Leading Sports Photographer Ben Duffy Returns For Prize Giving

The 2014 Prize Giving at Coventry Central Hall was an uplifting experience for proud parents, delighted staff and of course all the pupils receiving recognition of their excellence.

Our guest of honour was former pupil Mr Ben Duffy, one of the world’s leading sports photographers over the last 10- 15 years.

As well as presenting the prizes, Ben returned to Bablake earlier in the day. After a tour of the school from Senior Prefects George Esworthy and Mariona Foguet-Gonzalez, herself an aspiring travel photographer and videographer, Ben then met a number of our current U6th Art pupils and staff for a ‘twilight’ session. He gave them an excellent insight into his career path and the opportunities open to them in the creative industries. Mr Lakbir Atwal (ICT) was particularly grateful for key tips on lighting and how to tell the story of a sports tour. One of the most revealing moments though was when Ben confirmed that 10% of his time is actually devoted to the physical photography, with the rest devoted to preparation, logistics, negotiating contracts et al!

Ben’s speech was warmly received by all present and we canvassed the staff for their reflections. Mrs Jo MacGibbon (Geography) and Miss Jayne Simmons (Physics), both former pupils, appreciated his comments about school friendships that had lasted, with the former saying: ‘I wholeheartedly agree with Ben’s view that Bablake really is a special place that fosters lifelong friendships amongst peers and an inner self-belief that you can achieve anything you really set your mind to.’

Miss Simmons added: ‘It was so obvious that he had a real love for the school- what an interesting and inspiring speech!’ Ben has photographed almost every imaginable media friendly world sports stars of the last decade. His work is distinctive, respectful and fun; in addition his professional standards, confidence, work ethics, affable nature and excellent networking make him one of the first photographers Adidas, EA Sports and national newspapers will turn to for their images. He is still immensely humble and unaffected by the media machine he works with.

Mr Jeffrey Grantham (History) said: ‘I was struck by the humility of someone who moves in such elevated social circles.’ He added that he particularly liked the image of Rory McIlroy that accompanied one of our Newsroom articles on Ben a few years ago.

Deputy Head (Academic) Mr Alistair Hopkins was interested by Ben’s reflections on some of his peers: ‘It was fascinating to hear about Ben's career and his reflections on his time at Bablake. In particular, the wide and varied careers of those in his A level Art group (pilot, accountant, leader in the film industry... and of course, international photographer) showed that a Bablake education equipped these pupils with the skills to tackle whichever opportunities they chose.'

Headmaster Mr John Watson agreed: ‘Ben’s message was clear and inspiring: Bablake gives you the self-belief to succeed in life and to make the most of extraordinary experiences.’

Mrs Sarah Harris (Director of Marketing and Admissions) gave us our final comment: ‘Ben’s address showed a genuine passion for Bablake and had great celebrity stories. I loved the photos he displayed. What a fabulously exciting career he has had and he's still a young man. His success and happiness really confirmed the wisdom of following your heart and doing what you love.’

We thank all those involved in the organisation of such a successful evening, but especially Ben for his excellent speech and it was lovely to see his very proud parents also in attendance. We look forward to seeing him back at Bablake again very soon, as there is an army of eager photographers in the school, both pupils and staff, keen to be inspired further!