Imperfect Focus & Perceptions
Imperfect Focus by Alistair Prentice explores the beauty of uncertainty and the expressive power of photographic imperfection. Through soft focus and subtle visual ambiguity, the exhibition invites viewers to slow down and experience images beyond sharp detail, embracing mood, memory, and interpretation.
Perceptions brings together the work of Alistair Prentice and Emanuela Mae Agrini, exploring how different artistic voices interpret the world around them. Through contrasting styles and subjects, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on how perspective, emotion, and experience shape what we see.
Alistair Prentice – Exploring Photography with Holga and Pinhole Cameras
Alistair Prentice is a photographer from Portadown who enjoys experimenting with simple, analogue photographic techniques. His work focuses on the creative possibilities of film photography, particularly using Holga cameras and pinhole cameras to produce distinctive and atmospheric images.
Rather than relying on modern digital technology, Alistair prefers the unpredictable character of analogue photography. The Holga 120 camera, famous for its plastic lens and simple design, is one of his favourite tools. Holga cameras are known for producing dreamy images with vignetting, light leaks and soft focus, characteristics that many photographers deliberately embrace as part of their artistic style.
Alongside the Holga, Alistair also works with pinhole cameras. Pinhole photography is one of the most basic forms of photography, using a tiny hole instead of a lens to project light onto film. This method requires longer exposure times and careful composition, often resulting in images that have a soft, timeless quality.
Much of Alistair’s work involves photographing people, buildings and everyday scenes around Northern Ireland. Using his Holga and pinhole cameras, he captures street portraits and quiet moments that might otherwise go unnoticed. The slower process of film photography encourages patience and observation, allowing him to focus on light, composition and atmosphere rather than technical perfection.
Through this analogue approach, Alistair Prentice demonstrates that photography does not need to be complicated or expensive to be meaningful. His images show how simple cameras and traditional techniques can still produce powerful and unique photographs in the modern world.
The Art of Emanuela Mae Agrini
Emanuela Mae Agrini is an Italian artist and illustrator whose work focuses on portraiture, fashion illustration, and the expressive power of drawing. Originally from Genoa, Italy, she later moved to Belfast, where she continued developing her artistic practice and reconnecting with her passion for visual storytelling.
Her artwork explores the human figure and the emotions that can be captured through gesture, colour, and line. Rather than simply recreating a likeness, Emanuela aims to reveal personality and mood in her portraits. This approach gives her work a strong sense of presence and individuality.
She works primarily with traditional media such as soft pastels, charcoal, ink, and gouache. These materials allow her to experiment with texture and expressive marks while maintaining a strong foundation in drawing.
Fashion illustration is another important aspect of her practice. By sketching live models and contemporary fashion designs, she captures movement, fabric, and energy in quick, vibrant studies.
Through portraits, fashion sketches, and exhibitions, Emanuela continues to celebrate the beauty of the human form and the emotional depth that can be expressed through art.
