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

The BPPA’s Statement on the use of Generative AI by photo agencies

The BPPA’s Statement on the use of Generative AI by photo agencies

The news that Shutterstock’s generative AI platform has been used to create and sell child-abuse content, as reported by Petapixel, will concern everyone.

Images of child abuse have been constructed from datasets built using millions of real photographs, without the consent of the photographers or those in the photographs. Photographers should be wary of lending their work to any agency that might use it in this way.

The BPPA is shocked and disappointed that Shutterstock made this possible. It harms our members when agencies market genuine photojournalism alongside such imagery.

We’ve taken time to consider how this reflects on the work of photojournalists more widely, and the impact this has on our members.

Generative AI images are fiction. Image manipulation of any sort is against The BPPA’s Code. Use of such content by news publishers harms them and their audiences.

Trustworthy photojournalism such as is produced by members of The BPPA every day requires direct documentation of events by skilled photographers working to the highest ethical standards. Anything short of that is dishonest.

Further reading:
https://thebppa.com/artificial-intelligence-press-photography-and-the-bppas-position/

Surrey Police pay out after photographer Peter Macdiarmid brings civil claim for false arrest.

A still from his own car dashboard camera shows Peter Macdiarmid having been arrested and handcuffed. ©Peter Macdiarmid

Back in September 2022 The BPPA posted a short piece on our website about the arrest on the 24th of August of multi-award winning photojournalist Peter Macdiarmid whilst covering a Just Stop Oil protest at Clacket Lane Services on the M25, south of London. He was handcuffed and detained for several hours by Surrey Police despite identifying himself as the holder of a UK Press Card.

The post reminded Police Officers that journalists have a right and a duty to report the news. Peter engaged the services of the law firm Bhatt Murphy who sent a letter of claim to Surrey Police. Eventually last December Surrey Constabulary offered to settle out of court, but they are not accepting liability and are refusing to apologise for their actions. The law firm acting on behalf of Surrey Police responded to Peter’s lawyers and denied that any of the Surrey officers did anything wrong, arguing that the situation that they found when they arrived was confusing and that they had acted within the law.

Peter said after the result: “I have been a news photographer for 37 years and have covered many events where tensions were running high and police were under great pressure, this Just Stop Oil protest was not like that – it was very calm and protesters were voluntarily giving themselves up for arrest when a police officer decided to detain me on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage. I was unable to persuade the arresting officer that I was a genuine working press photographer and my press card was ignored. Whilst I am glad to finally bring closure to this after many months, I am disappointed in the actions of Surrey police in handcuffing and arresting me and then dragging out the legal process during my civil claim. Another colleague was arrested in similar circumstances in December 2022 by Hertfordshire police whilst covering a climate protest, but after legal action was started the force very quickly admitted it ‘unlawfully arrested and violated the human rights of a photographer who was held while covering climate protests on the M25’ and the Chief Constable personally rang to apologise to the arrested photographer. The stark contrast between the actions of the two police forces is telling.”

Congratulations to Peter and his solicitors for their perseverance in pursuing this case – Handcuffing and arresting a press photographer is unacceptable behaviour by Surrey Police. We believe that the Police got it wrong on this occasion and that this is far from the first time this happened and it is likely to happen again. In the end Peter has received damages and his costs, but would rather have not had to go through a lengthy and stressful legal process to clear his name.

Just Stop Oil Arrests

Just Stop Oil Arrests

Two press photographers and a documentary film maker were arrested whilst covering protests by the campaigning group Just Stop Oil on Monday 7th November. 

Tom Bowles and Ben Cawthra, both members of The BPPA along with BECTU member Rich Felgate were handcuffed and removed from two separate locations by Hertfordshire Police. A member of The BPPA’s Board has spoken to both photographers and, based on their accounts, we can report the following:

Tom and Rich were detained by the police at 10.44am, accused of suspicion of conspiracy to cause a nuisance. Tom wasn’t given a chance to offer an explanation for being at the location, nor was his UK Press Card acknowledged.

