We're happy to announce a brand new festival in the Leeds calendar - a whole week celebrating photography as an amazing pastime and stunning art form.
We can't wait for Leeds Photo Week - to meet new friends and to share our ideas, experiences and skills wider.
We're especially looking forward to the debates around the 'Best of' Leeds photography we hope to start with our first group-initiated exhibition, the matchbox cameras and to seeing the outcomes of the events, articles and photo challenges we'll be running!
With a whole selection of events - on the web and in then real world - you'll have a great chance to find out more about how you can improve your own photography - while exposing yourself to some of the best photos shot in the local area and by local photographers.
The weeks starts on Wednesday 1 September with a talk by social documentary photographer, Ian Beesley (from 6pm at Old Broadcasting House, Woodhosue Lane).
The official opening of our exhibition 'The Best of Leeds Vol 1' at 42 New Briggate will follow this on Thursday 2nd (6pm-8pm), this exhibition looks at how the internet affects how we experience photography by showing a selection of images automatically identified as interesting by photosharing website, Flickr.com. The exhibition can also be viewed on Saturday (11am-7pm) and externally from dusk every day.
Get more from your camera
If you are interested in getting more from your camera - and the photos you take - we recommend you come to 'Beyond Snapping' on Saturday 4th. This event is free and will be a series of presentations and opportunities to discuss how you do photography (and can do it better) - including a photo help desk and alongside this you could also choose to make a camera from a matchbox.
Our other highlight social event is our 'Weekend Coffee Break' photowalk. This month it will take place in Chapel Allerton. Meeting at the 3 Hulats (Chapeltown Road, LS7) from 11am we will take a walk through the local suburbia, Gledhow Valley's pocket of nature and the Arts Festival. Walkers are given guidance on the route but left to move at their own pace. We meet back up at Cafe Nero in Chapel Allerton.
In addition to all this you will see regular 'guest blog' entries on our website and other Leeds community sites - along with daily photo challenges. We are also anticipating one or two other events - the details of which we are currently finalising.
Join in and celebrate local photography!
For more information visit www.exposureleeds.org - developing photography by sharing. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/exposureleeds or call the voicemail event hotline on 0113 8150517.
- Guest blogger Jon Eland is chairman of Leeds Photo Week. Picture courtesy Vaidotas Mišeikis under Flickr creative commons.
