Topic: Arena Group Exhibition in Salisbury Library.

[vicky slater]

I only managed to pop into the library* quickly today with my youngest but just wanted to say that it's definitely worth checking out if you can (Phil, we can get another coffee :).
Arena is a group of photographers from the south and our own Leon is a member.

The three exhibitors who especially stood out for me were, not suprisingly, Leon, with six prints, instantly recognizable as his work..all taken around the coast and beautifully toned...they come across as modest and genuine and down to earth...which is probly how i think of him :)

There was also Trevor Crone (i think) with his coastal scenes, like Leon's all hand printed too and the quality absolutely shone through...I liked the seaside subjects too.

And lastly Eva Worobiec with her gorgeous colour popcorn palaces...they were just yummy, i'd have hung any of them on my wall..made me feel like an absolute beginner. I'll definitely call in again to take another look at these. Number 10 was the one I'd personally choose.

All these three had really nice framing too...it makes such a difference to how you view the pictures and it really enhanced them all.
Apologies to all those I missed out but I especially wanted to mention my favourites.

I'm not sure how long it's on for ...Leon? or if it moves around, but it's worth a visit if you can make it.


*My library fine was over £7 for three books..I don't think you get reminders anymore :)

[Phil Bebbington]

Vicky, the prospect of lovely photos and more coffee with you is almost too much - gonna message you!

[Late Developer]

I'm in Dorchester on business all day Thursday and I've taken Friday as holiday. As Salisbury can be a stop off on the way back to Essex, I'm seriously thinking of having a wander round a city that I've wanted to visit for a while. My last visit was way back and was limited to a brief wander around the cathedral.

At the risk of being cheeky, where's the best / cheapest place to park? Is there a "park and ride" facility in Salisbury 'cos, if there is, I find them a great way of freeing yourself from the hassle of city centre driving and allowing you to travel light (well, as light as you can with a hasselblad or Nikon F5 strung round your neck).

Any other advice / suggestions of olde worlde places to visit in the town / nearby would be received with thanks.

Paul.

[LT]

Thanks for the post Vicky. I'm pleased you enjoyed the exhibition. I've not seen it yet but hope to pop down next week to take a look. I'll check how long it's there for and report back.

[LT]

dates are: 4th until 24th September 2010.

Open: Mon. 10am to 7pm; Tues., Wed., Fri. 9am to 7pm; Thurs., and Sat., 9am to 5pm. Closed Sunday.

[Harvey]

Popped in there myself this morning and agree, an excellent exhibition and real variety. Personal favourites, because we all have them, were Susan Bullock, (amazing just how much stuff has she got going on in her pictures), and dare I say it Leon. I really wanted to like the Pinholes (were they John Gould's?) but the glass in the frame had some weird texture thing going on which made the image difficult to view. What was quite amusing was while I was looking at the pinholes another gent came up and looked at them puzzlingly, up close, far away, up close again then went and read the photographers summary and obviously had a light bulb moment when he read they were pinholes, laughed to himself and muttered something and off he went. It had obviously been bothering him because he didn't look at anything else!

[LT]

thanks Harvey - glad you enjoyed it. 

[Late Developer]

Just checked out the Arena Photographers website. I'm definitely heading there on Friday and I'll take a cemera with me to see if I can find some things to shoot and blur....

[Mike (happyforest)]

I jealous can't get to Salisbury Library to see this in the flesh so to speak.

Mike

[SuziLivingstone]

I jealous can't get to Salisbury Library to see this in the flesh so to speak.

Mike

Ditto..

[vicky slater]

Paul,
there are park and rides, though if you're coming in on the blandford road you'll have to almost double back on yourself and drive out of town towards bournemouth.
Just as easy to continue driving straight into town and turn left at the white hart hotel traffic lights and you'll see a multi storey on the right.

Places to visit:
the cathedral and close is always popular and i'd recommend a walk around old sarum too (5 mins drive out of town).
I'm sorry i can't meet up this time but i hope you enjoy your visit

[Late Developer]

Hi Vicky (et al....)

I've just driven back to Braintree from Dorchester, via Salisbury. I did come into Salisbury on the Blandford road and the park and ride I used is the one you mentioned. Definitely the best way to get in and out of small, congested cities like Salisbury, York, Cambridge, etc...

I had a wander round town and found the Library. I was expecting a really old building but it's quite modern and airy. The exhibition was superb. Difficult to pick out a favourite. Leon's work was beautiful. There were some pastel images of a beach on the western side of an outer Hebridean island. They were also beautiful and, as I'm going to be taking the ferry to Tarbert, I'll have to see how I can get across to the other side with my Hassy and tripod (and wife, of course) to take a few of my own.

There was also a series of prints of horse portraits taken with a wide angle lens. The expressions on the horses' faces were priceless; I actually laughed out loud.

I didn't have time to check out Old Sarum but I will on my next visit. A meet up would be great, now I know where Starbucks is - Silver Street (?) just across from the old chop house and Boots.....!! The next time I'm anticipating being over there will be mid-winter as I want to get some seriously bleak scenes of the rolling plain around Stonehenge.

Thanks for the advice and see you soon.

Paul.

[LT]

thanks Paul - glad you enjoyed it.

I'm heading down there on weds or thurs this week to take a look.  If anyone is around on those days, send me a PM and we'll arrange a coffee or something.

I'll also take a digi to shoot some snaps to post here.

[LT]

I met up with phil and vicky yesterday and we spent far too short a time looking around the exhibition (sorry about that!).

great to catch up with you two.

I didnt take any digi stills, but I did shoot some movie so I expect it will surface on a video podcast in the near future.

[Phil Bebbington]

It was great. Leon. Good company and some great photos.

[vicky slater]

We'll have to do it again :)


Here's the dodgy sx70 shot of Leon and Phil, toned a little to try and bring out more detail...i quite like it :)

[Phil Bebbington]

A right couple of dodgy characters if you ask me!

Your version looks much nicer than the original, Vicky.

Thank you for photoshoping us!

[Wensleydale Blue]

Would you buy a used camera from..........

[Ed Wenn]

Would you buy anything.....

 

[Pete_R]

I went today.

Favourites for me were Hugh Milsom and (I think it was) Susan Bullock (the small double exposures) but all of them were worth going to see and I'm glad I went.

But overall I thought the presentation was pretty poor and that spoilt it for me. Eva Worobiec's especially. The mounts on hers looked as if they were cut by a ham fisted amateur with a blunt blade. Sort of thing I might produce. Some didn't fit properly either. There were others that had dust and dirt inside the frames. I think I saw a hair in one. A number of prints weren't flat and one which was flush mounted was bubbling (I don't remember the photographer but it was one of the pictures taken along the A303). The other issue I had was reflections from the windows in the venue. It did make it difficult to see some pictures.

Ok, I've had my moan for today.

[vicky slater]

I didn't even notice the mounting on Eva's at first viewing...I'd still put them on my wall though.

[Late Developer]

I must admit that I spotted some, but not all, of the presentational flaws that Peter mentioned but my overriding desire was to see the photos and, in that respect, I was very impressed. I suppose it only goes to show - like Cartier-Bresson, some folks can take 'em but haven't got much of a clue when it comes to printing and mounting their masterpieces...