The smiling faces of Wrexham people will have a starring role in a photographic project.
Canadian-born snapper Ioan Said has been inspired by the warm welcome he received when he came to live in the area.
He will be capturing as many of those welcoming faces on Saturday, August 20, at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre.
Ultimately, he is planning to feature them in an exhibition as called Faces of Wrexham.
The project is part of the Wrexham Year of Culture which has Eagles Meadow as its main sponsor.
Kevin Critchley, the manager of Eagles Meadow, said: “The Faces of Wrexham is a brilliant project and we’re delighted to be hosting it here.
“As somebody who has moved to live in the area after being appointed manager here, I can testify to the warm Wrexham welcome.”
Although French is Ioan’s first language, he is learning to speak Welsh and attends classes run by Bangor University and reckons he is fast catching up to his wife Nicola, who was raised in Rossett. She’s the reason why Ioan quit Montreal and headed to the UK, and his home in, Penycae, near Wrexham.
His agency, Celynnen Photography, unofficially started in November 2004. Ioan wanted to send Welsh language Christmas cards to his family, but could not find any.
So, he and Nicola decided to make their own and went to Valle Crucis Abbey in Llangollen where they photographed a holly tree. By the time they had finished the card they wanted to put a name on the back to make it look as though it was a store-bought card.
Ioan said: “We felt we needed a logo on the back and the name we came up with was celynnen which is Welsh for holly branch.
“The idea for Faces of Wrexham came to me when I was walking in the area and even people I did not know would smile and say ‘Hello’ which made me feel very welcome and want to be part of the community.
“I want to capture those friendly faces in a photographic exhibition so on August 20 we will be setting up a portable studio at Eagles Meadow.
“We would like as many people as possible to come and be who they are.
“We want young and old and as many ethnic backgrounds as we can find in Wrexham. I am hoping they can be individually framed in some way and how they are displayed depends on the kind of space we can be allocated.
“I am hoping they can be displayed in Eagles Meadow where the faces can welcome the shoppers and enhance their shopping experience.”
Celynnen Photography, the official photographers of Wrexham’s Year of Culture, have won awards for wedding and pet photography. They also do portrait, commercial and boudoir photography and frequently work with the Crusaders rugby league team.
Ioan, who is qualified with the British Institute of Professional Photography, used to work in corporate real estate management with a Canadian airline, but his interest in photography goes back to his first SLR camera when he was 15.
He tries to get home to visit his parents at least once a year and, in keeping with this well travelled photographer, has a step-brother in the Czech Republic, a half brother in Cambodia and a half brother “somewhere on the Prairies.”
The Wrexham Year of Culture programme will see over 300 events taking place in Wrexham during 2011. For more information, go to: www.yearofculture.co.uk
