the Photographer - Issue One 2018 by British Institute of Professional Photography

Wildlife white-out The two worlds of David Taylor

Chasing dreams Rasa Ražaniene’s portraiture The Magazine of the BIPP / 2018 / Issue One

The Photography Awards An inside track on this year’s award-winning imagery

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GDPR – things to do now The General Data Protection Regulation comes into force on 25 May 2018

GDPR impacts everyone. Whether you hold personal data, or your information is held by others. The Regulation tries to ensure that data is processed, managed, stored and destroyed safely and efficiently. It’s best practice and does have implications for everyone. The very best place to go for information is the Information Commissioner’s Office. Their website www.ico.org.uk is the starting point. The ICO is the organisation that will be ‘policing’ the Regulation and they are constantly updating their information, as things become clearer. The ICO’s 12 Steps to Take Now is the easiest way to follow their advice. This step by step guide is definitely worth working through. It breaks down GDPR into manageable chunks.

Denise Swanson FBIPP, on behalf of BIPP, has put together a short guide for members which outlines the objectives of GDPR and what you may need to do to ensure you and/or your business is compliant. You can find the guide in the Members’ area at www.bipp.com TP-2018-1 IFC.indd 2

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I SSUE ONE, 201 8

Cover image © Michael Wharley FBIPP

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR Michael Wharley FBIPP 2 It’s been a big year for Michael Wharley, turning his professional emphasis right on its head

VISUAL ARTS / SILVER Gerry Coe Hon FBIPP 22 The dockyards series continues Gerry’s fascination with the ‘iPhone’ format and its artistic potential

COMMERCIAL / GOLD Simon Mackney ABIPP 8 Mackney’s work for PB Sports is a great example of photography in the ‘big’ sense of the word

VISUAL ARTS / SILVER David Taylor FBIPP 26 A rare breed himself - having been the ‘classic’ career photographer, David now embraces cold and lesser trodden paths in search of wilder life

BIPP company partners, regions & events 48

BRONZE AWARDS 34

2017 Peter Grugeon Award Best Associateship Stefanie Calleja-Gera 60

Claire Glasscoe LBIPP / GOLD 14 VISUAL ARTS / GOLD Bryn Davies ABIPP 18 Shot in Kyoto, his bamboo studies became a meditation on subtlety and the depths of what can be seen the Photographer is published four times a year by the British Institute of Professional Photography, Ardenham Court, Oxford Road, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP19 8HT. T: 01296 642020 E: info@bipp.com W: www.bipp.com President: Kevin Wilson Hon FBIPP Chief Executive: Chris Harper FBIPP Directors: Bryn Griffiths FBIPP, Roy Meiklejon FBIPP, Denise Swanson FBIPP, Frank Tomlinson FBIPP, David Wheeler FBIPP

PROVISIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER AWARDS 42 RAF BENSON / 100 FACES 46 Membership Services Advisory Board Frank Tomlinson FBIPP (National) Gerry Coe Hon FBIPP (National) Denise Swanson FBIPP (National) Jo Scott FBIPP (National) Scott Hogg ABIPP – Scotland Faizal Kirk ABIPP – North East David Stanbury FBIPP – North West Katrina Whitehead LBIPP – Yorkshire Bryn Griffiths FBIPP – Midlands Scott Johnson FBIPP – South East

2017 Peter Grugeon Award Best Fellowship Rasa Ražaniene 53

2017 Licentiate Award Adam Jacobs 62 David Wheeler FBIPP – South West Roy Meiklejon FBIPP – Cotswolds John Miskelly FBIPP – Northern Ireland 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, Hoddesdon, Herts

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 2018 Issue One / 2018 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 1

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P H O T O G R A P H Y AWARDS 2018 P O RT R A IT URE | GOLD

All images © Michael Wharley FBIPP

P H O T O G R A P H E R OF THE YEAR MIC H A E L WH ARLEY FBI PP

t’s a fairly standard working day for Michael Wharley today – but it forms part of a particularly dramatic year. An actor’s headshot to do in the morning and then advertising work for a play lined up for the afternoon. This is a well-planned shift, committing additional time to progressing creative work has led quite specifically to exactly the kind of creative advertising commission he was after. And the icing on the cake comes in the form of this Photographer of the Year Award – but it’s no flash in the pan. Michael comments: ‘I’ve gone from being a photographer who focuses on headshots for actors the majority of the time – with commercial being the smaller part – to switching that around. Actors are becoming the smaller part.’ This had a great deal to do with building confidence with lighting and refining that creative practice through his work towards a BIPP Fellowship qualification. He says: ‘In short it was a process of changing the way I see myself – away from viewing myself as a jobbing photographer to being a creative one.’ This professional development is quite remarkably displayed in Michael’s awards here: a bronze for ‘The Attitudes’ portraits, which came first, and then a gold for ‘The Weir’ portraits – the group version of which graces the cover this issue. ‘The Weir’ is a play written by Conor McPherson in 1997, and Michael’s work

