Photography – Page 6 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Students’ photshoots help families smile

Two Edinburgh College photography students have teamed up with Leith-based charity CCLASP (Children with Cancer and Leukaemia, Advice and Support for Parents) to give children affected by cancer a reason to smile by offering free family photoshoots to provide lasting memories.

The chance to carry out the shoots started after student Derek got chatting to his neighbour and founder of CCLASP, Valerie Simpson. As a way of helping the charity as well as furthering his photography skills, Derek offered to take pictures for the families that the charity supported. He then started carrying out photo sessions with his friend and fellow photography student, David Anderson.

One woman who is forever grateful to Derek and David is Claire Tasker from Kirkcaldy in Fife. After her little girl Jessica was diagnosed with Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), Claire says that CCLASP was a ‘godsend’.

While Jessica, now 6, has been in remission for the last two years Claire’s mum Kay was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer last February. With the family knowing that her mum didn’t have long after her diagnosis, Claire called on Derek and David to bring the family together for a shoot they would always remember.

Claire says that David and Derek were extremely good at making everyone feel relaxed and the pictures now decorate her house and have been given out as gifts to provide lasting memories of her mum, who sadly passed away in April at the age of 53.

Claire said: “It’s the last photos that we got of us all as a family. I was pregnant at the time so to be able to share that as a family just meant the world. It’s amazing to be able to look back and have those photos with my mum and with my daughter.”

While studies for their BA in Photography continue, David and Derek remain committed to working with CCLASP, photographing events and days out put on by the charity for children who are undergoing treatment or whose condition may be terminal. For the photographers, the family photo-shoots were a moving experience.

“It was a great opportunity to meet all the families, who are fantastically strong considering what they’re going through,” said David, 40, from East Lothian.
Derek, 35, from Leith, said: “We’ve met families from different areas, different walks of life. Their experience is very inspiring.”

CCLASP was set up by Valerie and Bill Simpson after their son Robert was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of six. They started up the Edinburgh based children’s charity in 1994 to help support children and groups of families, to express and share the feelings, anxieties and the horror of having a child with a life threatening illness.

Photo exhibition at Muirhouse Library tomorrow

You are invited to our exhibition …

Borja Prada – a retrospective

with photographs from Muirhouse Photography Group

Thursday 27 November 1.30 to 3.00 pm

Muirhouse Library

Sharp focus: clean sweep for photography students

Edinburgh College photography students named UK’s best

Edinburgh College has scooped all the top prizes at the British Institute of Professional Photography’s (BIPP) UK Student Awards, beating off competition from the country’s universities and colleges. Two current students and a recent graduate were named the country’s best student photographers, taking first place in the three categories.

BA Professional Photography student Kinga Kocimska won the BIPP National Student of the Year Award, recent BA graduate Jamie Mellor won the Student Open Award for students who are not BIPP members and fellow BA student Sandra Vijandi won the BIPP College Award.

Sandra was also the runner up for the Student of the Year Award and another student, Antonio Castro, came second in the Student Open. Three others were also highly commended in the categories.

Edinburgh College curriculum manager for broadcast media and photography Marjory Crooks said: “We’re delighted that the emerging photography students from Edinburgh College are winning such prestigious awards in the industry. Their future commissions and careers will be greatly enhanced by this as they’re already building fantastic profiles while they’re studying with us.”

Kinga’s winning entry in this year’s UK-wide competition consisted of five images from her second-year portfolio, ‘Deceptive Mind’, which showcased her surreal, witty approach to her photography as well as her technical skill (above).

Sandra took her win and runner-up position for her portfolios ‘Unexpected Journeys’ and ‘Glass Houses’, which demonstrated her flair for fashion photography, featuring stylised, heavily art-directed images (below).

Jamie won for his portfolio ‘Remnants’, featuring shots of eerie hinterland locations (below).

Each winner received a prize of £500.

Kinga said: “I did not expect such an amazing distinction and I’m very pleased that the time and effort I have invested in learning new skills have already started yielding such good results. I’m really grateful for the tuition and development opportunities I have received at Edinburgh College. This award has motivated me even more to continue improving my skills and working hard to gain more experience as a photographer. After all, the biggest challenge of making my way into the photographic industry is still ahead of me.”

These awards continue a winning streak for the college’s photography students that includes five years of multiple successes at the BIPP Scottish Region Image Awards, culminating in 30 awards this year including Student Photographer of the Year and Professional Photographer of the Year. Former student Lee Howell was also runner up in last year’s BIPP Student of the Year Award.

