Country ConnectS Captures
“I never noticed that before” “If only I could capture that moment!”
“If only I had a better camera!” “If only I knew how to take that picture!”
On our Country Connects walks from March 2024 through to August 2024 a professional photographer joined us, providing lots of hints and tips to the group, challenging us to look at our surroundings from a different perspective and advising on how to capture those beautiful moments in nature experienced when out walking, landscapes, flowers, plants, trees or maybe even a bird or animal, using your smartphone camera.
Photographs taken on the walk were uploaded to this website and shared on the Country Connects Captures Gallery. The theme for each walk was nature and landscape. In September 2024, the images from across all six walks were included in the Country Connects Captures Exhibition at Barntown Community Centre during Wexford Walking Trails Fesitval 2024.
The project was kindly supported by Creative Ireland Wexford and Wexford County Council.
Background Information About the Project
Overview
Country Connects Captures offers those engaging in the Country Connects monthly social walks the opportunity to engage in a creative photographic activity as they enjoy their guided walk, extending the benefit of the walk and developing a new skill. A photographer will join six of the monthly walks from March through to August, providing hints and tips for capturing nature photos using a camera phone during the walk. The approach will be experiential, with participants encouraged to ‘give it a go’ , while also gaining creative insights from the photographer as they walk. Key rest points in the walk provide an opportunity for more group guidance and highlighting key techniques. Participants will be given the opportunity to submit one photo from each walk to be published in an online gallery record of the walk, hosted here on Wexford Walking Trails website. Selected photos from the gallery will form a public exhibition during the Wexford Walking Trails Festival in September.
Project Aims
The aim of the Creative Connect Captures project is to extend the benefits of walking beyond physical exercise to creative thinking and expression through developing a new creative skill that can be used in every day life using equipment already owned. An introduction to photography skills presents walkers with a new aspect to a walk, inspiring alternative creative ways to view a familiar path. Through the Creative Connect Captures Gallery and Creative Connect Captures Exhibition, we aim to extend the reach and benefit of skills learned beyond the six walks included in the project, and expect further engagement in future walks as a result of the experience gained through this project. The project aligns to Strategic Priority 3 & 5 of the Wexford Culture & Creativity Strategy, developing and promoting existing walks, and encouraging participation in activities with the natural environment assets of a community to enhance wellbeing.
