Members of Irvine Camera Club were invited to join a Royal Photographic Society street photography walk in Glasgow last weekend. The RPS is becoming increasingly active in Scotland with a network of regional representatives throughout the country. Irvine CC now has four RPS members within its ranks and they, along with 3 other club members, headed up to Glasgow to join 15 other photographers from across Scotland.
We all met at the Gallery of Modern Art on Queen Street before we headed off on a loop around the city centre, venturing down to the Trongate before heading back via Merchant City.
It was a cold wet day in the city, but despite that there were plenty of people on the streets. Our large group quickly spread out along the route. Street photography involves a certain amount of patience as well as a lot of people watching. Working in smaller groups allowed us to observe without being observed. You find that most people on the street don’t even realise that you are there when you are taking photographs. They are far too busy getting on with their daily life to pay any attention.
As street photographers we are not only documenting the city as it is today but we are also looking for the interesting and quirky moments which occur, missed by most people, but spotted by the keen observer. The wet streets added reflections and life to our images. Some of us explored creative techniques such as blurring our photos to give a sense of movement, while others simply documented the shoppers, the workers, the campaigners, and the performers who inhabit the city streets.
I hope you enjoy this slice of city life on a cold January day. We like to look back at historic images of our cities, marvelling at the fashions, the cars, and habits of yesteryear. Photographs taken today may not seem important now, but in 50 years time people will hopefully look back at them with a sense of nostalgia.
Irvine Camera Club continues to meet on Tuesday evenings at Irvine Community Sports Centre. Our details are all online at www.irvinecc.co.uk
