Newsletter August 2020

BIPP News

August 2020

Dear members

fund and worldwide profiling. And more on the competitions front, we are now looking for members to join the World Photographic Cup Challenge team – Richard Bradbury is looking for team members and our weekly image competition on Facebook is one of the ways you can show your work for Richard to see.

On the people side, I’d like to welcome Joel Hansen who has joined us as social, marketing and communications co­ordina­ tor and offer my thanks to Jamie Morgan who has handed over the reins.

Finally for now, we have been working recently on an inclusion and diversity policy for the organisation which will result in an inclusion council to help steer a vital area within the organisation and help attract new members. Headed by Sharron our office manager, in the September magazine we will introduce you to the council and explain its rationale in full.

Martin Baynes, CEO, martin@bipp.com

I hope this update finds you well, and that work is starting to come back. I have spoken to a number of members who have been very busy since restarting – both portraiture and commercial photographers, some of which is pent­up demand, some of which is new and incremental business.

At this time of year, you would normally receive the next issue of the Photographer. After speaking with the editor, we have decided to delay the next issue of our magazine until the end of September. I am sure you will understand that a lot of the things we would have covered such as trade shows simply did not happen and various editorial fell off a cliff amongst lock­down. Between now and September we know we have so much to bring to you we felt it would be a great idea to do a bumper edition of the magazine to arrive with you by the end of September.

That being said we still have a lot to convey to you right now, so in this newsletter we are introducing you to Scott Johnson who is chair of qualifications. Our qualifications session in September is fully booked and, within the entries, six members are going for Fellowship – this is incredibly exciting and below you can hear from the qualifications judges about what they hope to see and gain a little insight into what it’s all about for them. In the next issue of the Photographer we will show you the successful panels.

The next available qualification will be at the AGM in November, and spots have started filling up already so please contact the office if you want a place.

We have also started the process of electing new directors; this is a brand new thoroughly democratic system that all members can be involved with and is explained in full below. Our digital Licentiateship portal is now also live for members to upload their panel and supporting evidence.

Also, here we are reporting on the amazing news that Karen Massey, one of our board members, has been elected to the Federation of European Professional Photographers (FEP) Board of Directors. I am also excited to announce that we have partnered with the Cosmos Awards, which will provide members with a 10% discount on entry to the competition that boasts a cash prize

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Time to vote in your board elections At the last AGM, we changed our Articles of Association to allow us to proceed with on-line services for governance. It almost feels fortuitous now that we took this course of action, as we find ourselves in this unique period of lockdown and often keeping in touch through technology.

This year we will be using the services of Mi-Voice, an estab­ lished electoral services provider, which has substantial experience in the membership sector, to deliver electoral and governance processes on our behalf.

What does this mean to me?

The first process the BIPP will undertake is to identify new Board Directors. This month, every member will receive an e­mail inviting them to visit the Mi­Voice online platform which is hosting our nomination site.

Members can then nominate themselves to be a Board Director, and this year there is even an opportunity to recommend a fellow member that you might feel could do the role well. This is a new option for us. So please just visit the site to see what is happening and what you can do.

We will keep you informed of develop­ ments through the website and social media channels.

We do not want anyone to miss out For any members who wish to get involved in any part of the process, but are either unable, or do not wish to use the online service then Mi­Voice will ensure you can be accommodated – contact Mi­Voice by phone +44 (0)2380 763987 or by e­mail support@mi­voice.com Where can I find out more about it? www.mi-voice.com

Why is the Institute doing this?

The purpose of all of this is to get more members involved in running the BIPP, and also to get more members taking part in the democratic process of electing our post holders.

What’s the process?

The first notification to members will be for nominations and recommendations for the role of Board Director. When it is then time to vote you will be invited to do so and with just a few clicks of your mouse you can make your contribution if you want to.

The pandemic has made the months ahead uncertain and at the moment we do not know if we will be able to hold a physical AGM. Therefore, we are working with Mi-Voice to ensure that whatever the circumstances are in November we will have a process in place that has the best member involvement possible.

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BIPP Director elected VP at FEP The ongoing battle for gender equali­ ty in the workplace remains fundamental in society’s progression into an open, inclusive and democratic place where all individuals can prosper within their chosen fields.

Although macho bravado and gender bias seem archaic for most of us, it is still commonplace in industries across the globe – and the photo­graphy sector is no exception, as the trend of Karen Massey male domination is still visible in a career behind the lens.

In June 2020, a positive shift towards equality within the photography sector came when one of our board of directors, Karen Massey, was elected as the Vice-President of the Federation of European Professional Photographers (FEP).

