the Photographer - Summer 2015

the PHOTOGRAPHER

The Magazine of the BIPP / Summer 2015

Summer 2015

Full speed ahead

The booming British bike racing scene as pictured by Paul Cooper ABIPP

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Summer 2015

AWE / High-speed imaging 14 The Atomic Weapons Establishment – leading the way in imaging techniques and traditional photography

Student Awards 2015 18 Winners, runners-up and merits from this year’s competition Nigel Ord-Smith / A dog’s life 26 Never really intending to start taking great pictures of dogs hasn’t stopped Nigel realising he – and every dog – can have its day BIPP News 38 Company partners, member benefits, regional events, national training, awards and Data Protection Act

Image © Paul Cooper ABIPP

IT / Backup policies 47 Everything changes all of the time and so you should keep abreast of the best way to keep disaster from your door…

Leslie Bliss / Equine 50 Knowledge is everything when it 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: Suzi Allen LBIPP, Russell Baston HonFBIPP, Bryn Griffiths FBIPP, Scott Johnson ABIPP, Bella West FBIPP

Membership Services Advisory Board Suzi Allen LBIPP (National) Russell Baston HonFBIPP (National) Saraya Cortaville FBIPP (National) Tony Freeman HonFBIPP (National) Bryn Griffiths FBIPP (Midlands) Dave Hunt ABIPP (Scotland) Scott Johnson ABIPP (South East) Fyzal Kirk ABIPP (North East) Richard Mayfield FBIPP (Yorkshire) Alan McEwan FBIPP (National)

Image © Leslie Bliss LBIPP

Cover story / Paul Cooper 2 With a rich history, and unique following, bike racing is bigger than ever – even here in Britain. Paul Cooper takes you there

comes to horses – it’s not a skill anyone can fake for very long.

For Leslie, it’s in the blood The Business End / Budget 62 July’s Summer Budget saw a number of critical changes and reviews that could directly effect common business models photographers rely on

John Miskelly LBIPP (Northern Ireland) James Russell LBIPP (North West) Bella West FBIPP (National) Stuart Wood FBIPP (National) Editor: Jonathan Briggs, editor@bipp.com Advertising: Tel 01296 642020 Email: jack@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 2015

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No prize for second best Cycling in Britain is witnessing an unprecedented boom time – powered by an astonishing three Tour de France winners in four years. Races in the UK are now hot news and draw huge crowds watching top international stars. Paul Cooper is a specialist photographer in the sport who can testify to its appeal at the highest level

Alejandro Valverde, Tour of Britain 2013 © Paul Cooper

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hen the creation of Team Sky was announced on 6 February 2009, many in the sport were seriously sceptical. The general public barely noticed. After all, road cyclists were still – in the main – funny Men In Lycra who got shouted at and abused by White Van Man. Add that performance director Dave Brailsford claimed they’d ‘create the first British winner of the Tour de France within five years’ and muffled laughter was heard. There’s nothing like exceeding expectations, eh?

Similarly, there’s nothing quite like the mentality of a serious cyclist. Why put yourself through such pain and suffering, just to make wheels go around? It seems to be a unique double-whammy of mental and physical challenge, and in the sport at World Tour level a team pursuit and individual endeavour like none other. Somehow, in cycling as a whole, you can dream big dreams…

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Such are the ingredients for great photography, too: passion, obsession, ridiculous battles against all odds. However, over the years it has struggled – especially in the UK – to get the kind of media coverage the ensuing drama deserved. Back in 2009, Sky must really have thought it was taking a reasonably big risk sponsoring a British bike racing team. Now, of course, it looks like one of the best sporting commercial decisions in years.

For those who have never attended a stage of a professional race, in many ways it’s a curious affair. The Peloton goes by very quickly and so the main event is all over and done with almost in the blink of an eye – a recipe for spectator disappointment, then. But what leaves an astonishing and lasting impression is the speed created by human power. It’s hair-raising stuff, even if the sport is best consumed by watching the last third of a stage on premium sports channels… But a great many people want to take a great many photographs of sporting action and endurance. Naturally, most of them will be terrible.

And that’s why all the decent cycling photographers are to some extent specialists in the field. It’s a matter of knowledge: how the race works; what will happen at what point; where the stress points are; and how to capture drama – all mixed up with action camera technique and experience. Paul Cooper says: ‘I use a Nikon D3 and D4, with a Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8 AF-S D, and a beautiful old Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 IAF Push Pull. These lenses cover most of my needs – I sometimes use a longer focal length but not often.

They are both fast lenses, which means I can keep the shutter speed high, without overdoing the ISO, and the 80-200mm, in partic­ ular, can produce some really attractive effects even at f4.5. They are heavy pieces of kit, but manageable. I find that using a harness with camera holsters is really useful to enable ready and safe access to each camera. Also, and this is really important, there’s weather protection – such as sleeves for the cameras, and all-weather gear for me – it’s not uncommon to go from blazing sunshine to torrential rain in the same race, and I know from experience how lack of preparation can result in the key shot being missed, and how attention on photography diminishes when the weather gets to you.’ g

An Exhausted Winner - Mark Renshaw, Tour of Britain, Exmouth 2011

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Mark Cavendish Sprints to Win the Final Stage of 2011 Tour of Britain on Whitehall © Paul Cooper

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Paul expands on the sporting photographer’s mindset: ‘The technical side – beyond ensuring professional competence, being up-to-date with new developments, and having the right kit for the job – is probably not my biggest area of interest. In cycling, and other endurance sport work that I do, the best results come from understanding the challenge of endurance – knowing how this brings steel, grit, determination, camaraderie, disappointment and elation out in people is key to sports images with impact.

It’s about knowing the sport and having an empathetic feel for it. This helps in planning and being well positioned to capture these elements within the dramatic landscape and weather conditions which often provide settings for races.’ Paul’s image of Mark Cavendish in full flight (left) is perhaps the perfect example of professional knowledge and experience – plus a love for the sport itself – coming together to capture and communicate a moment.

What is it, for Paul, that sets cycling apart as a sport that can deliver sometimes astonishing imagery? He says: ‘Cycling has movement, colour, athleticism, and plenty of peak action and reaction – the staple of any sport photography. But, in addition, it has the drama of the landscape where many races take place, and the changing light and texture of weather conditions, which can vary from clear, blue Alpine skies, to horizontal rain, fog, and even snow. Can a photographer ask for more?’

It may be some kind of coincidence that Britain has a few big names who are also larger-than-life characters. Cavendish, for example, is a heart-on-your-sleeve dead cert to deliver an emotional punch line to the press, whilst Bradley Wiggins set himself up as an endearing post-punk troublemaker who loves his mum. Perfect. Are these guys

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Paul replies: ‘I’m not sure that they are necessarily more interesting.

There are some footballers who can tell some great stories. But I do think that cycling has, in the main, maintained its traditions as a people’s sport in a way that some other professional sports, like top-level football, haven’t. In this respect, I’d say that it isn’t elitist.

In its European and British traditions, the sport always drew from working class and poor young men as riders and fans. The tough sport of cycling was like boxing, or, in Spain, bullfighting – a poor lad’s escape route from the fields or the mines. Ernest Hemingway, no fan of elitism in any sphere, regarded boxers, bullfighters and cyclists with the same level of masculine admiration. Cycling is, effectively, free to watch – all you have to do is turn up on a mountainside or get a spec’ at a finish line to be part of the race, and even the most celebrated riders remain close to their fans. For example, I remember, Mark Cavendish, having won the 2013 Giro D’Italia Red Jersey, winding through the narrow streets of Brescia (where the Giro finished) on his bike. He was making his way from the podium to the team bus, which was about a mile away and, as you can imagine, delighted fans were cheering him en route. I couldn’t see an equivalent of that happening in Premier League football.’

How much is Paul conscious of the individual characters of the Grand Tours – does it change how he plans the capture of it? Paul comments: ‘Every race has its distinctive character and history and I do my best to capture that. Knowing the history of particular locations and climbs really helps in planning to capture illustrations of endurance and momentous sporting moments. Cycling is also really rich in tradition. At times, the slick, globalised sport of today still feels very close to its past, and I try – both in writing and photo­ graphy – to reflect that. For example, I recently did a feature on the Tour of Lombardy. This end-of-season Northern Italian classic has been running since 1905 and its winners’ list is a roll of honour of some of cycling’s greatest riders. Each year the race passes the chapel of the Madonna del Ghisallo, the patroness of racing cyclists. The chapel is at the top of a tough climb from Lake Como on the winding road between Bellagio and the City of Como, and the tradition is for the chapel bells to peal to announce the arrival of the riders

Mark Cavendish, Winner Maglia Rosso, Giro D’Italia, Brescia, 2013

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as they crest the climb and pass the shrine.

To be there with my cameras, as the crowd urged on the Peloton, really felt like capturing a part of cycling history.’

Last month on 18 July, Steve Cummings won stage 14 of the 2015 Tour de France, beating French riders Thibaut Pinot and Romain Bardet in Mende, 1.5km after the Côte de la Croix Neuve category 2 climb.

