3 March 2012

This Friday at KPS ...

Kingswood Photographic Society is absolutely delighted to welcome Peter Gennard MFIAP, EFIAP/p as their speaker on Friday 9th March, giving his illustrated talk, P.G. Tips – Fiddling and Diddling.

Peter says, “My interest in photography began when I was a teenager. The local youth club where I attended formed a photography group. I went along and was instantly hooked on the whole process of taking to printing the monochrome pictures.

After a few years I progressed to a local camera club and visited many local exhibitions, but a visit to Smethwick International Exhibition in 1983 marked a turning point. The quality of the photography from their members was overwhelming and if I was to improve my photography I needed to join that club. I joined the prestigious Smethwick Photographic Society and they encouraged me to enter FIAP approved International Exhibitions. They also encouraged me to show my work to other photographic clubs and societies. Part of the attraction of entering FIAP internationals is the thought that my work is good enough to be accepted alongside other photographers around the world.

FIAP (Federation International de l’Art Photographique) is an International Federation that supports international exhibitions by offering its Patronage. As encouragement to photographers to take part in international events FIAP created a world-wide system of photographic Distinctions, earned by success in FIAP patronised exhibitions. I achieved my AFIAP (Artist FIAP) in 1987 with 100 acceptances using 34 pictures that gained 10 awards. In 1991 I achieved my EFIAP (Excellence FIAP) with 353 acceptances using 72 pictures that gained 40 awards. The pinnacle of my photographic career was gaining the highest FIAP distinction, MFIAP (Master Photographer FIAP) in 1993. I continued to build on my EFIAP distinctions by achieving the EFIAP/bronze in 1995 and the EFIAP/silver in 1996. The EFIAP/gold distinction was obtained in 1997 and the EFIAP/platinum in 2000.

I still strive to get different pictures accepted in FIAP approved internationals. Once a picture has been accepted I don’t send it to any other exhibition unless it is used to support Smethwick Photographic Society in competitions. To date, I have had 646 different pieces of work accepted in slides, prints and projected images. They have gained 1,532 acceptances, 42% of which were gained in 39 different countries. From those acceptances I have gained 170 awards.”

This promises to be an absolutely excellent evening so we hope to see you there.

Kingswood PS meet Fridays at 7.30pm for 7.45pm at St Barnabas Church Hall, Warmley, Bristol BS30 5JJ. Visitors are most welcome and the cost for this evening is £3.00.

No comments: