the Photographer - Summer 2013 by British Institute of Professional Photography

the PHOTOGRAPHER

The Magazine of the BIPP / Summer 2013

Summer 2013

The wedding season

It’s the emotion

The feeling is everything for Julie Oswin

Some like it hot

David Goff’s Analog Production is working hard in Dubai

A sort of fairytale The wonderland created by Lee Howell

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Summer 2013

The Editor / Comment 2 Cover story / Julie Oswin 4 ‘A wedding is not a photo shoot!’ says Julie – making the point that it’s all too easy to forget what the photographer’s role really is

Spyder PRINT perfection 14 The step beyond screen calibration and colour management knowhow is custom print profiles. This easy-touse device does the job just right the Photographer is published four times a year by the British Institute of Professional Photography, The Coach House, The Firs, High Street, Whitchurch, Aylesbury HP22 4SJ. T: 01296 642020 E: info@bipp.com W: www.bipp.com President: Roy Meiklejon FBIPP Chief Executive: Chris Harper FBIPP Directors: Russell Baston FBIPP, Kevin Pengelly FBIPP, Graham Rutherford FBIPP, Malcolm Sales ABIPP, Frank Tomlinson FBIPP

Commercial / David Goff 20 He arrived in the UAE with a ruc-sac and a laptop but he’s survived the challenges to develop his own commercial niche

BIPP / News from the Institute 44 Awards calendar information; BIPP company partners and benefits; plus regional and national events coming up Young Creative Chevrolet talk with Tom Jenkins 50 Jonathan Briggs and Tom Jenkins from The Guardian talked sports photography at Falmouth

Rising star / Lee Howell 32 Pushing the boundaries might sound cliché, but Lee’s creating a recognisable style with a fantasy twist. With high-quality postproduction and an imagination on overdrive, he’s certainly a name to watch out for in the future Membership Services Advisory Board Suzi Allen LBIPP (South West) Russell Baston FBIPP (National seat) Tony Freeman Hon FBIPP (National seat) Richard Mayfield FBIPP (Yorkshire) Alan McEwan FBIPP (Scotland) Ian Pedlow LBIPP (Northern Ireland) Kevin Pengelly FBIPP (South East) James Russell LBIPP (North West) Graham Rutherford FBIPP (National seat) Malcolm Sales ABIPP (Midlands)

Copyright / comment 52 The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act is here – it should make you think Peter Grugeon Awards 2012 54 BIPP/Towergate Camerasure Fine Art Awards 2013 59 Business / Publishing 62 Pitching to publishers Frank Tomlinson FBIPP (National seat) Kevin Weatherly LBIPP (North East) Bella West FBIPP (National seat) Stuart Wood FBIPP (National seat) Editor: Jonathan Briggs, editor@bipp.com Advertising: Tel 01296 642020 Email: alexander@bipp.com UK Subscribers £20, EU £40, Rest of the World £50 ISSN: 0031-8698 Printed and bound by Magazine Printing Company, Enfield

Neither the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) nor any of its employees, members, contractors or agents accepts any responsibility whatsoever for loss of or damage to photographs, illustrations or manuscripts or any other material submitted, howsoever caused. The views expressed in this magazine are the views of individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the BIPP. All advertisements are accepted and all editorial matter published in good faith. The Publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, that any particular product or service is available at the time of publication or at any given price. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, or stored in a retrieval system, or broadcast, published or exhibited without the prior permission of the publisher. This magazine is the copyright of the BIPP without prejudice to the right of contributors and photographers as defined in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. Registered at Stationers’ Hall, Ref B6546, No. 24577. © BIPP 2013

Summer 2013 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 1

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The editor / Comment

Moving pictures T

wenty-four years is a very long time to put your heart and soul into the exhibitions business, and it is with a whole lot of affection for Focus on Imaging and Mary Walker that we have to report its closure. I’ve worked at Focus in many capacities and for many different companies in the last decade and it’s hard to imagine not blocking out that period in the calendar each year. What on earth are we going to do with ourselves? The question on everyone’s lips of course is ‘why?’ In a letter to exhibitors seen by us, Mary Walker states that the show will not be sold and says: ‘The name, identity and reputation of my exhibition and organising company cannot continue without me and it is not appropriate for me to be associated by default with any future show which will not have my involvement. I’ve done my bit for a quarter of a century and that’s enough. Thank you sincerely for your business and your trust.’ You have to give Mary credit for being one of the very few survivors of the digital revolution, who managed to quietly remain relevant whilst the industry imploded and re-emerged around her. Fair play. But what next? If there is to be an exhibition to fill the void, to give 35,000 people something to do at the start of March, it’s clear that it’s going to have to be done from scratch. That really is difficult because running an

Focus on Imaging – the annual photography and imaging show at the NEC – has come to an end after 24 years exhibition on such a scale is no walk in the park and requires a very substantial up-front investment – something that must have looked increasingly risky as each year went by… People tend to think that exhibitions are cash positive – but they’re not. Venue deposits are significant and many global companies operate on a just-in-time basis. Hence the break even point is extremely late in the cycle. The obvious candidates who might be tempted are the major publishers in the sector, however they are never going to be running a show for professional photographers on any level. It’ll be music for the masses. One major additional factor that no commercial publisher is going to admit is that there’s less stuff to talk about right now. Take a look through the photography blogs and major websites and it’s slim pickings in terms of the major bits of kit that populate your working life – accessories galore, but the market taken as a whole has matured. This doesn’t mean that the major players don’t still have to shift volume, but it’s no longer possible to assume that the key names will have enough new products for there to be something new and exciting at any particular date in the year. However, one piece in the jigsaw is still sitting there quietly, waiting to really get noticed: video. The consolidation of stills and video into one capture device is a shift that has fallen beautifully into the hands of photographers, yet how many are taking proper advantage? How many of us actually have the skills to create and edit to same level in both medias? It’s pretty ancient news now showing Photoshop tips and tricks and RAW processing tools on an exhibition stand… but for moving pictures? I’d be there… Jonathan Briggs, editor

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Just for a day We talk to Julie Oswin, one of only a handful of women photographers to hold a BIPP weddings fellowship. Whilst we ponder what lifts her images above the norm, Julie gives us a perspective on capturing the special moments

any times have we heard the comment on wedding photography that goes: ‘How hard can it be with a beautiful bride, an expensive dress and a fabulous location?’ Perhaps this is one reason why so many people think they’ve got what it takes these days. Julie Oswin’s picture (right) could be the subject of such a jibe for someone with little or no knowledge of wedding photography reality. The truth is quite surprising. Julie explains: ‘Jessica was a very reluctant bride who didn’t want to be photographed and was adamant that she didn’t want to pose. When I’d arrived at the hotel for the bridal preparation I had seen this shot at the top of the stairs. There was natural window light on the left of the frame together with backlighting from the centre that provided a soft rim light separating her from the background – it was a good chance to create a set-piece image without her having to look directly at the camera. It took a bit of persuasion and encouragement but that’s a major part of the process – finding the right places and making your subject feel that you’re on their side.’ Julie always works with available light, avoiding flash like the plague, with a reflector being her only additional light-shaping tool. She’s looking for natural expressions to communicate the atmosphere and emotions of the day – it’s a simple and uncomplicated approach. She says: ‘It is so easy to forget that weddings are not photo shoots. They are happy, family occasions within which it’s our job to work. Wedding photography can be a real pressure cooker with limited time and high expectations and it’s your ability to immediately see light and how you are going to work it that makes all the difference.’

