Image Grant Smith - Design Jason N. Parkinson

June Branch Meeting: Photographing Children

An LPB panel debate with photographer Neil Turner, ActionAid chief picture editor Laurence Watts and Mike Schwarz from Bindmans Solicitors.

PHNAT Pamphlet Launch & ‘Stand your Ground’

Over 100 people attended the party to launch the PHNAT pamphlet, many of whom were press photographers directly affected by the misuse of section 44. A slideshow of images of police and private security guard showing harassment and detention of working photographers provided the visual background to the event. The images were bookended by Jason Parkinson’s films ‘Hostile Reconnaissance’ and ‘Collateral Damage’.

Hargreaves IP Review

The Hargreaves Review on Intellectual Property has now reported. But its key recommendation, the worst orphan works scheme yet, was immediately followed by a European draft directive proposing legislation for a radically different approach.

Michelle Stanistreet Audio

The NUJ’s new General Secretary, Michelle Stanistreet, answered questions from photographers at last night’s branch meeting.

Are You Trauma Aware?

Trauma sells, it dominates the news. We read about it every day, images of trauma bombard us through every media outlet. But what happens when the photographer becomes traumatised?

April Branch Meeting: Dealing With Trauma

A Pakistani man holds his baby, both affected by last Saturday's earthquake as they wait to be airlifted to capital Islamabad for further treatment, at an army base in the northern Pakistani town of Muzaffarabad, Friday Oct. 14, 2005. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Photojournalists – whether they report on war or traffic accidents closer to home – stand right at the frontline of reporting on violence and tragedy. At the London Photographers’ Branch meeting on Tuesday 26 April 2011 the discussion will be on Dealing With Trauma, with Gavin Rees from the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma and Associated Press (AP) photographer Lefteris Pitarakis.

North London and Herts Newspapers on strike

London Photographers’ Branch members joined General Secretary Jeremy Dear, General Secretary ElectMichelle Stanistreet and staff at North London & Herts Newspapers on the picket line this morning, on the first day of a planned two-week strike over job cuts.

An Introduction to Final Cut Pro

A course for all photographers, who wish to extend their skills base to include video editing.

Local Press Strike for Quality Journalism

From Tuesday, April 19 journalists at the north London newspaper group will go on strike over the Tindle business plan that is leaving once award-winning newspapers to dwindle and die.

Book to Raise Money for Japan Earthquake Victims

Following the devastating Tōhoku earthquake in Japan, in just one week unpaid professionals and citizen journalists got together via Twitter and Facebook and created a book to raise money for the Japanese Red Cross earthquake and tsunami relief funds.

NUJ Delegate Meeting Report

Photographers made an excellent contribution to a packed agenda at the NUJ Delegate Meeting in Southport.

We Are Press Not Police Intelligence

In the days following the TUC “March for the Alternative” anti-cuts protest on Saturday 26 March 2011 some media outlets published rogues galleries of 18 people sought by police for questioning, with some of the images gathered from news outlets, not just CCTV. One television news report freeze-framed on a masked protestor, the narrator saying: “Do you recognise this person?”

Different government, similar restrictions on freedom

Less than 2 months after the repeal of Section 44 of the Terrorism Act, the coalition government has introduced a section similar in all but name. Section 47a gives a senior police officer an authorisation to stop and search if the officer ‘…reasonably suspects that an act of terrorism will take place.’ This is marginally different from Section 44 in that there must now be a reasonable suspicion that an act of terrorism will take place, previously no reasonable grounds were required.

Links to minutes: Remember you need to log in.

Draft March Branch Minutes

Draft April Committee Minutes

22nd March, 2011

In the March Branch meeting, 6pm at Headland House on Tuesday 29 March, we will be holding a discussion on Demotix, the PA distribution deal and what  it means for the profession.

Solidarity with Egyptian Photographers

On a follow-up trip to Cairo, myself and Branch Secretary Jason Parkinson had a very emotional meeting with Mrs Anas, the wife of press photographer Ahmed Mohammed Mahmoud who was killed by a police sniper during the Egyptian Revolution.

Derby Format 2011: Right Here, Right Now

Talks by Richard Kalvar, Chris Steele-Perkins and Grant Smith

Brutalized, then Betrayed

By Joan Connell – Republished by kind permission of Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

The sexual assault endured by CBS correspondent Lara Logan in the chaos of Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Feb. 11‚ reported in a brief statement by her employer, brings to the forefront what has been a largely private conversation among female war correspondents about the distinct hazards they face.

