional astronomer, described it as a “strikingly beautiful picture”.

The other winning images include Circle of Light by Andreas Ettl, which shows the Northern Lights reflected on Skagsanden beach, Norway; The Dark Wolf - Fenrir

by James Baguley, which shows a molecular cloud in the form of a wolf; A Sun Question by Eduardo Schaberger

Angel An with Grand Cosmic Fireworks (Winner) in Skyscapes Category Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 13

E X P LO R I N G S PA C E R OYA L O B S E R VATO R Y A S T R O N O M Y

Poupeau, which captures a huge filament in the shape of a question mark; and Grand Cosmic Fireworks

by Angel An, a photograph of the extremely rare phenomenon of atmospheric luminescence. In the Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation category, judges were impressed by John White’s Black Echo, which used audio source material from NASA’s Chandra Sonification Project to visually capture the sound of the black hole at the centre of the Perseus Galaxy.

Dr Ed Bloomer, an astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich, comments, “Once again, entrants to the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition have conspired to make things difficult for the judges, with a flood of high-quality images covering an amazing range of targets. The highlight of this year is perhaps a number of genuine discoveries being imaged, but we’ve had wonderful efforts in every category, and I’m particularly pleased to see the continued strength of our young entrants and those eligible for The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer. It has led to some intense debate amongst the judges as we try to choose the very best of the best, but we don’t mind!”

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Image above: Runwei Xu and Binyu Wang with The Running Chicken Nebula (Winner) Young Astronomy Photographer category

Image below: Andrew McCarthy with A Visit to Tycho (Runner-Up) People and Space category

Image right: Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner and Yann Sainty with Andromeda, Unexpected (Overall Winner)

Derelict Tarlair Swimming Pool, Macduff © Susan Allan

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PAU L R E I F F E R F B I P P N AV I G AT I N G A I

Navigating the AI Landscape Words by Paul Reiffer FBIPP

This is not the Yosemite Firefall.

This moment never happened; this place does not exist.

I know that, because I wasn’t there – more importantly, nobody ever was.

I

t’s a scene that was “imagined” by a piece of code that scours the internet for sources in its never-ending quest for learning – or as we know it in 2023, “AI”.

A few months back, I wrote what was probably the fastest-ageing opinion piece I’ve ever typed on my site, but the statements above still hold true.

And despite all of the advances, improvements and learning that these clever cognitive-ish farms of servers and software fragments have made over the past 12-18 months, one hurdle still remains: A.I. is, and always will be, unable to capture reality.

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Should we really be concerned?

So should we, as photographers, be worried or excited by the mass-proliferation of AI across the world and specifically within our industry?

As a headline, I’m going to say “it depends on what, and how, you capture”.

For some, AI has become an indispensable tool – an essential part of their daily workflow.

PAU L R E I F F E R F B I P P N AV I G AT I N G A I

Whether that’s through plugins that can automatically cull a thousand wedding shots down to the very best 50, or in programs that can replicate our own editing style and apply it to a multitude of different captures, or even with the sharpening and denoise tools that many rely on – it’s impossible to ignore the AI advances in software that have improved our working practices and efficiency.

But that same deep-learning (“intelligence”) has come at a cost to many – at least in the form of a threat at present – and that’s the inherent risk that the same tools could go one step further and replace our entire existence as photographers.

• Why worry about the weather being perfect on

a shoot, or the technical skills you need to capture balanced light on a commercial scene? – Just have AI replace the sky and re-light the scene to match the exact feel the client wanted.

AI Image of St Paul’s Cathedral combined with the Millennium Bridge © Paul Reiffer

• Why bother “dressing” a product shot – just add

the components, background, look and feel in afterwards on-demand. Or, even further, just have AI generate the entire image including the product itself.

• Why bother casting and hiring the perfect

model for a fashion shoot – simply invent them via prompts as a “human to order” wearing something that looks like the clothing you’re there to promote.

• Why even try to hunt out somewhere “new and

AI Image of Shanghai over a rainbow blended with London City Skyline © Paul Reiffer

exciting” to photograph out there in the world – when AI can create an entirely new location and generate the “perfect shot” of a scene directly under your control. …and all without even needing to leave your desk.

But then, a lot of the above, could already be achieved with a good grounding in pixel-based editing and a strong library of composite elements to play with.

And it’s those who have historically relied on “creative interpretation” to generate images that weren’t quite a true reflection of captured reality who are most exposed to those accelerating advances in AI. AI Image of photographer capturing New York City © Paul Reiffer Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 17

PAU L R E I F F E R F B I P P N AV I G AT I N G A I

Differentiating Reality For the AI tools themselves, what started out as a bit of fun – generating “steampunk rats” in famous locations, or reimagining product collaborations such as a McDonald’s Camera, etc – has slowly raised the levels of concern for many of us that this technology could now easily wipe out decades of skills that, as photographers, we’re proud to have built up through experience.

But that’s the whole point – and the reason why I’m not convinced we’re quite at the edge of that cliff just yet: those AI tools are only learning from what they’ve been fed, and derivatives of those concepts. They have neither the experience, nor the ingenuity, that we should all be proud to possess as industry creatives – and it’s the delivery of those elements that mean our clients will always value our work.

And isn’t our job, as photographers, to come up with new and innovative ideas and bring those to our clients?

Sources online have pointed to the fact that certain AI models have gone from getting maths questions 98% correct, to 98% incorrect, in only 8 months – the result of the “bots” learning bad answers; essentially, we’ve made them more stupid.

If we’re stuck relying on what’s been done before (just like AI) are we really being that creative, or are we on the same race to the bottom?

So surely the key here is to stay one step ahead of the general population of images they’re learning from – innovate – and bring something new to the table with each and every project.

AI Image of a McDonalds Medium Format Toy Camera © Paul Reiffer

In much the same way we’re not ready for pilotless passenger planes (the technology has technically been there for many decades now, but there’s something just a little too uncomfortable about the “what if something goes wrong?” scenario to remove the human touch) – it’s unlikely we’ll see AI take over all genres of photography anytime soon.

While AI is more than capable of delivering a great output when fed the right “prompts”, by the right person, the reality is that it’s still limited in what it can achieve, based on past examples and comparisons.

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“S

ources online have pointed to the fact that certain AI models have gone from getting maths questions 98% correct, to 98% incorrect, in only 8 months – the result of the ‘bots’ learning bad answers; essentially, we’ve made them more stupid.”

PAU L R E I F F E R F B I P P N AV I G AT I N G A I

The Impact is not Universal

AI Image of The Shard in London surrounded by fog © Paul Reiffer

For some genres, of course, AI is going to have more of a negative impact than others. As I mentioned earlier, AI is great for generating scenes – that never existed.

• Can AI produce news images of presidents in jail, or

The same goes for product photographers, creative compositors, concept designers and so-on – who all find themselves (and their previous budgets) firmly in the sights of interns around the country, primed to feed prompts to a faceless machine that delivers near perfect results in a matter of seconds.

• Can AI generate headshots for people’s LinkedIn profiles

And in those genres, perhaps it’s worth taking the opportunity to be the person in control. As many have previously stated: AI won’t replace creatives, the people controlling AI will replace creatives.

For the rest of us, however, it feels like we should be focusing on what we really offer to our clients – and capture what is actually happening.

• Can AI invent a wedding and produce the images from it? Sure – but it never happened.

• Can AI create an image of 5 shooting stars over London?

Absolutely – but it’s fake and without authentic value.

dead celebrities on the moon? Of course, but they’re sheer fantasy (in the most part). of them at their “very best”? Yes – but it’s not THEM.

In a world that is becoming more and more flooded with fake imagery and false claims, authenticity and reality are once again commanding a premium – and that’s what we, as photographers, should strive to provide.

AI != Competition The more real our products, our outputs, our captures, of those genuine moments can be – the less able AI will ever be to replicate what we do.

That’s how we “protect” ourselves from the advances of AI, not by shutting it out, or running away from it – but by using it where relevant to improve our workflow and producing better than it can through the best possible authentic, genuine and innovative captures for our clients.

