Celebrity Profile _ Margaret Collis

      Margaret became interested in photography during her teens, enjoying taking pictures of places she visited and of course her friends. She dabbled briefly with developing films in her home under the stairs ( though it certainly was not light-proof) and making contact prints in a frame out in the garden. Good fun, which she thinks photography should be.

      As Margaret enjoys walking and the countryside, one of her favourite subjects for photography has always been the landscape. After early black and white photography, she moved on to colour slides, recording holidays and family (Agfa CT18 in the early days and Provia before she went digital). Margaret's in-laws were keen photographers also and this encouraged her interest and provided Margaret with her first enlarger - an antique Leica.

      Margaret joined her first camera club - Kingswood P.S, in 1973. She learnt a great deal from the club members, who were encouraging and helpful and was soon roped in as Programme Secretary and during this time learnt to print monochrome although she was always trying out solarisations etc. which appealed to her with their graphic qualities more than straight prints. Margaret had better success when she started printing Cibachrome.

      From then on Margaret was involved in the Western Counties Photographic Federation becoming a Lecturer and Judge and then their Exhibition Secretary for about seven years, eventually their President and member of the PAGB Executive. As President she organised a Landscape Weekend on Dartmoor, such an atmospheric place provided the sun does not shine. These are still part of the WCPF Year.

      Margaret is not sure that she enjoyed producing the PAGB Handbook for three editions but she did enjoy getting to know quite a few people throughout the Federations and she believes that the experience certainly improved her computer skills, as a matter of necessity! Margaret thinks that she was lucky to be involved when the PAGB hosted a FIAP Biennial for the first time and meeting Claude Hennart and through him she joined Images Sans Frontiere and met a lot of other European Photographers. The symposiums they held were friendly photographic feasts with people sharing their work and ideas freely.

      Eventually thanks to Ian Platt, Margaret was asked to translate the minutes of the FIAP Board into English and then to join the FIAP Board in 2003. Margaret enjoys the travelling this entails but everyone works hard. However there is the pleasure after dinner on the Saturday during the meeting for judging the MFIAP applications.

      Nowadays her photography is entirely digital - the save button is such a boon and she does not miss the smelly chemicals! She still prefers producing prints. Margaret still has landscape as her first love but enjoys other forms of photography - graphic shots, minimalist patterns anywhere she finds them, travel pictures including people. It pays to get a local to teach you to say "may I take a photo" if you can. Better than just pointing at the camera with a smile though she found that worked well in China. What Margaret enjoyed was the way the Chinese came round to look in the back of her camera afterwards and had a little giggle of delight before they went on their way. Travel is always exciting and gives such a wide range of opportunities for photography and Margaret is planning another visit to the Far East, which she found fascinating.

      Margaret believes that the highlight of her photographic career to date must be becoming President of the PAGB during 2007. Margaret hopes that photography will always be fun and what she most enjoys are the friendships she has made over the years.

Editor.