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Image Â© Julie Oswin Summer 2013 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 5

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Image © Julie Oswin

The pace of an image is something we often discuss in this magazine – a quality that lifts a picture beyond the sum of its parts. In Julie’s image (left), the difference between this and any old car shot is made by placing the immediate subject off-centre and allowing her the space in the frame to look ‘through’ the photograph. These two elements go together to extend the viewing time awarded to the picture – if the bride had been looking straight at the camera the pace would have been quicker – in fact direct and immediate. We’d be ‘done’ with the shot straight away. Angles and direction within a frame are key to just about any genre of photography, but just as Julie said we should remember it’s not a photo shoot, it’s effective practice to think about converging lines and sweeping curves just like an architectural photographer would. In this frame Julie has opened the car window – to remove the chance of reflection but additionally to draw us in. Hence there’s no less than three directional elements going on: the bride’s view outwards; the open door implying exit; and our view in. The bride’s entirely still, but there’s so much to take our attention and hold our interest. Those who think wedding photography is just recording an un-repeatable moment should probably think again – and all this in a really ‘classic’ shot. It’s not hard to see that black and whites are Julie’s favourite form of visual communication, which harks back to her own grounding in photographic practice: ‘I have always loved black and white photography. I absolutely love the

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expression and depth that black and white images printed on fine art papers give me – it takes me back to the days of the darkroom when I printed my own images. Black and white offers – above all else – the emotion that I am looking for. I went to college and learnt the analogue techniques for processing and printing black and white photographs – it’s an understanding that has stayed with me all of these years and is still relevant and valuable. It’s sad that the art of processing and printing your own work is a part of photography that is missing today. To me, a colour image shows the colour first and not the expression and emotion.’ It’s undoubtedly difficult in this day and age to shoot original pictures of any subject, any genre – weddings potentially even more so – hence the devil is often in the detail. Our enjoyment of these two images owes a great deal to such attention. The picture on the wall

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Image © Julie Oswin

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below left makes it the perfect place to take this fun shot and the contrast between formality and mischief emphasises energy and communicates excitement and laughter – opposing forces and linking context elevate the image. The picture immediately below owes a lot to ladies shoes. Three pairs are very much ‘stand out’ in the picture… they frame the image and help separate foreground and background in the shot. Posed differently it would have been a different story altogether. Julie says: ‘The groom would not let me take the bottle of beer away from him – I would have liked it removed but sometimes you are best off maintaining the positive energy in a group and going along with the overall atmosphere. You can imagine that the scene would have changed considerably if I’d been stubborn – it would have pulled down the moment and this image would not have existed.’ Once again, a wedding is not a photo shoot…

Image © Julie Oswin

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In this image we revisit the themes of space and direction, with the couple literally walking into space provided by the picture. Julie explains: ‘I directed the couple towards a shaft of sunlight spilling through rain clouds. I wanted to catch the ray of light on her veil. The shadow cast by the groom’s cane helps to emphasise the direction in the picture and to complete the shot I asked the couple to look at one another – it added a point of focus to the image and strengthened the overall composition.’ Whilst we can deconstruct images at our leisure, Julie believes buyer’s choices are made on quite an immediate level. She says: ‘I think people buy “people” and a connection to your photography – if you are successful in achieving this then you will get booked for what you do and if they really want your photography, they will pay for it. The same goes for anything in life, if we really want to buy something,

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Summer 2013 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 11

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whatever it may be, a car, a house, a new sofa, we will find the money to buy it. With wedding photography it can be just one photograph that captivates the bride – remember she has been practising to be a bride since she dressed as a princess at the age of five.’ With the Fellowship achieved, what’s left for Julie to head for? ‘I am thrilled to have achieved my Fellowship with the BIPP this year. I started photographing weddings in 1993 and it was a very different era of photography. I shot on a Mamiya RB67 and then I went on to use Bronicas. You took four or five rolls of film to a

wedding and every image had to count to produce a proof book of 100 images. You had to learn your craft, understand cameras, apertures, shutter speeds, exposure, lighting techniques… But that was an excellent skillset to then produce quality digital work. Too many photographers take up wedding photography because they see it as a quick way to earn money – but it is a difficult job to get right and a huge responsibility. I have adapted all the skills gained with film to today’s digital technology – I shoot manually and really can’t be doing with the camera doing anything much for me. Perhaps I was one of the lucky ones to have started my career 20 years ago, learning from some iconic photographers of the 90s. I strongly believe that photographing weddings on film, processing and printing all of my own black and white images, has given me the basis for what I am today as a photographer. My immediate plan is to achieve an acceptable work-life balance – to me that is very important. I have spent the last few years photographing an average of 40 weddings a year and it’s too many so it’s going to be capped at 24.’ Julie’s services come at a price of course and she encourages clients to take their decisions seriously: ‘When the wedding magazines survey couples after the event, one of the most regular regrets is choice of photographer on price alone. Quality and the ability to work under all conditions and always get the shots is overlooked until it is too late. When your guests have gone home all that’s left apart from the memories will be the photographs.’ A valuable commodity indeed. tP www.fineartweddings.co.uk

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Gear / Spyder PRINT

Is print perfection a realistic goal? Professional inkjet prints – that’s what this is all about, and whether you can indeed achieve a fluid, stress-free workflow without external supervision and retain your sanity in the process. So we introduce you to the Spyder PRINT from Datacolor. What? Another device you need?

ew technology has an amazing habit of getting cheaper and better all at the same time. Turn the clock back only a few short years and the notion of being able to create your own custom print profiles without selling body and soul to raise the funds would have been ridiculous. The only way to get there was to spend and arm and a leg on gear, or alternatively spend around £100 to get someone else (ie a lab or paper re-seller commonly) to make a profile for you. If you had a few favourite papers, that cost would quickly

The Spyder PRINT sits in its holder in order to calibrate to a set white measurement. Press the button on top and you’re away

mount up. Those times, thankfully are now gone since the equipment required has got better, smaller and easier to use. One such device is the Spyder PRINT from Datacolor and it’s this package that we’re looking at here. What does it do, why do I need it? Basically, this little beauty measures the output of your printer on any particular paper of your choosing, and creates an ICC profile that contains all the relevant information to take the original image data and optimise it for the best possible print output. We hear you cry: ‘But don’t I get that from the guys who make my printer? And if not, the people who make the paper I use?’ Indeed you currently can do. There are a number of very good reasons why using the standard paper or printer manufacturers’ print profiles may not be enough to get you to the holy grail of print-image matching and it’s probably quite fair to say that there’s a whole lot of photographers out there who will agree with the statement: ‘I have a calibrated screen and follow all the print guidelines about colour management but still I can’t get a good match between screen and print.’ It’s possible to take the process to ‘level two’ if you like where the

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Using the Spyder Guide, you sit the measuring device into the rails and smoothly pass it over a row of printed patches at a consistent speed, then shift the target down to do the next row. This is required for an accurate reading. Practice a couple of times and you’ll get it smooth and eventually swift. Press the button on top at the start of a row and the software clicks as it successfully captures the patch data, and chimes when the row is complete and you can move down.

wonders of soft proofing and adjusting a particular image for output on just your printer on a particular paper are carried out, but again the process often comes up short. It gets you close, but when has that ever been enough?

The basic reason for this is that printers are different. By this we mean that the output of any printer is altered by a number of variables: age; volume of use; atmospheric conditions; maintenance or lack of – plus the user’s level of competence. In this very magazine over the years we have looked at some of the issues and repeated manufacturers’ claims that

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Gear / Spyder PRINT

brand A is more stable in terms of output than brand B and hence custom profiles aren’t necessary… but, with the benefit of long-term use of one professional-level inkjet printer we’ve come to the conclusion that no matter what printer you own, they move and change over time. Looking at it simply, it would be some kind of miracle if they did not – with particular reference to Epson and the Stylus Pro 3800 we always test on – sure when it came out of the factory it was most likely true that you could line up a number of the same printer models and they would all produce the same output. But what happens after that? They behave differently… of course.

