It’s a picture perfect love story that started at the University of Southern Queensland more than 14 years ago.
And this month Dalby couple Ian and Lynn Sharpe returned to where it all began for the 45th instalment of the USQ McGregor Summer School.
Mr and Mrs Sharpe, both keen amateur photographers, signed up to the Expand your Photographic Horizons course run by instructor Don Hildred on the recommendation of a friend.
“This is something we’re passionate about and it’s something we can do together,” Mr Sharpe explained.
The couple met while taking the same Master of Business Administration (MBA) short course and, as they say, the rest is history.
“We’re doing a lot more travelling these days,” Mr Sharpe said.
“So we’re really keen to learn about photography to get the best out of our travel photos.”
Mr Sharpe said he was hoping to learn more about portraiture while his wife enjoyed photographing landscapes and experimenting with light and colour.
The couple also has nine grandchildren between them, giving them both plenty of opportunity to hone their fresh photographic skills into the future.
Ian and Lynn were just two of the more than 350 students from across Australia and New Zealand attending this instalment of the McGregor Summer School — Australia’s largest and longest running residential performing, visual and creative arts school.
Students took part in a wide range of classes covering everything from music, painting, sculpting, calligraphy, crafts, jewellery-making, millinery, photography and even ukulele playing.
USQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Jan Thomas welcomed the cohort at the beginning of the 2013 event, encouraging them to “make friends and embrace the creativity”.
“I think it’s a sign of a healthy and mature society when creative arts flourish,” Professor Thomas said.
The Vice-Chancellor said she was excited to announce a new addition to the McGregor repertoire in 2013 with a brand new Spring School (September) added to complement the existing Winter School (July).
For more information about classes and how you can be involved, visit
www.usq.edu.au/mcgregor
