At our meeting on 30th September members were treated to a masterclass with a difference. There is an expectation that presentation images will have been taken with conventional cameras, however speaker Gerry Coe, a professional photographer from Belfast, showed a series of incredible images taken with his phone.
Gerry has 60 years experience of photography and is a Fellow of The Royal Photographic Society, a Fellow of the British Institute of Professional Photographers and a Fellow of The Master Photographers Association amongst others! He was the first person ever to gain a fellowship by submitting a panel of photographs taken on an iPhone rather than a traditional camera.
Gerry learned his trade in the conventional way but for the last 16 years has not only taken, but also edited and manipulated, his images in camera. In order to do this in such an a professional way, Gerry uses many in-phone apps. In fact he referred to his use of 33 apps during the course of his presentation.
Many of Gerry’s images were very artistic, made the more so by his use of Intentional Camera Movement (ICM), unusual cropping, painterly effects and of course, his very creative talents. His images ranged through landscape, portrait, architectural and natural history with an emphasis on the use of monochrome.
Gerry showed a panel of images which won a fellowship which was predominantly a series of abstract repeated patterns. He chose not to tidy up panoramic images which had been created by combining a number of images. He preferred to show the rough edges which revealed the process. He also demonstrated his creative talent by rejecting one of his own panels of prints, only to cut it up into pieces and photograph the resulting montage.
A quite exceptional talent, Gerry entertained and educated the members present.
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 7th October and is on the subject of the ‘Cumbrian Landscape’ with visiting speaker Mark Hetherington ARPS. Prospective new members and visitors are always welcome to join us on any Wednesday at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, opposite Booths supermarket, Keswick or alternatively via Zoom. Please contact us with with any questions or to reserve a place.