The BPPA - The British Press Photographers' Association

16/04/2024

We are delighted to reveal our panel of curators for Assignments 2024: The BPPA Exhibition will be David Burnett, Suzanne Plunkett, Steve Back, Jane Barlow and Justin Setterfield. Visit our website to find out more...

Posted on April 16, 2024By adthebppaIn Assignments, Assignments 2024, Press PhotographyWe are delighted to reveal our panel of curators for Assignments 2024: The BPPA Exhibition will be David Burnett, Suzanne Plunkett, Steve Back, Jane Barlow and Justin Setterfield. We would like to take this opport...

27/03/2024

The British Press Photographers’ Association is pleased to announce that ASSIGNMENTS 2024 is now open for entries....

Posted on March 27, 2024By jamie-lorrimanIn AssignmentsThe British Press Photographers’ Association is pleased to announce that ASSIGNMENTS 2024 is now open for entries. The BPPA Exhibition will return to London’s Bargehouse on the Southbank in May 2024. We can also now reveal that the touring l...

19/03/2024

We will shortly be opening ‘Assignments 2024: The BPPA Exhibition’ for entries. Now is the time to start digging through your archive for photographs shot on or after the 11th March 2023. Details of the entry procedure for members will be announced in the coming days!

11/03/2024

Here is a link to a statement issued by The BPPA about the image manipulation story that has been dominating the news agenda todayhttp://thebppa.com/content/uploads/240311-statement_from_the_bppa.pdf or you can read it below:

The British Press Photographers’ Association applauds the actions of the major agencies who have had the courage to withdraw the recently distributed image showing Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales and her children by issuing a ‘kill notice’. Their suspicions that the photograph had been digitally manipulated are well-founded and it is important for the reputation of press photography that they have acted as swiftly and decisively as they have.

We are lead to believe that HRH The Princess of Wales has said that she edited the image and has apologised. That should not be an end to the matter however. Whether the picture was manipulated to ‘look nice’ by someone who didn’t understand the importance of truth in images or whether there is something else behind their actions is not as important as getting the message out there that it is wrong.

The BPPA has always spoken up in favour of making sure that the public has trust in the photographs produced by our members as well as those who supply images to the news media. This has become more of an issue since pictures supplied by such a variety of sources have become more common and we would urge all of those sources to have a look at item 1, clause i) of the Editors’ Code of Practice which says:

The press must take care not to publish inaccurate or misleading or distorted information or images, including headlines not supported by the text

We would urge everyone involved to make the original images available for inspection so that we can assess what has been done, make sure that it doesn’t happen again and allow this story to be the last time that manipulated images are distributed to the media.

Monday 11th March 2024

07/03/2024

Please read our statement on the use of Generative AI by photo agencies, which we've just published:

Posted on March 3, 2024By Joel GoodmanIn Current Affairs, Journalism, Photojournalism, Press Photography, The BPPAThe BPPA’s Statement on the use of Generative AI by photo agencies The news that Shutterstock’s generative AI platform has been used to create and sell child-abuse content, as report...

28/02/2024

We are delighted to announce the return of the photography talks series ‘Assignments LIVE’. To kick off the new run we are excited to reveal our International Women’s Day panel talk at The Frontline Club on Friday 8th March. Tickets are on sale NOW!

The British Press Photographers’ Association are delighted to welcome you to this International Women’s Day Panel Talk at The Frontline Club

30/11/2023

Following a recent report that a member of The BPPA issued a manipulated image from a Royal Rota which was used in good faith by the media, the Board wrote to them asking for their version of events. The member offered to resign from the association and the Board accepted that offer.

The BPPA code has two sections that were relevant:
“Press photographers should:
2. Not materially alter their images, or edit them in such a way as to give misleading impressions of news
events
6. Always be aware of the codes of conduct observed by their employers and clients and act appropriately
when working on their behalf”

The BPPA is committed to promoting and inspiring the highest creative, ethical and technical standards of press photography as laid out in our code.

