33 minute read
National Awards View the selected images for the BIPP’s National Print Competition
2021
Taking on the Photographer editor role is a privilege and an opportunity to make my mark on a historical and respected publication as it heads into its landmark 100th year in 2022.
When I first started at the BIPP, the magazine stood out to me as an authentic view into exactly what a photographic association was, whilst displaying a calibre of design, journalism, and imagery that would catch the eye of any photography enthusiast. However, its visibility and accessibility outside the membership was non-existent, which I want to change.
I come from a traditional news editor role, wherein I revived a printed newspaper into the digital era and brought it back into relevance with new generations. And I believe I can now do the same at the helm of the Photographer.
In my first edition, an article on ABIPP Richard Hildred’s ‘oil printing’ practice displayed one of the earliest alternative image processes. Another feature showed FBIPP Roger Tan’s cutting-edge digital manipulation photography. Both specialists are at either end of a broad photographic spectrum that we as Institute represent, as well as everything in between. As both a photographer and a journalist, having that level of variety to explore is absolute gold.
What is now essential is for the BIPP to become part of the photography conversations in the online world, and it has all the makings to be a valued and trusted news source there. The 120 years decorated history and the depth of knowledge, expertise, and creative flair embedded into the membership gives the Institute every right to be a leading voice for professionals. I see the magazine as the vehicle to continue diversifying the BIPP’s public image through our editorial content and as an engagement instrument to show photographers who we are and how we view the industry.
The reality is fewer people are reading print, and it’s about adapting content to online channels while keeping the legacy of the Photographer’s print brand at the centre of the BIPP as a multimedia platform. It’s about visibility and making people aware of what we do as an organisation and its members’ activity through creative, unique and relevant digital content. After a much-needed refurbishment of the website this year, we can now facilitate this pivotal change, but there is much more work ahead. After audits of the website’s backend and discussions with members, concentrating on implementing a solid SEO strategy to drive traffic to our new site is a priority for 2022.
While we are now active on all social media platforms, and our profiles have grown steadily along with engagement (with minimal monetary spend), it is still a long way off where it can be. But we are now ready to take it to the next stage through financial investment and a more strategic approach. I’m glad to now have Johanna Elizbeth as a BIPP Director and to utilise her digital marketing expertise as we work together to build a plan for the new year.
I hope you liked my first edition as much as I enjoyed putting it together. I want to thank everyone who featured content in it and those who supported me during the process.
Get Involved!
Please send in stories and share your photography experiences with me. There are so many fascinating people throughout the membership, and my job is to report and promote all the incredible things you do. Don’t hesitate to reach out.
I’ve also started to outline plans for a BIPP Media Team that can directly support me in editorial for the magazine, digital marketing, and PR. If you think you can bring any expertise into these areas, please get in touch. I will announce further details of a more formal structure and how the Media Team will operate in January. JUDGES
National Print Competition
Judging Panel
The judging for the National Print Competition is one of the most exciting and significant events in the BIPP calendar year and took place in The Artistry House this November.
A cornerstone of the Institute, the competition brings the highest calibre of prints from inside and outside the membership across various photography sectors. It’s a time when we can see the full extent of a photographer’s talent, from their creative and technical abilities to their understanding of print and mounting.
We appreciate the effort every person puts into their submissions and ensure every print is meticulously critiqued and analysed, and scored correctly by an expert judging panel.
We want to thank this year’s judges for doing an incredible job; they were Hon FBIPP Sean Conboy, ABIPP Rebecca Lane, FBIPP Paul Wilkinson, ABIPP Karen Massey and ABIPP Natalie Martin.
Hon FBIPP Sean
Conboy: internationally renowned photographer who works with a broad range of clients from architects to advertising agencies.
ABIPP Karen Massey:
wedding, corporate and portrait photography specialist working across the UK .
FBIPP Paul Wilkin-
son: trainer, author, podcaster, retoucher and award-winning photography.
