Chippy’s photos from the heart

PHOTOGRAPHER Chippy Rivera is ready for his first exhibition.

Organised over a cup of coffee, I’m Home is a one-off collection of some of Rivera’s personal favourite photos from across the city and the world.

“I wanted to share more of my passion, which people only really see online, share my life, what I do, and why I consider Ballarat my home,” he said.

Gallery on Sturt invited Rivera to put on exhibition, something he said was a good opportunity and thought he’d take.

“As a photographer it felt like it was time,” he said.

Rivera’s been a professional photographer for 15 years but says it doesn’t feel like it because he loves the craft.

“It makes me very emotional to be honest, I’m very very excited to see it on the wall. The ones already printed make me very excited, but also a bit anxious because I’ve never done an exhibit before,” he said.

“I’m not scared, but I was hesitant, anxious to know what people will think. I was accepted as a photographer commercially. What I’m showing is my passion and not my work where I got paid. These are my own choices, this is me. That’s what makes them special.”

The exhibition is free to attend and the prints are for sale with all the profit Rivera makes going to charity.

“I get enough work from doing this and from the love of it, and the show is a good way to give back,” he said.

As part of the exhibition, on Saturday, 14 September, Rivera will be giving a talk at the gallery about the works on display. He is stepping out of his comfort zone by putting his personal art on show.

“I was scared of the print not looking as good as digital, but it looks the same so I feel assured,” he said.

I’m Home by Chippy Rivera is on at Gallery on Sturt until Monday 7 October. Rivera is a photographer for the Ballarat Times.