Goya Dmytryshchak
It has been a year of adaption and gratitude for two local photographers who have published 2021 calendars.
Altona’s Russell Cassar and Williamstown’s Cas Bukor said taking photos of their home suburbs had taken on a different meaning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cassar said the coronavirus had taken a heavy toll on everyone and people responded to difficult times in different ways.
“For me, the focus was to remain positive, but we all need to acknowledge it for what it is and act accordingly in our personal lives as well as our professional lives,” he said.
“We have no choice but to try turning it into something positive. Adaption was the key for me. I needed to get out at every opportunity and shoot images and post them to social media.
“As most were locked in their homes, the only way they had to connect to the outside world was through social media, in particular Facebook.
“Adaption for me was as simple as taking a camera with me on my daily walks, shooting everything handheld – no tripod – and trying to time my walks to take advantage of sunrise and/or sunsets.
“I quickly accumulated more then enough images from around my Altona home and remaining inside my five kilometre zone to put together this year’s calendar.
“The 2020 year will forever be remembered as the year of adaption for me.”
Bukor said her seventh calendar of Williamstown had been the most difficult to execute.
“I wanted to portray some of the really sobering moments of COVID-19, like sitting solo with your dog, along with moments of pure joy, like playing in a foggy park,” she said.
“After the devastating bushfires at the start of 2020 and then COVID-19, I was aware that many people would be feeling a sense of displacement and loss due to imposed restrictions, from not being able to continue their normal lives, or keep up with friends and family.
“Missing being part of the community that is so strong in Williamstown.
“This year, I tried to bring that consciousness into my photographs. I wanted to be able to collect images that would show people that their town is still here, still waiting for them, and that they would have something to return to when we all get out of this.
“And we will come back.
“And moving into 2021, I hope as people turn their calendar pages over through the months, they see their favourite vistas of our beautiful, welcoming town and remember that it’s all still here, just outside their front doors.
“If I had to choose one word, it would be gratitude.”
Altona calendars are available from Russell Cassar Photography on Facebook and Williamstown calendars at Williamstown Fine Wines and nextra Williamstown News & Lotto.
