The Photographer - Issue Two 2021 by British Institute of Professional Photography

The British Institute of Professional Photography Magazine 2021 ~ Issue 2

May Qualifications

Anthony Bowater shows us how to make radiators look cool

Come Fly With Me

Christine Quick takes us on a fantastic journey through her varied career

Archive

Michael Hallett on his special project with the Library of Birmingham

Linda Macpherson makes sense of the basics

Martin Baynes Martin talks about what’s in the latest edition, and the fantastic events that are starting to be arranged for this year.

Dear Member, Welcome to the Summer edition of the Photographer. This edition is all about celebrating our members. We recently had the latest qualifications at The Artistry House, congratulations to everyone who submitted. Members who go through this process, even if not successful, become better photographers for it. Besides putting together a panel of amazing images, the supporting evidence is important and forces you to look at your business and goals. Lancashire hotpot is also worth the journey! We have included some of the images from the panels and you will see what makes our organisation uniquely diverse in the work the membership covers. We also celebrate the rich history of our Institute, including one of the most incredible and fascinating photographers I have had the pleasure to meet; Christine Quick is a genuine treasure of our Institute. Not forgetting the more practical sections of the magazine with a fantastic article on Copyright written by Linda Macpherson, Dr Paul Wilkinson covers some back to basics, and the richness of our heritage with Michael Hallett. Since our last magazine we have achieved so much, together we have steered through the pandemic, thank you to everyone who got involved with supplying content in all the different mediums we are now involved with, we have launched a much better and responsive website that we will continue to improve and develop. Last week we had a board meeting, in person for the first time in a long time and I am excited to share with you over the coming months improvements to all aspects of our Institute.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ian Southerin who recently stepped down from his work on the board. A huge thank you to Jonathan Briggs, who after 13 years of editing the Photographer magazine has taken a job with Adobe, who wouldn’t? You will find a feature about him in this issue. Thanks also to Chris Wright who has edited this edition of the magazine whilst we are interviewing for a new team member. As I write this I am attending a two day residential course with Digital lab. There are 50 photographers who have come to learn new skills; seeing the willingness to learn and for everyone to get together has been great and hopefully the first step to normality. Doing a flow test before attending events is no hardship and I think will become the norm. We are now starting to plan some events that we will be attending. For your Diary, all of which will be confirmed and detailed in future emails, we will be attending the following: 4 The New Born and Portrait Show 18th & 19th October 4 The Photography Show at the NEC 18th to the 21st September 4 SE Region Residential North London 29th to the 31st October 4 Clemency Wright, Keywording Series A four week training course starting the 14th of July then every Thursday via Zoom. Just £30 for the whole series! See opposite page for more details.

Image © Sean Conboy

Institute CEO

Keywording Courses | Clemency Wright Join Clemency for a series of four 60 min live sessions, hosted by the British Institute of Professional Photography As a photographer, your work is the primary tool to attract and engage potential customers. You only have one chance to make a first impression. But if your photos aren’t correctly keyworded, then you might be ‘lost’ online and miss out on sales opportunities. Now, more than ever, brands rely on content that resonates with target audiences. Consumers look for authentic photography that is inclusive, diverse and accessible for all users. This Series walks you through the Keywording Process starting with creative concepts and moving through to how these are translated into the search terms customers will use to find your images. You will learn how to create and apply Keywords that will improve the visual impact of your business in a sustainable way.

What are the benefits? Our brains process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Everything from a brand’s logo, website and social media features imagery in some form. Keywording makes it possible for people to find photos both within image libraries, as well as on online search engines. To make content accessible, we must apply Keywords to support users regardless of their role, business sector, knowledge or experience. 4 Improve the way you store and manage content 4 Learn key “inputs” and “outputs” required for successful search experience 4 Create a Keywording Methodology 4 Learn how to apply keywords for your target market 4 Become a Keyworder for an hour!

Session Overview - Session 1 is free, then get Sessions 2,3 and 4 for just £30

Thursday 14 July Session 1: Introduction A free introduction to the key elements of Keywording, providing basic definitions and context. We’ll look at: 4 What are Keywords? 4 Why are they important? 4 Who uses them?

Thursday 21 July Session 2: Keywording Process We’ll dive deeper into the value of Keywords for photographers. How can photographers optimise Keywords for improved search results and enhance engagement from target customers? 4 What ‘story’ do your assets tell? 4 How to align target market Keywords 4 Why a search vocabulary is essential for photography businesses

Thursday 28 July Session 3: Optimising Keywords for Customer Engagement We unpack the various methodologies available to commercial photographers to ensure greater visibility online, and optimum conversion rates. Making your images visible is just the first step; increasing your rankings and broadening your customer reach depends on the consistent application of successful Keywording methodologies throughout your online content. We’ll look at: 4 Optimising Keywords for stock libraries 4 Keyword Research for greater online visibility

www.clemency.co.uk Thursday 4 August Session 4: Practical Keywording Session Attendees put learning into practice, using an online collaboration tool (Mural). You can submit ‘Keyword suggestions’ during the Zoom session, and I’ll walk you through the process using visual examples. This is a fun, engaging and interactive exercise so input is most welcome!

Jon Cohen

Jon discusses the joys of finally being able to meet the members at the recent qualification panels. Also he addresses the professional importance of the re-skinned Institute website, and how we, as professional members should be looking at our own promotional material.

t’s been great to be able to get over to Artistry House and with safety guidelines well in place actually see people in the flesh. I know that Zoom will continue to be a key meeting forum but honestly I’ve massively missed the human contact, it brings a layer of communication that’s just not there on screen. Although then again Caribbean backgrounds, avatars and unexpected objects in the viewing area can add a bit more interest, if our CEO had a cat avatar like the famous American “I’m not a cat” lawyer I’m sure any screen meetings would be way more fun.

May’s Qualifications’ success While there, I saw something of May’s qualification panels. The whole process was quite an eye opener, it’s all too easy to see the end result without seeing the incredible amount of preparation work that goes into making these events happen. Keeping people safe and tested, feeding them, displaying and lighting the prints were just a few of the things the office team (that’s Sharron, Joel and Martin by the way) covered, along with some great help from Sean Conboy on lighting and Karen Massey on just about everything else. Naturally everybody who put themselves forward for qualifications possibly had a sleepless night or two but what was brilliant to see was the encouraging and constructive way the team of judges framed all their feedback. Since when were judges such nice people? Absolutely diligent on standards while being totally welcoming and supportive. 4

Having been an observer on the sidelines I really would recommend qualifications as a good way to test yourself against benchmarks, as well as of course for the PR opportunity and visibility as you qualify. Yes for sure you’re putting yourself in the spotlight and that’s a nervy situation for anybody. However, Martin and the judges wanted the atmosphere to be of total encouragement even if anyone didn’t quite make it on this occasion. From those achieving the top qualification of a Fellowship, it was great to see a real willingness to pay back by helping other members on their route to qualification.

Since when were judges such nice people? I’ve also seen something of the intensive work going on behind the scenes in many other areas: our inclusion team, branding, education, links to business, judging criteria and our website to name just a few. The website and especially the speed at which it loads and adjusts according to device is for me really important. So it’s been good to see such a total transformation. Absolutely this is all work in progress but in the case of the website the more you interact with it the more Martin, Joel and our web developers can work on the fine tuning.

Image © Tamara Peel

Institute President Increasing BIPP awareness

Increasing your own awareness

This leads straight into the question of how to get our Institute more visible, (the “our” is important here, it’s a task for us all) both to potential clients for members as well as to other professional photographers. This is a real focus for attention right now, we have to change perceptions and show that we are a modern, diverse institute with a wealth of professional talent. Not just a bunch of people with medals. There’s been an important and interesting discussion on the BIPP Facebook group on this subject and about how professionals can differentiate themselves and show their customers the advantages of employing a professional. Qualifications are an obvious advantage but just as important is each individual photographer’s website. Professional photographers need a website that shouts professional at every opportunity in order to put some distance between themselves and their competitors. I’m writing as a consumer of photography not a provider here, so what impresses me may very well be what impresses your clients.

From the perspective of professional looking websites, are you the best judge of your own website? I’d argue not always, unless you are a designer as well. I’d also argue that if we’re asking consumers to use a professional, shouldn’t we be doing the same? Just think about that one! For me, a professional looking website or brochure needs to show excellent images of course, also excellent layout, branding, design, and copy. Anything less just detracts from the whole. I know this is a big ask after the pandemic sized knock back that most businesses have suffered, but using copywriting, PR and marketing professionals whenever you think there’s a need or opportunity really pays dividends. Not all of them charge Saatchi rates and honestly not one of them paid me to say this. Final word; - as opening up permits, I’m looking forward to visiting every region, so I very much hope to meet you all at a regional meeting someplace, sometime very soon.

Learn from the best at a FUJIFILM Workshop or Xperience Day! 1 July – Xperience Day: Street Photography with Polly Rusyn 5 August – Xperience Day: Urban Landscapes with Brian Lloyd Duckett Various dates in July and August – Beginner and Intermediate Set Up & Shoot Workshops PLUS MANY MORE TO COME!

Go online to find out more and book now! HOP_21_WORKSHOPS ADVERT v4 AB QC.indd 1

SHOP.FUJIFILM.CO.UK/WORKSHOPS 18/06/2021 15:51

MAY’S QUALIFICATIONS The force was with our members as they reined in a whopping 10 successful passes including 3 new Fellowships

judges’ lighting supplied by

Architecture

Sasfi Hope Ross LBIPP Even though I have been a professional photographer for many years, getting more involved with the BIPP made me reassess my photography, workflow and my business plans. Working through all the requirements was a fantastic exercise, and even though it took a period of time, it was worth doing. Beccy Lane, my mentor was very helpful and assisted me with planning my submissions. Having received my Licentiate I feel my work in architecture has been recognised and it has given me the momentum to improve my skills even further.

Introduced by Head of Qualifications; Scott Johnson

s much as last September’s qualification days were a great success, I sat on the train home and made many notes on improving the experience for the photographers submitting their work and the judges. Life is about moving forwards, and my constant need to improve the process never sleeps, no matter what it is. As happy as I was with how everything went, I fell short of my own expectations of running the busy two days. As it was my first time as Head of Qualifications, there was a huge learning curve, but a needed one. This process needs to be perfect. I won’t lie; I was worried about what we’d see. Given the last twelve months of inactivity as far as social photography goes, I wondered if we’d see a plethora of ‘pandemic panels’; there wasn’t any. However, given the limited chances to create, the work we did see was nothing short of incredible. Again, the dedication to the craft of photography was evident. What was nice to see was the range of genres we had to oversee, wedding, portraits, social documentary, commercial and wildlife, to name a few, and each had an expert in the room. I want to make sure we have a Fellow who is currently active in their field in the room to act as the guiding voice to the judging panel. Judging photographers work is hard at the best of times, but even more so when

you’re not aware of guidelines within that specific genre. Commercial photography is a genre I have judged. Still, by no way, an expert, which is why we had Richard Bradbury FBIPP on board, giving his expert voice during the decision making for the commercial panels we saw. Tracey Lund FBIPP was in the room for the Wildlife panels. This was the first thing on the list I made back in September, and it made a huge difference. Much like last time, not everyone was successful in achieving their objective, and this is always the worst part of my role, as it’s my job to break the good and bad news. I think it’s important to highlight that not everybody is successful on the day. Photographers need to understand that just because you show up and present the body of work doesn’t guarantee your success. ‘Failure’ is as essential to the photographer as it is to the judges. We do not have a 100% pass rate; this time, for those entering at the level in which they did, it’s about 60%, and that’s a good thing; it’s as healthy for the Institute as much as it is for the standards of photography. I very much look forward to October’s two qualification days as it was clear we have made giant steps in the process, and it’s safe to say my list wasn’t anywhere near as long as last time on the train home. 7

Weddings

Gurvir Johal FBIPP

Weddings

Gurvir Johal FBIPP

Submitting a panel of images for qualifications is always terrifying thought, but I took the decision to submit and put my energy into printing the panel. I was extremely nervous on the day and to hear: “You’ve qualified as a Fellow,” was overwhelming. Hearing that I was the 20th fellow for weddings was even better :-)

Social Documentary

Weddings

Charlene McNabb LBIPP

Sandy McClure LBIPP I’m delighted to have received my Licentiate as I put a lot of work into the process. I spent ages going through my back catalogue of weddings, trying to choose the panel images that I felt showed who I was as a photographer and the skills I have learnt over the years. Putting together the supporting evidence in particular was a huge piece of work. I don’t consider writing one of my strengths, so analysing and then trying to condense my photography journey into a written piece was quite a challenge. I spent about 3 months writing and then designing my book. I spent days reflecting on how my style had changed, who had influenced me and why. Also what techniques I am drawn to, what my weaknesses are and where I want to go with my work. I’m excited to see where this journey takes me in future!

Despite my worries that I was too far removed from the typical newborn and family photography, many members (and now amazing friends) gave their time and experience to help me navigate the qualifications process. My mentor Fiona Ingvarsson really believed in my abilities to document family life in a more honest way and I can’t thank her enough. I feel her efforts helped my work immensely! 12

On the day, what stood out for me the most was everybody’s support and the community feel. Having friendly faces there played a huge part in how we all came out of it in the end, successful or unsuccessful. I’ll be forever grateful for everyone’s words, kindness and support. It’s helped fuel my passion and strengthened my belief in my style of work. I can’t wait to see where this takes me next.... 13

Weddings

The Fellowship process for me was quite cathartic. It forced me to carefully curate not just my images for the panel, but my processes and my approach to photography and the business of photography. I didn’t opt for a mentor, but I reached out to friends in the BIPP who had received their Fellowship previously for a fresh point of view on my selection. I had decided to submit for this with little time in hand, which was a high-risk strategy, but I had experience with submitting for qualification panels before as well as printing and mounting my own images.

Sanjay Jogia FBIPP

Weddings

Sanjay Jogia FBIPP

I thoroughly recommend this process to every photographer because the curation process revealed so much about myself, my business and my attitude - which I can continue to build upon.

On the day, I arrived at a very relaxed venue and although feeling very nervous, the BIPP team made me feel very relaxed and from there the process was swift. The judges were all very friendly and incredibly professional. They were also very accommodating with my nervousness and didn’t rush my initial presentation. I was then asked to leave the room during their deliberation for what felt like 10 or 15 minutes. My nerves peaked when I was invited back in but I was greeted with great news that I had met the standard to achieve my Fellowship and received a glowing critique from each judge. It was reassuring that the combined critiques reinforced the intent behind my panel and the specific image selection.

Commercial

Anthony Bowater LBIPP

Food

Monir Ali LBIPP

All the panel images submitted were shot for Redcell PR & Marketing for both MHS Radiators & The Radiator Factory. All are built sets shot in various industrial units, and all were used commercially for brochures & web.

The feedback from a BIPP Mentor advised me to replace a couple of panel images as they didn’t quite go together with the other images, which I did. The layout & design of my supporting evidence remained unchanged from my own initial design, where I put a considerable amount of work into constructing the 3D lighting diagrams in Photoshop.

WOW! A very stressful three months of planning and cogitating through late and sleepless nights. Very long and reflective conversations with my mentor (or as I call him Sensei) Paul Ives, as well as fellow photographers helped me find focus and direction for the panel. When I first started out on the journey, I did feel a little lost, however the more I shared ideas with my Sensei – the clearer things became. In the three months leading up to the quals, I learnt a lot about my style and my future direction. Getting the LBIPP in food, is an honour. Next stop A and I have some great support and feedback from the judges on how to get it. Truly excited about the next steps!

Theatre/Dance and Portraits

Barry Wong LBIPP

Venture Photography

Laura Schrandt ABIPP

Working towards my Associateship while my career was on hold, helped me to realise that despite all circumstances, I still improve with every photograph. Holding my own photographs as physical prints in my hands, rather than just seeing them on a screen, is such a different but rewarding feeling that is easily forgotten about. Finally, hanging up my Associateship certificate fills me with pride, knowing that I have achieved something great within the last year. Now I can start working towards my Fellowship and achieve something even greater!

Social Documentary

Aneesa Dawoojee FBIPP

When I joined the institute years ago, I only ever wanted to reach Fellowship, but I also knew that journey was going to be tough and all consuming. The anxiety prior to the week of qualifications was immense. But everyone at Artistry House did everything they could to put us at ease. Everyone needed someone to talk to whatever the outcome, and what I noticed the most was how caring and empathic everyone was.

I could not have reached this qualification without the phenomenal support of those who put their time, energy, knowledge and total belief in me. Those directly involved know who they are and will stay in my life. This Qualification has beyond doubt made me a much better photographer. 22

Social Documentary

Aneesa Dawoojee FBIPP

I see the world through an unconventional set of eyes, but those eyes were given a platform through this experience. Having studied History and Politics, as well as fighting myself, this was a way for me to bring every element of my life, knowledge and work together. This work is part of me, it is a portrait of who and what I am too.

Michael Hallett’s labour of love has been a seriously challenging undertaking to safeguard the history of professional photography in the UK for today and future generations. We look at how his landmark project came about.

archive the archive of professional at the Library of Birmingham, UK

ete James was Head of Photographs at Birmingham Central Library and was producing a seriously in-depth thesis for a research Masters in the History of Photography at Birmingham Polytechnic. Michael Hallett was at that point, Pete’s supervisor and the pair got to know each other very well over the years. In 2004 the idea was sparked when Pete asked Michael if there were gaps in his or any other major UK photographic collection. From there, they made notes and agreed to develop some form of coherent collection of professional photographers work with additional background information. What was to follow changed very little from the original thoughts. In 2004 Ron Callender, a previous president of the then Institute of Incorporated Photographers, was completing his doctoral research on Hurter & Driffield. As a historian he understood the advantages of well documented archives and he agreed to try and persuade senior fellows of the BIPP to deposit their work in the archive.

photography archive is a collection of 20th century professional photography and memorabilia that provides a reference point for researchers interested in photography with commercial, industrial and social applications.

Image © Neville Kuypers 26

Below is an edited version of the documentation from May 2007 when the original body of work was deposited.