You can read or download the code here:

20/06/2023

We are delighted to announce that Hannah McKay of Reuters will be in conversation with our Chair Paul Ellis during Assignments 2023 - The BPPA Exhibition at Ffotogallery on Wednesday June 28 at 6pm

Hannah McKay is a staff photographer for Reuters based in London. She covers a variety of news, sport and features. Hannah completed a BA (Hons) in Photography at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) in 2009 before gaining industry experience as an intern for The Coventry Telegraph newspaper. In 2012 Hannah moved to London as a photographer for a regional photo agency before freelancing for international wire agencies. Joining Reuters in 2017, Hannah has had the opportunity to work on assignments worldwide, including; an Olympic Games, the Fifa World Cup, the Migrant Caravan, a Royal Wedding, Funeral and Coronation, the US Presidential Election and the Queen’s Funeral. Hannah was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of the Rohingya Refugee Crisis. She won The Guardian’s Agency Photographer of the Year and her work has been recognised by the British Journalism Awards, The Picture Editors’ Guild Awards, The British Press Photographers’ Association (The BPPA) and the International Photography Awards (IPA).

Paul Ellis has been an Agence France-Presse staff photographer in the north of England for 17 years covering pretty much anything and everything that happens. A lot of sport, but often breaking news, royal visits and political events in this country and abroad. He is the chair of The BPPA. A role that he is incredibly proud of ensuring, the association’s commitment to promoting photojournalism and press photography. He studied photojournalism with the NCTJ in Sheffield more than 25 years ago, working at weekly and regional newspapers, local and national press agencies, as a freelance for national newspapers and internationally with The Associated Press and now AFP.

Tickets are available to book now via the link below

Join us on Wednesday 28 June from 6pm for a special ‘in conversation’ event between photojournalist Hannah McKay & Paul Ellis.

07/06/2023

Assignments 2023 is almost ready to view at Ffotogallery in Cardiff!

Opening June 8th and running until July 22nd

01/06/2023

We are delighted to announce that following an excellent run at The Bargehouse in London we have moved The BPPA Assignments 2023 to Wales.

Ffotogallery in Cardiff will be the home of the exhibition from opening night on June 8th to July 22nd. This will be the first time Assignments has visited Wales.

Once again it’s free to visit and we will be also holding a series of talks by some very talented press photographers.

The opening night (6-9pm) will include a talk by The BPPA portrait photographer of the year Joann Randles.

28/05/2023

Last day!

Today is the final chance to see The BPPA’s Assignments Exhibition at the Bargehouse, near the OXO Tower

Open from 11am to 6pm

100 press photographs on display in London

23/05/2023

For those of you that can’t make it to London this week, The BPPA Bookshop is back online for the duration of the exhibition. Grab a copy of the Assignments 2023 catalogue today! Stocks are limited and in 2021 we sold out three days before the end of the run!

Published on 19th May 2023, this high quality paperback catalogue was produced to accompany the exhibition of the same name at the Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf. Selected by curators, Phil Coburn, Talar Kalajian, Matt Fearn, Alan Crowhurst and Freddie Sloan from work of The BPPA’s members, this coll...

22/05/2023

22/05/2023

If you haven't visited the The BPPA - The British Press Photographers' Association Assignments exhibition on Londons South Bank yet I highly recommend it.
A stunning display of press images form the last year (or two) from Royals to The Ukraine war and beyond. Includes 2 of my own images.
Runs for just one week!
Huge thanks to Edmond Terakopian for the picture.

12/05/2023

We are delighted to announce the two more talks which will take place during Assignments 2023 - The BPPA Exhibition

TALK: Chris Floyd
Not Just Pictures

‘Not Just Pictures’ is all about stories: from getting his first camera, to getting mugged, to believing one of his heroes would only want to buy the rights to an image because “he disliked it enough to want it removed from the public domain”. Often very funny, Chris’s talk is a rich dish that reveals what it’s like to pursue a life of photography and demonstrates how the camera is an incredible key that can unlock any door.