We’re perhaps pretty used to the notion that monitors move about over time – in fact they degrade: their ability to show you colour gets less, something we’re only too aware of with the 30” Apple Cinema display we’ve had for four years now. We continually calibrate the screen to ensure that we get the best, and accurate, colour out of it – but it sure isn’t doing exactly what it did when it was out of the box. So, even if you have an Epson printer

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The Spyder PRINT comes with its own easy-to-use software that takes you step-by-step through the process of printing and measuring your own target. Notice that the top-level expert option produces 729 patches for you to measure on nine sheets of A4. We found it a good solution to produce the target on Super A3 paper printing two sheets to a page as you can whizz down the target faster. The higher level you go, the better the resulting profile.

CMY

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CMY

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Gear / Spyder PRINT

that has a ‘cold’ print head and is therefore potentially much more stable than competitors, it’s unlikely to behave exactly as it did when it was new and it’s on this very basis that all the standard printer and paper manufacturers produce their print profiles. It is a well-known fact that other brands of printer are shifted around in terms of output to a greater degree because of the different type of head they run and hence the standard profiles will not perform perfectly on your device. It is no accident that the really expensive printers now come with a very similar device as the Spyder PRINT built in to make their own profiles. We’ve seen this on big Canon printers for a while, and certain top-level Epsons now have them too. Another key reason to produce your own custom print profiles is for you to be able to use absolutely any paper you like. There are some rather lovely traditional photographic papers available that don’t release profiles as standard – firstly because they’re often linked to businesses that want to make money out of producing the profile for you; secondly because the best output is reliant on the particular output of your specific printer as we’ve just run through; and thirdly it’s costly to produce standard profiles for each and every printer in existence and to keep updating them for new models and changes to inksets. You might have to be a little brave and take a deep breath, but making the jump into custom print profiles can be very beneficial now that the equipment is good value.

OK, how much? The damage for the Spyder PRINT is £295 at time of press, but there are a host of offers and packages available with a little trawl of the web. In other words, you can create your own infinite number of custom print profiles for the same money as many places were charging for the creation of just a few not that many years ago. It makes a lot of sense and is very easy indeed. And how do I do it? You print a target, chosen by how much quality you want and how much time you are willing to put into it, following the usual guidelines for printing on that paper type on your printer – ie select the media type as designated in the instructions for the paper and make sure that Color Settings are Off (No Color Adjustment) – see right – and sheets of colour patches will be produced. Your job is to measure these patches by sliding the Spyder PRINT across them.

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Here we’re producing the target for Epson Enhanced Matte Photo Paper. Note Color Settings are Off.

Place the printed target under the plastic guide and then the measuring device in the rails across which you slide. It is a fact that the first time you do this you’ll be rubbish and the software tells you it was all too fast and you have to begin the row again. Additionally, don’t think you’re cleverer than the kit you’ve just bought – all the bits do a job and you should use them. Trying to move the Spyder PRINT across the target without the aid of the guide plate is pretty much impossible (guess who tried to do that first time around…?).

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Use it, and the job is quickly and easily done. What’s more if you make a mistake – jolting it or whatever – and you can see the measurement is wrong, you just return to the start of the row, click the button and write over those values. Even when all the rows are done you can go back and make corrections which is far more user-friendly than you’d think. Then the software walks you through the creation of the ICC profile and it’s job done. The proof of the pudding, of course, is whether the print results using the custom profile are any good or not. In our tests we were very impressed and on examination of the profile we made compared to the standard manufacturer’s it was clear that the shadow capability was actually increased – a very pleasant surprise indeed… tP

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Image © David Goff

David Goff / Commercial

Eastern promise David Goff is one half of Analog Production, a stills and video outfit based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It’s another world for sure, with challenges all of its own – together with some we’d all instantly recognise

t’s quite cool right now… for Dubai… in early June. The temperature is 42 degrees Celsius, 107.6 in Old Money. Just wait until it rises to 47 degrees and you’ll be getting from one air-conditioned environment to the next as quickly as possible. Dubai is humid too – you’re instantly covered in condensation. And at night there’s no respite either – tailing off a touch to a more comfortable 44. During the winter you get traditional British Summer weather, so all in all a bit of Eastern Promise isn’t going to be for everyone. Dubai has grown to become the global business and cultural hub of the Persian Gulf region. Historically built on the oil industry, the emirate’s Western-style economic model today embraces tourism, property and financial services and the city itself has become famous the world over for its skyscrapers, man-made islands, vast hotels, and some of the largest shopping malls in the world. With all this wealth comes opportunity in the services sector – and commercial photography is a natural part of that. Architecture, interiors, luxury goods, hotels – if you’ve got the guts then there’s a fair chance of glory. David Goff turned up with little more than a laptop and a ruc-sac… but he’s still here.

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David Goff / Commercial

David gives a sense of living and working out there: ‘Well firstly, equipment. You have to think about where you are working – really you need two sets of equipment, one for outside, one for inside. If you take the same kit from one environment to the other it’ll take around half an hour to warm up and for the lens to clear. Culturally there’s the general things to be careful about when out in public – you can’t kiss for example. Drinking in Dubai is widely accepted, but staggering around in the street drunk certainly isn’t. Sometimes I get a craving for bacon and that means going to a hotel… it can be quite a drive to get nice bacon. Then there’s the fact that you need a licence to have alcohol in your house, and the driving… it’s crazy – very fast and very aggressive… Petrol is cheaper than water. In daylight hours during Ramadan you can’t eat, drink, smoke or listen to music in public. So if you’re hot in the car

and have a drink of water you might just end up in prison.’ That’s the real life side. Up until the move to the UAE a few years ago, David had a strong name in the UK for portraits and weddings, working out of a studio on the edge of the New Forest. Life took some unexpected turns and he headed out to the Emirates to work for another photographer. That opportunity didn’t turn out as planned and so stepping out to form a new outfit was the next line of attack. David describes the experience: ‘It has been full of surprises. When times have been

All images © David Goff

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David Goff / Commercial

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David Goff / Commercial

Image © David Goff

hard I didn’t just pack up and go home. Dubai can be a great place to live and work and it can be a very difficult place to be, all rolled together.’ David has achieved both a relocation and a step change to high-end commercial work – perhaps all at once is the way to do it – but the area is no infinite land of plenty. ‘There is a whole lot of competition in the UAE,’ says David. ‘There’s the same old problems going on even here, but it is balanced by the level of potential that’s all around. I really enjoy the mix of fashion, architecture and product work and how at this end of the market they cross over and merge. Successfully producing a different genre of work in a new marketplace is an achievement but I don’t over-complicate things – there’s a whole lot you can do with a couple of Elinchrom 3k and 4k packs and heads plus soft boxes, a beauty dish and grids. I also like to make my own light-shaping tools and have a few unique items in the studio. Out on location one of the toughest things to come to terms with is the hot and contrasty sun. You have to learn to balance flash outside for most general work so portable flash like the Elinchrom Quadra can be a good option.’ It seems the business side was more of a hurdle: ‘Culturally it’s a shock,’ says David. ‘It’s taken two years to learn how everything works – and there’s mounds of paperwork involved in setting up a company and doing relatively simple tasks. You’re told one day it’s one thing and then that’s all changed a month later. I think that having a British passport helps but the frustrations involved in running a business are significant.’ David managed to bring along some contacts and referrals from companies in the UK and that was a helpful starter: ‘Business comes through word of mouth here – there’s an emphasis on networking and talking directly one-to-one that’s been lost back in the UK.

