Congratulations!
To Mike Galley of Sherburn in Elmet near Leeds who has gained his Licentiateship distinction in Social photography, which the chairman of the panel considered "Very professional."
Voting Time Soon To Be Upon Us
AGM 17th March, Owl Hotel, Hambleton Annually, a new committee is elected to manage and organise regional affairs and activities.
To acquaint new members, and remind others, the procedure is for the Chairman to be elected for two years and this year vice chairman Jackie Lygo will receive the chain of office. The retiring chairman continues to serve as immediate past chairman for the ensuing year.
All other offices are open to nomination, but serving members can opt to seek re-election.Nominations are now invited from the membership to serve on the committee as Hon Sec; Hon Treas; or any one of the four vacancies for ordinary members.
Current establishment is. Chairman; Richard Walker, Vice Chairman; Jackie Lygo. Hon; Sec; Stuart Clark, Hon Treas; Chris Hall. Committee; Steve Howdle, Anne Marie King and Phil Bramhill. Nathan Pidd is appointed 'web master' and co-opted member for students. If you would like to become a member of the committee please complete the attachment, which Steve Howdle has sent through email and email to Steve without delay. Members can propose themselves.
Any problems with the attachment then please email your name, proposer and seconder names to thorntonhowdle@mac.com
Member Listing Replaces BIPP Register
One of the valued benefits of membership was the regular issue of the BIPP Register, listing all members in both the UK and overseas, a ready source of information when seeking information, lay off an assignment, or simply chat with a like minded member. Communication and marketing has gone through dramatic changes and to keep pace, while containing costs,
The BIPP Register will be no more.
Your own website is probably your greatest selling tool, reflected in the total fall out of photographers adverts in newspapers and most magazines. Yellow Pages, while keeping going, is reported to be feeling the draught of recent curbs on spending.
Now, as a means of assisting communication for members within the Region, our webmaster Nathan Pidd has developed pages for membership listing, refined to broad areas foreasier location of someone you met at the last meeting and can't think how to get in touch. It just might.... be extended when listing is completed!
The list is gradually growing and if you would like to be included email the details to Nathan on nsp-photography@hotmail.co.uk
Traditional Techniques and Teachings Still Valid
Against abackground of lowered and simplified standards there is still place for proventechniques and skills. The pendulum swings, things change, everything turnsfull circle. Well worn cliches which when applied to present day photographybeg the question, when style or fashion changes, especially in the social sceneand will be prepared?
Those enteringthe craft in recent years have been denied the opportunity of learning andpractising traditional skills, some of which are outmoded, if only by today'slifestyles and expectations. Ifhowever current styles turn full circle some may be found to be wanting.
Mindful ofthis, our presenter at this months meeting was Jon Gray, FBIPP who attractedover 25% of the Region's membership, with some unable to attend. He enthralledhis audience with reminiscences of assignments while showing superb examples ofcontrolled lighting of location, and people demonstrated with minimallighting, kindly supported byTerry Craw's range of Bowen lighting.
For the lessexperienced this was an invaluable exposition of techniques, and gentlereminder for others, drawn from Jon's experience of a life time in high fashionand advertising.
There were fewquestions, but the most frequently asked after the meeting closed was,
"Can we havehim back for a full day"? Watch this space!
Ups and Downs
The number of marriages is now lower than at any time in the past 100 years, cost being a factor, for some, £30,000. However, ASDA are offering low budget wedding clobber.
The take up of larger engined road vehicles is rising… but sales of low powered cars are falling.
‘Ello, ‘Ello ,‘Ello
Controversy isstill rages regarding interference by the law when lawfully taking photographs in public places. Ifyou have experience a confrontation we would like to have your story.
Uzair Kharawala
The first meeting of the year attracted almost twenty percent of the Region's membership, hanging on every word of Uzair Kharawala in his presentation on generating new business and developing the contacts.
In years gone by it used to be the almost proud boast of photographers, and therefore not business men. The writer was reminded of this when the speakers first statement was " It doesn't matter how good your photography is, you can no longer rely on that to succeed."
For the longer established much of what has gone before was reviewed and redeveloped applying techniques and technology of today, avaluable tutorial for those new to the industry.
The thrust of the evening was that once a contact has been made, it must be extended and developed to the limit and not left to the chance of the client coming back again. A software package on offer is a valuable aid to this, not only monitoring but prompting the photographer.
A demonstration of minimal lightweight lighting was swiftly demonstrated together with the information on the exposure combination of flashand available light.
There was much to be valued in the presentation which will have empathy with the meeting with Anna Farmery's presentation in July.
Taking Photographs in Public Places
We have been contacted by the Sunday Telegraph, who would like to run an article on taking photographs in public places.
They are keen for professional photographers to support and put their names to the following letter and we need your help! By midday tomorrow (Tuesday), they would like 365 professional photographers to add their names to the letter - one for each day of the year.
