Changes in Press Photography – A Retrospective
Pauline Neild, of Bramhall PS, was our speaker on Tuesday 17th February 2009. Amazingly Pauline told us that she had only been doing photography for 19 years. When she and her husband moved to Manchester she joined the Bramhall Club and enrolled on a local Photographic Course, It appears that early on she had a yen to be a Press Photographer. She learned to process Black and White film and made herself known to several photographers who helped her on her way. She noted that Tony Redford was the judge at the 1st Club competition she entered at Bramhall and she had been pleased with his positive comments; and also that George Beaumont had opened her first exhibition.
A Press Photographer is mainly concerned with people and events. She meandered around Salford and Bolton looking for images and local news stories. Her aim was to get images into the Manchester Evening News, the Manchester Guardian, and the new publication – the Courier. Pauline showed us a variety of her early monochrome work, including images that had made it into one or more of these publications. Having become established she found work in illustrating plays (Catalogues) and Galleries (eg the Chapman Gallery at Salford University).
Pauline showed us her early home darkroom (the Pantry) to be replaced later by a purpose built darkroom at the bottom end of their Garage. After 1996 the Evening News wanted Colour pictures only. She spent long hours with the newspapers, and on one memorable occasion she and a friend found themselves locked in. The only way out was through a window of the Gents Toilet, across a well, and over an iron balustrade. Fortunately her friend was able to photographically record the Great Escape.
She was fortunate to be inside the police cordon when John Major visited the North, and raised the interesting question of whether or not it was still legal to photograph policemen guarding scenes of the crime. (See Note below).
Her later colourful work took on a more surrealistic approach, starting with a Pigs Can Fly sequence. Some of these images can be seen at her website.
Joyce Streets proposed the Vote of Thanks. We had all been enthralled by Pauline’s narrative. Joyce thought that waiting for a suitable image could be a lonely affair, yet Pauline seems to have made many friends through her photography. The audience clapped loudly in approval.
Note:
In her fascinating talk, Pauline Neild mentioned the new law about photographing police officers. This is the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008, in force from 16 February. It isn't (yet) known when amateur photographers will get into serious trouble for taking photographs of police officers. Here are some Home Office opinions:
"… the Government insisted that the soon-to-be-introduced law will not increase police powers to stop photographers because the rules are already laid out in existing legislation…. it is already an offence to 'collect or make a record of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism'. Such a 'record' can include 'photographs' and, by implication, covers photographing police officers".
"... the new Act will not change the Section 44 Stop-and-Search rule which gives police the right to stop a member of the public without grounds for suspicion".
"A spokeswoman for the Home Office said the law was not specifically intended for photographers and concerns about how it would be used were speculative. It would be the job of the police and the courts to interpret the law".
Lots more at this Notice: Is it now illegal to photograph police officers?