Yorkshire Documentary Sub-Group - Project Yorkshire
Project Yorkshire Val Mather LRPS, Yorkshire Documentary Sub-Group I joined the group just after I slipped a disc in my back! Luckily, the people I met were easy-going and relaxed about the fact that I could only sit down for minutes at a time and, thereafter, I needed to pace up and down with my tea and biscuits. We are a group of like-minded documentary photographers all based in Yorkshire, with no fixed agenda, but regularly seeking suggestions from members as to what they would like to see at, or contribute to, forthcoming meetings. In March, the Chair of the Documentary Group, Mark Philips ARPS came to talk to us as part of his travels around each sub-group. The East Midlands Documentary Group have already written about his excellent presentation, so I will simply say it was informative, well received and very enjoyable. To date, our meetings have focused on individual photography projects, with attendees offering constructive advice, and asking probing questions, to help the photographer delve deeper into his or her project and what it is that they wish to say through their images. We also had Peter Mudd ARPS present his successful Documentary A Panel. He talked us through the challenges involved and the advice he received at an RPS advisory day. A number of members have achieved the LRPS and are considering attempting the ARPS - the group intends to support them in this. At Christmas, members were asked to submit five images that “said” Christmas to them and these were shared with the group at the January meeting. In May, we held a photo walk around York and shared the images at the next meeting. It is always interesting to see what makes each photographer press the shutter and how we each “see” the same scene so differently. I personally found this creatively inspiring; on both occasions the variety of different images that were made generated enthusiastic debate. 60