Chris rose to prominence during the heights of Britpop. Not Just Pictures, published by Reel Art Press in October 2022, is the first monograph dedicated to his 30-year career. A visual memoir, Chris’s selected career highlights are accompanied by his incisive, insightful recollections, first-hand accounts of, in his words, ‘unique encounters on the confrontation and collaboration line’.

Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, David Bowie, Bill Murray, Vivienne Westwood, David Hockney, Ian McEwan, Margaret Drabble, Oasis, Robert De Niro, Iggy Pop, David Attenborough, Imelda Marcos, Debbie Harry, Christopher Reeve, Boris Johnson and Marcus Rashford are a fraction of the subjects that have engaged with Chris and his camera over the last 30 years. Both meticulous and spontaneous, Chris’s wit and vulnerability is present in every anecdote.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/talk-photographer-chris-floyd-not-just-pictures-tickets-630375539207

Denise Maxwell
‘How I turned my side hustle into my main hustle.’

To specialise or diversify? Denise will share her journey to becoming a full time photographer of 12 years, turning her hobby into a full time career. She will give tips on actions you can follow to achieve the same and make money from your photography and she will discuss the pros and cons of being a multi genre photographer in an industry that still advises most to specialise.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/talk-denise-maxwell-how-i-turned-my-side-hustle-into-my-main-hustle-tickets-630406692387

Canon UK Fixation Uk Oxo Tower Wharf

Photographer Chris Floyd rose to prominence during the heights of Britpop, here he reveals what it’s like to pursue a life of photography.

10/05/2023

We are delighted to announced the second of our talks which will take place during Assignments 2023 - The BPPA Exhibition:

TALK: Photographers Peter & Henry Nicholls.

During this talk we hope to discover the Father and Son’s story, explore their similarities and differences and find out what drove each of them independently to pursue a career in press photography. Tickets are limited so if you're keen, BOOK NOW. We expect this one to sell out!

Peter and Henry discuss their pathways into the profession and how their careers have shaped them.

09/05/2023

We are pleased to announced the first of our talks which will take place during Assignments 2023 - The BPPA Exhibition:

TALK: War in Ukraine with Photographers Julian Simmonds, Peter Jordan and Jack Hill.

During this panel discussion, photojournalists Julian Simmonds, Peter Jordan and Jack Hill will discuss their time covering the war in Ukraine. This talk is a must for anyone who wants an insight into the challenges facing photographers working in the most hostile of environments.

Tickets are limited so if you're keen, book early. We expect this one to sell out!

Together for the first time, newspaper photographers Julian Simmonds, Peter Jordan and Jack Hill discuss covering the war in Ukraine.

11/03/2023

DEADLINE EXTENSION!

ASSIGNMENTS 2023 | The BPPA Exhibition

https://thebppa.com/assignments-2023-now-open/

Due to unprecedented demand we are allowing a short extension to the deadline for submissions. Images must have been taken between 3rd July 2021 and 10th March 2023 (inclusive) but the submissions system will remain open until midnight on Sunday 12th March 2023. This allows an additional 48 hours to get your images in. There will be no further extensions after this and changes cannot be made to entries already submitted.

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The BPPA Exhibition will return to London’s Bargehouse on the Southbank in May 2023.

We can also now reveal that ASSIGNMENTS 2023 will be heading to Wales for the first time! Following its 10 day showcase in London the exhibition will travel to Ffotogallery Wales in Cardiff where it will be on display for a whole month. We are once again seeking the best of British Press Photography from our members.

-Each member can enter up to 10 photographs taken between 3rd July 2021 and 10th March 2023 (inclusive).

-You must be a full member of The BPPA to enter – if you aren’t you can join now.

-Thanks to our generous sponsors at Canon UK and Fixation it is FREE to enter.

-Entries will be selected anonymously by a panel of curators drawn from across the industry.

https://thebppa.com/assignments-2023-the-curators/

10/03/2023

ASSIGNMENTS 2023 | The BPPA Exhibition

ENTRIES CLOSE AT MIDNIGHT!

https://thebppa.com/assignments-2023-now-open/
-
The British Press Photographers’ Association Exhibition will return to London’s Bargehouse on the Southbank in May 2023.

We can also now reveal that ASSIGNMENTS 2023 will be heading to Wales for the first time! Following its 10-day showcase in London, the exhibition will travel to Ffotogallery Wales in Cardiff where it will be on display for a whole month. We are once again seeking the best of British Press Photography from our members.

• Entries are open NOW until midnight on Friday 10th March 2023.
• Each member can enter up to 10 photographs taken between 3rd July 2021 and 10th March 2023 (inclusive).
• You must be a full member of The BPPA to enter – if you aren’t you can join now.
• Thanks to our generous sponsors at Canon UK and Fixation it is FREE to enter.
• Entries will be selected anonymously by a panel of curators drawn from across the industry.
https://thebppa.com/assignments-2023-the-curators/

09/03/2023

ASSIGNMENTS 2023 | The BPPA Exhibition

ENTRIES CLOSE ON FRIDAY!

https://thebppa.com/assignments-2023-now-open/

We are pleased to announce our fifth and final curator, Freddie Sloan. Freddie has worked in newspapers and magazines specialising in celebrity and entertainment for over 30 years. She is now Creative Director at Hello Magazine, a position that sees her commissioning celebrity photo shoots and working closely with photographers. Freddie is passionate about photography and we are thrilled that she has agreed to curate ASSIGNMENTS 2023.
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The British Press Photographers’ Association Exhibition will return to London’s Bargehouse on the Southbank in May 2023.

ASSIGNMENTS 2023 will also head to Wales for the first time! Following its 10-day showcase in London, the exhibition will travel to Ffotogallery Wales in Cardiff where it will be on display for a whole month. We are once again seeking the best of British Press Photography from our members.

• Entries are open NOW until midnight on Friday 10th March 2023.
• Each member can enter up to 10 photographs taken between 3rd July 2021 and 10th March 2023 (inclusive).
• You must be a full member of The BPPA to enter – if you aren’t you can join now.
• Thanks to our generous sponsors at Canon UK and Fixation it is FREE to enter.
• Entries will be selected anonymously by a panel of curators drawn from across the industry.

07/03/2023

ASSIGNMENTS 2023 | The BPPA Exhibition

ENTER NOW!

https://thebppa.com/assignments-2023-now-open/

We are pleased to announce our next curator, Alan Crowhurst. Alan has worked as a contract photographer at Getty Images for the past 12 years. He has also shot for Associated Press, The Press Association, The Sunday Times, and L’Equipe. Alan specialises in photographing horse racing and was awarded the SJA’s coveted Sports Photographer of the Year in 2015. He also won the SJA Specialist Portfolio Award in 2015, 2016, and 2017 and we are honoured that he has agreed to be part of ASSIGNMENTS 2023.
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The British Press Photographers’ Association Exhibition will return to London’s Bargehouse on the Southbank in May 2023.
We can also now reveal that ASSIGNMENTS 2023 will be heading to Wales for the first time! Following its 10-day showcase in London, the exhibition will travel to Ffotogallery Wales in Cardiff where it will be on display for a whole month. We are once again seeking the best of British Press Photography from our members.

• Entries are open NOW until midnight on Friday 10th March 2023.
• Each member can enter up to 10 photographs taken between 3rd July 2021 and 10th March 2023 (inclusive).
• You must be a full member of The BPPA to enter – if you aren’t you can join now.
• Thanks to our generous sponsors at Canon UK and Fixation it is FREE to enter.
• Entries will be selected anonymously by a panel of curators drawn from across the industry.

