A Day Trip from Geelong - a photography awakening by Heather Prince ( Hartkamp )

Just thought I’d let as many people as possible know about my jaunt to Bendigo today. Woke up early with nothing to do so I decided to go to see the Archibald Prize entries at the Bendigo Art Gallery and, while I was there, have a look at the ‘A Camera on the Somme’ exhibition.

The Archibald was, as one would expect, just fabulous. You love some, hate some, and everything in between.

But – the real surprise was the ‘A Camera on the Somme’ exhibition. For those who haven’t heard of it, it is an exhibition of photographs taken by two brothers in France during WWI. They were from the Bendigo area. Nobody knew of the photos until a great-niece found an old biscuit tin in a shed that was about to be demolished. In the tin were the negatives of the entire collection of the brothers’ war photography, some taken while on leave and then on their return to Victoria.

It is absolutely mind-boggling. As you know, cameras were OK back then but these were taken despite being against army regulations, developed in makeshift accommodation as the brothers travelled through the war zone and then, back home, in their own homes on their farms.

They are truly amazing. Both men had a wonderful ‘eye’ and their choices of subject matter are extraordinary.

Here we are with our whiz-bang cameras, hi-tech computers and snazzy processing applications yet I don’t think I have ever taken anything that captures life like these two men did. There is no Frank Hurley or Ansell Adams manipulation here – just pure photography. And, of course, there is the magic of black and white, hand-developed and printed images that is virtually impossible to replicate digitally.

If you live anywhere within 3 hours drive from Bendigo – or further to make a weekend of it – then go.

More information here"

Heather