General News
23 May, 2026
Picture this! Snaps in paradise
THEY are on a mission to map the people, places and stories of unique places – and they are heading to Loddon Valley, where they hope they’ll be modern-day “welcome strangers”.
THEY are on a mission to map the people, places and stories of unique places – and they are heading to Loddon Valley, where they hope they’ll be modern-day “welcome strangers”.
The Image Chasers are a group of professional photographers whose goal is to find the essence of Australian communities.
In the past, members of the group have gathered in places such as Ararat, Hay, Ballarat and Wonthaggi, looking for that iconic image, searching with camera in hand for the visual stories defining both community and its history.
More recently they have created exhibitions and books about the Queen Victoria Market and bohemian Fitzroy.
Now, they are heading to Loddon Valley. “We’ll be in Loddon Shire right across the King’s Birthday long weekend,” Image Chaser organiser Mike Reed says, “and we look forward to meeting people, and talking about what life’s like in Loddon.
“Each day, we’ll be ‘prospecting’ for ‘gold and gems’ among the towns and locales from Bridgewater to Boort and beyond, surveying the rich region for notable people as well as the sights and sites, life and leisure of the region.
“This is like a snapshot, a way to document this shire at this moment in time, through the people who live here.”
The Image Chasers first approached Loddon Valley Arts Trail with the idea to create an exhibition for this year’s festival, running from October 2 to 4. The show will be held at Calivil Hall, when the photographs will be seen for the first ime, and then donated to the shire as a permanent record of this moment in Loddon history.
Calivil’s Sue Lea, says the community is looking forward to hosting this exciting exhibition in the hall. “Calivil Hall is a place where, over a game of sport, people become friends,” she says of the hall and surrounding recreation reserve. “Over a coffee, people find a space where they are included and a place that Is home.”
Arts Trail co-ordinator Rosemary Sorensen says photography will be a big part of this year’s program.
“We are so looking forward to seeing what this group does, and presenting a unique show in Calivil Hall.
“We asked Calivil to host, with the Image Chasers’ permission, because it is one of those Loddon places that so many people never get to visit unless they find out
about it through events like this one.
“It’s just so beautiful, in an archetypal Australian way, with the long straight road that links highways.
“It’s a photographer’s paradise out there!” Rosemary enthused ahead of the visit.
Read More: Loddon Shire, Berrimal, Boort