Every time I return home to the country town where I grew up... cameras come out and creative explosions happen!
For more than seven years a faithful following of characters (mostly mothers and grandmothers) prepare their memory cards and join me on creative adventure days, all celebrating the beauties to behold through photography.
Community and creativity go hand-in-hand on these adventures, and yesterday we shot up a storm at the foothills of Mount Kaputar in rural NSW, Australia. Mother Nature put on quite the show, and as iridescence filled the sky, laughter echoed across the paddock.
Image by Janet Dampney
The birds sang, the cows mooed, and we indulged in the country charms of golden hour. There was models, mayhem and even a nephew.
Chloe Hardman
Image by Janet Dampney
After a torchlit dinner on foldout chairs, we slipped into our evening endeavours with tripods, headlights and glow sticks. As the full moon rose over the iconic Nandewar ranges we learnt how to shoot long exposures and paint with light. Things got a little crazy, love was proclaimed, and a disco was had. Before we knew it the clock was saying 11pm!
Images by Christine Cain
I'll be adding more images captured by attendees to this blog, facebook and the Country Camera Club. Stayed tuned, because you'll be dazzled by how differently everyone saw and captured the experience.
It actually never ceases to amaze me how diversely we can all view the exact same situations. Seeing this firsthand in workshops has helped my understandings, tolerances and curiosities with the world... all very useful elements in navigating days towards the bright side.
The art of photography has so much to offer beyond pretty pictures, come play sometime.
The Crew: Peter Berney, Libby McPhee, Janet Dampney, Karyn Bond, Christine Cain, Sharon Peters and Judy Orman.
ATTEND A WORKSHOP
My final installations of Photographic Workshops in rural NSW for 2018 are happening this Saturday, March 10 in Gunnedah. I will be hosting a Creative Masterclass and another Adventure Day/Night just like this one. There are a handful of spots left in these workshops, so move fast if you'd like to grab a spot. Click the buttons for more info and bookings...
Image by Janet Dampney. The Messiah played by Pete Longworth : )
CREATE A WORKSHOP
If you are ever interested in organising a photographic adventure day while I'm in your town, please click the button, leave some details and we will see what magic we can conjure up...
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Images by Libby McPhee
Images by Karyn Bond