A very simple challenge we have done a few times now is to randomly assign pairs in the group. Then each pair have to take phots of one another to bring back to the group. This time round there were 5 pairs and people brought results to show at the July meeting. Below is one photo from each but lots more were shown. We await one pair to show their results next month which we'll add here. The meeting was rich as other photos were also shown, a zine of mannequins in Iraq, another photo book and Fabrizio brought along photos from his recent exhibition. 

Fran by Mel

Mel by Fran

Frankie by Jonny

Jonny by Frankie

Chris by Robert

Robert by Chris

Sean by Sarah

Sarah by Sean

June's meeting was an opportunity to see a variety of new work from our members.
Dorota Boisot took us on a train journey through Poland and Sean McDonnell on a road trip through the American Deep South.
Jonny Baker showed portraits of actors from the Synergy Theatre Project and images from their production Smithereens at Brixton House Theatre. 

[Both images above by Dorota Boisot]

[Both images above by Jonny Baker]

We also had a chance to look at some striking printed work.
The Royal Photographic Society has just published a monograph of Ray Higginbottom's rich creativity.
Fran Black introduced us to another of her fine books, this time on Uzbekistan.

We then discussed the theme for this year's annual LIP show, Subjective : Objective. It provoked a good discussion and was nominated as a topic for one of our future meetings. We also reviewed topic ideas for the rest of the year and the group will decide on those at the next meeting. A number of members are busy with the People challenge to be presented then too.

[Claudio Carvalhaes by Jonny Baker]

We spent May's meeting sharing photos of people. This inevitably led to a discussion of what makes a portrait as opposed to a photograph of a person. I'm not sure we concluded much but this has inspired another group photo challenge where people have been randomly paired to take photographs of one another and bring back results to the group in a couple of months. 

[Vagabond Girl by Chris Bellinger]

It was amazing to see the range of styles of photographs of people and contexts in which they were taken.

[Photograph by Angelika Berndt]

For our March meeting the group shared a diverse selection of recent work all, in their own way, celebrating this month's theme, Spring.

Richard Baker showed a collection of photos taken over three evenings following a serendipitous view at a distance of the demolition works at Ealing Studios, where he saw the shadows of two excavators “as monsters fighting”. He returned with a camera and while it was not possible to reproduce the original image he was able to build a relationship with the team to take a variety of images that captured the energy and atmosphere of the night-time works.

Jonny Baker immersed us in the depths of a lost rainforest in Scotland and the heights of Snowdonia. 

We were taken to Mexico courtesy of Sarah Wilikie's photographs from her recent trip and the vibrancy of colours was a tonic for the soul. 

Back in London Sean McDonnell showed some dusk and night pictures from the West End.

Robert Vaas then shared a powerful image he had created promoting a performance at Questors Theatre plus the video promo that accompanies it.

[All images above by Richard Baker]

[A lost rainforest on the isle of Seil, Scotland by Jonny Baker]

[From the Snowdon Horseshoe by Jonny Baker]

[Centro Historico, Oaxaca by Sarah Wilkie]

[Fallen bougainvillea, Oaxaca by Sarah Wilkie]

[Rarámuri woman at sunset, Copper Canyon by Sarah Wilkie]

[Both images above by Sean McDonnell]

[Find Me by Robert Vaas]

In conclusion we discussed recent shows we'd been to and Richard shared a guide he'd found at the Serpentine

The Deutsche Börse has just opened at the Photographers' Gallery so the group discussed a trip there as the last time we visited was 2020 before the pandemic. It would also be an opportunity to see both Frankie MacAllister's and Arun Misra's books which are now on sale there.

We concluded by thinking about the topic for next month's meeting, Zines and Book Publishing. 

September's meeting had been devoted to opening our BEAT 2023 exhibition Blondin so it was good to get back to sharing and discussing new work from a number of members for our October meeting.

Ray Higginbottom led off with a new selection of prints of landscape work from a recent trip to Norfolk. We then welcomed Mark Fisher who joined the meeting after seeing our last BEAT show and he shared some of his work from a recent trip to Norfolk too. Robin Segulem's prints then transported us to Cumbria, from the streets of Barrow-in-Furness to the Lake District Fells. Angelika Berndt took us to Austria to admire a new set of documentary images from a bodypainting festival. Following that, the Arles photo festival itself was the subject of Richard Baker's work with his take on the curation and display of the exhibitions there. Anshuman Acharya added to the global perspective of the evening with a range of photographs from Japan, India, Vietnam and Australia.

[Both images above by Robin Segulem]

[Both images above by Richard Baker]

[Both images above by Anshuman Acharya]

We had a chat about BEAT and the private view in particular. The slackline display was a hit and prompted us to think of combining with other performers or artists on any future projects too.

We then followed up on an idea Arun Misra had suggested for our topic calendar at the start of the year - stories behind some famous photographs. Dorota Boisot showed some portraits she had made in the spirit of a photograph of the Hollywood star Rita Hayworth. Sean McDonnell then shared a selection of images and stories from photographers including Louis Daguerre, Diane Arbus and Sebastião Salgado.

We also had a brief discussion on ideas for next month's meeting, including AI, and will be sharing details in advance of that.

Thanks in conclusion to Robert Vaas for hosting the meeting at Questors Theatre while our regular venue was unavailable!

September's meeting was the opening of the Blondin exhibition. It was a lovely evening on a gorgeous late summer's day cataching up over a drink, bathing in the satisfying aftermath of the exhibtion going up, chatting with friends. It looks great and will get so much footfall by virtue of its location. To add a bit of fun to the evening Nick had brought along his slackline which was set low to the ground for anyone to have a go. 

BEAT is also in full flow now and weekend one has just drawn to a close. Hopefully visitors to Blondin enjoyed their visit as part of the local art trail.