ABIPP Natalie Mar-
tin: award winning photographer based in Scotland, photographing weddings in the UK and beyond.
ABIPP Becky Lane:
award-winning architectural and industrial photographer working across the UK and abroad for a range of clients
Judges comment
“I remember the moment this print was placed in front of us. Instantly, you could see the quality in every aspect of the image from the printing through to the posing and lighting. Every detail of this image is perfectly managed; the tones, the narrative, the movie-esque cropping, the tiny details and that eye contact. Man, that eye contact. This is portraiture at its finest and it was a privilege to be one of the judges to assess it.” NATIONAL PRINT COMPETITION
GOLD
JUDGES
OVERALL BIPP PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR &
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
FBIPP Gary Hill
Shane
“It was so good to join the BIPP at the Photography Show this year. Such a great organisation with a depth of talent amongst its members. I entered the National Awards, like most without a clue how the images would do. I entered five, and all five got through to the finals, which I was happy with. That in itself was achievement enough amongst my peers. To find out I had won Portrait Photographer of the Year was a fantastic feeling, it being ‘my’ genre as such. To then find out I had won overall was gobsmacking, a true honour. I would like to thank the judges, the BIPP and my Print Lab, Digitalab, for the quality of the prints. Slowly getting used to the title, which is a real privilege.”
GOLD
ABIPP Colin Brister
First Light
“The image was captured on my annual visit to Yorkshire, and I always manage to squeeze the squirrels in on my trips because they are such fun to shoot. The added bonus is that they never mind my flash, which helps to bring out the textures and colour of their glorious coats. I find entering the annual competition a great way to gauge my photography, and it pushes me on for the following year. To be awarded gold for this image is a huge honour.” GOLD
FBIPP Gary Hill
Maia
PET PORTRAIT
GOLD
Jessica McGovern
Always There
“This photograph was the first shot taken on a client shoot and the owner of Molly, the typically hyperactive border collie in the image, was stood camera left where Molly is looking. As we were walking through the location I spotted the dead ferns and this stump, with a framing tree sat overhead and the leading “stick” in from the bottom. Simple, but effective. Rachael also purchased a framed fine art print of this shot for her wall, which is a nice addition to receiving Pet Image of the Year from the Guild of Photographers and of course, the Gold Award from the BIPP! People say you “shoot for show OR shoot for dough” - why not do both?
The image was shot portrait orientation on a Sony a7riii mirrorless body with the Sigma 105 1.4 ART lens at f1.6, 1/640s, ISO640 and hasn’t been cropped or composited (for once - I always shoot wonky in portrait). Processing wise, a tone change to remove the residual greens from the woodland behind, a few curves adjustments and a bit of dodge and burn on Molly finished the piece.”
Judges comment
“This is an exquisitely well observed portrait of a faithful companion communicating trust and obedience to his (off camera) owner. The lighting has been excellently controlled with plenty of both highlight and shadow detail in the dog’s fur and the surrounding bracken. The photographer has chosen the perfect autumnal location to blend well with the russet tones of the dog’s coat and the selective focus sets complete emphasis on the subject rendering all background detail irrelevant. This is a beautiful image, and the dog’s clear eye, pricked up ears and slightly open mouth convey a feeling of love and friendship.” GOLD
FBIPP John Miskelly
Morning Gallop
“I am extremely honoured to receive such a prestigious award, which is the ultimate recognition when one’s peers vote for your image and for that, I’m both humbled and grateful. I remember the first time I achieved any success in a BIPP competition, it was a 3rd place in my local region for a picture of an owl. Little did I know then that I would become the overall BIPP Commercial Photographer of the Year, some 15 years later. Winning this award would not have happened without the support and inspiration I’ve received from friends and colleagues throughout the BIPP. I feel an immense sense of pride, especially when I see the incredible quality of the other images in this competition.”
FBIPP Paul Reiffer
Patience
“It’s incredible to think that my work has been recognised in this way, especially this year.
