The Documentary Photographer

After two aborted attempts over the last 12 months, yesterday I finally got round to putting forward a panel of photographs to gain the IPPA’s Associateship distinction.

I’ll tell you this: I didn’t enjoy the process one bit. Mostly because doubts about my ability have been creeping into my mind lately.

The reason for this is easy to pinpoint. I’ve been scoring abysmally in the preliminary judgings for this year’s National Photographic Awards. Just when I think I’m producing my best work ever, it’s not doing well in competition. In fact, it’s getting hammered. That rocks the confidence a bit. We’re a bit temperamental that way, photographers.

I’m happy to say that my confidence is up again. The panel passed and my IPPA Associateship has been confirmed. And thanks to the IPPA’s reciprocal arrangement with the Master Photographers Association, the MPA will grant me similar status.

Before we (well, I) get too carried away, this is only the second rung on the ladder. Ahead await trials for the Qualified European Photographer (QEP), Fellowship, and Master QEP qualifications. That will take at least two years, more likely three, possibly four.

In the meantime, though, the Licentiate-plates are off my cameras. And as an Associate I can put myself forward as a judge during the preliminary rounds of the national competition. Now we’ll see if my entries don’t score better.

Click on the image below to see a selection of images from the panel that passed.

(c) Roger Overall

Recording the latest episode of The Circle of Confusion, my co-presenter Peter Cox made an interesting remark. Having recently gained his Qualified European Photographer (QEP) qualification, he is now plotting his Fellowship with the Irish Professional Photographers Association (IPPA). He commented that he doesn’t yet feel he has a panel that is up to his standard.

That raises an interesting question. Who is the best person to judge how good you are and what level you’ve reached in your career?

A – Other professional photographers?

B – You yourself?

C – Your clients?

There is a case to be made for all three.

To me the most interesting one is the case that can be made for B.

While the recognition of your peers is nice to get, as is the appreciation of your paying customers, both of those can be a trap. They can lead you to complacency. That’s dangerous. Complacency kills creativity, and stymies development. That’s something you can’t allow as a professional photographer.

The only person who can guard against that is you, the photographer.

For me, this takes the form of a little voice at the back of my head – he’s a bit like a disapproving grandparent. He only ever says one thing: “You should have done better.” I’m glad he’s there. Otherwise, I’d be well on my way to complacency and irrelevance. I’m my own hardest taskmaster. I’m never satisfied. I hope I never am.

Children are great at weddings. They really are. They get so bored. That means you never know what they’re likely to do at any given moment. That makes for great photographs.

There’s a problem, though.

It’s too easy.

If you watch a child long enough at a wedding they’ll so something remarkable.

Cute and remarkable is a powerful mix. Tons of documentary wedding photographs rely on this. Lots of mine do.

Worse still, these pictures end up being entered for awards, where they do very well. I should know. Photographs of children (mis)behaving at weddings have been at the heart of much of my award success in the past 12 months. My two winning panels at the 2010 National Photographic Awards featured children almost exclusively.

Nice, but in a wedding category, shouldn’t the focus be on the bride and groom?

Yes, it should.

Don’t think I’ll be handing any awards back, mind. I haven’t won nearly enough to start being dismissive of them.

Instead, I’ve set myself a rule for this year’s entries into the heats for the 2011 National Photographic Awards.

Absolutely, definitely, positively, NO children in any of the photographs whatsoever at all.

Except this one:

(c) Roger Overall 2010

I was chatting to a colleague photographer during the week. He has seen the light. He’s starting a blog.

I know what you’re thinking – how has he survived so far without one?

Everyone should blog, surely?

Maybe. Maybe not.

It depends on why you’re blogging. This is my fourth go at a blog, and by far the most personal.

Previously, my most successful blog was Altar Narrative, about documentary wedding photography. It was aimed mainly at brides and had a nice clear focus. I stopped it when I started this one.

