Assignments Live – International Women’s Day

The British Press Photographers’ Association, in partnership with Sony Pro Imaging, U.K. & Ireland, are delighted to announce the return of our photography talks series ‘Assignments LIVE’. To kick off the new run we are excited to reveal our International Women’s Day panel talk at The Frontline Club on Friday 8th March. We are assembling leading professionals in the field to participate in a photography-focused discussion. Our aim is to delve into the evolving role of a Press Photographer, analysing the landscape of 2024 amidst challenges such as Artificial Intelligence, the decline in newspaper print sales, the growing demand for digital content, shifts in the political sphere, and international conflicts. We will also explore the pertinent question of whether press photography still maintains its significance. Spoiler alert: Yes, it unquestionably does! Join us as we uncover the reasons behind its enduring importance. BOOK TICKETS HERE

Chair:
Alexia Singh a Senior Lecturer on BA (Hons) Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at the London College of Communications,  a multimedia producer and photo editor with 20 years’ experience leading creative teams in the news and NGO sectors. During a 16 year career at Reuters News Agency she set up and managed picture desks in London, Paris, and Singapore and launched the Emmy award-winning Wider Image website for immersive storytelling. She has worked for Magnum Photos, WaterAid, DEC and Save the Children as a photo editor and producer.

Panel:
Sarah Lee – who started her professional career 24 years ago as a contract freelancer for the Guardian. She is still there. She’s also one of BAFTA’s regular photographers, and an ambassador for Leica. She recently shot a number of campaigns for Transport for London. And her book “West of West” (loosely focusing on the end of Route 66 in California) was published by Unbound early in 2020. The subject Sarah is most thrilled to have shot is Iris Murdoch.
Lucy Young – a highly versatile London-based photographer specialising in news and features work for national newspapers and magazines, with the bulk of her work commissioned by The Times and the Sunday Times. Her work ranges from capturing breaking events to intimate portraits of the people in the news. Lucy’s work has included the revolution in Libya, the work of Islamic Relief in rural Kenya and images of the Royal family and top political figures in the UK.
Chloe Knott – a freelance sports photographer based in London working across commercial and editorial assignments. After starting out in football with Danehouse Photography, she has worked across a wide range of worlds class events including The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis championships, The Rugby World Cup and Olympic events. Over recent years she has worked primarily under world renowned photographer Bob Martin for clients including The IOC, Sail GP, Manchester City FC and Wimbledon.
Helen Healy – a picture editor with over thirty years experience in the industry. She was the Head of Pictures at the Financial Times for seven years and has also worked at the Guardian, The Times and The Independent. She has seen the newspaper industry move from being a print to a mainly digital product. During her career she has been involved with covering many major news events, including 9/11, the wars in Ukraine and Iraq and Brexit.
Sarah Tilotta – who has worked as a photo editor and photographer for CNN in London since 2016, as part of an award-winning Visuals team covering news, politics, and features worldwide. Her publications as a picture editor and photojournalist have been recognised with Emmy, Webby, and Foreign Press Association awards, among others, on subjects including climate change, LGBTQI+ rights, and migration. Previously she held roles at NOOR Images in Amsterdam, and National Public Radio (NPR) in Washington, DC. She completed an MA in Photojournalism at the School of Visual Communication at Ohio University, and a BA in Visual Arts & Photography from Fordham University in New York.

Thanks must go to our fantastic sponsor Sony Pro Imaging, U.K. & Ireland who have enabled us to bring this event to you.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Assignments 2023 – The Talks

Our Assignments LIVE theatre @ Bargehouse on London's Southbank

Assignments LIVE Theatre @ Bargehouse

 

The British Press Photographers’ Association is proud to be hosting another series of fantastic photography talks during Assignments 2023 – The BPPA Exhibition, hosted in our top floor theatre at The Bargehouse. We are once again set to hear some spectacular stories from members of The BPPA and guest speakers at this continuation of our ‘Assignments LIVE’ events.

We are delighted to present to you the following talks and panel discussions;

 

Wednesday 24th May 2023

 

1pm – TALK: War in Ukraine with Julian Simmonds, Peter Jordan and Jack Hill

During this panel discussion, national newspaper photographers Julian Simmonds (The Telegraph), Peter Jordan (The Sun) and Jack Hill (The Times) will discuss their time covering the war in Ukraine. This talk is a must for anyone who wants an insight into the challenges facing photographers working in the most hostile of environments.

CLICK HERE FOR WAR IN UKRAINE TICKETS

 

3pm – TALK: Panel discussion with the UK’s leading Newspaper Picture Editors

During this panel talk, national newspaper Picture Editors will discuss the day to day workings of a picture desk, what drives the news agenda, how to pitch, where they find photographers for commissions, how big jobs like the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and coronation of King Charles III are covered and how they choose the pictures that make the front pages of their respective national newspapers every day. This talk is a must for anyone who wants an insight in to the thoughts and daily life of a picture editor at some of the UK’s biggest papers.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURE EDITORS TICKETS

 

 

Thursday 25th May 2023

 

11.30am -TALK: Denise Maxwell – How I Turned My Side Hustle into My Main Hustle

To specialise or diversify? Denise will share her journey to becoming a full time photographer of 12 years, turning her hobby into a full time career. She will give tips on actions you can follow to achieve the same and make money from your photography and she will discuss the pros and cons of being a multi genre photographer in an industry that still advises most to specialise.

CLICK HERE FOR DENISE MAXWELL TICKETS

 

2pm – TALK: Photographer Chris Floyd – Not Just Pictures

‘Not Just Pictures’ is all about stories: from getting his first camera, to getting mugged, to believing one of his heroes would only want to buy the rights to an image because “he disliked it enough to want it removed from the public domain”. Often very funny, Chris’s talk is a rich dish that reveals what it’s like to pursue a life of photography and demonstrates how the camera is an incredible key that can unlock any door.

CLICK HERE FOR CHRIS FLOYD TICKETS

 

 

These ticketed talks take place as part of Assignments 2023 – The BPPA Exhibition, a FREE exhibition open from 11am to 6pm daily between 19th and 28th May and showcasing the best of press photography from The British Press Photographers’ Association.

Curated by 5 leading industry figures, this year’s exhibition covers stories from July 2021 through to the spring of 2023 and will feature everything from sports and entertainment to politics and protests with royals, celebrities, and global events as seen through the eyes of the association’s photographers.

More information can be found here.

Assignments Live with Tom Stoddart

We are proud to announce that the first of our long running Assignments Live events for 2019 features none other than Tom Stoddart on 31st January.
Tom Stoddart began his photographic career on a local newspaper in his native North-East of England. In 1978 he moved to London and began working freelance for publications such as the Sunday Times and Time Magazine. During a long and varied career he has witnessed such international events as the war in Lebanon, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the election of President Nelson Mandela, the bloody siege of Sarajevo and the wars against Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Read more about Tom here..
If you fancy joining us at Wex Photo Video London for this relaxed event listening to Tom’s talk entitled “Every Picture Tells A Story”, detailing his 50 years as one of the worlds leading photojournalists, which is followed by a raffle and plenty of time to socialise (or network if you prefer) with other photographers, you will need to be quick. Assignments Live are free to all but with tickets being available to theBPPA members a week before non-members, many of our members have already snapped up their tickets leaving a fraction remaining.
Tickets are available here…