Ella joined the Association in 2005 and has been responsible for Education; Affiliated Colleges, their Lecturers and all our Student Members, since 2006. In 2010 Ella became a Senior manager and assumed many new responsibies within the organisation, and more recently in 2012, became Operations Director working with the senior management team at Board level.
Ella also works with Gwen to support our Business and Legal desk.
Ella still represents the Association at Skillset (Sector Skills Council for the photography and audio video industries), liaises with the APFHE (which represents photographic lecturers in further and higher education) and represents the Association with Gwen at the British Copyright Council and the British Photographic Council.
Portrait © David Partner 2012
Gwen joined the Association in 1987 and apart from being the Company Secretary, she has led the Association's Business and Legal services for many years; answering member's questions, providing talks on Copyright and preparing the Association’s responses to UK and EU Government consultation papers. Gwen is a writer and co-editor of Beyond the Lens and represents the AOP at the British Copyright Council, Pyramide Europe and on the British Photographic Council (of which she is Vice-Chair).
Gwen works three days a week: Monday to Wednesday. In her absence, members can call Ella for help.
Portrait © David Partner 2012
Rachel is the newest member of the team joining the Association at the end of October 2012, after moving from The Shire to the 'Big Smoke' in June. Since graduating from Plymouth University where she studied Design Photography, Rachel has worked in a variety of roles from credit control, stock administration to reception, gaining valuable skills along the way. She has a bubbly personality and is always happy to help. She enjoys a night in with a movie and a bottle of wine, good conversation and biscuits. Would like to meet lovely new and existing members with a good sense of humour and an interest in the photographic scene.
Portrait © David Partner 2012
Charlie joined the Association at the end of 2011, covering Bridget’s maternity leave.
Since graduating from Bournemouth Arts Institute where she studied Commercial Photography, Charlie has worked freelance in a number of roles, often simultaneously. She worked as a photographer, managed a microbrewery pub and an art centre, directed specialist markets and organised other large-scale events. All of her previous experience provides a strong foundation for the AOP Awards programme.
Rachel joined the Association in 2003. Further to gaining a BA (Hons) in Photography from the Arts Institute at Bournemouth Rachel followed her passion for the visual arts by submerging herself in the gallery scene. Rachel began her career interning at East End commercial galleries, whilst being employed by the Tate, before joining the AOP.
Initially Rachel worked on the Awards before becoming the Gallery Manager in 2006. Since the gallery's closure in August 2011, Rachel continues to curate and manage all four of our Awards Exhibitions, the on-line Gallery and the member’s Print Collection (Print Sales).
Rachel works three days a week: Tuesday to Thursday.
Portrait © David Partner 2012
Helena became the Editor of Image in September 2008 and brought with her more than 20 years’ experience in magazine and online publishing. Over that time, she has commissioned many editorial photographers and won several awards for the magazines she has worked on, including an award for excellence in the 2009 CIB Awards for Image itself.
She has relished the opportunity to work with and learn from the range of specialists among the AOP membership and continues to enjoy her work on the magazine: editing, writing and managing its production plus the thrills and spills of managing our Twitter and Facebook presence, editing the monthly ENews and contributing articles to the website.
Helena started her career following a degree in Typography at Reading University — with Photography as a subsidiary — and to this day remains scarred by the loss of her Rolleiflex SLR to a Stoke Newington car thief in 1984. Her personal interests encompass most of the visual arts...her heroes are David Byrne and Rafael Nadal (continuing the visual arts theme).
Portrait © David Partner 2012