MCC - Conceptual Photography Group

31/05/2026

The MCC Conceptual Photography Group hosted one of those evenings you leave still thinking about.

Our May meeting featured a conversation with Chris Bowes, the 2023 Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize winner: covering process, inspiration, and some stunning new works on paper exploring kintsugi.

Thanks to Chris for generously sharing his practice, and to everyone who came and asked great questions.

📷 Photos by Wayne Harridge ()

See more of Chris's work at https://www.chrisbowes.com.au/artwork

with Bob Warfield Wayne Harridge Robin Tully Garrie Maguire Andrew Tan

31/05/2026

17/05/2026

Last chance to lock it in. 👀

🗓 Wednesday 20 May at 7.30pm
📍 Melbourne Camera Club, 254-256 Ferrars St, South Melbourne

We're sitting down with Chris Bowes, a Melbourne multidisciplinary artist whose work relentlessly pushes at what photography even is.
Works are held at LACMA and Yale.
Winner of the Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize and the IRIS Award.
Co-founder of Kindred Cameras.

And doing the deep dive with him will be garrie maguire, artist, owner of XYZ Photo Gallery, curator, and one of the sharpest minds in Melbourne photography.

Image: Feedback, Chris Bowes

Oh, and if you've never heard of Concrete Photography? Come along and ask Chris yourself.

This is going to be a real conversation.
Everyone welcome.

09/05/2026

Dig deeper into the world of photography with Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize winner Chris Bowes.

📍 Melbourne Camera Club, 254-256 Ferrars St, South Melbourne
🗓 Wednesday 20 May at 7.30pm


We're sitting down with Chris Bowes, a Melbourne multidisciplinary artist whose work relentlessly pushes at what photography even is.
Works are held at LACMA and Yale.
Winner of the Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize and the IRIS Award.
Co-founder of Kindred Cameras.

And doing the deep dive with him will be garrie maguire (), artist, owner of XYZ Photo Gallery, curator, and one of the sharpest minds in Melbourne photography.

Image: Sweat No. 1, Chris Bowes, Sweat chemigram on silver gelatin paper

Oh, and if you've never heard of Concrete Photography? Come along and ask Chris yourself.

This is going to be a real conversation.
Everyone welcome.

02/05/2026

Great memories from our MCC Conceptual Photography SIG field trip to Docklands on 11 April 📷

We started at Kindred Cameras Gallery , visited Magnet Galleries and finished at the Leica Store Gallery.

We explored the surrounding areas with cameras in hand, and focused on creating images that could become part of a visual story.

And, as every good excursion should, we had lunch together at a Thai restaurant: swapping ideas, stories, and a few laughs along the way.

Thanks to everyone who came along and made the day such an enjoyable one.

Melbourne Camera Club

29/04/2026

Big night coming up for the Conceptual Photography Group.

📍 Melbourne Camera Club, 254-256 Ferrars St, South Melbourne
🗓 Wednesday 20 May, 7.30pm

We're sitting with Chris Bowes, a Melbourne multi-disciplinary artist whose work extends our ideas of what photography even is.

• Expert in both analogue and digital techniques, as well as processes that go beyond traditional photography.
• His works are characterised by light, surface, and duration.
• Works held at LACMA and Yale.
• Winner of the prestigious Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize and the IRIS Award.
• Co-founder of Kindred Cameras

And doing the deep dive with him will be Garrie Maguire - photographer - artist, XYZ Photo Gallery owner, curator and one of the sharpest minds in Melbourne photography.

This is going to be a real conversation.

Everyone is welcome, especially if you are open to discovering more about Concrete Photography

Image: Chris Bowes - Sun Kissed 1, 2, 3, and 4
https://www.chrisbowes.com.au/

18/04/2026

At our last meeting, we didn’t just look at images; we deconstructed the very art of narrative and storytelling.

We explored how to weave depth into our frames - a concept beautifully brought to life by the tactile, layered encaustic photos shared by Stefanie Wendler-Canning during our "Work In Progress" segment.

The gauntlet has been thrown! The challenge is to apply these storytelling concepts to your own practice.

Will you join us?

The Conceptual Photography Group is a welcoming space for photographers of all levels to transform abstract ideas into powerful visual narratives.

Join our next monthly meeting:
📅 Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2026
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
📍 Venue: Melbourne Camera Club, 254-256 Ferrars St, South Melbourne

Come experience a creatively charged environment where ideas take center stage.

11/04/2026

What’s the story behind the frame? 🌊

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but a series of images? That’s where the real magic happens. Join the Conceptual Photography Group for our next session as we dive deep into the art of Visual Storytelling.

We will have Andrew Tan guide us through the process of crafting images into a cohesive, compelling narrative. Whether you're working on a long-term project or just want to add more depth to your portfolio, this is a session you won’t want to miss.

The Details:
🗓 Wednesday, 15th April
⏰ 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
📍 Melbourne Camera Club Gallery

Bring your curiosity and your creative eye! 🎞️✨






Photo credit: Polixeni Papapetrou, She Saw Two Girls and a Boy 1966 #1

19/03/2026

Swipe to see the scale vs. the story. ➡️

A look behind the scenes of our recent workshop inspired by Paolo Ventura. From scattered miniatures and studio lights to that final, haunting silhouette.

There’s something magical about building a world from scratch just to capture one fleeting moment.

14/03/2026

March Meeting of the Conceptual Photography Group, Wednesday 18 March

• Wednesday 18th March
• 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
• Melbourne Camera Club Studio (not the Gallery where we usually meet)

At our next meeting on we will be experimenting with some constructed photography, with inspiration drawn from the work of Paolo Ventura, Italian photographer Paolo Ventura (b. 1968) is known for constructing and photographing elaborate dioramas to tell cinematic visual stories.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Ventura

Our aim is to have fun while we practice using photographic skills to suggest a "half-remembered dream" or a "fragment of a story". We will begin with a brief presentation to explain the process and show some examples.

The coordinators will be available to help you.

Ideally, you should bring a
• camera with a lens capable of close-up photography
• tripod, if you have one, and
• bright light source, such as a torch or a headlamp

If you don't have a tripod or a light source, just bring a camera!