13th April 2017

My Inspirations, Mavis Ord.

On Thursday we were entertained by Mrs Mavis Ord, who showed a series of images covering her journey with photography looking back over more than forty years. Mavis explained that for her photography is capturing "that" moment in time and to always be ready to take the shot. Mavis is self taught and learnt her craft by spending many hours in the darkroom and learning from her mistakes.

Her portraiture spanned the generations with classic shots of models and children taken from darkroom images where she taught herself, to present day Cuban women on the street.
Over the years Mavis has travelled far and wide, from Koekohe Beach New Zealand where she photographed the Moeraki Boulders, driving down the coast on her own in a hire car. To the other side of the globe in Cuba to do a series of street photography of the women and their environment. Taking in many other cities and locations on her travels. Images of The Louvre in Paris, the red roofs in Prague, and closer to home the Groynes on Blyth Beach.  People play a big role in her images, the little boy writing on his hand up against a wall in Cuba. Mavis explained that she took these images for herself, and not judges, that they should make you, think or tell a story, and most importantly "do your thing".  All the time her images where accompanied by a story of the scene or an anecdote about the model in the image. The quality of her prints was impressive which emphasised her skill. It was a joy to see her work and listen to her storey.
​
All too soon the evening came to an end and we thanked Mavis for her presentation and she stayed and chatted to members for a while.
 
Colin Livingstone
Secretary