He was taken into custody and held until 1.20am the following morning and was released with no further action. Whilst in custody and speaking to his solicitor he found out that his house had been searched. This turned out to be by three male officers from St Albans. His wife and 14 year old daughter were both anxious about what had happened as they were woken to be confronted by this. His release papers said that he had been detained as he had been “Intentionally/recklessly causing a public nuisance.”

During his custody Tom repeatedly asked that his UK Press Card should be verified and when they eventually complied they informed him that his card had ‘failed verification’ although the police officers involved did not ask for his verification PIN. We have since checked and his card would have passed had they used his PIN. We have raised this with the UK Press Card Authority.

Ben’s experience was very similar. He was arrested at 8.15am after showing his press card, and having broken no law was still placed in custody. On arrival at the station he was told that his partner would be called but this didn’t happen. He had to push them to call her and they finally complied around 3pm – at approximately the same time that he had his first communication with an investigating officer. It wasn’t until his lawyer contacted them that things started to move along, which he believes was around 5pm. He was finally released at 11.30pm.

This isn’t the first time in recent weeks that this has happened. The arrest of Peter Macdiarmid covering a similar protest is still an ongoing matter.

The BPPA is deeply concerned that police forces are ignoring the UK Press Card and, more worryingly, are ignorant of what it is and what it represents. By arresting news gatherers they are going against a long-standing tradition of allowing the media to independently report the news. We sincerely hope that this is out of ignorance of how to identify members of the press and not a new policy of blinding society.

Still image taken from a video courtesy of Rich Felgate showing press photographer Tom Bowles being arrested by a member of the Hertfordshire Police Force minutes before Rich was himself arrested.

UPDATE: We have now written to the Home Secretary, various Members of Parliament and other senior figures who have the power and/or influence to help make sure that this doesn’t happen again. See the letter here

Appreciating the work of press photographers

©PA Jane Barlow. HM Queen Elizabeth II waiting in the Drawing Room before receiving Liz Truss for an audience at Balmoral, Scotland.

To launch the re-design of this site this piece by Karen Kay, which was originally posted on social media, has been reproduced here with her permission. Karen is a broadcast and print journalist who has worked on national newspapers, magazines and as a TV and radio, correspondent, presenter, producer and pundit for 30+ years. She now runs Shoot the Messenger, a media training and communications coaching business, and is married to a long-standing member of The BPPA.

Many of my friends and professional colleagues have talked fondly of this image, probably the last portrait of our Queen, taken by Press Association photographer Jane Barlow at Balmoral as she awaited the arrival of Liz Truss, to invite her to form a government.

Do read this piece. Appreciate the work of press photographers. Full disclosure: I’m biased, I am married to a stalwart snapper, and have long observed that he and his talented colleagues across the industry are rarely given the credit they deserve. At editorial meetings, industry parties, media awards, leaving dos, on front pages and inside spreads, it’s most often the scribes who are lauded, with photographers the unsung heroes who bring our words to life or whose work stands alone to tell a thousand words.

They often operate in the most challenging circumstances, given moments to work in an unfamiliar, sometimes hostile environment, or a setting chosen by someone else, often without consideration to background, light, composition and the comfort and character of the sitter. They work under immense pressure, often with hours of boredom then a few seconds to “capture the shot” required by a waiting newsroom, who often have a pre-conceived idea of what they are expecting. If a journalist misses a moment, they can write around it, glean anecdotes from others, sometimes report using news footage from the comfort of a newsroom, their living room or a hotel room, but not a photographer. Miss it and it’s gone. From war zones to world events, from protests to political portraits, they most often the first to arrive and the last to leave.