In what’s been one of the most challenging periods of time for the wider photographic industry, I’m one of many who found we could no longer rely on travel in order to produce new images. As a community, however, we’re resilient - and we’ve each found new ways to present fresh work to audiences around the world.
To be awarded the Fine Art Photographer of the Year for my imagery, against a backdrop of such huge change, is a great honour – especially when that award comes from the oldest photography association in the world.” GOLD
Judges comment
“For me, in this shot, I love the tones, colours, leading line right in the centre, it’s simple and effective, and I like the framing around it. I felt like I was right there at this calm and tranquil spot!”
GOLD
ABIPP Ross McKelvey
Black Sea Fleet
“I was thrilled to win Gold for these two images, ‘Emerald Clown’ and ‘Black Sea Fleet.’ The Emerald Clown is my friend Christine Rock who is a wizard at doing her own make up. I explained the idea and the look I wanted, and within half an hour Christine had her face done exactly how I had envisaged. Obviously I have used the ‘liquify’ tool in photoshop to enlarge her eyes, but hopefully haven’t gone too far - and maybe the fact that it has won Gold means that I did it well enough! The same picture recently won me €200 as the top portrait in an International Exhibition in Romania. ‘Black Sea Fleet’ is a conceptual portrait of my friend Gerald Gribbon, who is always up for becoming a ‘character’ in the studio. He has been steadily growing his beard during lockdown, and it is actually much longer now, but this was taken around October 2020 when I had the loan of a Fuji GFX 50S and 63mm f2.8 lens. The Russian style hat was bought on ebay and when I processed the final picture I just thought that the title ‘Black Sea Fleet’ suited the character we had created. I have to mention that these awards come just a year after the passing of my good friend David Campbell Hon FBIPP, and he always took great pleasure in seeing me do well. I have no doubt he would have been blowing my trumpet for me, if he was still around. David was a great mentor and source of inspiration and is sadly missed.” “There is a melancholy to the subject that draws the viewer in and holds them there. The lighting, the treatment, the story, all executed perfectly in a beautiful print. Truly worthy of its score.” GOLD
ABIPP Ross McKelvey
Emerald Clown
Judges comment
Judges comment
“Very creative, inspirational, unique and different to what we had seen in the wedding category, which made us all score higher. I love the colours and tones, the composition, the expressions, the concentration on faces and the overall effort that it took to get this photo. It is not your average wedding photo, so well done for being brave!”
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: SILVER
LBIPP Liam Crawley
Langvatnet
“My ethos has always been to push what is creatively possible in wedding photography. For me, wedding photography can be so much more than simply showing a couple in love. I’m a firm believer in not only showing our couples personalities through our imagery, but also having our own personalities coming through in the images we create ... without this I simply couldn’t stay excited about what I do. I have been fortunate enough to have won awards in the past but to win national wedding photographer of the year through the BIPP feels extra special. Why? Well, the BIPP are the “originals” aren’t they! The oldest professional photography organisation in the world with extremely high standards. To have my creative work awarded through the BIPP feels very special indeed”.
SILVER
Alex Bibby
Bolin Webb R1 Chrome LANDSCAPE SILVER
Anthony Wilder
Ghost City
ABIPP Erika Valkovicova
“Diamond Beach in Iceland takes its name from the glittering ice fragments scattered across its shore like a field of diamonds. These glacial fragments were once part of the Breidamerkurjokull Glacier. After breaking away, the ice blocks are slowly floating into the Glacier Lagoon before ending up in the sea. It was a feast for the eyes to see these beautiful gems contrasting with the black volcanic beach. The frost highlighted the ripples in the sand. I took this image in late December 2020 at low tide shortly after the sunset.”
