Susan Renée ABIPP

Selecting a mentor can be quite a daunting experience and a very tricky decision, one not to be taken lightly. It would be extremely unwise to select someone that does not possess the ability to highlight  strengths and weaknesses and of course then to demonstrate how to make the difference to their career. Once the strengths and weaknesses have been ascertained, then and only then do you have starting point to make the improvement.


Susan plucked up the courage and called me. Her ethos is, to give her clients  her very best at all times, that sat well with me. I have always driven forward to be the very best that I can possibly be.

This call was to be a career changing move for her, Susan was of the opinion that although she was producing work which her clients loved, the artist inside  was waiting to be realised and her full potential to be exhibited for all to see. I was confident that Susan had complete faith in me.

 Susan operates a highly successful wedding and portrait business in Aberdeen, Scotland.  Her clients are falling over themselves to assure the wedding day would be covered by her, so why would she wish to go further?



 The answer could be discovered by studying  her previous career of teaching, reaching the dizzy heights of not only Head Teacher, but Head Teacher of all Head Teachers in Scotland. Not wishing to rest on her laurels, Susan took the decision to enhance her skills in available light, composition, and refinement of her photography.


Susan also desired to gain a qualification within the BIPP, we decided we would work towards a Licentiate, but aim for Associateship status. This calls for dedication and perseverance, which was never in doubt in Susan's case.


This was going to prove to be somewhat of a logistical nightmare, Aberdeen being  the opposite end of the country to sleepy Bradford Peverell in West Dorset.


Travel would involve  a flight from Aberdeen to Manchester, followed by a second one to Southampton,  finally a train ride through the New Forest, from Southampton to Dorset. Pretty much a full day of travel with a very early morning alarm call.
Additionally there would be an emotional price to pay being away from her beloved sons, Spencer and Cameron for three days.


 The photograph below is one that was taken by one of her best friends, I personally think this sums up how she feels about her boys. It is a personal favourite of hers.

Susan had asked me to consider taking her to the next level, not wanting to take advantage of anyone or discredit my mentoring business, I would need to see the basics were already in place, if the photographer is not experienced enough, I would turn them away until the time came that they are ready to push themselves forward. It would be extremely  misleading and somewhat devious to tell someone that they were ready, far better to wait until the time is right to take the step up. It demands time and patience to achieve something worthwhile.

I studied a Susan's work displayed on her website and immediately knew I could assist her to become a superior photographer. Her site demonstrated to me that I would certainly be able and highly delighted to assist her in the process, however, it needed to be tweaked to take her to the higher standards needed to gain her qualification .


Looking at diaries, this was  never going to be easy when looking after a family, we decided to take the three days consecutively, July 14th - July 17th 2014. During this period, I became to understand who Susan was and just how talented she was already, but lacking confidence in her work.

The second day was going to be a location tutorial in Milton Abbey, this would  be led by Susan this could have proven to be quite intimidating unless it is handled skillfully and indeed  sensitively, however, it is essential in order for the mentee to grasp the subtle differences in light control and body posture.



Finally the third day was back in the classroom to go through a comprehensive set of notes on the delicate lighting employed by myself, something I have been using for 25 years.





The following weeks and months, Susan set out to capture the work needed, gradually her submission was building into a fine body of work. Body posture was imposed dramatically, casual posing and composition as in the portrait of the groom below.

Susan had it in her mind out to capture something special at each and every wedding she attended, this proved to give her a focus, as opposed to just hoping something would present itself in front of her. In this instance, elegance and refinement combined with subtle lighting assured her of a timeless classic.

While admiring this sensitively handled portrait, it demonstrates to me just how skilled Susan was in both capturing and creating this poignant study, the bride grasping a framed photograph of her mother who had recently passed away. This would have required trust on both sides, I personally feel this is one to be extremely proud of, the expression says it all. Mum would so loved to have been there at her daughters wedding.

Nothing was going to spoil this brides day, determined top get something worthwhile  Susan

has asked the bride to venture out into the snow, a slow shutter speed has captured this snowy scene to perfection.

January 2016, Susan visited me once again, this time to select the submission to BIPP, it soon became evident that we had more than we required and the selection process took place, at this stage I was very confident that the panel would not only make the target , but exceed that and was upgraded to Associateship on March 2nd.