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‘Business comes through word of mouth here – there’s an emphasis on networking and talking directly one-to-one that’s been lost back in the UK.’

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Image Â© David Goff

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David Goff / Commercial

You go and meet and mingle and have a drink in the right places and make contacts. I have some very good clients and everything comes through recommendations and referral. You actively go out and meet people here and the first thing people say is “What do you do?” Everyone’s looking to move forwards in their fields and make new connections. It’s an informal way of doing business.’ David has generated an impressive client base across fashion, architecture, interiors, still life and jewellery. Now with Analog Production in full swing there’s a desire to pick it up and climb to the next level: ‘Come the end of the summer,’ he says, ‘we’re going push out a major advertising campaign.

We want to hook up with a couple of agents and take our work worldwide. I’m looking forward to a new and exciting phase.’ Analog Production is David and his business partner’s company handling stills and video, and he’s taken to film making very keenly: ‘I particularly enjoy doing film and the business model is a lot more sensible. We charge out at the same rate as for stills work but then it is accepted that you bill for the edit time.

Image © David Goff

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David Goff / Commercial

Clients aren’t so willing to pay for post-production (as opposed to retouching) on stills work even though it’s happening in a similar way, working up the RAW files. I think the really good film makers can struggle to take stills, but coming at it the other way it’s not problematic producing style in moving images – you are framing in the same way and use many of the same key skills. Focus is harder but I find video is very forgiving and flexible whilst stills is a moment in time. As a photographer you already have a sense for composition and exposure – in the consolidation of the two genres I think photographers have come out on top for sure. It can be frustrating when you’re trying to get a specific bit of footage in

a live situation and can’t get the combination of factors that you’re after to come together, but overall I find it rewarding work.’ David sums up the market as he sees it: ‘There are a handful of very good photographers here and a tier pretending to be high-end… But there’s been a noticeable upwards shift of what’s deemed quality work coming from the client end. That’s the kind of client development we really like to see…’ tP

Image © David Goff

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Image Â© Lee Howell 32 the PHOTOGRAPHER / Summer 2013

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Lee Howell / Rising star

Winner of a Gold at the BIPP/Towergate Camerasure Fine Art Awards, followed by his Associateship in advertising and editorial portraiture (Approved College Route) Lee Howell’s on the up and up. We attempt to find out what’s going on in his head…

Tell us a bit about your background – and how you came into photography? I definitely get my passion for photography from my father who was a keen amateur photographer when I was young. In fact, I still have his old film camera and took great pleasure in using it quite often when starting my degree studies a few years back. My career was originally in the timepiece industry – back then photography was a weekend pastime or a way of recording our travels overseas, capturing imagery of the people and places we visited and my love of wildlife which still carries through into much of the imagery I produce today. Photographing the watches we produced as part of my job allowed me to become an early adopter of digital technology using Adobe Photoshop back when it was just version 7, mostly editing the images of watches for sales literature and advertising. However a big turning point for me came following the birth of my daughter Amélie – I decided to take a career break to look after her full time and my partner suggested that I really should use this opportunity to pursue my passion in photography, so I signed up to a part-time photography course at what was then Stevenson college (now Edinburgh College). It was there that I was encouraged to develop my skills and further my study by applying for a full-time BA degree course in professional photography. This has meant juggling study along with caring for my daughter, which has been extremely hard work but hugely rewarding. You incorporate a fair amount of manipulation in your work – what were your influences for this? How did you come to be producing this kind of fantasy-inspired imagery? I love the idea of producing work that has an almost timeless feel to it, where the viewer knows that it’s not based in the present day but can’t quite put their finger on what specific time or year it is set in. Work that has a feeling of nostalgia, a feeling of drama and also that has a hint of romanticism with dark undertones to it.

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Lee Howell / Rising star

I want the viewer to feel like they are looking into another’s world, my world, exactly like you would if you were to stop and look at an old oil painting, where the depth of field is infinite, encouraging the viewer’s eye to roam around the canvas and take in all of its detail. I don’t shoot documentary, I don’t freeze a moment in time caught at 1/125 sec, I don’t take photos… I create photos… I construct photos… I control the light, the staging of the scene and everything that is envisaged in the final piece. It is all carefully put together and the added image manipulation allows me to emphasise to the viewer that these are mostly works of fiction. When asked what influences this work obviously film, literature and art play a big role, and being a father has played a part. I have been teaching Amélie to read and was disappointed to see that many of my favourite stories from childhood were now accompanied by modern garish cartoons. For me it was the detailed paintings that once appeared in those Ladybird books of my childhood that fuelled my early imagination. My daughter also agreed, so we ended up buying some old second hand versions of the classics like The Three Billy Goats Gruff and also Red Riding Hood, which in turn helped influence some of my recent work like The Twins of Red Riding which won the Towergate Camerasure Fine Art Award and featured my daughter playing both twins. Reading the BJP a few issues ago I saw that there has been a marked interest in real photos being used to accompany children’s fictional literature – up to now photos have been used largely for factual publications and drawings used with fiction. I see this as being the perfect outlet for some of my more imaginary pieces of work, whether this be in good old-fashioned print or the new interactive digital tablet versions that are capturing the imaginations of today’s youth. Which industry professionals have influenced your work? About whom do you think ‘I’d like to be them’? Obviously being a photography student, these past few years have been full of research – especially on the great photographers that have

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preceded us as well as those that are currently at the top of their game – I’ve been encouraged to be influenced by them, not to copy. There are far too many for me to warble on about here but there are elements of others’ work that influences my own. I am in awe of the aesthetic Annie Leibovitz manages to achieve in her photography: the tone and colours have a richness to them that almost makes them look like stills from a movie. Erwin Olaf is a big influence too, producing work that I can only dream of producing one day, photographs that also have this movie-like quality, timeless, of a world that does not exist in real life, its Erwin’s dream world. Yet both photographers are able to take their particular style and aesthetic used in their art pieces and transfer it through to their commissioned work for clients. This is my goal, to continue to produce conceptual work to help me develop my own personality and personal style and hopefully now secure commissioned work in the world of advertising, where I can transfer this style. Every time I see an online update from Eric Almas out on location somewhere around the world I think ‘man I would love to be you right now’ and then I look at the work of Vincent Dixon or George Logan and would just be happy to have advertising work of that calibre. I would love to be as talented as the genius Nadav Kander. Whether it’s his portraiture, landscape or advertising work he’s consistently one of the world’s best and has been for years – a true inspiration. As regards ‘mentoring’ I cannot speak more highly than my college lecturers who have taught me so much, particularly in giving me belief that I can take this ability, this passion to create all the way, filling me with such grit and determination to get there. I only ever really had my eyes set on the local level; now my sights have been set so much higher and I won’t stop until I get there – that makes me sound like such an arse and I’m sure Jon Lee, my mentor, will rib me for that no end but honestly I really am having a ball with my photography right now, it’s so much fun and I just want it to continue to get bigger, bolder and better.

