Author Archives

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Tenth Anniversary Photowalks, Vol 3

For the third weekend of our Tenth Anniversary Photowalks, there were six planned photowalks, each one had varied participation numbers and equally varied submissions.

This third and final volume contains images submitted by the participating photographers, from the following photowalks held on the weekend of July 4th – 6th, 2020: Bourda Market Walk led by Fidal Bassier, Avenue Walk led by Darrell Carpenay, Hope Koker Walk led by Tana Yussuff, Cummings Lodge / Industry Village Walk led by Michael C. Lam, Drive to Linden led by Dione Vanderhyden, and the Unity Walk led by Michael C. Lam.

We thank all the participating photographers, and we thank all our members and supporters who have made this ten years possible and who have made these Tenth Anniversary magazines possible.

This volume, and the previous two volumes as well, can be previewed and purchased on Blurb here.

You can also view the full volume on ISSUU here.

Also, here are the links to other publications that were produced in observance of the 10th Anniversary of the Guyana Photographers’ Facebook Group:

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PHOTOWALKS: Through the years – through the Lens 2010-2020, Volume 3

Continuing our celebrations for our tenth anniversary, we are happy to bring the third and final volume in the virtual books PHOTOWALKS: Through the years – through the lens, 2010-2020.

This volume takes up where Volume 2 left of and contains curated images from photowalks held between April 2014 and May 2019.

Click on the magazine cover above to see the full Magazine on ISSUU.

Some other publications done for the 10th Anniversary:

Again, we thank all our members, without whom the group would not be what it has become.  We hope you enjoy the three volumes, please share with friends, and we hope you join us in making memorable the next ten years.

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PHOTOWALKS: Through the years – through the Lens 2010-2020, Volume 2

Continuing our celebrations for our tenth anniversary, we are happy to bring the second volume in the virtual books PHOTOWALKS: Through the years – through the lens, 2010-2020.

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This volume takes up where Volume 1 left of and contains curated images from photowalks held between August 2012 and January 2014.

Some other publications for the 10th Anniversary: PHOTOWALKS: Through the years – through the Lens 2010-2020, Volume 1 and Tenth Anniversary Photowalks, Vol 1.

Again, we thank all our members, without whom the group would not be what it has become.  Look out for the final volume scheduled to be published  next Saturday.

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PHOTOWALKS: Through the years – through the Lens 2010-2020, Volume 1

July 25th, 2020

Happy Tenth Anniversary to the Guyana Photographers’ Facebook Group.  As part of our anniversary celebrations, we took a look back at our past photowalks; we present today the first volume of our PHOTOWALKS: Through the years – through the Lens, 2010-2020.

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We say thanks to all our members, and hope that this three volume set will remind them of what has been accomplished and inspire them to do even more.  Enjoy volume 1, and look out for the next two Volumes, to be Published on subsequent Saturdays 😉

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Out of sight…

PhotoTalk 2020/21

A few of us were out on a documentary project, and I noticed Darrell eyeing up a particular shot, I suspected but wasn’t sure what he was looking for. On asking a bit later, his description pretty much met a photo I knew well, and one that I thought most people knew, well, most local people. He didn’t know the one I was referring to; which brings me to today’s PhotoTalk image.

Before turning his attention to Video, John Greene was well known in photography circles, and in society at large who needed photography services.

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This image of his has remained with me for several reasons:

It had the typical John Greene processing in terms of colour and tonality

It captured a scene that was well-known but not often photographed (or publicised through photography)

The composition made it uncomfortable and memorable – and for this I would like to elaborate in comments)

I saw it in more than one local calendar and in printed news media

Paintings like the DaVinci’s Mona Lisa, Van Goth’s Starry Night, Photos like McCurry’s Afghan Girl remain with us because they keep popping up, they are talked about, they remain in reproduction in some form (these days, print and online), they are discussed and they are written about.

For local photographers’ work to achieve this level of recognition, should certain images be identified and promoted? Do any local works stand out? Let’s Talk!!

#PhotoTalk

Original comments and discussion can be seen on the Guyana Photographers’ Facebook post.

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WWII Women

PhotoTalk 2020/20

This weekend, some antic or the other had my daughter mentioning the “woman with the muscles” poster. This got me to thinking about the Rosie the Riveter Posters and the images during World War II, yes, before my time, but still relevant.

During times of conflict, times of dramatic change, photographs (and video) provide a record of people, events, environment, etc. The Rosie the Riveter campaign was responsible for women entering the American workforce in unprecedented numbers, and they were crucial to the war-effort (despite being paid far less than their male counterparts).

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This post is not about Rosie the Riveter nor the campaigns and illustrations of that time, in our April 03, 2020 PhotoTalk #6, we spoke about Margaret Bourke-White, today we show another of her images taken during the war-effort, of women in the work-force. As an image it is powerful, and it should also be said that Bourke-White was one of the first photographers hired for LIFE Magazine and the first female war correspondent.

Even today, it is still a male-centric world, and seeing images like this impresses me, not because I can’t see women doing these things, but maybe because I don’t see it often enough.

So, what’s the importance of a photographic record, in journalism and in art, during times of change, such as our current time? What are your thoughts of the similarities or differences between photographers of different genders and the photos they produce? Lets Talk!

