subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 29 February 2020 19
Christopher Morris
ARPS
Panels group leader,
Winchester Photographic SocietyFor Christopher Morris,
leader of the Winchester
Photographic Society
(WPS) Panels Group,
working with multiple
images off ers an
opportunity to express
complex ideas. ‘It provides the framework
for showing multiple aspects of a subject,
idea or event,’ he argues. ‘For the majority
of amateur photographers embroiled in
the camera club/photographic society
world the epitome of “good photography”
is the successful single image. There is no
doubt that eff ectively conveying an idea
or an implied narrative within a single
image is a challenge and, when done
well, worthy of merit, but such work
often fails to engage the intellect of the
viewer and becomes mere eye candy.’
For Christopher, there is a clear
distinction between panels and portfolios.
‘The former is a set of images on a single
theme, whereas the latter is a
representative collection of pictures
designed to illustrate a photographer’s
expertise,’ he says. ‘The RPS [and many
major photographic competitions] have
rather blurred this understanding in
their use of “panels” as portfolios.’
When it comes to planning and
executing a panel, the most important
consideration for Christopher is concept.
‘What is it trying to say?’ he asks. ‘Is it
documentary work exploring aspects of a
place, event, person or group? Is it relating
a story that has a distinct narrative arc?
Is it an exploration of an abstract idea or
a personal expression of an emotion?’ If
the style and content of the pictures are
inconsistent with the concept then, more
than likely, the panel will fail. ‘Standout
single images can be a distraction and
spoil a panel,’ he says. ‘A good panel is
always greater than the sum of its parts.’Christopher’s top tips
1 Have purpose. Be clear in your mind
about the purpose of your piece of work.
Write it down and refer to your notes
regularly, but don’t be afraid to rethink
and start again.
2 Edit carefully. You may need to discard
your best images if they’re not consistent
with the overall piece of work.
3 Consider presentation. Would your panel
be improved by mixing different shapes and
scale of image? Would your images work
better in book form? Experiment.Above: Paul Sansome, Winner, Celebration of Humanity Portfolio, Travel Photographer of the Year 2017