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was commissioned to provide ‘first phase’ advertising imagery. This means that at that point – a long time before the show happens – the cast are not available to appear, so it’s all about creating the feel of the production. The commission for The Weir was as a direct result of Michael’s The Attitudes portraiture being seen by the advertising agency. The Attitudes is a Victorian book that forms an approach to acting that held sway for centuries. Actors learned specific formal postures to communicate emotions like fear, despair, joy, or love. Michael says of The Attitudes work: ‘The idea for this project came at one of the first public readings of Nell Gwynn at RADA in 2014; references to ‘The Attitudes’ in Jessica Swale’s play flicked a switch that connected my academic education, training as an actor, six years on stage, and work as a photographer. I aim to give the shots a timeless feel: seamless, hand-painted backdrops feel like ‘somewhere, but nowhere’. Using a single light source means shadow, as much as light, emphasises the narrative of body shape, while still allowing the actor’s facial expression to speak.’ The Weir images seem like a natural progression of Michael’s photographic style. He continues: ‘In the commercial sphere you have to be seen to be able to do something before you get a job to do it. I used actor models for The Weir who had the right aesthetic and built the scene in the studio. They were then used to advertise the play, across all media.’ Phase two of advetising the play means going back and re-shooting images for the play to reflect the stage design with the actual cast in it. One of these ‘phase two’ images is shown here (right). It was not part of Michael’s gold award but illsutrates literally and creatively just how big a year it’s been.

All images © Michael Wharley FBIPP

(See also, The Attitudes, Portraiture, Bronze.)

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SI M ON M ACKNEY ABI PP COM M ERCI AL | GOLD

he original brief from PB Sports to photographer Simon Mackney was to create a series of highly graphical visuals to focus on garments for ten different sports activities, based around PB Sports’ pre colour-coded brochure. This is Simon’s first ever Gold Award in the BIPP Professional Photography Awards, and a clearly thrilled Simon commented: ‘It’s a tough competition to enter – the standards are always extremely high. These images were shot with fast flash high-speed studio lighting to freeze the action, capturing athletes in motion flying onto crash mats. I feel I have created powerful imagery and fortunately the judges agreed.’ Within the commercial arm of Mackney Photography, Simon oversees an experienced team of creative professionals to deliver services for a broad range of genres – including corporate, industrial, product, architecture, sports and food. Simon and his team specialise in working with sports brands and athletes – with former subjects including the Team GB Bobsleigh team, Derby County FC, Leicester FC, and multi medal winning international triathlete Dave Scott.

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Image Â© Simon Mackney ABIPP

P H OTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018

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SI M ON M ACKNEY ABI PP

All images © Simon Mackney ABIPP

COM M ERCI AL | GOLD

Mackney’s new state-of-the-art commercial studio opened up in 2017 at The Lamp House – a newly renovated space designed for Mackney Creative and Simon Mackney’s commercial work – all part of the Darley Abbey Mills area on the edge of Derby and neighbouring The Polishing Shed, where the wider team of Mackney Photography is situated. All the images were captured in the studio using a green screen to be removed in post-production together with any ‘spill’ that inevitably bleeds into the isolated shot. Each new background or ‘banner’ was created specially for the sport in mind, using both real-world competitive sporting locations as well as painted textures and original illustration. Each composition was to lead the viewer right to left, towards text in the finished brochure. In order to create as dynamic an image as possible, the banners were angled to also slope in from top-right down to bottom left-hand corner – so helping to provide the open area for text, maintain the strength of the sporting elements but all the while keeping focus on the garments themselves. Colours were introduced to the background banners to match up with both the PB Sports ‘sport colour’

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P H OTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018

already assigned and the garment colour. Each of the figures were colour toned and generally enhanced to bring out highlights and shadows and ‘spray’ added to emulate the direction of action in the sport being shot. Tom Harris heads up the digital team at Mackney Photography, having worked with Simon for four years, and originally coming from an artistic background. He says: ‘I found that being an artist laid strong foundations for digital retouching, requiring a detailed understanding of lighting and original creativity within photography.’ The PB Sports images were ‘finished’ with a combin ation of overlays and overall colour grading without impacting on the true colour of the garments. Day-to-day work for Tom encompasses products across the Mackney Photography business: production of customer frames, managing the production of printed products, as well as key design work. Tom also works on larger projects, such as the creation of POP! Studios backgrounds – Mackney’s multi-award winning cinematic portrait business that features themed shoots using compositing and illustration – as well as commercial retouching, illustrative backgrounds and digital artwork.

