Club Meeting, 'The Way I See Photography' - Tuesday 5th December 2023.
On Tuesday 5th December 2023 Morpeth Camera Club welcomed Washington-based photographer Joe Sheridan FDA
BA(Hons) ARPS, as our guest speaker. Chairman of Washington Camera Club and a Northern Counties Photographic
Federation judge, Joe gave a presentation entitled ‘The Way I See Photography.’
He began by saying that he loves projects which is just as well as he was set between thirty and forty tasks whilst at
university studying photography, some of which he showed on the night. First off was a short Audio-Visual (Av) using
images taken when on a tour of Auschwitz Concentration Camp. In monochrome and accompanied by sombre music
he recreated the atmosphere, its conditions and his feelings evoked whilst there. His next project was inspired by the
indoor smoking ban and together with anecdotes he perfectly captured the mood of characters forced to smoke outside
in the cold.
Joe decided to venture into a long-term project which involved visiting the Washington allotments at different times of
the day, throughout the growing year, to create an Av which captured the essence of the environment. With amusing
anecdotes regarding ‘no go areas’, images of drying onions, sheds, plaques, break times, pets, tools and hens followed.
Inspired by their make-do and mend lifestyle Joe decided to create a book of his images for the allotment holders, that
was made up entirely of recycled materials, to present to them at the end.
His next Av covered a request from the Tyne Theatre management for him and his fellow students to photograph and
make a record of every aspect of the building before the start of its renovation. We saw chandeliers, gilded paintwork,
ornate balconies, stained glass and even open access to the basement with its complicated pulley system and behind
stage to photograph the usually unseen areas of the theatre.
Ragged Victorians was the theme of his next sequence. Photographed at Tanfield he decided to manipulate the images
to create the impression of old glass plate photography. Vignetted and faded, we saw images of workers, waifs, rascals
and farmers, who, while working went completely into character which, he said, provided a very authentic re-enactment
of the times.
Next came an Av entitled 9mm Characters and Small Creatures, in which he had photographed very tiny figures which
had been placed into different scenarios; characters facing ‘giant’ mushrooms, with wasps, Craneflies and snails, with
one character even hitching a ride on the shell of a snail. This Av went on to inspire Joe to create another, this time
entitled 'The Little People Save the Day.’ On the requested theme of colour, he noticed how colourful the Playmobile
Characters, played with by his grandson, were. He eventually came up with the idea of a grandmother forgetting to
make a lunchtime sandwich for her grandson. In the form of a book, images of little people making a sandwich with
the use of cranes, shovels, a saw and a grater, made for a very original concept.
An Av entitled 100 Paces followed which was the result of being virtually immobile for a time, proving that even with
restrictions, going out and capturing landscapes is possible. We saw the resulting images of lovely landscapes all taken
within the local area.
To conclude, Joe showed us an Av of his images taken of water drops, explaining the equipment he used, setting up and
timing procedures. This was a lockdown project which gave him time to experiment and the resulting images certainly
paid off. Once you master the art then the imagination can go wild, he said. We enjoyed seeing golden crown-like objects,
imaginary dancers lit in red and blue, chalices, horses, and fantasy objects resembling ice sculptures.
Peter Downs thanked Joe for his presentation which encompassed many genres of photography, reiterating that one
needs a lot of imagination in photography to produce something different. The presenter then joined the group to
answer any questions over coffee.
Steph.
BA(Hons) ARPS, as our guest speaker. Chairman of Washington Camera Club and a Northern Counties Photographic
Federation judge, Joe gave a presentation entitled ‘The Way I See Photography.’
He began by saying that he loves projects which is just as well as he was set between thirty and forty tasks whilst at
university studying photography, some of which he showed on the night. First off was a short Audio-Visual (Av) using
images taken when on a tour of Auschwitz Concentration Camp. In monochrome and accompanied by sombre music
he recreated the atmosphere, its conditions and his feelings evoked whilst there. His next project was inspired by the
indoor smoking ban and together with anecdotes he perfectly captured the mood of characters forced to smoke outside
in the cold.
Joe decided to venture into a long-term project which involved visiting the Washington allotments at different times of
the day, throughout the growing year, to create an Av which captured the essence of the environment. With amusing
anecdotes regarding ‘no go areas’, images of drying onions, sheds, plaques, break times, pets, tools and hens followed.
Inspired by their make-do and mend lifestyle Joe decided to create a book of his images for the allotment holders, that
was made up entirely of recycled materials, to present to them at the end.
His next Av covered a request from the Tyne Theatre management for him and his fellow students to photograph and
make a record of every aspect of the building before the start of its renovation. We saw chandeliers, gilded paintwork,
ornate balconies, stained glass and even open access to the basement with its complicated pulley system and behind
stage to photograph the usually unseen areas of the theatre.
Ragged Victorians was the theme of his next sequence. Photographed at Tanfield he decided to manipulate the images
to create the impression of old glass plate photography. Vignetted and faded, we saw images of workers, waifs, rascals
and farmers, who, while working went completely into character which, he said, provided a very authentic re-enactment
of the times.
Next came an Av entitled 9mm Characters and Small Creatures, in which he had photographed very tiny figures which
had been placed into different scenarios; characters facing ‘giant’ mushrooms, with wasps, Craneflies and snails, with
one character even hitching a ride on the shell of a snail. This Av went on to inspire Joe to create another, this time
entitled 'The Little People Save the Day.’ On the requested theme of colour, he noticed how colourful the Playmobile
Characters, played with by his grandson, were. He eventually came up with the idea of a grandmother forgetting to
make a lunchtime sandwich for her grandson. In the form of a book, images of little people making a sandwich with
the use of cranes, shovels, a saw and a grater, made for a very original concept.
An Av entitled 100 Paces followed which was the result of being virtually immobile for a time, proving that even with
restrictions, going out and capturing landscapes is possible. We saw the resulting images of lovely landscapes all taken
within the local area.
To conclude, Joe showed us an Av of his images taken of water drops, explaining the equipment he used, setting up and
timing procedures. This was a lockdown project which gave him time to experiment and the resulting images certainly
paid off. Once you master the art then the imagination can go wild, he said. We enjoyed seeing golden crown-like objects,
imaginary dancers lit in red and blue, chalices, horses, and fantasy objects resembling ice sculptures.
Peter Downs thanked Joe for his presentation which encompassed many genres of photography, reiterating that one
needs a lot of imagination in photography to produce something different. The presenter then joined the group to
answer any questions over coffee.
Steph.