Saturday, July 25th, marked a decade since the founding of the Guyana Photographers Facebook Group, which has launched a virtual magazine featuring images taken from one of the many photo walks hosted as part of the celebration of the milestone.
“Tenth Anniversary Photowalks, Volume 1” features the images from the photo walks organised in the first weekend in June. The group did more than a dozen photo walks, running from the weekend of June 6 and 7 until the weekend of July 4 and 6. The places visited included the Lusignan-Annandale Seawall, Vreed-en-Hoop, the Cuffy Monument, the Stabroek Clock Tower, Mon Repos Market, Canal Number One, Bourda, Hope Canal, Cummings Lodge – Industry Village, and Linden. The photo walks were spearheaded by Michael Lam, who was assisted by Darrell Carpenay, Brian Gomes, Tania Yussuff, Fidal Bassier and Dionne Vanderhyden.
Over the past ten years, a total of 50 walks were done. Three of the planned volumes of the virtual magazine will feature 36 of these photo walks that occurred over the period.
Group member Taijrani Rampersaud said, “Although we do not paint with brushes or sculpt with our hands, we are artists and photography is our medium of expertise. 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 with a large landscape, and to make you relive moments in time captured for eternity.”
The group was founded in July 2010, by Bassier for the purpose of creating a space where photographers could converse and support each other. Ten years on, it comprises over 4,000 photographers and stakeholders from across the globe who are linked to Guyana in one way or another.
The last decade has seen the group’s members participating in exhibitions and competitions both locally and internationally. They were also involved in 41 challenges and 6 installments of ‘Project 52’. In addition, Lam and Karran Sahadeo have spearheaded a local curated exhibition called ‘Visions,’ where photographers showcased their work.
The virtual magazine can be purchased or viewed online.