 Looking at the available light portrait in the final image, handled with precision, detail from highlight to shadow, the work of a true professional wedding photographer.

Many congratulations Susan Renée.






Here is Susan's Facebook post in celebration

I'm somewhat overwhelmed and humbled to let you all know that I received my Wedding Associateship with the BIPP today. I had submitted what I believed to be a Licentiateship Panel so, as you can imagine, I am absolutely shocked and delighted! A lot of blood, sweat and actual tears went into the submission (particularly the supporting evidence), but the journey to get there, ie the taking of the pictures, was an extremely pleasurable one thanks to the mentoring, encouragement, belief and company of Kevin Wilson. 

I began making my visits to Dorchester on Tuesday 15th July, 2014 and the improvement in my work in the last 18 months is incredible. Kevin has taught me to look at light in a different way and to be more confident when posing clients. To be honest, most of the people I work for and with won't ever ask whether I'm qualified of not, but they undoubtedly have and will continue to reap the benefits of having 'Kevin's voice in my ear' when it matters on their wedding day. 

So, Mr Kevin Wilson, I salute you. You are a wonderful and gracious teacher (and I should know wink emoticon ), and I appreciate everything you have done for me and my boys. And finally, I hope this doesn't mean I don't get to visit Ted, ahem, I mean YOU, ever again.....?!

kevin wilson photography | wedding photographer | dorset

Joanne Gower - ABIPP

I thought it would be interesting to vary the content of this post in as much as instead of coming from me, it is Joanne's own thoughts which makes very interesting reading.


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I became a wedding photographer by accident. My best friend was getting married for the second time and asked me to do her photographs for her. In total ignorance of what it involved, I accepted, mainly because she told me if I didn’t do it, she wouldn’t have a photographer at all. I ran by the seat of my pants and did what I did by instinct. I must have done something right, because I suddenly had lots of enquiries and brides wanting to book me. For the first couple of years, I carried on, in complete happy oblivion, producing wedding images for delighted clients and not even thinking much about what I was doing. I then made the fatal error of starting to look at what other wedding photographers were doing, and by doing this; I convinced myself that I was doing the wrong thing! After all, no one else seemed to be doing what I was doing; working with available light, and the trend seemed to be for off camera flash and horror of horrors, I knew nothing of this mystical art! 

So, in a whirl of anxiety, I did various courses, bought training DVDs, read books and generally filled my mind with all sorts of new ideas. Twelve months later, I had a body of work and a collection of images that I couldn’t relate to. Whereas, in the beginning, I had had my own style and a way of working that sometimes frustrated me, but often gave me joy, I now had a collection of images that I felt disassociated from and unhappy with. In utter desperation, with a very heavy heart, and following a rather intense couple of hours one Saturday evening with a large bottle of red, I emailed Kevin Wilson asking for help. On the Sunday morning, when the phone rang, and my husband told me it was Kevin, I thought it was a wind up! Kevin’s uncanny perception was evident in his first words to me, “Had you been drinking when you sent me that email?” My shock and embarrassment were further heightened, when he followed up with “I’ve had a look at your website…” Ruing that bottle of wine and cringing at the thought of him actually looking at my work, I squirmed as I had never squirmed before!  I needn’t have worried, he followed with a cheery, “I can help you!” Despite my acute embarrassment, the relief was massive and within that first brief conversation, I learned enough to know that this was going to change the way I approached my photography forever.

Kevin mentored me for 15 months and in that time, I squirmed and suffered many times. Mainly at having to show him images that I know didn’t cut it. However, he has a unique ability to deliver feedback on your work in a way that makes you think rather than shrink! He encourages you to examine your work and to identify the weaknesses as well as pointing out the strengths. Never once did I feel that I was being criticised and I always came away from our conversations feeling positive, inspired and excited about what I might achieve. Working with Kevin gave me the confidence to be creative, the determination to work hard, the ability to be self-critical, the tenacity to keep trying and the inspiration to be different and avoid the commonplace. Mainly, I desperately didn’t want to let him down, fearing I would be the first of his many mentees to fail to make the grade! His guidance and belief in me, when I doubted my ability, kept me going and pushed me to find a way to achieve the results that I was seeking. I shed many tears (and I am sure I drove him to a few too!) and drank more than the odd glass of wine! There were a few times when I wanted to give up, and I almost fell at the final fence, when preparing my panel for my BIPP submission, but Kevin’s total confidence in my ability gave me the courage to go on.

