I am a creature of habit, not always good habits, and I awoke at 4am this morning and started thinking about reporting on last nights visit from Peter Bamforth.
It was no good; downstairs to get a pad (not an ipad) and start writing to get the stuff out of my head. Having done that, down again to make a mug of hot Horlicks, back up, read my book and then fall asleep with glasses on, book on the floor, until 6.30am.
I arrived a little late for our evening to find Peter unloading his car and dragging large loads of equipment and packages on a truck barrow up to our meeting room (via the lift). It took three trips to bring everything in. He brought his own big board which he mounted on a big frame, which showed off his prints, lit by lights (also brought with him), so everyone could see his magnificent work. And then there were many large plastic bags full of prints, it transpired, in piles round the room.
Pete started by telling us how his journey to producing large prints evolved through several printers ever more capable of printing larger prints. He now uses an Epson 3880 which he has had for several years.
We had Pete (as his card calls him) a few years back showing us how he prepared images for printing. The work that Pete puts into bringing out all the details in all parts of a picture is mind blowing; but when you look at the finished print you can see how all this hard work is so rewarding. All Pete’s prints are unbelievably crisp and sharp and colourful.
As Pete talked, he put up his prints telling us where the pictures were taken together with other anecdotes. He really is, as well as being a brilliant photographer and printer, a master story teller and kept us all mesmerised with his observations of all the places and people.
Pete belongs to a small but elite group of six photographers called The Focus Group, who are members of Chichester CC. They have an annual exhibition which is always a delight to attend as the standard of the photography is both excellent and diverse. Ian McGowan FRPS is one of these photographers, (he also runs landscape photography holidays). This bunch of merry people go off each February to an agreed location, very often in Scotland or one of the western Isles to take pictures. On these trips, Pete does not follow the herd but goes off on his own seeking out his own unique shots.
He also goes on foreign trips with an old colleague from his working life who both miss the travelling that they did in the past. These trips have taken Peter to many varied places including Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan, Russia, China, and central Asia amongst many others. We saw a series of pictures from all of these places. Most were in colour, but some were Black and White where Pete felt this suited the subjects.
Also from places In England where he has also found great locations such as in Birmingham (notably the new library, which looks a fascinating place), and on the many canals in that city.
All the prints came out of the big plastic bags which had been carefully laid out on tables in order, literally hundreds of them! (prints that is). Someone asked where he kept them at home? "Under the bed!” came the reply! It was amazing to see this unending stream of pictures and Pete must have walked half a mile during the evening.
Pete finished off his presentation by showing us his people pictures together with a story about each one. These were also brilliant and finished off a truly memorable occasion. Thank you Pete, and we hope that we might see you again sometime.