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 19

A D V E N T U R E E LO P E M E N T U S A TO O V E R S E A S

In Conversation with

Sabrina Kaye BIPP member Sabrina Kaye, age 27, based in California, USA, speaks to Editor Joel Hansen about her journey into the niche of adventure elopement photography. A self-taught practitioner of the craft, Sabrina follows her lens to the aweinspiring landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, where she continually seeks new adventures and breathtaking moments to capture with couples. Her acute vision seizes the intimacy of relationships, while her ability with a camera and in postproduction creates flawless tonality in rural settings, bringing together human connection and mother nature in epic scenes.

Now, she sets her sights on broadening her photography overseas, excited about extending her passion across the great outdoors around the world.

When and why did you first get into photography?

Before my photography journey began, I started learning how to use a camera by creating videos and short films of my travels around the world. Once I got comfortable, I started experimenting with photography alongside video and fell in love with the challenge of telling stories through still images.

I have always had a deep love for travel, and I was fascinated by the idea of capturing the connection between people and nature. I was inspired when I came across adventure elopement photography, which bridged my passion for photographing iconic destinations and human connections. Adventure elopements, in particular, aligned with my personal values. This photography niche allowed me to express these values – the notion of challenging societal norms and telling the genuine story of each couple’s unique journey.

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Images © Sabrina Kaye

How long have you been working as an elopement photographer?

Four and a half years.

How would you describe your photography style?

Regarding my editing style, I lean towards more vibrant and pigmented colours because I love the way they breathe life into the scene. In post-production, I also focus on maintaining brightness in the photos and true-to-life tones.

My overall photography style leans towards fine art. Each couple’s unique connection inspires me, and I allow that to guide me in telling their story. I interact with them in a way that enables their natural connection to flourish while also implementing my vision for capturing their presence within the landscape.

You photograph in remote environments out in nature; how did this become part of who you are as a photographer?

I grew up in Southern California in a very small beach town. As I began travelling as I got older, I started discovering the many beautiful destinations throughout the western US, particularly the Pacific Northwest, Washington State, Oregon and Northern California. I was motivated by the sense of adventure that these destinations lend – the lush forests, waterfalls, stark mountains and rocky coasts greatly informed my passion for the outdoors. Eventually, I intertwined this with my photography journey and used it as a way to communicate the interaction between people and these natural landscapes.

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 21

I N C O N V E R SAT I O N W I T H S A B R I N A K AY E

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Image © Sabrina Kaye

A DV E N T U R E E LO P E M E N T U S A TO O V E R S E AS

What’s the most important element of shooting an elopement successfully?

The pre-planning part of it, that’s what makes the day go smoothly. I always take the reign on that with my couples, planning out times and locations and mapping it out so it is all in place on the day of the shoot.

Also, I ensure that in the meeting beforehand I always take down what they want me to include and have backup plans in case anything happens, which happens when you’re out in nature and subject to the elements. Depending on the season, there are a lot of wildfires, and when you’re up in the mountains, the snow is pretty unpredictable, depending on how the winter was.

What camera do you use?

I use two Sony A7R III’s, and then I have G Master lenses for Sony: 85mm, 24mm and 35mm. I have a harness that I wear and always two camera bodies on me, which I feel is the only way I can shoot that makes me not stressed with having to switch lenses. I like the versatility of capturing the wide landscapes and more close-up moments. I usually have a 35mm on one side and then switch between the 24mm and 85mm.

That’s pretty much all I use because if I’m out hiking a lot, I don’t want to carry a ton of stuff and have a heavy backpack on me.

Do you have a favourite lens?

It depends on the environment, but the 35mm is a great goto because when in doubt, that can work for any landscape I’m in. I usually base my lens on how far away my subject is from the background and what’s in the environment.

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 23

I N C O N V E R SAT I O N W I T H S A B R I N A K AY E

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A DV E N T U R E E LO P E M E N T U S A TO O V E R S E AS

“E

ach couple’s unique connection inspires me, and I allow that to guide me in telling their story. I interact with them in a way that enables their natural connection to flourish while also implementing my vision for capturing their presence within the landscape.”

Outside of your wedding photography, do you practise any other areas?

I really enjoy shooting landscapes, which I fortunately get to do alongside most of my elopement projects. I also occasionally do cityscape photography, which is fun because I love architecture and how it reflects each city’s unique personality and history.

What’s your post-production process and workflow like?

Post-shoot, the first step is always backup. I always back up to two hard drives and an online cloud as well. I then begin with a sneak-peek gallery, which includes highlights throughout the entire day so that the couple can preview what the full gallery will look like, as well as look back on their adventure. That’s where I spend the time perfecting the edit for each portion of the day; then, editing the entire gallery is way faster because I have each photo edit ready from each setting.

Are there any photographers who inspire you?

When I initially started, the photography team called Adventure Instead was a big inspiration to me – seeing them photograph elopements all over the world and documenting some genuinely unique stories pushed me to grow as a photographer. Another photographer – Mollie Adams from Between The Pine – inspires me because of the way she instils respect for nature and Leave-No-Trace policies into her work.

Image © Sabrina Kaye

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 25

I N CO N V E R S AT I O N W I T H S A B R I N A K AY E

What inspired you to expand overseas?

First of all, how many diverse landscapes there are that the USA doesn’t offer. I’m also fascinated by the different cultural traditions from other countries and regions of the world and how those could be incorporated to create a new kind of elopement experience, different from what I have documented in the past.

On a more personal level, I love meeting people from all over the world and would love to tell stories from couples with diverse backgrounds. It inspires me to learn about different perspectives on life, and I would love to see how this evolves my own outlook and influences my photography over time.

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Do you have memorable photographs that stand out from your career?

I photographed one elopement where the couple booked a private seaplane tour, which is a plane that can land on the water – that was a truly unique experience – we were able to fly to small islands and even have some of the islands entirely to ourselves. I had such a great time capturing their unconventional journey. The shoot showed there are no boundaries when getting married – you can do whatever you want.

TAY LO R W E S S I N G NPG

National Portrait Gallery

Shortlist for Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2023

T

he annual exhibition is set to return to the newly renovated gallery after a hiatus since 2020, featuring 58 portraits from 51 photographers. In addition to the first, second, and joint third-place prizes, one of the five shortlisted photographers will receive a photographic commission.

The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2023 shortlist comprises five photographers, and their works will be showcased in the exhibition, running from 9 November 2023 to 25 February 2024 at the National Portrait Gallery. A joint thirdplace prize will be awarded due to the exceptional quality of submissions this year.

The selected photographers and their captivating works are as follows: •

Serena Brown: “me nana fie,” capturing the photographer’s sister’s first visit to their grandma’s home in Ghana.

•

Jake Green: “Shaun Ryder,” featuring the Happy Mondays lead singer obscured by a vapour cloud.

•

Carl Francois van der Linde: “Chotu Lal Upside-down,” depicting professional wrestlers of Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE).

•

Alexandre Silberman: “Diena,” exploring the interplay between people and the natural world, captured at La Courneuve park outside Paris, France.

•

Gilleam Trapenberg: “Kisha and LaDarayon,” portraying the tender bond between a mother and son on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin.

Shaun Ryder © Jake Green

Alongside the monetary prize for first place, a commission worth £8,000 will be granted to one of the shortlisted photographers.

Supported by Taylor Wessing, the commissioned artwork will become part of the world’s largest portrait collection at the National Portrait Gallery, with the recipient and their creation revealed at the 2024 Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize exhibition. The winner will be announced on 6 November 2023, following an anonymous judging process led by National Portrait Gallery Director, Dr. Nicholas Cullinan, and the judging panel.

Chotu Lal Upside-down © Carl Francois van der Linde.

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 27

AI

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN ART & TECHNOLOGY

Words by Joel Hansen

In our last issue of 2022, I delved into the world of text-to-image AI in an article where I presented my AI creations that I tested against the keen eyes of the BIPP judging panel in the National Print Competition. Nearly a year later, the conversation around the new technology has expanded rapidly across creative industries, with discussions covering its implications on job security, artistic validity, ethical concerns, and the potential societal consequences of such a powerful tool.

The question that looms is whether text-to-image AI’s impacts will be beneficial or detrimental to the photographic industry. Is it a matter of embracing this technology as a new creative tool, or could it jeopardise a career in photography as we know it?

I speak to people in the industry to find out more.