Diamonds in the sand
Camera: Canon EOS R5 Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L III Tripod: RRS TVC-24L Series 2 Mk2, RRS
BH-55 BallheadImage © Anthony Wilder
SILVER
FBIPP Paul Coghlin
Absym
Judges comment
“The photographer has produced a very stylish and elegant image here which offers a clever ‘homage’ to the Surrealist movement. The offset simple white cup is mysteriously suspended above a table corner which leaves the viewer wondering how? what? And why? The cup and table edge contrast sharply against the graduated background in what is a clean crisp black and white image, which is most pleasing to the eye.” BRONZE
ABIPP Leo Francis
Exuma
INCIDENTAL MOMENTS
Incidental Moments
An innovative residential and commercial master plan is transforming Edinburgh’s landscape as we know it. Headed up by property investor Parabola, the project looks beyond just brick and mortar and is generating opportunities for local emerging artists to respond to the renovation through various creative processes.
Forming a partnership, Parabola and local photography gallery Stills launched a residency together for a photography university graduate to document the Scottish capital’s monumental Edinburgh Park construction over 12 months.
Securing the post back in 2019 was LBIPP Andy Mather, who had just graduated from University, age 38, and was on the lookout for his first job.
Andy tells the Photographer, “It was essentially a documentary photography commission, and that was way out from the way I’d envisioned my photography career going. At that point, my project for my BA was in commercial advertising photography, which was in studios and concept driven.”
The commission permitted full site clearance, allowing Andy the freedom to explore and capture the finer details of the large-scale development, “There wasn’t a strict brief, they’d seen how I shoot and just allowed me to go ahead do more if it. I just went with the flow and tried not to think too far ahead and shoot as much as I could at the start. It wasn’t until about 2-3 months in that it started to look like a body of work.”
Andy explains how the live building sites transient nature required constant, momentary awareness, “you would see scenes and turn back, and they were gone, you had to
quite quickly realise that if something was worth taking a picture of - I had to get it there and then.” The images aimed to avoid the cliche shots and show the environment in a different light. He says, “I have around 7000 to 8000 shots in the archive; the vast majority are taken in my 70-200mm lens because if I shot any wider, it became too busy and messy. Especially on building sites with high viz and equipment everywhere – it just didn’t work for the image. It allowed me to get rid of the noise of the building site and focus in on the little incidental moments.” “I suppose there is a point in a documentary photographers role when he starts to blend into the background and not be obvious, and that’s when you start to get the good stuff.” Accompanying the clean, abstract shots that frame the architectural skeleton of the build are intimate portraits of on-site tradespeople, “people started to recognise me and started chatting with me to learn more about what I was doing. I also started to share some images with them. I took the opportunity to get some nice strong portraits of the guys who would have never otherwise had the opportunity to get a portrait like that of them done.”
24 INCIDENTAL MOMENTS
The finished photo series will form an exhibition on the park’s grounds in a striking geometric structure made of shipping containers designed by award-winning artist David Mach, putting the symbolic cherry on top of a first transformative career assignment.
“With the nature of the last few years with Covid, it could not have come at a better time. This has determined how my career started; if I didn’t get this commission, I don’t know where I will be now because the prospects of getting work would have been pretty minimal. It’s absolutely saved my bacon in the best possible way.”
Image (right): BJP Portrait of Britain Winner
“The portrait was shot on the 4th March 2020, just a few weeks before the national Corona Virus lockdown was implemented. I was aware the window of opportunity to shoot a studio portrait was starting to close as the pandemic spread across the UK. Thankfully, masks were not yet enforced, so the portrait remains timeless in that sense but remains poignant due to the context of what was happening globally when it was shot.
After being on-site since Dec 2019, I had started to recognise various characters and make a mental note of who would make good subjects for portraits. Ian Mcgaughay was on that list, so I was relieved when Ian or ‘Spook’ was my first subject of the day, and thankfully he was well up for it and enjoyed the process. We tried some closecropped shots of him wearing his sunglasses, which helped put him at ease, but they weren’t what I was looking for, so I decided to shoot some wider shots with the glasses off, and straight away I knew I captured the ‘Hero’ shot I was aiming for.”