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SI M ON M ACKNEY ABI PP COM M ERCI AL | GOLD

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All images Â© Simon Mackney ABIPP

P H OTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018

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C LAI RE GLASSCOE LBI PP GOLD AWARD

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P H OTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018 ‘TARGETS I N SYRI A’

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C LAI RE GLASSCOE LBI PP GOLD AWARD

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P H OTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018 ‘TARGETS I N SYRI A’

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BRYN DAVI ES ABI LBI PP VI SUAL ARTS | GOLD

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PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018

‘T

All images © Bryn Davies ABIPP

he depths of what cannot be seen has always interested Japanese culture. The difference between Asian and Western thought is highlighted in the classic text In Praise of Shadows by Junichirō Tanizaki, in which the ambience of lacquerware under candle light to the aesthetic of a toilet is scrutinised against the author’s belief of modernity’s resistance to the subtle and subdued. This appreciation of empty space has roots in Shinto and Zen Buddhism, where space is a facilitator of the viewer’s imagination – so much of Japanese art is revered due to its impermanence, incompleteness and its contemplative qualities. Bamboo is a venerated form of nature – the functional potential of bamboo is seen in the formative groupings and the scaling of its joints. The strength and structural qualities of the material has been utilised in architecture, furniture and mused over as a subject of artists for hundreds of years. The overriding ambition of this series was to inspire on a technical level, with its constructive patterns and compositions, while recalling the value of bamboo to Asian heritage and philosophy.

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BRYN DAVI ES ABI LBI PP VI SUAL ARTS | GOLD

Shot in Kyoto, the twice daily ritual of walking to the bamboo grove before dawn and after dusk became a meditation on its own. The bamboo becomes a still life study akin to Edward Weston or Karl Blossfeldt but life-size in the open air. Using a Leica M Monochrom at night brings back many old-school challenges of manual focusing and exposure, but one that made the end results all the more rewarding. It is a departure from the more physical demands of my previous adventures out hiking in the snow for Sketches of Japan, but both projects have the same emphasis on negative space and referencing Asian culture that they serve as companion pieces as much as stand-alone projects.’ Bryn Davies The series is displayed as part of the exhibition Landscape of Space at Leica Store Manchester from 20 April to 17 May 2018.

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All images Â© Bryn Davies ABIPP

PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018

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GERRY COE HON FBI PP VI SUAL ARTS | SI LVER

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PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018

All images © Gerry Coe Hon FBIPP

erry Coe’s dockyards project began life in Malta, on a boat trip around the harbour. As usual, he had been looking for a theme, he says: ‘When I stopped looking and just took photographs the theme came to me. So I decided to expand on the images and started looking for new subjects. That search took me to Belfast and the Harland & Wolff Shipyard. These days they don’t build ships but they do a lot of oil rig repair and refurbishment offering lots of opportunity for content. All of the images were taken on my iPhone 5s or 6s+ using the Hipstamatic app, Tinto1884 lens and C-Type Plate film giving a look of an old Tintype image from the 19th century.

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All images Â© Gerry Coe Hon FBIPP

PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018

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DAVI D TAYLOR FBI PP VI SUAL ARTS | SI LVER

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Image © David Taylor FBIPP

P H OTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018

here’s not much around to help us join the dots between the two phases of David Taylor’s photography. Here amongst the blizzards of Japan (and numerous other similarly extreme and remote places across the world) is found the wildlife photographer, cramming his lengthy frame into a frozen hide for long hours as the weather steadily worsens. The ensuing squabble between the red-crowned crane and its eagle competitor features one of the rarest cranes in the world. In some parts of its range, it is known as a symbol of luck, longevity, and fidelity. In the spring and summer, the migratory populations of the red-crowned crane breed in Siberia and northeastern China. Later, in the fall, they migrate in flocks to Korea and east-central China to spend the winter. But a resident population is found in eastern Hokkaidō, in Japan. So whilst there’s nowhere ‘easy’ to record their story, David’s pictures hark from Hokkaidō – the northernmost of Japan’s main islands, known for its volcanoes and natural hot springs. This is the lesser-known Japan of wide-open spaces, where no more than five per cent of Japan’s population spread across almost a quarter of its land mass. There is proper wilderness here – primeval forests, tropical-blue caldera lakes, and fields of alpine wildflowers. Winter is a beast in itself