The last couple of days have highlighted the timeless power of a beautifully composed photograph. Whether it’s a news image documenting an event or a significant moment or a posed portrait, a still captures a split second that resonates in a way that video footage doesn’t. We can pore over detail and bask in the stillness. Almost everyone I know, and every business sharing public condolences, has shared images as a mark of respect on social media (almost certainly breaching copyright law), because a particular image or set of images resonates with their memory of a much-loved monarch.

It was extremely telling that, across the TV news broadcasts announcing the Queen’s death and in the hours that followed, so much of the coverage relied on photographs rather than filmed images of the late monarch. And, of course, the front pages and content of newspapers the following day, that still provide a starkly memorable punctuation mark in history, often bought as souvenirs of a watershed moment.

TV footage (& other filmed material) is valuable as a document, and tells different stories, but it has been wonderful to see people appreciate some truly exceptional photographs taken by the greats, such as Cecil Beaton, Snowdon, Lichfield, et Al, plus an extraordinary portfolio of work by press photographers over the years, including the delightful portrait by the late Jane Bown, formerly of the Observer, who was commissioned to mark the Queen’s 80th birthday with a private sitting, when she herself was 81. The radiant, serene black and white image released to announce the monarch’s death was from that session.

I have heard so many people – from royal pundits to friends – remarking on their favourite pictures of the Queen, discussing the candid moments of her with her horses or at the races, showing a contented woman with a beaming smile, or the exquisite frames of a young princess, dressed in swathes of couture silk satin by Norman Hartnell. Then there are the poignant ones that time stamp more painful moments – how can we forget that heart-rending frame of a frail, mask-clad widow sat alone, grieving in St George’s Chapel at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral. I urge you all to acknowledge and remember how valuable and important good photography is as a document – easy to forget now we all have an iPhone and 15,000 – often mediocre – images in our pockets.

The Association’s response to the arrest of Peter Macdiarmid

A still from his own car dashboard camera shows Peter Macdiarmid having been arrested and handcuffed. ©Peter Macdiarmid

Following the arrest of multi-award winning photojournalist Peter Macdiarmid whilst covering this morning’s Just Stop Oil protest at Clacket Lane Services on the M25, The British Press Photographers’ Association would, once again, like to remind Police Officers that journalists have a right and a duty to report the news.

Mr Macdiarmid identified himself as the holder of a UK Press Card which is a form of identification officially recognised by the National Police Chiefs Council but the officers from Surrey Police chose not to check and as a result a law abiding and extremely experienced photographer was detained for several hours.

The BPPA and it’s members would expect Police Officers to respect journalists and their work, recognise holders of the UK Press Card as professionals and not obstruct them in the course of their work.

Royal Parks Permits

In letters signed by The BPPA, the News Media Association, the Chartered Institute of Journalists, the British Association of Journalists and the Foreign Press Association in London and sent to the Editor of The Times and the Director of Communications, Marketing and Engagement for the Royal Parks the five organisations made it clear that restrictions placed upon news-gatherers excluding them from areas open to the public were unacceptable. The text of the letter to the Times said the following:

Sir, 

We are writing on behalf of professional photographers and journalists spanning the breadth of the UK news media industry.

This week, we have written to the Royal Parks to raise concerns about a clause in their news permits which prevents filming and photography at the back of No 10 Downing Street from Horse Guards Road or Horse Guards Parade.

This clause, which has recently been further tightened, unnecessarily restricts the legitimate activities of photographers seeking to report on hugely significant events happening right at the seat of power in this country.

The back entrance to Downing Street is an extremely important location for public interest news, particularly around a general election when a Prime Minister may change, or for reporting on activities taking place within Downing Street such as the Partygate.   We are asking therefore that the permits are updated to remove these restrictions. 

  • Owen Meredith, NMA chief executive;
  • Dominic Cooper, Chartered Institute of Journalists chief executive;
  • Matthew Myatt, British Association of Journalists general secretary;
  • Deborah Bonetti, director, The Foreign Press Association in London;
  • Paul Ellis, chair, The British Press Photographers’ Association.

