Those who browse the posts on the CPA Camera Club website or follow our Facebook page are no strangers to the name Paul Hanley. Paul was a member of our club for several years, during which time he gave workshops to members, sharing his processing knowledge on LightRoom, and presentations on his own work which included some spectacular architectural photography and portraiture.
His name is engraved on numerous trophies, numerous times; as the audience at our Annual Exhibition and Prizegiving can testify, he would win so many he had to have help getting them all back out to the car. During the 2017-18 season, the year that CPA were NIPA’s top club, Paul made a clean sweep of our four Interclub trophies: points are awarded to all placed workers during each round and Paul won in monochrome, colour, projected digital images and overall top scorer. Every CPA member who wins those trophies in the years to come will see his name and remember his achievements.
There is no doubt that Paul was one of the most talented photographers to grace our club, however his light shone bright across camera club photography in Northern Ireland. In that memorable winning season, Paul’s images gained a total of nine NIPA stars, giving them a place of honour on that coveted top board. Put some of his images on the wall alongside a few hundred others at a NIPA adjudication event and I imagine a good proportion of photographers in the room could pick out the Hanleys; that says so much about his skill and his unique vision.
Paul’s sudden passing on 30th June 2020 was a shock to the entire photographic community. The respect and affection he garnered is apparent from the outpouring of messages posted on social media in the wake of his loss. He will be sadly missed, not only by the friends he made at this club and at the other clubs he belonged to over the years, but by club photography as a whole. Our heartfelt condolences are with his sons Oliver, Adam and Luke, grandson Maksim, and the wider Hanley family. CPA will never forget him.
