Announcing the Curators for ‘Women’

We would like to introduce the seven fantastic curators we have lined up to select their favourite images from those submitted to ‘Women’: a photographic celebration by BPPA members of women across the globe for International Women’s Day 2021 on 8th March.

In the launch year of what promises to be a fabulous new exhibition, the BPPA are looking for images telling the stories and achievements of women and girls for an online exhibition, which remains open for entries until midnight on Sunday 14th February

www.women.thebppa.com


Fiona Shields – The Guardian Head of Photography

Fiona has over twenty years’ picture editing experience across a range of newspaper titles. She was picture editor of the Guardian for ten years before taking up the role of Head of Photography for the Guardian News and Media Group. 

Throughout her career, Fiona has been involved in the coverage of some of the most historic news stories of our time from the current global pandemic to the events surrounding 9/11 and the subsequent terror attacks in London and across Europe, conflicts around the world from Bosnia to Iraq and Afghanistan, the revolution of the Arab spring, large scale natural disasters such as the earthquakes in Haiti, tsunamis in southern Asia, famine in Sub-Saharan Africa and the humanitarian crises resulting from the growing refugee numbers across the globe.

Fiona also delivers talks at photo festivals, mentors students of photojournalism and has enjoyed judging The World Press Awards, the Sony World Photography Awards, The Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize and the Renaissance Photography Awards to name a few, has joined the panel for the Carmignac Photojournalism Award and is a regular nominator for the prestigious Prix Pictet Prize.


Gao Rongguo

Born in 1984 in Binzhou,in China’s Shandong province, Gao Rongguo graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 2012, majoring in photography.


Gao is now an artist based in Beijing and his work has been exhibited internationally, with venues including National Portrait Gallery, Quai Branly Museum, CAFA Art Museum, Chongqing Art Museum, Today Art Museum, Dong Gang Museum of Photography, Sotheby’s gallery, Changjiang Museum of contemporary Art and Beijing Mingsheng Art Museum.


Gao Rongguo’s work has been featured in numerous publications including TIME, The Huffington Post, Daily Mail, VANITY FAIR, La Repubblica, Esquire, Feature Shoot and Rheinische Post Online.


Jakki Moores

Whilst studying Photography at Richmond College Jakki Moores worked for Nikon UK and on graduating became the Head of Nikon Professional Service and worked with some of the UK’s best photographers, supporting them at global events where she became became passionate about imaging and technology. First the transition from film to digital and then the requirement to send images around the world in seconds got Jakki hooked, who then moved into account management and corporate sales.

Now at Canon UK Jakki still specialises in News and Sport, working as part of the pro-business team where her customers range from Global Agencies, Media groups, freelancers and the next generation.

“It’s such an exciting and evolving industry to be involved in – with outstanding images at the core. The pictures we see every day still always amaze me!”, says Jakki.


Jane Sherwood

Jane Sherwood is the News Editor, EMEA, at Getty Images and is part of a team that handles Getty Images editorial news output on their subscription wire service. She says ” I am proud to work at a wire agency that is held in such high esteem among photographers and clients alike. The team has a collective integrity in news gathering and the talent of our photographers sets us apart”.

Jane began her career nearly 30 years ago as a receptionist at Rex Features and progressed, through a series of moves around the industry including the picture desks of the Daily Mail, News of the World and Daily Express, to becoming the Picture Editor of the Sunday Express newspaper.  Jane left in 2015 for Getty Images saying, ” I wanted to work where pictures were still being created and invested in – where photography was paramount”.

“I am thrilled to be part of the curating team for the BPPA photography exhibition celebrating International Women’s Day” says Jane. “Until women achieve true equality, highlighting work by and for women in all professions is necessary and essential”.


Milica Lamb

An industry veteran, Milicia Lamb has worked in press photography for many years.

Milicia started her career in image sales before graduating to the editorial side where she was able to work more closely with photographers. After working for News Team International as Head of London Bureau, commissioning photographers and managing assignments,  Milicia went on to work at EPA where she ran the UK and Irish service before joining the Press Association (PA).

Milicia was appointed Picture Editor for the PA in 2012 and in 2015 became Head of International and Entertainment at PA Images where amongst her responsibilities she managed the entertainment photography for the PA Wire alongside the Empics Entertainment service.

Milicia left PA Images in 2020.


Rebecca Naden

Now based back in her homeland of Pembrokeshire, Rebecca Naden covers major news, sport and features for the global agency Thomson Reuters, where she also loves to photograph wildlife – a pull Rebecca says she can’t resist, despite the sometimes extreme weather conditions.