It was the Brit’s first Tour de France stage win – also a landmark for his African team MTN-Qhubeka, fittingly coming on Nelson Mandela Day. Somehow, cycling is full of coincidences… Paul’s trip to Tuscany to follow Steve in winter training (pictured, right) in 2011 was also a line in the sand for Paul as a sports photographer. He explains: ‘It was an unusually cold winter across Europe that year. Steve’s training performance took my breath away… steep climbs at a steady 15 miles per hour and no sign of being out of breath. The snow is falling and he’s out there on his own – somehow a perfect image in such contrast to the allaction shots from races. This trip was a spur to start doing a lot more freelance writing and photography. Steve was riding four days a week and then did one day in the gym.

In Tuscany, he was like a Premier League footballer, but when he comes home to the UK he can walk around incognito.’

Does the renewed interest in cycling trickle down to Paul’s imagery being more valuable in the media? ‘It’s a really tight market,’ says Paul. ‘Many publications use either their own staff photographers, or a small number of regular suppliers and you have to work your way into those niches.

So it’s very competitive and only interesting or unusual angles in pitches to editors stand any chance of commercial success.

I look for different angles and quirky takes on the conventional. For example, I did g 10 the PHOTOGRAPHER / Summer 2015

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Steve Cummings Training in the Montalbano Hills Near His Home in Quarrata, Tuscany, January 2012 © Paul Cooper

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a piece involving the chapel of the Madonna del Ghisallo for the Catholic Herald – if you think creatively there is a bigger potential market than simply the cycling titles on the news stands.’

No piece on this subject would be complete without mention of the dark side: doping. This year’s British Tour de France winner, Chris Froome, had to fence off constant media attacks on his fantastic performance in the mountains, and Team Sky even went so far as to publish otherwise closely guarded data to prove he was clean. Chris and Bradley before him are both strongly positioned as clean riders in a clean team and as a nation we demand that they have achieved what they have without the aid of any banned substances. As a nation we’re also collectively demanding the same about Mo Farah and his coach Alberto Salazar. However, athletics doesn’t boast quite such a peculiar and dark past as cycling.

Even back in the early 1900s pro’ cyclists were up to their necks in narcotics. Does the question dim our collective passion for the sport? Is it actually unrealistic to undertake such feats of endurance in a clean context? Paul struggles to know where to begin: ‘It’s a multifaceted and complex issue. It’s not just a question of bad-apple, rogue riders cheating on their fellow competitors. But, let’s be plain, doping is cheating. It’s unfair to the fans who want to believe in the sport, unfair to the many cyclists who ride clean and, in some instances, dangerous to the health of those riders who dope. But we’ve got to be realistic. Doping became embedded in the culture and practices of the sport in its earliest days. Then, race organisers sold newspapers by developing races as heroic endurance challenges.

But they gave scant regard to rider welfare, and were unconcerned that riders used crude doping techniques as one way of coping with the demands of the emerging sport. And so it continued as part of the sport’s culture throughout the 20th century. Our own Tom Simpson, for example, one of the first British riders to achieve outstanding success in Europe, died in Provence on the slopes of Mont Ventoux in the 1967 Tour de France. His death was caused by a mixture of dehydration, heat exhaustion and the effects of amphetamine misuse – he once famously said, “if it takes ten to kill me, I’ll take nine”. At times, then yes – you question what you are seeing, but there are still plenty of other times when the courage, determination, sportsmanship and athleticism of the riders inspire me beyond compare.’ tP See more at: www.paulfranciscooper.co.uk

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Tinkoff-Saxo Team leaving Belfast’s Titanic Centre in the Team-Time Trial Stage, Stage One of the Giro D’Italia 2014 © Paul Cooper

Image © British Crown Owned Copyright 2015/AWE

AWE: leading the way in high-speed imaging techniques and traditional photography

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WE (Atomic Weapons Establishment) plays a crucial role in our nation’s defence by providing and maintaining warheads for Trident, the UK’s nuclear deterrent. AWE has proudly been at the forefront of the UK nuclear deterrent programme for more than 60 years and delivers advice and guidance on a 24/7 basis to UK government in the area of national security.

High-speed imaging techniques and photography are vital to AWE and our ability to understand the performance, reliability and characteristics of a nuclear

warhead throughout its life cycle. This became increasingly important following the UK’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in April 1998, which meant that data could no longer be collected from nuclear tests.

Originally required to capture the early stages of a nuclear burst, AWE developed its own ultra-high speed cameras and helped in the development of high-speed cameras

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with a number of manufacturers. Right up to the early 21st century, 16mm film cameras were used – filming experiments at speeds of 10,000 frames per second – mainly at the purpose-built range located at Foulness.

A variety of high-speed cameras are in use at remote locations across the UK where conventional explosive trials are conducted. With cameras now operating at speeds of up to one million frames per second, the ability to effectively light such events is also crucial for obtaining useful images.

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Inset: Explosive charge creating a jet formation to help AWE scientists understand shock physics © British Crown Owned Copyright 2015/AWE Summer 2015 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 15

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Image © British Crown Owned Copyright 2015/AWE

Target positioner in the world-leading Orion laser facility located at AWE Aldermaston

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Approach to high-speed imaging On many occasions, AWE’s high-speed imaging specialists only have the one chance to capture data from a trial or ‘explosive’ event and so have to make sure that all the equipment is in full working order in preparation for the trial. It can take up to two weeks to set up the cameras for a trial on a range, with precision being the foremost technical requirement, and once everything is in place the team have to conduct rechecks before the experiment can start.

The cameras used are the Phantom brand and as cameras are now digital and with advances in tech­nology, the team are capturing events that could not be achieved in the past. This allows us to consistently enhance our understanding of the warhead in different environments. Cameras are protected in armoured boxes, however these can sometimes be penetrated by shrapnel and lenses have been lost due to damage.

Above: Explosive With objects travelling at up to 1km experiment filmed at over per second, timing becomes critical as 360,000 frames per second the cameras, lighting and the event need to support AWE’s nuclear to trigger in sequence. The team use security research on behalf sequence timers to assist this process of the UK Government and work closely with AWE scientists to © British Crown Owned determine the correct timings in order to Copyright 2015/AWE achieve the best data possible. Lighting is a real challenge and the team use a mixture of tungsten aircraft-landing lights, gas discharge lamps and – still – use PF300 flashbulbs. AWE high-speed specialist, Helene Botevyle-Carter FBIPP, explained: ‘It is very rewarding when you see successful results, and it’s important to know that the work we do is concerned with protecting the interests of the UK and our nation’s security.’

Using traditional photography AWE’s experienced and highly trained photographers work collaboratively with the high-speed imaging specialists as part of the overall service they provide to AWE scientists and engineers in improving our understanding of warhead performance, reliability and safety. AWE’s photographers provide the visual evidence that underpins

and verifies the UK deterrent on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. The team has expertise that spreads across high-speed imaging, stills and video production. Working safely and securely is of paramount importance to AWE and all that we do and as part of our programmatic demands, AWE photographers are expected to work in a variety of challenging locations including construction sites, explosive chambers and radiological facilities.

We currently use Nikon D800 bodies and a variety of lenses to capture what is required. The subject matter can be shot on location within the site or in the department’s own studio. Once captured, the photographers optimise in Photoshop and deliver via the internal e-mail system.

Much of the work centres on photographing components that are to be used in a trial or experiment and these are shot in the laboratory. This is followed by a process of taking more photographs as the trial progresses and reaches its end point.

The photographs are taken using available light due to the nature of the material used, but digital photography has improved the quality of the results in recent years. The photographers are experimenting with the video capture capability of these cameras as well as using Sony EX1 cameras to capture work varying from trials and scientific phenomena through to corporate requirements.

AWE imaging manager, Andy Cox FBIPP QEP, said: ‘The job provides a great many challenges and opportunities which offer a rich and rewarding working environment.’ The high-speed imaging specialists and photographers at AWE are true experts in their fields. The company’s dedicated in-house capability to support the UK deterrent programme is underpinned by world-leading science, engineering and technology. tP Summer 2015 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 17

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BIPP / 2015 Student Awards / College The BIPP Student Awards is a great opportunity for students and colleges to showcase their creativity. For the College Award each BIPP approved or affiliated college nominated one student to be put forward. Thanks go to Paul Dyer FBIPP for sponsoring the project.

All images © Kinga Kocimska

Winner: Kinga Kocimska, Edinburgh College, ‘Dementia’

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BIPP / 2015 Student Awards / Student

All images © Greg Abramocwicz

Winner: Greg Abramocwicz, Edinburgh College

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BIPP / 2015 Student Awards / College

All images © Suzanne Forrest

Runner-up: Suzanne Forrest, North East Scotland College

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BIPP / 2015 Student Awards / Student Merit: John Buckley, Edinburgh College, ‘Connections’

All images © John Buckley

Merit: John Buckley, Edinburgh College, ‘Surprise’

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Fuji / Crystal Archive Paper

Alastair Jolly sees the light

B

ritish fashion shooter Tim Walker counselled photographers: ‘Only photograph what you love’.

