30 December 2020
The sun is setting on 2020. We are fast approaching the light of a new year. What a year it has been. I’m feeling reflective about how things have gone.
I've focused on providing a collection of images from 2020, with mostly personal favourites that evoke pride and other emotions.
How this year has gone for me is also briefly explored in a poem included at the end of this post.
Sincere and heartfelt gratitude for reading this blog and staying with me as I continue to develop the site and hone my skills as a photographer.
There's much to come in 2021 and it's hoped you'll join me for the fun!
Favourite images of 2020
Skies
If you've been out during the 'golden hour' of sunrise and sunset you'll know the wonder of these times of day.
Anything feels possible when basking in the clarity of this time. I wrote about how twilight is a treasured darkness in a blog post.
I paid many visits to look upon Winter hill and the surrounding area, longing for sunrise skies like an old friend.
Trees
Being around trees is always a calming and tranquil experience. This multiple exposure image is of an oak tree I visit for solitude. It was created as an assignment for Creativity Beyond the Camera Club members.
One magical morning I walked along the Adlington branch of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. This was a particularly memorable sunrise where I was fortunate to capture many pleasing images, included this one of a tree in mist.
Another tree that comes to mind is an ancient Yew tree in Herefordshire who I wrote about and shared more images about in a blog post.
Water
This is another image from the sunrise previously mentioned. The mirror of worlds that echoed off the water was transcendental and deeply moving to witness.
Whilst other images are of less idyllic scenes such as the image below. I created this one looking onto the rubbish that'd piled up at the back of Yarrow Country Park's waterfall to reflect my state of being at the beginning of Lockdown. Another image for a Creativity Beyond the Camera Club assignment.
Creatures
I love walking with dogs off lead as we move casually across the earth. These two images are intentional camera movement (ICM) images of my dog Norri and Betty the golden labrador, who are two dogs I care deeply about and walk with often.
I'm delving a little into macro photography now, and at this time used extension tubes to capture a fluorescent hoverfly on a thistle.
It feels apt to end this themed section with a couple more images of Norri from my personal collection. He's my closest companion and friend who's been by my side (alongside my beautiful partner) throughout this crazy year.
Humans
The final theme is humans. I captured the following images in Manchester after we were allowed to travel into public spaces, albeit with fewer shops open. I enjoy a spot of street photography here and then and found these moody and apt images captured the tone of 2020, the year the world went into COVID-19 lockdown.
The context and tone of these images is very different, with the first one seeing what I construed to be a bored paramedic as I passed on the Metro train.
I wrote about the journey into Manchester and shared more images in a blog called 'Culture is not cancelled'.
***
A parting poem
Puzzle unfolding on the deck of this strange ship
By Dee Lister
A year to be remembered
Or reviled or revoked
Time stopped as a storm contrived to ruin our day at sea
Monstro the whale swallowed us whole
Spat us out each day
We cleared our lands of detritus
To keep the toxic scum at bay
Holding on so as not to be hung out to dry
But the tide drifted and we awoke
Clambered and dragged ourselves to shore
Under clear blue skies devoid of smog and smoke
In Spring I fell in love again and again
With nature’s kisses
A blissful dream
Handcrafted by beacons of shimmering gold
Drawing hope from unexpected places
Even if some dreams were left high and dry
I can’t deny that time slowed down
Whilst trees soothed and sung to me
In serene woods I could believe time had stopped
Sharing cups of stillness with magical creatures
Under clear blue skies devoid of smog and smoke
Time lurched, it lunged on
A never-ending cycle of wishy-washy water
Or at least it seemed
Did you see the sea’s effervescent pearls?
Did you marvel at the puzzle unfolding on the deck of this strange ship?
...
Notes
I'm planning to set up a means of selling prints of my best pieces online via this site and elsewhere. This includes this Adlington canal image and another. More details to follow in the new year.