Trevor Frames The Nation
The 2012 Olympic Games promises a feast of photo opportunities for professional, student and amateur photographers alike. But it takes vision to appreciate the myriad prospects to capture the impact the Games will make in their broadest sense, producing an image encapsulating this value which is capable of enthusing everyone about the treats in store.
Trevor Griffiths, Head of Photography and Associate Director of Innovation & Projects at Bradford College, has set this challenge for Harman Photo’s annual student competition which is open to all photography students based at UK Colleges and Universities. Trevor explained, “I was really pleased to be asked to write the competition brief this year. It goes some way to repaying all the work that Harman did for us at our Faster of the Speed of Light weekend during the British Science Festival in September. Hopefully the competition appeals to a broad range of students who will want to engage with the Olympic challenge. This is a good opportunity to appeal to a broader audience for the common good.”
Legacy was the critical component in London’s successful bid to hold the 2012 Olympics and Trevor’s insightful brief highlights this in terms of culture, volunteering, business and tourism, as well as sport, as it impacts on local communities. Judging takes place and winning images will be displayed at Focus on Imaging 2012 at the NEC Birmingham in March, which will be the largest imaging event ever staged in the UK and the largest annual event of its kind in Europe. Competition prizes include the latest pinhole cameras demonstrated at Faster of the Speed of Light. Trevor’s leading role in this prestigious competition enhances the profile of the Photography Department and Bradford School of Arts & Media.
Since Trevor has agreed to judge the competition as well as devising it, students from Bradford College are not permitted to enter to avoid any potential conflict of interest. However, our students will not be missing out. They will be responding to the same brief for an in-house competition with alternative prizes. Photography Lecturer Gemma Breese is arranging a series of visiting speakers and events to ensure that the Olympics and the photographic opportunities it presents are fully appreciated. Our photography students will also be visiting Focus.