28 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2023 / Issue Three

“I

t’s kind of like being an art director with your dreams, sending a photographer off to a fantasy world with your concept and seeing what they come back with.”

P

hotographer Leo Francis ABIPP, often in remote parts of the world capturing adventurefilled moments as a Red Bull Ambassador, shares his experience of the latest photographic trend.

He says, “I’ve been using AI, and I have a love-hate relationship with it. I enjoy what it can do – its take on colour, lighting, and ideas is really interesting. It’s kind of like being an art director with your dreams, sending a photographer off to a fantasy world with your concept and seeing what they come back with.”

However, for Leo, the process doesn’t provide the same creative sustenance as picking up a camera, “I didn’t become a photographer to spend time in front of a screen.”

Despite its near-boundless potential and impressive results, he asserts that AI-generated images can never truly replace the gravitas of capturing a genuine moment in time. He adds, “I find myself not asking the same questions about AI-generated images — questions like ‘Who is this person?’ or ‘What’s their AI Images © Leo Francis

life story?’ Because they aren’t real, or that person or scene hasn’t been captured by a human.”

Nevertheless, Leo acknowledges the importance of exploring AI’s possibilities and adapting to this new creative tool, even if it presents challenges. He emphasises that, for better or worse, photographers must embrace the potential that AI offers or risk being left behind in an evolving industry.

Since their advent, AI-generated creations winning art and photography competitions have emerged, sparking debates about classifying, judging and rewarding work produced solely from text prompts.

The Federation of European Photographers (FEP) recognised the growing influence of AI and incorporated it into its international competition in 2023. Entries in the digital image category saw a significant surge, with AI submissions even entering commercial, illustrative, fashion, and portrait categories.

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 29

BRIDGING THE GAP AI

Johan Brouwers, FEP Awards Chairman, speaks to the Photographer about the association’s latest stance on the technology.

He comments, “It was agreed an image generated by computer was not photography. The word ‘photography’ is derived from the Greek words ‘phōtós’ (meaning ‘light’) and ‘graphé’ (meaning ‘lines’ or ‘drawing’). Together, it signifies ‘drawing with light’.

“Photography is the process of recording an image – a photograph – on light-sensitive material or, in the case of digital photography, via a digital electronic or magnetic memory. AI was fundamentally an art form, not photography. Any FEP Qualifications and the title ‘Photographer of the Year’ can, therefore, not be assigned as such.”

FEP Golden Camera winner in Digitally Created Images, generated using Photoshop with AI © Franck Lecrenay

For FEP qualification, if assessors suspect AI is used, the photographer has to submit all the raw files for verification, and their panel will be judged at the next session, with the Qualifications Chairman making the final decision. For the FEP Awards Competition, only the finalists will be asked to submit their raw files, and the Awards Chairman will make the final decision. Johan explains that composites by photographers using Photoshop and their own images demonstrating their skills post-shoot will be accepted, but 80% of the overall image has to be generated by the author.

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AI Image © Simon Mackney

The FEP will now only allow AI to be used to enhance an image but not to add to it and decided that AI creations have their own category in the FEP Awards.

A R T & T E C H N O LO G Y AI

Simon Mackey FBIPP, a commercial photographer whose work creates elaborate concepts and visuals for clients, began testing AI earlier this year.

While AI has undoubtedly impressed Simon, he believes it has yet to alter his business. Simon states that his “POP” brand, where children take part in fantasystyle photoshoots to make them look like their heroes, relies on constructing a set and costumes to create a fun experience for the kids, which contributes to making the photographs impactful.

However, AI has found a valuable role in Simon’s creative process, serving as a wellspring of ideas and inspiration for future photoshoots. He enthuses, “There are ten ideas I’ve thrown in AI that I would love to photograph properly. It is mindblowing – it is the biggest thing to happen since digital or even beyond.”

AI Image © Simon Mackney

He comments, “It’s like the best work I never created,” as its outstanding results display complex concepts that would take enormous time and resources to make on set or even in post by editors using Photoshop.

He says, “I was sceptical at first and concerned about its impact on our industry. I went down a rabbit hole using Midjourney and started creating a variety of visual content. I use it purely to develop ideas/concepts, and for things I don’t have the budget to produce, like fashion shoots in the snow or desert.”

AI Image © Jordan Gurry

Jordan Gurry ABIPP, whose work ranges from high-end fashion shoots to product photography for global brands, caught wind of AI as images posted by creatives began filling his social media feed, with users posting for purely experimental purposes to paid commissions.

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BRIDGING THE GAP

Jordan believes the photography industry is safe for now but has already started seeing AI creep into creative briefs. “I recently had a commercial shoot with a good digital agency client of mine. They actually prepared their brief/concepts for the shoot entirely using AI, and then once they got my images, they used AI to add textures to the imagery – it worked really well.”

Outside of the leading names in text-to-image AI, such as Dall-E and Midjourney, the top digital editing software has also entered the AI space.

Adobe Photoshop AI tool enhances image editing by automating tasks, improving image quality, and simplifying complex processes. It employs AI to assist in tasks like content-aware fill, auto-select subject, image upscaling, and noise reduction.

Putting this latest tool to the test, Graham Whistler FBIPP explains after first experimenting with Photoshop’s Beta version, the AI tool is now completely integrated into the newest version of the software. He says, “The much-improved speed is now a major advantage; jobs I have been doing for years, often taking several hours, can now be done much better and in a matter of almost seconds.”

32 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2023 / Issue Three

AI Image © Jordan Gurry

AI

“I

use it purely to develop ideas/ concepts, and for things I don’t have the budget to produce, like fashion shoots in the snow or desert.”

Recognising the controversy it’s causing, particularly concerning competitions, Graham explains how the ownership and authenticity of a photographer’s efforts will now be called into question. “It is so good that it is almost impossible to see in some examples that a photo has been altered.”

He adds, “In my highland cattle photo, the cow on the left has been moved, turned around and blended into the grass; for the hole left from moving the cow, which covered the stream, AI took seconds to regenerate the missing detail.”

A R T & T E C H N O LO G Y AI

In another shot of a swooping owl, Graham reveals how simple it was to use the selection tool in Photoshop to cut out his subject instantaneously without losing any detail. He then devised a new background with the prompt: generate a background night shot of trees and a dark blue night sky. The result creates a striking image that would be hard to distinguish, not having been done solely in camera.

As the debate surrounding the integration of text-to-image AI in the photography industry escalates, it’s clear that this technology is reshaping the landscape. Photographers like Leo Francis ABIPP recognise its potential but highlight its inability to replace the authenticity of capturing genuine moments. The FEP has taken a stance, defining AIgenerated creations as a distinct category, seeking to preserve the essence of traditional photography. Meanwhile, industry professionals like Simon Mackey FBIPP and Jordan Gurry ABIPP emphasise the tool’s role in inspiring creativity and enhancing concepts. The evolving presence of AI, notably within widely-used software like Adobe Photoshop, demonstrated

by Graham Whistler FBIPP, promises efficiency but triggers a conversation about preserving photographic craftsmanship. The industry faces a crucial juncture, balancing innovation with the reverence for the artistry and skill that defines photography.

Images edited using AI in Photoshop © Graham Whistler

Images edited using AI in Photoshop © Graham Whistler Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 33

D I G I TA L D O M I N AT I O N A N A LO G U E R E N A I S S A N C E

Analogue Renaissance:

Film Resurgence in the Age of AI and Digital Domination Analogue processes appear to be experiencing a revival over the last decade, with a focus on traditional approaches and aesthetics taking the spotlight in 2023. This is evident in the acclaimed film Oppenheimer, a blockbuster shot on 70mm print film, as well as Nikon’s Zf, their latest full-frame digital camera designed in homage to older models while incorporating cutting-edge digital features.

Editor Joel Hansen looks at the global revival in the digital age. He speaks with photographers and businesses about the appeal of the film process, culture and industry to find out what’s behind the growth in traditional methods.

I

n this pivotal time in the photography industry, where the rise of AI is shifting how we create images in an entirely new way, the process that first captured life through frames in the late 1800s is making a comeback since being surpassed by digital back in the early 00s.

