22nd October
Tenby Camera Club had an interesting but poignant talk on Thursday 22nd October . Graham Harries, from Llanelli, has been widely published in magazines, newspapers and on TV.
After a brief introduction about himself we were launched into the world of dereliction and sadness. that is Chernobyl .
On the 26th April 1986, Chernobyl, in Ukraine, became the infamous place of the world’s worst nuclear accident. The nuclear reactor, no 4 at the VA Lenin power plant exploded during a safety test. 49,000 people were ordered to evacuate from the city of Pripyat and the surrounding area in just 3 hours. They never returned . The massive exclusion zone has been left to slowly disintegrate and crumble, returning to woodland slowly.
Graham has visited the exclusion zone twice, in March 2018 and October 2019 . Although the trip is an organised one, photographers are given plenty of time and appropriate freedom to roam the huge area . There are, of course, procedures which must be followed for safety, not touching things for instance, because of radiation contamination .
Graham’s photography and commentary took us into a different world of desolation and abandonment. It was thought provoking seeing school rooms with books, desks and chairs and the hospital with equipment and beds still in place . We toured through the city , seeing swimming pools, fairgrounds, parks, stadiums and churches . All silent now, decaying but not forgotten . Graham tried hard to capture his images from a less touristy angle, searching out places not so much on the normal itinerary.
He also visited the Duga radar complex which is deep in the forests of Northern Ukraine, a huge Soviet installation built at the height of the Cold War. Now it is a dilapidated structure, left to decay in the radioactive winds of Chernobyl. Interesting images of industrial neglect, turbines, antennas and vehicles brought the scene to life for us .
It was a fascinating presentation full of facts, human interest stories, and stunning, thought provoking photography. The audience was absolutely fascinated and with the many questions asked, showed their interest in this unique talk.
Tenby was pleased to be joined on Zoom by several members of Pyle & Porthcawl Camera Club.
Next week we are back to competitions. A popular one, the judging of Landscapes by Gareth Martin.
After a brief introduction about himself we were launched into the world of dereliction and sadness. that is Chernobyl .
On the 26th April 1986, Chernobyl, in Ukraine, became the infamous place of the world’s worst nuclear accident. The nuclear reactor, no 4 at the VA Lenin power plant exploded during a safety test. 49,000 people were ordered to evacuate from the city of Pripyat and the surrounding area in just 3 hours. They never returned . The massive exclusion zone has been left to slowly disintegrate and crumble, returning to woodland slowly.
Graham has visited the exclusion zone twice, in March 2018 and October 2019 . Although the trip is an organised one, photographers are given plenty of time and appropriate freedom to roam the huge area . There are, of course, procedures which must be followed for safety, not touching things for instance, because of radiation contamination .
Graham’s photography and commentary took us into a different world of desolation and abandonment. It was thought provoking seeing school rooms with books, desks and chairs and the hospital with equipment and beds still in place . We toured through the city , seeing swimming pools, fairgrounds, parks, stadiums and churches . All silent now, decaying but not forgotten . Graham tried hard to capture his images from a less touristy angle, searching out places not so much on the normal itinerary.
He also visited the Duga radar complex which is deep in the forests of Northern Ukraine, a huge Soviet installation built at the height of the Cold War. Now it is a dilapidated structure, left to decay in the radioactive winds of Chernobyl. Interesting images of industrial neglect, turbines, antennas and vehicles brought the scene to life for us .
It was a fascinating presentation full of facts, human interest stories, and stunning, thought provoking photography. The audience was absolutely fascinated and with the many questions asked, showed their interest in this unique talk.
Tenby was pleased to be joined on Zoom by several members of Pyle & Porthcawl Camera Club.
Next week we are back to competitions. A popular one, the judging of Landscapes by Gareth Martin.