First picking up a camera back in 2004 at age 34, Karen has excelled within the industry after beginning her career later in life and is now specialist in wedding, portrait and the corporate sectors of photography. Alongside this, Karen has become a leading figure for women photographers in the UK after starting an organisation in August 2019 called RISE, which supports aspiring female photographers to develop and grow their businesses successfully.

The organisation also gives women a greater voice within the photography industry – that has had a history of being, and still is, predominately male-driven.

Becoming a member of the BIPP in January 2019, Karen joined the board of directors in March 2020. In May this year, Karen went on to be elected as a director of the FEP where she represents the UK alongside 33 other European countries that support over 50,000 professional photographers. After sitting on the board for just a matter of weeks, Karen was elected Vice-President in June this year.

Karen says: “It’s an honour to be elected as Vice-President at the FEP – I’ve long respected and admired the organisation as a professional photographer. To me, the organisation demonstrates the very best talent within the sector, and I’m excited to represent the UK and bring awareness to opportunities available for pho­ tographers from across Europe.”

Martin Baynes commented: “Karen has been fantastic in her role as a director at BIPP and is playing a crucial role campaigning for gender equality for female photographers throughout the

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country. I look forward to continuing to work closely with FEP and Karen to create projects, competitions and exhibitions that showcase the highest standards of photogra­ phy from across the continent.”

President of the FEP, Truls Jan Løtvedt said: “I am delighted that FEP has strength­ ened its engagement with BIPP. I believe we’re heading towards an exciting time with lots of challenges for our newly elected board. And now, additionally having Karen Massey as our new Vice-President fills me with confidence knowing her enthusiasm for the job, and also because of the insight, experience and skills she will bring to the position. Karen’s role will involve corre­ sponding with photographers that relate to her skillset and fields of interest, along with supporting FEP in more formal parts of the organisation. I’m looking forward to working with Karen in the coming years and having such a respected figure as an ambassador for the FEP.”

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Judging the BIPP’s qualifications It is almost time for the BIPP qualification assessments again! For those of you who are preparing your panels for September, you will know that it is a stressful, time consuming process. So why do it? Here, the seven assessment judges give a little insight and perspective.

Scott Johnson (chair) Submitting for any photographic qualification is just as nerve wracking no matter at which level... in fact, I was more nervous submitting for my Licentiate than I was my wedding Fellowship! It’s the first rung of the ladder to being judged by our peers and if passed, a sense of relief as you feel like 'wow, I AM doing the right thing’. It’s no different submitting for Fellowship, but it’s by this point, in your heart of hearts, that you’ll know deep down if you’ve done enough.

The qualification path, for those that choose to walk down it, is a path of frustration, but adulation once you reach the end; but is there an end? Does achieving a Fellowship mean you’ve completed photography? No – far from it – if anything, it’s just the start.

Pass or fail, the experiences all of our members will gain from the process will, overall, translate to their day-to-day work and make them a better photographer. And, after all, that is what we are all striving to be.

Catherine Beltramini BIPP qualifications are a benchmark of excellence, recognised around the world. With each qualification, you will achieve increasing levels of expe­ rience, skill and achievement. I found that this gave me a new challenge to focus on for each qualification. This is an amazing journey of growth and self discovery. This is about pushing yourself to be the very best that you possibly can be!

On a personal level, it is incredibly rewarding to gain these prestigious qualifications. It also gives your clients the confidence that they are dealing with a photographer working to a professional standard. Whether you are going for your Licentiate, Associate or Fellowship qualification, I would strongly suggest getting a good

mentor to guide you through the process.

Once you have selected your images for the panel, I would suggest getting test prints done before printing your final panel. Always use a good, reputable printing company and use the highest quality paper you can afford – it really does make all the difference. Your supporting evidence is incredibly important, too. This is the written part of your panel that will give judges a clearer idea of what your panel is all about and provides those extra details that cannot simply be seen in the images.

I am really excited to see what the next panels will bring! I hope to see originality, diversity and the usual high standard of photography. Good luck to everyone going for their qualifications!

Sean Conboy I find the qualification process fasci­ nating from the perspective of the entrant and judge. It is a great way to review your work, see where your photography is going and see what areas you should be pushing so you can raise the bar.

Photography can be a lonely existence, so to have the chance to get mentoring and advice on your work from experienced photographers throughout the qualifications process is a great asset. This is were the BIPP comes into its own – giving the opportunity to gain hard­earned experience in

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photography and business that can be obtained from such an diverse membership.