As a photographer, I’ve always had a close relationship with film and digital. I played around with disposable cameras growing up, shooting low-res images on the first camera phones, getting a DSLR at age 15, and eventually progressing to a photography college course where I experimented with traditional analogue methods. Now, having worked as a photographer in various capacities, my reliance on digital has undeniably been essential. However, when it comes to personal photographic work, I’ve always been compelled by that chemical magic reaction of exposing film to light.

And I’m not alone. The resurgence of analogue is a trend across the globe.

In 2022, Kodak hired over 300 people in an attempt to keep up with the exploding film demand, along with independent film manufacturers announcing five new C-41 colour films. An article published in the New York Times explored the rise in demand, citing that, in 2022, online retailer Etsy saw a 76% increase in searchers 34 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2023 / Issue Three

Images © Negative Development

seeking a film SLR compared to previous years. This increase is said to be fuelled by Gen Z and Millennials, even as the demand for cameras and film drives up costs exponentially, a fact reported this year in an article by VICE stating how a single roll of Kodak Colourplus 200 cost £3.50 in 2018 and is sold for as much as £15 today.

Adding on the developing and scanning costs of each roll (if you don’t do your own) makes the price per frame costly, but this still isn’t deterring photographers.

James Leadbetter, owner of Negative Development, an analogue camera retailer and community darkroom based in Manchester, spoke to the Photographer about his experience.

Officially opening his business/store over a year ago, alongside his job as a software developer, he explains how it began after experimenting back with photography during the pandemic. “It’s a hobby that’s got a bit out of hand – I started buying film cameras and enjoying them for myself mainly.”

After taking his cameras to a market where he and his wife operate a vintage jewellery business, an interest sparked. “The first couple of markets, I nearly sold all

Image of James taken on Kodak Ektar 100 film © Josh Spear Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 35

A N A LO G U E R E N A I S SA N C E F I L M R E S U R G E N C E I N T H E AG E O F A I

Images © Rachel Brewster-Wright

my cameras; I was chatting to people left, right and centre and giving away business cards. The community is so strong and vibrant, and people just love chatting about this kind of stuff and meeting other people interested in it.”

James believes it’s an exciting new era for photography that’s blending together analogue and digital, with a customer base of mainly under-30s fascinated to purchase anything from a cheap point-and-shoot to high-end medium format cameras.

and please use film for that reason. But I always tell people to do it for the process, the experience, and the challenges it gives you, rather than just the end results.”

Putting film into practice for clients and running film-based workshops, Little Vintage Photography, headed by Rachel Brewster-Wright, is approaching its tenth anniversary of trading.

He says, “Film photography is moving into a more genuine and separate art form, almost like painting and digital painting. You don’t see Photoshop replacing acrylic paints in any way.”

Describing a business pursuit that came together after losing her mum and university teaching job in her late 20s, Rachel explains how the shock and grief pulled her back into her true passion in life. “It all comes back to analogue photography and working in the darkroom, in that happy place, that feeling of something tangible that you could really focus on – it’s the craft of it that I love.”

“A lot of people want to shoot film for the look, and I understand that if you want to make a vintage image and the colours, that’s great,

Starting in 2014, while “digital was in full peak”, and sensing that a subculture would remain in analogue, she has now seen the industry grow significantly.

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“N

o matter how long I do this or process a roll of film or watch a print appear, it never gets old – it’s just magical, it really is.”

Based in Merseyside, the business combines her passion and previous work experience to offer traditional photography education to all age groups, from primary school students to individuals seeking commissions and consultancy as well as darkroom hire & membership.

She also provides fine art analogue wedding & event photography. Most recently she has published ‘The Ultimate Film & Darkroom Workbook’, which serves as a guide, journal and logbook for people shooting film and printing in the darkroom Rachel says, “No matter how long I do this or process a roll of film or watch a print appear, it never gets old – it’s just magical, it really is.”

Landscape photographer Aaron Dickson ABIPP switched from primarily shooting digital to an analogue hybrid process after being compelled by a slower approach and the creative satisfaction the physical practice of film provided.

“All my images are taken with a Hasselblad 500cm (47 years old and still working wonderfully) on transparency film, which I have processed in England and then scanned to allow me to edit and print digitally.”

Aaron finds the restriction of analogue equipment “liberating in many ways”, as the need for lots of equipment and numerous lenses is no longer necessary in his methodology.

“I feel I only really began to learn photography once I switched permanently to film. I spent less time thinking about equipment or wondering if I needed a new camera or lens and more time learning about light, composition and colour.”

While Aaron admits that the unpredictability of results can be challenging, he says, “When the opposite happens, and you see a strip of film on your light table that immediately pops out at you and you know you have something special, the feeling is immensely rewarding and makes it all worthwhile.”

Images © Aaron Dickson

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D I G I TA L D O M I N AT I O N A N A LO G U E R E N A I S S A N C E

Fine Art photographer Annemarie Farley FBIPP is a seasoned practitioner in all things analogue, with her most recent venture forming from advice for an artist to try something completely different from their normal working practice to help break out of a creative block.

Requiring no camera, cyanotype printing, first invented

by Sir John Herschel, a British scientist, in 1842 to create permanent copies of his scientific drawings, produces a distinctive blue image through a methodical chemical process.

First, making her own gelatin-free emulsions, Annemarie explains, “I start with masking an area onto the shatterproof glass and then coating the emulsion onto it.”

“The glass must be spotless so that the emulsion will stick.

Once I’ve brushed on two coats drying in between, I let it dry for at least 24 hours away from UV light. Then, I use three 100w UV lights on a copy stand to expose the glass for up to 10 minutes.”

The exposed image is then washed and dried naturally, with an additional option to add colour onto the drying image, and then finished by spraying a white pearl polycarbonate on the back, which adds a pearlescent sheen and protects the emulsion. The image is then mounted in a box frame where the glass is about an inch away from the backing card to project a second image onto the background when the light hits the image.

“There are a million and one things that can go wrong as it’s a very delicate process, and they can scratch easily, but even the ones that go wrong produce some interesting 38 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2023 / Issue Three

results. Eventually, I hope to run workshops on the process featuring my non-gelatin emulsion recipe.

This is exciting as I never thought I would get to the point where I would include them in my fine artwork.”

In an era where digital technology holds an evergrowing presence, it’s interesting to witness the revival of analogue photography and how practitioners are embracing it as an art form driven by a passion for the creative process. As we venture deeper into the realm of AI-driven advancements, I wonder whether the traditions of photography will now offer a grounding influence amidst the expanding virtual landscape of imagery.

Images © Annemarie Farley

G R O U N D - B R E A K I N G F E L LO W DOUGLAS ARTHUR SPENCER

A ground-breaking Fellow: The story of Douglas Arthur Spencer Dr R M Callender, FRPS, FBIPP, delves into the story/history of the man who played a pivotal role in Madame Yevonde’s vibrant, pre-war, Vivex colour photographs on display at the National Portrait Gallery. The article introduces us to the inventor of Vivex, Douglas Arthur Spencer, whose ground-breaking work and valuable advice helped shape Yevonde’s vibrant and iconic imagery, underscoring Spencer’s remarkable career and enduring passion for photography.

When Dr Spencer opened a photography exhibition to celebrate the Institute’s 75th anniversary, the author was on hand to give the vote of thanks.

W

hen the National Portrait Gallery re-opened after a three-year refurbishment, the curators staged two striking exhibitions.

Enlarged snapshots from the camera of musician Paul McCartney attracted huge crowds, which inevitably led to weeks of endless queues Close by, another new gallery featured a display of photographs by honorary member of the BIPP, the late Mrs Middleton, who worked professionally as Madame Yevonde from 1918 to 1975. The recent review in The Photographer (Issue 2: 2023) speaks

A notable invention by Dr Spencer was the ‘Vivex’ camera which, by virtue of internal mirrors, exposed a set of tricolour plates during one exposure.

well of the staging of the exhibition in London and reproduces a few of the prints, which were based on the pre-war Vivex colour print process. In particular, it was an exhibition of these colour prints, when staged

by Mrs Middleton in the 1930s, that brought her to the attention of audiences representing many branches of society and led to her subsequent eminence in photographic circles.

