As you may have guessed from the title, Solas is an amateur photography club, who, in ordinary times meet up twice monthly in Oranmore and hope to do so again during the upcoming season which kicks off in September.  For the past four years, Solas have hosted an annual series of lectures with some of the leading national and international experts in the field, offering members the opportunity to stretch their talents and enhance their skills and abilities in this absorbing hobby. The past season has been challenging because of their inability to physically meet up, but through remote technology the club has successfully continued their programme of lectures and competitions online.  Solas is a small club of 35 to 40 members who recognise camaraderie is essential and learning from each other is one of the key elements of their success. Outdoor workshops and field trips are also part of the annual programme and they take full advantage of the Wild Atlantic Way, the Burren and Connemara on our doorstep.

The competitive edge is also encouraged and throughout the year a number of competitions are organised to give members an opportunity to have their work anonymously critiqued and scored by external judges for the purposes of enhancing their skills and abilities. The club has also been successful in national competitions, and several members have won national and international awards for their work.

This year for the first time, Solas invite you to enjoy samples of their member’s award winning work at an inaugural virtual exhibition. The club hope to have a physical exhibition in the not too distant future, but in the meantime their member’s exhibition is online at www.bit.ly/solasphoto21 . So come and have a look at local photographic talent from the comfort of your armchair or even lying in bed. After all, what use is art if it is not appreciated and admired by good people like you? If you would like further details or wish to contact the club regarding the upcoming season, see www.solasphotographyclub.com.