Image © Lee Howell

Lee Howell / Rising star

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Lee Howell / Rising star

The marketplace is very competitive – what do you think sets you apart? Can you see a place for yourself? The marketplace is probably more competitive now than it’s ever been, photography and the capture of quality imagery is at the fingertips of every single person out there thanks to digital technology. Many traditionalists see this as a negative – it certainly has impacted on the photography industry in many ways, but what it has also done is made the general public more aware in my view and appreciative of goodquality photography… photography they can’t easily reproduce on their smart phones. This has helped me get my work noticed by a wider audience – obviously much of what I produce is heavily retouched or manipulated and harder for the novice or amateur to replicate but even in work where little of this is evident I still use the computer as my digital dark room, to dodge, burn, tone and cross process the colour palette to achieve the desired aesthetic that gives my work its distinct style. In an ideal world, what would you like to be doing in five years’ time? [Laughs…] Working out of New York, shooting on location somewhere exotic… no, in reality just working as a commercial photographer and making a living at it. Times are tough out there and if I can make a living out of doing something I love then I’ll be a happy guy. Oh and to keep on winning awards of course, they have become a bit of an addiction but still they don’t pay the bills. Has your photographic training been what you expected? Are your aspirations different now than when you began? Absolutely not… four years ago I signed up to a part-time course which I thought was just to get better acquainted with my camera and learn how to compose a better picture. However it has ended up being so much more than that, from the early years of getting to grips with film, 35mm, medium and large format, processing our own film and developing our own images to working with digital, covering all aspects

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Image © Lee Howell

For this portrait, Lee wanted to create a scene that hinted at the Victorian era, when many of our children’s stories and fairy tales were written. He says: ‘We found the ideal location – an abandoned cottage out in the country – and used a local theatrical costume supplier to style the child. Everything in the image is shot in one frame apart from the resting timber wolf, which was photographed on a BIPP Scottish regional workshop a few weeks before and added in post-production. This is one of my favourites as it really conveys that Victorian Romanticism I had in my head.

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Lee Howell / Rising star

of the photographic industry from photojournalism and advertising to editorial portraiture and fashion, the amount we have covered has been extensive. Edinburgh College is highly regarded in the industry for producing students of a high calibre who go on to become successful within the industry, their approach very much is that we may be taught here in Edinburgh but the world is our studio and that we should reach for the very top of our chosen career, wherever that may take us on the global stage… What do you think is the most difficult part of a photographer’s job? For me it’s in trying to create through the lens something that matches either what I have in my head or the mood board I have prepared beforehand. But if you’re asking about the actual job of being a photographer I would have to say it has to be time management. It seems that to be partially successful these days, especially when you are just starting out, there is so much more to be done than just taking photographs. Promoting either the business or yourself as an artist through the online avenues of Facebook, Twitter, blogging and website updating takes an immense amount of time and effort that has to be factored in. If you could do something to make a real difference to your progression as a photographer right now, what would it be? Definitely securing more commissioned work, either direct from clients or through advertising and design agencies. My main aim at the moment is to build up a client base, gaining experience working with art directors and industry professionals, to get my photography out there to as wider audience as possible. I am hugely grateful and honoured to the BIPP for supporting and championing my work as a student these past few years and was completely blown away to have achieved my Associateship from the Institute. I’d like to work towards my Fellowship – maybe in a few years time.

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What’s your most embarrassing moment to date as a photographer? That would have to be my first time assisting the photographer Roslyn Gaunt. Wanting to be the attentive, on the ball, super-efficient assistant, I took down the lighting set up we had been shooting with and had to move on to the next location whilst she was finishing off. The next location on our schedule was to be a large room with a slate tiled wall which we would be shooting against; the images were for a feature and front cover of a broadsheet Sunday supplement magazine, so there was a pretty big team of people involved. When I returned to the others they were nowhere to be seen, after a bit of searching I found everyone – models, stylists, client, photographer – in a another building, standing in a large room next to a different slate wall than the one I’d set the lighting up next to. I had set everything up in totally the wrong location meaning everyone had to wait around whilst I apologetically rectified my mistake as fast as I could. The good thing was that I managed to do it in super-quick time and Roslyn is a lovely lady who I have so much respect for and didn’t give me a hard time about it… still I did feel like a right plonker though. tP www.leehowellphotography.com

Sisters of Mercy Lee explains: ‘This image was runner-up in the commercial category of this year’s BIPP Student Awards and was produced for Scottish designer Mette Baillie at Freja dress design. Photographed at Melville castle I used the Branizer effect to capture the image. Switching to modelling light only, you take your first shot as wide open as you can, at say f1.2 and then switch to manual focus but don’t alter it at all. You then continue to take more shots, working your way out from the main subject matter, in this case the models, taking overlapping shot after shot, much the way you would shoot a panorama. This image is a composite of 50 frames stitched together the same way you would with a panorama but in a square or rectangle. The final result gives a large, shallow, depth of field image file that is really striking to the viewer and very popular with social and wedding photographers over in the US right now. The wings are real swans’ wings photographed on Inverleith Park boating Lake in Edinburgh.

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Image Â© Lee Howell

Lee Howell / Rising star

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BIPP / Awards 2013

2013 Awards calendar Where does the time go? We have reached the midway point of our awards calendar, with several categories closed, closing or set to launch. At the time of publication, presentations have taken place for both the BIPP Wedding & Portraiture and THE BIPP COMMERCIAL AWARDS

BIPP Student award competitions – results of which can be found on the website.

Closing date: 30 September 2013 The BIPP Commercial Awards welcome photographic works encompassed within the umbrella of fashion, advertising and photo-journalism, in addition to industrial and architecture. These awards celebrate the very best work of Commercial photographers in the UK and internationally. With an outstanding team of judges lined up, the 2013 Awards will showcase the creativity of today’s working professionals. Entry is 10x8in or A4 print, each accompanied by a high-res digital file on disc (multiple images on one disc are fine).

THE BIPP VISUAL ARTS AWARDS

Closing date: 30 September 2013 The BIPP Visual Arts Awards include categories for abstract/illustrative, travel, wildlife & nature, landscape/seascape, fine art and private non-commissioned visual arts. We’re hoping these Awards will contain some of the most beautiful images this year.

THE BIPP SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AWARDS

Closing date: 30 September 2013

Categories include science, medical, forensic, natural history, biology, environmental impact, technology, research, aerial, high speed/time lapse and non-commissioned – so there’s no excuse! The competition is aimed at the specialist photographers within BIPP – entry is by 10x8in print, plus an entry form and a digital file. We have a team of expert judges lined up – for more info go to the awards website. The winners of these respective Awards will be put forward for the chance to win the title of BIPP Photographer of the Year – a great accolade and prize. Provisional members and Friends of the BIPP’s images will be judged solely alongside those of other Provisional Members or Friends. 44 the PHOTOGRAPHER / Summer 2013

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THE BIPP OPEN AWARDS – FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO ARE NOT BIPP MEMBERS Closing date: 30 September 2013 This is for photographers who are not BIPP members – it gives us an opportunity to view the work of people outside of the Institute. It gives an indication of trends within the wider industry and helps to benchmark the work of us all. We’re delighted that Paul Cooper FBIPP has agreed to chair the judging panel. The BIPP Open celebrates the diversity and creativity of professional photographers from around the world. We look forward to seeing the work of photographers who have not yet made the leap into BIPP membership.

THE BIPP INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP AWARDS

Closing date: 30 September 2013

Kevin Wilson Hon FBIPP will be chairing this inaugural awards scheme. Having achieved their Fellowship, many photographers feel there is no way to further develop their photography. The BIPP International Fellowship Awards will highlight the work of the most highly qualified photographers in the UK and internationally. This competition will be open to all Fellows of professional associations across the world. It will involve judges from the UK and abroad and will showcase the very best photography from some of the most experienced photographers in the profession. Entry is by a portfolio of five images (10x8 or A4), with the longest side being a minimum size of 8in. How to Enter BIPP Members: £25 per entry +VAT (£30) Non-members: £50 per entry +VAT (£60) There is no limit to the number of portfolios submitted but an image may only be used once, ie it cannot appear in any other category. Each submission should be accompanied by a high-res digital file on disc (multiple images on one disc are fine). Each entry should include a completed entry form (downloadable from bipp.com). At least one of these entry forms should include payment details to cover all your images.

