When the pandemic restrictions forced the closure of her yoga studio last year, Yinet Gonzalez Gomez found herself with a plethora of free time. While wondering how to entertain herself, she picked up a camera.
It was her first camera, a Nikon D3500. Gomez experimented with photography for two months, taking pictures at home, on walks, of her son; it was like a collection of life in isolation.
“It’s something that I got into just for fun and turned into something that was actually very healthy during those times because I had something to do. I would think of a project and then just try to learn how to do it,” says Gomez.
Soon after, Gomez joined the Osoyoos Photography Club, and has been consistently taking photos and building her skills in the craft. Now, she has her self portraits displayed in the club’s exhibit, ‘Up Close and Personal’ at the ART GALLERY Osoyoos.
Within the past year, her photography has jumped to heights where almost anyone who sees her photos would not believe she’s been doing it for only a year. Thinking back at some of the pictures she took back in the early days of the pandemic, Gomez almost cringes, laughing. She says that she still needed to learn lighting and how to set up a shot, all the techniques.
“I think your eye kind of gets trained in a different perspective. The more pictures you take, you start seeing differently. You see details,” explains Gomez. “Before, it was just a snap. It’s so easy to grab a phone and take a photo of something that you think looks good. But when it comes to creativity, you start seeing things differently; the colors, and just the light and shadows, it’s beautiful.”
Greg Reely, president of the photo club, says he was shocked to find out how recently Gomez started photography.
Greg Reely, president of the Osoyoos Photography Club, at the opening day of the new exhibit. Photo by Neha Chollangi.
“She’s exceptional, very, very inspiring. That’s what I like about photographers, and just people like her in general. I think she inspires people,” says Reely, adding that her self portrait work alone, which is on display, is incredible.
Gomez describes doing self portraits as almost meditative. “The process of it’s as if I’m looking at myself from a non-judgmental point. I’m just a subject. I’m just looking at light and shape and I’m seeing myself as an object without identifying with what I don’t like.” she says.
The exhibit as a whole is a swirl of different landscapes, styles and aesthetics, reflecting the diversity of interest among the photographers in the club. From street photography in Myanmar, to local night sky shots, and dream-like nature photography. There are 60 photographs on display and for sale in the gallery.
The Osoyoos Photography Club held their first show at the ART GALLERY Osoyoos back in 2008. They continued to put up shows again in 2012, 2014, and 2018. This current exhibition was initially supposed to open last spring, but got cancelled due to COVID-19. Now, after almost a year, the photographers have their work up on the gallery walls.
Reely, himself, joined the Club in 2009 when he ran into a club member that said to him, “we’ve got a photo club here, you should check it out!” Back then, Reely was doing a little landscape photography and taking shots of musicians in studios at his job as a music engineer.
The Osoyoos Photography Club has 30 members who meet (virtually now) twice a month. They share their photography, techniques and expand their collective knowledge of the craft by feeding off each other.
Though he had done some night photography before, Reely focused more on cityscapes at night rather than the stars or milky way. It wasn’t until a couple of photographers in the photo club, who were into night photography, took him on a few nighttime photo shoots, Reely’s interest in the niche opened up.
He explains that when you’re learning different facets of photography, whether that be portraiture or nature photography, the specific techniques are essential; it’s not just something you can jump into, and so having people who already know and can guide you is a major perk of learning from others in the club.
“So now I’m pretty passionate about trying that out and doing more and more night sky stuff,” says Reely, who has a few of his night photography in this exhibit.
Unlike the industry, where many photographers can be protective of their knowledge and technique, the photo club takes knowledge and skill sharing seriously, says Gomez, who explains that she’s learned a lot from being in the club, seeing other people’s work, and getting feedback on her own photos.
There’s an element of child-like joy hearing Reely and Gomez talk about taking photos. Regardless of how long they’ve been doing photography, the eagerness to learn more and see more is a constant.
“It’s been a whole process, I still don’t really know what my style is or what I want to consistently do. I just want to do a shoot and see how it turns out,” says Gomez. “There is something magical in being able to capture what you see; I still feel like cameras are some sort of magic.”
The ‘Up Close and Personal’ exhibit opened March 4 and will be up until March 27th at the ART GALLERY Osoyoos.