Image © John Mills

rchive

It is a fact of life that on reaching a certain age we all begin to realise our mortality and start to wonder how society will place our work in future generations. By the very nature of a medium that frequently requires its practitioners to look at past, present and future, the photographer is more likely to have developed a heightened awareness of time passing. While this particular archive is the concern of the professional photographer, in principle it is also the province of those with careers in the arts and of creative and media people generally. There has to be a place for original artefacts (photographs) but what is representative, significant or collectable frequently becomes evident only after a period of time. This is an area of increasing responsibility and must be seen as part of a collections policy that is steeped in collection and curatorial practice. In addition to the artefact there is a need for a policy that collects ephemera (the chattels relating to business and the profession) as well. While with the photograph we can see what has been achieved we also need to know how and why it came about. History needs time to write, reflect upon and reconsider its own story, and what is important to one generation may differ with another. It is essential that material is retained in an unbiased way without being unduly selective or judgemental. It is up to the individual photographer to present the material in its original context now and it is up to the commentator (the custodian or historian) to place it in a context at a later date. The third side of this notional relationship is the guardian or curatorial staff who has the continuing role of preserving, updating and adding to this electronic collection/catalogue and making it available to future generations.

From left to right: Pete James, Dr Michael Hallett and Dr Ron Callender. Taken on the occasion of the intitial deposit of archive to the Birmingham Central Library on 03 May 2007. The archive was transferred to the new Library of Birmingham in Centenary Square in 2013. Image © John Rose

It was this proposal that Callender took to the BOF’s annual dinner in 2004 with the salutation ‘How do you want to be remembered?’ For those of us too young to know, the BOF’s were a group of individuals who previously had been President or a member of a distinction panel of the British Institute of Professional Photography. Over the next three years Hallett and Callender worked intermittently on the project though Callender continually cajoled photographers to submit work. On May 3, 2007, ‘archive: the archive of professional photography’ was formally deposited at the Birmingham Central Library.

The core of archive includes elements of the following that reflects the life and work of a particular photographer:

rchiv

u A brief curriculum vitae to a specified pro-forma. This can be produced to pdf format, which can then be written by or for the photographer. This single page of reference should include a note regarding any specific wishes or restrictions relating to copyright. u A text commentary of between 700 and 1000 words. This is arguably the core of the record that can be crossed referenced with key words and can be interrogated by researchers. The form for this commentary could be prescribed and consideration should be made to similar systems (see the ODNB). This can be autobiographical or biographical but the author should be reminded for the need of an element of unbiased analysis. u A body of original images, say, between 6 and 10, of a specified file size. The file should be large enough to produce an A3 or equivalent area image of high quality. Currently, 50 MB TIFF would reflect the industry standard. This would allow for reproduction and/ or exhibition at some time in the future. u Examples of ephemera of a professional or business nature. u Outline bibliography of published work. u The copyright is retained by the individual photographer while additional restrictions may be applied by individual photographers.

Image © Maurice Broomfield

Pete James commented on the original deposit of archive: “Birmingham Central Library holds one of the national collections of photography: in 2006 this collection was awarded Designated Status by the Museums, Archives and Libraries Council in recognition of its national and international importance. We are delighted to be able to provide a home for ‘archive: the archive of professional photography’. “This collection documents the work of a vitally important aspect of British photographic history: one largely unrepresented in the holdings of other institutions and in accounts of the history of photography. In addition to being of great importance in its own right, archive also complements many of the Image © Colin Jackson collections already held by the Library, including that of the Birmingham photographer, Harold Baker, one of the founding members of the Professional Photographers Association, the John Whybrow Collection and the John Rose Archive. “We look forward to developing archive and establishing research, exhibition and publication projects in partnership with its founders and contributors around the archive in the future.” The BIPP plans to use the archive collection in a wider project celebrating its 120th anniversary in the coming months, as the Institute continues to delve into and explore its incredible heritage.

Image © Neville Kuypers

List photographers and work deposited on 03.05.07 Stewart Bale Set of postcards purchased from museum Walter Bird One print Charles E. Brown One print Ronald M Callender Prints, generally 10 x 8 inch Norman Childs CD of industrial subjects Gilbert H Cox Colour and monochrome portraits Francis Fox One print from periphery camera Donald D. Fraser Elaborate brochure promoting studio Michael Frost An illustrated book on portraiture Derek Gardiner Colour and monochrome prints Ian E Gee Substantial contribution Robert Glover Portraits Peter Hampshire Ektachromes of cars in studio Colin Jackson Prints Karsh of Ottawa Set of six original prints Bedford Lemere One print Peter Lowry Colour portraits Bob Mayo Small portfolio John G. Mills CD only provided Sydney W Newberry Three monochromes plus one colour print Terry Reeve Original large format Ektachromes John A. Rose Prints (20 x 16 inches) Tom Samson Four prints, plus the ‘Samson Bequest’ Dr D A Spencer Modern prints from ‘Vivex’ originals Vivienne A set of original monochrome portraits Philip J R Way Prints (hundreds!) and brochures Dorothy Wilding One monochrome print Madame Yevonde ‘Vivex’ originals plus mono prints Image © Adolf Morath

Christine Quick: The story of a fearless lady tutored by the great Margaret Harker, who first made her name shooting angry demonstrations in the 60s & then took off as a British Airways Photographer...

hen I first spoke to Christine Quick ABIPP, I was covering in the BIPP office in mid 2019. Martin and myself were fighting fires in all directions and making up much of it as we went along. Immensely stressful, yes, but rewarding that we were starting to turn a corner. This particular day was particularly heavy and when the phone rang, I had my head on the desk expecting to be told that my cat had been run over. The temptation was all too great to answer sounding like Basil Fawlty with his condescending manner: “What? What is it? Do you have to call now? Can’t you see I‘m busy?” Big smile mate, and sound cheerful! My dark side once again lost this one and thank goodness it did, as I was about to discover the true depth of the Institute. It was Christine calling to pay her subscription, and on her file it showed she had been with us for over 55 years. Her polite and forthright manner reminded me of a true British lass standing by the legend; ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’. “I bet there’s lots of stories you have then!” a gentle prod for more on my part, hoping for something fascinating to lighten my load. She willingly obliged telling me she had been a photographer for British Airways. This sounded like something special. I pressed for more and half an hour later I was in a different world, and Christine had barely even got started.

There were stories of punched ribs, tragic crashes, and a personal shoot with Sir Roger Moore to raise the eyebrows. WOW! Just the type of member that we should be celebrating, I thought. She should write her own book! This had made (and saved) my day. While brewing my victory earl grey, I reflected that in a world full of legends in their own minds, here was a possible case for a photographic legend in her own lifetime. Due to the pandemic, it was a year before HQ was able to catch up with Christine again. The joy of Zoom meetings came into play as she tuned in to the AGM and again was happy to tell us of her adventures once prompted. Such was the reaction, she was given her own seminar in March this year, and we got over two hours of sheer inspiration. This is a lady who in the 1960s, successfully made her case that she could handle the harshest of assignments in what was an aggressively male dominated sector. Then she went from risking life and limb at some very nasty demonstrations to a prize career with ‘the world’s favourite airline,’ mixing with royalty, celebrities and Sir Roger Moore - didn’t I mention? It took tenacity, talent and like her name suggests, she was bloody quick. And she did it on her own - all four foot eleven inches of her. The next few pages give you some snippets of Christine’s incredible career:

g 35

1964 ~ 1971

Sport and London demonstrations Christine’s Poly life was spent under the watchful eye of Professor Margaret Harker - who pioneered the first UK Photography Degree course. Despite the tutoring bonus, she still had to fight 60s chauvinism for a job after graduation. Eventually she was made assistant at a studio in Guildford. Her weekends were spent honing her skills as a sports photographer for the local newspapers. Being an active horse rider, she understood point-to point racing, cross-country and show jumping. On top of that she covered motor-cross, football, cricket and athletics. 1965 saw Christine switch to another studio in London, and she decided her weekends were not exciting enough, “I used my sports photography skills in photographing demonstrations on the London streets,” she says.

Not for the faint hearted, covering demos needed a cool head with a British Bulldog spirit, and it led to her coverage - both on and off the pitch - of the controversial Springbok Rugby Tour in the winter of 1969/70. This was when Apartheid was in full swing and passionate demonstrators would gather in large numbers on the roads outside Twickenham Stadium, as well as on the pitch. On her third visit, she was luckily directed onto the pitch by the Police mistaking her as the official photographer. Sport & General, who had the photographic rights, thought she

was with the Police and also let her go about her business! The BBC still occasionally show footage of the event with the tiny figure of Christine running along the touchline. When she thought the game was up, she luckily scored again; after her pictures were published in the Illustrated London News she received a call from Sport and General. “I explained I had not appreciated that their company had the photographic rights to the rugby ground and I duly apologised. “‘Not a problem’, they said; ‘would I like to go to Brands Hatch?’”

