Forres Camera Club exhibition of lockdown photographs on at Forres Town Hall
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FORRES Town Hall’s Wee Gallery is hosting a free exhibition of local photography.
The event comprises more than 150 digital images and prints created by Forres Camera Club (FCC) during Covid lockdowns between April 2020 and September 2021.
FCC president Alasdair Joyce confirmed these include garden wildlife, pets and household objects readily available to photograph, especially to members who were isolating or unable to go out much.
He said: “Areas such as the beaches at Hopeman and Findhorn, Blairs Loch and Dava Moor also feature. Members could visit them relatively easily and they were often deserted.”
When lockdown was first introduced in March 2020, FCC had to suspend weekly meetings, so a photographic challenge was agreed to share new photographs to maintain interest and contact. Members captured digital images showing aspects of their recommended daily, hour-long walks. At
the end of the first week, a slideshow of images was emailed to all. The weekly challenge is now regular, with a different member selecting the topic each week.
Alasdair said: “The original challenges were diverse and included abstract themes such as Primary Colours, Song Titles, and Three Forks and an Egg; and literal ones like My Daily Walk, My Lockdown Garden and Autumn Colours. Topics were open to interpretation, resulting in huge variety. The exhibition portrays a selection of images with contributions from all members.”
Following 46 challenges with between 40 and 70 images submitted each time, selecting for exhibition was difficult. A club sub-committee completed the search.
Alasdair said: “Topics were chosen that were representative of the lockdown experience, and the images chosen echoed personal experiences of lockdown.”
Around 40 are shown as prints, with the remainder presented as a digital slideshow featuring a selection from the topics in the gallery entrance.
Creating the images forced members out of their comfort zone, with topics that required a wide range of skills, including landscape, seascape and natural history techniques.
“The experience helped to break down isolation during lockdown,” said Alasdair.
“Many members found their skills improved over the past 18 months as a result. We all looked forward to each challenge and seeing the resulting slide show.”
The exhibition is on until the end of March and can be viewed during normal opening times at the town hall.
For more information about FCC visit the group’s Facebook page.
