Monday 29 December 2008

Best Christmas Present

Daughter Amy gave me World Architecture: The Masterworks by Will Pryce. Photo-essays on 49 great buildings across the world, by a photographer who is also a trained architect. I'm hugely impressed with the photographic vision and technique displayed in these images -- especially as I've had a go myself at two of the featured buildings this year: the cathedrals at Durham and Ely.

Friday 19 December 2008

Sheffield BIPP network?

Having just become a qualified member, I wonder if BIPP members in and around Sheffield have any interest in networking together? So I've emailed 18 local colleagues listed on the BIPP website and invite you to post comments here if you think there's value in building something locally. Skill sharing? Passing on work? Car-sharing to regional meetings at Selby? Any other ideas?

Sunday 14 December 2008

Back to Bank St

On 13th December, a brief visit to Bank Street Arts for their Christmas Fair. Hoping to meet again some of the people I photographed there for Open Up Sheffield in May. Brought Abigail Ivall and Caroline Twist a print of my image of them in at work their studios, shot from the landing.



Sorry to miss Ken Horne, although his fine recent work was in evidence. Interesting conversation with John about language and visual arts, as well as the value (or otherwise?) of formal qualifications. Left feeling I really must keep in touch with Bank Street.

Friday 12 December 2008

Now I'm a Qualified Photographer: So What?

Does it matter whether a photographer is qualified? Some people seem not to care one way or the other. Some photographers say they can get work without bothering with formal qualifications, based on word of mouth and the quality of what they've done before. Just as some customers have told me that all that matters is personal recommendation, and whether they like the person's previous work.

But coming to it after a career in another profession, where qualifications are absolutely essential, I felt differently. I wanted to demonstrate an assured level of competence, recognised by a respected professional organisation. So I looked into the UK organisations that offer qualifications. The one I chose was the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP). This is solely concerned with maintaining and improving professional standards, developing skills and encouraging continuing professional development, facilitating communication in the photographic industry, and safeguarding the future of the industry. It doesn't function as a commercial trade organisation. It does genuinely seem focused on improving members' skills. It doesn't hard-sell goods and services to its members. It also appears to have the most rigorous and systematic assessment processes.

The entry level qualification is Licentiateship. This represents an established level of skill and competence. It requires you to present a panel of 20 images (preferably mounted prints) that demonstrate: composition, control and lighting of the subject; and sound technical competence. The images have to fall within a specific category of photography: mine were Press & PR. A Working Profile document is also required, which describes your working methods in general as well as specifically in relation to each of the submitted images.

I've been favourably impressed with the processes involved. BIPP offers one-day training courses to candidates at reduced rates. It also offers candidates free mentorship from senior members (BIPP Fellows). Regional meetings provide opportunities to share your work with other members and get useful advice. The judging of submissions is carried out by three Fellows, who examine the images before inviting the candidate in for feedback. I found this very informative, with the strengths and weaknesses of individual images very trenchantly described. I got really useful advice on how to develop my skills and my style of work. It certainly felt rigorous, anything but a walkover. I felt I could easily have failed to pass, had I worked any less hard on the images I submitted.



Here's an image the judges said nice things about. They liked the composition with its use of the windows into the atrium beyond. It shows artist Cynthia Harrison at Bank St Studios in Sheffield and was part of my commission to photograph artists' studios for Open Up Sheffield in May 2008. More of these images are on my website.

So now I'm a qualified photographer. So what? I do feel anyone employing a photographer would be well-advised to choose someone qualified with BIPP. And also that I've been validated, through a process I found well worthy of respect, as having shown myself competent. I'm also encouraged to pursue my development as a photographer, to aim in due course for the next level of qualification, BIPP Associateship.

Wednesday 3 December 2008

Endcliffe Park Playground photos now up on website














Today, I've posted the photos of the opening event for Endliffe Park Playground on my site. Prints are for sale at modest prices, with a third of proceeds to the Friends of Endcliffe Playground. I am grateful for the opportunity to support such a worthwhile event and am sure the playground will benefit kids and families for many years to come.