The Times then followed this up with an editorial on page 9 of today’s edition (Thursday September 1st 2022). The letter to the Royal Parks made the same points.

The Royal Parks in London have (for a fee) issued permits allowing photographers to take pictures in their open spaces for many years. This always made it difficult for those wishing to cover the rear entrance to Downing Street but, in a recent revision to the rules, it became almost impossible.

The BPPA has been involved in several attempts over the years to sort out this issue and we hope that this latest effort will make the working lives of our members that little bit easier. In an ideal world the Royal Parks Permit would become a thing of the past and hope that this latest chapter in the long-running saga brings us into that world.

News gatherers are key workers

News gatherers are key workers. That was made clear by HM Government during the original COVID-19 lockdown and our Police forces acknowledged the vital role media workers play by recognising the UK Press Card Authority’s official Press Card as sufficient evidence that the holder is a working journalist.

Members of The British Press Photographers’ Association and their colleagues with UK Press Cards issued by other bodies were regarded with contempt by a significant number of officers of the Metropolitan Police Service as they repeatedly failed to recognise carriers of the UKPCA card, harassing and threatening them with arrest for non-compliance of lockdown rules as they covered the Million Mask demonstration in central London on 5th November.

At a time when HM Government and the emergency services of the UK continue to rely heavily upon the free press as trusted sources of vital public information during the COVID-19 pandemic, for officers to bully and inhibit working press photographers is both irrational and counterproductive.

The BPPA welcomes the apology to the Society of Editors but we are still concerned that MPS staff members are either ignorant of the arrangements in place or are deliberately choosing to ignore them.

The BPPA calls upon the Metropolitan Police Service and the National Police Chiefs Council to commit to adhering to governmental instructions regarding the recognition of UK Press Cards and their holders as key workers.

A Statement from The BPPA on the role of press photographers during crisis.

During any crisis, up to date trustworthy and impartial news is vital to all governments and authorities worldwide in communicating important advice and information to their populations.

The role of newsgathering falls upon the respective countries’ local, regional, national and the international media. Made up of photographers, reporters, broadcast reporters, camera operators and news crews working tirelessly out in the field supported by a plethora of editors, researchers and production staff covering the events and breaking news on a 24/7 basis.

Without these accredited mainstream media organisations operating, providing the public with vital and timely information in such crises, gossip and misinformation spread quickly, causing panic and potentially life-threatening situations with an added burden on the country’s already struggling authorities.

The UK government recognise the vital role that the press play in their battle against the Coronavirus pandemic and as such, awarded them the status of keyworker, along with other essential services seen to be imperative in the fight. Be it transport, utility, education, healthcare, local/national government and public services -the media, they each have their unique role to play.

Research conducted by The BPPA on interactions between bona fide press photographers and the general public during their coverage of the COVID-19 crisis revealed some very disturbing results in a number of regions across the UK, where photographers reported being threatened with violence, physically assaulted, trolled on social media, death threats, incitement to attack, even being spat at by members of the public whilst working on Coronavirus-related assignments.

This is absolutely despicable behaviour. It is completely unacceptable by any means and at any time and should not be tolerated by any member of the press. These are criminal offences and The BPPA strongly advise any of our members or any non-member to report such incidents to the authorities immediately.

No person, keyworker or other, should go to work with the fear of physical attack or abuse. Press photographers do not have the luxury of reporting from home, they have to be out in the field seeing and communicating what is in front of them and do this with a variety of camera equipment, be that with wide angle, standard or telephoto lenses. The misconception that telephoto lenses in some way give a distorted and more crowded view of a scene is as bizarre as it is ill-informed.

If you should happen to see a press photographer out on assignment during the current crisis and you are curious, please do not be afraid to ask for their credentials and have a chat (while observing social distancing advice please), we’re human like everyone else, with families and loved ones who are just as eager for life to return to normal as you.