The inventor of the Vivex colour print process, who secured the patent in 1928, was a Fellow of the Institute. Unfortunately, his acknowledgement at the Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 39

Horse and haystack to assess the reproduction of yellows A group of lively children demonstrates the benefit of the brief exposure achieved by Dr Spencer

A print intended to demonstrate the potential of ‘Vivex’ colour prints in advertising

A view of the canal at Rickmansworth, near Dr Spencer’s home

National Portrait Gallery was scant and relied on an unnecessarily brief caption on a large display board.

As a ground-breaking inventor, Douglas Arthur Spencer (1901 – 1979) gave valuable advice to the professionals who favoured his Vivex process and admired the excellent colour photographs produced at the processing laboratory he established in Willesden, North London.

His favourite story related to the commission he received to photograph the Crown Jewels. This necessitated being locked in the Tower of London and working through the night, arranging the valuable objects, lighting them to enhance the priceless jewels, and calculating a precise measurement for the exposure of three monochrome plates through red, green and blue filters. On such occasions, he used the ‘Vivex’ camera, for which he also held patents due to the special mirror system that reflected light to the plate via the blue filter.

He preferred that the set of plates exposed by his clients should be delivered to the processing facility at the works for developing, so that the contrast could be controlled and thus match the requirements of his ‘Vivex’ process. On one occasion, when Madame Yevonde deliberately used a blue filter on her camera, this puzzled all members of the staff responsible for producing one quality colour print.

By good fortune, and through the Institute’s 75th anniversary celebrations, I became good friends with Douglas Spencer and he would frequently invite me to join him for morning coffee at his home in Rickmansworth. On such occasions he produced batches of his Vivex prints, which generally became the basis of our discussions. In turn, the conversations triggered memories for Douglas and he would regale me with recollections of his successful process.

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An original Vivex print by Dr Spencer that marks the opening of the penguin pool at London Zoo in the 1930s

The ‘Vivex’ print produced by Dr Spencer of St Edward’s state crown of 1661, following his night of photography in the Tower of London

“His favourite story related to the commission he received to photograph the Crown Jewels.”

Through my Institute membership, I also met Sam King, ABIPP, and showed him three half-plate proof prints given to me by Mrs Middleton. He laughed when he saw them, as he had once worked for Dr Spencer, and was anxious to view the reverse side which, along with the company reference number, noted that Lady Mountbatten’s dress should have extra pink, and that her arms were too dark. He also drew attention to the studio background of white fabric which helped to provide the soft light that Dr Spencer advised.

My encounters with Sam also provided more detail about Dr Spencer’s achievements. He had excelled at the University of London, where he received a doctorate for applied chemistry in 1932, thus equipping himself for a research career. His first project was to design a plate-holder containing the three filters, red, green and blue; by incorporating a motorised unit, he achieved correct exposures within half a second. The exposure for the three photographic plates had to include a ‘filter factor’, but in taking his personal photographs, Douglas Spencer experimented with panchromatic plates of different ‘film speeds’ so as to offset the necessary filter factors.

Attention to detail was evident at his works where every feature of voltage, temperature, air conditioning and solutions was strictly controlled. After processing each set of three tricolour negatives, a half-plate colour print was made and Sam King often delivered such proofs to the clients for comment before finished prints of any size were made.

The Willesden works had to close on the outbreak of WWII and Douglas Spencer was engaged by the Research Laboratories of Kodak Ltd where he concentrated on war work. That is, he improved aspects of aerial photography prior to D-Day and supervised the preparation of photographs that showed aspects of the landings on the beaches. It was no surprise that, in time, he was promoted to head the research interests at Kodak Ltd, but with further promotion in 1957, he subsequently retired as Managing Director of the company.

It is a testament to Douglas, that, following his retirement, he continued to maintain a great interest in advances in cameras, print processes and photography until his death in 1979.

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 41

B E YO N D T H E L E N S MARK POLLIT T LBIPP

Photographic Passions

Beyond the Lens with Mark Pollitt LBIPP, Photographer, Storyteller, Software Designer

T

he click of a shutter, the familiar scent of developing fluid, and the magic of seeing a memory emerge on a blank sheet - for many photographers, these elements combine to form the foundation of their artistry. For me, it was the indelible moment of watching my father, lost in the rhythm of his camera, and later developing my own inaugural photograph of my infant son, that I felt a profound surge of emotion - love, joy, passion, fulfilment and an insatiable curiosity.

Since that defining juncture, my pursuit in the realm of photography has evolved. The goal? To continuously challenge my innate curiosity, creative flair and voice by crafting images that stand as not only icons but are deeply personal and distinctive. When I share these visual narratives, it’s an intertwining of my essence with an image, offering viewers a piece of my world and an opportunity to relate, reflect and resonate.

Tree-mendous For close to a month, I journeyed through Yorkshire, aptly termed “God’s own country”, on a quest to discover a singular, outstanding tree for a photography contest.

This expedition was as much about introspection as it was about artistry.

As I ventured forth, a majestic Willow caught my attention. Towering, it wore a luxurious ‘skirt’ of vibrant, fluttering leaves, swaying gracefully in varying shades of green and silver. Beneath its pendulant branches, the cool shade beckoned, accompanied by a sweet, lingering aroma.

The vision that unfolded as I peered upwards, with light filtering through the lush canopy, signalled the ideal frame for my shot.

Yet, challenges ensued. From navigating the complex texture of the tree’s trunk to avoiding an unplanned altercation with a pair of Greylag Geese, and, finally, ensuring the optimum play of light and shadow as I aimed skyward - the image required meticulous crafting.

The culmination was achieved using my Canon EOS 5D 42 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2023 / Issue Three

P H OTO G R A P H I C PA S S I O N S MARK POLLIT T LBIPP

Mark IV, tethered to my mobile, as the last hues of the Blue Hour faded. The finishing touch was a transformation into black and white in Lightroom Classic, adding a timeless elegance.

Beyond capturing moments, I’m committed to enhancing the buying experience for my clientele and the sales potential for other artists. In July 2021, I pioneered a software, ProSizes, that revolutionises the transformation of images and artwork, mocking them up into rooms in seconds, saving photographers, artists, designers and gallery owners many hours of time in processing manually and outsourcing their work. Clients can share a photograph of their space, and, within moments, witness how artworks will grace their walls, breathing life into their ambience.

Being recognised as the Yorkshire Fine Art Photographer of the Year in 2021 by the BIPP was an honour that cemented my identity as a fine art landscape and travel photographer. Yet, growth knows no bounds. Creatively, I’m ever-evolving and eager for any photographic challenges that come my way. The sheer joy of being ‘off-grid’, forging a bond with my camera, and immersing myself in the nuances of planning and decision-making is an experience I cherish.

Images © Mark Pollitt

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 43

No Safety Net BIPP member Brian Morgan, MA, MBA, FRPS is a Doctoral Researcher, Writer, Photographer and winner of this year’s BIPP Yorkshire and North East Photographer of the Year, People and Portraits Award.

His winning image is part of a series shortly to be published in a forthcoming book entitled ‘No Safety Net’.

It tells of his unlikely adoption by the small travelling circus with which he subsequently journeyed and its role in his rehabilitation from life-changing illness and emotional trauma.

We asked him to tell us more. Using abridged extracts from the book’s manuscript, Brian attempts to condense five years of work into a few words.

H

ow the journey started sounds somewhat fantastical: ‘troubled spirit encounters exotic people in the woods and runs away on a voyage of self-discovery’. In truth, the beginning was a little more mechanical... but only just.

Alfred de Musset once wrote of the importance of loving things in the low world: ‘in order to know at the end the things you love best.’

My world could not have been lower when its tectonics collided with the world of circus. Until that first encounter, I had come to accept the ‘low world’ as my new home. That was until an innocent happenstance encounter with Olympia, the circus ring mistress, brought the visceral and vital otherworld of circus crashing through its Stygian walls. Here were beautiful people who could fly, who could cast themselves off from the ‘low world’ and vault the low ceilings of everyday life. Here was I, bound to place by age, infirmity, and the burden of grief. Until that day, I had never in my life been anywhere near a circus. Afterwards, I thought I’d never want to be anywhere else.

