This photo shows people picnicking in the park at Torrington.
It was taken by James Ravilious in the mid Seventies and captures a brief moment in time.
For many people, especially those living in Torrington, it will bring back memories of people, places and events. It can be a very personal and sometimes emotional experience looking at an old photo.
Ravilious always shot his photos in black and white, which might lead people to think they were taken much further back in the past. This, coupled with the fact that many recorded the work and lives of people in rural north Devon communities, where there was not so much evidence of change, means they have a timeless quality about them.
It’s easy to spot the changes between then and now in a Ravilious photo, but what about the similarities?
Many of his images were of local events, and some captured individuals, seemingly unaware of the camera lens. Just occasionally one of his subjects, whether human or animal, will be looking directly at the camera.
He was particularly at home deep in the lanes and countryside, but he also went to village events, town markets and to the coast where he’d capture scenes of families enjoying the wide expanse of Devon’s beaches.
What inspires you in this photo? Is it the people, the place, the memories? It may be the composition, or the use of line and shadow. How would Ravilious photograph a similar scene today?