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Image © David Taylor FBIPP

P H OTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018

as cold fronts from Siberia deposit huge dumps of powdery snow on the remote back-country. David visited the area for three weeks along with Canon ‘Explorer of Light’ ambassador Danny Green and good friend Kevin Bedford. David says: ‘We stayed on much longer than expected. The weather turned and it really was horrendous. Sometimes you genuinely wonder how you’re going to get out and back to the airport. It was a last-minute trip as far as I was concerned – I’m a bit more of a planner myself… But I like to take any opportunity to face up to a rare challenge. All day long we were hoping for some falling snow – the issue being how it interferes with focusing. I use a full Nikon system and a favourite lens is the 500mm F4 which is perfect for this kind of work. Generally, the cranes and eagles are squabbling over food on open ground in between wooded areas.’ David seems to enjoy metaphorically freezing himself to death all in the name of visual arts, having also visited Yellowstone National Park, Norway’s Dovrefjell mountains, and Svalbard – the Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole, one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas. ‘I wouldn’t mind going back up there and doing a portfolio of the polar bears – the worse the weather the better. When the storms come in sometimes you just have to keep on walking.’ But David’s ‘other’ life in photography was a really long and interesting one too. It’s poignant to think that being a career

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DAVI D TAYLOR FBI PP VI SUAL ARTS | SI LVER

photographer at one company, serving more than 50 years for that same international US company, is something that will perhaps never be seen again. So David’s a bit of a rare breed himself. His career at the Lubrizol Corporation began in 1964 as a photographic assistant. Lubrizol develop additive products to help make all vehicles cleaner and more fuel efficient and create new additives for passenger cars, trucks, off-highway, marine, small engines and transmissions, axles and also industrial and hydraulic fluids along with the best viscosity modifiers. David the assistant was sent off to Derby Art College on day release to get a City

All images © David Taylor FBIPP

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& Guilds qualification. The photographic team at Lubrizol numbered 11 staff and boasted its own studio and darkrooms, industrial commercial photography, scientific and research and promotional materials with in-house design in the mix too. As an oil additive company, Lubrizol sells additive packages to the big-name oil companies of this world and the UK operation began in 1947 as a research and technical laboratory to test additive packages in lubricants and fuels for engines and drivelines. David spent a number of years doing bits of all sorts of things as an assistant (as you did then)

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Image © David Taylor FBIPP

P H OTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018

until he was made photographer in 1979 and then senior photographer at the end of the 1980s. He says: ‘I’ve been to 32 different countries over the years. Our base was a marketing and technical centre. We would also cover South America, South Aftrica and Australia as well as the main areas of Europe and Scandinavia – our department was called Global Communications. Lubrizol is the largest independent oil additive company in the world – the role of the photographic department was from photographing lab and field test parts for finished reports for customers, to illustrating engines and vehicle processes in the context of their environment, promotional material of Lubrizol facilities and hardware around the world, and the usual press and PR images. It was a good cross-section of material and we were always busy. Back in the day, Kodak used to deliver stock to us direct in their own Kodak van – we did all our own processing and printing of colour and black and white negs and transparencies.’ David ‘attempted’ to retire in 2010 but didn’t really manage it properly for another four years. He has continually been an active mentor of up-and-coming talent both from within Lubrizol and via the BIPP. It’s probably the perfect way to conclude this window into David’s world to note that he mentored a young Simon Mackney at Lubrizol for two years following his student days – now a Gold winner himself in these Awards for his commercial work.

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JANI CE ALAM ANOU LBI PP BRONZE

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VI SUAL ARTS

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All images Â© Janice Alamanou LBIPP

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FIONA INGVARSSON ABIPP

BRONZE

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All images Â© Fiona Ingvarsson ABIPP

NON- COM M I SSI ONED

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J O H N M I S K E L LY F B I P P BRONZE

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All images Â© John Miskelly FBIPP

VI SUAL ARTS

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MICHAEL W HARLEY FBI PP BRONZE

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All images Â© Michael Wharley FBIPP Also see Portraiture, Gold

PORTRAI TURE

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RACHEL THORNHI LL P R O VIS IO N AL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

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All images Â© Rachel Thornhill