TOP Shots from an Arab Demo in 69 LEFT Christine’s coverage of the Springbok Tour Demos 1969 FAR LEFT Motorcross event BOTTOM FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Brands Hatch 1970, Vietnam War demo shots 1970, Christine (on the right) risking her safety by climbing on a bollard to get a better view at a Whitehall IRA demo in 1970

1969

Sheik Zayed of Abu Dhubi State Visit In the summer of 1969, Sheik Zayed came to London on a formal State Visit. Sidney-Barton Ltd was one of the very first PR companies in London and organizing the events, FrancisThompson was to supply all the photography. Initially, only the two male photographers would cover events, but one afternoon there was an urgent call to photograph the Sheik with Edward Heath, Leader of the Opposition. Christine was the only one left in the office, so she grabbed her gear and covered the meeting. From then on, she attended all the events; for an extended six week period as the Sheik was enjoying his stay. The next assignment was to photograph the Sheik calling on Prime Minister Harold Wilson, at Downing Street. “On arrival I found myself in a great position and just as I was about to shoot, I received a massive thump in the ribs with a ‘Sorry luv, but this is what it’s all about!’ Needless to say, it didn’t stop me.” Dealing with narcissistic male press photographers acting more like wrestlers was just part of the daily routine. The tour continued at a relentless pace; the National Stud at Newmarket; then the very new shopping centre in Milton Keynes; Trinity College Cambridge to visit Rab Butler; then down to Filton and Fairford to view the new Concorde aircraft development, with an on-board inspection of prototype 002. Little did Christine know that seven years later she would be flying on board the Concorde aircraft as part of her work routine. Sidney-Barton had organized a chauffeured Daimler to take the PR man, the Visnews cameraman and Christine to all the events outside London. On the final day the Sheik held a farewell event at the Dorchester, “We were running late, so we were permitted to join the Police escort to take us back to London. We were in the last car of the Police protected motorcade with six Police motorcycle outriders. We were doing eighty miles an hour down Baker Street!” It was the assignment of a lifetime and following that, it became difficult for Christine to settle back into the more usual routines. It wasn’t long before her head was turned by an advertisement in the British Journal of Photography for a photographer to join British European Airways (BEA)... 38

TOP LEFT Sheik Zayed meeting Harold Wilson at No: 10 Downing St BOTTOM LEFT An exciting visit to Milton Keynes Shopping Centre ABOVE At Dunsfold Airfield admiring the new Harrier VTOL jet BELOW The Sheik pampering a stud at Newmarket

On leaving FrancisThompson Studios, I asked Alan Spooner how he had viewed my going on demonstrations. Alan had spent his earlier years at Keystone Press Agency and understood what I was doing. He answered by saying, “The experience you were gaining improved your work – you could work so quickly – besides, I took out additional insurance to cover you.”

g 39

1971 ~ 1982

Joining the Jet Set Christine met an interesting crossroads in 1971, and you might say that whichever direction she took would be a dream come true for many.

Christine was short-listed for the new BBC2 stills team. She was also asked to work with the Distillers Company, touring every distillery in Scotland. Just the mention of that would have many of us salivating in anticipation and immediately running into the garden to build our own whiskey shed. Then came the call from the skies. Christine had beaten over 1,000 predominantly male applicants and was offered a position with BEA - soon to become British Airways, following the merger with BOAC. The first two departments of BEA and BOAC to be brought together were the PR sections, including film and photographic. The newly created department was housed in the BEA building, being a larger space with studios, darkrooms and the photo-library. She says, “My very first assignment was to join the film crew and spend a week on the island of Barra in Scotland. There the aircraft landed on the beach, so tide and weather had a direct affect on the landing of the aircraft. “The weather was so bad that we could do nothing but sit around. I grew up by the sea and noticed the winkles were big and fat out on the rocks, so I borrowed a bucket and collected some for us all to eat. The pub/hotel had agreed to boil them up and provided bread and butter. To my amazement, only one other member of the team was keen to join me, the others all went – ugh - no! Yet they would happily eat escargot. So just the two of us indulged and I put the rest back on the rocks.”

I was thrilled to be offered the post and join BEA. The company admitted they had not planned on hiring a woman, but my folio was so way ahead of any of the other candidates short-listed, that they decided to offer me the job. The lady from Personnel, Mrs. Danski, made it very clear that my ‘demo days’ were over. I was to be fit and well on a Monday morning!

The Trident 3 and DC-9 Tragedy

Size matters

While much of the work was glamourous and fun, there were very serious duties too. In September 1976, there was mid-air collision over Zagreb, involving a Trident 3 from London and a local DC-9. All 162 lives were lost. It was proved to be the fault of the Zagreb air traffic controllers. This was made particularly sad for Christine, as only days before, she had shot promotional portraits of their new Cabin Crew member, Jennifer Munday. After ten years faithful service with ground staff, she had just passed the Cabin Crew Training Course and gained her ‘Wings’. It was her first flight. The ‘Black Box’ located in the tail of the Trident 3 had been damaged in the accident, so it was brought back to Heathrow to be opened under very tight security. “I was present to photograph each stage as the box was opened to provide a very careful record of what was found. Although the wire tape was broken in one place, it was not in a position that affected the crash information and all the relevant details of the accident were undamaged and saved. Afterwards, I said to the gentleman who had been dismantling the box that it was like attending a serious medical operation. “He replied, “Interesting you should say that. Yes, I was a surgeon before switching to engineering and designing the box.””

In 1977, a call came from Engineering requesting the ‘smallest’ photographer to climb into a Trident 3 fuel tank to photograph any cracks. Christine at 4’ 11” was ideal! During general maintenance, very small cracks had been spotted in the wings, resulting with the grounding of the whole Trident 3 fleet. Christine was asked to crawl into the main tank and find her way into the two wings. A tank is a ‘hostile’ environment and even if it’s been empty of fuel for a week, the fumes could kill you. You would certainly lose consciousness and need to be rescued quickly. “I climbed in with an air line and face mask and began crawling on my stomach towards the wing tank openings over large ribs which were to prevent fuel sloshing about, affecting the aircraft’s stability.” She had her Nikon and a Fire Service approved flashgun - just in case of explosion risks. “I finally reached the areas of interest but it was very difficult to focus with a mask over my face. So I had to pull the mask down for very short periods to see what I was doing.” The engineer outside the aircraft maintained a regular conversation to ensure she was alright. If Christine stopped answering, then they had to drop everything and rescue her. Job done, Christine was told to claim her ‘Tank Money’. She said; “I had a rotten headache for the rest of the day, and the following day when getting dressed, I noticed I was heavily bruised down my front – having to drag myself over the ribs of the tank.”

TOP LEFT New BA livery launch event BELOW LEFT BEA helicopter at Gatwick BELOW RIGHT BA Charity Pull

Concorde Concorde was introduced into the airline in 1976 to a great fanfare, but it took a little while for it to become successful financially. Concorde is a very special place for Christine, and most of her fondest career memories involve the iconic aeroplane. “One of the first routes was from London to Bahrain. I went down there to photograph Concorde on the ground, showing general handling activities. Then I flew back to London on the aircraft, as the images were urgently required back home. A very special privilege at the time as no staff, other than the working crew, could fly on Concorde. “Flying so high, not only could you see the curvature of the Earth, as we flew up the middle of the Adriatic, you could see Italy to port and Yugoslavia on the starboard side, with the Alps ahead. All passed by within minutes.” It was hoped Concorde would open up a route to Australia, but issues on the sound barrier ‘boom’ noise, close to land was never resolved and the route to Bahrain was closed. What was extremely successful was the route to New York. The Americans were slow to accept the service, but once they realized the flight time was only three hours – arriving in New York at a time before you left London – businessmen and celebrities loved it.

Concorde, during its life with British Airways was considered to be a very special service and the public thought so too.

A340 crash landing at Heathrow

TOP LEFT Christine’s photo of the Concorde launch event featured in BA’s newspaper supplement BOTTOM LEFT Concorde being towed in Bahrain ABOVE Celebration of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee flight on Concorde at Buckingham Palace Summer of 1977. L-R: Sir Ross Stainton, Chief Executive BOAC, HRH Prince Charles, Capt. Norman Todd, Chief Pilot Concorde BELOW The cramped or you might say cosy Concorde flight deck

Much of Christine’s work was carried out at the Engineering Base, near Hatton Cross. One afternoon she was inside an aircraft parked just outside one of the hangers with a small group of engineers, photographing items as instructed. It was quite usual for the radio on the aircraft to be switched on to hear the radio traffic between all the aircraft and the Control Tower. Suddenly, one of the engineers said, “Oh dear – trouble.” Christine recalls; “We all stepped out to watch a Virgin A340 suddenly abort its landing and carry out an emergency ‘fly past’ around the control tower. To deploy correctly, landing gear has to lock into position. This hadn’t happened on the port side. “The aircraft took up position to come into land, flying over us on its final approach. The skill of the pilot and crew on the flight deck was outstanding. “The port wing was held off the ground until the very last moment and the aircraft finally came to a halt. All the emergency services were in place, the aircraft slides deployed and all passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft with very little injury. “British Airways were, and probably still are, responsible for dealing with any aircraft incidents at Heathrow. Once the Police release the aircraft, BA Engineering take over to arrange the removal of the aircraft to the engineering base. “BA Engineering, the Police, Fire Service and Virgin asked me to stay to photograph the removal, so I was kept very busy through the night. BA did not fly the A340, and did not have the right tools to work on the aircraft. Therefore it needed towing away to a Virgin facility. Therefore, massive airbags were placed under the wing to lift and right the aircraft. This allowed the engineers to make the damaged undercarriage strong enough tow the aircraft.” The runway was repaired and reopened by the following midday, and the A340 was towed away for its own repair.

