Jan
I have been shortlisted for the prestigious British Photography Awards in two categories, to be announced at a glitzy black tie event on the 4th of February at the Savoy in London.
The BPA run an open, responsible competition aimed at celebrating photographic talent from all British and British-based photographers. They work with a range of UK charities to operate a non-profit competition cashflow and they keep this completely ring-fenced from the rest of the business finance. This is integral to their model. Together they aim to use the massive power of photography to do real good in the world.
Both my pictures are in support of “Surfers Against Sewage” which is a marine conservation charity working with communities to protect oceans, beaches and marine life.
The awards accept a broad range of work from different disciplines and from all over the world. It is independently judged by some of the most respected names in British photography.
Jan
My photograph of the “Boy from the crowd” for “International Alert” in Liberia, featured on 2 lists of the “best published photos of 2019”. There is an incredible set of 50 photographs in each compilation with photos ranging from Greta Thunberg to the International Space Station in front of the sun.
“My Modern Met” was formed in May, 2008 to create a place that celebrates creativity by showcasing the best sides of humanity – from the light-hearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.
https://mymodernmet.com/best-photos-of-2019/
New Atlas has been celebrating innovation and human endeavour since their launch in March 2002. It is now one of the world’s largest Independent science and technology publications that report on extraordinary ideas and human achievements that are moving the world forward.
https://newatlas.com/digital-cameras/best-photos-photography-2019-gallery/#gallery
Congratulations to all the photographers and especially to the Siena International Photography Awards for the number of their prize-winning photos that were featured in the list.
Dec
I am featured in this month’s special edition of OPENEYE web magazine.
https://fr.calameo.com/read/0051434053b9f2d65873d?
Openeye is an exciting and forward-thinking free web magazine which looks at today’s creativity in photography. Openeye strives to discover new talent and work that is pushing the boundaries of photography.
Philippe Litzler and the team behind Openeye created the web magazine as a non-profit association to showcase incredible images. Openeye is not interested in classifying the work in defined categories but wants to build bridges between different visual approaches being adopted.
This is their 15th edition of the magazine with a readership already far exceeding 30,000 people.
Nov
The SIPA Awards are a celebration of photography where Siena becomes the heart of the festival during October and November. The event is organised into personal and collective exhibitions, workshops, seminars and conferences. After five years Luca Venturi has created one of the most important international photography contests in the world. The SIPA Awards provide a unique opportunity for photographers to share their creativity and knowledge with likeminded photographers.
I was asked to speak at the Sipa conference along with six other distinguished photographers. The conference was held in the University of Siena with an audience of 200. I spoke alongside fellow speakers, Mary Calvert (documentary photographer), Philip Coburn (Editorial Photographer), Florian Ledoux (Nature and Wildlife Photographer), Alessio Paduano (Editorial Photographer), Hannes Lochner (Wildlife Photographer) and Constanza Portnoy (Documentary Photographer).
The conference had an overall title of “The Storytelling Power of Photography” and the talks included human impact in the environment, new ways of approaching journalism, social justice in photography, the coverage of migration issues, modern ways of storytelling, ethical storytelling and more.
I spoke about the challenges of being a humanitarian photographer. I recognise the confines of my working practice, being impartial within photojournalism / humanitarian photography, being commissioned by charitable organisations to produce images that are positive to their efforts and balancing my charitable photography with commercial photography. The tiresome debate over the politics of photography is in danger of overshadowing the real challenges of making a difference.
I also sat on the panel for a question and answer session. The conference was attended by captains of the industry and students of photography. It was great to be part of Luca’s vision of sharing photography with the world.
Thanks to Mario Llorca for the photos.
For more details about the conference check out SIPA Awards