COP26
Seizing Opportunities
Seizing opportunities is something every photographer does in their career, although not quite to the extent of LBIPP Iain Waterston when commissioned to cover one of the most high-profile events of 2021 in COP26.
The Glasgow climate summit brought world leaders together to tackle the biggest crisis facing humanity, over 30,000 attendees reflecting the increasing public demand for radical change. With no prior press experience and equipped only with a large format Hasselblad, Iain did what any true photographer would do when the call came - he stepped up to the challenge. COP26
Predominately a commercial photographer shooting products, corporate headshots and the occasional weddings, the opportunity arose after getting tagged in a Facebook post promoting a job working on behalf of the Indian Embassy. After getting in touch with Embassy and outlining the limitations of his equipment that could shoot only two frames per second in what would be a faced paced environment, he agreed to a brief that required only reportage style images. Although, to his surprise, Iain says, “It actually never ended up being reportage; it was in the pits doing press, pushing and elbow shoving to capture high profile meetings that I had to be in and out of in 20 seconds.”
Yet with the odds stacked against him, the images he captured appeared online before even the Reuters photographers, “that was my claim to fame over the weekend.”
Connecting his phone to his Hasselblad with a programme called Focus, he would dash between areas to get his shot, edit them and get them straight off to the Embassy. “I did about 60 hours in three days – it was crazy.”
And it wasn’t just the technical challenges faced in these unfamiliar conditions, “You’d be in a room with Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Boris Johnson and Angela Merkel – all these big names. It’s about not getting in the way or distracting them - I didn’t know any of the etiquette or where I should go – I just had to try to work out how to navigate it.”
COP26 COP26
But the 6ft, 16 stone, broad-shouldered Scot didn’t shy away from the media scrums and embraced the limitations of his camera. Iain says, “You had to dial in. I was manually focusing most of the time because the autofocus wasn’t quick enough. It was all about knowing my camera; when I first got it [Hasselblad], I worked out my dynamic range and tested how well it worked in dark and light, the highest ISO before it started getting grainy. On the day, I had a 135mm prime lens and a 35mm to 70mm - I was changing lenses in shots when people were walking towards me – I felt like a gunslinger.”
He credits his quick draw handling to his earlier days shooting on analogue cameras while assisting his father, a keen and successful hobbyist photographer himself.
Sometimes in life, you can’t always prepare for things and instead have to act on instinct and embrace the opportunity, which Iain undoubtedly did.
CHAIR
FBIPP James Musselwhite: standards and practices
The recent qualification day for the BIPP saw a plethora of panels for the judges to divulge, discuss and deliberate over, with a full range of submissions across the photographic spectrum and at every qualification level.
My aim as Chair is to oversee as smooth and fair of a process as possible, so that every submission gets the best treatment it deserves. Putting yourself up for Qualifications, and therefore an assessment, is a daunting process, and each photographer deserves the best experience and expertise reviewing their panels. It is important to have a diverse range of judges, not just in terms of backgrounds but also in their history within the industry. I see it vital to the future of Qualifications that the BIPP continue to address this and support as many new judges as we can to come through the system and offer their services to the Institute. In addition, it is important that the Chair does not offer any opinion during the judging day of the panels or the presented work. That responsibility has to fall on the judge’s shoulders, and so the judges meeting is crucial to set out the standards and practices expected for the day. For me, I was clearly in the expectations of our team:
I wanted them to judge openly and honestly. I wanted them to listen to each other. I wanted them to identify where the photographers being assessed were in their photographic journey and how best to get them to the next level. I wanted them to consider three key areas for each panel: 1) Overall Impact - both as a body of work and as individual pieces. 2) Quality of Light - and the use of light as a tool to create. 3) Print Quality - the ability to transfer our work from concept to raw, to digital file to finished print is the complete journey and the ultimate test of a photographers craft.
