Give and take photography

Like, I am sure many students new to the OCA photography degree programme, I was absolutely convinced of the need to practice, practice and practice and initially unsure where to find the subject matter.
This article describes a way of generating photo opportunities that can contribute to assignments, projects materials and experiential learning to complement studying with the OCA.Using this approach has generated photo projects with many organisations, including Action for Children; Adult Social Services; Age UK; Amnesty; the Alzheimer’s Association; a Dignity in Care conference; Family Focus; a Business Improvement Group; an International Chamber Music Festival; a Cooperative Development Association conference; Woodland Trust; Order of St John Care Trust; three primary schools ; Relate; and Skill Share.
The common link in all of this is, of course, that these are voluntary or non-profit organisations, and I am a volunteer photographer. I give my time and effort, and in return I get access, and take photographs. For example, there were opportunities for street photography with the Business Improvement group, who want pictures of happy shoppers in town. As a learning experience, this is working with a client who wants such pictures, but not so that people are readily identifiable, and thus creates a challenge for the photographer to solve. So shots from a distance, or from behind people are best.

But what if you want to photograph people close up? Well, the opportunities I have found to be best indoors are with a chamber music festival, guest speakers at conferences and with a local amateur dramatic group who are by nature keen to get in the limelight. These events have meant working in very varied lighting conditions, which has been a good learning experience, and working with a range of people.
To photograph people outside, sports groups and fund raising events have been great. Other opportunities have come from photographing a range of buildings for a poverty action group, and a range of facilities for a homeless charity. I worked with three primary schools photographing events for them, including a mock royal wedding which was a treat. I really became part of this event, as the children thought it entirely appropriate that a royal wedding would involve a photographer darting about. Of course a CRB check was needed for working with children and for my work with vulnerable adults, and I cannot use the photographs in a public forum. However, these opportunities did provide more practice for me, and I was able to get permission to use images in my assignment and project work.The wide variety of projects has brought with it experience of working with a range of different clients, and practice in negotiating a clear brief with them. There has been a correspondingly wide range of lighting situations to learn to cope with and learn about. I have also been into settings that I would not normally visit, and seen impressive work being done by dedicated people in the voluntary sector.
Local charities and schools routinely seek volunteers through a central bureau in our area called “Voluntary Centre Services” or VCS for short. VCS tries to ensure that volunteering opportunities are available to all members of the community. They support both volunteers and the organisations that host them, with training, policies, information and advice and regular networking events. Rather than do photography work for one VCS client, I work through VCS and offer my service to all of their clients via their email system.
Naturally, there are ethical issues related to work in the voluntary sector. My online search led to “The National Press Photographers Association, a professional society that promotes the highest standards in visual journalism, acknowledges concern for every person’s need both to be fully informed about public events and to be recognized as part of the world in which we live.” (NPPA, 2011). I think the most relevant aspects of the NPPA code are:

• Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects;
• Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups;
• Recognise and work to avoid presenting one’s own biases in the work;
• Treat all subjects with respect and dignity;
• Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects;
• Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images’ content and context.

The NPPA (2011) Code of Ethics can be found here 
These ethical principles have helped me make decisions about which images to use and what limits to place on their use. To help find and inform clients I prepared a paper to be emailed to VCS’s organisations which offers my services as a photographic volunteer. This includes a bit about my own background and some practical details such as:
What I can offer:

• Good communications in setting up an event;
• The ability to commit, once arrangements are complete;
• To turn up and behave in a professional manner;
• Experience of working with adults and children;
• To get the best quality shots that I can manage;
• To provide electronic versions of images, at no charge to the organisation who will then assume responsibility for their use;
• Only to use images for academic purposes, without naming individuals.

What I cannot offer:

• To say yes to all requests;
• Guaranteed photographic standards (I am a student);
• Printed materials (you can print from the electronic files);

What they need to consider:

• Whether a press or professional photographer might be more suited to your needs;
• Whether consent in advance for photography needs to be obtained from your participants (or parents / guardians, if appropriate);
• Whether a CRB check is needed;
• Whether or not you need permission from anyone else to invite me;
• How I am to gain entry to the event or premises.

I have found this way of working very satisfying, interesting and productive in generating learning opportunities. I hope other OCA students find motivation here to try this for themselves. It’s a symbiotic relationship – give your time and skills, help the voluntary sector, and take more photos.
 
Jim Smith is currently on his third level one photography course