Mingenew Project

The Mingenew Project has been an absolute success. I am still reeling from the final week of media, exhibition and farewells.
We must acknowledge the beauty of this project's journey. It all started as a calling from the heart of a community member, Jocelyn Morgan and has resulted in a diverse group of people being brought together through the experience of photography. The photography delivers different things to different people, whether it be a new hobby to master, a way of rediscovering our environment and home or a catalyst for conversation and friendship - it has delivered. I received so much feedback from people, highlighting their appreciation of these different aspects.
That is the beauty of community projects, they never do one simple thing, they start things, they go wherever they go - places you might not expect, but it takes your enthusiasm, your spirit and your uniqueness to make it a success.

So thank you for giving me one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life, on both a personal and professional level. I will hold Mingenew dear and be grateful that I was able to immerse myself in your community (and into your homes) for an entire month. You have wonderful things where you live, I hope you never forget that.

I will be making 100 DVDs of the slideshow (with some special features!) that will be left at the Mingenew Shire. Please collect your free copy from June 16 onwards.

Here is some exciting media we got:
ABC Video on Mingenew Project by Bloke on a Bike, Drew Radford.

And here are the final photographs that you haven't seen online and that were a part of the exhibition...

NEWSFLASH!
The project's exhibition is tonight at the Mingenew Recreation Centre. 7pm.

This will be my second last entry on this site as I leave Mingenew tomorrow.
Photos have been streaming in through my door (and email inbox!) in time to appear in the slideshow tonight. So here are some beauties I wanted to share, some by people we haven't heard from before. The talent keeps growing...

The year 4/5 class measured up these cute chicks. Here are some ways I've photographed their time doing that - trying to capture it from different points of view. You can see that it was also a time to play a little...

There is a growth on the wall of the Boylands Bakery. Your pictures are appearing and spreading like wildfire.

Here are a range of scenes in Mingenew that I've collected from snappers in this past week and a couple of my own encounters here too.
It's the things we do here that make this place special...

Be it conversations with Ken at the bakery about Chinese stone, a boy pushing a pram on to the footy field mid-match, friendly games of badminton every Wednesday at the hall, measuring water levels on the farm or eating watermelon with dad from the backyard...
These little moments are here, frozen in time for us to cherish.

This is a colour, texture, pattern palette made from photographs taken by year 4 and 5's from Mingenew Primary. We went on a tour of Victoria St, down past the bakery, through the park and back up to the school.
Does it give you a feel for this place we call home?

In workshop 2 we looked at how to use the sun as a back-light. It puts the person's face in shade which gives a soft look (and no squinting into the sun). It then highlights their head in way that feels summery.
But the trick is to use the exposure compensation button on your camera to lighten up their face (on a normal setting it will be too dark).

Here are some highlights from the workshop.

We set up a studio last Thursday and wielding my camera, the kids shot like pros. Each took turns as the photographer, the reflector holder, the light holder and the model.

Here are some of the most exciting results which I've turned into black and white as it gives a timeless feel. I've also done a little cropping on some to enhance their impact.

Aren't the kids just bursting with talent?? Is there something in the Mingenew water?

Two together can make a good photograph because they are showing a relationship. And the Mingenew community is full of different relationships and 'families'.