ABC Open organised workshops in Mudgee on the first two Sundays in July as part of the nationwide ‘Now and Then’ project, which involves returning photographs to the locations where they were taken, and rephotographing them in their modern surrounds.

In Mudgee, photos ranged in origin from the 1870s to the 1970s, and included images of parades, pubs, and the historic facades along Market Street.

Participant Connie Eales said the chief challenge was recreating and aligning the perspectives and camera settings used in the original photographs.

Photographers also had to work to keep both the original photo and its background in focus, an area where less advanced compact cameras had an advantage over more expensive devices with a narrow depth of field.

It was a fun experience, and I hope everyone will log into the website and have a look.

Ms Eales said it wasn’t necessary to be a professional to be involved, and participants ranged from amateurs to experienced photographers.

“Congratulations to those people who did it well,” she said.

“It was a fun experience, and I hope everyone will log into the website and have a look.”

She praised the Mudgee Historical Society, which provided a marvelous collection of photographs for use in the project.

The photographs have now been posted on the ABC Open website, and on Flickr.com, where the idea originated before being harnessed in 2010 by the ABC.

The pictures can be found by searching Flickr for the user ‘cudgegongcommunity’ or HERE