EMPOWERED ...

January 31, 2023

“I bought my first camera & a roll of FP4 in Wallsend , I felt empowered from the moment I handed over the FIVER” !

David Barrett , a memory from 1974 …

The Same But Different ...

January 30, 2023

Time , photography and life make a curious , powerful cocktail !

Allowing pictures to grow within their time & place really does change how we see and interpret them , good pictures appear to become more potent when neglected and left to decant in hindsight …

A photographers original intent , perspective and context can and does get lost as change and time march on , significance is frequently magnified as we re-examine what we once considered to be “familiar” through new eyes ,

The team here at UK Street Photography , that’s me , myself and I have been reassessing the archive , rediting , junking and shuffling the pack that I once thought was set in stone , my The State Of Britain brexit project has absorbed parts of my Testing Times Covid project making The State Of Britain project a more complete comprehensive series , when combined both projects represent more than 400 works (2016 - 2022) .

The Another Day Off project has evolved into the England , the state of play 2012 - 2016 project , I now see this study of English leisure time as the calm before the storm of uncertainty , England at its best in many ways , playful , optimistic and funny ! These pictures represent a time when England wore a smile on its face …

Looking back over this 10 year “Monster” body of work I see 2016 as the time of change , this is when the music slowed , 2020 became the year when the music stopped altogether , creating a silence of uncertainty !

Having made photographs of almost anything and everything over the last decade I am at last able to see the “significance” of the individual captures and the overall strength , context and narrative …

This is a day to day record of what has just happened , time and 20 / 20 hindsight has eventually revealed all …

The new Limboland , a state of mind project is in progress and possess a different aesthetic to all of the work that proceeds it , although this square format / mono approach is no more than a return to my teenage 1970’s pictorial photographic roots , strange how this approach feels right for these dark uncertain times…

Truth be told it has taken me ten years to understand my own work and how it relates to my life , I knew in 2012 that I could only build projects one pic at a time , I proceeded with blind faith , hope and optimism with few ideas of what lay ahead , I instinctively knew my direction of travel but the route was sketchy …

I just got on the bus , crossed my fingers and held on tight , I could never of imagined “The Final Destination” …

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If your blessed with a bit more time feel free to visit highlights from Limboland , a state of mind , England , the state of play. 2012 - 2016 or The State Of Britain , 2016 - 2022 pictures , they represent the most turbulent years in modern British history and ten years of my life…

a gift or a curse ...

January 21, 2023

Unexpectedly up at “Stupid O’clock” this morning , due to perfect Limboland conditions arriving unannounced !

I had a a 100% grump on as I grabbed a coffee , pulled my kit together , defrosted the car and headed out into a frozen Limboland !

This was not what I had planned for my Saturday morning , my plans involved a lie in , numerous cups of coffee and hot buttery toast !

Although I knew the answer , I remember asking myself “Who’s idea was it to create a series that relies on freezing cold winter conditions” ?

My “GRUMP” diminished slowly as the car got warmer and I started to thaw & admire the beauty of the morning , eventually I started to think like a photographer, this was the perfect frosty misty morning but could I find a keeper ?

As I sit here writing this with coffee , a few slices of hot toast & memories of a successful shoot , I’m feeling very pleased with myself , the question is will I dare to peep through the blinds at “Stupid O’clock” tomorrow morning or opt for a duvet day ?

Once you have a coffee put your shoes on and leave the house photography becomes so much easier but sometimes the “leave the house” bit is just a step too far …

Inspiration can be a gift or a curse , I dare you to peep through your blinds tomorrow morning …

How do you create a series ?

One shot at a time , , you can stay in bed and dream of your next capture or you can get up , go out and find it …

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If your blessed with a bit more time feel free to visit highlights from LIMBOLAND , my State Of Play project or The State Of Britain series , they represent the most turbulent years in modern British history and ten years of my life…

A Weapon ...

January 18, 2023

“I saw that the camera could be a weapon against racism, against all sorts of social wrongs, I knew at that point I had to have a camera.”

Gordon Parks

What Are You Waiting For ?

January 17, 2023

Do you know what “The Moment” you crave looks like ?

We have all seen the pics and admired the slices of life that others find , photograph and share with us , the best of these pictures are literally unbelievable , when I say unbelievable I am not casting doubt on the integrity of the captures or my fellow togs , I am simply acknowledging the conflict of belief that exists between the viewer and the very best images that depict “Unique” everyday “special” moments !

Let me put it on record that I find some of my own images unbelievable , this is not meant to be a self congratulatory pat on the back , it is more of a shake of the head as I realize “what has just happened” , “what just photographed” and ask “why” do the best pictures feel like a collaboration between elements I don’t understand , my lens & myself , it should always be remembered that as photographers we are part of the special moments !