And Falkirk-based landscape photographer Alastair Jolly has been listening. He says: ‘I’ve been a professional for 16 years, creating income from the social and commercial sectors. That effort brought its own reward but now I’m able to indulge myself with what I really love – building a personal portfolio of landscapes and street scenes to sell from my website. I find my creativity frequently pulls me in different directions while photographing – and I am as happy shooting long-exposure sea and cityscapes as I am in the middle of a vast landscape, or an urban photo-walk.’

He adds: ‘The bottom line is I’ve never loved the photography profession more than I love it right now.

For me it’s not so much a job, as a photographic lifestyle.’

Alastair’s passion isn’t restricted to creative capture – it’s also highly focused on the finished print. He says:

With Crystal Archive papers and the revelatory X-Series cameras Fujifilm have now completely changed the imaging landscape – at least they have for me. It’s a brilliant system; the cameras; the outstanding lenses; the extraordinary files and importantly the peerless and archival silver halide paper that my lab, Loxley Colour, embraces for output. I love that in this digital age I can still rely on the paper I love. Crystal Archive gives me confidence that my images are being printed on paper that will stand up to the test of time, maintaining both stability and vibrancy. It’s a complete Fujifilm package from capture to print.’ And when it comes to ‘exhibition size’ printing there is still no concern about compromise. Notes Alastair: ‘The expert fusion of Loxley Colour craft work with these silver halide papers is the output equivalent of manna from heaven.’

But photography is an art Alastair truly did have to suffer for. ‘The plain fact was that lugging heavy D-SLR

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Photograph © Alastair Jolly printed on Fujifilm Crystal Archive by Loxley Colour www.amjvisuals.com

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cameras, lenses and associated photo-inventory up and down the country played havoc with my shoulder – and I had to undergo an operation two years ago. After surgery things had to change. Enter the game-changing Fujifilm X-Series cameras.’

A commercial trip to San Francisco proved to be the tipping point in his transition from D-SLR to compact camera systems. He says: ‘Fujifilm gave me an X-Pro1 to test drive while I was there – and it just astonished me. It was fingertip light and it just felt like some of the earliest film cameras I used to work with. I have to admit this is the first digital camera system that has made me feel truly nostalgic.’ He adds: ‘I spent many years shooting with Fuji Velvia and now with the X-Pro1 and using Lightroom Profiles I can have the tactile familiarity of the old cameras but also create images that match my preferred film type. I just don’t need D-SLRs now. These Fujifilm cameras may come under the heading “compact” but the company has proved that great things can come in small and light packages. And it’s not just the capture versatility – as there is no doubt that the corporate mission to deliver high picture quality that meets the dynamic needs of professionals, has been achieved – it’s also about the development of new lenses that complement the camera.

My go-to for portraiture has to be the 35mm and the 10-24mm option for my landscape work is just superb.’

Alastair Jolly, left, discusses exhibition printing fresh off the line at Loxley Colour with the lab’s professional market expert Calum Thomson

Alastair is out shooting whenever possible as part of his mission to steadily build his website galleries. He jokes: ‘I think it was Henri Cartier-Bresson who announced “your first 10,000 photographs are your worst” – so on that basis I remain resolutely optimistic about the future!’ Later this year he will lead a ten-photographerstrong workshop tour that rambles across the Scottish Highlands. He says: ‘It’s become an annual event. Last year the international delegates arrived burdened down with their own mountains of heavy photo-equipment. I just had my X-Series and a rather smug smile on my face!’

Photography found the real Annie

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hotography is full of tantalising contradictions these days, and west London-based portrait professional Annie Armitage is living proof that you can still have good old-fashioned traditional business values while embracing the very latest in cutting-edge kit and media. Annie’s decision to invest in a retro-styled Fuji XE-2 for personal work, coupled with her decision to have her images output on Fujifilm’s celebrated silver-halide based Crystal Archive paper, ensures that she’s tapping into the very best of contemporary products while still maintaining the qualities that she feels will help to set her work apart from the pack.

Her balanced approach is founded on the experience she gained while undertaking a year-long ABC Diploma in Professional Photography course at the London College of Communication, following a growing desire for a paradigm shift in her working life. ‘I have been a singer/songwriter, dressmaker, hotel manager and a PA,’ she reveals, ‘but never found my true vocation. I do believe that photography found me! When my son Peter started school I took the opportunity to look at what to do with my future, and a careers adviser pointed me in the direction of a creative business. That was how I ended up at the LCC. Part of the course I undertook involved

Photographs © Annie Armitage printed on Fujifilm Crystal Archive by Loxley Colour

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working in a wet darkroom. It taught me so much about the great traditions that photography is built on.

When I finally graduated with a distinction in 2007 I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my working life behind a camera.

Photographs © Annie Armitage printed on Fujifilm Crystal Archive by Loxley Colour

An affinity with people With her mind set on becoming a professional photo­ grapher her natural affinity with people led her towards portraiture. Today, her flourishing business covers all aspects of the portrait spectrum, from pregnancy pictures through to family shoots, child portraiture, teenage photo sessions and business portraits. Crucially she also makes sure that she finds time for her personal projects and for these she decided to take a slightly different approach.

‘I have particular kit that I use for my commercial assignments,’ she says, ‘but for my own photography I wanted to work with a camera that was lightweight and flexible, which wouldn’t draw attention to me but which could still give me good-quality images.’ Annie found what she was looking for in the Fuji XE-2, and she saw that many of her contacts in the professional world – like Kevin Mullins, Damien Lovegrove and the Yerburys – were all working with X-Series cameras. With a

Fuji / Crystal Archive Paper

photographic trip to South America looming Annie took the plunge, and she’s never regretted the decision.

‘I have a friend who lives in Argentina,’ she says, ‘and although I wasn’t staying with her it enabled me to fulfil a long-held dream to visit the country. I love street photography and to be able to indulge in this passion was a delight: I went to an old-fashioned barber’s shop, commissioned tango dancers to dance for me in the street, went to a mental institution to view their creative centre and also visited a gaucho town.’

A great partner One crucial lesson that Annie has learned is that your work is only as good as the quality of final output, so she’s taken great care to find a trustworthy pro lab partner with whom to develop a strong and lasting professional relationship.

‘I’ve worked with Loxley Colour since 2008,’ she says. ‘I love the quality of the products they produce and their customer service is just fabulous. I fly to Glasgow to visit the factory once a year to see the operation in action, and I find this quite inspirational to me as a photographer. Naturally all of my work is produced on Fujifilm’s Crystal Archive paper, and it’s fulfilling for me to see it output in a traditional way on photographic paper. When Loxley moved over to using Fujifilm I immediately noticed a significant difference in the colour, clarity and definition of my prints – which was exciting as they looked even better than they did before. Also, my clients love the fact that they’re getting a traditional product: they know this is going to last from generation to generation.

And that is a great selling point for me.’ www.anniearmitage.com For more information on Fujifilm Crystal Archive papers or to request a sample print please call Peter Wigington on 01234 572138, email photoimaging@fuji.co.uk or visit www.fujifilm.eu/uk/products/photofinishing/ photographic-paper/ Summer 2015 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 25

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A shaggy dog story This should be a long-winded anecdote noted for its extensive narration of irrelevant incidents and terminated by an anticlimax or pointless punch line… Judge for yourselves, but in our version we try to analyse why for Nigel Ord-Smith, dogs are one long success story

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Image © Nigel Ord-Smith

or sure, not everyone has a tendency to covert other people’s dogs quite like I do; dogs aren’t everybody’s cup of tea.

However, any visit to BIPP Head Office will assure you that it’s very dog friendly – so here we are with our very own Shaggy Dog Story… But we hope to make this a special variety that gives some insight into excellent image making with a specific market segment in mind.

For a start, now and again we choose to analyse the whys and wherefores that come together to form an image that will sell to the intended purchaser without much effort. This is a case in point – is it just a picture of a dog running down a lane? Of course not. It’s pretty much illustrative of the epitome of the breed in the nonworking environment. Alert, intelligent, fast, a bit crazy and lots of fun. That’s the message in the picture, and that creates pride in the

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owner every time they look at the big print on their wall. Perhaps we don’t spend enough time looking at the selling aspects – and much of that is about the back story to the content, something that only a specialist in any given field can truly have the knowledge to deliver time and time again. The difference is worth pondering for a moment: a landscape photographer heads out and creates imagery that will hopefully be technically excellent and appeal to a broad segment of art buyers. A pets specialist is creating just for that combination of breed and owner – hence the approach is going to be different.

To continue the thread with reference to the previous image, the technical and compositional aspects come in to reinforce the story telling around the breed. The dog isn’t just on the run, there’s direction – a past and present – in the picture, and bang-on tracking focus plus the all-important eye contact. All in all, that’s a lot to be thinking about during a short outside section of a shoot. Nigel admits that he spends quite a lot of time lying down in the dirt with dogs running towards him. But the money shot is never going to be an easy ride.

