World Photography Day 2024
To mark World Photography Day today (19th August), Potters Bar and District Photographic Society offers a cross section of recent images by our members. The date celebrates photography as such a wide-ranging art form and this selection seeks to examine some aspects of it.
Firstly, we have Fiona Adamson’s picture of a Polar Bear alone on an ice flow. The picture is deceptively simple in that it uses a very small colour palette, indeed, it is almost monochrome. But the skill lies in the composition as well as being taken from a moving boat!
At the other extreme, Jonathon Lennon’s picture is also simple, in the sense that it shows an every-day item, a padlock; something that we all see but would never think of photographing. Johnathan has also found a way of showing vibrant colours to make this routine item really stand out in his photograph.
A monochrome (black and white) image removes colour as a queue to understanding what the photographer is seeking to convey. In “The Vase” by Helen Frost we see an exhibit at an art exhibition. Without the people we would have no idea of the size of the exhibit at the same time they show just how big “the vase” is.
Going from black and white to one bright colour is Manjari Shah’s photo using the technique known as light painting. This is taken using a long exposure to capture the trails left as a light is moved in front of the lens to create the shape seen in the image. The “interesting” part of this technique is that it is almost impossible to know in advance how the image will end-up. This picture was taken at a Society meeting.
Another natural history image is Graham Coldrick’s gentle image of Holly Blue butterflies. It shows the quality of image that can be obtained close to home in your own garden.
Our final picture is one of Cheryl Bullock’s “table top” pictures. Called “Made of paper” the picture was created with a few sheets of paper and some clever lighting. It just shows what can be made with simple materials and ability.
The date of World Photography Day reflects the date on which the French Government “gave” the world the invention of the first form of photography, as we now know it – the Daguerreotype, co-invented by Joseph Niepce and Louis Daguerre, on 19 August 1837. The actual invention was announced on 19 January 1837. It is said that the French government purchased the patent, 10 days after the announcement. Notably, they did not copyright the patent, instead, they gave it to the world as a gift on 19 August.
We are currently having our summer break, but our next face-to-face meeting is on Monday 23rd September when we will be having a competition for printed images. If you have an interest in photography, whatever your camera equipment or skill level, you could well find something of interest by joining us. Further information can be found here.
