Projects
Apparently there are more photographs in the world than bricks
Photography is a particularly powerful medium because it anchors you to a specific location
which makes it a superb tool for exploring, observing and representing both the external world
and our internal reactions to it. Most of us see scores of photographs each day, but do we
bother to look at one and try and find out what it 'says'? There is something very democratic
about photography because everyone can take a picture - 85 billion photographs were taken by
conventional cameras in 2004 alone! But perhaps its lack of mystique obscures its inherent
qualities for most people, and its potential as a vehicle for expression is rarely realised
because of its simplicity. We look at photo- graphs, but do we really know what they mean?
An exciting bonus for the viewers of these pictures is that they also reflect the recent digital revolution that has broadened the range of photographic possibilities for everyone. There are wonderful examples here of how the exhibitors have creatively embraced the new technology via mobile phone cameras, sophisticated computer soft- ware, DVDs, and more. Of course, traditional approaches have also been employed, whether in black and white or colour, and to great effect too.
These young photographers demonstrate not only the communicative power of the medium, they
have used their imaginations to create aesthetically stimulating, ambiguously intriguing, and
sensitively observed visions of their rural world.
They have also tackled current issues that are affecting farming and their neighbourhoods
with passion, intelligence, and wit. By employing the use of text with images and clever montaging,
they have extended their visual vocabularies beyond the single perspective camera image. The
participants' talents have been honed through workshops run by professional photographers who
all live in the area. The tutors have great experience and deserved national reputations, and
this is reflected in the technical, conceptual and presentational quality of the work on display.
The youngsters have learnt well.
Professor Paul Hill