From the point of starting to take canine portraiture seriously only a couple of years ago, the dogs client base now represents more than 50% of his portraits business. He says: ‘I’ve been a full-time photo­ grapher for eight years now. It was primarily weddings with a few portraits, but since opening my studio four years ago the emphasis has switched from weddings to portraits and the dogs work is now half of the portraits I do.’ A key element in the mix is the location of Nigel’s rented studio. In the countryside a little outside of Market Harborough, Nigel has the capability to offer an inside-outside service. There’s a studio space and then the all-important private land where the ‘clients’ can run free in safety without owner or photo­ grapher having cause for concern – or bump into and get distracted by other dogs. It makes a massive difference, bringing a sense of freedom and attention to Nigel’s work without anything seeming staged or rehearsed. There’s a downside, naturally, explains Nigel: ‘The rural location is perfect for the image-making aspects but of course I’m not going to get any passing trade and I don’t even have a sign at the top of the lane. So everything has to be about me keeping a buzz going about my work and being part of the canine community g

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in these parts, even nationally. My clients are primarily local but it’s getting wider all of the time, extending as far as London – people do appear to be increasingly willing to travel for the right product. Nigel expands: ‘I initially built things up through local contacts at vets, and I hooked up with dog walking businesses in the area and talked to them about the photography on their websites and what they might want for corporate gifts and such like.

It’s really about developing relationships for the long term – a network that will almost power itself later on.’

Why has it become the majority stake in Nigel’s business so quickly? He replies: ‘I think many people haven’t found the right location or offer only a studio-based service.

Nice, natural images mean a lot. I will always start in the studio for character head shots and then go outside to get the natural content – my typical client is the more mature person and perhaps it’s right to say that the dog is their child. In that context people are willing to spend some money, but the work does not fall into my lap. I’m continually refining the marketing approach and improving my understanding of the market – it’s not so simple as do it once and then you have a base. It’s continuing to grow and so I’ve reduced the weddings work. It’s far more enjoyable that way, but I must admit that I never really set out to work so much with animals! A wedding, however will take you three, four or five days all told to complete and then I’m still competing with every Tom, Dick and Harry coming into photography – there’s a lot. I can get a better return for my time by specialising in a field that I seem to have a knack for – though that’s as much a surprise to me as it is to anyone else. I’ve not had a history of always being around animals, or anything like it – I did have an Old English Sheepdog as a child but we g Summer 2015 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 31

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g weren’t a crazy dog family! That being said, all the dogs that come to

the studio I want to keep. I adore the different characters, and I’d say they’re easier to photograph than small children and families.’ But surely, it can’t be all plain sailing? Nigel continues: ‘The way I work is that owners will come in first and look at the studio, and then I’ll play with the dog for a while outside before I take it inside. Dogs generally decide to trust and listen to you pretty quickly and that is what I’m intending to establish before they’re moved into an alien environment.

The practical order of play of course is that the studio comes first – it’s for obvious mud-related reasons! Slobber is a little more difficult to control… they either do or they don’t and that’s part and parcel of the dog they are – owners can’t exactly complain when it’s so breed related. I don’t seek to bring the owner into the process of the shoot too much – I think it’s best to avoid asking for the kinds of pictures they’d like to see. It creates uncertainty about you, your role and the kind of photographer you are. The gist is that they will have looked at my work on social media or on my website and that will be why they’ve headed my way. So I feel that it’s far better to instil confidence and go about the shoot in the way that I feel is best for the dog… in other words direct rather than suggest – so yes, generally the pictures are down to me.’

How, then does Nigel maintain difference, variety and some kind of cutting edge? He says: ‘It’s always about the seasons and the backdrop, the context. It’s about the space around the subject so that I can get them in full flight and the action shots can take place. Yes, it’s about having 300 yards of safe running space and open fields giving ample scope for different scenes and rustic backdrops. Mixing inside and outside is one aspect but also I don’t do sessions just at any time of day. I know very particularly when the studio and the environment will offer me the variety of shots that exist here, so getting the timing right in terms of when clients come in is very important – studio work, for instance, happens earlier in the day. Then I also adapt to the different light conditions outside as the seasons change and the crops in the fields change too offering different colours. Being aware of what is around me and how I can utilise the moments and so offer a client something a touch special is clearly a good line of experimentation and exploration for me.’

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It may be a better business and more enjoyable, but there must have been some adapting to the new subject matter? It can’t be the same as weddings, can it? Nigel retorts: ‘I think it’s been quite natural for me. I thought about ways of grabbing attention, beyond using treats that is. I bark at them, for example. Often that gets a cute tilt of the head. It’s just a part of my bank of tactics to get them where I want them to be. Beyond the shoot the process is very similar to weddings though… Viewing is at the studio a couple of weeks later and with these portraits I don’t sell loose prints or digital files. But the business of photography isn’t something that you should assume you’ll immediately know about. I benefitted from advice from my friend Paul Walker and also Mark Cleghorn’s training set-up plus specific business coaching from Kenny Martin. I was encouraged to separate dogs from my general website – it helped push my brand and I think there is something to be said for – in this niche – a client seeing you and thinking positively about you being a specialist. However business training looked at my whole process, the customer experience and my pricing and display of work. In the first year it was on a monthly

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basis, then in the second year bimonthly and now by means of a Facebook group. Training to me is extremely important – I couldn’t have done what I have without organisational ability and interpersonal skills. I’m a people person but now it’s pointed at dog owners and I suppose the dogs. I test new ideas and try things out beyond the client sessions and there’s potential to go further out on location, but that takes time in the sessions to implement. I don’t want to waste time with the client. Small dogs on chairs is one such idea (as pictured earlier) – that has already led to a Great Dane on a chair as well as the Jack Russell. It’s partly to do with scale, but generally on furniture they will do something a bit different and it helps me to stand out from other photographers in the market. It’s not organisationally demanding either. But perhaps at the end of the day I see this as a highly sustainable niche that isn’t quite so open to the pressures of amateurs.

For example, darker coloured dogs can be really hard to photograph and owners are likely to have tried and failed. You know, it can be really tough to get a selfie with a young dog too! In other words I consider this a growing and quite durable genre to be investing time and energy in.’

At the beginning of this year, Nigel decided to do a fund raiser for the local dog rescue centre, photographing 31 breeds of dogs in a month. He ended up photographing 43 breeds and 58 dogs. He offered the session and desk frame in return for a £10 donation and raised £600 for Leicester Animal Aid. Such activity is great content for social media, and Nigel continues to share images with Animal Aid and the various dog-owner magazines through Facebook. An average post might reach a couple of thousand users, then one picks up momentum and can reach many more. As we all know, page likes are nothing compared to the reach figures of an individual post. Today, as we discuss Nigel’s work, is one such good day – our leaping Dalmatian had more than 2,500 shares via Nigel’s own Facebook page and the Dogs Today page. Nigel says: ‘I put a picture up each day with a © notice and my watermark on there. People seeing me is everything.

The genre is part of social photography after all and my business is to create images that wow the client and that they want to buy. There’s nothing very complicated about the business model. If only being consistently active and creative, whilst maintaining some kind of work-life balance was quite so simple…’ The answer to that conundrum is yet another Shaggy Dog Story. tP See more at: www.nosphodography.com

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BIPP / Company partners

GF Smith Photographic - Looking after the past. Keeping memories special. It’s why we design the products we do. Photographic firm GF Smith design and make beautiful photographic books, frames and mounts. We have been doing so since 1985 from our factory in Hull. For us, every photograph is unique, it’s a wonderful thing, something worth saving and taking care of. It needs to be remembered well and for a very long time. We make our albums, our frames, folders and mounts with our hands, using only the very best of materials. Its why we use traditional methods of book binding, the finest leathers and why our struts are handcrafted. A specialised service, we focus on you the photographer. We are not a generic best fit for all kinds of companies.

We like to think our online service and range of products offer something special. Our Sales executives cover the country and are happy to visit you in your home or studio and let you feel and touch the products first hand. It is a service as unique and bespoke as the products we offer. Ask for a visit, give us a call and speak to a person with real knowledge. www.gfsmithphotographic.com

Founded in 1965, AC Cooper has been providing quality Photography & Print services from our base in London’s prestigious West End (W1) for 50 Years. Print has been a defining part of our heritage, sourcing optimum grade materials available to us, holding a Hahnemuhle certified studio accreditation, providing our clients with added assurance that we have the expertise required to deliver. Offering mounting and framing services, our experienced team will endeavour to assist with your project. www.ac-cooper.com

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BIPP / Member benefits

New Member Benefit from 4B4 www.4b4.co.uk

Ansmann Energy www.tantronics.co.uk

4B4 Ltd is a media duplication company providing a high-quality service for professionally manufactured CDs, DVDs, and USBs, with a fast order turnaround.

A large proportion of 4B4’s customers are from the media industry, including professional photographers, and they are offering BIPP members the following packages which include a 20% discount:

BIPP members receive a 10% discount for products purchased through Tantronics. Tantronics offers a wide range of battery products and a reliable and quality service. Products are supplied by well-known manufacturers and for sale at fantastic low prices.

Visit www.tantronics.co.uk for further information.

Offer No 1 50 x DVDs printed in full colour + inserted poly wallets Delivered to one UK address £74 (+VAT) Offer No 2 100 x DVDs printed in full colour + inserted poly wallets Delivered to one UK address £99 (+VAT) Offer No 3 50 x DVDs printed in full colour + DVD cases + printed DVD wrap, delivered to one UK address £107 (+VAT) Offer No 4 100 x DVDs printed in full colour + DVD cases + printed DVD wrap, delivered to one UK address £149 (+VAT)

For full details including the discount codes, login to the members area at www.bipp.com

Nomad of Market Harborough www.nomadplc.co.uk Manufacturing for the trade and end users since 1961, Nomad has provided transit and display solutions for many different industries and applications.