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KATE RANSOM E PROVISIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR RUNNER UP

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All images Â© Kate Ransome

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100 FACES

o mark the 100 days leading up to the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force, RAF Benson released 100 professional portraits of team Benson personnel. Each photograph is a portrait of a member of the team at RAF Benson, from aircrew and engineers to support staff, contractors and civil servants. Released on the Station’s social media platforms daily at 10am, the portraits captured the diversity and variety of people and trades that work at RAF Benson. The first image was released on 22 December 2017, followed by one image each day until 31 March and a montage of all 100 images on 1 April 2018 – the official centenary of the Royal Air Force. An instant hit with social media audiences, the images reached more than 2 million people on-line and were shared thousands of times. Plans are already in place for the portraits to be exhibited at a variety of locations throughout the year, including a bespoke exhibit at the Henley River and Rowing Museum in November 2018. The portraits were taken by members of the RAF Benson Photographic Section – professional RAF photographers Sergeant Rachel Malthouse, Corporal Tony Hawke and Senior Aircraftman Amy Lupton. They spent several months preparing for the project, which highlights the wide variety of capabilities within the RAF Photography trade. Sgt Malthouse said: ‘The whole Photo Section was new to Benson and I wanted a project that would get us meeting people on Station and celebrate the biggest asset in the RAF – its people. The project simply came from my love of portraiture photography. It was a challenge to do 100 portraits, especially as we were using new Canon equipment. All the images have been shot in camera, without manipulation. When the project started, we had to talk people into taking part and then, towards the end, we didn’t have enough spaces to include everyone that wanted to be a part of it. We thought 100 portraits would be easy but it hasn’t quite been as easy as we thought! At first it was quite difficult but as we went along we found that the ideas came more freely. We’ve been inspired as we’ve gone through the project, mostly by meeting people and seeing the pleasure they get from our photographs and the buzz that’s around the Station as a result.’

R O YA L AI R FORCE, RAF BENSON

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C O MPA N Y PA RT N E R S

enture Studios has operated its franchise model for the last 17 years, and in this time has established itself as the premium market leader in the photography market. It is the only nationally recognised brand in its sector, making it truly distinct as a franchise concept. Venture now operates its franchise model worldwide, with 16 studios in the UK, as well as studios across Asia and the USA. Venture prides itself on a tried and tested business model, which combines world-class customer ser¬vice, market-leading standards of photo graphy, effective routes to market to generate customers, and a unique and contemporary range of products. Photography innovation and customer expe¬rience is at the heart of Venture’s business, and it is constantly pushing the bounda¬ries of style, presentation and

arrett & Coe are the largest Portrait studio franchise in the UK. They also provide marketing support services to over 100 independent studios, making over 5000 family portrait appointments and a similar number of baby portrait bookings annually. Barrett &

client value. This focus creates both an experience and a product which is full of emotional value for the client, which in turn leads to an average spend per customer which is unrivalled in other photography franchises. All Venture photographers and studio staff are trained to the highest standard ensuring they produce the work and a customer experience that is synonymous with the Venture brand. Over 2.6 million pieces of Venture hand-made photographic products are displayed in homes across the UK, USA and Asia and every single item started life at its UK based production facility. These bespoke and exquisite pieces of personalised framed art capture every family’s unique story and can be handed down from generation to generation. www.venturephotography.com

Coe are passionate about helping studios increase their profitability through training, national contracts, and their Baby of the Month and Family of the Month Facebook competitions. www.barrettandcoe.co.uk

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COM PANY PARTNE RS

ujifilm is a global leader in imaging technology, products and services including digital cameras, photofinishing, digital storage and recording media, consumer and professional film, motion picture film, professional video, printing systems, medical imaging, office technology, flat panel displays and graphic arts. The company employs more than 73,000 people worldwide, with 178 subsidiaries stretching across four continents. Uniquely placed to be a market leader in digital imaging, Fujifilm develops and manufactures its own sensors, lenses and processing technology. In addition to its production plants and R&D operations in Japan, the

pectrum is a professional imaging lab specialising in fine art and photographic printing as well as archival mounting. Situated in the heart of Brighton, our work has been exhibited in art galleries and museums worldwide: we are proud of our reputation for high

company has key manufacturing facilities in Europe and the USA for core products such as colour film, colour paper, single use cameras and CTP printing plates, and has further factories in Brazil and China. It has a global turnover in excess of £13 billion. In the UK, Fujifilm has been supplying the imaging, printing and graphics industries, as well as consumers, professional and enthusiast photographers, with high quality, innovative products and services for over 25 years. Fujifilm UK currently employs more than 400 people and has become one of the country’s most popular photographic and imaging brands. www.fujifilm.co.uk

quality and pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service. Founded in 1993, Spectrum is one of the UK’s leading photographic printing and finishing centres. 10 % discount available for all BIPP Members – link in the Members Area. www.spectrumphoto.co.uk