I learned so much from working with Kevin, not just about photography, but about myself and what I am capable of if I really set my mind to it. Even now, when I am not under his expert guidance, I am continually surprised to see that each time I shoot, there is ongoing improvement and the skills that I developed under his guidance, continue to evolve and help me to grow as a photographer.

Under Kevin’s mentorship, I submitted a panel of work to the British Institute of Professional Photography with the faint hope of achieving my Licenciate qualification. To my utter astonishment, I was awarded the Associate level. Que another bottle of wine!

Kevin’s mentorship enabled me to reconnect with my own creativity. More importantly, he is a lovely person with the patience of a saint, and somehow, despite my determination to convince myself that I am crap, he gave me the confidence to be the photographer that I longed to be, and to achieve standards that I thought were beyond my reach.

If you are thinking about working with Kevin, stop thinking and sign up. You will be investing a very small amount in comparison to what you will get back!  It isn’t easy. You will work hard and Kevin does not spoon-feed you; he challenges and encourages you to seek your own solutions, offering guidance and feedback along the way. For me, this makes him a truly exception teacher, because it means that not only are you improving your own photography skills but you are also developing the skills to continually reassess your own progress and keep your work moving forward.

Working with Kevin, gave me permission to be the best photographer I can possibly be. Thank you Kevin, there are no words to express just how much this means to me!

One of the best things about Joanne is that she is constantly looking to improve and move upwards. 

kevin wilson photography | wedding photographer | dorset

Kevin Wilson FBIPP Mentee Profile

Scott Johnson FBIPP

My first encounter with Scott Johnson was at a BIPP awards ceremony in 2014,  this was for the Peter Grugeon Trophy, this annual prestigious award is in recognition to the candidate that is deemed to have submitted the  best associate submission in the preceding twelve months.

The next occasion was at the SWPP convention in April 2014, Scott was watching the final judging  of the 20 x 16 annual competition, it was evident that Scott had taken took a keen interest in this process, particularly as he had entered the various categories, this is a valuable learning experience for anyone wanting to know "what not to do in a print competition".
During one of the breaks, Scott approached me and asked if I would mentor him to his Fellowship, both in BIPP and SWPP in wedding photography.

Scott, being full of enthusiasm could not wait to get started, a date was set in the diary for 2015 to attain his fellowship, we targeted the first assessment day , March 10th 2015.

Scott brought his portfolio to me of his Associate panel, which was of a good standard, but nowhere near enough to go to the ultimate level, fellowship.

 It was then that we decided it would be best to start from scratch and use nothing from his A submission, it is not to often that someone would want to undertake this route, however, those that know Scott will understand, he does not lack in confidence, or indeed determination and enthusiasm for the craft of fine wedding photography, which in reality is the most demanding and difficult of genres to succeed in.
There are only 18 wedding fellows in the BIPP, that shows just how rigorous and demanding it is to be successful.

If anyone was going to attempt this task, I felt he was the man that could do it. After all, he does have a Black belt in Karate, so that demonstrated to me that he can be disciplined.

Scott had developed a talent that needed to be expanded upon, it is far too easy just to plod along in the middle lane, Scott was not made that way, he possessed a great eye for location, however he was lacking in the finesse of posing his subject and control of fine lighting, this was something he could be taught, having the eye was the most important element that cannot be taught easily.

So, the journey commenced in April, initially on a 2 - 1 with one of Scott's closest friends, after this taster day Scott  took the decision immediately to start in earnest with my mentoring.

Journey is not an understatement when you consider the 400 mile round trip to Dorset each time he visited, plus the financial cost involved. During these days  we would assess his progress and identify any weaknesses that were developing.

Each time Scott came to visit during the following nine months, the path was becoming clearer for him, he was going away with a clear and precise path that he needed to pursue. He would go away full of inspiration to carry forward to the next wedding.

The  work was getting visibly stronger and refined, exhibiting the elegance within his work  was  for his clients, as well as for his own self esteem, his Associate panel by this time was a distant memory.
Design and symmetry, coupled with composition was now falling into place.