The original comments and discussion can be seen on the Guyana Photographers’ Facebook Group’s post.

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Overtopping

PhotoTalk 2020/19

As a photographer who has a penchant for the seawalls, most of my seascapes and seawall images tend to be at low-tide.   I somehow prefer low-tide…  I will admit that one aspect might be the lack of salt-water spray on the camera, but that’s not the main reason.  I do admire images taken at high tide, especially when they are done right, and by right, I mean that they have an impact.

Two “over-topping” images immediately came to mind when I was thinking of this post, and I decided to use both.  As photographers, I have long admired the amazing nature photography of Bobby Fernandes (Robert J. Fernandes), and I’ve always marvelled at the technical skill in Dwayne Hackett’s studio work, so its no surprise that they both produced the images shown here.

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On the coastland, we live below sea-level, and all that protects us are our natural and man-made sea-defences.  It is our responsibility to maintain these defences, but to also acknowledge that as humans, we are contributing to climate change and the rise of sea-levels, and we, especially in Guyana, are dumping garbage that clogs our drainage, and prevents proper drainage; much of that garbage is thrown back at us by the sea.

Of great interest, although its video and not photography, is Alex Arjoon’s Coastland documentary, you should check that out!

As photographers, are we also responsible for the recording and documenting not only the ravages of the sea, but also the efforts of the builders of our defences? The keepers of our dams and kokers?  Let’s Talk!

#PhotoTalk

You can also see more of Dwayne’s work on his website, and on Instagram.

Original comments and discussion can be seen on the Guyana Photographers’Facebook Group post.

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Through the eyes of a Foreigner

PhotoTalk 2020/16

  I came across Jean Ross’ images of Guyana recently, and the selection she had on her website had me thinking about a few things.

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  When I first began an interest in Photography, it was usually the case that when photographers came to our country, the images that they got were of a different calibre to those taken by locals; due to different factors, including training, access to better cameras, and also they saw things differently.

  That has changed a lot since then, and I think that with the talent available locally, that gap has narrowed and may even be non-existent to some extent.

  In looking at Jean’s selections, I do see that seeing Guyana from the perspective of an outsider has had a distinct influence on the images, but I dare say that images such as these have been produced in recent years by locals.  I had found the Guyana images on her website.

  What are your thoughts?  Whose work so you think may resemble some of Jean’s own?  Can we as photographers compete on par on the world stage?

Let’s Talk!

Original post can be seen on the original post Guyana Photographs’ Facebook Group and along with comments and discussion.

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Darrell Carpenay

PhotoTalk 2020/12

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Bringing it closer to home today: I wasn’t intending to tackle one of Darrell’s pieces until much later down, but I came across this one in one of his Instagram accounts and thought it would be good to share it now.

It was lumped in with his Street Photographs, but to me this leans more toward Seascapes (personal opinion only) and its one of those images that immediately strikes me as a stand-out image. For those of you who are not familiar with some of Darrell Carpenay’s works, he tended toward more Nature and Landscape images, in recent years he has also made great strides in Street Photography here.

Now back to the image, firstly it uses very subtle tones and contrast, eking out subtle yet important details in the sky and in the waters, the there is the dark slash of the Jetty (groin, pier) across the width of the image, it angles up towards the left where stands two fishermen, and then there is the pièce de résistance for me, the marked undulation of the waves against the jetty. For me, this combines his love of landscapes and street photography into a simple, yet powerful image.

The image can be seen on instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0mhLGrHx-c/

Also you can follow his Street Photography on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/visualdarrell/

and his Nature and Landscape Photography at

https://www.instagram.com/darrellcarpenay/

Originally posted to the Guyana Photographers’ Facebook Group on the 23rd April, 2020. The original comments and discussion can be seen on that post.

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The incomparable Annie Leibovitz

PhotoTalk 2020/11

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Most of you are probably familiar with the name Annie Leibovitz, she is known for her portraits, more specifically, she is known for her portraits of celebrities which often tended to the intimate side. She has many notable images, from Leonardo DiCaprio and the swan, to Angeline Jolie, to Lauren Hutton’s mud covered image to the infamous John Lennon image taken on the day he was assassinated.

I am not a portrait photographer, so I’ll just mention what it is that I feel makes her images grip me as they do, when I look at her portraits, I can feel the subject looking straight into my soul, there’s an intimacy not just in the setting, but between the subject and the camera, between the subject and the photographer; I feel as though Annie was flirting with the subject’s dark side, with the forbidden, with their very soul.

Of her many many images, I’ve always been drawn to the one I share here; there is, of course, quite a story or even stories behind and surrounding these gentlemen, but I just always found that the lighting, the texture and the colour of the processing combined with the intense, serious yet mischievous looks made this an instantly memorable and liked portrait, this isn’t as flambouyant or erotic as some of her work can be, but its always been a gripping one for me.

There are various types of portraits, what Annie did, was special, she had panache. What do you think of Annie’s portraits? Let’s talk.

The original was posted to the Guyana Photographers’ Facebook Group on April 21st, 2020. To see the original comments and discussion please visit that post.