You will need to log in to view the following links to minutes.

Draft February Branch Minutes

Draft March Committee Minutes

Suggested Positions for LPB DM Votes

Tuesday 22 Febrauary 2011, 6pm, Headland House.

The February branch meeting discussion will look into “Tips of the Trade”, with advice for photojournalists, experience from industry freelancers and insight from those creating and finding new outlets.

Paul Delmar is a photojournalist and ex-tutor of the NCTJ Photojournalism and Press Photography course at Sheffield Norton.

Carmen Valino is a press photographer working for many local London papers including South London Press and overseas newspapers such as El Pais.

Stephen Simpson is a press photographer and head/editor of the new news agency, London News Pictures (LNP).

Sarah Lee a freelance photographer for the Guardian/Observer newspaper.

Update

Demotix CEO Turi Munthe was due to come and talk at the February Branch meeting, but unfortunately due to a mix up in days Turi will not be able to make it, as he is abroad all week. He has expressed keen interest to come in and talk about the PA issue and Demotix as a whole, so we are discussing rescheduling him to the March Branch meeting. Apologies for the mix up.

Branch Members Slideshow

As requested by our members, we have increased the image submission to five images per person and a maximum video rush of 25 seconds. All images should be sent to the branch secretary. Video can be sent via a file share site. The next branch members slideshow is pencilled in for the February branch meeting, 22 February, 6pm at Headland House.

Any motions to the branch should be sent to the branch secretary prior to the meeting.

The Egyptian Revolution Film and Photo Night

After covering the first 18-days of the Egyptian revolution, many UK photographers and video journalists have returned to London and will be screening their work in a special one night event, organised by the London Photographers’ Branch (LPB) and the British Press Photographers Association (BPPA), at the Shortwave Cinema on  Tuesday 1 March 2011.

PA to Distribute Demotix Images

Article on the PA Demotix deal.

Elections for NUJ General Secretary

The National Executive Committee of the NUJ has just announced the dates for the upcoming election of the unions’ General Secretary.

Attacks on media workers in Egypt

Many journalists, attempting to simply do their job, have been threatened, beaten and arrested. London Photographers’ Branch members Jess Hurd and Jason Parkinson were covering the Day of Rage when they were attacked by the Egyptian secret police.

Wikileaks

Members may be interested in this event in support of Wikileaks, the controversial information leaking website that “Could become as important a journalistic tool as the Freedom of Information Act.” according to Time Magazine.

Skills Training – what do you need?

New software, new equipment, social media, multimedia, cameras that shoot Hollywood-quality video – do you need help keeping up?

Government Counter-Terrorism Review

After reading the Home Office review, it appears that the coalition government is planning to give the police new stop-and-search powers to get around the European Court of Human Rights’  S44 ruling.

Cadogan Estates Limited CCTV notice, Duke of York Square, King's Road, Chelsea. Image © Phillip Wolmuth.

Ground Control: A discussion with writer and journalist Anna Minton

25th January, 6pm at Headland House.

Street photography, which has a long and fruitful history of recording life in our shared public spaces, is under attack. The privatisation of public spaces – in London, Canary Wharf and parts of the King’s Road are good examples, but there are many more – is making it increasingly difficult for photographers to document how the world around us looks and feels in the 21st century.

Anna Minton’s book Ground Control reveals how, in recent years, “the market place has taken control from the local electorate. Now, untested urban planning has transformed not only our cities, but the very nature of public space. From Liverpool to Manchester, London to Newcastle, more and more streets are owned by private companies with the sole aim of making money”.

What can we do to re-assert the rights of the public in general, and photographers in particular (both amateur and professional), in our shared urban spaces?

Facebook Event Google Map

Annual General Meeting

Our meeting on the 25th January will mark a year since the start of the London Photographers’ Branch. It has been a packed year, the highlights of which you can read in the Chair’s Annual Report. We invite you all to come along and take part in the Annual General Meeting which will precede the normal monthly branch meeting with a speaker on the privatisation of public space.

6pm sharp – NUJ Headland House – drinks and nibbles provided.

We will elect a new committee, delegates to the NUJ Delegate Meeting in Southport and two branch auditors. Any member is entitled to stand for committee, however to hold a post as branch officer you have to be a full member.

