FOR almost two years, a local photography group has been meeting with the aim of providing an open space for shutterbugs to get creative behind the lens.<\/p>\n
Kristy Fox has been convening get-togethers for photography Facebook group Small Talk: Ballarat Photographers Collective since starting the initiative in 2022.<\/p>\n
She said the group\u2019s meetings are about creating an environment where photographers can create without limitations or technique in mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tell the people who join it\u2019s not a democracy, it\u2019s an anarchy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf people want to organise an event, they can just do it, or if they have an idea they can just post it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI prefer to call them photo walks rather than just workshops or classes. It\u2019s not me standing telling them how to take photos because I don\u2019t think that\u2019s what photography\u2019s about.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me it\u2019s about entering into this space and we\u2019re all taking about our shots and what we want to achieve. There\u2019s all that crosspollination and that to me is glorious.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rather than regular, arranged events, the group has been meeting sporadically since its establishment.<\/p>\n
Fox estimated about half a dozen photo walks took place last year including around Ballarat East and at the Botanical Gardens.<\/p>\n
The group held their first event of the year at Victoria Park last week, and after a year-and-a-half of sporadic meetups, Fox said she\u2019s keen to see the group consolidate and grow in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the new year coming in, we thought it was about time to start pushing things out there and to get this a bit more public,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely want to keep this local so we\u2019re interacting with environments that we\u2019re in all the time. There\u2019s no lofty goals and no restrictions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having moved to the region in late 2021, Fox said the group has also been an ideal way to make new connections with like-minded people.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you get older, it becomes harder to make new friends, particularly moving to a new city,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea of having events that are creatively stimulating where you\u2019re around stimulating people, it\u2019s a great way to make connections.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FOR almost two years, a local photography group has been meeting with the aim of providing an open space for shutterbugs to get creative behind the lens. Kristy Fox has been convening get-togethers for photography Facebook group Small Talk: Ballarat Photographers Collective since starting the initiative in 2022. She said the group\u2019s meetings are about […]<\/p>\n