As a judge it is our turn to put something back into the industry of photography which has given so much in so many ways to all of us. I really enjoy judging the qualification process, seeing panels of work in the printed form – it is a great privilege to see photogra­ phers reaching such high standards and hearing of their journey to this point.

Annemarie Farley I been mentor­ ing and judging for a few years now and find it a highly reward­ ing and inspir­ ing process so I’m honoured to be chosen to judge this year’s qualifications.

This year there will be six members going for Fellowship which I find very encouraging especially as it’s been a very difficult year for photographers and businesses in general. I totally believe in the qualification process as it not only encourages the photographer to improve and strengthen their skills but shows clients that they have a recognised level of competence and an ability to deliver quality, creativity and professionalism.

This year, the Licentiate has been an on­line submission which I believe makes it more achievable to step onto the qualifica­ tion ladder. The online process streamlines the qualification giving members more time to spend on perfecting the images they are going to submit. It saves the ‘starting out’ photographer a lot of money as they don’t have to get 20 images printed. However, if a member and mentor decide that the work is bordering on Associate level, they have the option to print out their panel and be at their qualification judging in person.

This is a fantastic boost to someone that is clearly showing more promise and skill.

I’m really looking forward to seeing the Fellowship panels as this will be some of the finest work in the industry. A Fellowship panel to me should show an individualist approach, well thought out composition, a creative use of lighting and most importantly the wow factor. I also want to see the devel­ opment in the evidence that has led them to produce this work; the photographic journey they have been on.

Saraya Cortaville In the last few months, let’s face it times have been strange, lives have been completely turned upside down, the loss of loved ones, the loss of jobs, the loss of freedom and even more trivial things have changed the way in which we have viewed the world.

Many of us have had to adapt, rethink and reset the way we live our lives!

On a personal note I have noted the upturn in people approach­ ing me for mentoring and feedback on their photographic work.

What has struck me is that this time has given photographers as artists the head space to critically appraise and discover new and old skills that may have been lost in the day-to-day of running a busy photography business. Once this self development has begun, many have decided to brave the process of qualification and collate a body of work. Whether this be for a Licentiateship, Associateship or the highest accolade the Fellowship, the action of finding a mentor, de­ ciding on a cohesive panel of work and putting together a working profile can be one of the most inspiring and enlightening develop­ ments in a photographer’s career.

It forces you to be fully aware of the direction in which your work is developing and become highly critical of the imagery you want to show to the world. Good luck to those photographers about to submit for qualification – I admire your dedication to your craft and your bravery in producing a body of work to present to your peers. Whether your panel is successful or not, this should only ever be seen as a positive learning experience.

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James Musselwhite It’s always a such a special opportunity to be asked to judge a qualification panel. It’s always been my belief that the still image is the ultimate chal­ lenge in storytelling and narrative. In competition, one image can achieve so much. One image can truly transcend and take you so very far. However, a panel of work goes a lot deeper. It’s rare that the artists put so much of themselves outwardly, to be open to judgement, to criticism and ultimately to potential failure.

That takes a special type of nerve and the beauty of having a judg­ ing panel made up of Fellows is that we know how it feels. We know what is like to doubt yourself, to show humility, to be vulnerable – and so, what I can promise to you, if you show the courage to submit and put yourself forward for qualification, is honesty and empathy.

No one truly fails a panel. You never lose, you learn. Know that in those occasions where we as a judging panel cannot pass a panel of work, we do so with good faith and intentions that we want you to be better. We want to help. We want to provide you with a plat­ form and an outstretched hand to raise you up to a level that will truly change the way that you approach photography forever.

And to those of you who will be fortunate to pass, we do so because we want to raise you also – to celebrate craftsmanship, vision and hopefully something brilliantly unique that is honest and true to the art that you create for your customers and ultimately yourself.

Paul Wilkinson Getting yourself qualified isn’t easy – it shouldn’t be. That (in my opinion) is why they are such a powerful tool for pushing yourself and your pho­ tography. Having the discipline to pull together a set of images, finish them to the highest standard and present them to a panel of your peers is not only a lot of work, it can be expensive and it is certainly nerve-wracking. But that’s the point: it is a process of pushing yourself and taking that creative risk – and, of course, it is a risk. But if you’ve worked with your mentor and produced images to the best of your ability – maybe the best images of your career – then there is every chance that your panel will excite the judges.

And we, the judges, do genuinely get excited. Whenever I’m booked to judge, I am looking forward to seeing new work, new ideas. Every panel brings that anticipation we’re going to see

beautiful, crafted images, stunning printing and a coherent, pleasing presentation that brings the 20 images together as a thoughtful body of work. It is hard not to burst into a massive grin when you see the images and know you’re looking at something special.

