What a great evening Ruthin Arts Network had on 12^th February! Dr Dan Muckle-Jones talked about his passion for photography and his involvement with Ruthin Camera Club. The audience was treated to an array of stunning photographs taken by Dan and members of the Camera Club, and there was a chance to ask Dan questions about his artistic journey.

Dan said, “I have been interested in photography since I was a teenager, but it has become more of a passion since I retired from my career in medicine. I would still describe myself as an enthusiastic amateur. I have produced work across various genres, but my main interest is in documentary and street photography. Photographs have the power to inform, entertain, challenge and persuade.”

“Photography is fundamentally a human endeavour,” Dan added. “We all have a viewpoint, and a photograph says something about the way its producer sees the world. Photography teaches me to look. I try to produce images with a strong sense of narrative or emotion. I look for interactions between subjects, and I am always on the lookout for visual puns.”

Dan is also drawn to photographing the ordinary, and he’s fascinated by the way photographing something mundane can somehow raise its perceived significance.  

Ruthin Camera Club was formed in 1986, and is part of a network of camera clubs around the UK and across the world. Dan joined in 2017 in order to meet other photographers and develop his craft.  

He explained, “I have been the club’s secretary since 2022, and have been very involved with rebuilding the club after the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am pleased to say that the club is now growing – we have 30 members with an age range of 12 to 90 years, and nearly half are women. We are grateful to have been awarded a grant from Denbighshire Leisure Ltd this year, which has enabled us to buy new projection equipment and greatly increase the quality of our presentations. We like looking at pictures, making pictures and talking about pictures. Our programme includes a variety of workshops, lectures, competitions and various photographic challenges. We have also been holding an annual exhibition in Ruthin for the last couple of years. We are open to new members; please visit our website www.ruthincameraclub.com for further information.”

After Dan’s fascinating talk, everyone chatted about their own creative journeys and networked. Artists, photographers, performers, cabinet makers, wood turners, writers, singers and musicians were in attendance, and one thing was agreed by all: art, in all its forms, makes the world a more interesting and reflective place, and gives rise to rewarding collaborations.