Droitwich Camera Club had the privilege of welcoming speaker Bill Ward - multi award-winning British actor and photographer- in a special Live talk on Monday 12th February at the Methodist Church.
In his inspiring talk titled "In Search of…" Bill invited us to discover ourselves within the images that we capture. He reminded us that the camera looks both ways. He encouraged us to welcome serendipity, emphasising the importance of allowing time to wonder, explore and find the energy through the frame.
For Bill, photography can be therapeutic. His photography is a response to his constant search for peace and quiet, and in many ways an antidote, to the time he spends as an actor working in the public eye.
Bill shared his creative process, and how he improvises and interprets what Mother Nature has to offer. He immerses himself in the experience, meeting nature halfway through his lens.
His work often involves projects, and Bill has been one of the UK’s leading proponents of ICM (Intentional Camera Movement – the process of deliberately moving the camera whilst taking a picture) and in-camera Multiple Exposures, which he finds particularly revealing of the “essence” of any meeting between a person and wherever they happen to be.
Bill has won many awards and commendations, both nationally and internationally, including the Adobe Prize at UK Landscape Photographer of the Year, and Best Seascape at Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year.
As an actor, he is probably best known for playing the badly behaved builder Charlie Stubbs in the UK TV show Coronation Street. He also played the long-suffering farmer, James Barton, in Emmerdale.
