Award: Creative photography team are honoured for their consistant contribution to the photography industry

New Zealand Professional Institute Professional Photography (NZIPP) honoured UCOL Te Pūkenga with the Photographic Industry “Silver Spool” Award in 2021 - an annual national award that recognises an individuals or businesses’ significant long-term contribution to the Photographic Industry. In the past, current Lecturer Ian Rotherham and former Head of School Chris Hubbard also gained this award for their individual contributions, however UCOL is the first “Educational Institute” that has received this award.

The team of staff working in these areas are constantly engaging with the Photographic Industry, keeping up with current trends, technologies and contributing to various areas. Additionally, Senior Lecturer Ian Rotherham is on the NZIPP committee, which supports and guides photographers throughout New Zealand.

Each year, the students join the professional photographers at the annual conference and NZIPP awards competitions - working behind the scenes as well as entering the awards.Students enter and win many national awards, from bronze through to gold. The student images are judged by industry professional judges who give open and honest feedback about their work. UCOL Te Pūkenga Photography programmes have, for over twenty years, been assisting behind the scenes at this national event and have always been hugely inspirational to our students.

Last year, the MC for this prestigious event was UCOL Te Pūkenga alumni Jason Blair, who has now made his mark in the industry. Gerard Emery, CEO of CR Kennedy, kindly sponsored all our students to attend this awards dinner at nearly two hundred dollars per head. As he said,

“these people are the future of our industry”.

Staff and students pitch in together with everything during this week, including cooking a selection of curries for ‘curry night’, a long-time tradition.  Paul Gummer says,

  “It’s more than photography - connection and community are part of UCOL Photography and NZIPP.”