Thirty odd years ago, Rebecca was told “It’s a man’s profession Rebecca, think on because it’s not for a girl”. But thankfully she had supportive English and History teachers who promoted and encouraged Rebecca to apply to The National Council for the Training of Journalists for the ‘pre- entry course’ – she was accepted and her hugely successful career in press photography began.


Rebecca was the first female photographer to join the Birmingham Post and Mail Group in 1977 and the first female photographer to join The Press Association in 1987, where she spent 25 years as a staff photographer before moving to Reuters in 2012 – winning the 1993 Royal Photographer of the Year and 2007 Picture Editors’ Award – Sports Picture of the Year along the way.


Highlights of Rebecca’s career to date are numerous and include being the only British photographer on Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s plane for her tour to Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain; flying to the White House to photograph President Clinton; photographer on the Royal Tour to Malta by HM the Queen and Prince Philip. Rebecca has regularly covered the major sporting events, including the Olympic Games in Atlanta, USA and Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League finals including the historic Liverpool v AC Milan match in Istanbul.


“I’m grateful to all those who helped me get started and to the many generations of photographers and journalists who have supported my professional career”, says Rebecca. “Thankfully the glass ceiling has largely gone and now there are exciting career opportunities in professional photography available to all, irrespective of gender”.


Rob Pinney

Rob Pinney is a photographer and the editor of Point.51, a print magazine for long-form journalism and original photography from across Europe. 

As a photographer, Rob’s work is divided between press work and longer-term personal projects.

After going freelance in 2015, Rob worked extensively in Calais documenting the “Jungle” camp and the asylum seekers who lived there, as well as the town itself. His photographs from Calais have since been shown in London, New York and St Petersburg, and culminated in a long-form feature – Calais Belle Ma Ville – about the town’s long relationship with migration, which was published in the first issue of Point.51.


Get your entries sent in!

If you want to take part you’d better hurry as you only have until midnight on Friday 12th February to submit your entry : women.thebppa.com

Women in Photojournalism

Protesters clash with police at the Barton Moss fracking site, Manchester.

Protesters clash with police at the Barton Moss fracking site, Manchester. Photo: Lynne Cameron/PA.

When the association was mentioned in an open letter talking about Gender in Photojournalism The BPPA’s Vice Chair Lynne Cameron said in her response that “The Board of The BPPA welcomes constructive input from anyone who wants to help to promote and inspire great photography. If you have ideas on what more can be done on the issues raised then please get in contact with me or any of the other members of our Board.”

We are very happy to report that we have received notification of two things that are happening that will make a positive contribution to women in particular and diversity in general in photojournalism.

FotoDocument.org have announced the launch of their 2019 Women’s FotoReportage Award in honour of Marilyn Stafford. This year’s award will be supported for the first time by Nikon. You can read the press release below or you can visit their website here.

Photo Forum are hosting a panel discussion on the subject of diversity in photography chaired by Helen Healy, Head of Pictures at the Financial Times with photographers Anna Gordon, Suzanne Plunkett and Chin We. The venue is theprintspace, 74 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8DL on Tuesday 8th October 2019 and the start time is 7:00pm. You can read more here on the Photo Forum website

The FotoReportage Award press release says:

£2000 will be granted to a professional woman photographer towards the completion of a compelling and cohesive documentary photo essay which addresses an important social, environmental, economic or cultural issue, whether local or global.

The work should, in part, showcase positive solutions to any issues it raises in order to contribute to constructive photojournalism, in line with the wishes of Marilyn Stafford and the aims of FotoDocument. The Award is reserved solely for documentary photographers working on projects which are intended to make the world a better place and which may be unreported/under-reported.

Women from any stage of their careers are welcome to apply, whether emerging, mid-career or established. They must already have started the photo essay for which they are seeking funding and be able to show work in progress. In addition, they must have already completed at least one other documentary photo essay to demonstrate track record prior to applying for funding. Entrants must be over 18, they may be any nationality and based anywhere in the world. It is free to submit.

Submissions will be reviewed by panel including: Rebecca Conway – 2017 FotoAward winner, Nina Emett – Director of FotoDocument, Rebecca Newton – PR & Social Media Manager Nikon and Marilyn Stafford herself among others.

One overall winner will receive The Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award of £2000 towards the completion of their project.

The final work will feature on the FotoDocument and Nikon websites and will be publicised via social media.

Partners will collectively endeavour to gain coverage for the final work in the international media, without any guarantee of this outcome.

Short-listed applicants will have at least one of their images profiled on the FotoDocument and Nikon websites and publicised via social media.

There will be a screening of the 2019 FotoAward winner’s work at the launch of the Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award 2020 to celebrate International Women’s Day on 10 March 2020 at the Nikon School in central London.

Submissions close at 5pm on 15 November 2019.