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

New Zealand Professional Institute Professional Photography (NZIPP) honoured UCOL with the Photographic Industry “Silver Spool” Award in 2021 - an annual national award recognising an individual or business’s 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 staff working in these areas constantly engage with the Photographic Industry, keeping up with current trends and 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 professional photographers at the annual conference and NZIPP awards competitions, working behind the scenes and 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 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 alumni Jason Blair, who has 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.”