OPS Weekly Newsletter 18 October 2026
- On Tuesday 20 October is our first print competition. Entry per member is two colour and two mono-chrome prints. In case we don’t have enough entries for a full evening of judging and viewing please bring an extra colour and mono-chrome print as reserve.
- We have a ‘Talks Portal’ – fancy name for a spreadsheet – where members can add the names and contact details of speakers that they would like to be included in the programme. If you have any recommendations please add them here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Vygkbg7dUF2e0dqF8PfPyfT1caZrnWJB5EEG9bBrTjs/edit?tab=t.0
- Last meeting held Tuesday 13 October: Tequila, Mezcal & More: Stories from Mexico An evening with award-winning photojournalist and author Anna Bruce
At the age of 13 Anna went on a family holiday to the Mexican city of Oxaca (pronounced wah-HAH-kah) and was captivated by the place. She has made it her home since 2013.
She did a Masters in Fine Art, Sculpture and Art History at Edinburgh University and went to India as a student. She wasn’t all that captivated by photography. For Anna photography was a way of telling a story, not an art form. For her 25th birthday she got a camera and went traveling in Egypt and thoroughly enjoyed what she called ‘picture making’ – she was bitten by the bug and on the trajectory of becoming a professional photographer.
Mexico has a very bad reputation due mainly to the impact of drug cartels, and Anna pitched an idea of countering this negative narrative to an educational funding agency. She came up with an idea to show a positive side of the country: artisanal mezcal, a traditional method of distilling spirit from the agave plant, and so got funding for a residency in Oxaca.
She immersed herself in the mezcal community and produced a photo exhibition “Mexcal: The Spirit of Mexico” along with numerous newspaper article.
On her return to the UK she further developed her photography by getting her NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) in Sheffield and became a freelance photographer covering all sorts of news, and not so news, stories.
It wasn’t long before she secured a return to Oxaca and documenting the traditional mezcal process. We are familiar with Tequila, but it is only one of many spirits made from the agave plant.
Using some wonderfully evocative photographs Anna explained the traditional process of producing mezcal for the agave plant. It is a spiky succulent that grows in arid areas. When the plant is ready for harvesting the spiky leaves are all cut off using a machete, the large bulbous hearts of the plant – piñas – are then transported to a place where it will be processed.
The pinas are cooked in an earthen pit dug in the earth and lined with stones, giving the agave its characteristic smoky flavour. Once cooked, the piñas are crushed, often using a stone wheel called a tahona, to release their sweet juices and fibres. The mixture is then placed in wooden vats to ferment naturally with the help of wild yeasts and microorganisms. Finally, the fermented liquid is distilled, usually in copper or clay stills, to produce mezcal. Throughout the process, traditional techniques, local materials and the knowledge of the mezcalero play an important role in shaping the spirit’s distinctive flavour and character.
Anna illustrated all this with some fantastic images and unlike most presentations we see she did not restrict herself to one image on the screen. Her images told the story of the people who are involved in the mezcal process in a sensitive and engaging way.
Her acclaimed book, Tequila, Mezcal & More, has been shortlisted for the 2026 André Simon Drinks Award, named one of Forbes’ Best Wine and Spirits Books of 2025, and selected as a Top 10 nominee for the 2026 Spirited Awards.
You can see more of her photos here: https://www.annabruce.photos/
A thoroughly fascinating evening which opened a window on a country that is generally portrayed in a negative way.
- Next meeting Tuesday 20 October: Print Competition No 1. Our judge is Peter Cox
Entry per member is two colour and two mono-chrome prints. In case we don’t have enough entries for a full evening of judging and viewing please bring an extra colour and mono-chrome print as reserve.
- Upcoming meetings
27 October: Once a slag with Philippa James
3 November: Workshop: Creative Portrait Photography: Thinking Outside The Box with Kieran Hunt
10 November: Iconic photographs that would bomb in club photo competitions with Mathew Lodge
17 November: Wildlife Photography – How Hard Can It Be? Helen Webb
- Photographic events in and around Oxford
Martin Parr: Oxford Bodleian Libraries
Martin Parr (1952–2025) was one of the most influential photographers of the past 50 years, transforming the medium through his distinctive vision and commitment to photography. This small display celebrates his legacy as photographer, collaborator and champion of photographic books. (Exhibition end date TBC.)
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford
Colonial Views of India: Photographs by Eugene Clutterbuck Impey
This free photographic exhibition in G29 offers a rare glimpse of late 19th century India. Ends 26 October. Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PH
- Photographic events further afield
Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography
Light and Magic is the first major exhibition to explore pictorialism as a global movement. Discover how artists became pioneers of the darkroom, transforming our understanding of photography and image making.
Tate Modern
Bankside
London SE1 9TG
Plan your visit
Dates
14 October 2026 – 21 February 2027
Times
10.00–18.00 Sunday to Thursday
10.00–21.00 Fridays and Saturdays
The 13 best new photography exhibitions in London to have on your radar
From striking documentary work to powerful portraits, explore life through a lens with these new shows
https://theglossarymagazine.com/arts-culture/best-photography-exhibitions-london-2026/
See full list of exhibitions here: https://amateurphotographer.com/latest/articles/best-photography-exhibitions-to-see/
- General photographic interest
Cable and camera: selfies in 1970s Handsworth
Nearly 50 years ago in inner-city Birmingham, photographers Derek Bishton, Brian Homer and John Reardon set up an impromptu studio in the street and invited their neighbours along. With no camera phones in 1979, long cable releases gave participants the power to decide how they wished to be seen and represented. The project’s original aim was to counter negative media images of Handsworth and its people. Now, in collaboration with Dewi Lewis Publishing, a Kickstarter fund has been set up to bring them together in book form
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/oct/15/selfies-in-1970s-handsworth
Wildlife photographer of the year 2026 winners – in pictures
A selection of the winning images from this year’s competition across topics ranging from underwater to urban wildlife, and photojournalism to mammal behaviour. The overall winner is Federico Veronesi of Italy for his powerful image of an elephant carrying a dead calf
The winning photographs will be showcased at the Natural History Museum in London from 16 October 2026 until July 2027
Breath-taking images of nature by wildlife legend Paul Nicklen from across his incredible 30-year career
When Paul Nicklen first started his career in photography, we’ll never know if he intended to change the way the world looks at climate change, but 30 years later it’s clear he’s done exactly just that.
These award-winning images from the next generation of photographers are a powerful reminder of the impact of climate change
The Association of Photographers’ Emerging Talent Awards celebrates and supports up and coming photographers in every stage of their careers. Attracting entries globally, with no theme or categories, the 2026 competition winners have been revealed. Images of a shrinking glacier in Iceland and a Ukrainian Saturday School in Scotland have been announced as the gold and silver winners.