Profile
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collaboration with the Photographic Society of America (PSA) and with the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) and we have just published a common definition of nature. This important goal has been possible thanks to the common spirit of friendship. I would like to increase FIAP’s world visibility, that means inside and among all of our member states but also with regards to the outside by means of strong partnerships with the most important photographic companies. But the most crucial achievement is continuing tobea federation inwhich all of us photographers, without any distinction, can feel recognised, can be represented and where all the countries and federations are treated equally and regarded with the same importance. For the future of FIAP, we must keep up the standards of our past, trying, if it is possible, to always do better. We’re an organisation ready to collaborate more and more with each national federation and ready to respond to the many needs of our authors; an organisation more organised and structured with the active support of many authors ready to collaborate with us at different levels.; an organisation at the service of the single federations, with intensive utilisation of new technologies.
just my passion. I have a career as a professional trainer. I still find the time to take pictures. I strongly believe that to help other photographers, we must share the same common passion. Being the president of one of the most important photographic organisations and not taking photos makes no sense. First of all I’m a photographer, then FIAP president. I enjoy taking wildlife photos, but travel and architecture interest me too. Visiting exhibitions and judging is the most exciting part of my role. I often have the opportunity to travel all around the world and to visit many esteemed photographic exhibitions. I started judging 32 years ago and I have already judged in more than 200 national and international competitions since 1982. I have taken part in international juries in 24 different countries. All these experiences have given me the opportunity to learn from different photographic cultures and meet many great photographers all around the world. At the moment, there are many interesting photographic movements all over the various continents with unique ways of interpreting reality and light. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Gulf area and have been everywhere from Qatar to the Emirates and from Oman to Saudi Arabia. I am particularly impressed by the way their artists are able to show the beauty of their countries from different perspectives and with different emotions. During the last 14 years, since I’ve been involved, FIAP has changed incredibly, but this is quite natural because the photographic world has undergone such a quick evolution. New technologies have obliged all principal photographic organisations to change their approach. There are now more photographers then ever and the changes are more important and are occurring faster than ever. The most rewarding part of being FIAP president is without doubt discovering that the many events organised by FIAP are capable of uniting people of different cultures, religions and political ideologies. Knowing that this is, in a small part, attributable to my work gives me great satisfaction. For example, in the first two years of my presidency, for the first time in history we established a very important
amongst others. In addition, there are different directors of services that help the board in the administration of various FIAP activities. The support that FIAP provides to all our federations is to maintain strong relations, under the common banner of friendship. Organising several World Cups, exhibitions under FIAP auspices, Distinctions, photo meetings and more than 300 competitions every year are just a small selection of the services that FIAP is able to offer. And I really hope that in the future a closer collaboration between us can bring more concrete results to all our federations and their members. The official languages of FIAP are French and English, but many documents are translated into Spanish and German. Our common language is photography. Friends from different parts of the world are able to communicate by sharing works. Clubs can join FIAP as ILFIAP and receive periodical, up-to-date information direct from FIAP. We have a World Cup that is open to all clubs and participation is free for ILFIAP clubs. We have particular Distinctions for ILFIAPs, with the aim of honouring meritorious photographic clubs, and we have particular exhibitions dedicated to ILFIAP and these allow all our clubs to make contacts with in other clubs around the world. For individual photographers we have the FIAP life card which is compulsory for all FIAP Distinction holders and we are looking at creating new opportunities for all members of our federations. We currently have members in 85 countries on five continents and more than 55 different ILFIAP clubs. Life as FIAP president is very busy. I organise the activity of the board and give the directions. I’m charged with developing and managing the most important international relations. I have frequent contact with all members of the board and with many of our liaison officers and presidents of our national federations. Unfortunately though, FIAP is First of all, I’ma photographer, then FIAP president
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Puffins; Patagonia, 2014; The model; Tioman; Norway, 2013; and Verso la luce. All by Riccardo Busi.
π To find out more, go to www.fiap.net.
AboutFIAP
FIAP is the international organisation at the head of national federations, such as the PAGB, and its members span continents around the world. It began life in Switzerland in 1950 when Dr Maurice van de Wijer opened the constitutive FIAP congress with the aim of establishing and nourishing international relations through photography. Today the organisation represents well over one million photographers and recognises photographic achievements with its Distinctions programme. Distinctions are awarded to celebrate a photographer’s success in international exhibitions. In addition, it also recognises outstanding service to photography with its Excellence and Honorary Excellence FIAP Distinctions. It is run entirely by volunteers and decisions regarding FIAP policies are made at its annual conference held in a different member country each year.
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Issue 11 | Photography News
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