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Free Mines, Coal Faces
Review by Val Brierley
How many people know really know anything about Freemining in the Forest of Dean, or even in some cases where the Forest of Dean actually is? We certainly did by the end of a really fascinating and informative evening thanks to the presentation by Nick Hodgson who is obviously as passionate about it as the subjects he had photographed going about their work. It’s a very hard life with little reward but the Freeminers of the Forest of Dean are very proud and protective of their heritage and rightly so.
Nick, being descended from Freeminers, has a very personal interest but it still took his some time to gain the trust sufficient to explore his subject photographically in depth but the end result is stunning. He talked us through the process of producing the resulting book and FRPS panel in depth, from the moment of concept right through the editing and printing both book and panel and the marketing and exhibiting that followed.
The second half of the evening he showed us many of the images he took and talked about the stories behind them, the cups of tea before and after work, the comradeship and banter and the sheer hard graft underground. He also explained how he overcome not only difficult lighting conditions underground but also his claustrophobia (the banter helped!).
There was a lively and lengthy question and answer time at the end – always a very good indication of an interesting and engaging speaker and subject. An excellent evening all round.
Nick, being descended from Freeminers, has a very personal interest but it still took his some time to gain the trust sufficient to explore his subject photographically in depth but the end result is stunning. He talked us through the process of producing the resulting book and FRPS panel in depth, from the moment of concept right through the editing and printing both book and panel and the marketing and exhibiting that followed.
The second half of the evening he showed us many of the images he took and talked about the stories behind them, the cups of tea before and after work, the comradeship and banter and the sheer hard graft underground. He also explained how he overcome not only difficult lighting conditions underground but also his claustrophobia (the banter helped!).
There was a lively and lengthy question and answer time at the end – always a very good indication of an interesting and engaging speaker and subject. An excellent evening all round.
