Giuseppe Scozzi: Russia has indeed a huge growth potential

Giuseppe Scozzi, CEO Federation of European Professional Photographers answered my questions.

Do you think the FEP has a growth potential in Russia? What would be its strategy and priorities in this respect?

Russia has indeed a huge growth potential, both for the numbers and high standard of photography, which should benefit FEP, just as Russian photographers should be benefitted if the stream of communication and interchange with the other European colleagues will increase. The decision is not up to the FEP, which would nothing but very happy to register this growth. However I know that there is an attention raising from different local groups and associations, aiming to strength the Russia-FEP relationship. Of course, we would fancy that this course of action will happen in harmony and mutual understanding.

What would you say was your assessment of Russian photographers’ qualifications, professional expertise, and creative and commercial potential? How do they differ from photographers working in other countries?

As I mentioned, Russia has a huge potential. There have been always very good technical and artistic schools in Russia, and now also the commercial aspects started to became of strategic importance. My impression is that in other countries the approach to the professional photography has been more aware or the practical and economic aspects of the profession, while in Russia, with a few exception, the approach has been more focused to the artistic, creative, cultural aspects rather than considering photography as a potential job.

How would you describe the economic benefits and business opportunities for the FEP members? How could the FEP membership contribute to one’s creative growth?

We all live in a multi-cultural continent, with traditions and standards very different from country to country. This can be a challenge in other aspects of the inter-country relationships, but for the photography is nothing but an enrichment and a chance. Like back in the Renaissance when trades and merchants opened the road to an a new explosion of creativity and regeneration in the arts, now the communication is essential and plays a very active role in each ones’ creative growth. On that sphere, FEP plays an active role connecting people and offering information and support.

Would you say the FEP membership could serve as a ‘springboard’ for business development and creative accomplishment in Europe for a Russian photographer? Are there any actual success stories here? How would you say this membership helps a photographer synergize with European business processes and artistic life?

As I said the artistic potential is something that can be feed with inspiration, but still very different from one to another. The business aspects are different, they can be learned and accelerated with the support of personal and social examples. As the FEP we do not have a school for this, but we offer a good platform where all intending photographers may benefit of the others’ experience, example, understanding, and grow throw the challenges imposed by common bases of qualification (the multilevel FEP qualification system), which have helped to raise the standards of entire associations and countries . I don’t want to mention single cases, just urge you to visit the FEP gallery of qualified photographers to understand what I mean. The FEP photographic competitions are also a good way to prove themselves in an international contest and to learn both from personal successes or even failures.

How long has the FEP been active in Russia? What would be your estimate of the results of the federation’s presence in the country so far? Which Russian photographers contact you most often? What does a typical Russian photographer liaising with the FEP look like?

The FEP has as a Russian member the Guild of Advertising Professional Photographers since about 12 years.

The results , after a few years of quite a stall, seems to be ready for a boost in relationship and mutual interests nowadays. Fortunately, we had recently Russian candidates achieving the highest FEP distinctions and Russian judges members of the judging panel. This helped a lot and I think put the bases for a quick future grow of participation. The most of candidates entered their works for the FEP qualification with commercial and illustrative pictures. I assume there is still a lot to explore from the social side of photography (portraits, wedding etc.) . I could say that the images in the typical Russian panels may look quite redundant to western eyes, but lucky enough FEP do not judge styles, only impact, creativeness and technique are taken into consideration.

Are you planning on setting up FEP certification centers/first-tier organizations in Russia?

We do not have the means, nor the aims to set up FEP certification centers . This a task for the national associations, hopefully baked by the local authorities and institutions. We rather provide online opportunities for a basic qualification (EP certificate) and physical sessions held on rotation in different countries twice a year for the higher ones (QEP and MQEP). I assume everybody will be happy to organize at least a session in Russia, if we will receive a proposal form the locals. We can also provide international expertize if required for the local centers.

What would you say were the challenges you are facing when working in Russia and with Russian photographers?

Of course distance and language. English is not my language, but I currently use it as an opening key to different rooms. I experienced that the Russian language still plays a basic role in most of Eastern Europe area, but in a more pan-European scale the use of the English language is crucial. I have the impression that so far too many very good Russian photographers do not get the results they deserve for lack of communication.

We’d appreciate some insights on your plans for the future. In what ways will the organization evolve further on?

The FEP is in a stage in which we prefer to reinforce the results obtained in the field of relations between the national associations, and to progress with our professional qualifications and cultural interchanges , rather than to evolve into something different or to change strategy. Probably, a strengthening of our active presence in the European institutions would be desirable, but the effectiveness of this plan is also depending by the good relationship between the states, so far above our tasks or wishes. A personal wish is also that finally an European country will win the WPC (World Photographic Cup), an amazing project started in 2013 with the aim to raise the prestige of the profession, creating friendship and uniting professional photographers worldwide. On that sphere, good luck to the Team Russia, which entered the competition for the first time this year.

Giuseppe Scozzi, FEP Chief Executive Officer.

He was born in Rome, Italy , where he got a degree in arts and literature and where he still lives with his wife Francesca and two daughters.

Based on previous photojournalistic experience, he became the Secretary of the Italian Photographers Association (SIAF-CNA) in 1989, an office held until 2009.

Among others, Giuseppe has been instigator and coordinator of the project “Orvieto Fotografia”, born in 1999, serving as the Director of the event up to 2006.

On an international level, since 1994 he serves as the Secretary General of the FEP, the Federation of European Professional Photographers, becoming FEP Chief Executive Officer in 2008, following a change of the constitution.

In 2013, it has been elected by the governing committee the CEO of the World Photographic Cup project.

Russian version: http://photoekb.ru/?p=9062.

Короткий URL: https://photoekb.ru/?p=9072

ПлохоПриемлемоНормальноХорошоОтлично (Еще не оценили)
Loading ... Loading ...
Написал blackpr в 29.09.2015 | 16:27. Соответствие In English, Интервью. Вы можете перейти к обсуждениям записи RSS 2.0. Вы можете сделать trackback вашей записи

1 Комментарий для “Giuseppe Scozzi: Russia has indeed a huge growth potential”

Для того, что бы оставить комментарий - авторизируйтесь Войти

Голосования и опросы

Поиск по архиву

Поиск по дате
Поиск по категориям
Поиск с Google

Фотогалерея


Войти
Рейтинг@Mail.ru