Photography lecturer Jon Lee added: “We’ve been overwhelmed in recent years with the talent of our students and I’m extremely pleased they’re continuing to do so well in these awards. The achievement is down to the hard work of our students and also our staff, who come from a range of commercial photography backgrounds. Many of our part-time staff also still work in the industry, which means our students gain that essential insight into developments in the professional word and ensures they’re prepared when they enter it.”

The college’s BA Professional Photography course currently has 24 students, the HND Professional Photography 1 has 38 and the HND Professional Photography 2 has 34.

Septemberfest in focus

Last month’s Septemberfest proved as popular as ever, with over three thousand people attending the event. We asked Broughton High School photography students to capture the day in pictures – and the Septemberfest snappers have done a fine job!

Some of their images will appear in the NEN due out next week, but there simply wasn’t room for them all so I’ve reproduced over sixty of their finest here.

Enjoy, and thank you Hayley-Anne Amm, Hannah Cazaly, Natalie Drywa, Aillidh Gladstone-Wallace and Eric Vaskala!

Exposure: powerful images of mental health

Mental health issues have inspired a group of young people to produce a photography exhibition that will feature in a national festival next week.

Exposure is the first photographic event by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Positive Steps for Young People (PS4YP), and will be a highlight of the Scottish Mental Health and Arts Film Festival.

Basing their pictures on the festival’s theme of “power”, the young people at PS4YP have taken the lead and chosen 30 images that reflect their personal experience of living with mental health issues.

The images aim to stimulate thinking around stigma and discrimination, particularly in relation to people who experience anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression and social isolation.

Exposure will run from Monday (6 October) until Friday next week at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Dalmeny Street from 10am – 5pm– and entry is free.

Councillor Ricky Henderson, Health, Social Care and Housing Convener, said: “This is an exciting project for the people who are involved in the Positive Steps service, and a fantastic opportunity for them to show off their skills. It is a vital service that helps to break down the stigma attached to mental health, which can affect any one of us at some point in our lives.

“We are committed to delivering high quality care and support to the many people who will be affected by mental illness at some point in their lives.”

PS4YP provides personalised and supported accommodation in a safe setting to people with mental health issues aged between 16 and 25.

Whitespace Gallery to host post-conflict exhibition

What happens when war moves on? Gayfield Square’s Whitespace Gallery is to host an important post-conflict programme next month. The week-long event will feature a photographic exhibition, conference and the screening of human rights photojournalist Fiona Lloyd- Davies’ film Seeds of Hope.

THE Voices of Post-Conflict Project – a student-led initiative from the University of Edinburgh – is delighted to invite members of the public, NGOs, academics and students, as well as all other interested parties, to attend our conference and exhibition from 3 – 9 October.

Against the backdrop of a photographic exhibition, the conference, ‘Agency in Post-Conflict Societies – Perspectives on Issues of Gender and Agency for Women and Young People’, showcases various post-conflict perspectives and explores topics related to gender in post-conflict situations.

The public is especially invited to the film screening of ‘Seeds of Hope’, followed by a Q&A with award-winning director, Fiona Lloyd-Davies, on October 8th, 6-8pm. Fiona Lloyd-Davies is a renowned filmmaker and photojournalist who has been reporting on human rights issues in conflict areas for more than 20 years.

For more information and to register for events, please visit http://voicesofpostconflict.wordpress.com/

Picture Credit: Fiona Lloyd-Davies

Location, location, location: Miller Homes launches photography competition

Miller Homes launches ‘great locations’ photography competition

Edinburgh housebuilder Miller Homes is launching a photography competition encouraging people to submit a photo they have taken which encapsulates all that is great about the area in which they live.

Highlighting the importance of location, the ‘Great locations photography competition’ will also ask entrants to provide a sentence or two giving context to their photo.

Anne Marie Britton, Scotland Area Sales and Marketing Director at Miller Homes (pictured above) said: “More often than not, location is a deciding factor in people’s decisions on where they want to live. Location is so important, and for this reason we ensure we only create communities in the very best places in Edinburgh with access to good schools, excellent local amenities and superb transport links.

“For our great location photography competition we are asking people to consider their locations and the reasons why they love them. We want to start conversations about place and to really tap into what makes a location appealing, exploring how vital this is to how people feel about where they live.

“We are anticipating a range of interesting entries and look forward to receiving these over the coming weeks and months. Best of luck to all entrants!”

Entries should be sent to millerhomesphotocomp@miller.co.uk and once received will be published on Miller Homes’ social media channels. Deadline for entries is 26 October 2014.

All entrants must be over 16 years old and pictures will be judged by professional photographer Mike Wilkinson.

Mike (pictured above) has 26 years experience and currently supplies images for The Times, Sunday Times and Financial Times. He said: “Often the most simple of objects make for the most interesting photographs. I am fascinated in the sights that capture the eye and look forward to seeing the array of images that are submitted in the competition.”