If you're willing to take part, please email alex.singleton@telegraph.co.uk, with the subject line ‘photography letter', giving your name (and any qualification letters) and your website (optional - they may link to it in the online version of the letter) and your phone number (only used to verify identity if needed).
You may remember that the BIPP was invited to a meeting at the House of Commons a few months ago to discuss this issue and the paper would like to highlight the issues once again. Chris Harper will sign it on behalf of the BIPP, along with the editor of Amateur Photographer and photographer Ben Pipe, but more signatures will add further weight to the content.
THE LETTER:
"As professional and amateur photographers, we are deeply concerned about the treatment of those taking pictures in public places. Photographers using equipment larger than a compact camera are frequently stopped and searched under anti-terrorist legislation, which they find humiliating.
"We do not believe it likely that real terrorists would bother to set up a tripod or use a heavy SLR camera, as perfectly satisfactory pictures for their purposes could be taken on a discrete camera phone. If our photography has an effect on law and order, it is beneficial, as wrongdoers are unlikely to commit crimes in close proximity to someone visibly holding a camera.
"Meanwhile, some in the police, especially PCSOs, believe it is illegal to take any pictures of a police officer. This is because of ambiguous legislation, introduced earlier this year, which made it an imprisonable offence to collect "information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism". Given the existence of Google street view, we do not believe the legislation should be used against ordinary photographers.
"In March, at a meeting with representatives of the Royal Photographic Society, the British Institute of Professional Photography and Amateur Photographer, the Home Office agreed to issue guidelines to police forces spelling out that the law must not be misused against those engaged in legitimate photographic activity. This does not appear to have had the desired effect.
"Rather than treat photographers as terrorists, the Government should amend the Anti-Terrorism Act to prevent its misuse and explain to forces that a hostile attitude towards photographers is unwelcome."
" The Birds Of Barnsley "
Few will be aware, even his contemporise, that Cris Haighwas launched on his successful career by the Yorkshire Region of the BIPP, even before he thought about becoming a photographer full time.
In his late teens in the late 70's, he was invited to present his photography "The Birds of Barnsley" to the members, steeped in their traditional portraiture, which proved to be a shock to many eyes. "There's two catch lights in the eyes"!!! As mentioned elsewhere, Cris was not conventional and his photography was, to many of his audience, outrageous to say the least.
He didn't have access to a studio and the invitation stemmed from him being mentored by Eddie Jones, from his studio opposite the Midland Hotel, in Barnsley.
Colour had not arrived and Cris's examples were all in stark monochrome, lithe some young ladies from the area, photographed against backdrops of pithead mining gear and slagheaps. The term "environmental portraiture" was light years away.
Since then his style and photography has always had a warm corner of my affections. Many years later, by now well established, I recall his great joy when involved with the BIPP evening fashion shoot demo; at Wakefield, presented by the then Avalon, featuring leggy models in mini skirts, wind and smoke machines, but most of all featuring the other love of his life, his red veteran Alfa Romeo Spider sports car.
Cris will be greatly missed all who experienced and enjoyed his laid back, unassuming charming self.
Cris's fight against 18 months of illness ended on December 12th aged 59.
Ten Years of the 21st Century
Computer technology was both costly and in it's early stages of development at the start of the decade, but forward thinkers such as Peter Stanhope were gently raising awareness in photographic circles. Kodak's first commercial camera boasted a 1.4 m memory, while at the same time declaring that they would always be in wet processing.
The last 5-6 years has seen enormous strides in both hardand software, yet so much is derived from traditional techniques, now so easily achieved with untrained hands. Photographers perceive Photoshop and similar to be their exclusive reserve. Yet although their usage is minimal it is they who make the headlines.
A two page spread in the Daily Mail ventilated the problems of over zealous officials experienced by photographers when taking pictures in public places. This obviously prefaced a statement by a Police Commissioner, undoubtedly aware of the concern expressed by organisations such as ours and magazines, exposing quite ludicrous instances of interference.
Airbrushing, another traditional tool in the worlds of art and photography highlight the removal of wrinkles, bumps and extra pounds in the world of fashion, which undoubtedly washes over into the social scene.
But, 'twas ever thus. Retouching with pencils and dyes on the original negative, and airbrushing on the print were highly skilled and highly paid techniques. No industrial machine was ever sold without heavy retouching. So there's nothing new.
Once an image has been generated, and this is an area which may radically change, the end product relies on print. Striving for quality, printing machines now operate with 11 colours. I well remember my early days when fine art photo litho was from separation plates... in 11 colours.
It is difficult to visualise similar vast changes, but as at the start of the new decade, perhaps white backgrounds will disappear. And prints will give way to projected video images, either in frames or on screens.
Whatever, be aware of trends around which may influence demand on your services.
