Photography techniques from the past, present and future are on display at the Higgins as part of a new collaborative exhibition with Bedford Creative Arts and with the support of Fujifilm UK, which is celebrating its 40th year in Bedford.
On display in The Higgins’ Sir William Harpur Gallery, this new five-month-long exhibition will feature portraits of Bedfordians taken by local photographers using photographic technology either from the past (such as cyanotype or glass-plate techniques) or the present with the latest Fujifilm X Series digital cameras.
Over the last 18 months, local photographers have sought out Bedford residents to feature as subjects in these portraits who wouldn’t normally get the chance to be in front of the camera in a gallery setting.
The results show a diverse array of faces and personalities including families from local schools and home-educator groups, babies, carers, College students, people celebrating at Ukrainian Day and members of local cultural groups.
A programme of workshops were hosted by Fujifilm at their state-of-the-art studio facilities in its London FUJIFILM House of Photography.
Fujifilm UK have also provided the prints for the exhibition, bringing the photos to life using their photographic papers, enhancing the colours and details captured in each image.
Duncan Edgar, Director of Corporate at Fujifilm UK said: “As Fujifilm UK celebrates its 40th year in Bedford, we are proud to partner with Bedford Creative Arts on Community Portrait.
“With our heritage in photography, it’s been amazing to see how those involved with the project have chosen to capture their unique perspectives and stories, visually representing what being a Bedfordian means to them.
“We are incredibly passionate about our community here in Bedford and supporting the creativity within it; we are thrilled to have played a small part in bringing these stories to light through this inspiring exhibition.”
The exhibition also features an interactive Artificial Intelligence (AI) exhibit created by digital artists Fergus Laidlaw and Arnab Chakravarty which invites visitors to reflect on the possible future of photography in a world where AI has a growing impact.
Ami Aubrey, Programme Producer for BCA said: “We had over 1,000 images to choose from for this exhibition and had to make some really tough choices about which to include.
“We hope that visitors will be inspired to consider the role of the camera in capturing portraits – not just the mobile phone (as so many of us rely on today).
“It’s a reflection on photography’s value as an art form as we enter a future where anyone can take a photo but it is also open to manipulation through technology”.
The exhibition runs until 23 February 2025 in the Sir William Harpur Gallery at The Higgins Bedford, Castle Lane, MK40 3XD
