Exposed to reel life

An exhibition celebrating fond memories, a feeling of bliss and perfect South West days will be on display at Busselton’s ArtGeo Gallery in August.

Tim Swallow by Derek Pool

Halcyon Days, Visions of Escape is the latest exhibition from award winning Busselton photographer Tim Swallow.

The exhibition is a tribute to Swallow’s upbringing in Busselton and showcases the South West through landscapes and portrait photography.

“(It features) images of escapism and time away from everything which ties in with the down south lifestyle,” Swallow said.

Despite spending most of his life in the region, the catalyst to Swallow’s career as a photographer was an overseas holiday.

“I booked a ticket for six months and didn’t come back for two and a half years,” he says.

“My dad saw some of the photos I produced and he had all the equipment, so he set me up with it.”

Swallow now has his photographs of models, actors, musicians and lifestyle displayed in five galleries and has produced a collection he believes is among the best of his two-and-ahalf- year career.

“It will be a step up in professionalism,” he said.

“I’ve never done anything at Art-Geo before and that will be another step up,” he said.

Now splitting his time between Busselton and Subiaco, Swallow says the appeal of the profession is the freedom.

“I mainly work freelance (which includes) working hard, meeting interesting people and having time off for side projects such as this exhibition,” he said.

Swallow’s latest exhibition runs in conjunction with Busselton’s French Geographe Film Festival, CinéfestOz, an opportunity he seized after working as the festival’s official photographer this year.

The relationship saw him work on the festival’s billboard advertisement, which was displayed at the entrance to Busselton and at the festival launch earlier this year.

Building on the connection between the two, Emma Booth, the star of one of this year’s feature films, Swerve, will also feature in the exhibition.

Swallow says he has developed a good relationship with the Australian actress, who also hails from Busselton, and took the portraits of her during a recent visit.

“They will be in there as one offs,” he said.

Halcyon Days, Visions of Escape runs from August 12 to 28 at the Art-Geo Gallery located at 7 Queen Street, Busselton.