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RE G IO N S & E VE N T S

North West | Wednesday 9 May 2018 | Portrait spectacular with James Russell, Jessica Wilkins and Ian Davies Statham Lodge Hotel, Lymm, Cheshire, WA13 9BP 19:30 | Free for members and-non members

James Russell is an award-winning commercial portrait photographer and all-round good egg. Jessica Wilkins is an award-winning social portrait photographer and allround good egg. Ian Davies is an award-winning editorial portrait photographer and… you get the idea! James, Jessica and Ian all pay their bills by taking pictures of people, but do the similarities end there? James can often be found working hard to build a creative image within a commercial space not really designed for the purpose. Ian may be juggling with the diverse requirements of picture editors and art directors, while Jessica’s energy and creativity help her to excel in the non-stop bustle of a high street Venture studio.

So come along to find out what makes them tick, what’s similar and what’s different about their workflows, motivation, creativity and techniques. There will also be plenty of time during the evening for questions, answers, informal chats and discussions. Time to catch up with friends, or maybe just collar someone you’ve been meaning to speak to for a while. While we’ve got you… Thank you so much for the amazing turnout, participation and passion you all showed at April’s meeting. We’re hoping to see that enthusiasm in force at the great events we’ve got planned for this year.

Whilst our core meetings are held at Statham Lodge in Cheshire, we want to stretch our legs once in a while and visit other parts of the wonderful North West. Blackpool college has arguably the best and most respected photography degree course in the UK, and we’re

delighted that the college are opening their doors to us. An evening for both professionals and students, we’ll have a live demo in the fully equipped college studio moving on to some informal discussions with time for everyone to mingle and get to know one another.

North West | Wednesday 14 November 2018 | Software workflows Statham Lodge Hotel, Lymm, Cheshire, WA13 9BP 19:30

The beauty of photography is its diversity. A wedding photographer needs a very different approach to their workflow compared to a studio photographer. But we can all learn something from hearing how other people approach similar challenges. Are you passionate about something you do, or a particular workflow you have? We want to hear from you. Clever automation, workflow tricks and time saving hacks can make us way more efficient, allow

us to produce a better result for our clients, and maybe save some of the midnight oil we all burn from time to time. A chance to learn about simple shortcuts like Photoshop actions, more advanced automation such as Keyboard Maestro, or even programming physical buttons and knobs to control software using MIDI or other interfaces.

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REGI ONS & EVEN TS

North West | Wednesday 9 January 2019 | Barry Makariou In Motion Portraits Statham Lodge Hotel, Lymm, Cheshire, WA13 9BP 19:30

Barry and his business partner Dave Nield run a portrait company with a twist… In Motion Portraits. Mixing action stopping photography with advertising inspired retouching,

they create dynamic portraits of sports people and teams. Finding out what is involved in creating this unique end result will be fascinating.

2018 Qualification Assessment Dates

Licentiate & Associate Wednesday 10 October 2018 Buckinghamshire Licentiate & Associate Wednesday 7 November 2018 Buckinghamshire Fellowship Thursday 8 November 2018 Buckinghamshire Important information • The non-transferrable/non-refundable fee for 2018 is £150 inc VAT. • At least 4 weeks before Assessment (by the deadline date) the following items need to be sent to Head Office: • Completed Membership Application Form (for non-members) • Completed Qualification Submission Form • Submission Fee • 4 copies of your Supporting Evidence • Copies of Professional Insurance

Cotswolds Stefanie Calleja-Gera ABIPP stef@scg-photography.com Midlands David Taylor FBIPP david@chapelstudio photography.co.uk North East Kevin Weatherly LBIPP kevinweatherly@mac.com

Northern Ireland | Monday 14 May 2018 | AGM and Election of Officers Newforge Country Club 19:30 | For full details contact Leigh Parke