The swap was part of a rethink of where I was going as a photographer. I’m on a journey and this blog chronicles that, and I have an agreement with a friend that I’ll be as honest as I dare. The life of a professional photographer isn’t just ups. There are downs too, sometimes they can be quite deep. That’s the nature of the business. No use pretending otherwise.

This blog also meanders more than Altar Narrative. It is a much wilder animal, roaming where it wants to – or more accurately where my career takes it.

Interestingly, on average this blog gets four to fives times as many daily readers as Altar Narrative ever did. That’s nice. Somebody’s tuning in and walking the journey with me.

Some of those at my side seem to be quite influential too. They have judged the blog worthy of inclusion in the Irish Blog Awards expanded shortlist of best photoblogs.

Thrilled.

There are many rewards in life.

A daughter’s goodnight hug.

A cheque.

A cheque that doesn’t bounce.

A bottle of wine from a client.

An award.

Last night the winners of the 2010 National Photographic Awards were announced at a gala dinner at the Ballymascanlon House Hotel in Co. Louth.

For the second year running my wedding photography won the award for Best Reportage Wedding Portfolio. I was thrilled beyond words, and today I have a very sore head to help mark the achievement.

I also received the award for Best Pictorial/Travel Portfolio. That really only made the head worse.

Yet while people were congratulating me and shaking my hand, I can only claim half of the credit. Professional photography is a hard career at times. Occasionally, it beats me down. When it does, Anne picks me up, dusts me off and gets me straight again.

Were it not for her, I wouldn’t have been standing on stage last night. Let alone twice.

She’s also very considerate in the morning when my brain feels like a pin cushion.

Best Reportage Wedding Portfolio 2010:

(c) Roger Overall 2009

(c) Roger Overall 2009

(c) Roger Overall 2009

(c) Roger Overall 2009

Best Pictorial/Travel Portfolio

(c) Roger Overall 2009

(c) Roger Overall 2009

(c) Roger Overall 2009

(c) Roger Overall 2009

The last preliminary judging for the 2010 National Photographic Awards took place in Kilkenny on Monday. 800 photographs were judged on the evening during a marathon session. I entered 12 images and picked up 7 Gold distinctions, my best return ever. Now the hard work of compiling my final panels begins. I’ll be entering at least three categories at the national awards, possibly six, but most likely five. You can tell I’m in two minds. Possibly three minds.

Anyway, here are the photographs that picked up the golds, along with some commentary.

An alternative view of a bride getting ready. This provoked quite a bit of debate among the judges, not least because its documentary nature didn't sit well with some of them to begin with. They also disliked the horizontal format. However, once they started to analyze the picture more and the story started to flow from it, including the religious theme of the cross, they warmed to it more, eventually agreeing it merited a Gold. (c) Roger Overall 2009

This is my daughter dancing in the streets of Austin, Texas, in September. She loves music and she loves to dance. The temptation was too much. Some people thought she was part of the act. What always makes me laugh is that she thinks she has to pay buskers in order to dance to their music. A straightforward Gold on the night of the judging. (c) Roger Overall 2009

My daughter brushing her teeth. Houston, Texas. I loved the light and the way it made a commonplace daily event into something almost heroic. At the same time it is a very tender photograph. (c) Roger Overall 2009

This is the most personal photograph I've ever published. Another one from my recent visit to the USA, it shows dinner time at my Dad's house. My daughter had concocted something she called "ice cream" (all of her concoctions are called ice cream) and Dad is being fed a spoonful by his wife. I loved the way Emily is caught in the light and the joyous expression on her face. For once, the ice cream was palatable. (c) Roger Overall 2009

Kids. They're great at weddings. They get so incredibly bored that they have to make their own entertainment. I'd been watching this little girl for a while and her boredom culminated in this photograph. (c) Roger Overall 2009

Another child picture. As an adult, we forget what it was like to live life at 4 feet high. (c) Roger Overall 2009

On their wedding day, the bride and groom actually have very little time together on their own. This was taken just prior to their entrance to dinner and for me it is all about the two worlds existing next to each other, each without knowledge of the other. And there's me with a view of both sides. (c) Roger Overall 2009