'Even a Bad Photo...' Talk at The Photography Show 2025

There are moments in your life, and career, when things line up in a pleasingly, and slightly ironic, way... One of those was when a running joke between me and two good friends ended up being the title of my talk at the BIPP stand at this year's Photography and Video Show at the ExCel Centre in London.  

But let's go back... a couple of years ago I was on a dog walk with two dear friends, one of whom had been my mentor when I was her wedding and studio assistant in my teens.  I can't exactly remember the moment, but I expect it was taking a photo on a very questionable phone when I shrugged my shoulders at my friends and said what has become an infamous line for us... 'even a bad photo's a memory'.  Hilarity ensued. There was even the suggestion that I should use it as a tag line for my photography business (something I've yet to do).  Many years of mockery and pulling of feet has followed that fateful day, however I stand by the heart of my comment... Even a bad photo is a memory, and what is more important the skill of the image or what it represents?  In a business where we, rightly, strive to make the best images we can - taking our cameras, the light, our environments and our subjects into account - we must remember that the memory, the feeling, the reaction caused by the image is as important. 

Jump forward to March this year when I stood at the BIPP Stand and presented a talk based on this idea (in leopard print no less).  We travelled from chickens and cuties in hats, via literary theory and tiktok to an idea of why we do what we do - taking in A.I and analogue on the way.  And all in 20 mins!  Having chuckled to myself as I considered the title and talk, it was a pleasure to present the ideas to people at the stand - what a lot of fun!