05/03/2023

ASSIGNMENTS 2023 | The BPPA Exhibition

GET YOUR ENTRIES IN!

https://thebppa.com/assignments-2023-now-open/

We are pleased to announce our next curator, Matthew Fearn. Matthew began his career as a photographer for The Press Association in 1998, working around the world shooting news and sport before becoming a picture editor. He was appointed Deputy Picture Editor of the Sunday Telegraph in 2007 and has been Picture Editor of The Telegraph since 2012.
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The British Press Photographers’ Association Exhibition will return to London’s Bargehouse on the Southbank in May 2023.

We can also now reveal that ASSIGNMENTS 2023 will be heading to Wales for the first time! Following its 10-day showcase in London, the exhibition will travel to Ffotogallery Wales in Cardiff where it will be on display for a whole month. We are once again seeking the best of British Press Photography from our members.

• Entries are open NOW until midnight on Friday 10th March 2023.
• Each member can enter up to 10 photographs taken between 3rd July 2021 and 10th March 2023 (inclusive).
• You must be a full member of The BPPA to enter – if you aren’t you can join now.
• Thanks to our generous sponsors at Canon UK and Fixation it is FREE to enter.
• Entries will be selected anonymously by a panel of curators drawn from across the industry.

03/03/2023

ASSIGNMENTS 2023 | The BPPA Exhibition

ENTER NOW!

https://thebppa.com/assignments-2023-now-open/

We are pleased to announce our next curator, Talar Kalajian. Talar is the United Kingdom and Ireland photo manager for Agence France-Presse in London. She has previously been a photo editor at AFP’s main headquarters in Paris, regional headquarters in Nicosia, and Iberian Peninsula bureau in Madrid. Her photo editing career has taken her around the world, covering Middle East conflicts and World Cup tournaments, Winter and Summer Olympics, the coronavirus pandemic, and a long-reigning monarch’s historic funeral.
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The British Press Photographers’ Association Exhibition will return to London’s Bargehouse on the Southbank in May 2023.

We can also now reveal that ASSIGNMENTS 2023 will be heading to Wales for the first time! Following its 10-day showcase in London, the exhibition will travel to Ffotogallery Wales in Cardiff where it will be on display for a whole month. We are once again seeking the best of British Press Photography from our members.

• Entries are open NOW until midnight on Friday 10th March 2023.
• Each member can enter up to 10 photographs taken between 3rd July 2021 and 10th March 2023 (inclusive).
• You must be a full member of The BPPA to enter – if you aren’t you can join now.
• Thanks to our generous sponsors at Canon UK and Fixation it is FREE to enter.
• Entries will be selected anonymously by a panel of curators drawn from across the industry.

01/03/2023

ASSIGNMENTS 2023 | The BPPA Exhibition

SUBMISSIONS OPEN!

https://thebppa.com/assignments-2023-now-open/

The British Press Photographers’ Association is pleased to announce that ASSIGNMENTS 2023 is now open for entries. The BPPA Exhibition will return to London’s Bargehouse on the Southbank in May 2023.

We can also now reveal that ASSIGNMENTS 2023 will be heading to Wales for the first time! Following its 10-day showcase in London, the exhibition will travel to Ffotogallery Wales in Cardiff where it will be on display for a whole month. We are once again seeking the best of British Press Photography from our members.

Entries are open NOW until midnight on Friday 10th March 2023.

Each member can enter up to 10 photographs taken between 3rd July 2021 and 10th March 2023 (inclusive).

You must be a full member of The BPPA to enter – if you aren’t you can join now.

Thanks to our generous sponsors at Canon UK and Fixation it is FREE to enter.

Entries will be selected anonymously by a panel of curators drawn from across the industry.

