A photography exhibition currently underway at Oranjemund in the ||Kharas Region will provide residents with an opportunity for reflection and self-recognition.

Additionally, it offers tourists a rare chance to experience the more intimate and personal aspects of the former mining town from insiders' perspectives.

The 'My Oranjemund Photography Exhibition,' which showcases the work of 74 exhibitors, is currently on display at the Baronies as part of the town's annual Diamond Festival celebrations, providing a visual representation of the festivities.

"We asked Oranjemunders to submit photographs of the places they treasure. We asked which area of Oranjemund brings them joy every time they go there. Which place brings them peace and means most to them? We asked the community to share images of the town that could give visitors a deeper insight into our special features. The response was overwhelming, and what we see today is the celebration of the special place that Oranjemund is," said Tony Bessinger, General Manager at OMDis Transformation Agency, which is organising the exhibition.

According to Helen Harris, a curator at the exhibition, the aim of the exhibition is to celebrate and appreciate the town of Oranjemund.

"This is a community photography exhibition whereby the members of the community were invited to come together and give their photographs, and that way they could show all the aspects of Oranjemund they loved. We received the photographs, and we went through a selection process, and what you see tonight is all that they had to offer."

And this is what one of the photographers whose work is on display, Mia Nel, had to say: "One of my favourite pieces that I took, one of the photos was actually in the Spergebiet when I was on the artist retreat, and it was this one, a hyena footprint; it's in the middle of the desert; it is amazing to see it."

A prominent feature of the displayed photographs is the recurring theme of the 'Art Can Transform Project.'