Feb
My portrait of Desiré Lemoupa, a survivor of Torture from Cameroon, is a finalist in the prestigious Lucie Foundation “Portrait Project”. This is the third “Open Call” Awards, in partnership with Sony and supporting World Central Kitchen.
My photograph along with all the other winners work can be seen in an online exhibition at
https://www.luciefoundation.org/open-call-portrait-project/#
The portrait is one from a series that is a personal project and collaboration with TASSC. The portraits feature survivors of Torture from around the world who fled their home countries seeking safety, recovery, and political asylum. Most were persecuted for standing up for freedom of speech & tortured by repressive governments.
Survivors are the strongest and most effective voice in the campaign to abolish torture.
Not all survivors want to be recognised for fear of repercussions to their friends & family. Each survivor selected a photograph that was significant to them. The photograph was then projected over the individual, sometimes obscuring their identity as per their request.
The Lucie Foundation was set up to honor master photographers, discover and cultivate emerging talent, and promote the appreciation of photography around the world.
May
The British Red Cross has supported people in crisis for over 150 years. I have been supporting them with my photography for over sixteen years. I have photographed everything from disaster relief to Royal events. They are, and always will be, the organisation that I most enjoy working with.
The work that I have witnessed has been amazing and the people that I have worked are incredible. The British Red Cross is always on standby to help with UK emergencies and the coronavirus is no exception.
Over 70,000 people have signed up as community reserve volunteers for the British Red Cross, with more joining the Movement every day.
You could be doing anything from helping at your local food bank to playing a vital role in easing the pressure on the NHS by delivering essential goods and supplies.
There are many ways of supporting the British Red Cross.
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
Oct
The SIPA Contest is so much more than just photography awards. It is a festival of events for creatives to network and connect. When Luca Venturi (creator and artistic director) first imagined the festival, he set his target on making Siena the heart of the photography world that would bring photographers together from around the world.
“We are happy to have created a large family, a community with photography at its centre, as a form of international language that connects people of every culture and social background. A dream come true, supported by partners and institutions that together with us continue to invest in the power of imagination and the power that images have to be able to tell stories full of meaning " – Luca Venturi
In addition to the Awards ceremony there are a number of events over the course of the weekend for the photographers to participate in – most of them involve a glass of wine or two! I was asked to speak at the SIPA conference along with six other distinguished photographers who I now count as friends. The conference was held in the University of Siena with an audience of 200. I spoke alongside fellow speakers –
Mary Calvert (USA)- Documentary Photographer - maryfcalvert.com
Philip Coburn (UK) – Editorial Photographer - Philip Coburn LinkedIn
Florian Ledoux (France) – Nature and Wildlife Photographer - www.florian-ledoux.com
Alessio Paduano (ITA) – Editorial Photographer - www.alessiopaduano.it
Hannes Lochner (ZA) – Wildlife Photographer - www.hanneslochner.com
Constanza Portnoy (AR ) – Documentary Photographer - www.constanza-portnoy.com
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.
The exhibition was officially opened by me at the Ex Distillery Lo Stellino along with the launch of this years “Beyond the Lens” book featuring all the winning photographs. The exhibitions are one of the Festival’s main events, hosted by the most important locations of Siena. The exhibitions will run until Sunday 1 December.
