LAUNCHED TODAY: UK's First Ever National Photography Month goes Live with Nationwide Events and Special Offers

• Ex Spandau Ballet singer and keen photographer Tony Hadley fronts new campaign urging everyone to care for their photographs and take more pictures

• New research shows our treasured photographs are at risk and the traditional family album is in decline; 77% of people now don’t make albums because they think it would be too time consuming

• 16 – 24 year olds are the worst when it comes to losing special memories; 70% have lost treasured pictures due to their reliance on modern digital technology

• Nationwide FREE events – including ‘Snap with the Queen’, teams of ‘special photography agents’ and a life sized cut out of the Queen appearing at landmarks around London to help people with photography

The UK’s first ever National Photography Month (NPM) – a nationwide initiative that celebrates the importance of photography in our daily lives - launches today, and will run for the rest of the month.

The campaign, based around the theme ‘Capture and Keep’, will provide a range of workshops, tools and ideas that will help the nation create and safeguard better pictures that people are proud to share with future generations.

The campaign has been born out of research that shows that, while we’re taking more pictures than ever before, the throwaway nature of digital photography means we are printing fewer photographs and are in danger of losing images that are special to us.

In response to these findings The Photo Imaging Council and The Photo Marketing Association have come together with over fourteen other organisations including National Geographic, The London Festival of Photography and The Royal Photographic Society to create National Photography Month as a celebration of the importance of photography in our daily lives and all that photography can do.

New findings revealed for the first time:

• Photography is one of our most powerful connections to our shared memories, emotions and self-expression: 83% of us use photos to connect with past memories

• Our nation now takes more photographs than ever through mobile phones and affordable digital cameras but 64% of us do not print out and keep hard copies of our photographs

• The family album is in decline, as the survey revealed 77% of people now don’t make albums because they think it would be too time consuming, complicated or are ashamed of the quality of their pictures

• The survey also demonstrated that and 37% of us have lost important images that are special to us

• This figure is worse for younger photographers; almost 70% of the age group 16 - 24 have lost treasured pictures due to their reliance on modern digital technology

Tony Hadley, ex Spandau Ballet front man and keen photographer and collector, has joined the campaign to encourage families across Britain to learn how to look after their treasured memories and to take photographs that they are proud to pass on to future generations.   He says:

“Some of my most treasured possessions are photographs: of friends and family –much like this picture with me and three of my children on holiday or me conquering the peaks of Machu Picchu – and of course those which captured some amazing times on tour. I would be heartbroken to lose them! As well as encouraging us all to take more and better photographs National Photography Month has such a positive message about the value of the photograph and encourage everyone to be involved.”

Snappy Snaps – Snap With The Queen

In celebration of the launch of National Photography Month and to coincide with the Diamond Jubilee, Photo & Digital Specialists Snappy Snaps will invite the public to take a ‘Snap with the Queen’ (#snapwiththequeen).  The Snappy Snaps photo advisors will hit the streets of London at 30 of the most photographed sights in and around the capital, where they will be on hand to give photography tips and take photos of the public with a range of props including a life-size cardboard cut-out of the Queen, creating fun and memorable photographs. The team will be handing out branded ‘Snap’ cards featuring a QR code link to a uploaded these pictures to Snappy Snaps social media and give participants a chance to win prizes incorporating their photos.

Nigel McNaught, UK Director of the Photo Marketing Association says: ‘From mobile phones to digital cameras, we’ve never taken more pictures at any other time in history. But, ironically, we print far fewer, meaning that we’re in danger of losing a whole era of photographic records. The aim of National Photography Month is to reverse this trend so that traditions such as family photo-albums continue in their role recording vital personal histories – rather than becoming a thing of the past.’

David Honey, Chairman, PIC, says: ‘While digital photography has opened up exciting new ways for amateurs and professionals alike to harness the medium, its fleeting nature means there is a danger that these images could have no permanence. We want to build on the improvements in the quality of photography that these developments have created by encouraging people to think creatively about making permanent records of their images.’

Derek Birch, Vice President, The Royal Photographic Society, says: ‘Photography as we know it developed from its earliest days in this country. Our Society was founded in 1853 with the aim of "promoting the Art and Science of Photography". With our long history of exploring the potential of this amazing medium we’ll be encouraging professionals and amateurs alike to get out there and make the most of the opportunities this celebration offers.’

Grace Pattison, London Festival of Photography Curator, says: "While image fatigue seems to be one of the common symptoms of living in modern society, we hope the high quality and vast range of festival content will serve as a reminder of both the simple beauty of the printed photograph, and the incredible power of such an increasingly democratised art form."  

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Note to editors:

For further information about National Photography Month, please contact:

David Djukic or Anna Burns at Kallaway: David.Djukic@kallaway.com / 020 7221 7883 or Anna.Burns@kallaway.com / 020 7221 7883

Snap with the Queen

For more information please go to www.facebook.com/snappysnaps or follow the team on Twitter via @SnappySnapsUK.

All statistics are taken from a survey conducted in the U.K by global market research company TNS with a sample audience of 1,023 people and weighted to give nationally significant data representative of the entire country.

For more information about NPM and all activities revolving around the campaign, please log onto www.nationalphotographymonth.co.uk

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