For full details on how to enter all competitions, rules of entry, judging procedures, prizes and a downloadable entry form please visit www.professionalphotography awards.com

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BIPP / Company Partners

Towergate Camerasure are leading providers of insurance to the photographic, video and multimedia industries. With over 25 years’ experience, they offer bespoke insurance solutions to suit all. Towergate Camerasure support BIPP members by offering discounts on all policies. They also highlight some of the best Fine Art photography in Europe by sponsoring the BIPP’s Towergate Fine Art Competition. www.towergatecamerasure.co.uk

onOne Software produce a range of solutions designed specifically for professional and semi-professional photographers. ‘With the changes to Adobe’s software and the Google acquisition of Nik’s plug-ins, onOne represent a very viable alternative for photographers who want easy-to-use solutions which fit a workflow suitable to them,’ said Bob Campbell from the UK office. ‘We provide a full layered capability working inside Lightroom or Aperture; plug-ins for Photoshop CS4, 5 or 6 as well as Elements 9, 10 and 11; and then everything works in stand-alone mode meaning you can really use onOne software wherever you like. Perfect Effects, Perfect Black and White, Perfect Mask, Perfect Resize, Perfect Portrait and our layering tools with FocalPoint provide one-click solutions in many cases and simpler, quicker ways of working for the busy photographer. Combined with excellent online training and superb local support here in the UK, onOne Software are perfectly positioned to help BIPP members.’ For special BIPP pricing call onOne on 01604 881735 or e-mail Bob Campbell at bcampbell@ ononesoftware.com; or visit www.ononesoftware.com

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BIPP / Benefits

CURRENT BIPP MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

The Imagefile – Website Design and Support BIPP members receive a £5 discount on theimagefile professional subscription fee. Call 0870 224 2454, email email@theimagefile. com or visit www.theimagefile.com

Federation of European Professional Photographers (FEP) As a member of the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP), you are eligible to submit your work toward prestigious European qualifications by joining the FEP. The European Photographer (EP) qualification aims to recognise competence and a professional standard for those who earn their living as Professional Photographers. The EP is a quality assurance certification now available to most general Professional Photographers throughout Europe. An EP certificate grants the holder four years’ eligibility, after which they will be encouraged to either reapply for a replacement, or to pursue a QEP certification.

Mario Acerboni - Albums Parker Photographic offers all BIPP members a 10% discount on Mario Acerboni albums. When ordering through their website www.parker-photo.co.uk please refer to the Benefits and Discounts section at www.bipp.com for your code to put into the checkout basket.

Due to an agreement between the FEP and the BIPP, the new FEP basic Euro-qualification (the EP) will now be available to British photographer professionals as well. The FEP recognises that the BIPP has a long-established and sophisticated qualification system as an awarding body, and thus is authorised to award the EP itself. This is an opportunity for photographers who have achieved the UK basic national qualification (LBIPP) to potentially be awarded with the EP qualification. For further information about the EP Award, as well as full rules and regulations please visit www.europeanphoto graphers.eu/qualifications/ep-qualification or contact Jane Goward at BIPP on jane@bipp.com

STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE BIPP The BIPP website http://www.bipp.com The BIPP Blog http://thebipp.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter http://twitter.com/thebipp Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/46615645089/ Linked in http://www.linkedin.com Summer 2013 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 47

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BIPP / Regions

Midland Malcolm Sales ABIPP malcolm@buttercross photography.co.uk www.bipp.com

North East Kevin Weatherly LBIPP kevinweatherly@mac.com www.bippne.com

North West James Russell LBIPP james@jamesrussell photography.co.uk www.bippnw.wordpress.com

EVENTS & DATES COMING UP

NORTH WEST

SOUTH EAST

Jo Rutherford ABIPP Wednesday, 9 October 2013 Statham Lodge Country House Hotel Warrington Road, Statham Lymm WA13 9BP

South East Regional Awards 2013 Closing Date: Friday 26 July

Jo Rutherford – who is our current Photographer of the Year – will be discussing how she goes about getting ideas and creating her stunning lifestyle images. She will tell us about the team of people she puts together to get her storybook images and will share lots of behind-the-scenes pictures too. This promises to be a fascinating evening and providing an insight into what it takes to produce portrait images at the very highest level.

The awards are open to all current BIPP members in the South East region, and provide an excellent opportunity for you to benchmark your work, see what your fellow professionals in the region are producing, and potentially get some great publicity. Entry is by 10x8in print (plus a high-res digital file on CD or by Dropbox) and costs £5 + VAT per print (total £6). The closing date for entries is Friday 26 July and the Awards Presentation will be held on 16 October in London. Full terms and conditions of entry, and an entry form, can be found on the Regions page of www.bipp.com.

Members £5 (on the door) Non-Members £10 (on the door) SOUTH WEST

THANKS TO:

South West Regional Awards 2013 Closing Date: Friday 26 July

Northern Ireland We would like to take this opportunity to thank Denis Brady ABIPP for his time as Chair of the Northern Ireland region. His tremendous commitment to the overall development of the region will be carried on by his successor, John Miskelly LBIPP.

The awards are open to all current BIPP members in the South West region, and provide an excellent opportunity for you to benchmark your work, see what your fellow professionals in the region are producing, and potentially get some great publicity. Entry is by 10x8in print (plus a high-res digital file on CD or by Dropbox) and costs £5 + VAT per print (total £6). The closing date for entries is Friday 26 July and the Awards Presentation will be held in mid-September. Full terms and conditions of entry, and an entry form, can be found on the Regions page of www.bipp.com.

North West We’d also like to thank Bernard O’Sullivan ABIPP for his service in chairing the North West region. After another successful Awards, Bernard handed over to James Russell LBIPP.

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Northern Ireland John Miskelly LBIPP john@johnmiskelly photography.co.uk www.bippni.com

Scotland Mike Brookes-Roper FBIPP mike@brookes-roper.co.uk www.bippscotland.com

South East Chris Harper FBIPP chris@bipp.com www.bipp.com

South West Suzi Allen LBIPP info@suziallen.com www.bipp.com

Yorkshire Stuart Clark ABIPP stuartclarkphotos@ talktalk.net www.yrbipp.co.uk

EVENTS & DATES COMING UP

LONDON

BIPP HEAD OFFICE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

An Afternoon of Portraiture with Saraya Cortaville FBIPP Wednesday, 7 August 2013 1pm-5pm Barnet, North London www.sarayacortaville.co.uk

Portraits, Petticoats, and All Things ‘Alice in Wonderland’ – An Afternoon with Jo Rutherford ABIPP Monday, 23 September 2013 1pm-5pm BIPP Head Office, Whitchurch Buckinghamshire

Saraya Cortaville FBIPP is an Approved BIPP Assessor and also one of the most successful portrait photographers in her area. Specialising in relaxed, fun studio portraiture of children and families, Saraya will use this half-day workshop to discuss how her business works and provide practical tips – illustrating why client relationships really are the key to her success. The afternoon will also include a demonstration shoot.

Join us for an afternoon with Jo Rutherford ABIPP, who will be talking about her style of portrait photography and the importance of doing personal projects, in particular one of her favourites based on ‘Alice in Wonderland’ that gained exposure through an article in Lancashire Life, sharing on social media, and Awards from both the BIPP and the Guild of Photographers. Jo is based in Merseyside and has been running her own photography business for six years. She achieved her BIPP Associateship in January 2012. Recently announced BIPP North West Photographer of the Year 2013, Jo was also named ‘Qualifying Photographer of the Year’ in the BIPP’s Professional Photography Awards 2012.

