PHOTOGRAPHY is a hobby that Byron Hall says he took up when he retired, yet it was a necessary skill-set during much of his military and civilian career.

The Moreton Border News spoke with Byron after he sent in photographs taken when the Wivenhoe Dam operators opened the flood gates three days before Christmas following forecasts of heightened rain activity.

Our casual question about when he first took up photography elicited an unexpected answer.

“I was a Military Police investigator in the Army and part of my job was to visit crime scenes and crime scene photography,” Byron said. “It’s where I developed an interest in photography.”

In 1993, he left the Military Police after 20 years, however, he continued to serve in the Army Reserve.

Byron’s next career move was as an inspector with the RSPCA, and again, a camera wasn’t too far from his side.

He was subsequently appointed as Chief Investigator with the RSPCA. He also continued as a member of the Army Reserve.

In 1999, he took on the role of team leader of the Military Police investigations into war crimes after the elections in East Timor.

Later he worked with the Ipswich City Council as the team leader in the Local Laws section.

He was working for the Brisbane City Council during the disastrous 2010 – 2011 floods and remembers being trapped in Brisbane for three days as he was unable to return to his home in Rosewood.

On his retirement soon after, Byron’s interest in photography came to the fore.

“I joined the Ipswich Photographic Society in February 2023,” he said in explaining he had become involved as he wanted to expand his knowledge and skills and there was also the social aspect of being part of a group who shared the same interest.

“Some of the members are brilliant photographers and I saw there was an opportunity to learn from them,” he said.

The monthly competitions also challenged and inspired members to improve.

“When you join the Society you start at the B Grade level,” he continued.

“Each month there’s a set subject and you can enter two prints and two digital photographs illustrating the subject.

“Independent judges award points based on the quality of the entries.”

Those points enable the member to progress through the levels from B to AB to A grade.

“There’s 10 different set subjects and an open competition each year as well as field trips and weekends away … the learning and social aspects of membership are very good.”

Byron is now the Vice President of the Society and has reached A grade proficiency.

And while the outing to watch the water rush out of the flood gates at the Wivenhoe Dam wall on December 22 was planned as an exciting experience for his grandson, Byron couldn’t resist capturing some images, three of which appear in this edition of the Moreton Border News.