Fellowship application is a discipline that has to be given the utmost thought, care and attention with no half measures, or failure is guaranteed, no short cuts and no need to rush, it is a journey to cherish and it certainly is not a race.

 Scott wanted to achieve so desperately that he would not let anything stand in his way, his head was down and on a mission.

Scott had placed his trust in me completely, having been told by two other photographers that he was a long way off fellowship, naturally he was delighted to hear that I could see real potential in his work.

Late December 2014, we met and reviewed the work and set about making all the other vitally important issues that go into creating success, never once did Scott question decisions I made, after all, he trusted me as much as I trusted him.



Fast forward to February 2015 and we were ready to commit to final output, trimming prints, placing in the correct sequence and now Scott could do no more until March 10 th 2015 .

His work was presented in front of the assessors and a unanimous decision was taken to award
fellowship.

Many congratulations Scott, the journey was well worth all the time and effort you placed into this project, your future is secure and now one of the leading wedding fellows in BIPP.

Ted wishes you well.

kevin wilson photography | wedding photographer | dorset

Kevin Wilson Mentoring Profile

Sam Mcdermott ABIPP Wedding Photography

My first encounter with Sam was in 2013, although not in person.

 Sam had submitted a portfolio of wedding photographs to the British Institute of Professional Photography in consideration for a Licentiate status.

 Unfortunately on this occasion, it was unsuccessful for a variety of reasons. Nobody wants to fail, quite soul destroying. However, so much has been gained from failure, had Sam passed on his first panel, he would not be sitting in the position he is today.

 Sam being a young man full of ambition and testosterone, he was totally deflated. He was keen to see what had gone wrong, a telephone call was made, a brief discussion took place and Sam made up his mind immediately, he wanted me to mentor him, particularly as he had long been an admirer of my work. 

During our discussion, Sam informed me that he was a third generation photographer, his father and grandfather before him, so qualification was important to him, he wanted to do it for himself .

Two weeks forward he was on a plane from Belfast to spend time with me, we spent considerable time studying and  practising the techniques I have implemented, both in the studio and out on location,  in addition to attending three of my wedding workshops.

 Sam felt he needed to go right back to the beginning, this was a complete shock to me, but really just what I wanted him to say, he was prepared to take his time, develop a sense of understanding of what makes a fine image, starting with exposure and composition, reflectors, light assessment and the quality of what would work,  more importantly what would not in a given location.

Once this had been mastered, we looked at posing and composition, one step at a time until each topic was thoroughly understood. 

Body position in relation to light, shape and contour was looked at in depth, composition with a similar process followed.

Output was discussed at length, I explained that print quality and presentation would play a key role in his submission, Paul Williams 01202 732211 was the printer chosen, someone I have known for many years, best of the best. 

Enthusiasm for the craft has to be mutual, which made the process much easier for us both, I believe sincerely that if you pursue qualifications and awards, you are not just in the business for the monetary gain, it is a two way process, it is about giving of your very best to the clients.  once this process has been completed, you will always be aware of pretty much everything that may come your way during the course of a wedding day.

As the weeks passed, his wedding portfolio became much stronger, narrative was taking shape, finesse shone through after each week. He was beginning to create the style he craved for.

As 2014 progressed the foundations became visibly stronger in his work, he could have submitted in the autumn of that year, although we could have placed a panel in front of the assessors that would have ticked the boxes,  this young man was not wanting to tick any boxes, he wanted to impress.

(After all, have you seen his ostrich skin shoes and sharp suits?)

 He was excited about some of the weddings coming his way in the autumn and winter. It was decided to hang fire, this was to prove to be a very wise decision, particularly as his prediction of flexible couples , keen to help in his quest for him to be successful combined with fine locations were going to really reinforce the folio.

Fast forward to December 2014, all images for discussion were collated and printed, ready for the first quarter A & Q day, March 10th 2015.  On this particular day, I also had two other mentees in attendance, more of that in the next blog

Up at the crack of dawn and Sam was on his way to the airport to exhibit his application for his Licentiate qualification, something the assessors were unwilling to do , instead he was instantly upgraded to the higher level of Associateship and nominated for the highly coveted Peter Grugeon award for the very best Associate panel of 2015.

It would not surprise me in the slightest if I were not here in the next 12 - 18 months, writing about him on attaining his Fellowship, so father and grandfather, you can take great pleasure on what you have instilled in this son, grandson and lovely guy.