Up Etna (edited from Christine’s BA/AIPP article) The climb up Mount Etna (according to the brochures) takes about 45 minutes. The ascent is on a well worn track, and the climbers undertake the journey in the company of an experienced guide. Such an expedition was not part of my plan, however the locals impressed upon me that by visiting the island and not climbing Etna, I was committing a cardinal sin. There was, therefore, nothing to do but undertake the trip. Early next morning I left Taormina, and enjoyed a beautiful drive through the highly cultivated foothills of the volcano and up the long winding road to the cable car. The damage caused by the 1971 eruption was still clearly visible, the paths cut by the lava weaving peat black scars across the landscape. On arrival at the cable station I discovered that only the first stage was operating, the second having been destroyed in the eruption. At that moment it seemed that I was not, after all, going to climb Etna. But all was not quite lost! Engineers, gesticulating wildly in the Italian manner, did their best to be helpful and I finally got the message. I was to ride up the first stage and return in the same car. With a heavy sense of disappointment I entered the car with one Italian and two French couples. Stepping from the car we were greeted by a priest in a slightly surprising garb - cassock and climbing boots - who gathered us all around him. He then turned and led us up the mountain. The seven of us followed quite happily, assuming him to be the official guide. We began our ascent in scenery unlike anything I had ever seen before, with weird cloud formations providing a backcloth against the thick black lava which had forced its way through the snow. The higher we climbed the colder it became. A high wind was blowing and we were suddenly aware of the thinning air, forcing us to climb slower. On we climbed. My heavy photographic equipment seemed to grow heavier with every step. Time was no longer of any consequence and already our climb was extending into hours as we followed the silent, mysterious leader. None of my companions seemed concerned and I finally began to think I must have misunderstood the engineers at the start of the journey. So, I kept my place in the crocodile - it would have been too dangerous to have attempted the return journey on my own.

The trek became more hazardous as we stumbled on. Crevasses were more frequent and it was extremely difficult to successfully negotiate the ones that were visible. Then one of the Frenchmen suddenly disappeared up to his waist in a hidden crevasse. We were all scrambling, pulling him back to safety. The journey resumed, the snow was left behind, and we climbed a vertical clinker and ash wall directly to the rim of the crater. The freezing winds whipped up the very fine blinding black lava dust, burning our faces and filling our eyes. There was nothing solid - just dust and lava clinkers which rolled away as you touched them. Finally, there was the choking sulphur as we reached the top. At last, cold, coughing and near blinded we were at the rim, finding the best position to gain most shelter from the wind and the fumes. Then, in silence, we gazed at the fantastic views across the island, and down into the depths of the crater with the steam spewing from it. The return trip was easier, although one still had to take care, and I had a feeling of relief to see the cable station. The walk had taken more than five hours, and the engineers at the station were feeling some concern at our absence. It was then I learned that the trek had not been authorised as officially it was still winter at the top of the mountain and highly dangerous. Like me, my companions had assumed the priest to be a guide and we tried to locate him at the station without success. Someone said he had already begun the trek to the base of the mountain ... but no one had seen him go. I was glad I had taken a photograph which would, I hoped, confirm that he had actually been there. I arrived at the hotel highly satisfied but cold, hungry and tired, and as I walked through the lobby was greeted with curious looks from the other guests. I was covered with black lava dust which had become engrained in my hair, skin and clothes - almost as if I had been working at a coal pit. The real climax came at dinner that evening, when a man at the next table turned to me and said in polite conversation, “Hasn’t it been hot today?”

RIGHT PM Maggie Thatcher with Kenny Everett after his infamous ‘Let’s Bomb Russia!’ speech at the 1983 Tory Conference

1982 ~ 2001

Francis-Thompson/QFT Photography In 1980, British Airways decided to close their Photographic Services dept. It took nearly two years, giving Christine time to plan. The country was in recession so there were no jobs, but she knew many of the BA departments would give her regular work. So, in July 1982, Christine Quick Photography started business. A photographer friend in Cobham, Surrey, offered her a small office in his premises, provided she gave him all her film processing and printing. The arrangement worked well, but she needed to be in London. Her previous employer Alan Spooner allowed her to rent some space from Frances-Thompson’s studio, so she moved back to Hatton Garden in London. Many F-T clients remembered her, so she also re-developed her relationships with them as well. In 1985, Alan decided to retire, so Christine bought F-T, merged it with her own business and changed the name to QFT Photography. She also got the bonus of Alan working two days a week, “I was very grateful Alan was around for the next year, offering advice and giving support.” They outgrew Hatton Garden and moved to an industrial unit in Baldwins Gardens. The building was full of photographers, one of whom she had known as a student at the Poly back in the 1960s. They survived the next recession in the early 1990’s and continued through the decade with a reliable reputation.

“Then came Remembrance Sunday 1999,” she remembers. “As usual, I was to cover the laying of a wreath service by a P&O captain, in memory of merchant seamen who had perished at sea during the Wars, in the memorial garden at Tower Hill. Then off to the London Eye, it was to be lifted into position that afternoon.” It started badly as her car was rammed from the rear by a large lorry while she was driving in from Hounslow. With the car needing repairs, she limped it back home, grabbed the ton of gear and rushed to the Tube station. She made it to Tower Hill just in time to cover the service. Then it was back on the tube to Waterloo and photograph the lifting of the wheel. The assignment went well and much of her work was used in BA publications. However, with all the adrenaline pumping away, she hadn’t noticed the degree of pain she was in; “Unfortunately, not only did I have whiplash injuries, but also my right knee had suffered compression injuries. I tried to continue working, but it was impossible. My GP, my surgeon and my accountant all said I must retire as the business was suffering.” She sold her company before her court case for damages was settled, but she remained semi-active for a number of years after. So what a fantastic life journey! On top of that, Christine Quick has a legacy proved to be well ahead of her time - a huge inspiration for not just female photographers, but all photographers for now and the future.

TOP RIGHT Boris You Know Who and Mary Macleod MP MIDDLE David Cameron during his 2010 General Election campaign LEFT Prince Michael of Kent All Images © Christine Quick. Written by Chris Wright. 45

Defence School of Photography ~ Part 2

Students reach half way point We continue following one of the 28 week photography training courses set up by Her Majesty’s Forces at RAF Cosford

rainees from the Royal Navy, Army and RAF training at the Defence School of Photography (DSoP) are approaching the end of Module One on the Defence Photographer Course. The Defence Photographer Course has been designed to give the trainees transferable skills which they can use when photographing the many varied tasks they will face daily. It’s not unusual to be photographing a VIP visit in the morning and taking macro photographs of a damaged engine turbine blade in the afternoon. The 28-week intensive course is delivered in two modules; Module One is led by Tony Bennett ABIPP and Sergeant Dek Traylor during which they teach photographic practical skills and the underpinning knowledge. Why the underpinning knowledge? The rationale is they must know what could go wrong; importantly the Defence Photographer often works in situations where they don’t get a second chance, therefore they must get it right in camera, first time, every time – no ‘correcting’ in post-production at DSoP! Module One concentrates on delivering those core elements of photography which are delivered as classroom theory lessons reinforced with practical exercises to reinforce that theory. Teaching the core elements is progressive and builds on the skills and knowledge as the trainee advances through the course. However, the school is also aware that personal skills are equally important as the photographic skills. Many of the younger trainees come straight from civilian life and may never have had to communicate with people in authority on a professional level. Therefore, training in communication skills is a key element of the course to build confidence so they can direct people - who in the workplace can range from Royalty to the newest recruit.

PO Ritsma by LPhot Clarke (RN)

Royal Navy Petty Officer (PO) Ritsma, a trainee on the course said, “For me, the best part of photography is working with, and meeting new people. I can’t wait to get back on ship and get out to sea again.” Tony said, “The course is designed to develop their photography skills, and then we teach them how to apply them in their role once they graduate.” He added “Even we trainers are there to learn off the students and share knowledge, that’s what makes photography as opinionated and diverse as it currently is.” 47

The diversity of DSoP Over the years there have been many changes in military photography and photographic training; the days of film, chemicals and aerial reconnaissance are long gone. Today DSoP deliver 17 individual photographic and video courses using the latest digital cameras, high volume digital printers and industry standard software to edit and produce the imagery. Courses are delivered to Service personnel whose primary role (specialist) is photography. Courses are also delivered to personnel who use photography in their roles (non-specialist) covering a diverse range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance gathering requirements to specialist requirements for material scientists, air accident and police investigators.

Flash photography from the ground up One of the myriad skills the trainees have been learning is light; what it is, and how to manipulate it. This has led into looking at all aspects of electronic flash, including the construction of a flash unit (safety aspects), how to determine a guide number to establish exposure, and how to use flash in practical situations. Starting with the flash on-camera they learn how to balance flash with ambient light, repeating the process with flash off-camera and balancing multiple flash units with ambient light. Cpl Terry by SAC Dale (RAF) © UK Ministry of Defence CROWN COPYRIGHT, 2021

AB (UW) Smith by LPhot James Clarke (RN) © UK Ministry of Defence CROWN COPYRIGHT, 2021

PO Ritsma by LPhot Clarke (RN) © UK Ministry of Defence CROWN COPYRIGHT, 2021

AC Hobbs by LPhot Clarke (RN) © UK Ministry of Defence CROWN COPYRIGHT, 2021

Tony Bennett said, “We spend a lot of time teaching lighting, it is a fundamental to what we do, photography is the capture of light. How we look at, and capture light, is what separates professional photographers from the amateurs.” PO Ritsma, said, “Everyone was at different levels when we started the course, some had very little photography experience and others had lots. However, when it came to learning flash it really levelled everyone out. Now we are all at a similar level.” Tony Bennett added, “The most rewarding part of the job is watching the trainee progress and seeing the incredible work they produce.” In Module Two of the course, the trainees put those skills into practice by undertaking tasks they will find in the workplace (and some they may not) where the choice of which technique to use is left up to them. We will continue to report on our trainees when they are well underway with Module Two in the next issue.