Positions for 2011

(A) A chair
(B) A vice-chair
(C) A secretary to keep the records and convene meetings.
(D) Membership Secretary assists members with union membership and recruitment.
(E) A treasurer to be responsible for the funds in the care of the branch and for keeping accounts. No treasurer shall be aged under 18.
(F) A welfare officer to care for the interests of sick members and their spouses and liaise with the NUJ Extra.
(G) An equality officer to promote equality issues and provide a focus for questions and complaints arising from the code of conduct.
(H) A union learning representative focuses on branch training and education.
(I) Web Editor co-ordinates content for the branch Website, Twitter and Facebook
(J) Legal Rep assists and supports members pursuing legal issues.
(K) Non Portfolio members assist and contribute, but with no specific role.

The committee would encourage members to think about how they can contribute to the branch, we are very happy to have job-shares for committee positions, absolutely no experience necessary, we are all learning on the job! Feel free to contact committee members for details.

Candidates standing as branch officers will be allowed to address the Branch meeting prior to the election for a maximum of five minutes and questions can be asked of any candidate.

We will also briefly discuss amendments to the Delegate Meeting motions, which will decide the union policy over the next year/18 months. This is a very important meeting, I urge all members to do their best to attend.

Thanks again to all the out-going committee for their hard work and commitment to the work of the branch.

Jess Hurd, LPB Branch Chair

Equality for Freelancers: Sexual Orientation

The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 make it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation in the workplace. Defining the workplace, as freelancers, can mean doing a shift, working with a permanent contract or selling a single image or some copy.

Chair’s Annual Report

The year began with the fantastic Mass Gathering, where thousand of photographers descended on Trafalgar Square to demonstrate their opposition to the targeting of photographers under s44 of the anti terrorism powers. Branch members have been key to the success of the I’m a Photographer Not a Terrorist campaign.

Essential Photoshop for Photojournalists

This one-day course, organised by the London Photographers’ Branch, will demonstrate how to use Photoshop, Bridge and Adobe Camera RAW (the three linked programmes that make up Adobe Photoshop) Registration closes today.

“We can do anything under the terrorism act”

The NUJ has hit out at police claims they ‘can do anything under the Terrorism Act’, following the success of photographer Jess Hurd in a complaint to the Independent Police Complaint Commission (IPCC).

Branch member wins £30,000 compensation for G20 assault

Branch member David Hoffman, represented by Chez Cotton, head of the Police Misconduct Department at leading civil rights law firm Bindmans LLP, has received £30,000 damages from the Metropolitan Police.

Young Members

Over the past few months hundreds of younger NUJ members have been at the forefront of campaigns for better pay, fought against attacks on pensions and joined actions for media freedom and rights at work.

We want the TUC to hear the voice of our younger members.

The NUJ will be sending a 4-person delegation to the TUC Young Members Conference in London in April 2011. Does your branch or chapel have an active younger member who wants to be part of our delegation?

Members must be under 27 on 1 April 2011 and be available to attend the conference in London between 1-3 April 2011. Costs will be met by the union centrally.

If any of your members are interested please send a nomination stating in no more than 100 words the reasons for the nomination to generalsecretary@nuj.org.uk by 2 February 2011. The union’s National Executive will select delegates at its meeting on 4 February.

Michelle Stanistreet
Deputy General Secretary

Minutes

Branch members who are registered on the site can view the draft minutes of meetings online:

• Draft December Branch Committee Minutes
• Draft December Branch Minutes

14th December 6pm at Headland House.

Our last meeting of the year will be a short one to deal with branch business, before adjourning to the pub for some festive drinks and mince pies. We will also be running a slideshow of members best images and videos of the year. Send no more than 3 JPEGs at least 2000px on the longest side or 3 video clips, no longer than 15 seconds each 720×576 16:9 to jasonnparkinson@gmail.com.

Facebook Event Google Map

Any motions to the branch should be sent to the branch secretary prior to the meeting.

Parliamentary Seminar: Who’s Afraid of Photographers?

Jason Parkinson reports from the NUJ Parliamentary Seminar: Who’s Afraid of Photographers? with Don Foster MP, Prof. Chris Frost, Anna Mazzolla, Jess Hurd, Chez Cotton, David Hoffman and John Toner.

Photoshop Tutor Needed

The London Photographers’ Branch is looking for a tutor to deliver a one-day Photoshop course in January 2011.  The course outline was drawn up following a survey of branch members earlier this year.  Anyone interested in teaching it should email training@londonphotographers.org, including details of relevant experience, by 13 December.