We are also pleased to announce the first of our 5 curators as Phil Coburn. Phil has been a news and editorial photographer for over 30 years, starting out covering the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland, before he began travelling, covering the genocide in Rwanda, the volcano eruption in Montserrat, Gulf War II, Hurricane Katrina, and dozens of assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Whilst on assignment in Helmand Province in 2010, he was seriously injured when an I.E.D. blast hit the U.S. Marine MRAP in which he was travelling. Phil lost his lower legs, broke his back, and spent 4 months in hospital before returning to work later that year. His post-injury assignments have included dispatches from Gaza, Iraq, Yemen, Ivory Coast, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and numerous European jobs. Phil has worked for the Daily Mirror since 2002 and is a multi-award-winning photographer with a wealth of experience, we are delighted to have him on board as a curator for ASSIGNMENTS 2023.

27/02/2023

Assignments 2023 - Coming Soon! The best of British press photography will once again be exhibited as The BPPA Exhibition returns!

See link for details...

https://thebppa.com/assignments-2023-coming-soon/

25/02/2023

Assignments 2023 | The BPPA Exhibition

SUBMISSIONS OPEN WEDNESDAY

Enter pictures taken between 3rd July 2021 and 10th March 2023 (inclusive)

Membership info here:
https://thebppa.com/product/website-membership/

From Assignments 2021

Lauren Cuthbertson as Odette rehearses in The Royal Ballet’s Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 4th March 2020. Lauren is a principal dancer of The Royal Ballet.

Photo: ©Elliott Franks

The BPPA - The British Press Photographers' Associationa Fixation Uk Canon UK

09/11/2022

The BPPA’s statement on the arrest of members Tom Bowles and Ben Cawthra

Posted on November 9, 2022By adthebppaIn Current Affairs, Journalism, Law, Photojournalism, Press Cards, Press PhotographyLeave a commentTwo press photographers and a documentary film maker were arrested whilst covering protests by the campaigning group Just Stop Oil on Monday 7th November. Tom Bowl...

04/03/2022

We are delighted to announce that the British Press Photographers’ Association ‘Press Photographer of the Year 2021’ is Chris Furlong of Getty Images.

Here is a full list of the winners.

News - Chris Furlong - Getty Images
Arts & Entertainment - Chris Furlong - Getty Images
Portrait - Peter Jordan - The Sun
Royal - Kelvin Bruce
Business - Phil Wilkinson
Sport Action - Molly Darlington – Reuters/Action Images
Sport Away from the action - Eddie Keogh - The FA via Getty Images
Essay - Adam Gray - SWNS
Covid-19 - Chris Furlong - Getty Images
Young Photographer - Ryan Jenkinson

And entries judged as highly commended:

News - Hannah McKay - Reuters
Arts & Entertainment - Samir Hussein
Portrait - Samir Hussein and Peter Flude
Royal - Chris Jackson - Getty Images
Business - Leon Neal - Getty Images
Sport Action - Clodagh Kilcoyne - Reuters
Sport Away from the action - Marc Aspland - The Times
Essay - Dan Kitwood - Getty Images
Covid-19 - Hannah McKay - Reuters
Young Photographer - Molly Darlington Reuters/Action Images

All winning galleries are able to be viewed at the website: thebppa.zenfoliosite.com/home

The BPPA board would like to thank everyone who took part, and voted, for helping to make the awards the success it is.

Founded in 1984, The British Press Photographers’ Association represents professional photographers concerned with taking, editing and distributing news, feature, sports and other editorial photographs

24/02/2022

The BPPA are delighted to say that following a great response to this year’s Press Photographer of the Year competition that voting will go live today.

All members are invited to view the galleries online before choosing their favourite in each category. You will be sent an email to the address your membership is registered with.

The individual category winners will then go forward to be judged by the board members of The BPPA to decide who become the Press Photographer of the Year.

Following last year’s success it has once again been a pleasure to see entries pour in. It’s a real showcase of British press photography.

Voting is open now via the google form and will close at 10pm on Tuesday 1st March.

Thanks as always for your support and also to our friends at Canon who have once again sponsored the competition.

The BPPA is the leader in moment capturing