Bitterness and short memory

Laura Pannack's winning shot of the foto8 Summer Show. And no, I don't know him and I didn't ask him to pose. © Magnus Andersson

The wretched* thing that is the foto8 Summer Show took place last Friday and I was going to boycott it based on the simple fact that none of the three images that I entered got accepted. Plus it cost £10 to get in on the night, on top of the £15 entrant's fee that I'd already paid to enter my unsuccessful images. Bitter, me? Pfft!


If you are thinking of going with your dignity intact, please remember your rangefinder; in this case a Hasselblad X-Pan. © Magnus Andersson

I mean, come on, PPY charges £20 but all entrants gets a copy of the £17.99 book and free drinks if you can make it on the night, and its in a spacious venue to boot - The National Theatre. And the PPY book is bigger...


Size comparison: foto8 vs. PPY books. © Magnus Andersson

Anyway, I then got word from my friend Tiziano that there was a spare ticket going and would I be interested? Of course I would! Short memory, me? Hell yes.


Not sure what is going on her in terms of B&W/colour etc. © Magnus Andersson

Turns out that our mutual friend Alex couldn't make it to London in time for the show so instead I came along and acted as his intrepid reporter from the show. The lucky git had all three of his entries accepted.


Jon Levy announces that happiness is now to be enjoyed (for the remainder of the party, at least). © Magnus Andersson

From his perspective, he might have been a bit disappointed to that see 2 of his 3 pictures where hung right at floor level. Do you know how difficult it is to view an image at ankle height? If that wasn't bad enough, his trio of images all came from the same story but were not placed together. But these are my words - NOT his - and at least his work was good enough to to be included, so I just need to try harder next time [swallows bitter pill].


An Alex Masi print (R) hung at ankle height. © Magnus Andersson


Another Alex Masi print hung at ankle height. © Magnus Andersson

After several unsuccessful attempts of avoiding the free bar, we finally managed to get around to see the whole exhibition and I think the words 'information' and 'overload' comes to mind. And before I get an angry rant from Jon Levy, I must add that I really appreciate what foto8 are trying to do in this show case and in fact we need more people doing it, giving a space to all strands of current photography.


A print/back of heads. © Magnus Andersson


Having been part of a group exhibition before (which was nowhere near as complicated), I know how much time the foto8 team must have put in into hanging 153 (!) prints properly in such a small space, but more importantly, space or no space, as a showcase for current photography it is a must see!


Towards the end of the night you could actually see some of the prints properly. © Magnus Andersson

Perhaps this lack of contemporary photographic spaces reflect the lack of funding in the industry at the moment, but a show like this deserves a bigger space and I cant really fault HOST or foto8 for for pulling off the show and especially the opening night, year after year.


Live band in action on Honduras Street. © Magnus Andersson

Note to self (and anybody thinking about entering the Summer Show in 2011):

Don't go for IKEA frames. You'll disappear in the judges eyes. Saying that though, quite a few IKEA frames still made it...hmm. OK, just print BIG and you're in, no matter how average your pic is.

*Its actually brilliant, especially the opening night, which is worth a tenner in booze alone, not to mention the photography on display, so there.

PPY 2010

Organiser Tim Bishop (R) eventually gets David Bebber's name right after initially announcing Daniel Berehulak as this years winner. Oops! © Magnus Andersson

Monday night saw the winners of The Press Photographer's Year accept their prizes at The National Theatre on Southbank. I went down there with my former colleague Rob Logan to enjoy the exhibition but more importantly the free bar. It would be even better if next year the do is on a Friday rather than Monday night...not that it made a huge difference to us, we always drink responsibly.


Some - but not all - of the winners. © Magnus Andersson

David Bebber of The Times deservedly won Photograph of the Year with his sublime shot of Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi but there were quite a few photographers who couldn't accept their prizes due to having to work. I think the whole event coincided with the eviction of the protesters from Parliament Square as well, so that might well explain some of the absentees.


My favourite photo was the haunting portrait of snooker player Alex Higgins (who died yesterday) by Cathal McNaughton. © Magnus Andersson

The only hiccup came when one of the organisers, Tim Bishop, accidentally read out the wrong name when presenting David Bebber's big prize - in Tim's mind it had apparently gone to Daniel Berehulak again! It took a couple of seconds before he realised his mistake and announced David as the winner, but I think we all know how Tim voted. ;-D


My contribution up on the wall. © Magnus Andersson



And finally my shot of Boris in the PPY book, next to some crying fascist and the leader of the free world. © Magnus Andersson

PPY 2010

London Mayor Boris Johnson tumbles into the Ravensbourne river during a photo call. © Magnus Andersson

You'll have to excuse me if its been a while since posting but I've taken time off work to care for a loved one who is in hospital. There is a lot of waiting involved so yesterday, as usual, I perused Twitter to pass some time. I noticed that the winners of The Press Photographers Year 2010 had been put online so I browsed through the winning entries.