Licentiate & Associate Wednesday 18 July 2018 Buckinghamshire

Regional contacts

• Your disc of 25-50 images including digital copies of your supporting evidence • Printed images (or albums in the case of Weddings) & supporting evidence should be taken on the assessment day • Please note that you must have booked and submitted your paperwork, CDs and supporting evidence by the submission deadline. Assessment day • On the day of your Assessment you will need to attend with your portfolio of 25-50 images and any other supporting evidence which is not contained in the book or folder submitted previously. Please note You are able to book your assessment online however it cannot be confirmed until your Qualification Submission Form, submission fee and supporting documentation have all been received by Head Office.Please note that no refund will be given in the event that you wish to change or cancel your assessment

North West Jonathan Beer FBIPP info@jonathanbeer.co.uk Northern Ireland David Campbell ABIPP marlin1@btconnect.com Scotland Jon Lee ABIPP jonleephoto@o2.co.uk South East Chris Harper FBIPP chris@bipp.com South West Bella West FBIPP bellawest@me.com Yorkshire Katrina Whitehead LBIPP katrinabipp@gmail.com

If you have any queries please contact Head Office on 01296 642020

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2 0 1 7 PETER GRUGEON AWARD BEST FELLOW SHI P

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RASA RAZANIENE FBIPP

asa Ražanienė first connected with Bella West in 2011 and a few years later travelled to the UK from Lithuania for one of her workshops. Bella comments: ‘She subsequently asked me to mentor her. At this stage she was not a member of any professional organisation. Having looked at her work, she clearly had a creative eye but at this stage, her portraits were inconsistent in their style – so there was a good basis to learn from. I don’t believe “an eye” can be taught, or should be. A coupe of Skype calls later and I was clear as to where Rasa wanted to get to – to be the best she could be. Of course, I do hear this very often but rarely does a photographer have the attitude that Rasa demonstrated.’ Rasa understood the commitment that had to be made, both financially and in terms of her work. She would have to listen and adjust. The keys to moving forward – in huge giant steps as it tuned out – were attitude and willingness to apply newly learnt skills. Rasa explains: ‘The major factor for me was to leave my ways of thinking behind and become aware of what I felt – to let “it” come from myself. It took me several years to find myself in black and white, working with natural light.’ A student will often choose their mentor because they relate to their style, or because of their methods of teaching – and there’s no doubt that Rasa was excited by Bella’s work. However this was strongly connected to her own dreams: ‘I had always dreamt of working with children and through photography I am able to realise this dream. For me, the photoshoot is a communication between my little model and me – it’s a game and the start of our friendship.’

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2 0 1 7 PETER GRUGEON AWARD

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Bella talks some more about the photographer-mentor relationship: ‘I am concerned about the risk of creating clones. It’s very easy for my methods and style to influence my students so I encourage them to take small nuggets of my ideas and introduce them into their own way of working. It has to be about their own vision. It has to be honest – you will naturally see elements of a teacher’s style as work develops but there is nothing worse than seeing too much direct influence. Rasa very much understood this from the start and had big visual ideas. She wanted to understand what was possible.’ Rasa joined the BIPP in 2013 and made a panel of work for her Licentiateship with ease. She had a huge task, however, to take her photography to the next level. Bella spent

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RASA RAZANIENE FBIPP

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some time in Lithuania with her on location. It was from there on that her style seemed to cascade: ‘It was quite incredible how the penny dropped,’ says Bella ‘and she found where she wanted to go to. Knowing the style that you want is one of the hardest parts of moving forwards. I believe that the step between Licentiate and Associateship is the toughest journey – and it’s this part that photographers gain so much from, seeing the beneﬁt of the qualification process. Rasa explains further: ‘Being behind the camera offered me a different outlook on how I was living life overall. It was a completely new, refreshing and definitely challenging experience. Why photograph children? For the first time in a very long time I was able to explore my deepest feelings and thoughts which in turn helped me to reject stereotypes

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RASA RAZANIENE FBIPP

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2 0 1 7 PETER GRUGEON AWARD BEST FELLOW SHI P

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RASA RAZANIENE FBIPP

I had felt pressured to maintain. I was able to feel a balance between my life and work and perhaps most importantly, I could finally be at peace with myself. It was through photography that I was able to gradually revive my childhood dream to work with children. Children are so sincere… they share their true emotions, and their wildest dreams permeate the air with inspiration to create fine art or lifestyle childrens’ portraiture. As I immersed myself in this process, I began to discover that the photo sessions were full of excitement, playfulness, and joyful emotions which allowed the camera to metaphorically disappear. The results delivered from such wonderfully inspired sessions reflected the pure essence of joy in sincere smiles that radiated through their whole bodies. When I realised that often I could even capture that dreamy gaze that is usually seen only after a fairytale is told before bedtime... that was the moment of achievement for me.’ Bella concludes: ‘I encouraged Rasa to never be satisfied, to keep looking and to be totally selfish in a creative sense. She was not out to please me by making portraits that she knew I would like, she wanted to love them herself and be satisfied that she had done her best. I felt confident that she would take what she needed and find her own way with it – not just ticking boxes to please me – which as mentor, is pretty wonderful. For those doubting the benefits of qualifications (and it’s not for everyone), they should understand it is not about kudos or having letters after your name, it’s about self improvement, creating clarity in your own style and way of working in order to rise above the mainstream.’

