Photography News 13

Competitions

Exhibiting up north The Northern Counties Photographic Federation (NCPF) was founded in 1901 but it was only 35 years ago that then-president Jane Black set up its salon, the Northern Counties International Salon of Photography (NCISP) INTERVIEW

How long have you been interested in photography? Since I was nine years old. It is my main interest and hobby in life: both organising related photography events and actually taking photos myself. Have you judged or entered exhibitions? I have entered from time to time over the years but kept no record. My great interest is travel photography and that costs. It is more important to go and take the picture than pay the high cost to enter it into salons. I have all the letters behind my name I want: ARPS, FPSA gifted from PSA and the top award from the PAGB, Hon PAGB. I have judged on the Dutch circuit, in Italy and sections in the NCPF. I am also a PAGB listed judge. Doyou see certain trends cropupover the years? Photographers all tend to study the winning pictures from the previous year’s entrants and follow the successful themes. There have been the

What’s a typical day in the life of an exhibition chairman like? It’s very busy; during the eight days of the year when judging is in full swing I arrive at the club rooms at 8.30am ready for a 9.30am start. It’s non-stop then throughout the day, ensuring everyone knows what they need to be doing as well as briefing and supporting the judges – I don’t get home until 10pm on these days. I do this for three days running for the print judging and for five days for the DIs. I always look forward to having the catalogue in my hand in November when another year is complete without any major problems. Whilst I have been chairman and the mover and shaker for 35 years, no one can achieve this alone. I have had very loyal, long-serving and hard-working committee members and support team members who have backed me up all the way. One member, Stan Bewick, started with me in 1979 and only retired in 2007 and there are others with service of ten and more years.

Interview by Megan Croft

ABOVE Austin Thomas’s image Little Owl Running succeeded in the 2014

For those who aren’t familiar, can you give us an introduction to the salon please? I was in my second year as president of the NCPF when the only international colour slide exhibition within the Federation (Stockton Photo Society’s International Colour Slide Exhibition) closed its doors. I felt this would leave a huge vacuum and so proposed the idea of an NCPF salon and it became a reality in 1980. I believed that this would be a prestigious event which would focus national and international attention on a well-organised but little known photographic body, the Northern Counties Photographic Federation. I also felt the substantial financial outlay could best be handled by the Federation and similarly the considerable workforce needed could be sourced from across all the clubs within the Federation. We received 2159 slides from 547 entrants in our first year.

Nature category. BELOWTsun Ip

Patrick Chow’s winning image Having Fun. BELOWRIGHT Rikki O’Neill’s Lady Love image won the PSA Bronze Medal in the Colour Print awards. BOTTOM RIGHT Yue Yun Chan’s Mum Give Me won a PSA Gold Medal for the best Colour Print Nature shot.

Photography News | Issue 13