Life’s a beach in candid captures

ESCAPE to the ocean in Soldiers Hill by visiting the Old Butchers Shop Gallery’s September exhibition.

Girt by Sea is a collection of photographs by local creative Craig Holloway, depicting organic human moments at the beaches, rockpools, and ocean baths of Australia’s east coast, in black-and-white and colour.

“My partner and I did a trip around Australia. Coming from land-locked Ballarat and seeing all these people living in fantastic coastal regions with access to the ocean was just another world,” he said.

“The show is an examination of how we gravitate towards the ocean, the ways in which people interact with the coastline, and change it to suit our recreational needs.

“I do take landscapes, but I’m more interested in photographing people in place, interacting with their environment.”

The “wild” Bermagui Blue Pool, water cricket at Yamba, Sydney beaches including Avalon and Clovelly, and the “weathered” Newcastle ocean lap pool are just a few scenes featured in Girt by Sea.

Holloway will be at the Gallery each weekend for the rest of September from 10am to 4pm, or by appointment.

He is selling jigsaws of his work, alongside photos in various sizes, and invites visitors to assist in putting a puzzle together.

“It’s a beautiful little gallery, the location’s amazing, and Julie Bennett is offering great opportunities for different local artists to show their work each month,” he said.

Holloway grew up in Ballarat, returning to work in the city 14 years ago. He has been a full-time photographer for more than 15 years. Visit craighollowayphotographer.com.