£30+VAT (members), £36+VAT (friends), £40+VAT (non-members). Book online in the Events section at www.bipp.com, or alternatively call Rachel on 01296 642020.

More of Jo’s work can be found at www.jorutherfordphotography.co.uk £30+VAT (members), £36+VAT (friends), £40+VAT (non-members). Book online in the Events section of bipp.com, or alternatively call Rachel on 01296 642020.

Saraya was the first female photographer to gain a BIPP Fellowship in studio portraiture in 2007. She was also the winner of the London Portrait Group Photographer of the Year 2007 and was nominated for the Peter Grugeon award for best Associate Panel in 2005.

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Education / YCC 2013 Photography lecture

Talking sports T

As part of the Young Creative Chevrolet Competition, tP editor Jonathan Briggs and The Guardian’s award-winning photographer Tom Jenkins headed to Falmouth University in May to try and encourage photography students to think outside of the box own editor and the outstanding sports photographer Tom Jenkins. This was neat because we were in Falmouth – that appears to be party central all night long – and the lecture started at 9am. Anyone who knows students would worry about it. But the pull of Tom was strong and photography

he gist of the YCC competition is simple: students across the country are taking part in this annual pan-European applied arts competition and have submitted film, photography, fashion and visual arts projects relating to this year’s sports theme in a bid to achieve industry recognition, high-profile work experience placements and cash prizes. Here in the UK, part of this programme included a lecture at Falmouth University which interestingly took the form of a discussion between your very

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Education / YCC 2013 Photography lecture

students duly pulled themselves out of bed to hear what made Tom different – that was good because boy had we come a long way… and nobody seemed to have had much sleep! Tom’s a pretty interesting guy so there was no snoozing in the back row and it quickly became clear that his world was built around something we talk about a great deal in this

magazine: know your subject; know what it is you want to portray, and then don’t give up until you achieve that. This can take the form of his understanding a sporting character such as Jonny Wilkinson – the hero that didn’t really want to be a hero – and so that realisation led directly to a very successful image (left). Or it’s just a matter of bloody mindedness, fighting the Chinese authorities to the only vantage point that was different to the throngs of other photographers covering the diving. Both instances yielded images different in nature than any others taken at those events. tP www.youngcreativechevrolet.eu Summer 2013 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 51

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Business / Copyright

Efficient use of law? U

nder the Act it could potentially be legal to exploit a copyright work – photograph, film, text, song, whatever – without the knowledge, permission of, and payment to, its owner – for example if a work is an orphan work (it’s identification of ownership in the metadata is not present) and the user makes a diligent search to find out who it is and fails. Or, indeed, if they believe that a diligent search has been made – not necessarily by them. So, have we been taken to the cleaners here? What should we be doing about it? The social media problem Social media is all free – right? Well, not quite. Many photographers have, one way or another, been using Facebook and similar services as free advertising channels, posting up many images and talking about them. The idea was simple – it was a very effective way of spreading the word, and it reached parts you’d never hope to reach with any other form of advertising… like a really effective worldwide word of mouth. Ever heard the phrase ‘if a service is free, then you are the product’? It’s referring to social media – because these services (a) strip out the metadata when an image is posted; (b) often have elements of their terms and conditions that allow any use of any image posted in any way at any time; and (c) images can travel a very long way away from their original author and sharer.

‘The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act has reversed the normal workings of Copyright,’ so reports Stop43 following what could turn out to be one of the most important legislative changes to hit photographers – and not in a good way… The situation used to be that a photographer who found an image of theirs being used without permission and/or fee had the weight of the law on their side – but that’s not necessarily the case now with the new Act. Making a diligent search to find out who the owner is can be as loose as believing that someone else has done so and failed. So, potentially, there are many many images floating around out there and it’s not going to be hard for them to be seen as orphans and used without you getting paid. Anyone who has ever worked in publishing knows the pressure to get stuff done will play heavily here. Are your images being used without your permission? You could well be thinking ‘hey, but none of this applies to my pictures’ but you could be oh so wrong. Back in March I created a little bit of slightly clever artwork for a client, and the end result was a photograph that was used on the web and related to an event that lasted one single day. You’d never think that anyone else would ever be interested in the image. However, push on a number of months and circumstances altered and that image was suddenly very applicable to a particular news story. Through a colleague receiving an email version of a magazine I got wind that this image had been used in print and on the web without permission. Then came the google image search which brought a host of further bad surprises… Many photographers have resorted back to water-marking all their images on social media, which goes so far – it can often be cropped out easily enough – but the point of this short piece is simple: the balance of power has shifted away from the creator. There are numerous uncertainties in how the legislation will be used, but this power shift is just not fair.

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BIPP / Peter Grugeon Awards 2012

The prestigious Peter Grugeon Qualification Awards presentation took place at the end of April. Named in honour of the late photographer Peter Grugeon, most famous for his portraits of the Royal Family in the 1970s, these awards are considered to be amongst the most highly acclaimed within the Photographic profession, recognising the very best work presented before Assessors that successfully achieved qualification within the year. Amongst those recognised was Gerry Coe, successful Peter Grugeon Fellowship of the Year for a second time.

Gerry Coe FBIPP â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Peter Grugeon Award for the Best Fellowship 54 the PHOTOGRAPHER / Summer 2013

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Tim Pestridge LBIPP – Joint Licentiate of the Year

Scott Johnson ABIPP – Joint Licentiate of the Year

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Rebecca Northway ABIPP – Highly Commended, Peter Grugeon Award for the Best Assoicateship

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BIPP / Peter Grugeon Awards 2012

Kevin Wilson Hon FBIPP – Fox Talbot Award – For outstanding contribution to the photographic profession

Simon Eldon ABIPP – Peter Grugeon Award for the Best Associateship

BIPP President, Roy Meiklejon FBIPP, stated: ‘I was delighted to assist Russell Baston FBIPP in presenting the 2012 BIPP Peter Grugeon Qualification Awards. The images are a wonderful example of professional photography of the highest standard, and are a testament to the exceptional quality of photographers within the BIPP.’ As the qualifying body of professional photography in the UK, BIPP requires any photographer going for qualification to follow strict criteria and provide a substantial portfolio of commissioned work, together with supporting information about themselves as a professional.

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BIPP / Peter Grugeon Awards 2012

David Stanbury FBIPP â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Highly Commended, Peter Grugeon Award for the Best Associateship Summer 2013 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 57

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BIPP / Peter Grugeon Awards 2012

Chris Harper FBIPP – Lichfield Award – For best creative use of people within an image

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BIPP / Towergate Camerasure Fine Art Awards 2013

In partnership with sponsors Towergate Camerasure the BIPP celebrated the tenth year anniversary of the Fine Art Awards at the end of April at Hartwell House, Aylesbury. For the past ten years, Towergate Camerasure have provided generous prizes to successful photographers in this competition. Entries were open to BIPP members, students and for the first time an Open category for non-members.

Bryn Davies â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Portfolio by a Provisional Member â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Joint Winner

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Jamie Thompson FBIPP – Portfolio by a Qualified Member – Gold Award

Sara Porter – Portfolio by a Provisional Member – Joint Winner 60 the PHOTOGRAPHER / Summer 2013

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BIPP / Towergate Camerasure Fine Art Awards 2013

Dave Hunt ABIPP – Portfolio by a Qualified Member – Silver Award and Bronze Award

Jacques Verschuren ABIPP – International Single Image – Merit

Neil Warner – Open Single Image – Merit

Kevin Beech – Student Single Image – Merit Summer 2013 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 61

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Business / Publishing

Get into print T

hey say that everyone has a book inside them. The difficulty though, is to get the book into print. It’s not easy, but you can do it if you plan ahead and research well says writer Adam Bernstein.