In my opinion, Qualifications are the ultimate professional test in our industry. They are an opportunity to create, express, and tell your story. No one who has ever made the journey through qualifications has ever come out the other side a worse photographer. I encourage more photographers to take the qualification challenge, not just by dusting off your ‘best of’ panel from the loft, not as an afterthought, and not because someone in the Institute keeps nagging you to do it, but because you have a reason. Because you have a voice and you want to say something. Because you want to market yourself. Because you want to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Because there is a community story that needs to be told. Because you want to tell the world about a small thing that means something big to you.
Entry into Qualifications, like judging, has to be done with honesty. All of the best panels are open windows into a private world, and we want to see into yours, so make 2022 the year you take the Qualification challenge. CHAIR
Signing off: FBIPP Scott Johnson
The BIPP would like to thank Scott Johnson for the time and effort he’s dedicated to being the Chair of Qualifications, as he now steps down to pass on the baton. Throughout every member’s panel, Scott implemented the highest tier of professionalism and communicated clearly our procedures and practices as a qualifying photography body. As with all our judges, his hard work and commitment is given completely voluntarily for the better good of the Institute and its members. His support over our recent qualifications has allowed us to do what we do best as an organisation, helping photographers grow creatively, commercially and collectively.
During my role as the Chair of Qualifications with the Institute, I’ve been blessed to oversee some of the strongest panels the British Institute of Professional Photography has seen in recent years. Aneesa’s wonderful portrait panel, as well as David Taylor’s stunning wildlife panel being just two highlights. When I took the roll in late 2019, I don’t think any of us could foresee what the last two years had in store for us, but despite the challenges, we’ve held three amazing qualification sessions with me as Chair at The Artistry House, and all three a great success.
However, it is time for me to move on and pass the torch to the next Chair of Qualifications. The pandemic made me realise that I’ve been spreading myself too thinly across. The forced time off has made me realise that my most important job is being a Dad and Husband. I’m going to be focusing on that, as well as my business more than anything, so in September 2021, shortly after The Photography Show, I decided I needed to step down from the role.
TPS was a tremendous success for the BIPP. I knew that with the amount of new members we’d signed up, that would mean extra qualification dates, over several days, plus mentoring, meaning an ever-increasing workload to organise, and I knew with my wedding schedule, and the lure of a better work/life balance made my role untenable.
This is not goodbye, as I still plan to judge when the Institute needs me, but I am also aware that I can’t have my cake and eat it, so I know this will be few and far between, but I look forward to playing a smaller role within the Institute.
I’d like to thank Martin for allowing me the opportunity to implement some much needed changes to the running of the day, as well as judging practices, honesty, transparency and impartiality that the role desperately needed. I know for a fact that I leave the role in a much better position than I found it.
I’ll be cheering the Institute from the subs bench rather than the starting eleven, and wish the new Chair all the very best.
In Conversation with FBIPP Gary Hill
When did you first get into photography?
I first got into photography about 25 years ago when I used to do a lot of climbing in the Lakes, and I’d always carry a camera with me and get some landscape but didn’t really pick it up again at all until about 14 years ago. And that’s when I started photographing people; it started with my little girls, and like with a lot of people, they see the pictures and ask you to take pictures of their kids. It grew from there really.
What did you do before becoming a photographer?
I was a specialist drug and crime investigator in the police.
What camera do you use?
I use now a Sony A7R3
What is your favourite lens, and why?
The 135mm 1.8, simply because it is just a beautiful headshot and portrait lens, whether you shoot it wide open at 1.8 or whether you shoot it down at f8, it just gives that beautiful compression. BIPP QUALIFICATIONS
FELLOWSHIP
Portraiture
Image © Gary Hill Issue Four / 2021 / thePHOTOGRAPHER 33
What is the most important element of a portrait?
Connection. The connection between the photographer and the sitter, I think you can have the most technically perfect photograph in the world, but if there is no connection, then the image lacks life. Whereas you can be forgiven for some errors in technicality if what you get is a strong and great connection with the camera.
How do you create that connection?