A winner will be selected from each of the housebuilder’s six regions (Scotland, North East, North West, Yorkshire, Midlands, Southern) and then from these winners an overall national winner will be selected. Regional winners will each receive a £50 Amazon voucher plus the opportunity to have their photo framed and displayed in their nearest Miller Homes development; and on top of this the overall winner will receive a gift voucher for a one-day photography course as well as a framed copy of their photograph.

Full terms and conditions can be read here.

Fishing Folk sail into Newhaven this month

Fishing Folk

Since earliest times, Newhaven has been famous for its fishing, its shipbuilding and its unique cultural traditions, celebrated through song and photography. As part of Fishing Folk, Citizen Curator is working with contemporary folk musician

Jed Milroy and artist Johnny Gailey to raise awareness of the importance of this heritage.

Events in March:

Friday 7 March, 12 – 1pm at the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop in Newhaven

Working Lunch – an occasional get together – with Johnny Gailey.

Johnny will talk about his work as an artist, educator and curator. As part of Fishing Folk, Johnny will be rediscovering the lost sea and communities of Newhaven.

This event is open to all

Soup of the day will be – Auld Reekie (veggie cock-a-leekie)

A contribution of £1.50 covers the cost of lunch

Please RSVP to ensure supply…!

Tuesday 11 March, 7 – 9pm at Newhaven Parish Church Hall

Newhaven Community History Group – sharing the history of Newhaven – this month the Work & History of Fisherman’s Mission.

A monthly syllabus of talks and events brought to you by NCHG

This event is open to all

Visitors welcome at £2 per meeting

Sunday 16 March, 7 – 9pm at the Old Chain Pier in Newhaven

North with the Lights by the Sea – interesting music close up – with Wounded Knee and The Moon, the Sun and the Daughter.

A live, unplugged event celebrating contemporary music making in Newhaven. Brought to you by our friends at North with the Lights by the Sea

This event is open to over 18’s – Tickets £4.00

Sunday 23 March, 7 – 9pm at the Old Chain Pier in Newhaven

It’s no fish ye’re buying – Fishing Folk artists’ talk/perform – with Jed, Johnny and special guest Hamish Moore

A multi-media night of folk music and chat, celebrating Newhaven’s history and the art of music making. Special guest Hamish Moore + more to be announced.

This event is open to over 18’s, Tickets – Free

For further information contact:

Citizen Curator

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop

21 Hawthornvale, Edinburgh, EH6 4JT

44+(0)7812167130

info@citizencurator.com

www.citizencurator.com

‘like’ us on Facebook

Citizen Curator is a contemporary arts organisation working with the history and identity of Leith and North Edinburgh.

This project is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the City of Edinburgh Council

News from the Centipede

Pumpkin Carving this Thursday!

Muirhouse Community Shop on Pennywell Road’s the place to be for a free pumpkin carving and potato printing workshop. Session runs from 3 – 5pm – all welcome!

Watch the birdie on Friday!

Muirhouse Centipede Project are holding two free portrait sessions on Friday (25 October): 10am – 12pm and 2-4pm at North Edinburgh Arts.

The photos will be taken by professional photographer, Kenny Bean (www.kennybean.co.uk). Each participant will be able to take away a free print of their photograph on the day as well as digital copies of their images if they bring in a memory stick.

The photographs will be used at a ‘Luminous Muirhouse’, a festival of light we are organising for November (see poster below).

The festival is to highlight the housing situation in Muirhouse. We will be painting the blue prints of a ‘dream home’ onto the ground using glow in the dark paint that will be lit up on the night. There will also be furniture made that will represent various community group’s dream home or garden, which will also be painted with the same glow in the dark paint. The home and furniture will be designed through consultations with local community groups.

The images will be projected onto a large wall on the night for the whole community to see.

The Friday sessions are drop-in – for further information call 0131 315 6408.

Joanne McArthur

Centipede Project

College photography students snap up funds for charity

Edinburgh College photography students are hoping to raise funds for two charities as part of their end of year exhibition.

The students are showcasing their latest artwork in Woodland Creatures off Leith Walk, with iconic real life photos of the city and its people as their main inspiration. All of the original photographs have been specially hand-printed and toned in the darkrooms in the College’s own studios.

The Street Photography exhibition runs until 30 May and visitors will have the chance to buy the work with 50 per cent of the proceeds donated to Cclasp and Macmillan Cancer Support charities. Over £100 has been raised for the charities so far.

Photography: Derek Anderson (photographer), HNC Photography student, Edinburgh College