Robyn McLeod doesn’t go anywhere without a camera. 81457 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By VANESSA CHIRCOP
WHEN Robyn McLeod and her husband travelled through Iran, Turkey and Morocco last year, they were welcomed by the locals with open arms.
Upon returning home, overwhelmed by the warmth of the people she had met, the Newport photographer decided to hold her first photography exhibition at The Substation displaying 34 of her best photos from the trip.
“Iran is the most extraordinary place,” she said.
“People come up to you in the street to have a chat – I’ve travelled quite a bit but I hadn’t experienced anything like that before.”
Blown away by the beauty of not just the places but the people, Robyn said she came back from the trip elated.
“I probably took thousands of photos,” she said.
“It was difficult to get it (the exhibition) down to 34 photos.”
Robyn said she wanted to show not just how people lived in the three countries but the beauty of the buildings and landscapes.
Despite taking the photos overseas, Robyn does not consider herself a travel photographer.
“I paint as well,” she said.
“I don’t think of them as travel photos, I think of them as art.
“I’m an artist not a documenter.”
Robyn said she hopes the photos will open people’s eyes to see more in these countries than what is portrayed in the mainstream media and entertainment industry.
The exhibition in open at The Substation from Thursdays to Sundays until 3 June.