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STEFANIE CALLEJA-GERA ABIPP

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2 017 LI CENTI ATE AWARD

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ADAM JACOBS LBIPP

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

t’s been a while since, as the Editor of this magazine, I’ve done a comment piece. It used to be up the front of the issue and people used to tell me how they found it interesting, even funny. That was nice to hear, but as time went by I personally felt that I was taking up some space that I really should be letting photography inhabit. So I quietly dropped it. So why now the renewed enthusiasm to say a few words? Well, hopefully the observant amongst you will have noticed that we’ve grown to a new size, and gently tweaked format. It’s a particularly nice dimension in which to show photography and deserves a little mention. Bigger is always better, yes? I hope you have enjoyed this new issue and found something meaningful in it. Whilst I’ve been quiet(er), and have moved to the back page (LOL), the world that photographers operate in has still been continually changing. Sometimes the pace of that change quickens, and then for a while it seems to slacken off. In all honesty, it has always been this way – it’s just that the changes themselves are new. There’s the nice anecdote of the photographer claiming to have to reinvent himself every few years… and Kodak used to have their own VANS! Yes, get with the story, embrace progress, new competitors and new ways of doing things. Have I ever mentioned that one before? In this issue of the Photographer we’ve witnessed some inspiring and creatively brilliant work that found a level that warranted an award in the 2018 BIPP Photography Awards and 2017 Qualification Awards. The stories

that accompany these awards wrap around a few clear concepts: challenging yourself as a photographer, a business person, a creative; pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone; and finally – even most importantly – letting yourself dream. Does that sound naive? It shouldn’t do. Where would we be as creative people without being able to dream? It’s a fundamentally positive process and without wanting to get too philosophical about it, has the power to turn our working attitude around. It’s so easy to feel like we’re a victim of circumstance – and that can be such a negative, downward-facing way of thinking. But these awards are testament to the fact that you can look the other way – upwards – and actively make things happen. It may not, and really will not, be easy or straightforward – you will get tired, there will be clashes of priority, clashes with domestic life, family and friends. But I guarantee that if you have read this issue and take it as a cue to change up a gear in a decisive and well-structured way, you will look back in a few years time and be thankful for it. There are people I meet or come across on photo graphy forums and so on who scoff at the very notion of being a member of a professional association. However, it’s the structure of proper professional creative development that makes all the difference, that promotes the three concepts mentioned above – and by joining together in appreciation and inspiration we can all get a piece of it going in our lives. Jonathan Briggs, Editor

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Portfolio Reviews If you are thinking of going for your first, or upgrading to your next, BIPP qualification you might like to take advantage of a Portfolio Review to gain an understanding of what you need to do to qualify and how long the process might take. Portfolio Reviews offer professional photographers the opportunity to receive face-to-face advice on their work from one of BIPP’s Approved Assessors. Our Assessors fully understand the requirements for qualification and are highly experienced photographers with a wealth of industry knowledge. We recommend candidates seek guidance on preparing for qualification at a Portfolio Review before booking a qualification date.

Tuesday 22 May 2018, London Tuesday 12 June 2018, Sandy Park, Exeter Wednesday 13 June 2018, Cardiff City Stadium Wednesday 22 August 2018, London Thursday 18 October 2018, Inn On The Lake Hotel, Gravesend Friday 19 October 2018, Franklin Gardens, Northampton Saturday 20 October 2018, Doncaster Racecourse Thursday 22 November 2018, The Ricoh Arena, Coventry Wednesday 28 November 2018, London

Important information • Portfolio Reviews cost £50.00 for Members, £90.00 for Friends, and £100.00 for Non Members (inclusive of VAT). • All Portfolio Review sessions run for 45-50 minutes. • Please bring approximately 40 low res images (no more than 5MB per image) on a laptop or tablet. • If you are a non-member interested in applying for Provisional membership please bring copies of your insurance. • Please note portfolio reviews are non-refundable and non-transferable.

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