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Overseas Director

King Penguin and Chick

Karen Massey ABIPP This issue I chat to Tracey Lund FBIPP, who is having an amazing year, despite the pandemic. Tracey won this year’s Gold Camera Award in the FEP image competition. So let’s find out a little more about the lady behind the camera and her amazing imagery.

racey lives in Hull, East Yorkshire and for the past 27 years has worked in Hull as a full time Network Maintenance Engineer for the local Telecommunications company. She has always had a camera in her hands for as long back as she can remember and has always had a love of animals. Tracey tells us in her own words, what inspired her to dig deep into her passion. “At the turn of the millennium, I ended what was a very bad relationship in which I was hurt mentally as well as physically. I was made to feel worthless and it sent me down a road of depression to the point I no longer wanted to be here anymore. It wasn’t until a friend pulled me aside and asked, ‘If there was anywhere in the world you could be right now, where would you go?’ My response was ‘Africa’ and that is where we went. My nan bought me my first film SLR camera and off I went stocked up with 36 x 36 exposure films. “Africa was a dream come true as I’d only ever seen it on nature programmes. Being out there combining my love for wildlife and photography, I can honestly, hand on heart, say, it saved my life and is why I am here today. Being behind the camera photographing something I love makes all the bad stuff go away and I just try and show that passion through my images. Planning my trips way ahead gives me something to work towards but also something to look forward to.”

Underwater Gannets “In July 2018 whilst on holiday in Shetland, I sat on the side of a RIB surrounded by thousands of gannets. The hired DSLR camera in the waterproof housing was attached to a polecam system and lowered into the water. The locally sourced fish (dead bait) was then thrown into the water, to which the thousands of gannets 50

circling the RIB started to dive into the sea. 1,800 images were taken but only two I really loved, this being one of them. An unbelievable spectacle to witness let alone photograph and thanks to Richard Shucksmith for making this experience possible and his equipment hire.”

“In January 2020 I spent a month travelling around the Falkland Islands. This is a truly magical place to be with. So much wonderful wildlife to see and photograph. A total of five species of penguins to spend your time with, along with many more species. “This image was taken at Volunteer Point which is home to the largest colony of King Penguins. Staying at the point itself means you get the penguins to yourself for a lot of the day. When we arrived the majority of the colony were sat on eggs and only a few had chicks to look after.

Image © Tracey Lund

“I just spent my days laying on the ground near to the colony, waiting to get a glimpse of the eggs as the adults checked on their progress. On one day, I spent six hours watching one egg but saw the whole sequence of the tiny hole in the egg, to hatching, to first feed….. “An amazing spectacle to watch a King Penguin chick come into the world. This image shows the caring nature and bond between adult and chick. A beautiful moment captured between the two. It looks so peaceful but believe me, it was the complete opposite.”

Pelican Stare “In January 2018 I travelled to Lake Kerkini in Greece to spend the weekend photographing the amazing Dalmatian Pelicans. These birds are truly wonderful. Each bird had its own personality and own unique hairstyle. “Their feather details are just truly beautiful. We spent the days going out with the local fishermen in their boats as it was the best way to photograph these birds. In winter time, the fish these birds feed on sink low in the lake. So when the fishermen go fishing, the birds follow their boats wherever they go. The fishermen then feed the birds which creates great opportunities for photography. “As I watched the birds, I saw that when they looked towards you, they gave you what looked to be an intense gaze and combined with their hairstyles, I wanted to try and capture that in an image. It was definitely an ‘If looks could kill!’ scenario.”

Image © Tracey Lund

Karen Massey continues her chat with Tracey Lund FBIPP

I ask Tracey… Which of these three images is your favourite?

Do you still have locations you would like to visit?

“All three images are special to me in their own way but if I had to chose one the it would be the Underwater Gannets. “A truly unique opportunity to capture what goes on underneath the surface of the water and this image has done me proud in many competitions.”

“There are many species I would love to photograph, the main ones for me are Gorillas in Rwanda\Uganda, Orangutans in Borneo, Polar Bears in Svalbard and Jaguars in Brazil. All species that are becoming extinct and I would love to see them in the wild before that happens (but hope to god it never does). By travelling to photograph these species I can maybe capture their story and help people realise they are worth more alive than dead. I have a long list of places/species I would to see and photograph….I will hopefully get through it in my lifetime.”

Tell us how you go about selecting your images for competition with so many amazing locations and subjects to choose from? “Even today, I am still trying to understand what judges are looking for but this is somewhat hard to do. They say you should not be attached to an image you are entering, but for me I have to have that connection with the animals to get the images I want. I always look for an image that stands out from the rest, one that is maybe telling a story making you want to know more or I strive to get the eye contact that shows a connection. If I have captured something that is quite rare like some behaviour that isn’t often seen, then you can sometimes know that this may do well as it’s not seen often. But sometimes I also think too much about it, especially when I see other award-winning images. It sometimes makes me think I am looking for too much in an image.”

How has entering the FEP awards helped you in your business? “Entering the FEP opens doors, it gets your name out there. From this competition alone I have received orders for my images as well as being asked to be an international judge for an upcoming Nature competition. Wildlife photography as a business is hard which is why I still have a full-time job. I would love to be able to do this full time but it is a hard business to get into. Competitions for me are a way of challenging myself as a photographer with the hope of being seen out there and an opportunity arising from it….I can hope.”

I am delighted you are going for your FEP - QEP qualification in November. Can you tell us why this is important to you? “Going for qualifications is something I work hard for. It is a way of challenging myself as a photographer to prove to myself that I am good enough. It’s a way of showing the passion I have as a wildlife photographer as I feel it is a genre that is often overlooked. It is also a way to help build my business to maybe one day become a true professional and do this full time. I also love the fact I get to see my images in print….it is quite breathtaking the difference the images look in print. I feel a qualification shows a dedication that you have towards your photography. Something you can be proud of.”

Other BIPP members awarded in this years FEP image competition: Sanjay Jogia 3rd place and Bronze Camera Winner for Wedding. Also placed 10th in Advertising and Commercial Colin Brister 4th place for Sports & 6th place for Wildlife Peter Rooney 5th place for Illustration & Fine Art Alex Jeffries 9th place for Advertising and Commercial 53

Every Day’s a School Day Paul Wilkinson FBIPP

Our favourite PhD, Paul Wilkinson brings his prescription pad of tips and remedies on healthier photographic practice. This issue he gives his thoughts on strobe lighting...

ight is all around us. It floods our lives every minute of every day. It’s almost unheard of to be without light - even in the depths of night, your smartphone or watch will glow when you look at it, throwing an eery light into the darkest gloom. As photographers, we take this stuff, shape it, tame it, chuck it around our studios, create stuff with it, love it, get frustrated with it, occasionally hate it. But it’s ever-present and, without it, we wouldn’t have a job. Entire books are dedicated to the discussion of light in all its forms, so we’re limiting this particular article to just one: studio strobes.

What Are Strobes? Strobes are, in essence, a simple idea: store a large amount of energy in a capacitor and discharge it pretty much instantaneously when you need it in the form of light (with a smidgen of heat thrown in for good measure.) And it can be a LOT of light in those few milliseconds! The capacitor can either be inside the strobe head itself (monoblocs) or within a separate power pack, with just a cable running to a small strobe head, making them light and manoeuvrable but meaning you have enormous power packs on the floor and lots of cabling. Technology has undoubtedly marched on in the past decade or so. Now, for most of us, strobes have become smaller, easier to use, and many are powered by proprietary batteries on the head, removing the need for any cables at all (though our studios are now choc-full of battery chargers!) The process of triggering the strobes has also moved on. It only seems like yesterday when you either had a long sync cable from your camera to the flash - and then the other units reacted to that first strobe going off - or you would invest hundreds of pounds in 3rd-party radio triggers. Now? Well, now I wouldn’t consider any strobe design that didn’t have a radio control and trigger mechanism built-in. Life has certainly become more straightforward! 54

But strobes aren’t without their drawbacks. Firstly, since the strobe is just a gas tube until triggered, there is no light when it isn’t firing. You are (figuratively and quite literally) in the dark. Bring on the modelling lamp. These days many modelling lamps are LEDs, but most are still halogen, and they are only ever an approximation of the light you’ll get when you fire the strobe. Even after years of working with strobes, I am still pleasantly surprised at the difference in the scene between the modelling lamps and when I trigger the strobe.

