Colourful AOP Presents: Making Your Mark in Professional Photography, sponsored by MPB

Making Your Mark In Professional Photography

This in-person event sponsored by MPB is intended as an informal event designed to elevate and support photographers of colour & those from diverse backgrounds by offering practical insights and advice on developing their career in professional photography.

Hosted by AOP Chair Hamish Crooks and CEO Isabelle Doran, the event will feature a panel discussion on the Art of Networking with AOP special guests including AOP Accredited Photographer Francis Augusto and others, followed by 1:1 portfolio reviews with professional photographers, agents and commissioners, and also an opportunity to socialise with peers and industry figures.

Art of Networking

Developing your network and connecting with the right people can be problematic. Where do you start when it comes to growing your network and connecting with Agents, Art Buyers, Producers and other industry contacts? What stops you from making contact with the right people that get what you do, understand your process and will champion your work and career?

Panel: Chaired by Hamish Crooks - Association of Photographers Chair; Francis Augusto - AOP Accredited Photographer; Kirby Partington - Senior Producer, Studio Pi; Samia Ashraf - Business Development at Peter Bailey

Portfolio Reviews

Showing your work is crucial for feedback and for getting your name out there. We encourage all photographers to do this as much as they can - as such we are delighted to bring together the following panel of experts to provide folio reviews for our audience

• Bring folios and ideally prints if you can. If digital, please ensure it is on something bigger than a mobile to allow for proper viewing.

Reviewers:

• Hamish Crooks Association of Photographers - Chair , Media Licensing & Archive Consultancy
  
• Samia Ashraf  Business Development at Peter Bailey
  
• Patricia Hearst  Picture Director Hearst Magazines (Interiors portfolio)
• James Gerrard Jones  Photo Agent and Wyatt Clark and Jones, Photographic Agents
• Kino  Creative Director, Fashion Photographer and Filmmaker
• Milana Karaica  Founder and Executive Creative Producer, Nerd Productions 
• Louise Hagger  AOP Accredited Photographer

and more to follow!

Social

Following both the talk and while awaiting your turn for folio reviews, there will be time for networking with light refreshments provided.

Event Details:

• Date: Monday 22 January 2024
• Time: 4:30 - 8:30pm
• Location:  Motel Studios   Arch 406-408 Long Street, London, E2 8HG.  https://www.motelstudios.co.uk/

AGENDA

4:30PM                   Arrival - Doors Open

4:45PM - 5:00PM  Introductions AOP Chair & CEO 

5:00PM - 6:00PM  AOP Panel discussion on the 'Art of Networking' with AOP invited panellists (3 + moderator)

6:00PM - 6:20PM   Break

6:30Pm - 8:20PM   Portfolio reviews with select group of agents & commissioners (6-8) + social

8:25PM                    Close   

Note: Tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled by the organiser. Any questions about the event advertised please contact us at info@the-aop.org

About MPB

MPB is the largest global platform to buy, sell and trade used photo and video gear.

We are the simple, safe and circular way to trade, upgrade and get paid for gear.

MPB is not a marketplace. We buy directly from visual storytellers and evaluate all items before reselling MPB-approved gear.

Our dynamic pricing engine provides the right price upfront for all items.

Circularity is at the centre of MPB. We promote sustainability, diversity and inclusion in everything we do.

We prioritise inclusive recruitment and support employees with extensive training and development. We promote inclusive visual storytelling and an inclusive circular economy.

Our business model is circular. All packaging is plastic free. Our cloud-based platform uses renewable electricity.

We’ve served more than 625,000 visual storytellers and every year we recirculate more than500,000 cameras, lenses and accessories.

MPB are rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot with more than 19,000 reviews.

Sign up to receive news, inspiration, tips and techniques from our partner, MPB: https://www.mpb.com/en-uk

About Colourful AOP

The Colourful AOP group has been established to address the issue of diversity and equality within the photography sector. Made up of AOP members they have a dedicated forum and the objectives of the group are as follows:

• To challenge and address the inequality within the photographic and creative industry and increase the awareness of photographers of colour.
• To set achievable initiatives as part of the AOP and set completion dates for agreed initiatives to encourage fulfilment and stimulate new initiatives
• To change the perception/opinion of the decision makers and broaden the view of why they use people of colour to shoot certain types of images
• Along with the AOP, to apply positive pressure on those who make the decisions or are seen as gatekeepers
• To give additional support and nurture AOP members of colour
• To attract younger photographers of colour to the AOP
• To be positive, uplifting, inspiring and celebratory for all communications, events, etc.

Read more here: https://www.the-aop.org/information/colourful-aop