In Memoriam
Wally McKenna
It is with a heavy heart that we have to tell you that Wally McKenna had recently died. Wally was a member of the Photography club who met at Shrewsbury House and also joined Shooters Hill Camcorder Club before later joining OVFM. Below is a tribute from Jane Oliver on her memories.
It was very sad to learn that Wally had passed away on Tuesday 25th March 2025.
Wally enjoyed being part of OVFM, and once we’d identified his expertise in lighting, he was more than happy to step up, and armed with his lighting equipment and meter, give us practical demonstrations; explaining the intricacies of lighting a scene correctly according to the mood you wanted to create. This is when his face lit up; he was in his element and we learnt a lot.
From conversations he must have spent much of his time reading books on film and watching old classics, no doubt analysing them, as he often mentioned things he had spotted that had worked particularly well, and the effects of good lighting.
Although I only ever remember seeing a couple of films Wally’s films, I enjoyed the one of poster girls outside a theatre set to a piece of music that had a real swing to it. It had me tapping my feet and his professional photos that he used, were nothing short of stunning.
Much of the time he was quiet and unassuming, and would quietly help in the background when he could. He enjoyed watching the efforts of other filmmakers and provided constructive criticism with some added positive encouragement.
He was with us on Friday last, 21st March, at our Spring Show, and seemed to be enjoying the event. He had even kindly given Rita a lift and was always willing to help in that respect if he could.
We missed him when he went to see his family in Australia, and now we will miss him even more.
We send condolences to his son Fergus and the rest of his family.
Fergus will inform us of the funeral arrangements.
Jane Oliver, OVFM Chairman