It is important to remember that their boxes can be bespoke, as every client is unique, so do give them a call or request a phone call from one of their sales team and discuss your requirements. No job is too big or too small! BIPP members receive a 10% discount off all orders – please call 01858 464878 and quote your membership number.

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BIPP / Awards 2016

Professional Photography Awards 2016 Entry to the BIPP Professional Photogrpahy Awards 2016 is now open and a deadline of 30 October 2015. The BIPP Professional Photography Awards offer up a fantastic opportunity to gain award winning recognition for your work and further your potential as a professional photographer.

The awards are international, presenting a great opportunity to compete with other photographers far and wide. Don’t miss out on the chance to compete for the prestigious ‘international Photographer of the Year Award’.

Please see the following information for details

Call for Entries: Deadline (with no extension!)

First Round Judging: Presentation:

1 August 2015 30 October 2015 November 2015 January 2016

CATEGORIES Wedding & Portrait Commercial Science & Technology Visual Arts, supported by Towergate Camerasure Non-commissioned With the exception of ‘Non-commissioned’, these categories are for images produced with commercial intent, and they must have been commissioned or available to purchase or exhibit.

If you are no longer in practice, please consider the ‘Non-commissioned’ category.

OPEN TO • Qualified BIPP Members – enter for your chance to win a Gold, Silver or Bronze Award, and the opportunity to be the BIPP International Photographer of the Year 2015 • Provisional BIPP Members – gain valuable experience as you work towards your qualification by entering these international awards. You could be the BIPP’s Provisional Photographer of the Year!

• Friends of the BIPP – your chance to enter professional standard international awards – and be titled BIPP Friend of the Year – a great way to kickstart your career in photography.

• Professional Photographers who are not BIPP Members – BIPP always looks outside of the box – make the most of this opportunity to have your work judged against some of the very best in the profession – you could win the BIPP Open! © Michael Wharley ABIPP, Bronze Award, Portraiture

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DEADLINE 30 October 2015, 5pm

SELECTING & PRINTING YOUR IMAGES

NAMING YOUR IMAGES

• Entry is by a portfolio of 5 prints

We would suggest that you title each portfolio that you enter. Please also number the individual images 1-5, so the judges can view them in the correct order.

• The work should be fresh and creative • Each set of five images must sit together as a portfolio • You can enter any category as many times as you like • Each portfolio entry must consist of 5 (10 x 8 or A4) prints, numbered 1-5 • An image may only be used once within the competition • Entries must have been taken within 5 years of the entry date of the competition • No text or way of identifying you, as the photographer, must be seen on the front of the image • An image can bleed to the edge of the paper or have a thin key line around, with a white or black border. No other mounting or overlay is required • Any shortlisted photographers will be asked for a high-res digital file after the first round of judging • The judges are explicitly looking for fresh, creative work, but some of the factors in their decisions will include: Image content, subject matter, interpretation, composition, centre of interest, perspective, direction, use of & control of light, style, expression, narrative, print quality, tonal range, graphic stability, design, texture, workmanship and technique • You acknowledge that permission has been obtained for that entry to be published and exhibited by BIPP and any necessary copyright or release has been obtained

Any incorrectly labelled entry will be disqualified, as will any which exceed the maximum entry requirement or are deemed to have been placed in the wrong category.

COMPLETING YOUR ENTRY FORM & PAYING • A completed entry form and payment must be included with each portfolio.

• Each portfolio is £15 plus vat (total of £18) and should consist of 5 images. Eg, if entering a portfolio in Commercial and a portfolio in Visual Arts, you would send in two portfolios of 5 images (10 images in total) and the charge would be £36.

• Payment must accompany each entry.

This should be by debit/credit card (details to be written on at least one of the entry forms that you submit) or by cheque, payable to ‘BIPP’.

• You must read the full rules before entering. PLEASE TURN OVER g

POSTING THEM OFF

Post your prints, payment to:

International Entries – ensure your package is marked ‘Temporary Importation - Exhibition Material.

No Commercial Value’.

BIPP cannot be responsible for VAT/Customs duty on packages with a declared value.

BIPP 2016 Awards BIPP, The Coach House The Firs, High Street Whitchurch, Aylesbury Bucks HP22 4SJ

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BIPP / Awards 2016

Professional Photography Awards 2016 RULES • BIPP reserves the right to disqualify any entry that fails to meet the criteria or, in its opinion, may breach or contravene legal guidelines on public decency or may otherwise bring the photographer or the BIPP into disrepute. Any costs incurred by the BIPP in such a situation will be reimbursed by the photographer.

• Entries produced on workshops/ training courses (as a delegate) cannot be submitted.

• All entries must have been taken by the person named on the identification label.

• BIPP Members & Friends must be in current membership during the entry period, through to and including the presentations.

• BIPP will take all reasonable care in handling entries, but can accept no responsibility for loss or damage, however caused.

• Entries that have already been entered into any other national or international competition cannot be submitted (including those of other associations).

• It is the photographer’s responsibility to ensure all appropriate criteria are met.

• The entrant must have been the official photographer for the shoot from which the image originates.

• No entries will be returned, unless you expressly wish them to be and you pay the full cost of postage and packing.

• BIPP reserves the right to use any image, and the photographer’s details, for publicity purposes.

INFORMATION ON CATEGORIES • Commercial category to include: Industrial / Fashion / Architectural / Hair & Beauty / Advertising / Sports / Editorial / Motor Sports / Events / Theatre / Dance / Press & PR • Science & Technology to include: Scientific / Medical / Forensic / Underwater / Management / 3D / Video & Moving Image / Time Lapse Imaging / Aerial / Marketing & Education / Macro & Digital Manipulation

© Steve Mayes ABIPP Silver Award, Visual Arts 2015

• Visual Arts to include: Stock & Library / Fine Art / Wildlife / Illustrative & Travel / Landscapes

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DEADLINE 30 October 2015, 5pm

• By entering the Awards, non-members agree that BIPP may contact you from time to time regarding our services.

If you do not wish to be contacted in this way, please email info@bipp.com, with your details, using the subject heading ‘do not contact’.

• The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

• Check every portfolio is labelled correctly and in the correct category.

• Check none of the images have been entered into another national competition.

• Check you have full permission to use the image and have obtained all necessary releases.

• Check you have read the full rules of the competition.

• Check your images will reach BIPP by 5pm on 30 October 2015 at the latest!

LASTLY – remember that we want to see that ‘wow factor’ with fresh, creative work – please take your time in choosing your portfolios. Good luck!

© Bella West, FBIPP QEP Gold Award, Portraiture 2015

• Information correct at time of publication - BIPP reserves the right to change any of the above without prior notice.

CHECKLIST

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BIPP / Regions

Cotswolds Jonathan Fisher LBIPP jon@jonfisher.co.uk

Midland Paul Witney ABIPP linkingrings @hotmail.com

North East Kevin Weatherly LBIPP kevinweath erly@mac.com

North West James Russell LBIPP james@jamesrussell photography.co.uk

EVENTS & DATES COMING UP

COTSWOLDS Cotswold Region Launch Social Monday 14 September 2015, 1pm-6pm Join us for a social gathering to launch the start of an exciting venture of a new region. Cotswolds will support Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Bristol and its surrounding unitary authorities. The afternoon will consist of refreshments and socialising with representatives of the new region on arrival, an introduction of the region, what to expect, and how the new region will support you as a photographer. Meet fellow photographers and mingle over afternoon tea. Bella West FBIPP will also be present to provide a talk and will also be hosting the Cotswolds Regional Awards of 2015! This is a great opportunity to meet us and learn more about the new region and how it can benefit you.

SOUTH EAST Wildlife Photography with Amy Lacey ABIPP Wednesday 16 September 2015, 2pm-5pm, Hampshire Join Amy for a relaxed afternoon discovering the joys of wildlife photography. She will talk you through her work, her love of wildlife and why it’s so important to record and capture these creatures in their own habitat.

Shooting the Face: Portraits and Beyond with Michael Wharley ABIPP Monday 12 October 2015, 10am - 4pm, Makespace Studios, London Join us and the award-winning Michael Wharley, at his busy studio in the heart of London. Spend the day learning how an array of studio and natural lighting approaches can create subtly nuanced portraits of the human face, techniques that can be applied in social & wedding photography, beauty,

fashion, or to create a varied headshot portfolio.

The day will begin with a look at Michael’s studio, the facilities and equipment he uses leading into a discussion of Michael’s work. After lunch, the knowledge you have gained from the morning’s session will be put into practice with a portrait shoot featuring several actor-models, where you will be able to experiment with studio, natural and locationlighting, enabling you to achieve radically different portraits in a short space of time.