Whether it’s a long-term photographic project you’ve worked on as personal work or your skills and craft as a photographer you think would make a cracking read, getting into print is an ambition of many professionals. Adam Bernstein helps out

The idea Before you can take steps towards being published you need to consider the idea – the thrust – of what you will be trying to sell to a publisher. Is it a book of images, a road trip, a tutorial guide? Like any other business, publishing has to turn a profit, especially considering the huge costs associated with publishing and marketing of a book, the stiff competition for shelf space and the rivalry and convenience of the new fangled eBook. It is essential that you also have a clear idea of who the reader will be, what they want from your book and probably more importantly, what is going to appeal to a publisher. It is they who will have the ultimate power to accept or decline your proposal.

should last perceptively longer before being rejected out of hand. Considering that you may be proposing an image-based book, what ever you send will look better on page than screen. Research is clearly very important, not only for the subject and content of your proposed book, but also of the publishers you want to approach. Take your time at this stage. You’ll have plenty of time to refine your idea, but only seconds of a publisher’s attention – quality and (ideally) originality is the key. Consider the subject. Is it new, original or just an update of what’s been done before. Who’s going to buy it? Will they buy it in print or digitally? From the answers to questions like these you can find publishers who specialise in your type of book as well as decide which route to follow. Remember, apart from the traditional printed book publisher, you can self publish and produce your own eBooks. A who’s who of the publishing world is available via the Writers’ and Artists Yearbook, available from www. writersandartists.co.uk for £18.99. The book offers detailed guidance on areas such as how to get published, copyright, writing letters and handling rejection. There’s also a community section to the site as well as access to editorial services such as mentoring, review and manuscript submission (these are, of course, chargeable). An alternative to the yearbook is simply to look in a local bookshop on the relevant shelves, noting which firms publish the type of book you have in mind. One firm worth mentioning is Dewi Lewis Publishing – www.dewilewispublishing.com – they are strong in the area of photographic publishing and could well be worth approaching. Other publishers can be found at http://bit.ly/12sD9P3.

Find a publisher With the idea developed you need to find a publisher, but despite the relative inexpense of email, avoid, if you can, submitting material electronically. Publishers, like you or I, will receive many emails a day and the delete key is easily pressed. Paper, on the other hand, has more of a tactile feel to it and 62 the PHOTOGRAPHER / Summer 2013

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Business / Publishing

‘The initial role of an agent is to separate the wheat from the chaff – to select the one per cent of proposals and manuscripts that are saleable from those that haven’t really got a hope. They also help authors refine their work to the point of perfection – a process that can take months.’ Making the approach People buy people and they don’t like to think that they’re part of mass-marketing campaign. For this reason when you send in a proposal it really ought to go to an individual. Find the full name and their job title else you’ll proceed no further than the waste bin; most of this can be learned by taking a few moments on their corporate website. If a publisher has guidelines on how they want to receive submissions, follow them as closely as you can. If there are no guidelines, then send the proposal with a two or three paragraph synopsis that outlines what you’re proposing together with your full contact details. If your project revolves around a photographic book you’ll need to send image samples of your work. It should go without saying that you shouldn’t send irreplaceable originals unless you can make, or have saved, a copy. Ten to fifteen images and A4 in size as inkjets should suffice. The idea is to show off what you can produce but at a cost that isn’t crippling if you don’t get them back. Presentation is all – remember that publishers are inundated with hopefuls touting their work so you need to stand out. For this reason, no matter how good a writer or photographer you are, hiring a professional copy or photographic editor somewhere in the process may pay dividends.

Agent or DIY In the grandiose media world almost everyone – be they an actor, director or writer – seems to have an agent. The question is, do you need one too? The initial role of an agent is to separate the wheat from the chaff – to select the one per cent of proposals and manuscripts that are saleable from those that haven’t really got a hope. They also help authors refine their work to the point of perfection – a process that can take months. From experience they’ll know which editors and publishing houses to approach with a given book proposal and they’ll also have a working ear to the ground to know what the market is looking for. When a saleable product is found and an interested publisher has been hooked, they’ll take the lead in the negotiations for the contract. If the book is right, and it’s appropriate, they’ll also handle any overseas rights. For all of this, agents will want around 15 per cent (of UK earnings – a higher percentage for overseas sales) so they’re only going to take on authors (photographers) who can give them a product that is going to sell. So do you need an agent? If you’re writing a mainstream ‘bluffers guide’, children’s fiction, a novel or serious non-ficton then an agent may be for you. But if you’re planning to selfpublish, get involved in journalism, poetry, short stories or specialist how-to books then you probably will be able to save on an agent’s fees and do without. You can find a list of literary agents on Wikipedia at http://bit.ly/ rHiaOP. g Summer 2013 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 63

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Business / Publishing

As an aside, people want to be published for a number of reasons but for most, the prime motive is money. Every book and author has different levels of earning power, but authors need to understand that when a book is sold to a publisher, the payment is effectively an advance against future sales. Only once the royalties have covered the advance, will the author start to receive royalty cheques, often only every six months. Self-publishing No matter how hard some try, a publishing deal is just too illusive. For them, another route to consider is that of self-publishing. It’s not as odd as it sounds. In simple terms it means the publication of a book without the help of an established publisher. The author controls the design, format, price, distribution and marketing of the book. With the advent of print on demand and online publishing through the likes of Amazon, it’s become so easy to self publish. Again, Wikipedia has a list of companies that can help with self publishing at http://bit.ly/11KytCZ. Two, which regularly pop up, are lulu.com and blurb.com and Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing can be accessed via http:// amzn.to/178bJ29 – more background on Amazon’s proposition is given at http://bit.ly/117FDzz. As for costs, blurb.com says that a 20-page 8x10 hard cover book (with dust jacket) would cost £18.99+VAT for a one-off. But there are discounts of up to 25 per cent for 100-249 books and a ‘call us’ option for more than 250 books. Amazon has two different royalty rates

(35% and 70%) for different levels of book value. The rate chosen isn’t a simple calculation. Lastly, selfpublishbehappy.com is another source of help in this area. Founded by Bruno Ceschel in 2010, it’s involved with the ‘celebrating, studying and promoting of selfpublished photo books’ through events (such as exhibitions, displays and talks), publications and online exposure. The site also organises workshops that help artists and photographers make and publish their own books. The upsides and downsides: good practice One of the problems with self-publishing is that you don’t have the cold-light-of-day perspective of editors and marketing teams. There’s the simple fact that those who have worked in an industry for many years do actually know what they’re talking about, no matter how much you’d rather not hear it. If you have in mind a traditionally printed fine art book of images with a hard cover and very high production values – the kind of thing you would actually pick up and gaze lovingly at in Waterstones – you could well be talking about £10-15k in costs to produce a couple of thousand copies. That immediately educates resale value and whilst you might think the book will sell happily at £40 a unit, is that realistic? What are your routes to market? Have you considered the wholesale unit value of your book if you sell through independent book shops, tourism outlets and so on? Their ‘cut’ could be upwards of 40%. The maths still do stack up: if you can clear 2,000 copies and make even £15 on each one it’s great business – but it will probably take three years. A book project needs a very clear business plan like anything else – something that can be referred back to and even redeveloped as the phases go by. When you have a plan, show it to other people and see if any patterns come out of their responses. Is there any chance you’re totally kidding yourself? What will a book do for me? The best approach you can have to publishing a book is to see it as a great big fat advertisement for your work. Profit over three years should come second. Books have a habit of finding their way to people and places you’d never have dreamed of and that can prompt a lasting sea-change in your business. It’s this that still makes hard-copy publishing a valid aim over and above digital editions.

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