Photographer Jay Hynes’ ‘I saw a…’ exhibition launches Nov 17, Lot Four Studio, Cremorne

Photographer and former art director, Jay Hynes launches his new photography exhibition ‘I saw a…’ at Lot Four Studio in Cremorne this Thursday, 17 November.

A departure from his commercial work, these photos were taken during an overseas trip to Italy, Croatia and Germany. The exhibition showcases Hynes’s subtle observances of life – at times amusing, at others poignant.

Says Hynes: “I was lucky enough to get to Europe during Melbourne’s winter/ I didn’t have a plan for a photo series. I took my old Canon 5D and one lens and thought, ‘I’ll see what happens’.”

What happened was completely unexpected, even for Hynes.

Says Hynes: “On day one, I shot an image of an Italian flag waving in the afternoon sun. That night I posted it on Instagram with a really simple caption, ‘I saw a flag in Rome today’. People seemed to like that, so the next day I did something similar.”

Quite by accident, the simple device of starting the captions with ‘I saw a…’ became the idea behind the series.

By the end of the trip, Hynes had amassed around thirty posts – and a fair few worthy shots that hadn’t yet seen the light. He’d enjoyed some traction on social media and there were suggestions of an exhibition. So Hynes took the plunge.

Says Hynes: “I thought it was a good way to show a different side to my work than the commercial stuff. And also a chance for creatives to get together and drink some free beer.”

The exhibition runs for three days only – Thursday 17 (6pm to 10pm), Friday 18 (11am to 5pm) and Saturday 19 November (11am to 5pm). Get along to the launch at Lot Four Studio, 4 Railway Place, Cremorne, if you’re keen on the free beer.

Check out Hynes’s work at jayhynes.com or on Instagram @jayhynesphoto.