NE Documentary Group of the RPS

We had an extra meeting today. I suggested that we met at the Winter Gardens in Sunderland where an exhibition called Portraits from the North East was showing. Some of our group, along with others from Durham Photo Club, had been involved in taking the images.

Here you see John Cogan, who started the project and then asked other photographers to help him. He asked prominent people, (but not celebrities) in the region, to be photographed. Usually one photographer chatted to the subject while another 2 or 3 took the images. Natural light was used and the subjects chose where they wished to be.

The result is a very interesting exhibition of about 100 individuals from the worlds of music, commerce, technology, religion, politics and sport.

John came and entertained us with stories about the project. Joanne also came along to talk - but found it hard to get a word in edgeways.

We also saw the exhibition of photographs of poets, brought from the National Portrait Gallery.

It was a stimulating day, not least because of all the discussion and ideas exchanged. I came home full of enthusiasm, despite the dreadful weather.