Just because we all love huge modifiers doesn’t mean you should ignore the less imposing. This image was created with nothing more than a spill kill with a honeycomb grid on the front! Image © Paul Wilkinson

Secondly, there is a difference between the strobe firing (lots of light!) and the modelling lights (not so much!) If you happen to be using a mirrorless camera, you need to delve deep into the menus to get the camera to show you something useful on the back screen or in your electronic viewfinder. You may also need to enable the auto-focus assist! Thirdly, the strobe tube - usually a xenon gas tube - is pretty small, typically measuring no more than 10cm across. That would be fine if we all loved creating images with a tiny light source. But we don’t. Most of the time, we want great, big, fat light sources that conjure up daylight streaming through an old pub window on a hazy afternoon. Given these irritations, why do we love strobes so much? Why not use continuous light, particularly now that LED panels are readily available, reasonably priced and can be almost any shape you want. Well, that comes back to the fact that strobes emit a HUGE amount of beautiful light in the blink of an eye - but hopefully without the blink! If you took an average strobe and set it to mid-power, you’d need to set your camera to something like 1/250 second, ISO 100, f8. i.e. the equivalent of a very bright sunny day! If your studio were continuously that bright, we’d all need shades! The flash duration is rapid, usually faster than 1/1000s or so (meaning that even the most errant child or lively canine will freeze in motion for all posterity), and xenon tubes give a gorgeous light close to natural daylight, with nearly all of the spectrum you’d expect shooting outdoors. There is an additional benefit, too, that is less talked about: pupil dilation. It is a wellresearched piece of psychology that if you’re attracted to a person, your pupils will dilate. Hence, we find ourselves drawn to photos where someone has large pupils. If you work with bright, continuous lighting, most people will have small pupils in your images. Whereas, working in the relative dimness of a studio illuminated with just modelling lamps, your subjects (if they’re human at least this is irrelevant if your subject happens to be a hairdryer or hi-tech vacuum) will have large pupils. The eye doesn’t react to the rapid flash, and so your subjects will tend to have larger pupils, making the picture even more appealing. 55

Modifiers To create those vast light sources we all love, we are forever bolting modifiers onto the front of our strobes. Modifiers are nothing more than something that alters the light and manufacturers love us for it: umbrellas, softboxes, strip boxes, lenses, gobos, snoots, parabolic softboxes, grids, dishes, beauty dishes, the list of items is endless. Being photographers, of course, we want all of them! But what do they do, and what do you need? Dealing with what they do first: nearly all of the modifiers you stick on the front of your strobes deflect light around, eventually directing it as some uniform beam that is larger than the original xenon tube.

Small reflector dishes - sometimes called ‘spill kills’ are sold with most studio strobes, but these don’t do much except to throw the light forward like the beam of a torch. They have their place, but unless you’re looking for very directional light with razor-edged shadows, they’re not the first thing you reach for. That said, they help create pools or floods of light on a background, so don’t throw them away! When it comes to creating large areas of light, umbrellas are the cheapest and easiest to set up - and a lot of photographers love them. However, umbrellas tend to throw light in all sorts of directions, bouncing around your studio. All this extra light kicking around can limit your control - and usually reduces the

contrast as some of the deflected light will no doubt make it into the shadow areas too. Softboxes used to be painful to set up and take down. Still, with the advent of new materials and clever designs (Elinchrom’s Rotolux being a notable favourite), they are now no more tricky than umbrellas. The light is channelled directly inside the box from the strobe to the front surface, where it has only one exit route: via the front baffle, giving much more control over where it ends up. The idea of a softbox is that the entire front surface emits light evenly so most boxes also have an internal baffle (posh name for a bit of translucent fabric that bounces light around) to help even things out, reducing any central hotspot.

Light And Distance The inverse square law is a fundamental law of Nature and applies to sound as well as light. Light from a small source will spread out; consequently, the further away from the light source, the greater the illuminated area - and the brightness rapidly reduces. At 1m distance, the area covered will be 1m x 1m or 1m squared. At 2m, the area will be 2m x 2m or 4m squared. At 4m, the area will be 4mx4m or 16m squared and so on. In simple terms? If you double the distance from a point light source, you QUARTER the amount of light. Strobes without modifiers are not good for evenly lighting groups! With a large light source, the inverse square law doesn’t apply in quite the same way: if the distance to the subject is shorter than the size of the modifier, the light diminishes in an almost-liner fashion. If you double the distance, you only halve the light - great news if you want to photograph more than one person, but you need a significant light modifier! Why do we care? Well, with small light sources, distances count more than with big ones - and the closer the light, the more those distances matter! Are you shooting a group? Use as big a light source as you can muster and bring it closer to the camera so that the distance to each person isn’t too different!

PARABOLIC SOFTBOX

LARGE RECTANGULAR SOFTBOX

REFLECTIVE UMBRELLA

UNMODIFIED BARE STROBE

Adding a grid (sometimes called a ‘honeycomb’) to the front of a modifier makes it highly directional, almost wholly eliminating light leakage to the sides of your subject. These are expensive, but if you love having total control over your light (and your shadows), it may well be worth the investment. Recently, reasonably priced parabolic softboxes (shaped like the reflector in a torch or spotlight) have become prevalent, promising directional, uniform light in an easy-to-set-upand-take-down format. Which modifier you choose is entirely down to personal preference and budget! I love large, rectangular softboxes for their control and the beautiful catchlights they create in the eyes. In contrast, others prefer octagonal or circular softboxes (most parabolic softboxes fit into this category) for the more rounded catchlights they make. Some people use grids on their lights to give them total control, others like a bit of light to ping around the studio, drawing detail out of the shadows and adding a more natural feel. It is impossible to explore studio strobes in a few pages fully, and there are no right or wrong answers in what you choose to use. Your choice of lighting is every bit as creative as everything else you do as a photographer, it is not a science but an art in itself. It’s worth experimenting and tuning your set-up to your budget, taste and your studio space - you might be surprised what you can achieve with a few hundred quid, an umbrella and a little imagination!

Paul Wilkinson runs an exclusive studio between Oxford & London.With a life-long love of photography and a passion for creating beautiful, timeless images, Paul has established himself at the very top of the profession as a people photographer. Paul is a Fellow of the SWPP, the MPA and the BIPP and has won an array of national and international awards for his work and is currently the UK Portrait Photographer of the Year 2020. Paul is an international judge, trainer, speaker and author in the photography industry. He has a regular column in Professional Photo and the Nikon magazine NPhoto. You may know him best, for his popular light hearted but straight talking podcast, Mastering Portrait Photography, where he chats about life, the universe and all things portrait photography. Links: The Podcast masteringportraitphotography.com/podcasts Instagram www.instagram.com/paulwilkinsonphotography Photography business www.paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk 57

T H G I R Y P O C For Photographers

MADE SIMPLE

Copyright law in the UK is contained in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 as amended by multiple other Acts and Statutory Instruments. In essence, copyright is, as the word suggests, the right to make copies of your own work, and to prevent anyone else making copies of it without your consent. “Copies” means both physical and electronic copies, but copyright law also applies where someone sets out to recreate your work from scratch. This doesn’t mean that a person who takes a photo that is virtually identical to one taken by someone else will necessarily have infringed anyone’s copyright. If they were unaware of the existence of the earlier photograph, and had the idea independently, they will not have copied it. Whether a work has been copied or is an entirely independent work may ultimately fall to reach a verdict. The more famous or ubiquitous the earlier work is, and the more detailed the juxtaposition of the various elements of it are,

the harder it will be for the creator of the later work to state they didn’t copy it. Photographs are protected under the 1988 Act as artistic works, regardless of their artistic merit. It doesn’t matter how mundane the photo is, or how technically poor; that blurred selfie taken with an ancient phone attracts the same copyright protection as the most perfectly executed and creatively exciting photo. Unlike trademarks and patents, which have to be registered, copyright arises automatically on the creation of a qualifying work at the moment it is put into tangible form, whether physical or electronic. In short, it copyright arises at the moment the photograph is taken. You may have a great idea for a wonderful photograph, but until the photo is taken, your idea is not protected by copyright. Copyright in a photograph lasts for the remaining lifetime of the photographer and for a further 70 years after the end of the year in which he or she dies.

The first owner of the copyright in a photograph is the photographer (the “author” in the terminology of the Act). This applies to both personal and commissioned work, by default, but it is possible for commissioned work to be undertaken under a contract that provides for the transfer of copyright to the commissioner. Where the photographer is an employee and the photographs are undertaken in the course of employment, the first owner of the copyright will be the employer. Photographers should be aware that the courts have been inclined to interpret “undertaken in the course of employment” quite broadly, so there is a possibility that an employer could claim copyright in images taken in the photographer’s own time, if they involved the same kind of photography that the photographer was generally employed to do. Copyright is a property right and it can be sold or given away just as any other property can. A transfer of the ownership of copyright, called an “assignment”, requires a written document of transfer signed by the person assigning the copyright.

When a copyright owner dies, the copyright transmits automatically to the heirs of his or her estate, either to a specified beneficiary or to the residual legatees. Owning the copyright in a photograph only gives the right to make copies of the work and to prevent others making unauthorised copies. It does not give the copyright owner the right to use the image in any way they wish. Data protection and privacy laws may restrict the ways that images of people can be used, and the Advertising Standards Authority codes regulate the use of images of people and their identifiable property in marketing. The 1988 Act itself also gives a right of privacy in photographs that have been commissioned for private and domestic purposes. These must not be sold, distributed, or shown or exhibited in public without the consent of the person who commissioned them. Most photographers will wish to show a selection of such images on their websites, social media and other marketing materials and should make certain that consent for such uses is included in their terms and conditions.

What are a photographer’s In addition to copyright, a photographer has certain moral rights under the 1988 Act. The photographer retains these rights even if the copyright belongs or has been transferred to someone else. The moral rights are: 4 The right to be identified as the photographer whenever an image you created is published or shown in public (including in a film). However, this identification right is not infringed unless it has previously been asserted by the photographer, either as part of a document assigning copyright, or as a term in a copyright licence, or by a separate written document. 4 The right to object to derogatory treatment of your work. This would arise if the work is adapted or altered in a way that would be prejudicial to the photographer’s reputation. The right is infringed if the derogatory treatment is published or publicly exhibited.

