Two picture editors appointed to NCTJ photography board

Monday 31st January 2011

Jonathan Barry, picture editor of the Worcester News, and Paul Walters, director and picture editor of the South West News Service, are joining the NCTJ photography examinations board.

Jonathan Barry started taking photographs with his father, who was club photographer at Blackburn Rovers FC and also ran his own photography business. He began taking action photographs for the matchday programme and later for the local daily paper, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

He first worked as a photographer at the Accrington Observer in 1983 and later joined the Rochdale Observer group of newspaper, covering news, sports and features around the Greater Manchester area for the group’s nine titles. In 1994 he was appointed staff photographer at the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, covering news, sports and features.

Between 2001 and 2004 Jonathan worked with Suburban Newspapers in Auckland, New Zealand, before returning to England to take up the post of picture editor at the Worcester News.

Paul Walters started his photographic career in local newspapers as a trainee with the South Avon Mercury in Clevedon, North Somerset in 1979 where he completed his NCTJ exams. In 1982 he moved to the Bath Evening Chronicle as a senior photographer before being head hunted by his local News and Picture Agency, Bristol based South West News Service in 1984. He became a director in 1988 and then picture editor in the early 1990’s.

Speaking about his appointment, Paul said: "I am honoured to be invited onto the NCTJ photography board and be able to help with the development of young photographers through the organisation that guided me so much in the early days of my career. I am looking forward to benefiting from the vast wealth of experience on the board and be guided by the directors on ways we can help photojournalists with the challenges in the newspaper industry." 

The new members of the board will join Steve Phillips (chairman of the board and picture editor of the South Wales Evening Post), Paul Sanders (picture editor of The Times) and Amanda Ball (NCTJ principal examiner).

The new appointments to the board were prompted by a decision to increase the involvement of picture editors from the industry, the recent change in photography course leader at Sheffield College and growing interest in delivering the qualification from new centres. 

Paul Delmar, who left Sheffield College last year, remained on the board while new members were appointed.  With other centres interested in delivering the qualification, Rob Rathbone, the new course leader of the NCTJ photography programme at Sheffield College, had to step down from the board to avoid the risk of any potential conflicts of interest between training delivery and examinations.  He will continue to have close contact with the NCTJ exams team in his role at Sheffield College.

Announcing the new appointments, Joanne Butcher, NCTJ chief executive, said “I am delighted that two such accomplished photographers and picture editors are joining the photography board. With this membership of the board I am confident that the training scheme for professional photographers remains in excellent hands.”

She also paid tribute to Paul Delmar: “The NCTJ will always be grateful to Paul for his valuable contribution to the photography board and the training scheme for photographers.  Paul’s outstanding contribution to the training of press photographers was highlighted at the recent Journalism Skills Conference, although bad weather meant he was unable to attend.  We hope to celebrate his achievements at our summer exhibition of press photography in London.”