SOUTH WEST The Art of Wedding and Portraiture with David Wheeler FBIPP & Chris Harper FBIPP Wednesday 23 September 2015, 10am - 4pm, Sandford, Exeter Join two of the best social photographers around, Chris and David as they take you through tips and advice on creating wedding and portrait shots that are different from the norm. Come away from the routine way of shooting, learn from their modern styles, and combine and create shots of your own that are unique and inspiring. Why not allow yourself some time to stop and think? Rekindle your love of wedding portraiture and come away feeling inspired to give the new skills a try in your day to day working life.

PORTFOLIO REVIEWS: Tuesday 22 September 2015 – Sandford, Exeter

PRACTICAL WEEKEND WORKSHOPS The Fundamentals of Wedding Photography with Scott Johnson FBIPP Saturday 3 October 2015, BIPP Head Office This day will be a balance of a practical shoot and tutorials, equipping you with the knowledge you need to progress further with your wedding photography.

The tutorial session will be used to ask questions and gain understanding of the fundamental

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

Scotland Scott Hogg ABIPP info@scotthogg.com

South East Chris Harper FBIPP chris@bipp.com

South West Suzi Allen LBIPP info@suziallen.com

Yorkshire Stuart Clark Hon FBIPP stuartclarkphotos@ talktalk.net

EVENTS & DATES COMING UP

techniques used in wedding photography. This will then enable you to put the knowledge you have previously gained into practise with the opportunity to work alongside Scott on a practical shoot.

The Fundamentals of Studio Lighting with Russell Baston Hon FBIPP Saturday 10 October 2015, BIPP Head Office Join Russell Baston for a day of inspiration and information! You will work with Russell and discover

some of the key elements of studio lighting in product photography working with key, fill and back lighting.

This workshop is designed to give you the experience and skills needed to set up lighting in your own studio that will benefit whatever type of shot you are taking.

Discover the first steps of setting up studio lighting, to taking the final image. Welcoming all skills, whether you have never used studio lighting before, or use it all the time but need some more experience, this workshop is one not to be missed!

INFOT RETURNS!

PHOTOGRAPHY!

Cotswold Region Launch Social Derby University on 13 & 14 November 2015

The Work of the British Institute of Professional Photography 16 January - 5 March 2016 Buckinghamshire Art Gallery, Aylesbury

This one and a half day event will comprise of workshops, seminars and talks all revolving around the world of commercial photography. The event will cover every aspect of commercial photography from product to press & PR and will be taking place at Derby University on 13 & 14 November 2015. We’re pleased to announce that Tim Flach FBIPP, Jonathan Beer FBIPP QEP and Bryn Griffiths FBIPP QEP have all been confirmed as speakers.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic one and a half day event that will undoubtedly inspire all who attend!

To register your interest, please send a quick email to leah@bipp.com and we can get your name on the list! Further details on the event will be available in the near future!

For further information and details on booking visit www.bipp.com/events

BIPP will be mounting a visual arts exhibition at the Buckinghamshire Art Gallery in early 2016. We are looking for between 100 and 150 pieces of stunning work, which have to be suitable for audiences of all ages and loosely themed around visual arts/fine art.

This selling exhibition is about inspirational imagery and film, while covering the huge range of outstanding work created by BIPP members. The idea is to inspire the visitors to the gallery and raise the profile of you, as professional photographers.

For full details, guidelines and expectations and how to submit your work, please visit the Exhibitions & Trade Shows page under ‘Events’ on the website.

Please note that only BIPP Members are able to submit their work.

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Data Protection Act

Registration and access Michael Lane, Company Secretary

M

embers have recently raised two issues in connection with the Data Protection Act. I believe they may be of interest to members generally so would like to provide brief explanations of each one.

The 1st question relates to whether the Data Protection Act requires you to register your business with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)? As a general rule, all individuals and organisations that process personal information need to register with the ICO, unless they are exempt. If you need to register, it is important to do so because failing to register is a criminal offence.

Most businesses do need to register, but the easiest way of finding out whether this applies to you is to complete the simple self-assessment test on the ICO website which can be found at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/register/ self-assessment/ The cost of registration is only £35 so we would urge all members to take the self-assessment test and to register, if it indicates that there is a requirement to do so.

The 2nd issue has arisen as a result of the experience of at least one member whose client has tried to obtain images, free of charge, using the provisions of the Data Protection Act. It appears that there is a theory circulating that the DPA requires photographers to hand over images if a client makes a request for information under the DPA. It is a fact that, if you hold information relating to an individual from which they can be identified, this is ‘personal data’ as defined by the DPA.

Personal data may, therefore, include a photographic image coupled with the individual’s name and address held on a data base. If an individual believes that you are holding their personal data, they are entitled to submit a ‘subject access request’ to ask you to supply a copy of the information comprising the data.

You are entitled to request a fee of no more than £10 for supplying the information.

It has been suggested that this can be used by individuals to obtain copies of all images for a price of £10, rather than paying proper charges. This is not so. The information that an individual can obtain through a subject access request is limited, and certainly does not include a right to receive copies of all images in a form that they can either reproduce or use.

If you receive a subject access request, you must respond within 40 calendar days of receiving it. You must supply a copy of the personal data that is held which may, therefore, include images. However, the purpose of supplying the information is to enable the individual to understand what you hold, not to enable them to use the images. Images may be supplied, for example, as prints, at a very low resolution, and at the size where they can be seen but not meaningfully used.

You should also bear in mind that there is no obligation to supply personal data relating to another individual. Images may, therefore, be cropped.

You should also be aware of two other limits on a subject access request. You do not have to supply a copy of all information in permanent form if it would involve disproportionate effort to do so. This may be relevant if you hold a significant number of images which it would be difficult or expensive to locate. You are also not obliged to comply with identical or similar requests to one you have already dealt with, unless a reasonable interval has elapsed.

These comments are a very brief summary of some of the requirements of the Data Protection Act. It is obviously not intended to be a substitute for obtaining proper legal advice.

You will also find useful guides on all DPA topics on the ICO website.

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Business / Data loss

Backup: feeling lucky?

U

h uh. I know what you’re thinking.

‘Did he fire six shots or only five?’

Well to tell you the truth in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you’ve gotta ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?”

Anyone who’s a fan of Clint Eastwood (and who isn’t?) will recognise the quote from the 1971 film Dirty Harry.

While very colloquial for the time the film was made, the point Eastwood’s character is making is one about gambling – and the question when it comes to protecting your business data and images against loss or accidental deletion is… do ‘ya’ feel lucky?

Some feel that their data recovery and backup plans are fine as they are and not in need of reform. The reality, in our modern, hyper-connected world couldn’t be further from the truth – systems and procedures can always be tested and improved. Whether it’s a fire, theft of equipment or the activities of a hacker, we’re all very data dependent and therefore vulnerable to loss.

Consider that you hold not only images – your stock in trade – but data on your clients, billing, banking and so on and you’ll see the imperative.

Writing from a personal perspective, in 25 years of business I’ve learned the hard way that data does get accidentally deleted, that viruses can attack a

Your data and where it lives is ever-changing and so your backup and disaster policies need to be reviewed on a regular basis. Adam Bernstein has a look at the low and high-tech options available to today’s photographer computer (which is why I moved to the Apple platform years ago) and that hard drives do fail. For these reasons and in contemplation that shockingly, my whole digital world can fit on a device the size of a deck of cards has made me paranoid enough to create a data backup plan that suits my needs. For me, gambling with my data, both personal and commercial, is not something I’m prepared to do.

The need for a workable system is more acute considering the move – certainly for the Apple world – from the traditional hard disk drives (HDD) with spinning platters to solid state drives (SSD) which are markedly faster than HDDs. The difference is in the way they work and retain data. When you delete a file on a HDD, only the reference to the file is deleted, not the file itself. In other words, it’s possible to recover the file albeit at a cost and with the right software. SSDs are different.

Once a file is deleted or lost, that’s it – there is no recovery possible no matter how much money is thrown at the problem. So how do you plan for data disaster? The answer is with a triple layer of backups.

Solid state or traditional hard drive?

Your computer has two types of memory. The first is volative RAM system memory which is used by your computer as it processes information. Think of it like a desk where you work.

The second is the non-volatile storage where your computer remembers long term the information you’ve given it. The analogy here is the library from which the computer retrieves what it needs to process – images, accounts, email and so on.

Traditionally, computers of the modern era came with HDDs that keep the information on magnetically coated

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platters. A read/write head on an arm accesses the data while the platters spin. They’re mechanical and so by definition can be prone to failure, especially if given a sharp knock when in use.

In contrast, an SSD does pretty much the same job as an HDD, but instead of using a magnetic coating on top of platters, the data is stored on inter-connected flash memory chips that retain the data even when there’s no power present.

The chips can either be permanently installed on the system’s motherboard or in a housing that can be plugged onto the motherboard.

There are benefits of SSD over HDD – speed, reliability and weight. SSDs can be one-tenth the weight of a traditional drive, are inherently more reliable as there are no moving parts, and as for speed, there is no comparison when it comes to reading and writing data. (SSD doesn’t necessarily affect processing, only the moving of data.)

On the other hand, HDD is markedly less expensive than an SSD. A 1TB hard drive from Amazon can be bought for under £50. An SSD equivalent is around £280.

