Virtual Meeting, 'Seeing Opportunity' - Tuesday 5th January 2021.

     
At the first virtual meeting of the New Year, Morpeth Camera Club welcomed guest speaker Erica Oram CPAGB
AFIAP BPE3, who gave a presentation entitled ‘ Seeing Opportunity ’. Erica, a member of Sheffield Photographic
Society, has given lectures to many camera clubs and is also a photographic competition judge. The central theme
of Erica’s presentation was about seeing the photographic potential in whatever opportunities which come her way
given the limited time she has for photography. She finds herself attracted to abstract details, street photography
and the depiction of movement. In her work she tries to use an open minded, creative and artistic approach to
photography, both in-camera and by using digital manipulation, with the aim of producing something a bit different.

She doesn’t take the obvious shot, looking instead to the detail, getting in close to simplify, she says. Abstract views,
shadows, blocks of colour, and objects with light shining through are her aim. Examples of which were her alternative
views of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao at night, lit in a way which brings out the shadow and detail of the building.
Shapes, lines and patterns are what her photography is all about, often converting to black and white, stating that
monochrome enhances the pattern and tone for added drama. In addition she waits for pedestrians to appear into a
scene to provide a focal point and scale.

She is not interested in traditional landscape photography, saying that distant views have no personality. She would
rather photograph the ironwork on the Eiffel Tower or roof detail on the Sacre-Coeur than the whole building. We
enjoyed seeing examples of her street photography in the Le Defence district of Paris, and at Birmingham’s City
Library, with candid shots of pedestrians and students.

Erica tends to tone down some images to produce more muted shades which, in her view, are not so overpowering.
When asked if her photography is an honest reflection of reality, her reply is no. She makes images which please her
and is prepared to change aspects of her work to that end. Even the mundane can be interesting she said, one is
capturing a moment in time which will never happen again.

Always looking for potential ahead, Erica sometimes sits on a bench with her camera on her knee to take random
shots from that level. Always ready to break the ‘rules’, she is happy to photograph a person looking out of frame,
which to her, depicts emptiness. People in conversation, drinkers on the pier, couples walking on the beach, facial
expressions, all have a story and Erica likes the viewer to imagine whatever scenario they wish. Two examples of
this were a young couple having fun being watched by an older couple, and a man on a motorised scooter admiring
shiny super motorbikes, these are her ‘the way we were’ images, she said.

Erica followed on with a darker side; gritty, stark images taken in old fire and police station museums. Tiled cells,
electric sub station stairways, menacing images of blurred people in silhouette, atmospheric scenes which she has
created hopefully, an uncomfortable feel to them. She showed images of eerie monastery buildings, of cobwebbed
windows with a feeling of desolation, agedness and history, also dark tunnels, quarries and moody landscapes.

On a lighter theme we enjoyed creative images of silver birches and high key soft and airy shots of grasses with a
feeling of movement. Soft images of trees in snow, among bluebells and bathed in light and rain contrasted with
vibrant colours of autumn leaves. Ending with seascapes, the audience enjoyed images of smooth waves, taken
with long exposure settings, but not so slow, she explained, as to diminish their power. These were simple images
which had individuality, the sort of images which Erica is always striving for. A short Q & A session followed where
Erica gave details of her techniques. In conclusion, she said that one should be true to oneself, take from other
photographers what you like but then do your own thing, for yourself. Club Chairman thanked Erica for a diverse
range of subjects in a very interesting and inspiring evening.

Steph.