I’ve just finished preparing two pieces of photography for the Harris Open Exhibition. I have long enjoyed taking photos, usually of friends or family but never thought I had any real talent. It was something of a hobby, a way of remembering nights out and events.

Over the past couple of years I have turned my lense towards landscapes, attempting to capture the beauty in nature and I have to say I really enjoy it. I love exploring on my bike with my little point and click camera in my pocket, then sharing the photos with my friends online. Their positive comments have spurred me on to show my photographs to a wider audience. This will be the first time I have exhibited my work and I am quite excited at the prospect.

It has been a real treat visiting the Harris Open Exhibition in the past. The exhibition is open to anyone who is resident in Preston or lives within a five mile radius of the Harris Museum and Art Gallery.

Their has been a wealth of creative talent on display in previous years. The exhibition has provided a platform for the work of people like talented illustrator Wensdi Dougherty and architect and artist WED Ryan, whose painting of Preston Bus Station caught my eye.

I loved the work of Linda Massey, in particular her small portrait of Ofélia, the young girl from the Spanish fantasy film Pan’s Labyrinth. Kathryn Poole‘s detailed print of a dragonfly also stood out at the Harris Open at the beginning of 2014. I’m looking forward to this year’s exhibition and discovering more talent from our city.

So who will catch your eye at the Harris Open Exhibition 2014/15?

Harris Open Exhibition, Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston 13 December 2014 – 10 January 2015.