Photography…mostly.

A Warm Local Exposure and Press Release

I presented a selection of my portfolio to the Rotary Club of Bridge of Allan and Dunblane last month. The first time standing in front of relative strangers explaining the what and why of my photography. Introspection of my work is not a natural pastime. Yet when forced to, as in this event or my Exhibition, new discoveries of bias in what and how I approach photography become exposed. This is always a thinking game for me. So with a lifetime of imagery under review I really find out some things about myself. Themes I clearly like, places I revisit over time, the changing landscape. Its even possible to spot good times and others looking at my photography. Taking confidence from those lucky gems your stumbled upon and continually nagged by ‘the imperfects’. The shots that silently scream ‘why did you do this!’.

The presentation went well with great questions afterwards showing the audience’s healthy interest in photography. Thanks also to Andrew Hilley who started the idea. (The ladders? Well these can help align details in a shot making it viable or not. A tip I received from Landscape Photographer Charlie Waite).

Press Release on John Lamont presenting Landscape Photography
Peter Holmes (left), Nick Rawlings (right) and my trusty Landscape Photography ladders (the prop 😉

Oh and my first ever Press Release on Landscape Photography!

 

Release date:  14 October 2017

Media contact:  Peter Holmes:  mobile: 07801 989938

Pic 7103 jpg:       John Lamont (centre) shows off a most useful part of the photographer’s equipment to Speaker’s Host Nick Rawlings (right) and Peter Holmes

SCOTTISH LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

The Scottish landscape offers photographers and artists a rich variety of subjects.  So the talk by John Lamont on Scottish landscape photography was eagerly anticipated by Club members.  And they were not disappointed.

Reflecting on his reasons for developing an enthusiasm for photography, John talked about his memories as a child where cameras were an important part of family life.  He remembered that even at an early age he was encouraged to pick up a camera and experiment with it.  His early photographs were taken on film, with all the pleasurable anticipation of the prints returning from processing, and some inevitable disappointments when the results didn’t quite match up to expectation.  As time went on, he progressed to developing and printing his own photographs; that, too, had its joys and frustrations.

Having qualified as an engineer, John’s involvement with cameras continued, as he experimented with early digital cameras that opened up possibilities of improved ways of communicating the details of various manufacturing processes.  Some years later, John took the decision to devote more time to photography – a decision he has not regretted.

John then questioned what constitutes a landscape: does it include buildings, whether in the background or foreground?  What about the presence of people?  Do they influence the way a landscape is perceived? Can a landscape include close-ups of elements within the landscape of, for example, a particularly visually attractive stone taken in close-up? So, there is a range of choices to be made when taking a photograph in terms of the viewpoint selected, the time of day chosen, the influence of the weather and so on. In turn, the photographer’s choices will influence how the resulting photograph will be perceived by the viewer, not only as a result of whatever choice has been made, but following the editing of the resulting image using specialized computer software – the modern equivalent of the techniques used in the darkroom in earlier days

John then showed a sequence of his photographs ranging across a range of landscapes, accompanied by an evocative music track.  The appreciation by members of these telling images was obvious.

Recently, John has been displaying his photographs as prints. That, he indicated, has allowed his photographs to be seen in a different light to being shown on a screen. He was particularly pleased at the response to his prints in the recent local ArtBeat initiative.

John’s most recent foray has been to Harris and Lewis, which offers particularly rewarding opportunities as a result of the wonderful combinations of landscape and light.  To illustrate this, John showed a selection of his photographs in both black and white and colour, a telling confirmation of the attraction of the subject matter and of John’s skill.

John answered a number of questions, explaining how various aspects of his craft were applied, and urging members to give young people encouragement to develop their skills.  Speaker’s Host, Nick Rawlings, thanked John for his talk, and for the range of images that had so delighted members.

Meetings of the Rotary Club are held at the Westlands Hotel, Doune Road, at 6.00 for 6-30pm.  The next meeting, on Thursday 26 October, when Muriel Alexander will talk about Genealogy – No Ordinary Hobby.   Anyone interested in attending should contact the Club Secretary, Iain Fraser at [email protected] Tel: 01786 822751.  More information can be found on the Club website: www.dunblanerotary.org.uk or the Facebook site: www.facebook.com/dunblanerotary.

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland, part of Rotary International, has 1,800 clubs and more than 51,000 members.

 

Rotary International was founded in 1905 in Chicago and is now the world’s largest international service organisation with 1.2 million professional men and women as members. There are 33,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographical areas.

 

Rotary clubs are open to men and women of all ages who are business, professional or community leaders and who want to use their experience for the benefit of others.

 

Rotary initiates local and global projects to promote world understanding and peace and improve life conditions for people of all ages and cultures. To find out more, visit www.ribi.org.

 


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One response to “A Warm Local Exposure and Press Release”

  1. Robert Lamont

    John has become very skilled in his craft of photography. Being his eldest brother, I have seen many of his photos from an early age. He was never far away from a 35mm camera. The lens of the camera was an extension of his eye and his vision for framing many wonderful photos. His passion for photography whether it be print developing, video or digital; will always be front and centre of his life.

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