I quickly became tidally locked to the momentum of the circus, mesmerised by its pace, people, poetry and preternatural offer of ‘escape’. The Sisyphean task associated with the logistics of creating, disassembling, moving, and re-creating again in another town, another field, a community the size of a small village is something to behold. It is a dynamism victualed at every stop with the mantra ‘the show must go on; the show must go on’. For someone coping with the effects of life-changing illness and loss, it was a message that was to prove both restorative and profound.

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Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 45

BRIAN MORGAN NO SAFETY NET

Five years on, my wife and I are now godparents to one of Olympia’s children. Being ‘adopted’ by the ‘circus family’ has been one of the great privileges of my life.

A rare ‘rite of passage’ brokered through a covenant of trust. ‘No Safety Net’ is my way of repaying that trust.

The title ‘No Safety Net’ came easily as a metaphor for the precarious material and emotional existence lived out daily by a travelling circus troupe, and the critical dependence they have upon one another in a world where lives and livelihoods, both inside and outside the circus ring, depend upon a shared sense of belonging, community, resilience and, above all, mutual respect and trust. Metaphoric device was never more relevant than during the Pandemic and the tightrope walk between survival and oblivion that took centre stage throughout the period still called the ‘Bad Time’ by the troupe. A metaphor, too, for my own vulnerability and the emotional strength I drew from their presence as I journeyed with them at various times and through various means (allowing for COVID regulations) for almost five years.

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People always ask, ‘did I run away with the circus?’

Figuratively speaking, yes. But ultimately, rather than taking me away, the circus showed me the way home.

They brought me back to the people I loved. They sustained me on the journey by having faith in my art and adopting me as one of their own. In return, I hope through my work to make real an institution capable of tracing its antecedents through millennia but which remains ambiguous and little understood by the mainstream.

It was a journey or rather series of journeys along which there were many ‘stopping places’, a phrase taught me by Gypsies (another journey, another story). At every ‘stopping place’, I learned more about circus and myself. I came to look upon each photograph I took as a postcard from the ‘stopping places’, each a dispatch from a world that defies a single narrative. The postcards continued even through the worst of the vicissitudes wrought by contagion. By then, the pictures had become much changed; postcards sent from a forgotten world to a world that didn’t seem to care.

Images © Brian Morgan

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 47

B R I A N M O R GA N NO SAFETY NET

‘No Safety Net’ was shot entirely in black and white.

My creative antecedents are etched in monochrome.

They go back to the 1970s, a Brutalist, concrete-clad Secondary-Modern and a bashed-up Praktica LTL3 borrowed from a well-meaning teacher. It was her attempt to allow my twin brother and me to realise what we then believed to be our artistic ‘calling’. It was ambition that wasn’t shared by most of the boys (and girls) at our school who thought taking pictures was for sissies. We and the camera got bashed up even more for the code violation, but we prevailed, and Black and White as a photographic medium became part of our creative DNA. When my twin died, I lost my identity and, with it, my sense of self, so the importance of using the creative tools of our shared past took on an almost allegorical significance. Black and white images have since become a visual reliquary, a place to preserve and keep alive the few precious remnants of ‘us’ to have survived. Greyscale is the colour of my past and present, a bridge through time, a personal dispatch sent out across the void, a postcard to myself.

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I never considered exploring the reality of life in circus’s hinterland, the world that ends when the stage curtain rises – the real world of circus, no safety net, vulnerable, astringently stripped of its make-up – in anything other than black and white. How else to reflect a world at once antithetical to the beguiling and spectral world of the big top? There could be no better visual metaphor for exposing the stark binary choices – between survival and oblivion – forced upon the circus during the worst of the Pandemic. I wanted to capture the egalitarian nature of the circus, the aesthetic and grotesque, the achingly beautiful, and the heartbreakingly sad manifestations of circus life freed of the influence and hierarchies created by colour.

Exploring the complex narrative of ‘No Safety Net’ through photography was both a challenge and a joy.

The vast majority of photographs was taken in available light. There were philosophical and practical reasons for doing so. Still, the limitations brought on by adopting this approach – especially considering the dynamic

“I

never considered exploring the reality of life in circus’s hinterland, the world that ends when the stage curtain rises – the real world of circus, no safety net, vulnerable, astringently stripped of its make-up – in anything other than black and white.” environment and the predominant use of a lowspeed medium format camera and film – were considerable and difficult to overcome.

There were times when the physical and emotional challenges involved in reaching journey’s end seemed insurmountable. But one of the many lessons circus taught me on the ‘road less travelled’ was ‘never give up’. Throughout its long history, circus has never given up. Its desire to survive the present is bound immutably to memories of its past, where battles against contagion, war and genocide were fought and won by circus’s kith and kin. Circus is no stranger to catastrophe.

Circus is the glue that binds many complex narratives together. Despite the odds, it manages to do so in a manner becoming increasingly rarefied in a world where barriers are too often seen as solutions. Where policies are shaped, and lives governed more by self-interest than by selflessness, so that wars and climate change continue to rob us of life and threaten our very existence.

The capacity for co-existence amongst Russians, Ukrainians, Arabs, Jews and every race, faith and dominion between, a diaspora of diversity whose Images © Brian Morgan

homes are everywhere and nowhere, whose lives are tested daily – in extremis – both inside and outside the circus ring, provides a living metaphor for so much that is worthy in the human condition. I hope ‘No Safety Net’ and its postcards can play some part in sharing that message to the world.

Life is not a circus nor can circus save the world. But art possesses the unique power to show us ourselves. We should therefore ask each other what we can achieve, as individuals and nations, if we only grasp the opportunity to see the world a little differently, the way circus sees it.

Roll up, roll up, come and see the circus!

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 49

O B I T UA R Y STEPHEN DUNN

Legend: Farewell Stephen Dunn Programme Course Leader of the BA (Hons) Professional Photography at Edinburgh College, Jon Lee, remembers his friend and ex-student Stephen Dunn, who recently passed away.

S

tephen Dunn, an enthusiastic BIPP member and graduate of Edinburgh College, sadly passed away on 13th September. Stephen was the treasurer of the Scottish Region for a few years and was integral in the team alongside Pavel Tamm and me. As a small team, we steered the region, rebuilt the website and hosted the professional and student photography awards for a few years. None of this would have happened without Stephen’s entrepreneurial skills and financial savvy mindset – his enthusiasm was infectious.

One year, through his many friends in the world of acting and theatre, he managed to secure Grant Stott, the Scottish actor, broadcaster, radio DJ and television presenter, to record the voiceover and announce the awards for our ceremony. It was a huge success hosted on the big screen at the Grosvenor Cinema, Glasgow. I’ll never forget those times.

Stephen studied photography with us at Edinburgh College, graduating with a BA in Professional Photography in 2018. During that time, we, the staff and all his fellow students, got to know him for his wit, intelligence, sensibility, tremendous generosity, and hard work ethic – he was a grafter. I’m sure Stephen would not mind my saying he was a man of mature age but of a young and active mind; he fitted in so well and especially enjoyed working alongside students of all ages. He was a rock, supportive and passionate about his chosen subject.

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I reached out to his classmates to break the sad news and instantly got replies: “An amazing human being with sharp wit and so much joy for everything.”

“Stephen was such a backbone to many of us and really was one of the kindest and generous people I’ve met.”

“Stephen was an incredible person and helped everyone in so many ways.”

“Stephen was a wonderful man whom I owe so much to.”

“The advice and support he gave me made me not just a better photographer but a better human being.”

“Stephen was a lovely guy who was always going above and beyond to help and offer advice to everyone, I’ll never forget his generosity throughout our time at college,” “I’m grateful to have known him, such a character and an incredibly talented and intelligent person.”

Our love and condolences go to his wife Joan and children Lauren and Callum. As I say, legend…..those who knew him know. He will be missed by us all - Jon Lee.

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Image © Stephen Dunn Self Portrait © Stephen Dunn

RICHARD BRADBURY FBIPP T H E A LC H E M Y O F M A R K E T I N G

THE ALCHEMY OF MARKETING: LEARNING TO R.O.A.R. Words by Richard Bradbury FBIPP In the previous issue, we discussed the importance of creating a business strategy that would set you on the right course for developing and expanding your photographic business for years to come. In this issue and in the coming months, I will explain exactly how you can do that. Importantly, I will introduce you to a structured process that will ensure you make the right decisions for whatever your marketing needs are. We will identify the right clients for you and then design a campaign tailormade for your business.