Level one: local devices Hard drives and USB memory sticks are as cheap as chips so not utilising them as simple backup devices is a cardinal sin.

A portable 1TB drive can be bought from Amazon for under £50 while the same site will sell you a 512GB USB stick for £25. Buying (say) five hard drives, each labelled for a day of the working week, and creating daily backups, is a low-cost, low-tech option to secure protection. By recycling the drives once a week means that you’ve always got one week’s worth of data secured. Your shoots and livelihood are protected.

The next step is to have a separate disk that is a full backup that is updated weekly. In its simplest form, a backup procedure is just a question of connecting the drive/USB stick to a given computer and copying the files over. There are plenty of schedulers to automate this available too.

Level two: offsite The key to level two, as obvious as it may sound, is to keep backups offsite. There’s no point keeping the disks next to the system or even in the same building. A fire and burglary defeat everything you’ve done. This is why you may want to use a more sophisticated method that involves something called a Network Attached Storage (NAS) drive which allows all computers on the

network to make backups. Apple Macs, for example, have Time Machine which makes and keeps backups hourly, daily, weekly and monthly, each of which are accessed through a typically Apple, easyto-use interface for the recovery of files.

The problem is that the storage drive is attached to a given computer or network – they’re not offsite.

Solutions are available from the hard drive manufacturers. Seagate for example, offer free software called, uninspiringly, Seagate Backup, that will backup from a mobile device (say iPad, iPhone or Android) to one of their hard drives.

The company also has PC software that offers its own version of Apple’s Time Machine.

Even better, if set up correctly, you can use two compatible NAS devices – one in the studio and the other at home, and set them to back up to each other over a network or the web. Once a feature of expensive devices, today practically every new NAS model does this. Look for NAS devices that support block-level sync, which conserves bandwidth by transmitting only the changed portions of a file.

Level three: the cloud One marvel of the web, among many, is that it allows access to a number of providers of cloud – offsite but online – data storage. The simplest are dragand-drop cloud storage services where, for a fee (or free for a more limited service), you can either store all of your images and files in the cloud or just place copies in there periodically as a backup. Not only will you have backed up your data offsite but also will have copies that any machine that has signed

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It goes without saying that all advice and potential approaches outlined here should be subject to rigorous testing in any individual scenario in advance of being relied upon as mission critical… onto the cloud account can access. The downside, of course, especially if all of your files are held solely in the cloud, is that should the internet fail somewhere in the chain you’ll have no connection and therefore no files. They’re safe but inaccessible. Dropbox and Box are two well-known firms offering this service free. They also offer more complex and more secure ‘pro’ versions for a fee.

An alternative to drag-and-drop is an automated method using third party software. Essentially software that resides on a computer, it uses your broadband connection to create an automated offsite backup held in the cloud. Apart from the setup the backup process happens in the background. The only fly in the ointment is that the initial backup can take days or longer depending on the volume of data being backed up and also the speed of the broadband connection. But once completed, subsequent backups are much faster.

About.com (see http://abt.cm/1djnfhb)

Business / Data loss

has reviews of a number of providers of this type of service.

From experience, noting that I’m not on commission and have no axe to grind, my favourite is Backblaze. It’s $5 (Ed: dollars not pounds) a month, $50 a year or $95 for two years, for an unlimited volume of data per computer.

The software is simple, secured and can be freely used by the technically illiterate and just works. Even better, data backed up can be accessed from any device with Backblaze installed (and that includes mobile devices such as an iPhone) and it works across both PC and Mac. In case of disaster it’s a simple process of using authorised devices to find the file. If you suffer a serious disaster and need all of your data restored quickly, Backblaze will send data on a USB disk by FedEx for $99 or on a hard disk for $189. See backblaze.com for more information.

It’s up to you Clearly data backup is huge topic and one which corporations spend small fortunes on. But in an SME environment, the process, as we’ve seen, needn’t be expensive. All it really requires is a small investment in backup devices, a little forethought in what needs backing up and the commitment to be habitual and cognisant of the need to keep the backups offsite.

Adam Bernstein is a freelance business writer and small business owner

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Strong, powerful, beautiful Not her first-choice path in life, but photographer Leslie Bliss has found herself putting a wealth of specialist knowledge and experience to very good use – illustrating both the power and subtlety of our equine relationships

Image © Leslie Bliss

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nce horse mad, always horse mad… that’s certainly the story for Leslie Bliss – but there was a circuitous route for her to taking such striking images as these. It’s certainly something she’s worked hard for, too.

‘I have always been horse mad – somehow it’s an inherited thing. As a child I saved up like a girl possessed for my own horse: cleaning, working at a garden centre; it was my goal, my passion – completely and utterly – to buy my own horse.’ Born in Germany, with a Dutch upbringing, she would do anything to get rides: ‘I once borrowed an ex race horse… these escapades didn’t always work out very well. I suppose I went around earning money to get the kicks I so wanted. I went out to train with horses in Germany, aiming to become a member of the British Young Rider Dressage Team 50 the PHOTOGRAPHER / Summer 2015

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during her apprenticeship based with the world-renowned German trainer Conrad Schumacher. It was all part of my big dream, but it was simply not to be – I had an accident at my first competition, and that led to surgery and the discovery that I had hyper-mobile joints. It was the end of my dreams. That’s why I retrained as a journalist and went to work at Horse & Hound magazine.’

As someone who has lived and breathed horses all her life, and indeed has faced mucking out up to 37 horses in a single day (if you’ve never done just one, know that this is insane), Leslie was extremely well-placed to progress from work experience placement to Dressage Section Sub-Editor and Section Editor at the magazine: ‘We all moved around to whatever tasks needed doing, but I was the specialist in dressage.’

Trevor Meeks, a bit of a legend in equestrian photography, was retained by Horse & Hound (something he did for no less than 25 years) so the photography there was at a high standard. Leslie explains: ‘There were plenty of moments when we were cutting copy to make more room for pictures – the photography had a certain priority status and naturally in my role I knew how I wanted to use it and what made a great shot.’

Horse & Hound went digital for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, so being on the production staff at the magazine gave Leslie invaluable experience of handling the media ahead of the general curve – experience that would come back to the fore about a decade later…

While working as a freelance feature writer for British Dressage magazine in 2011, Leslie was asked to write a feature about how to photograph your horse – or maybe how not to photograph your horse, depending on your point of view…

‘I interviewed internationally recognised equine photographers such as Kevin Sparrow, Kit Houghton and Emily Hancock – it was a serious piece. I had been taking shots for profiles myself and Emily was good enough to have a look at my pictures – she would eventually become my mentor.’

The love for and understanding of horses is paramount to achieving any kind of success in this niche business but it’s also a matter of sensitivity and overall awareness. There’s a challenge, other than getting the ears forward – a world that needs to be communicated. Leslie explains: ‘You’re dealing with a very sensi-

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tive animal – just as people are nervous of being photographed, this translates to horses too. It’s essential that you relax the owner as well as the horse and think about their special relationship. A horse can be a very powerful animal indeed and really quite devoid of spacial awareness. They can be like teenagers!’ In other words, you have to remember that this is an animal that can go crazy just because it spots a crisp packet blowing in the wind. Leslie continues: ‘You have to always adapt and change and accept that you just can’t direct people with horses – there’s a real danger that the handler could get hurt. So you go with the flow. I want to get their character into the shot, and if you don’t have a strong understanding of horses then there’d never be time to get that. A horse might well have something funny that they tend to do – there are mannerisms and strange ways, just like humans have. You might go for capturing a few looks and particularly characterful expressions – whatever makes that horse special… it might actually be them being a total pain, but it’s part of their personality.’

Leslie uses a Nikon D700 and D610, with 70-200mm, 24-70mm (for working in tight spaces in the stable shots) and 85mm lenses: ‘The latter is my favourite at the moment due to its quality and the fact that it’s lightweight, which is important when you’re 48 and 6’2” with hyper mobility syndrome… both my knees and elbows have been operated on; I had five operations in three years in my early 20s and work hard at keeping fit to manage pain…

I always use the 70-200mm for action/ridden shots. Then there’s practical specifics – for all equine lifestyle shoots I’ll take an old milking stool, Polos – of course – a plastic bag and a small container with stones in it.

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g ears, although it’s not always successful. I never use a tripod or even

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Image © Leslie Bliss

monopod for these sessions as you have to be able to move out of the way quickly if the horse spooks, which is not uncommon.’

She elaborates on the job: ‘I had no idea about the business side of things when I started – branding, advertising, pricing. I’d say that’s still very difficult. I have followed advice – there’s a need to decide your place in any market. There’s no shortage of people working in this field and some are very good indeed, and so competition is strong from those who are very capable and then people jump on the bandwagon without any particular knowledge or affinity for the field.

That’s why I’m working very hard to improve my photography, and an Associateship is important to me for that very reason. I need to be trying out different avenues and some different approaches in order to push a strong identity, so developing ways of moving along from the classic poses but within the time constraints of an average shoot is one way to go. There’s also a current “fad” for using flash with horses – which might sound quite surprising – and photographers are using it to stand out. It’s a different type of shot you get as a result, and you don’t get the intimacy that I like to see. I’m hoping to create a subtle moment, a touch of emotion. As it turns out you can happily use soft boxes with horses, but there’s still the trouble of them getting in the way. Perhaps the harder flash approach will only last so long.’

