Stanley² Exhibition

Recently I was given the opportunity to display my photography at Civic Hall Stanley and so far the exhibition has received some really good feedback. I used the exhibition to document my home town of Stanley. All of the photographs are multiple exposures where two or more images are superimposed on to the same frame. I used a Holga 135BC to take these photographs, which is a 35mm film camera sometimes known as a “toy camera” because of its simple plastic design (even the lens is plastic).

Although I qualified from Newcastle College in digital photography, my heart belongs to film. I’m constantly experimenting with old cameras and wanted to see how I could use the unique qualities of film to draw peoples’ attention to things that they may otherwise walk past without really noticing.

What fascinates me about film photography is the mechanical and chemical processes that have to take place in order to create the final image. We live in a world where photography is available on demand and has become, in a sense, quite a throwaway medium. We are losing the idea of a photograph as a physical object.

Using a film camera means I don’t have a playback screen to review my images immediately and I have to take the time to compose my shot. Being restricted to 24 shots on a roll makes me more selective in choosing subjects and waiting for a film to develop brings anticipation and surprise back into photography.

What I love about the technique I used here is the delicate quality of the images and how the multiple exposures melt into each other. There are no distinct edges of where one ends and the other begins. There is no Photoshop or digital editing involved in any of these images, all of the effects were achieved in camera when the photo was taken.

They say the camera never lies, but sometimes you can make it bend the truth.

The exhibition runs until 14th April so if you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet then please pop in. The Civic Hall is open 9.00 – 5.00 during the week (late nights on Tuesday and Thursday) and is open at weekends when events are on. Why not combine your visit to the exhibition with a look around the Easter Fayre which takes place on Sunday 29th March?

If you would like to find out more about my photography please visit my website www.helentaylorphotos.com or email helentaylorphotos@gmail.com