Friday 28 November 2008

Elias Quartet Concert

The Elias String Quartet gave another great concert in Music in the Round's autumn series at the Upper Chapel on 27th November. Particularly fine in Kurtag and Mendelssohn, composers for whom they have evident enthusiasm and deep empathy. Always grateful for what they've brought to the musical life of Sheffield, determined to enjoy them before they leave us next summer. And for me personally the opportunity to photograph them for their Mendelssohn CD was a real breakthrough. The resulting images are on my site.

Thursday 27 November 2008

Lodge Moor Playground

Having moved to the Sheffield neighbourhood of Lodge Moor earlier this year, I'm getting to know a new community. It would be good to find ways of using my photography to benefit this community. So I went to the South West Area Panel meeting on 26th November, at St Luke's Church. Met local councillors, as well as Hazel Fair, who does community liaison for the Hallam Community and Youth Association (HCYA). This was timely, as local playgrounds are topical on this side of Sheffield at the moment. Alongside the excitement at Endcliffe Park, there's been concern in Lodge Moor about a threat to the playground on the former hospital site, now the David Wilson estate. Since a public-access sports hall was lost to the new development, the planning authority placed an obligation on the new estate to provide a playground, mini football pitch and open space for public use. Now, the management company (the organisation of estate residents) has put in a planning application to be relieved of this obligation. Unsurprisingly, lots of people have objected to this. Comments are still being received on the council's website. As of today there were over 120 objections, together with a petition from 12 youngsters. It does seem perverse, as well as socially divisive, to deprive youngsters of opportunities for exercise in the beautiful upland surroundings of Redmires. The nearby Spider Park, established by HCYA, is so successful that it's often too busy for young children to use safely. The arguments against this planning application are put really well by Jennifer Hocking.

At the Area Panel meeting, strong feelings were expressed by members of the public against the threat to the playground. Although no residents of the new estate were present, the meeting was told that one reason for their wanting the obligation removed was the cost of repairs following vandalism. So a possible solution might be for the Council to help out with the maintenance costs.


On 2nd December, I learned that the application has now been withdrawn by the applicant. Good sense has prevailed, following the posting on the Council website of around 130 objections including a petition from a group of youngsters.

Monday 24 November 2008

Getting Started

I've thought about starting a blog for a while. Decided to give it a go after a busy and enjoyable weekend meeting new people and doing new things.

On Saturday 22nd November, I photographed the opening event for the new children's playground at Endcliffe Park, Sheffield. I was recruited to do this by Tracey Shibli, whom I'd known for years; we met when she ran Music in the Round. The event was hosted at Trinity United Reform Church, a striking Brutalist building set into the (eponymous) cliff-end overlooking Endcliffe Park. The stars of the show were Sheffield Young Singers, led by Helen Cowen. They performed both in the church and again in the amphitheatre within the new playground. There were brief but inspiring speeches by the Friends of Endcliffe Park organisation that had raised substantial funding for the new playground. The park was declared open by one of the youngsters and a group of them collectively cut the ribbon.




I'll be posting more images of the event at davidshapirophotography.com. The success of this kind of community initiative is such a delight to see. People working together, driven by shared vision and values, making something happen that brings benefit to so many.

On Sunday 23rd November, a glorious drive over Strines Moor to Holmfirth for the Art Market. At the suggestion of my client, Hilary Simms, I went in search of painters and sculptors who might have need of my Imaging for Artists service. Met several really interesting people, producing lovely work that would be a delight to photograph. To name just a few: David Mayne made the wonderful bear in the Sheffield Botanical Gardens bear-pit; glorious works in glass by Louise Watson; finely shaped and textured ceramic vessels by James Oughtibridge; very striking raku and smoke filled figurative ceramics based on the human form, by Jenny Eaton; Pat Ellacott's paintings inspired by the shape and form of animals and insects; Victoria Ashworth's colourful and boldly-composed images of predominantly north-western English scenes and locales.