Photo Scratch

Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz

Interview by Mark Phillips ARPS

Images: Photo Scratch/Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz

Photo Scratch/Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz

Photo Scratch is a social, networking and feed-back event for documentary photographers, photojournalists and people involved in the associated industries of photographic picture making. At the core of Photo Scratch is the opportunity for photographers to understand how their work is perceived and gain valuable insight into how to take their projects further with the benefit of a range of perspectives. Photo Scratch is a social enterprise run by a small team of volunteers who help promote events, forge connections, scout photographers, and run each edition. Photo Scratch was founded by photographers Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz and Phil Le Gal. The first edition was in January 2016.

Photo Scratch/Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz

Why did you (and Phil) start Photo Scratch? What was missing that Photo Scratch addresses?

I had been doing an online MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at London College of Communication, University of the Arts. As students, a group of us started to meet up informally at my studio nearby in the Hotel Elephant Studios. It allowed us to meet up in person and to have more in-depth discussions. After we graduated, we continued to meet up, always to discuss our work, and as a way of maintaining a community and providing support.

Then in 2016 we came up with the idea of a ‘scratch’. My earlier degree was in European Theatre, and in performance and theatre, there is this concept of a ‘scratch’ where you might put on a short version of your work in progress to get feedback from a target audience. Phil le Gal was on the same MA as me. His partner at the time had also been involved in similar work-in-progress events for a community of scientists, where there was also a culture of sharing research. So, we’d both seen first-hand how this kind of supportive community or network could help to create stronger work. It was about creating an avenue to put the work out there, getting input and making connections.

Photo Scratch/Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz

It has been running for nearly 4 years… how has that journey been? How has it evolved?

The format has largely stayed the same. The first event, in January 2016, had six or seven photographers and around 40 visitors. Those numbers might vary a little, based on the physical constraints of a venue, but we typically get six to eight photographers and 60-70 visitors for events in London. I think the most we have had is around 100. It is a bit like having a big birthday party and wondering if everyone will turn up. But each event seems to get there, everyone appears! We have much more diverse participants now, with people coming from across the UK. They can be anyone from somebody just out of university to seasoned professionals. There is a lot of goodwill between participants. It is not like a portfolio review or a professional viewing, it is much more about getting different perspectives, having meaningful conversations and hopefully feeling inspired.

Photo Scratch/Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz

Do you think that feedback is valuable?

I’ve yet to meet someone who is so confident in their work that they do not need any input. In practice, no one works in a complete vacuum, no one gets work without a commission or a gallery or a funder; so there is always an element of feedback from somewhere. Photo Scratch provides something unique, it’s not the same as a portfolio review or other opportunities where photographers have to pay to have access. At its heart it is a safe place to be challenged to make better work. Ultimately though, it is up to the photographer to decide if they chose to act upon the feedback they receive. As photographers our work is under constant scrutiny, not so much technically, but in terms of representation and ethics. So, it is more important to get feedback to ensure it is being received in the way it was intended. It’s not about competition or trying to outrank someone, it’s about continuing to learn and to grow throughout your life and practice. At Photo Scratch we like to think that both the photographer and viewers learn and encounter new things. So it is, in part, facilitating growth in some form.

What do you think have been some of the major successes?

We have achieved what we set out to do, to create a forum for feedback and engagement and we have achieved it on our own terms. I think one area that has been completely unexpected is feedback from photographers saying it has helped their mental health. If you think about social media, its importance has grown as a way to reach an audience, but it is somewhat impersonal and competitive. As a medium it is limited in terms of providing meaningful feedback or support. A few years ago you would meet people in and around the dark room and that hub provided some sense of connection and an opportunity to engage others. Now, with digital technology, it seems so much more individual and remote. Photographers often work alone on their projects, but for the photographer, it is also about being human and having empathy. So this accidental benefit of Photo Scratch as a social event, somehow contributing to a sense of wellbeing for photographers, has been a wonderful thing to realise and I hope will always be part of it.

Photo Scratch/Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz

Why should someone submit to Photo Scratch?

If you have work-in-progress and would like to put it in front of a friendly and engaged audience and get feedback or if you have a block, or something is missing, and the project needs input, then Photo Scratch is an opportunity to get that from an outsider’s perspective; like having a test screening for a film or like presenting your research.

You never know who is going to be there. We have a mix of photographers, editors, picture agencies and curators come along to events and spontaneous conversations may start up that may lead to something; a collaboration, an interview, or for people to go on to do something in education. It is, above all, a safe space for learning and making meaningful connections.

What plans do you have for the future?

We have two more events before the end of the year, both in London. Plans for 2020 will be announced soon. We’re currently programming the year ahead and hope to have dates and venues confirmed further in advance. Some people have suggested we should monetise it, but I think that would destroy the ethos, and frankly there are enough financial barriers in the industry as it is. We are interested in working with others to co-host events and expand what we do.

Our aims generally are to continue to reach new audiences and to spread the word, but to do it incrementally and on our own terms, so we maintain the ethos of mutual support and meaningful conversations that is at the heart of Photo Scratch.

Photo Scratch/Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz

For information on Photo Scratch and upcoming events: photoscratch.orgInstagram and Twitter: @photo_scratchHanna-Katrina: @hannakatrina_photo and www.hannakatrina.co.uk

It is hoped to organise another Photo Scratch event at RPS HQ, Bristol in mid- 2020. Keep an eye out in RPS Events for more details.