Exhibition celebrates 70 years of photography

Seven decades of amazing images captured through the viewfinder are being celebrated with a selection of contemporary photographs at Hyphen – Wodonga Library Gallery.

Through the Viewfinder showcases the work of talented amateur local photographers with the Wodonga Albury Camera Club, which has been capturing shots of people and places since 1953.

Club president David Woolcock said visitors to the exhibition would see a full scope of photographic images, ranging from modern digital shots of landscapes, people, animals and birds to artistic photography using very fast shutter speeds, black and white film photography and cyanotypes captured on glass plates.

“It’s quite eclectic,” he said. “There are all sorts of photographs, which is a good thing because if we all did portraits or landscapes or animals or birds it probably wouldn’t be half as interesting.

“I like that diversity and the different approaches taken by our members and it must have been difficult (for the Hyphen team) to select works to exhibit from all those we submitted.”

Karen Gardner, Team Leader Hyphen Programs, agreed it had been a challenge to narrow down the exhibition list with so many inspiring images to choose from but hoped visitors would appreciate the range and diversity of photos on display.

“We’re thrilled to present this exhibition to celebrate such a significant milestone in the club’s history and the breadth in the style and subject matter presented by the club members is sensational,” she said.

The club has been active in the border community since the beginning, with the-then Wodonga Camera Club winning the Most Humorous Float Award for its celebration of a huge folding camera on wheels during a parade for Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation in 1953.

Other milestones include a public exhibition, Wodonga in Pictures, in 1961 and running a national photography competition between 1964 and 1974.

Over the years, photographic technology has changed dramatically, including the switch to digital photography, but the club’s members have always been committed to capturing images that celebrate the community and the surroundings.

Through the Viewfinder will be on display at Hyphen’s Community Gallery until Sunday, July 9.