Today, I feel proud to have helped him achieve his goal, a friendship has evolved which will last for many years to come, a few fine wines will undoubtedly be drunk this evening in Belfast.

Many congratulations young man. 

Sam Mcdermott ABIPP ARGB

kevin wilson photography | wedding photographer | dorset

" James Musselwhite FMPA FSWPP "

I have known James for around 12 years, he was in his twenties at the time, working for a Venture studio.

 I recall thinking to myself,  far too nice and talented to be working for an employer.
Venture was never really going to allow him the freedom that he would ultimately need if he wanted to become a photographer in his own right, purely for the simple reason that he was employed to do a job for the company and he would have been under restrictions. 

He set a goal to have his own business, which he now has, working with his young wife Felicity, her role in the business is partly as a creative, but more than that, her support for him has been unwavering, pushing him and instilling confidence.

 As a partnership it is easy to see how well the clients see them working alongside each other, they are a young , handsome dynamic couple, wanting to produce work that is perfect.

James approached me several years ago and asked if I would mentor him, after looking at his work, I decided that it would be something I would enjoy, particularly as James shares the same passion for his work that I feel for mine. I explained that it would be a bumpy ride, but with effort and drive he could do it. 

Success comes as a result of working hard, nobody is born a great photographer, it is just the same as in any other walk of life, you get out what you put in. James applied himself to the task ahead, working towards his Associate grade in the Master Photographers Association , this he achieved around 3 years ago with a collection of beautifully executed studio portraits. His panel was well planned throughout and flowed from one creation to the next, all printed in B&W, naturally it was very well received by the assessors.

 A couple of examples from James' Associate panel.

It was pretty clear that James was a Master of subtle lighting, it was this very strong element which went into his Fellowship. I often feel that once you have been awarded an Associateship, the step to Fellowship is all about refinement and finesse.

 James placed everything into pursuing qualifications, which has seen him evolve into a brilliant photographer, he now stands alongside the very best of the best in the business of photography, he will be looked up to by many who will be aspiring to follow in his footsteps, few will have the patience or skill do that, however, with the right attitude it can be done. 

Countless hours, days, weeks and possibly months are required if you want to be seen as one of the best at what you do, in return, this rewards his clients with a much higher standard of work as a result of James's dedication. 

This is exactly the approach that I wish all my mentees demonstrate during the time it takes to achieve their qualification, it may be a licentiate level, associate, or fellowship, the very highest award available to photographers within the professional associations. Or it could be to just have a goal to improve their photography skills, nevertheless, dedication is required.

In the case of James Musselwhite, this was exactly the case, he set about assembling a new submission, this time for the highest prize of all Fellowship, on September 19th 2014  he was  awarded not only with his fellowship, but went on to be rewarded further with the finest submission of 2014 in the Master Photographers Association. This is an accolade to be applauded, the best of the best. 

"More than anything, a fellowship submission, should bear the insignia of a true craftsman and master of his craft, the panel will sit comfortably as a set, truly the work of one person with a distinguishable style." ( kevin wilson )

January 2015 saw James excel once again, this time with another fellowship for the same panel at the Societies convention held at the Hilton Metropole in London.

James acceptance speech at the awards dinner was truly humbling, just as he is himself, his wife Fliss was there to see him receive the highest acclaim, where he duly told all in the audience that baby number two was on the way, a very fitting tribute to end the awards night.

James,
I for one will always hold you in high esteem, you have deserved these accolades and a panel to be so proud of. But more than that, you are my friend. Let the portraits speak for themselves.

Jolly Good Fellow

kevin wilson photography | wedding photographer | dorset

Katharine Boyd Davies : Editorial Portraiture ABIPP

One of the first things  I like to establish as a  " mentor " is to find out some background information. How they came into photography, their thoughts and aspirations ?

Each and every " mentee " that contacts me has to be realistic and have an understanding of what I feel is achievable for them. The last thing I wish to do is to offer false hope , it would be quite unrealistic to make promises that are at the best, misleading.

 Mentoring by Kevin Wilson takes time, and at considerable financial cost to the mentee . I have heard stories from some of those that I have mentored, or am currently doing so now, how  a previous mentor was paid a fee of £5000.00 in advance was paid and only one days tuition was given , the promise of everything just did not materialise.This is what I mean by misleading and leaving a bad taste with the mentees , money wasted with nothing to show.

