Local photography group celebrates 10th anniversary
-plans to release photo-magazine series
In observance of its tenth anniversary, the Guyana Photographers Facebook Group has hosted a number of activities to commemorate the milestone and will also be releasing a series of photographythemed magazines in Guyana next month.
The group, which was founded by Fidal Bassier in 2010, celebrated its tenth anniversary yesterday. “The Guyana Photographers Facebook Group is the first organized photography group since the country’s independence. Over the last ten years, the group has grown immensely in membership and, today, it caters to professionals, hobbyists, enthusiasts, and stakeholders within the photography sector. All of this has resulted in this art form taking its place among other creative industries locally,” the group said in a statement.
In celebration of its decade-long existence, the group will be releasing two editions of photographythemed magazines comprising of six volumes over the course of next month. All six volumes were curated and edited by Bassier, Taijrani Rampersaud, and Michael C Lam, and published in collaboration with VISIONS. These magazines will feature photographs taken during photowalks by the group’s talented photographers
“Due to the quality, quantity, and diversity of images produced over the years by the talented photographers, the need to share these with the public resulted in the conception and creation of the first photography themed magazine in Guyana,” the statement explained.
It added that one of the magazines, “Through the Years – Through the Lens, 2010-2020” comprises of three volumes focussing on 36 photowalks from July 2010 to May 2020. Each volume contains select images highlighting 12 photowalks.
The second magazine, “10th Anniversary Photowalks,” comprises another three volumes with each one dedicated to one of the three weekends for the tenth anniversary photowalks.
In addition, a photographic album containing pictures taken today, will be created in the Facebook group. Members will be allowed to upload their favorite images from that day.
“Although we do not paint with brushes or sculpt with our hands, we are artists and photography is our medium of expression. Through our lens, we aim to bring out the beauty in the ugly, to capture common things and make them conversation pieces, to share the smallest details within a large landscape, and to make you relive moments in time captured for eternity,” Rampersaud was quoted as saying.
According to the statement, Bassier founded the group with the support of Lam, Kojo McPherson and Nikhil Ramkarran, who are all photographers. He wanted to create a space where photographers could interact and support each other.
To date the group has over 4,000 photographers and stakeholders with links to Guyana from all over the world.
In addition, the group has acted as a foundation for many photographyrelated activities in Guyana over the last 10 years. Its members have organised a total of 50 photowalks around Guyana, participated in exhibitions and competitions - both local and international - and participated in 41 challenges and six instalments of “Project 52.” In addition, they have increased networking among stakeholders for the growth of photography as an art form in Guyana.
Lam and Karran Sahadeo, both of whom are key members of the group, have also spearheaded two installments of “VISIONS”- a local, curated exhibition where photographers showcase their work.
Currently, a variety of organisations at the regional, national, and international level, consider the group as a key resource for “all things photography” in Guyana and employ photographers from the group to cover events as well as consider them resource persons to deliver lectures at various events.
“However, apart from these accolades, the most important aspect can be seen in the interactions amongst members. The positivity and the camaraderie are ever present,” the statement declared.
Meanwhile, it was disclosed that the tenth anniversary photowalks were spearheaded by Lam, who was assisted by Darrell Carpenay, Brian Gomes, Tana Yussuff, Bassier and Dionne Vanderhyden.
The group hosted 13 photowalks in 13 different locations across Guyana over three weekends, all of which were organised and conducted in keeping with COVID-19 guidelines.
During the first photowalk, which took place on June 6 and 7, the walk around Georgetown was conducted by Carpenay, the Lusignan/Annandale Seawall walk was hosted by Lam, while the Vreeden-Hoop Walk was headed by Yussuff, with the Cuffy Monument Walk being conducted by Gomes.
The second photowalk took place on June 20 and 21 and was headed by Carpenay, Gomes, Lam and Yussuff at the seaside, Clock Tower, Mon Repos Market, and Canal Number One, respectively.
Bassier, Carpenay, and Yussuff, also conducted Bourda walks, Avenue walks , Canal walks, and Cummings Lodge walks, along with Industry Village walk, and Drive to Linden with Vanderhyden.
“Without a doubt, the Guyana Photographers Facebook Group has metamorphosed over the last decade. As we celebrate a decade, we take the next logical step in the group’s evolution – the group will be formally registered as a photographic society, under the name VISIONS. We thank all those who have contributed to the growth of the group and the photography sector in the past decade and hope to have their continued support as we begin this next chapter,” the statement concluded.