To say that I was surprised when I saw my name and one of my pictures is an understatement! I had been one of the 'selected' (i.e. not a winner) in the News category, but I had no idea until that very moment, killing time in the hospital.

I had to do a double take. Usually local press photographers get short shrift when you go up against the international photojournalists, so I'm doubly pleased and honoured to have been selected. Massive congratulations to the overall winner; David Bebber of The Times!

The original blog post about the picture can be found here, and if you go the PPY website, it shows up as #81 of #119 in the 'slideshow' option.

Here's a previous post from the awards night of PPY 2008, when Daniel Berehulak scooped the big one.

Jimmy Nachtwey distracted by Swedes?

© James Nachtwey/VII

I've read quite a few accounts of James Nachtwey's appearance in Sweden only two days ago and they have been pretty downbeat, some of them very disappointed to MEET GOD. Personally I would have liked to have been there to see for myself if HE EXISTS, but PJ-religious-bashing-aside, perhaps there was a reason for his distraction after all?

Have a look here. There might just be a big announcement that Jimmy has gone and won something - quell surprise! But he's counting on us this time to publicise it. Until we know more, Jimmy, we can't do much for now.

If he gets it, does he deserve it? You bet he does.

Forza Ale!

© Alex Masi

My good friend and fellow photographer Alex Masi has managed to sccop a prize at the Environmental Photographer of the Year 2008 award, where he was runner up in the Quality of Life section. Congratulations, Alex! Guardian link here, BJP here.

While on the subject of competitions, there's a couple of new one's around, with decent prize money too; $30.000 and $50.000 respectively. Start preparing your folio's.

Press Photographer of the Year 2008

© Magnus Andersson

As you already know, the winner of PPY 2008 was Daniel Berehulak, but today - at the private view - I managed to pap him! That's Daniel (below) bottom left, with his winning image projected above him.


© Magnus Andersson

OK, maybe you can tell that I don't do papping in my day-to-day work, praise be Thor, but it was a wonderful night of great images on display in the National Theatre. Here's Daniel accepting the prize.


© Magnus Andersson

Not so wonderful was the boasting of one of the young winners (whom shall remain anonymous), but he claimed to be a wonderful speech-giver, let alone a GREAT photographer, and possibly flirtatious with anyone happening to be female. OK, he might have been drunk.

On a lighter note, there was massive trouble with the wireless microphone during the announcements, and this one (below) kind of captured the happy and relaxed mood of the evening, when the mic cut out for umpteenth time.


© Magnus Andersson

There was also lots of free booze, so I must go to bed now. Some of us must work tomorrow.

Results are in

© Daniel Berehulak

Its Friday and I'm off to an exhibition which I've played a small part in, but more importantly, the results for The Press Photographer's Year 2008 are in! That Daniel Berehulak gets everywhere, doesn't he. Good stuff.

The same old shit again?

On my way to photograph the woman above I stopped into a bookstore/cafe to pick up a coffee. On one of the displays was the book I've been waiting for since the winners were announced a while ago; World Press Photo '08! Go and get your copy now, pronto.

Legendary snapper Gary Knight, also chairman of the WPP jury, puts in his foreword: "A principal purpose of the World Press Photo contest is to celebrate great achievements in press photography, and it is disappointing that so much of what was submitted was familiar. One wonders why some photojournalists spend their time and energy telling us what we already know, in a style borrowed from another photographer". Harsh words indeed, but they also needs to be told. Photojournalism is considered to be in a bit of a crisis right now, with shrinking budgets and competing new media cited as main factors to this decline. But what he really is saying that as PJ's we need to develop our own vision and go with it, not give in to recreating pictures that have worked in the past, to constantly push the boundaries of visual journalism. Not all assignments can be done in radically different way, but if you don't strive for development you end up with stagnation and risk losing your audience.

Anyway, the woman I was going to photograph is called Gina and had just completed six marathons in six days. She is 63 years old. Over the weekend she is running two more marathons. In total she has now done 278, and is soon of to South Africa to run the Comrades, a nice little 56 mile jog.

Picture: perfect example of a familiar image in a borrowed style! But its not WPP photojournalism, its a portrait of Gina, so hopefully Gary Knight will spare me this time.