Robbie returns to Derbyshire this month to present the 2014 Derby City Photographic Club President’s Lecture on 13th October
It was in 2006 that the highly skilled profession of underground photography came to the fore when ‘Titan’, the county’s largest natural cave shaft, was discovered in the Peak District. The photographer whose stunning pictures were broadcast around the world was Litton-based Robbie Shone. Several articles by Robbie have since appeared in Derbyshire Life featuring his explorations in the vast caves of Borneo and in the mountains of China’s Chongqing Province. Now based in Innsbruck, Robbie will be returning to Derbyshire this month to present the 2014 Derby City Photographic Club President’s Lecture.
Robbie writes, ‘Ten years ago, I set out on a journey that would become a lifelong project, capturing unique images of the remotest places. For this, I focused my attention on the underworld, one of the last unexplored frontiers on planet Earth. Hidden in the depths where natural light does not reach, the art of photography is at its most challenging. All light sources have to be carried into the cave, sometimes several days from the entrance, and then precisely positioned in order to capture effectively the wild natural beauty of the world beneath our feet. I’ve travelled to many exciting places to photograph the deepest, largest, longest and even smallest cave systems known. I’ve hung on a thin rope, photographing 250m above the floor in the world’s deepest natural shaft; explored the far ends of a 189 km long cave system; and spent a continuous 94 hours underground in order to photograph the first cave to hold the 1 km depth record. When not away deep underground making pictures of caves, I am at home in the scenic alpine town of Innsbruck, where chasing adventures is merely a stone’s throw away.’
Derby City Photographic Club president, Ashley Franklin, commented, ‘I’m delighted to welcome Robbie. He rarely gives lectures – he’s too busy traversing the globe! – so this is a rare opportunity to see probably the greatest cave photographer in the world. That probably makes him the bravest photographer in the world, too. It takes prodigious courage and effort to delve deep into the worlds beneath our feet but what makes Robbie even more special is that through his exceptional technical and artistic skills, he emerges from the depths with the most stunning imagery. Better still, he hails from Derbyshire!’
The 2014 Derby City Photographic Club President’s Lecture takes place at The Grange, Littleover, Derby on 13th October at 7.30pm. Tickets £6. For details email info@ashleyfranklin.co.uk.