The most important thing for me is knowing your lighting inside out, so you don’t have to think about it. Make sure that it is set up and as perfect as you can get it before you start, and then be happy with your camera and know you can actually spend the time communicating with the subject to build that connection. And I have to say mirrorless has made a big difference for me, because not having the camera in your face makes for better eye to eye contact to build that rapport. It reminds me of the old waist level finders; it is the same way you would focus, and then you would lift your head up and connect with the sitter. That, for me, is the photography I like.
Do you have photographic influences? If so, who?
Originally it was, Bob Carlos Clarke because when I started off, I was more into the art nude style of photography and model work, that kind of stuff. Bob Carlos Clarke is quite dark, which makes it appeal to me. If I’m honest nowadays, the one I respect the most is Paul Wilkinson. FBIPP GARY HILL
What inspires you creatively?
Classical paintings. I love visiting stately homes and galleries, not so much modern in any way, shape or form. For me, personally, it doesn’t have the life I want. But to study classical painting and portraiture, and to look at the posing and the structures, and the compositions is probably the biggest element of inspiration in my photography. I want my portraiture and evening pet portraiture to be more like a timeless painting than just a snapshot in time.
What kind of tools do you use for post-processing? What’s your workflow like?
My workflow is fairly simple. It’s SRGB in camera; if I’m shooting tethered, it’s straight into Capture One or, if not, into Lightroom. Colour correction and densities in Lightroom or Capture, and then exported to jpegs and all retouching is done on JPEGS in Photoshop.
I’m a stickler for metering and grey carding, so my capture is as accurate as I can get it, so I do not have to do an awful lot with things like exposure, shadow or highlight work because I prefer to get it as right as I can in camera.
When did you start your photography training courses?
I’d probably only been photographic for around four years, I’d been quite successful in competitions, and people started asking me how to show them how I did what I do. At the time, if I’m being honest, I’d learned what I’d learned from the internet or reading, but I wasn’t 100% sure what I was doing was right, but it seemed to be getting decent results, so I always said to people I can’t say what I’m doing is perfect but I can teach to do what I do. From there it just grew and grew - i’m probably at the minute 80% training.
FBIPP GARY HILL
You didn’t formally learn photography anywhere?
100% self-taught. What most people don’t realise is that I’m high functioning autistic, so when I decide I’m going to learn something or research something, I’ll just do it, do it, do it until I know everything every possible about something. I’m lucky in the way my brain works. On Youtube, I can sort the wheat from the chaff, or I can read something and visualise it, which makes it very easy. I actually prefer to learn from the written word rather than tutorial videos.
What is the sign of a good student?
For me, the technicalities of a portrait can be taught to a basic and reasonable standard within a couple of days. What stands out when a student comes in might not be how quickly they pick up the technical learning, but how well they can communicate with their subject. Coming from the background I come from, communication and people skills were number one, and I think we can all learn technicalities, but either you’re a people person, or you’re not. It stands out for me fairly quickly with a student whether they’re going to be a good portrait photographer, and it doesn’t mean they can’t become a good photographer in other genres, but for a good portrait photographer, you’ve got to be able to communicate with your subjects.
Do you have a favourite image?
There is two. One is a picture of my boy last year during the lockdown, and I decided to take him to my studio and do some portraits, and he picked his own outfit. Digitalab printed it for me, and it sits in a big frame above my fireplace at home. Discounting that as it is personal, the one I’m most proud of is actually the one I won with this year of Shane because I worked really hard to get it as good as I could in camera; I spent less than five minutes editing it, and it was about thirty minutes setting up the lighting. LICENTIATESHIP
LBIPP Joanna Wood
Equine Portraiture
“Setting goals is a huge part of who I am as a person, if I didn’t set them, I would just end up plodding on never achieving anything. In June I finally got round to paying for my BIPP membership, that meant I could start planning on putting in for a qualification. Putting in my work and presenting was probably the most scariest thing I have done in a very long time but I am so very pleased I went out of my comfort zone and achieved my Licentiateship. It has made me want to strive further with my business and push my creative boundaries for 2022.”