H

ow many times in the year do you sit back and say, “We need more new clients!”? You probably do that a lot, but don’t think you are the only one. Most photographers are not as busy as they want to be, and those who are usually complain that they are not busy enough with the ‘right kind of clients’. The response of most photographers to this typical conundrum is to immediately start up an online or offline marketing campaign in the same manner as they always have. Guess what? If you keep doing the same thing, you’ll probably get the same results. The same bad clients, the same creatively dissatisfying shoots and the same gaping hole in your turnover figures that led you to this point in the first place.

busy, and I pretty much only work with the kind of clients I want to work with. Best of all, I understand how and why that is so, I can make logical and meaningful changes to my work plan as time goes by.

Some years ago, I realised this was exactly what I was doing. I was forever on the treadmill without ever properly understanding who my best clients were and how I should be connecting with them. I decided to address this issue once and for all, so I spent the best part of a year analysing and devising a system for understanding my perfect client and pinpointing how to convince them to book me. Interestingly, I then spent the subsequent decade and a half fine-tuning every aspect of that plan, and I now realise that the tweaking never stops. These days, I’m consistently

f you keep doing the same thing, you’ll probably get the same results. The same bad clients, the same creatively dissatisfying shoots and the same gaping hole in your turnover figures that led you to this point in the first place.”

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Without having a clear understanding of who your clients are and what drives them to be willing to pay for your services, you will never be able to control your workflow.

You will pick up random work, and some days will be good days, others bad, but the reasons why your clients come to you will always be, at best, an educated guess.

That is why a planned marketing system is so important.

The system I devised is something I call R.O.A.R.

“I

RICHARD BRADBURY FBIPP L E A R N I N G TO R . O. A . R .

I have taught this system to hundreds of delegates at seminars and individually at my mentoring sessions. It is the most effective long-term marketing programme that any business can undertake, and I have seen it work time and time again. It can be applied to any type of photographic business in any specialist field. You simply need to learn the principles and follow the process. R.O.A.R. stands for Research, Organise, Action, Response. Each stage follows the next; you need to perform each of these processes in that order every time you begin a new marketing campaign. This is how it works:

have real value. Often, your natural business instinct is to think that you know who your clients are and why they book you, but time and time again, I’ve found this is not actually the case. The

R - Research O - Organise A - Action R - Response RESEARCH Without the appropriate research, you will never truly understand how you and your brand appear to the world and never know the best way to approach your market – this is the first stage of the R.O.A.R. process.

Advertising agencies and product makers pay zillions of dollars to research companies before releasing new brands and ad campaigns. You are not the only one who wants to find out who their clients are. If massive global companies are doing this, then that tells you it must

demographics of our changing society are moving faster than ever, so it’s important to realise that you need to change with it.

Information is king, so don’t be afraid to question yourself.

In an internet-obsessed world, ironically, ‘WWW’ does not always stand for World Wide Web. In marketing terms, it means:

Who, What, Where?

This is the simple basis for all good market research and the starting point for every campaign you will ever launch. It does not matter if you are a photographer, a restaurateur, a scuba diving school or a chicken farmer – the same rules apply. You need to define who your client is, what you are selling them, and where you can find your potential clients.

It is important that you write down these three questions and answer them in great detail.

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RICHARD BRADBURY FBIPP T H E A LC H E M Y O F M A R K E T I N G

“F

Image © Richard Bradbury

ind your perfect client in a magazine, or choose a real person that you know and have a picture of them on your office wall. Write down everything you know about them and everything that drives and defines their life.”

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RICHARD BRADBURY FBIPP L E A R N I N G TO R . O. A . R .

Who? Picture your ideal client! How old are they? Are they married or single? Do they have children? How many and how old? Where do they go on holiday? What car do they drive? Where do they shop? What are their loves and hates? How do they vote? What do they do in their spare time? From this, you can build up a clear and concise picture of someone who is your perfect client.

Once you have defined your client, you will find that so many decisions on how you approach them and how you prepare your marketing media strategy are so much easier. Find your perfect client in a magazine, or choose a real person that you know and have a picture of them on your office wall. Write down everything you know about them and everything that drives and defines their life.

One very successful portrait studio I know in south London even went as far as to find a real individual, a previous high-paying client, who, for them, was their perfect client. They contacted the client and asked if they could meet up for a chat with the offer of some free prints as a gift. They interviewed the client and then modelled their entire studio viewing area on that person’s home. It’s an extreme example, but it is a very compelling one.

What?

What exactly are you selling? It’s an interesting question.

One of the most common problems I encounter is photographers who still need to define what they sell.

They do a little bit of this and a little bit of that and are terrified to stop doing some of it for fear of losing clients and offending others. We live in a world that is extremely well-informed. People know that they have options, and they know how to find them. No one wants to deal with a jack of all trades when they know a specialist is available, suited perfectly for their unique needs.

The world we live in is increasingly micromanaged; we all have access to a multitude of choices. Select what you are good at and that most moves you and stick with it. You will always produce your best work by shooting subjects you care about. Become the best, the very best at that particular subject and allow the other work to

come and go as it pleases. Don’t be afraid to create your own niche or genre. I once knew a food photographer who specialised in ice cream. He managed to get all the major ice cream accounts sewn up. It didn’t mean that he wouldn’t shoot other foods, and indeed, he shot plenty of general food books and ads, but ice cream was the thing that people knew him for. Don’t be a landscape photographer – be a night-time seascape photographer. Don’t be a sports photographer – be a windsurf photographer. Shoot only in black and white using predominantly backlight or create every image in a unique style of steely desaturated colours. That’s how specialised your business can become – that’s how you will stand out from the crowd.

Once you have defined your specialist field, you next need to decide how to approach the sale and think about the practical elements of supply and production. In simple terms, ‘What’ are you supplying to your client?

If you are a portrait photographer, do you supply largeformat digital files, a range of prints and albums or all three? Once these factors are established, you can ensure your products are appropriate to the client you defined in the ‘Who’ section.

Beware of bringing your own prejudices to this decision process, as you need to be open-minded and receptive to the market. For three years, I refused to supply largeformat digital files to my portrait clients. I firmly believe in the photographer’s right to produce prints the way they think is appropriate and that the artist should profit from their work and not the client’s local cheap lab. As my client base developed, it became obvious that I was attracting a large proportion of foreign ex-pat families living in London who were about to return home to America, France and the Far East. It is just ridiculous to expect someone who has had a portrait shoot in London as a memory of their time there to have to ship boxed, framed prints on board a plane. By researching my changing client base, I changed my product offering. I now charge handsomely for digital files and sell them in huge numbers.

Once you have decided what you are offering, you need to ensure that you have appropriate suppliers for prints, frames, albums, etc., and this will, of course, lead you to establish a relevant price list of goods and services that are right for your market.

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RICHARD BRADBURY FBIPP T H E A LC H E M Y O F M A R K E T I N G

Where?

So you know everything about your potential clients and the product that you are selling. Now, you need to define where you should go to find them. The advertising medium you select is essential to your marketing structure, and your approach will depend on your clients. Marketing to a member of the public, for example, is very different to a business-tobusiness situation. Within each sector, there will be detailed subdivisions, and those subdivisions are essential. If you are shooting weddings, then there will be specialist shows and magazines that are relevant to your market. But if you are shooting Asian weddings, flyaway location weddings or senior citizen weddings, there will be more specialist areas to look into where you can get closer to the heart of your market.

Think creatively about the most cost-effective way you can find your clients. Think about social media, specialist publications and direct door-to-door mail drops. If your clients have children, then schools and nurseries are a good target or even shops specialising in children’s clothing and baby goods.

Contact your local maternity ward or gynaecologist to see if you can put up a free exhibition in their waiting room.

Research every detail and every possible route to your market, and remember that there are no preprescribed methods to do this. Use your greatest asset: your creativity, to think of novel, original and exciting ways to attract attention to your photographic service.

Good market research will create a road map for your entire campaign. Be thorough and take nothing for granted. Once you have completed your research, you will have the perfect blueprint to structure your campaign. You will find aspects of your market that you had never realised were important during this process. Your market will change, and you need to change with it.

