Our band of enthusiastic photographers once again came up trumps.

Despite Easter holidays taking a toll upon our numbers, the session was fruitful, with much to see, discuss and to simply enjoy.

We’ve said it before but concept, intent, expression, interpretation and good seeing form the bedrock of the diversity of work we encourage and enjoy.

Tessa Mills went ‘freestyle’ this time, letting serendipity take her upon a visual journey.  However, Tessa’s eye for content and image-association were key factors as she selected and marshalled her set of images.

A more deliberate approach was adopted by Nigel Reader who limited himself to an innovative complex of buildings at Watchet on the north Somerset coast.

Geographic constraint was also self-imposed upon several other members.  Alex Isaacs decided to represent a particular quarter of Marseille with its diverse ethnicities, café culture, street art and rampant graffiti.  Lucy Allum confined herself to the streets of central Birmingham to explore the texture, rich chiaroscuro and moods of the city after dark. Featuring an eponymous and really big roof, Paul Mann restricted himself within an even smaller location - the courtyard of The British Museum.  Meanwhile, a somewhat broader canvass, that of North Wales, invited Geoff Hicks who commented in his own inimitable style.

Remaining upon a tight theme and in ‘observational documentary mode’, Clive Haynes, continued his exploration ‘behind the scenes’ within churches where vestries and time-worn artifacts, reveal something of the incumbents, the helpers and diminishing congregations.

The continuous erosion and re-formation of the coast in the relentless attrition between sea and land attracted Bob Oakley’s attention with his exploration of constant change and some of the human debris left behind.

Our two ‘outside sources’ provided contrasts in approaches to a wide spectrum of contemporary photography. The introductions below are a little longer than usual but do read on, as they provide valuable insights…..

Sayuri Ichida – ‘Mayu, Stranger in a strange land’

Here’s an excerpt from the introduction…..

'Mayu is a Japanese ballet dancer who currently works for the New York Theatre Ballet. We are both immigrants from Japan, and our paths to New York were similar, with both of us spending a few years in Europe before coming and settling in the city on our own.

On our journeys to New York, we both experienced various degrees of self−doubt, alienation, depression and at times regret, ultimately followed by a sense of reawakening and rediscovery of our inner selves.

With this series, I aim to convey some part of the jarring experiences we independently shared as immigrants looking for their place in a foreign country.

Dancers usually perform on stage, but because I shot Mayu on locations that could be considered unorthodox for a dancer, the combination of a ballerina and outdoor scenery gives the series a sense of dissonance.

To emphasize this effect, I knew that I had to do things differently from a typical dancer’s portrait, so I also deliberately set out to shoot her as an object in a frame. I kept asking her to express something different from a beautiful formal ballet dance. Everything she does as a dancer is so beautiful, so I asked her not to be too beautiful'.
Link: Sayuri Ichida

Cheney Orr - 'A Father, A Son, A Disease and A Camera'

Born in Arizona and raised in New York City, Cheney spent his 20s primarily as a construction worker and production assistant. His first long-term photo essay documenting his dad’s journey with early-onset Alzheimer's was published by The New York Times Lens Blog in 2018.  The response to this publication opened his eyes to photography's potential to spread awareness and help people feel less alone. It became Cheney’s deepest ambition to continue to create photographs that foster connection.

Link:   Cheney Orr (You can sign in via a Google or Facebook account then ignore subscription offers).

All members’ work from our session can be seen in our Viewpoint e-book for this month.  Click on the image below or this link: Viewpoint and choose the April 2024 edition.  The same link provides access to many previous issues of ‘Viewpoint’ - a fascinating treasure-trove waiting for you to explore!