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Of course, this market is not like weddings where a client needs a photographer as an essential facet of a big event – it’s a luxury and there’s also plentiful ‘ridiculous’ people going out doing something for almost nothing in return. Leslie comments: ‘The people who spend the most money are often connected to photo­graphy in some way. My connections and background in the equine industry help a little – it makes me a touch different and I’ve got lots of stories to tell. An understanding and love of horses is crucial – if you don’t have that, you just can’t do the job. It’s just a matter of time before something goes wrong and they’re found out. The big question is really “what is it that people want hanging on their walls?” I’d like to know a precise answer to that one! Some of the work I’m producing right now wouldn’t sell and I know that, but not every direction you take can be fixed on a sale – there’s a process to developing a business and a creative skill base and certainly I’m not into Photoshop for the sake of it. Inevitably, it is hard to predict what people are going to spend and there’s often the client who apparently has “no money” and then they spend quite a reasonable amount.’

Another side to the genre is the aspirational side of what people want. ‘Making them – horse and owner – look their best is one way of looking at it, but really there’s an idea of themselves in their head, how they look with their horse and what the relationship is – that’s the money shot, if you can capture it. So getting to know the owner a little bit and feeling for an idea of how they see themselves, that can be a major asset.’

The process of development is still very much a live one from Leslie’s perspective: ‘Never in a million years did I envisage becoming a professional photographer and g

Image © Leslie Bliss

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I still can’t believe I won the BIPP Best Licentiate Award. Whilst at Horse & Hound I was frustrated at not being able to find artistic photographers that understood dressage, but it never occurred to me that I could do it – I am still surprised at what I am doing and what I have achieved so far. I don’t want the journey to stop and the more I learn the more I know I need to learn. I realise that there’s a variety of styles of picture that are appealing: the perfect environmental portrait of horse and rider; the pure portrait of the horse in almost statuesque rendition; and then perhaps the slightly more chaotic but adorable scenes that sum up how someone acts with their animals just as perfectly. This business is such a roller coaster ride – I sometimes wonder quite what it is I have got myself into! But I am very thankful for the help and support I’ve received to date and seek to always do my best one shoot at a time.’ tP See more at: www.lesliebliss.co.uk

Image © Leslie Bliss

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Business / Summer Budget

A wide-angle view T

here are a number of points in the Summer Budget that are likely to be of great significance to small owner-managed businesses. Here, Alison Ward and Will Silsby from the Association of Taxation Technicians note the key differences in the implications of some of the measures between businesses which are unincorporated (sole proprietors or partnerships) and those which operate as limited companies. They also distinguish between those changes on which the detail is known and those where we will have to wait for next year’s Finance Bill before it’s known what the changes will really mean. So listen up, this means you!

NIC Employment Allowance The £1,000 increase in the Employment Allowance from £2,000 to £3,000 from 6 April 2016 will be of interest both to businesses with staff and to businesses operated as limited companies. It will mean, for example, that any business with up to four full-time employees on the new National Living Wage (NLW) will have no Employer’s National Insurance Contributions (NICs) to pay.

However, the introduction of the NLW itself (also from 6 April 2016) will increase the hourly pay of someone who is currently on the National Minimum Wage (NMW) by 70 pence (50 pence after allowing for the NMW increase in October 2015).

However, from 6 April 2016, the Employment Allowance will not be

The Chancellor’s Summer Budget on 8 July followed the steady pattern of recent years – confirmation of tax changes that had been anticipated, general housekeeping… and then some major headline-grabbing initiatives available for limited companies whose only employee is a single director. That will impact, for example, a photographer who is the only employee of their own limited company. Unless antiavoidance provisions are introduced, it may be possible to plan around this change by simply bringing an additional employee (spouse, partner, friend or family) onto the payroll.

Dividends A main headline-stealer was the announcement that the first £5,000 of dividend income will be tax-free from 6 April 2016.

This has potential implications for every individual who receives dividends – whether from a publically quoted company or a private company in which they hold all the shares and through which they conduct their professional activities. The increased tax on dividend income where it exceeds the £5,000 level means that there will definitely be winners and losers from the change, but until we see the draft legislation it will be impossible to do the calculations.

In very simple terms, it looks as if a director of a limited company who takes a significant part of their income from their company in the form of dividends will have an increased tax liability but that a director who currently only takes a modest level of dividends each year (significantly below £5,000) could have scope for some tax saving (assuming that their company has profits from which a dividend can be paid).

One of the key drivers behind the radical step of making the first £5,000 of dividend income tax-free is to provide the necessary simplification for the proposed introduction of digital tax accounts (see later in this piece).

It is worth noting that the Office for Budget Responsibility has given a ‘very high’ uncertainty rating to the forecast

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positive cash flow impact for the Exchequer from the reduction in what is described as ‘tax-motivated incorporation’ (the use of a limited company instead of an unincorporated structure to operate a small business in order to reduce the tax on the owner’s income). It is very uncertain how the changes will influence decisions about business structures. What is rather easier to see is that if the directors of small trading companies find tax-planning routes for making the most of the £5,000 exemption (for example by sharing dividend income from their company across other family members) there might be some swift counteraction in the form of anti-avoidance legislation.

Annual Investment Allowance For any business (incorporated or unincorporated) that is anticipating a substantial level of capital expenditure (for example major re-equipping of a studio or perhaps the purchase of a vehicle that manages to avoid being classed as a car for capital allowance purposes), the change to the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) which occurs between 31 December 2015 and 1 January 2016 contains a trap for the unwary. If the business year crosses midnight on New Year’s Eve 2015, the expenditure limit for 100% allowances for the part of the year from 1 January 2016 to the year end is not the headline figure of £200,000 but just £16,667 multiplied by the number of months in that period. So, for a business with a year end of 31 March 2016, the effective AIA limit for capital expenditure in

‘It looks as if a director of a limited company who takes a significant part of their income from their company in the form of dividends will have an increased tax liability.’ the period from 1 January to 31 March 2016 is £50,000 but for a year end of 31 January 2016 it is just £16,667. If in any doubt about how this might impact your business’s entitlement to capital allowances, consult your tax adviser.

Small Companies During 2015/2016, the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) will be under­ taking a review of the taxation of small companies ‘focusing on the distortions between the personal and

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business tax systems’ and looking at the complexities facing incorporated small businesses (businesses conducted in limited companies). The OTS will also be undertaking a review of the possible closer alignment of National Insurance Contributions and Income Tax. The outcome from each of these reviews could be very relevant to BIPP members. The OTS is always keen to receive evidence from relevant bodies so the opportunity to make representations could be worth following up.

Travel and subsistence Of all the everyday matters of many businesses, the tax treatment of expenditure on travel and subsistence is one of the most confusing. No immediate change is proposed in the legislation but HMRC is consulting on proposals to deny tax relief on such expenditure where someone is engaged through an ‘employment intermediary’. The type of situation where that could possibly impact a professional photographer might be where they operated their business through their own limited company and were engaged to work on an ongoing project on terms that meant they were effectively under the same degree of supervision, direction or control as an employee of the organisation which had engaged their company.

Pensions The Finance Bill includes changes in relation to pension contributions and the tax treatment of certain lump death benefits. These and other recent changes (including the phased introduction of Automatic Enrolment for employees) that impact pension planning make it

important to seek up-to-date advice from your pensions professional. The publication by the Treasury in July of ‘Strengthening the incentive to save: a consultation on pensions tax relief ’ confirms that the tax treatment of pension contributions and pension income is likely to be under continuing scrutiny.

Digital tax accounts Potentially one of the biggest changes on the tax horizon is not in relation to the calculation of tax but to the way in which taxpayers manage and pay their tax. HMRC’s project Making Tax Easier (tantalisingly sub-titled The end of the tax return) depends heavily on the harnessing of digital technology to make the reporting of income and the payment of tax as simple and straightforward as possible. The theory is that, by early 2016, five million small businesses and ten million individuals will have access to their own digital tax account with all small businesses and all individuals having one by 2020. The digital tax account should be able to pick up information that is already available to HMRC from existing sources and use it to prepopulate the account. So the days of frantically scrabbling through old bank statements in the run-up to the tax return filing deadline date of 31 January to find out whether the interest on a bank deposit account was actually £1.98 or £2.02 should become a thing of the past.

A promised feature of the digital tax accounts is that they will enable small businesses to link their accounting software to their personalised tax account and have the option to pay as they go. The government sees this as a way of giving small businesses more certainty about what they need to pay and when they need to pay it so they can better manage their cash flow. Sceptics with less confidence in large IT projects or a concern that effectively copying HMRC with their sales records in real time could be a step too close to a Brave New World existence are rather less convinced that this will develop as HMRC anticipates. Only time will tell.

How significant any of the matters touched on here might be for any photographer’s business will depend on their individual circumstances – their age, how the business is currently structured, its level of profitability, the extent of its capital expenditure, whether they have any staff, the terms of working with their clients and so on. Readers who wish to consider the implications for their own tax position should as always seek professional advice. atttechnical@att.org.uk

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