You have said goodbye to the vagueness of past attempts because you now know who your client is and what motivates them in every aspect of their life. This is the beginning of becoming a professional marketeer. Your business and approach to your business will never be the same again. You are ready to ORGANISE your media, and that is what we will cover in the next issue.

Richard Bradbury FBIPP is author of the photography business trilogy Rich Photographer Poor Photographer – The ultimate guide to launching, developing & expanding your photographic business.

To purchase a copy go to www.richardbradbury.com/RPPP

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JEREMY PRICE TO P T I P

Reveal Box:

preserving memories for clients Jeremy Price, Managing Director at GraphiStudio UK, is a dynamic professional who has made a lasting impact in the realms of sales, marketing and photography. With an impressive background at the director level in major blue-chip companies, Jeremy has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to drive success. His career highlights include successfully launching multiple brands in the UK and spearheading the growth of Graphistudio, a leading company in the wedding, portrait and commercial photography sectors. But Jeremy’s contributions extend far beyond business ventures alone.

B

eing a key part of so many successful portrait studios globally, we at Graphistudio get to learn about all types of different success stories. One of the common themes from these stories has been how so many photographers use the Reveal Box for more than just presenting matted prints and how it is helping them grow their sales and keep customers coming back for more.

For example, the Reveal Box can come with a false base that can become the perfect home for not just one but three photo sessions: maternity, newborn and first-year/cake smash. Each session builds that perfect story arc and is designed to be a permanent home for special memories. You can also offer clients the false base option as a space to store additional items like the birthing bracelet, first tooth, lock of hair and many other little sentimental mementoes that parents give to their children when they are all grown up. Another great example is boudoir photographers who are using it for bridal boudoirs and using the false bottom to hide a special gift to their fiancé on the day of their wedding or a love note to be saved and cherished.

When looking at your business, think about how the products you choose can become more than just the vehicle for your photography, see if there are ways to ensure they have a special place in the home, and even get your client to tell you where they would most like to see these photos in their home.

Printed products can become excellent lead generators as others see them in their friends’ homes and want one for themselves, so don’t forget to make sure your branding is placed somewhere to be discovered. Products like the Reveal Box are the perfect tool to ensure repeat business from clients and a unique product to keep bringing in more business.

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M O N G O L 100 L E O F RA N C I S A B I P P

Rat Race Mongol 100 A Photographer’s Journey at Lake Khovsgol, Mongolia Words & Images by Leo Francis ABIPP

Combining his adventurous spirit, love of extreme sport and creative vision, Leo Francis ABIPP takes us on another one of his adventure-filled journeys as a photographer.

After his article in ‘the Photographer’ magazine at the start of 2023 documenting a race across the Namib Naukluft desert, in this article, he captures the expansive and mystical land of Mongolia in an endurance race that pushes the limits of physical fitness and mental determination.

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Images © Leo Francis

P H OTO G R A P H E R ’S J O U R N E Y L E O F RA N C I S A B I P P

I

have a penchant for a weird out-of-office email reply. ‘I will reply asap, but I’m in Svalbard cuddling polar bears’, ‘I won’t have wifi for the next week, I’m in Exuma stroking pigs’, ‘I will get back to you in 5 days, I’m in the Namib building sand castles’. But my favourite that always gets a response of WTF is, ‘I’m in Outer Mongolia running across a frozen lake dodging wolves’.

Why do I have the pleasure of creating this outof-office response? Well, each year, I have the job of heading off to Outer Mongolia to photograph some endurance athletes who run, bike or ice-skate the entire 100-mile length of a frozen lake in Mongolia. It’s a four-day event created by adventure boffin Jim Mee and his company Rat Race, who run the infamous Mongol 100.

Interested? I’ll tell you all about it.

Mongolia itself is a pretty out-there place as it is, but if you head off the beaten path, turn right, go along the unknown track, hop the fence down the untrodden trail, then nestled in the heart of Mongolia you will find Lake Khovsgol.

It’s a place of pristine beauty and rich cultural heritage. In summer, lush green hills and mountains surround this majestic lake, with its vast 100-mile stretch containing some of the purest water on earth. Lake Khovsgol, often referred to as the ‘Blue Pearl of Mongolia’, is the second-largest freshwater lake in Asia and holds approximately 70% of Mongolia’s freshwater reserves.

The lake is rich in biodiversity, which supports the country’s unique ecosystem, serving as a crucial habitat for numerous species: wolves, bears, eagles and the reindeer herders of the region. The lake holds deep cultural significance for the Mongolian people. It is believed to be a sacred site and has been revered for centuries as a source of life and spiritual connection.

Sorry, I went on a bit there! One last fun fact: this lake is home to the world’s smallest navy, a navy in a landlocked country!

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M O N G O L 100 L E O F RA N C I S A B I P P

So you get the idea: in summer it’s a beautiful place; in winter, it’s a little different. It’s a barren ice tundra; the balmy -40-50 temperatures freeze the lake up to a metre thick. With minimal precipitation, this creates a huge expanse of black ice stretching out into the horizon and further. In these kinds of conditions, if things go wrong, they go wrong fairly rapidly. In Jim Mee’s mind, though, these are apparently the perfect conditions to run an endurance event.

To be honest, from a photographer’s point of view, he’s right – it’s one of the most exhilarating events to capture – it is a truly awe-inspiring, picturesque setting that allows you to capture images that are mesmerising and truly unique.

The images I capture of this event I love, but the feeling of being there is something else. The ice cracks and shifts as you walk on it. You are literally in the middle of nowhere, often absolutely alone, wandering across an eerie abyss of black ice in silence, except for when the ground splits and shifts beneath you, and pings of stressed ice echo around you as you walk. It’s unnerving but breathtaking. I try to capture the essence of this for 62 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2023 / Issue Three

the people putting themselves out there and doing the event, but there’s a kind of unwritten code that you only know what it’s actually like if you’ve been there.

I relish the ever-shifting ice patterns I capture, and the sensation of being on the ice in such a remote place is a feeling I miss, and I look forward to returning to it year after year.

The distinctive look of this place is just the geographic elements of the event and only a start to the photographic opportunities.

The cherry on this frosty cake is immersing yourself in the unique ambience of the overnight camps, and witnessing the fusion of Mongolian culture and endurance sports is an experience unlike any other. The participants finish their daily marathon, then camp on the edges of a frozen Khovsgol, lay back with a wellneeded raging campfire and listen to the Mongolian crew recite ancient throat-singing tunes under the dazzling stars. Tradition is still king in Mongolia, and they are a proud race of people, and this shines through in the images you can capture across this extraordinary land.

P H OTO G R A P H E R ’S J O U R N E Y L E O F RA N C I S A B I P P

Images © Leo Francis

Issue Three / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 63

SHUT TER HUB D O N AT E E Q U I P M E N T

Camera Amnesty

Do you have a camera or photography equipment you’d like to donate?

W

ondering what to do with your old camera or smartphone? Whether you’re downsizing, spring cleaning, or just having a tidy up, your unwanted photography items could really make a difference in someone else’s life.

Shutter Hub set up the Camera Amnesty several years ago as a way to connect homeless photographers with the equipment they needed. The project has continued to grow into something much bigger – providing a platform, funds and equipment for those who need it and reaching thousands of people across the globe.

‘Every day, we see for ourselves how photography can be life-changing. Aside from enabling access to photography for as many people as possible, we want to make sure that all photographers can carry on developing their careers and expressing themselves through their creative skills, whatever their situation,’ says Karen Harvey, founder of Shutter Hub. 64 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2023 / Issue Three

Your donation will help Shutter Hub provide equipment, support and opportunities to people experiencing difficult circumstances such as homelessness, displacement and mental health issues.

It will enable them to express their creativity, learn and develop new skills, and tell stories through photography.

Do you have a camera or photography equipment you’d like to donate? We accept anything that could be of use to a photographer: digital and film cameras of any age, from D/SLRs to point shoots, smartphones, tablets, laptops, film, memory cards, tripods, filters, video cameras, filming equipment, film scanners, darkroom equipment, books, and more.

More info: shutterhub.org.uk/camera-amnesty

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