Casual Vacanies on NUJ Councils

(Members Only) The NUJ has announced the next round of casual vacancies for the Ethics Council and Industrial and Executive Councils. Anyone wishing to make nominations for the following positions below should contact the branch secretary. Nominations must be in by the close of business (COB) on Monday 10 January 2011.

Minutes of Last Meeting

Branch members who are registered on the site can view the draft minutes of the last meeting online.

Tuesday 30th November, 6pm at Headland House.

The November Branch meeting will look at international issues for journalists. With advice for photographers working in foreign countries from our panel:

• Jim Boumelha (IFJ President) will present a motion in solidarity with Palestinian journalists and give a talk about the benefits of International Federation of Journalists membership to camera people working abroad.
• Guy Smallman (Branch committee member) will offer advice on working in dangerous environments based on his experiences in Lebanon and Afghanistan. He will illustrate his talk with some of his photos.
• Isabelle Merminod (Branch committee member) will show some world exclusive images from a women’s prison in the Philippines following on from last months motion passed by the branch.
• Fil Kaler (Branch member) will show his short film about journalists working in occupied Palestine.

Facebook Event Google Map

Any motions to the branch should be sent to the branch secretary prior to the meeting.

Protecting journalistic material

It is a fundamental journalistic principle not to hand over material, to the state or elsewhere. It is not the role of journalists to collect material for the Police. As Tim Gopsill & Greg Neale wrote in, Journalists – 100 Years of the NUJ “On a practical and important level, if angry crowds get the idea that journalists are going to hand over pictures to the police they are likely to turn on them.”

Panel discussion on the Future of Street Photography

At our last branch meeting we heard from an expert panel about the future of taking photographs on the street. Lawyers Chez Cotton and Anna Mazzola from Bindmans and Hickman & Rose respectively, talked about their experiences dealing with actions against the police. Photographers Andrew Testa and Grant Smith showed some of their work and how they had been hindered by police and security guards when working. Finally NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear talked about the unions history and activity defending photographer’s rights.

Equality & Fraternity

At the September Branch meeting the branch elected its equality officer. Most of our members don’t have a permanent workplace, but work for various employers and in many differing environments, from the streets to the carpeted boardrooms, making portraits of CEOs.

Photographers’ organise to defend rates

The last branch meeting agreed to setup a working group of branch members to liase with other bodies and officials within the union to “establish or re-establish NUJ agreements with national newspapers and news organisations for picture/video rates and commissions.”

Minutes & Reports

Branch members who are registered on the site can login and view the draft minutes of meetings and reports from officers about the upcoming delegate meeting and recruitment leaflet.

Tuesday 26th October, 6pm at Headland House.

At this month’s branch meeting we will have an expert panel talking about whether the ConDem government will defend photographer rights over the next five years. Speakers will talk about the subject from their area of expertise before the discussion is opened to the floor.

• Chez Cotton – Head of Action Against the Police at Bindmans Solicitors & a co-ordinator of the Police Action Lawyers Group.
• Jeremy Dear – General Secretary, National Union of Journalists.
• Grant Smith – Award-winning architectural photographer and one of the organisers of the ‘I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist‘ campaign group.
• Anna Mazzola – Solictor at Hickman & Rose specialising in public law (judicial review); human rights; actions against the police and other detaining authorities; and information and data protection law.
• Andrew Testa – Award-winning protest and conflict photographer.

Facebook Event Google Map

Any motions to the branch should be sent to the branch secretary prior to the meeting.

Police officers cannot be above the law

When the police act outside the law and attack human rights and media freedoms by physically attacking media workers then the police should be held to account for such actions. It seems that Sir Paul Stephenson has other ideas.

Outrage at Police plan to issue their own press card

Leicestershire Police revealed they will be issuing their own press card/badges for the English Defence League (EDL) on Saturday 9 October.

Photographers unite to defend Press Freedom

Congratulations to the photographers who stood their ground against Tate Britain’s new contract, which effectively banned ‘bad’ coverage of the gallery. Photographers are fed up of being pushed around, all we ask for is the ability to do our jobs without negative interference from press officers, police officers or security guards.

Reporting from the Deepwater Disaster

At last the branch meeting video journalist and branch committee member Jason Parkinson spoke about his trip to the Gulf of Mexico to document the environmental disaster following the leak from the Deepwater Horizon oil well.

