GIVING IT YOUR BEST SHOT The fabric sign on the Welsh Arms Hotel was affixed to the ornate iron fence with coloured wire and gently swaying balloons, which bobbed around in the afternoon breeze. Tony could tell it had been put up with a flourish, each balloon at a different height. Exactly what one would expect from a group of artists. Curled lettering indicated its importance cheerfully to Tony, and he instantly knew he was in the right place. Western Australian Photographer’s Conference. Inside the pub door, the atmosphere was buzzing. Several groups of men were leaning into each other in earnest conversation, hands moving in staccato fashion to prove their point. There were women too of course; the art of photography didn’t discriminate by gender. Along the panelled wall were a serie