A definitive description of the “The Moment” is impossible but I would encourage photographers to develop ideas of what “Their Moment” might look like and where & when it is most likely to turn up , try to avoid balloon covered faces , folk jumping off walls and all that other old tosh , begin to dream…

I have a theory that I find what I’m looking for , over the years I have built up a “Half Baked” wish list of ideas , triggers and instincts , I say half baked deliberately as I want to enjoy the freedom of a semi-shaped approach , fully formed ideas can be a ball and chain for receptive , reactive photographers , good photographers leave space for magic , serendipity and creativity to gatecrash the Street Photography party !

The best street moments frequently hijack “Original Intent” and subvert the outcome , humour , minor accidents and unforeseeable events are the surprises that we seek , seeing beyond “The Norm” is where we want to be , some of my best pics started off as one thing and became something else due to uninvited “Guests” walking into frame at the right time and occupying the space within compositions that await unidentified serendipitous elements , seeing & framing significance quickly is not easy , ideas of what “Your Significance” might look like will enable you to recognize “Your Needle” amongst “Your Haystack” of everyday chaos when it appears …

**“A Needle”** amongst **“A Haystack”** of everyday chaos …

Reading this back I see this blog as a manifestoe of optimism , mental preparation and a evangelical belief in the senses that go beyond the five classical senses , the magic of the mind should not be underestimated , a photographers instinct / anticipation is a learnable skill , the more you use prediction skills the stronger they become , stop laughing and try this …

Take a pack of playing cards , shuffle them , attempt to predict the colour of each card before you turn it over , don’t guess , consider each decision as a deliberate action , most folk will beat the 50 / 50 odds first attempt but not by much , now for the spooky bit , following a break of 15 minutes try again and notice how your hit rate improves ?

A photographers instinct , prediction skills call them what you will are a real thing but you have to trust this side of your mind , anticipation paired with instinctive visualization is a learnable skill set that will change how you approach photography , these intangible elements are what fascinate me most within Street Photography , trusting in theories beyond the formal photographic principles is a rich area of exploration , are you brave enough to rely on “Something Else” ?

Don’t worry you won’t have to confess to your friends that your next “masterpiece” was actually inspired a dubious new age blog that you read at UK Street Photography , you can use your newly developed skills quietly and anonymously , a simple “Thank you” below will suffice …

Shape loose ideas of what your looking for , only then will you recognize the presence of the “Imagined” unrelated elements before they collide !

Don’t underestimate the magic of the mind , get in touch with yourself , life , light the universe and everything …

MORE…

If your blessed with a bit more time feel free to visit highlights from LIMBOLAND , my Another Day Off project , The State Of Britain series or The Testing Times pictures , they represent the most turbulent years in modern British history and ten years of my life…

Festive Rubbish !

January 13, 2023

I never did manage to find a decent Christmas themed picture during 2022 but I managed to uncover a couple of post Christmas pic’s in recent days …

Although I declared my State Of Britain series complete last year , I might have to sneak this one in …

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Hanging Around ...

January 9, 2023

The late great Charlie Watts once claimed that he only “worked five years with the Rolling Stones and spent 20 years hanging around” …

I’m sure photographers reading this will be able to associate themselves with the sentiments here , the ability to “Hang Around” is an essential skill for many forms of photography including “Street” , patience is much more than a virtue within a photographic approach , it is a prerequisite , waiting , watching , thinking , visualising , seeing and capturing moments is hard work , there is much more to this “Hanging Around” malarkey than meets the casual eye , being in the right place at the right time is little more than a starting point and a romantic notion , most of the time better images can be created by awaiting better light , greater insight and improved serendipitous events , in short “Hanging Around” is good for you and your photography !

Life does throw up one off unique moments everyday but the chances of seeing them let alone photographing the best of these moments is slim but that is what makes “Street Photography” unique and devilishly challenging , when these special moments occur value them , they are the essence of Street Photography …

The “Bish , Bash , Bosh” photographic response to spontaneous serendipitous moments is the raw spirit of Street , it is the most demanding and frequently the most unreliable "modus operandi" but by far the most rewarding when all the coincidental visual elements conspire to collide and deliver “special” pictures …

Are you feeling lucky ?

Finding a balance between risk and reward within your Street approach is essential , playing long odds can deliver big rewards but slim pickings over long periods can be difficult to sustain even for the most optimistic amongst us , playing it safe can become formulaic , predictable and underwhelming , in my view the only way forward involves a approach that lives somewhere between backing “Long Shots” & relying on “Favorites” this pick & mix approach will enable a positive mindset to thrive as “reasonable” expectations are met more frequently and the jackpot hit once or twice a year …

UNITY , a picture from Durham Miners Gala , 2015 …

See the next unexposed frame within your camera as a blank canvas , a fresh start and a new opportunity , your next picture can be whatever you want it to be within reason , do you expect the perfect moment / photograph to manifest itself in front of you and just turn up ? I do , that is why I prepare to be lucky , I don’t walk around with a “never ready” camera case on my camera or a lens cap on my lens , I’m ready , I always expect good things to happen and sometimes they do ……

