Just one of the reasons for joining a Camera Club, such as the Isle of Man Photographic Society, which meets every fortnight on Wednesdays, at the St John Ambulance HQ, is that it opens a whole new world of opportunities and the experience of learning from and listening to the very best speakers on a range of photographic topics.
The final meeting in November was just that sort of occasion when we were fortunate to be able to hear the eminent Dr Lara Howe, a Marine Biologist, speaking this time about ‘Shifting Perspectives: Exploring Abstract Photography.’ In a departure from what might normally be expected from Lara, namely marine biology, upon which she is an expert, of course, she took a leap of faith and bravely spoke about her experience of the more creative, inspirational, and dramatic imagery that can be achieved, often from mundane subject matters such as the beach, the sea and differing cloud formations. Modestly playing down her expertise in this genre, Lara claimed not to have any particular expertise, but spoke enthusiastically in a very disarming manner about her more ‘playful’ approach to producing creative images by means of her developing photography style, which had been influenced over the years by many writers, such as Sandra Bartocha, with her interest in visiting ‘special places’, Bill Ward, the award winning actor and photographer from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Glenys Garnet, from Wakefield.
Lara’s talk featured several images from Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, the brightly coloured cottage houses and beautiful scenery to be found in the Lofoten islands, the Arctic Norway archipelago, well known for its breathtaking vistas, plus her trip to Venice, as well as many from her work around the Isle of Man.
Dividing her most interesting presentation into manageable segments, she had produced intimate and, at times, unexpected results ‘in camera’ with highly pleasing outcomes. The geology and geography, when viewed from a different perspective, had resulted in many spectacular, unexpected, and yet pleasing, results! Her encouraging presentation certainly inspired members and guests to try a different approach to their outdoor photography.
The next gathering of the Society will be (at the usual venue) on the 10th December, when the assignment Competition “Manx Churches” will be judged, with the second half of the evening taking the form of our annual Christmas Social. There will be much more to which we can all look forward next year, starting with yet another highlight with an evening in the presence of Society stalwarts, Ruth and Chris Nicholls, the latter transporting us on a trip to Austria and the former taking in ‘Medieval Moments and a Village in the Skye.’
By Antony Hamilton