“Moral Rights”?

What is copyright?

Copyright is a bit of a rumour minefield for the non-initiated in the world of law. Viewed as there for the artist, but not there due to the scary potential costs involved where Barristers charge by the second. Is there anyone who can help? Linda Macpherson breaks the back of the basics for us, putting many of the rumours to rest...

Who owns the copyright in a photograph?

4 The right not to have someone else’s work falsely attributed to you.

4 The making of a personal copy for private use. This might include making a copy of a print or a backup copy of a digital file. The person making the copy must have acquired the original lawfully, and they must not give or sell the original or the copy to anyone else. 4 Making a copy for non-commercial research or private study. This for example, allows a student to download a copy of a photograph to include in an assignment or workbook. If reasonably possible to do so, it must be accompanied by an acknowledgement of the creator name and/or copyright owner. 4 Making a copy or copies for certain educational purposes. A teacher can make copies for the purposes of giving instruction or setting an exam. 4 Fair dealing with a work for the purposes of criticism or review of the work, provided that the work has been published and, where practicable, sufficient acknowledgement is given. 4 It is not an infringement of the copyright in a work if it is incidentally included in another work. So the incidental inclusion of, for example, a photograph on a billboard in the background of a broadcast news report about some entirely different subject will not infringe the copyright in the billboard photograph. 4 It is not an infringement of copyright to take a photograph of a building, or of a sculpture or a work of artistic craftsmanship that is permanently situated in a public place or a place to which the public have access. Such photographs can also be exhibited or sold. It is not possible to restrict these exceptions by means of a term in a contract. Note that one important exception to copyright – fair dealing with a copyright work for the purposes of news reporting – does not apply to photographs.

“Orphan Works”

Permission to use a photograph in a way that would otherwise infringe copyright is given by means of granting a licence. The licence should specify the purposes for which the image or images can be used, the geographical extent of the use and the duration of the licence. It may also specify the number of copies that can be made. With the exception of exclusive licences, the law does not require a copyright licence to be in writing, but in practice it should be. An exclusive licence gives some particular right to a licensee to the exclusion of all others, including the copyright owner, for a particular length of time or in perpetuity. An exclusive licence does not necessarily grant all the rights connected with the image. It might give an exclusive right to publish the image in a book, for example, while the copyright owner reserves any other rights, such as the right to sell prints of the image. Exclusive licences, like copyright assignments, must be in writing and signed by the copyright owner. If the copyright is transferred to someone else, that person will be bound to honour any existing licences already granted for their duration.

“Orphan works” are works that are protected by copyright but for which no copyright holder can be found. The advent of the legislation on orphan works caused much concern among photographers, who feared that their images could be downloaded online and then, with metadata stripped out, claimed to be “orphan” and freely used by others. The reality is somewhat different. A person who wishes to use a work but cannot find out who owns the rights to it, must apply to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) for a licence. In the application, they must be able to give evidence that they have carried out a diligent search to try to find the copyright owner and any licence holders. Knowingly making a false declaration is treated as copyright infringement. The IPO can grant a non-exclusive licence to the applicant; the licence will specify the uses to which the work can be put and will be for a maximum term of seven years, though it may be renewed. If the copyright owner makes themselves known to the IPO the work will cease to be an orphan work. Any licence that the IPO has granted will remain valid, but the licence fee will be paid to the copyright owner.

What are the remedies for copyright infringement?

Exceptions to copyright

There are many ways that your images may be used by others that will not amount to copyright infringement because they are expressly permitted by the 1988 Act. The exceptions are:

The 1988 Act set out the legal remedies available against a copyright infringer, though it is advisable to initially attempt to negotiate a satisfactory settlement of the matter with the infringer before going to the courts. The court can grant the following remedies for copyright infringement: 4 An injunction (interdict in Scotland) to prohibit any further infringing of the copyright. It is usual at the start of a legal action for copyright infringement to seek an interim injunction or interim interdict to prevent any further infringement while the case is being determined. 4 Financial compensation in the form of damages. This is usually calculated by deciding what a reasonable licensee would pay a reasonable copyright owner in the circumstances. The court will also look at factors such as any loss of sales for the claimant. Alternatively, the copyright owner can decide to claim the profit the infringer has made as a result of the infringement. 4 The court can order any infringing copies to be handed over to the claimant. In England and Wales, the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court has a Small Claims procedure for claims of less than £10,000. This represents a very cost effective and comparatively simple way to bring an action for copyright infringement. There is no equivalent procedure in Scotland. There are certain other issues to consider before bringing an action for copyright infringement. If the infringement occurred and the infringer is located in a country outside where the copyright holder resides, international jurisdiction dictates that the action must be brought in either in the country where the infringement occurred or the country where the infringer resides. This can make legal action very complex and potentially not worth the cost. Even where the case can go to UK courts, enforcing a judgement for damages may be impossible if the infringer is resident outside the UK. It may also be difficult if the culprit resides in the UK but can’t pay damages. In short, legal action is not something to be undertaken lightly.

Free entry for professionals *

18-21 SEPTEMBER 2021, THE NEC BIRMINGHAM

THE EVENT FOR EVERYONE PASSIONATE ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY AND MOVING IMAGE R EG I ST E R AT PHOTOG RA PHYS HOW.COM

*Applications for professional entry are verified by our team as certain criteria apply.

Some of my favourite things As we say goodbye to Jonathan Briggs, our editor of many years, we asked him to share some of the images that rank amongst his most memorable.

ime passes and recently the time came to end my tenure at the desk of the Photographer. You may or may not be aware that I’ve been figuratively ‘sat there’ for quite a long time and so lots of wonderful photography has come my way. Here’s some of my personal favourites from my ‘the Photographer’ archive, complete with a few thoughts to close the circle.

Adam Burton ~ March-April 2012 Over time I’ve written quite a few words about how pictures actually operate. This marvellous landscape from Adam’s South West Coast Path work pretty much does all of that for me – there’s angles and layers and echoes and convergence, pathways and direction, depth and a little bit of mystery. A proper landscape should have all of that – it should pull you in by the hand and refuse to let you go.

Bryn Davies ~ 2016 issue 1 No retrospective on my time at the Photographer desk would be complete without making mention of Bryn Davies’ wonderful meditative photography. There’s a great deal to be said about black and white as a rule, here with the emphasis on white. Once again – whilst contrasting entirely with Lee Jeffries’ work – this is an image that emits feeling, and stillness, solitude. But it is active in the sense that it makes you do something, makes you explore the scene, engage. That’s, for me, how it operates. Image © Bryn Davies

Kym Cox ~ 2018-19 issue 4 Another major element of being a photographer is having an intense passion for a particular subject or genre. Kym Cox demonstrated this… and some. She exuded excitement about the photographic and scientific research she undertakes from every pore – with a click of a shutter the day’s gone – how did that happen? That was the impression, a photographer truly absorbed in her work. She said: ‘It’s something I find very hard to put aside.’ 62

Lee Jeffries ~ 2016 issue 4 Part of Lee’s ‘Lost Angels’ project coming out of Skid Row: this is about personal work and the astonishing ability that an image has to transmit feeling. As was discussed in the feature, personal work can be photography that carries personal meaning for the creator or that carries an intellectual and/or moral weight – perhaps both. Taken to the purest form, it has no interest in the commercial, existing only for itself. There’s no need to give any kind of commentary here – the image is immediate, intense, unmistakable. There’s a large part of me that reckons this could not have been created if it had been in any way commercially driven. I think, almost as a parting shot, that if you can create an image that has this activity trigger then it will stand apart as it engages people. All of these images succeed in this manner and I’ll certainly miss talking at length to many of you about photography, your lives and creative passions. 63

hen first starting the job, Martin made it clear to me that improving the Institute’s online presence was paramount and a key area of focus going forward. I believed the most significant limitation holding online growth back was the BIPPs website, as today, more than ever, a website is the first point of call for anyone looking to access a service or find out information about a business. For me, the Institute’s old website did not deliver in the fundamental areas needed for a modern-day company. And it did not demonstrate the high standard of professionalism, photography, and industry knowledge synonymous with the BIPP and its members. After sourcing funding, I managed to pull together the monies to invest into the website; this enabled us to begin implementing fresh designs and layouts, building additional features, and improving the back-end functionality.

Although the recent changes have brought us closer to the standard we wish to achieve, there are still areas of the site we’re looking to develop over the coming months. So far, we’ve heard lots of positive and constructive member feedback, which allows us to shape the site to cater for photographers in the best way possible. We will continue to welcome people sharing their thoughts and ideas with us. The main areas we want to encourage members to engage in are: Find a Photographer - this allows all qualified members to create a profile with their business details and upload selected images. The Members’ Resource Area - a place to find all documentation and guidance on being a professional photographer. The Blog - where members can explore, stay up to date with the BIPP and share content.

Our social media expert Joel Hansen talks about the new BIPP website

Join us this autumn for a fancy and fantastic

Hertfordshire Photography Weekender!

Hosted by the South East Region, you’ll have a great time full of learning, fun and socialising! * Lots of Lighting & Portrait Workshops * Business Masterclasses * Featuring some of the best mentors from the Institute

October 29-31 2021

High Leigh Conference Centre, Lord St, Hoddesdon EN11 8SG

All for only

£395.00 includes accommodation & meals