Meanwhile, the Committee wish you a Happy Christmas and send Good wishes for Prosperity in the coming years.
Christmas Presents... Inspiration or Information?
Publications and training schools for all aspects of social photography begs the question "Is there more money in teaching it thandoing it"?
Digital photography has seen the growth in the vast numbers of books on photography as well as magazines, some better than others.
Looking over the Photovision Shop site offers training information in vast quantity and directed at anyone willing to part with £50 -£150.
On the wedding section we were interested to see the first spot allocated to Andrea Barrett ABIPP....well it was alphabetical....who is offering her DVD for about £80.
Generally the productions look to be well produced and, if they inspire or inform, helping to improve techniques and finances, they may well be worth it.
New Speakers with Dazzling and Blinding Presentations
Always a popular evening this years New Speakers night, and the last for 2009, was no exception, opened by Louise Buckby and Karl Andre Smit who works out of Willerby, Hull as Karl Andre Photography. The evening featured Louise who was invited to be the New Speaker as she specialises in theatrical photography, much of the work featuring the Hull Truck Company. So far as we know Louise is the only member doing this type of photography in the Region and she explained the techniques behind the stunning images. Mixed and extreme lighting conditions with no second chance are extremely demanding to produce the pictures, which will catch the eye.
Although Louise was the key player, Karl joined in the presentation, which he closed with his dazzling AV sequence of Louise’s dynamic images.
Although announced as a mystery guest speaker few were unaware that the oldest new speaker would be Stuart Clark, who recalled his almost sixty years behind the camera, starting as a trainee industrial photographer with Gilchrist Bros; when, due to war time limitation, he was unable to follow his chosen career of commercial artist.
Those were the days photographing the long since gone factories engaged in war work with plate cameras and flash powder. After service as a cine cameraman with the Army Film and Photographic Unit he joined C R H Pickards of Leeds before spending three years as staff photographer with the 600 Group. At this point he set up his own studio, then in the category of General Practise, covering commercial, social and latterly Press and PR as manufacturing and traditional clients reduced.
The years saw the transition from large, to medium format cameras, as significantas the progression to digital equipment of today. Lighting progressed from flash powder to expendable flash bulbs, to electronic flash, once confined to the studio but now extensively used on location work. Showing a PF100 flashbulb to the audience Stuart inserted it into a flashgun, when much to his surprise, unaware that the long since used gun had a battery with sufficient life to fire it. In the darkened room it temporarily blinded the audience and left four large blisters on his fingertips. A few days later he recalled thatin past days he always carried a right hand leather glove in his coat pocket!!.
Of Yorkshire members still able to relate such years, we only know of one other: Barney Vollans is still fully engaged from his long established studio inKnaresborough.
The Letter of the Law
There are many instances of jobs worth’s exceeding their powers and going over the top in the interpretation of the thousands of new laws created in recent years. Some seem too silly for words, such as the need to wear goggles when playing conkers in the school playground. Reportedly, apprentice hairdressers are not allowed to use scissors and no doubt you have your favorites.
Certificates required for all electrical gear taken into public places seems to have died down following the heavy demands when the ruling first came out.
If you photograph children you will be well advised to read carefully the current issue of the Photo Grapher, which carries a full explanation of who needs to be certificated to photograph children. Although none is needed we can see individuals who are either over zealous or don’t fully understand the law requiring school photographers to carry CRB clearance. Even so, our Vice Chairman, Jackie Lygo has had for some time although recent press releases showthat this is not required.
In a word, only those who are attendant to children for some time are required to have clearance.
Members associated with youth organisations such as Scouts and junior sports teams will already be registered, but dentists are required to be registered, a together with receptionists even if they are already registered for the groups mentioned. Quite a good money spinner at £75 a time, with each activity needing a separate certificate!
Wedding loans soar
The number of people taking out loans to cover their wedding costs has soared by 43 per cent during the past year. Sainsbury's Finance estimates that 13,600 couples borrowed £113 during the first four months of this year, up from 9,500 in 2008
More on libraries.
Photo sharing
Flickr has teamed up with Getty Images who have employed 30 art directors to trawl through 3 billion amateur images which have appeared on Flickr in the hope that they would have commercial appeal and add new content to the collection. So far 20,000 have been picked and any may be used in whatever publication and context the buyer chooses. There are of course procedures to follow but payment can range from $10-$10,000.
I didn't know that.
Phot. A unit of light. One square milimetre is equal to 10.000 lux. In Collins English dictionary there are over 50 words starting with Phot
Keeping tabs on the chattering classes
Apart from the value of posting up to date information, interest and enjoyment is to read of the success, achievements, and dare we say it, misfortunes of other members.
If you are in the news, have a story to tell or perhaps a comment on the site, drop an email to stuartclarkphotos@talktalk.net
....and if you wish to strike up a correspondence we will welcome that too!
END