I have said it before but the photographic community in Birmingham is amazing! Igersbirmingham have played a huge part in developing this community, so when they arranged for a 'Picnic in the Park' to celebrate World Photo Day, I was always going to attend.

However, rather than taking photos, I'd planned to do a short film about the IgersBirmingham community and what it means to individuals to be part of that community. instagram has no doubt altered the course of photography and not only made photography 'cool' but also accessible to the masses. However, one of the most impactful parts of Instagram is the communities that it has spawned.

All across the world, groups of 'Igers' meet up on a regular basis to take photos, explore amazing places and socialise. We are very fortunate to have one of the strongest communities in the UK and I am very proud to call many of it's members my friends and close friends at that! 

To celebrate World Photo Day, there were a host of events including a portrait session hosted by Martin O'Callaghan (@OCUK), a nature trail by James Benwell (@JimPanda) and access to the roof of the local landmark, Fort Dunlop. It was exciting to try new styles of photography and one-minute shoot models using smoke grenades and then on to Wild Ponies playing in the heather, topped off by a rooftop view of our amazing city!

Special thanks go to Fraser & Beth from IgersBirmingham, Martin & Jim for their expertise and Sutton Park/Fort Dunlop for being amazing hosts. Thank you to everyone that attended and made the day special and to the wider community for doing our city proud! I'm sure we all look forward to seeing were IgersBirmingham and photography in the city go next! 

Don't forget to check out the hashtags for the day - #igb_meet_picnicinthepark / #igb_mett_fortdunlop / #fortdunlop100