Farewell message from Regan
Igers Coventry & Warwickshire Community Leader, Regan Thacker @duskyblueskies
Described by her peers as a whimsical adventurer, photographer and blogger. She fell in love with photography during her travels around the world, and she is leaving us to continue to pursue those passions. Here’s her final few words, along with a few other things about her that you may or may not know.
What got you into photography?
It all started in the 80’s when I was a kid. I was given a 110-film camera as a Christmas present or maybe it was a birthday present, not sure. From then, I loved taking photos of friends, family, and holidays. I was always excited about getting the films developed, and I was quickly disappointed when I saw some of the images I had captured. With only 24 or 36 exposures per camera roll, I learned to really think about what I could see/compose in the viewfinder to avoid being wasteful.
Regan at the Steelhouse Lane Lock Up in Birmingham, June 2017.
Image captured by Barry Whitehead @bazjayuu
Why did you get involved with the igers community?
I had recently returned to the UK after living abroad for several years. So, I was trying to settle and keep myself occupied at the same time.
Whilst scrolling on Instagram, I saw an instameet advertised and I thought, that looks interesting. I signed up and went along with just my phone and my compact Sony camera. I really enjoyed the opportunity to explore places that I had not been before. For me, it felt exciting and similar to travelling again.
Why & how did you become a Community Leader?
I was enjoying attending instameets around the country with various different community groups.
Then, Jamie asked me to come along to more of the igers coventry meet ups. Before I could disagree, he asked me to help him out with the facebook page and it progressed from there really.
Why should people look to join in on Igers Coventry & Warwickshire events and the community as a whole?
It’s a great way to meet others, explore different places, and learn more about photography. In 2015, I started going along with just my compact camera, until I finally gained the confidence to buy a second hand DSLR. There were a lot of people like me, learning more and picking up helpful tips from others as they went along to instameets. I tried photography clubs, but found them more daunting and snooty. Members would critique and talk about equipment or settings that I didn’t even understand yet. With igers, it doesn’t matter if you use your phone or your camera. It’s more about getting out and about with the igers community and sharing our love for photography and exploring. It’s a great leveller.
What was your first instameet like?
Exciting, I visited an abandoned bank vault and the mortuary in Birmingham’s Council House. There was also a photo scavenger hunt around city centre, so I followed the instructions on the handout I was given and I didn’t really talk to any of the other attendees.
At first, I didn’t grasp the social element of igers. Initially, I only interacted with other attendees online when I reviewed the hashtags after an instameet.
So for a while, I missed out on a huge part of the community aspect of igers. As I got to know more people online, I started going to the meet ups afterwards which were usually in the pub.
When I began attending the social meet ups, I made some really good friends, and began to learn a lot more about photography in a very relaxed and fun way.
Ford’s Hospital, Coventry (2019) © Regan Thacker @duskyblueskies
What would be your dream location to shoot in Coventry & Warwickshire and why?
Personally, I’d really like to do an enchanted fantasy style shoot at Guy’s Cliffe House in Warwick. Despite living in Warwickshire for most of my life, I’ve never been to Guy’s Cliffe House. I think the ruins or the damaged buildings would be a super back drop for this kind of ethereal magical photography. Perhaps the Community Leaders will mange to arrange this at some point in the future, and hopefully I’ll see you there.
What do you do outside of Igers Coventry & Warwickshire?
Igers can be quite demanding at times, many people don’t realise there’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to organise events or promote campaigns. In October, I planned to take a break from igers due to health issues and the desire for more time to focus on personal projects.
Well, that was the plan. After a few weeks break from igers, Brett asked if I could temporarily help out with @ukpotd. Temporarily quickly became a more permanent arrangement, so now I’m part of their admin team. If you would like to be considered for a feature on UK pic of the day, remember to add #ukpotd to your Instagram posts.
What have you learned/gained?
From attending instameets and interacting with other photographers, I learned loads more about photography and how to use my camera. I gained lots of friends who share my love for creating beautiful images and enthusiasm for new experiences. I also met my partner, Brett who loves adventure and photography as much, if not slightly more than me.
As a community leader, I gained more experience in arranging community events, writing blogs, designing and building a website, pitching to brands, planning and implementing digital marketing campaigns, and managing social media accounts. It was also a great opportunity to showcase some of our fantastic local creatives, and share Coventry & Warwickshire in all of it’s brutal and beautiful glory.
I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped us organise events, came along to our instameets, and supported us online.
You can continue to follow Regan’s adventures on her blog and social media channels:
Instagram: @duskyblueskies
Twitter: @duskyblueskies
Facebook: Dusky Blue Skies
Website: www.duskyblueskies.com
Here are some of Regan’s favourite Igers Coventry & Warwickshire features from her time as a Community Leader:
From 2016-2020, In no particular order: