Portfolio reviews
Photo|Frome is offering portfolio reviews on Saturday 8 July and Sunday 9 July 2023
These are for anyone who would like a professional, third-party and objective view of their work. If you want to develop your visual story-telling ability, commercial approach, consider going for further qualifications, create a book or exhibition, or just want to get better, then these reviews are for you.
On Saturday, 8 July, there will be 25-minute face-to-face meetings between the photographer and two experienced, professional reviewers. We are able to offer two streams of reviews. On Sunday, 9 July, there will be two group sessions each lasting 2.5 hours, morning and afternoon, where photographers can benefit from both the professional reviewers’ thoughts and those of peers.
Review sessions cost £30 each, special discounts for registered students (get in touch via institutional email address). Limited to 20 places available for the individual reviews, 12 places (two groups of six) for the group sessions. 32 places in all. Booking is now open (individual / group).
How can I prepare?
- It's important to know what you would like from the review. Is it about your photographic style, your story-telling, your future opportunities or something else?
- Having photographs printed is always a good way to conduct such reviews, not least as it allows conversation about sequencing.
- The expectation is that a photographer will have between 10-20 images to review, preferably in one series of work.
- Have a clear, verbal introduction to your series – your intent, contextual considerations (e.g. potential audience; narrative construction; ethical concerns and so forth), and your own thoughts on strengths and areas for improvement in the series. But don’t overdo it – let the reviewer ‘discover’ your work. 2/3 minutes max, please.
- Be prepared to take notes, ask questions and have fun! This is not an exam or an inquisition – it is a chance to talk with experts and learn new things to help your photographer develop, no matter what stage you are currently at.
- Please be on time for your appointment out of respect for others.
Panel of Reviewers
Benedict Brain is a UK-based photographer, author and award-winning journalist. He balances his personal practice with writing about photography and running photography workshops and enrichment programmes. His words and images frequently appear in Amateur Photographer magazine and he writes a monthly column called The Art of Seeing for Digital Camera magazine. Benedict is often seen on the judging panel of prestigious photo competitions such as the International Garden Photographer of the Year and The British Photography Awards, and in 2020 he founded Potato Photographer of the Year (yep, it’s a thing). He travels internationally as a public speaker talking about the art and craft of photography and is chair of Licentiate Distinctions panel of The Royal Photographic Society.
Georgia Metaxas is an Australian photographer and educator now based in London. Her work, in which portraiture is at the core, has been exhibited widely, including Germany, Spain, China, the United Kingdom and Australia. Her work has been selected for numerous award exhibitions and is held in private and public collections including the City of Melbourne Arts & Heritage Collection, La Trobe Picture Collection; State Library of Victoria; Museum of Australian Photography and the National Gallery of Victoria. Her work sits within a documentary framework, aspects acknowledging her interest in documentary photography and the tension found between ‘artistic’ intent and documentary purpose, examined predominantly through universal rituals and gestures. Metaxas employs a considered and deliberate approach, a conceptually inspired rendering drawn from the chaos of reality.
John Angerson (Bristol, England) started his career in the early 1990s, covering the fall of the Berlin Wall and the changing geopolitical landscape of Eastern Europe. Since then, his work has continued to explore the different languages of documentary photography, focusing on how specific communities form, shift and develop. John’s projects have garnered critical acclaim and have been exhibited at major art institutions in the UK and overseas. His monograph – Love, Power, Sacrifice (published by Dewi Lewis, Manchester) documented the Jesus Army over 20 years and peers into a microcosm of a fanatical religion. His most recent book, English Journey (B&W studio, Leeds), was a 4-year photographic travelogue across England in the footsteps of Bradford author J.B.Priestley. The work presents a purposefully non-nostalgic, contemporary view of England. It casts the lens on the globalized economic framework at call centres, transnational hotel chains, and the co-dependency of international outsourcing. The work was shown in exhibitions across the UK and Europe and the book has sold across three continents since its publication. John now splits his time between shooting personal projects, teaching at various universities and shooting features and portraiture for a range of magazines, charities, and design agencies.
Krishna Sheth is an Art Buyer and a Director of Photography, commissioning for print and web content for a variety of clients, including the 1843 Economist Magazine, Saatchi & Saatchi, The Financial Times, Telegraph Media Group, Airbnb, The Robb Report and Raffles as well as book publishers and individual luxury clients. She has more than 23 years’ experience of commissioning photography and photo research. Krishna was Deputy Photography Director at the Telegraph Magazine for 17 years, was a tutor on the MA Photography online for Falmouth University, and lectures at various universities. From November 2019, Krishna worked as Director of Photography for Stella Magazine, Telegraph Media Group. She has been Chair Judge for pre-selection for all Sony World Photography Awards, and reviews portfolios and book dummies. Krishna is passionate in raising awareness for and championing emerging talent in the industry.
Lucy Sewill is best known for her one-on-one portraits of some of our most well known faces. Her projects have included British political leaders, Prime Ministers, leading musical creators, musicians, dancers, actors, Royals, performers and presenters. Lucy’s work is held in the National Portrait Gallery. She has been published worldwide and has exhibited exclusively at, amongst other venues, the Glastonbury Festival, The Getty Image Gallery and at the Ivor Novello Awards. Lucy has authored her own books, been commissioned by leading publishing houses, national newspapers, magazines, individuals and organisations. She has been a competition judge, hosts workshops, and mentors promising talented photographers. Lucy is largely self-taught with a strong belief in the power of creativity and having a passion for your subject.
Booking
Reviews will take place at the cafe at Rook Lane Chapel with time slots between 10:00 – 16:00. Booking is open: individual / group.