 Countless hours, days and weeks are involved if you want to become one of the best at what you do. And be prepared to pay for the knowledge you will gain. 

I can proudly say that I have mentored some of the finest photographers in the UK, virtually household names, it is fair to say that nobody has had the success in teaching or guiding people through their qualifications at all levels and different genres as I have. 

By listening to their career and interests , I feel that much can be learnt  enabling to plan  for the ultimate success the " mentee " achieves , is it long term learning or is it something that can be reached fairly soon ?

Once we established the route to follow , it soon became very clear that Katharine's work was going to be more advanced than a Licentiate, so we decided to add strength and push for a level one step up, her Associateship .

 This is an unusual approach that is rarely  achieved and is dependent on the assessors all agreeing to take the submission to a higher level , thankfully , the assessors were all in total agreement that this should be the case , Katharine was awarded the higher status on the same day, furthermore , as her submission was deemed to be outstanding it  was nominated for the Peter Grugeon award.This accolade is for the best of the very best submissions throughout the year.

1. 
   

This is Katharine's story. 

" I always loved taking photographs but the thrill for me was finding finding the subject or seeing the image and composition, I was never much enamoured by the dark room process, although both my father and grandfather had their own.  I am lucky in that I have always been surrounded by artists and great imagery.  My father took us to many of the great art museums in Europe as a small child and I have been buying postcards or hovering around musuem coffee shops ever since! 

 My own early career in London was spent working across some of the best magazines, Harpers & Queen and Country Living and then on moving back to Dorset 10 years ago, working for the National Trust in the region.  It was with the National Trust that I discovered how much digital photography had changed the game for me with my own work and I started doing some location portraiture to help build up a bank of marketing images.  With little or no budget I would rope in mates and set up shoots at stunning locations and very quickly I was hooked.  

within a very short space of time, Katharine had a clear understanding of using light creatively, selecting the correct camera for the task in mind. Although almost every family owns a digital camera, it does not enable them to take a meaningful child study like this. 

" After leaving work to start a family I reinvested in my photography, trying to improve and building my portfolio.  I set about promoting myself in earnest for location portraiture in 2011 and step by step I have built my small business and reputation locally.  My love of the arts and creativity continually pull me towards more narrative portrait projects and increasingly I am commissioned for editorial and lifestyle projects ".

In this particular case, the artist has been placed within her surroundings which in turn adds narrative, Katharine has made good use of space and colour. In the second instance, I particularly like the mirror image of the artist , not instantly noticed, however the awareness of Katharine to seek something different has worked extremely well.

Katharine has a real sense of colour and is becoming a great stylist, turning up to locations and adapting as necessary to both light and surroundings, giving this image a light and airy feel .

 " By far the most beneficial part of my development has been the mentoring I have had with Kevin Wilson.  I approached Kevin in the hope that I could attain my qualification with the BIPP and crack some of the technical elements I wanted to develop.  What I actually achieved with him went far beyond that. 


 I feel I have a much greater understanding of my own inspirations and creativity and much more confidence in my work.  It has been a fulfilling and inspiring time for me and I am truly grateful.  I think photography has been a bit life-changing for me.

  My portraiture has  become better paced and more considered . I am fast developing a unique style that is polished and rewarding, both personally and of course financially which in turn has led to more commissions of varied nature.

I feel that I no longer find locations daunting, I have the skills and confidence to carry out portraits and stylised documentary work. 

" Creativity and Art ", can meet together, this is something I try to bring to each and every commission ".

During the last year, I have covered many rewarding portrait shoots , in particular providing character portraits of vulnerable young men in rehabilitation.

Passion for my work is never in doubt, I adore people and ensuring that I make them look their very best with composition that is commensurate to the portrait setting.


Composition of my imagery has improved dramatically , as has my posing skills enabling the sitter to look and more importantly to feel comfortable ".

Compassion for my work is never in doubt, I adore people and ensuring that I make them look their very best with composition that is commensurate to the portrait setting.

Composition of my imagery has improved dramatically , as has my posing skills enabling the sitter to look and more importantly to feel comfortable ".

I am always drawn to the quote from Paul Caponigro  "It's one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it's another thing to make a portrait of who they are."

