Committee
As elected at the first branch meeting, with additions at the second branch meeting, the committee of the London Photographers’ Branch consists of:
- Chair – Jess Hurd
Jess Hurd is a photojournalist and campaigning photographer, with 15 years experience supplying images and photo-essays to international newspapers, magazines, trade union journals, NGO’s and movements of social change through her library Report Digital.Beginning her work as a staff photographer on Socialist Worker she has been a London based freelance since 2001 working with a broad range of campaigning organisations on social issues often inadequately covered by the mainstream press.
In the international sphere, she has worked at the global political grassroots – the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela, the Zapatistas in Mexico, and urban social movements in Brazil, India, China and Africa.
Jess is a passionate advocate of press freedom which has come under increasing threat in the UK. She is one of the founders of ‘I’m a Photographer Not a Terrorist‘ a campaign against police repression. She is also an organiser of Photo-Forum, a monthly London event where professional photographers showcase their work, socialise and discuss photographic issues in a supportive environment.
She is an active member of the National Union of Journalists and proud to be organising the first London Photographers’ Branch alongside her membership of the International Federation of Journalists and the British Press Photographers Association.
Library: reportdigital.co.uk
Blog: jesshurd.blogspot.com
Twitter: jesshurdphoto
Mobile: 077131 51765 - Vice-Chair – Antonio Olmos
Antonio was born in the border town of Mexicali, Mexico in 1963. His early life was dominated by the close proximity of US-Mexican border, which his family crossed back and forth until eventually settling in Fresno, California. Antonio studied photojournalism at CSU-Fresno where he worked on its college newspapers, The Daily Collegian and Insight, as both photographer and picture editor. Before leaving he served internships at The Los Angeles Times, The Fresno Bee, The Kansas City Star as well as The Miami Herald where he ultimately stayed on as a staff photographer.After three years at the Miami Herald, Antonio decided to become a freelance photographer. Focusing on his long-standing interest in Latin American issues, he based himself in Mexico City and for several years covered Central America and the Caribbean.
Antonio based himself in London in 1993 and has focused on issues dealing with the environment and human rights. His work is published widely in many international newspapers, magazines and weekend supplements. In 2001 Antonio was awarded a 1st place World Press Photo Award in the ‘people in the news’ category, singles, for his work on the Intifada in Palestine for The Observer Newspaper. The diverse subject matter of his work has taken him all over the world including the Americas, Europe and Africa.
- Temporary Secretary & Welfare Officer – Jason N. Parkinson
Jason is a freelance video and print journalist based in London. He works for most television news outlets and multimedia packages for online national newspapers. He specialises in covering public (dis)order events, both nationally and internationally, and investigations covering social and environmental issues.
With ten years of video editing behind him, he retrained in 2001 at the London School of Journalism, securing an Honours Diploma in freelance and feature writing.
Blog: jasonnparkinson.blogspot.com
Email: jasonnparkinson@googlemail.com - Legal Rep – Marc Vallée
Marc Vallée is a London based photojournalist. Since the mid 1990‘s Marc has been documenting the energy, self-expression and idealism of different sub-sections of youth culture, political protest and dissent in Britain and America.
In the later 80‘s at the age of eighteen Marc started work as a typesetter and layout artist for the left-wing weekly the Militant. After five years at Militant Marc headed off to art school and gained a BA and MA in fine art.
Marc is also an investigative journalist who has worked on major front page investigations on police surveillance of protesters and journalists as well as covert state targeting of environmental activists for both the Guardian and the Financial Times.
Marc also writes regularly about press freedom, photographers’ rights and civil liberties for the Guardian’s Liberty Central.
Marc was the first Secretary of the London Photographers’ Branch of National Union of Journalists and is proud to be it’s Legal Rep. Marc is also one of the founders of the campaign group “I’m a Photographer Not a Terrorist!” and is an active member of NUJ Left.
About: marcvallee.co.uk/about
Blog: marcvallee.co.uk/blog
Guardian Profile: guardian.co.uk/profile/marc-vall-e
Twitter: marc_vallee
Email: marc@marcvallee.co.uk - Treasurer & Web Editor – Jonathan Warren
Jonathan is a freelance photographer based in London working for daily newspapers, magazines and news websites. He graduated from University of Wales, Newport in 2009 with a degree in Documentary Photography.
He is also one of the organisers of the monthly Photo-Forum event and joint founder of the “I’m a Photographer Not a Terrorist!” campaign.
Blog: jwarren.co.uk/blog
Twitter: nmec
Mobile: 077939 40759 - Membership Secretary – Guy Smallman
Guy is a London based freelance photographer who has worked all over Europe and also the middle east, Latin America and South Asia. His recent work in Afghanistan has been published throughout the national newspaper and magazine market with major features in both the Financial Times, Financial Times magazine and Channel 4 News website.
He has been an NUJ activist for over 10 years holding committee positions in both the London Freelance and London Photographers branches. He has brought successful legal actions against the Police both in Britain and Switzerland.
- Learning Representative – Phillip Wolmuth
Philip is a freelance photographer based in London and has been a member of the NUJ since 1981. Most of his commissioned work is for publications in the public and voluntary sectors. He also sells photos to a wide range of newspapers and magazines through his own online library and Report Digital.Library: reportdigital.co.uk
Mobile: 07957 572139 - Committee Members without portfolio:
- Jane Hobson (Co-Opted)
- Franc David (Co-Opted)