Our April club night saw not one, but three guest speakers!
Our first guest was Graham Curphy of the Queen’s Pier Restoration Trust, and he gave a fascinating and engaging talk about the history of this huge structure in Ramsey Bay.
Built between 1882-1886, the pier is 2160 feet long and 21 feet wide, and hosted royal visits in 1907, 1920 and 1963. The once-busy pier saw its final departure (“Manxman”) in 1970, the tram and engines were removed in the 1980s, and the gates closed to the public in 1990 due to safety concerns.
Graham shared photographs and facts about the restoration process, which commenced in 2016 and is funded by donations and public subscription. So far, volunteers have re-opened the first eight bays and restored the tramway, but there are 60 bays in total so much more work to do!
Learn more about the pier at:
https://ramseypier.im/
After refreshments, the inaugural Biosphere Photographers in Residence, Ciara Hardisty and Adam Morgan, shared their project The Celtic Wheel, which aimed to convey the feel of the island in ancient Celtic times, the cycle of the seasons and daily life.
Their atmospheric images began with Hop Tu Naa, which is the Celtic New Year, and progressed through eight seasonal festivals. They experimented with a medium-format camera, and often headed out when they expected dew or mist, to add an eerie or mysterious feel to their images.
Ciara also explained that she often desaturated or added grain in post-processing, which we all agreed was ironic when modern cameras and software are designed to minimise grain, but she likes the feel and separation that grain sometimes adds.
Their images included architecture, portraits and nature, mostly set in moody landscapes and with a sense of space within the frame. They were very different from what is generally expected in club competitions, so it was inspiring to see them and hear the creative process behind both the individual images and the project as a whole.
Having just completed an exhibition of their work, Adam and Ciara are considering publishing a book with more of their unique local images. You can see some of their work here:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575125181614
Thank you to our guests for a fascinating evening.