Who’s afraid of Photographers?

That will be the question under discussion at a seminar organised by the NUJ at the House of Commons on Thursday, 28 October. Places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, and anyone interested should contact John Toner.

Minutes

Branch members who are registered on the site can login and view the draft minutes of meetings:

• Draft September Branch Meeting Minutes
• Draft October Branch Committee Minutes

6pm, Tuesday 28th September at Headland House.

Branch member and video journalist Jason Parkinson will show a short, yet-to-be published film documenting the devastating effects of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on the local fishing communities and lead a discussion on how to pitch video stories, especially when the story is off the radar.

Any motions to the branch should be sent to the branch secretary prior to the meeting.

Facebook Event Google Map

Photographer threatened with arrest and forced to delete images

Branch member Carmen Valino had images deleted from her camera by police and was threatened with arrest whilst photographing the scene of a shooting in Hackney, East London.

Children in Architectural Photography

Comment piece by Grant Smith: Marcus Fairs of Dezeen Magazine recently commented on his twitter that “architectural photographers manage to make children look lonely, even in photos of a kindergarten.” Marcus’ point is timely and recognizes an underlying problem with images of children, as taking photographs with children as a secondary subject is being made more difficult.

We shouldn’t be fatalistic about the decline of stock photography

Comment piece by John Harris: Jim Pickerell tends to present economic processes and technological change as wholly determinate, immutable manifestations of “natural” capitalist forces that admit no contravention. “The Market” and those who, prior to the crash, were seen as “Masters of the Universe”, are thus mythologised as Joseph Schumpeter’s “Creative Destruction” is invoked.

Missing from the Record: what has happened to workplace photography?

Comment piece by Phillip Wolmuth: The call to action from the TUC in Manchester this week brings to mind campaigns against public spending cuts imposed by previous governments, and the part that photography has played in them.

Defending Press Freedom

Report by Marc Vallée: The February meeting of the London Photographers’ Branch agreed to create the position of Legal Rep. It was agreed that the person elected to this position would support Branch members who have had a ‘negative encounter’ with the police and to coordinate the Branch’s relationship with the police.

Minutes

Branch members who are registered on the site can login and view the draft minutes of meetings:

Draft July Branch Minutes

London Freelance Branch Secretary Mike Holderness will give a visual presentation offering tips on how to use the internet to locate images which have been used without permission and identify who is culpable for the bill. Another speaker on the same subject TBA.

Any motions to the branch should be sent to the branch secretary prior to the meeting.

Facebook Event Google Map

Convergence – Should we adapt & how?

At last months branch meeting we heard from film editor Simon Ruben and photographer Edmond Terakopian who talked about how photographers could adapt their workflows to include video and audio. As well as some of the pitfalls that photographers moving to video can fall into.

PCSO unlawfully deleted photographers images

Branch member photojournalist, James Mackay, represented by Chez Cotton, head of the Police Misconduct Department, at leading civil rights law firm Bindmans LLP, has succeeded in a complaint against the British Transport Police after he was unlawfully ordered by one of their officers to delete photographs he had taken on the basis that he “was not allowed to photograph the police.”

Victory Flashmob – s44 is Dead!

There was a great turnout at the Victory Flashmob on Sunday 4th July with around 60 of us happily snapping away, free from police harassment. We’ve rounded up some of the coverage from the flashmob.

First Aid training for photographers

Last month the branch held a Emergency Life Support Training tailored to the needs of street photographers with the time kindly donated by tutor Elliot Rogers from White Star Medical.

A Victory for Press Freedom

Investigative photojournalist Marc Vallée and videographer Jason Parkinson have received an apology and damages from the Metropolitan Police after being forcibly prevented from working by officers at a political protest outside the Greek Embassy in 2008.

Ethics Working Group gets started

A working group of branch members has met to discuss a set of ethics guidelines for the branch to adopt and to pass on to the NUJ Ethics Council.

Looking after members Welfare

Saturday 19 June 2010 was the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) welfare training day hosted by the NUJ Extra charity. Chair Chris Wheal and administrator Lena Calvert led the afternoon’s discussion on what welfare officers can and should be doing to assist branch members.

DACS Payback Time

Payback from the DACS royalties scheme opened last month and members have until 17th September to make their claim.

Minutes

Branch members who are registered on the site can login and view the draft minutes of meetings:

July Branch Committee Minutes (Draft)