A couple of months ago, I had the idea to start a Facebook Group for Urban Photo Meetups. I love the idea of people with the same passion coming together, and share that passion. The group is still small, but the first meetup was planned, and took place yesterday.
Strijp-S
The first meetup was planned at Strijp-S in Eindhoven. It’s an old industrial area that has been gentrified over time and is now home to bars, cool shops, and more. Industrialism is still very visible, making it a great place to walk around, shoot photos, and have a nice lunch or a drink in the meantime.
Mascha
Not many people showed up for this first meeting. All in all, it was Mascha and me who came. A bit of a small show-up, but hey, such ideas must grow. The good thing is that Masha and I go way back from when we were alternative kids at a bar in Venlo. We’ve done photo trips before, so I knew we were going to have a good time.
Conditions
At first, the sun wasn’t out, which was a shame, because the location is quite suited for hard contrast, shades and form. But the mix of architecture, graffiti and overpasses made up for that in a good way. We made our way up and down some of the streets, alleys and overpasses, and had good conversations about life, photography and more. The good thing was that because of this, we knew the lay of the land when the sun did come out eventually. And the textures that the shades made were phenomenal!
On a personal level
I wrote about this before, and it is still true. I’m slowly finding my way back into photography. And this day was no different. At the start of the day there was some anxiety about ‘not succeeding’ but that went away quickly. I had to remind myself that photography is about having fun and interacting with people and my environment. And that 99% of what you shoot isn’t good enough to be shown. And most importantly, not to fall into the rabbit hole of ‘thinking in series’ and losing sight of everything else that is out there. All in all, I had a great day after that realisation and I felt the spark ignite a bit more. I even came home and started culling and editing right away. That hasn’t happened in ages. I’m still not ready with the editing process, but I’ve found some photos worth showing.
And the meetups?
Well, it was the first. It was a shame not more people came. But strength doesn’t lie in numbers; it lies in consistency. I will keep organising these events, and hope to build a community that thrives on meeting, sharing experiences and the occasional good coffee and story. To be continued.
Thanks Mascha for the great time, we will meet again soon.
