Image © Eve Milner

At our Zoom meeting held 9th February 2022 seven contributors responded to the Friendship
theme while five presented their Own Projects.
The Friendship topic evoked a wide range of interpretations, some of which were very profound
and deeply personal. The evening started with Eve's black and white images, taken in response to
the theme and exploring what friendship means to her, whether this be removing a mask to reveal
the face of a true friend, familiar shoes, a comforting arm or the outstretched hand of welcome.
Austin explored the friendship between two individuals, whether long term or as a brief encounter
before an international rugby match. Janet used a camera setting to take pairs of images which shed
a light on the dynamics of relationships through movement and gesture. Jim also explored
friendship in different settings from school children in Cairo to two unknown women deep in
conversation at Henley Royal Regatta. By contrast there was the nuanced and rounded story of one individual, Simon. Matthew has known Simon for many years and gave a deep insight into the challenges of
being bi-polar. Simon's active promotion of “Mad Pride” / “Bonkersfest” contrasted with his
periods of depression and rehabilitation following a stroke. The complexity of the man was captured in
Matthew's final ghost-like composite portrait. Prodeepta Das's collaboration with Benjamin
Zephaniah as well as with a Trinidadian poet has taken him to the Caribbean. He has been working
on a series of five books for primary school children showing life in their countries, and his warm, engaged
portraits of children and adults highlight the close rapport between subject and photographer.
Finally Rashida's personal images represented the deep friendship between all generations of her
family and the South African sculptor Naomi Jacobson over twenty years.
Own Projects
Edey presented captivating images of frost laden winter flora – beautifully textured,
delicate and sharp, while Astrid drew inspiration from the words of American painter Mark Tobey:
“on pavements and the bark of trees I have found whole worlds”. Astrid presented photos showing
the textures of the bark of cedar trees and pine, exploring the use of both natural and artificial light.
Jan has recorded his back garden over a five year period as it responds to the seasons and the
direction of the sun, shaped by the changes he has introduced to the garden layout. Richard Treister,
new to the group, introduced himself with a wide selection of photographs reflective of his work;
explaining that he thinks in terms of theme/meaning rather than narrative. Finally Sue Czapska
has given herself the challenge to create images which show how she feels. To do this she exploits
the 'Transform' function to convert the original image into abstracted trapeziums or other distorted
and twisted shapes which she assembles creatively.

Eve Milner

Austin Guest

Janet Nabney

Jim Paterson

Prodeepta Das

Rashida Magera

Edith Templeton

Astrid Zweynert

Jan Cylwik

Richard Treister

Sue Czapska