The Photography Social Group had their first meetup in London on the 18th November.
In the works for a number of months, members met at The Photographers Gallery for the current Daido Moriyama Retrospective exhibition. Set across four floors of the gallery there was plenty to see and it was quite the show. Much like the photographer's work, the walls were adorned with pictures in an almost frantic manner, a stark contrast to the highly ordered, often neatly framed pictures we often see in these settings. Displays also included many of his books and zines.
Contact sheets were also displayed in large format and it was really interesting to try and work out which were the "final shots" and how they were edited. The final result in a couple we saw was a very different take on what was initially seen. If only more photographers shared their contact sheets in this manner. I think personally I found these to be a bit of a highlight of the show, offering a level of honesty in the work, and his process, which I really appreciate.
After the exhibition we went for a coffee next door, and a few of us even went to take a quick look at the Centre of British Photography.
Hopefully this is the first of many more in person meet-ups.