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Please note: RPS House is currently closed. We will be open again from the week of 14th October 2024.

Eclipse In My Cup
CREDIT: Alan Hodgson ASIS HonFRPS

Ideas from things around us

Seeing stuff in the everyday

It is easy to fall into the trap that lockdown means no photo opportunities. I was really impressed by the output from the Positive View Foundation competition "Lockdown: Taking the Positive View" so went looking for images in the world around me. And one was literally under my nose while listening in to an RPS event.

I had signed up for a Historical Group event on the connection between Roger Fenton and Stonyhurst College given by Dr Jan Graffius. Jan has the fascinating job of looking after the long and deep archive of Stonyhurst College, which holds some interesting photographic collections. The focus of the evening was obviously the connection with Roger Fenton but I was also interested to hear about some of their other glass plates, a connection with my previous work.

My other reason for my interest was that I had been reading of the work of Father Aloysius Cortie, a major name in the field of solar eclipse photography who taught at Stonyhurst. Past images of solar eclipses were passing through my mind, particularly the iconic images where the edge of the sun just peers out from the edge of the eclipse.

While listening I was also enjoying a Darjeeling tea and I glanced down into my cup. Reflected back at me was a representation of the same effect from the lights above the table. And looking closely, some  caustic surfaces on the base of the cup too!

I am finding inspiration in the everyday. See stuff and consider the imagery.