This year I am really hoping we get to see photographers creating panel-quality work from their everyday jobs. Creating stunning imagery for their clients first and foremost and then selecting the very best for their panels. This always excites me as it means the industry is driving forwards on behalf of our customers – which is the best possible way to encourage people to use professional pho­ tographers to craft truly stunning images.

One final observation (if you hadn’t no­ ticed I am a HUGE fan of qualifications and I could write about them all day!) – for me, my photography stepped up a gear after I attained my Fellowship as much as it developed before.

I suspect it’s attached to confidence. Gaining my Fellowship was singularly the high point of my career. The moment the judges told me I had passed, is still a crystal-clear memory for me. But afterwards, after (not before) that day, that’s when everything changed. From that day forward, having gained the accept­ ance of a peer group that I admired, trusted and aspired to, my photography stepped up and I haven’t looked back.

Do you need qualifications? No, of course you don’t. Do they make you a ‘better’ photographer? No, of course they don’t. Are they a reliable measure of someone’s ability? No, of course they aren’t.

But – and here’s the thing – the process, the dedication, the desire to improve and the ability to finish such a monumental personal project are all characteristics of great busi­ ness people. You can succeed perfectly well without qualifications but the very process of going through them can only bring benefits: benefits for you; benefits for your creativity; benefits for your business; and, more importantly, benefits for your clients.

I cannot wait to see what this year brings!

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We need your help to bring the World Photographic Cup back to Britain The World Photographic Cup is an international organisation that's running a competition showcasing the very best in contemporary photography from 32 countries including USA, China, Finland, Mexico and Russia, amongst many others. There are six different categories.

It’s time for the BIPP to put the UK back on the map. In the spirit of

– so I am after just your very best images for each category. Feel free to enter up to three images in any single category and I will decide which I feel is the best one. You can enter just one image for a single category or up to three images for each, the choice is yours. Then I will decide the final images to be put forward based on the very best available.

The categories are:

1966 let’s ‘bring the world cup back’ Britain! The BIPP is responsible for fielding the UK team and Martin Baynes has asked me as team captain to gather a squad of the best talent that the Institute has to offer.

I would like to ask the whole membership to offer up their very best images so that I can choose a world­beating team entry.

You can offer an image in just one category or several if you prefer. The rules state that there is no time limit for when the image was taken so you can select your very best images for consideration as long as you are the original artist and hold the copyright to allow its usage.

The team can enter up to three images in each category, but no photographer can enter more than one image in a single category Richard Bradbury

• Commercial • Illustration / Digital Art • Portrait • Reportage / Photojournalism • Nature / Landscape / Wildlife • Wedding Please take a look at the rules and regu­ lations at www.worldphotographiccup.org to get a feel for the requirements and whilst you are there have a look at some of the past winners in the Galleries section of the site.

The photographic talent throughout our membership is second to none, so let’s see what you’ve got.

We will be running image of the week via the Facebook community, so show off your best image in each category and who knows, we could be calling on you to be on Team GB. Good luck!

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Cosmos Awards and BIPP join forces The Cosmos Awards’ judging line-up consists of a wide range of photographers (42 in fact) from differing genres that are truly glob­ al in representation, including Sanjay Jogia and David Stanbury.

Cosmos aims to reward amazing photography… full stop – any outstanding photography, regardless of style, should be rewarded as it is – that’s the mission. Cosmos seeks to acknowledge all types of photography and therefore celebrate diversity across the industry.

Cosmos operates three on-line trimesters for submission of entries, with the top five placings in each category in each trimester qualifying for the print finale. That’s the only way to get into the print finale. And is it worth it? Well, the clearest answer comes in the shape of a €12,000 prize pool that’s distributed in the second phase of the competition, with a top prize of €5,000 going to the ‘Grand of The Grand’ Award. There’s also a Grand Award of €1,000 in each division (wedding; pre-wedding; creative; portrait;

and filmmaking), a €1,000 Studio of the Year Award and €1,000 Photographer of the Year Award. Each year, entrants accumulate points in the ‘Honors of Cosmos’ rank­ ings, and accumulated year-on-year points recognition is across seven tiers all the way to Grand Masters who have more than 100 points to their names.

There’s no limit to the number of entries you can submit, and entry is an easy process through the ‘Categories’ section of the website. Fees are €15 for stills entries and €55 for filming entries. There are further ‘bulk buy’ discounts available. See ‘How to Enter’ and ‘Rules’ at cosmosawards.com.

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