Katharine is now embarking on her fellowship with a clear idea of what we are wanting to achieve, 2015 will be an eventful year for her, however, she now has all the necessary skills that will help her along the way.

I very much relish the thought of being a part of her journey. 

kevin wilson photography | wedding photographer | dorset

Amy Lacey ABIPP in Wildlife

Amy Lacey ABIPP in Wildlife

On 3rd March 2014 at the National Photography Show, I was representing the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) as an assessor and mentor.  As usual this is a very busy time for the BIPP in attracting new members to gain qualifications.  One of the beauties of belonging to an association such as the BIPP is the depth and diversity of membership and their skills.  This day proved to be particularly productive when Amy Lacey BSc presented her portfolio for review on wildlife photography.  

Amy graduated from Bristol University with a degree in Zoology.  After graduating, Amy travelled to Africa to work on an Elephant conservation project which gave her the opportunity to further her portfolio and her online gallery.  During the following 10 years Amy extended her collection of work to include big cats, wildebeest, giraffe, birdlife and primates.  Amy travelled extensively throughout Africa, Asia and South America.  Upon her return to the UK she decided that she would like to seek recognition within the premier Photographic Association - BIPP.  

Although I am recognised as an expert in wedding and portraiture photography as well as a highly respected chairman and judge, I do have the ability to recognise raw natural talent and photographic ability, Amy had these qualities in abundance.  

The initial route through the BIPP as a qualifying member, however as soon as I viewed her portfolio it became evident that this was a step she would not have to worry about.  It became immediately apparent that here was a photographer that is deeply passionate about wildlife and conservation.  During our discussion I asked Amy about her wildlife photography and she responded with the following:

"I relish the unique challenges of photographing wildlife and my background has given me a real advantage in this field of photography: my in-depth knowledge and understanding of animal behaviour enables me to capture unique and beautiful situations that tell an important story and hopefully inspire viewers to appreciate and foster a desire to protect and conserve our wild spaces and the animals that rely on them for survival."

One of the delightful elements of her portfolio was the sheer attention to detail, composition, timing and feeling for the environment around her which not only showed the animal but more importantly its natural habitat.  At this point, I questioned the luck element within her work, a rather cheeky question as many people think they are wildlife photographers just because they have been on safari.  However I realised that this work was not taken just by chance.  It took all the skills of a hunter to capture such intimate studies as these.  Amy related to a situation concerning a leopard, notoriously shy and elusive, where patience was going to be required,

"After much tracking, I encountered a female leopard who had just made a kill. Unfortunately, she was concealed behind dense undergrowth guarding her quarry. Rather than passing up the chance, I decided to wait by a nearby tree where I anticipated she may choose to rest after feeding. After more than an hour's wait, I was rewarded by her climbing into the tree where I was able to spend time with her as she rested from the heat of the mid morning sun. Even then, photography was challenging due to the density of branches. Her attention was caught for a split second by a sound which made her turn her full face to me. I was satisfied with that amount of intrusion and decided to retreat knowing I not only captured the leopard, but more importantly, a slightly different location to that which one would normally expect."

Over the coming months I was exceptionally proud and honoured for Amy to place her trust in me as her mentor.  At this point although Amy had presented her portfolio in colour I suggested that her particular submission would be embellished further if we were to convert to black and white. After a few trials we both agreed that this was the best way forward. Presentation is also vitally important. We ensured that this was going to be both sympathetic and impactive. Amy's working profile was painstakingly assembled, giving further supporting evidence to her submission. Final selection was made, densities checked and adjusted as necessary. Many submissions fail on print quality, or should I say lack of. The task of printing was undertaken by Paul Williams and needless to say Paul interpreted her work artistically. 

Fast forward two months of exceptionally hard work and considerable cost, Amy presented her portfolio in front of the judges who were highly impressed both with the content and variation. After due deliberation, the assessors decided that this submission would pass at the Licentiate level. However, it was proposed for this particular submission should be awarded an Associate standard of the BIPP. Amy was introduced to the judges by the CEO and Chairman, Chris Harper, who informed her that her panel had been upgraded to the higher level.  For the future, Amy will be working towards her fellowship. I am in no doubt that this is not beyond her capabilities and I would encourage her to start thinking about this very soon. 

kevin wilson photography | wedding photographer | dorset