What can you do to improve your next picture , what are experienced togs doing that others are not , why do the same togs keep finding the best moments ? The “Best” photographers fail most frequently , they also succeed consistently because they roll the dice most , walk further , look deeper , edit harder and wait around longer …

Special “Street” moments march to the beat of their own drum , photographers need to get in touch with higher levels of anticipation , instinct and dare I say “LUCK” in order to benefit from the gifts that everyday life delivers , we can all roll the dice, take a chance and play the odds or we can await circumstances that are more favorable to success , don’t eliminate risk entirely from your mindset as that is where the magic hides but be prepared to await its arrival , in short trust your primal instincts , believe that life the universe and everything will align just for you , you just have to hang around for a few minutes , hours , days , weeks , etc , etc , etc …

It wil happen but you have recognise the “Moment” when it arrives , as ZZ Top might say “You might not see it in person but it will be there just the same” …

Do you know what your waiting for , do you know what the “Moment” looks like , that’s another blog for another day …

Keep it real …

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Show How It Feels ...

January 3, 2023

I found this picture today , it reflects exactly how I feel , the post Christmas whoa , whoa , whoa always hits me hard as the reality of the New Year bites …

This is my first pic of 2023 , it might not be a masterpiece but it made me smile on a cold wet winters day …

UK Inflation continues to be a problem , sorry , I’ll get me coat …

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Money For Nothing , Pics For Free ...

December 31, 2022

Have you been lucky enough to keep the wolf away during 2022 ?

Spare a thought for those who will be struggling to maintain high profits and decadent lifestyles during 2023 , they “really” need your help !

Publishers and authors of popular photographic titles are finding the current economic climate so challenging that they need support , its not easy being a PLC publisher with a growing multi million pound turnover these days , surprisingly internationally renowned photographers / authors are busy searching out free photographic content now , these budget conscious paid curators operate totally in the noble cause of self interest , such a selfish cause , yes that is selfish not selfless !

The contempt shown to hard working talented photographers by these “parasite” publishers and “Big Name” authors never fails to offend me , they should offend you too !

“Content For Free cheapskates”

When I ask these “Content For Free Cheapskates” to clean my car or cut my grass in exchange for pictures they think I’m being facetious, in-bred entitlement does funny things to people who do not hear the word “NO” often enough !

its not easy being a PLC publisher with a growing multi million pound turnover these days , authors need free photography , give what you can to the publishing parasites !

I fear that too many serious photographers will be offered the opportunity to consolidate their amateur status during 2023 , in my view supplying photography for free for others to sell on is a strange way to enhance your value as a photographer or improve the perceived value of your work !

The legendry benefits of giving your work away for free are as real as the Cottingley Fairies and Santa Claus but you already know that …

These publishing parasites need your help to maintain their current lifestyles , be a good compliant tog , bend over and take one for the team , don’t expect payment for your work during these challenging times , these needy photographic free loaders are relying on your vanity to maintain their financial wellbeing and pay the school fees …

Free photography undermines meritocratic principles !

I must have missed the memo , when did it become okay for photographers to be the only suppliers within the entire photography publishing supply chain to go unpaid ?

Free photography is becoming a contagion , it undermines meritocratic principles and replaces them with a dubious hierarchy of wealthy dilettante sycophants !

You might not be the best photographer in the world but you can become the cheapest !

A New Year Resolution - Don’t Work For Free In 2023

Happy New Year …

PS: I’m always happy to contribute to projects & publications with integrity , credibility and sensible budgets …

You might not be the best but you can be cheap !

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Annual review 2022

December 19, 2022

Where to start …

… at the beginning I suppose , put your seatbelt on , hold on tight , this is a bumpy ride but your already aware of that as you have lived through 2022 too !

I got the year off to a slow start with a atmospheric walk in the local woods , more to clear the new year cobwebs than create my latest “Masterpiece” , photography is really just a walk with a camera if you can maintain low expectation levels , I don’t manage to achieve this Zen like state very often but it is nice to “play” photography in the woods now and then , embracing the photo clichés , misty sunlight and the warm feel-good vibe !

Enjoying just being there …

February saw me trying to find a few new images for my LIMBOLAND project but the second month of this year felt like a hangover from the festive season and looked like it too , I made the picture below on the afternoon before storm Eunice struck as my blog needed to be fed, , on a more serious note Russian troops were gathering on the Crimean border for a “Special Military Operation” and “Partygate” was gathering momentum as the Government lost it’s credibility and the trust of the electorate , Sue Gray was investigating …

Russia invaded Ukraine on 22nd February , just as we thought the worst of things were behind us …

February 2022 felt and looked like a hangover of Christmas 2021 …

March kicked off slowly before delivering a subtle misty pic which was the product of a pleasant walk , not a predetermined photo shoot , I started writing The Photo What I Took Blogs and taking things easy photographically , progress was hard to find on the Limboland Project , I was enjoying walks into the local landscape , as I walked I contemplated abstractions of the landscape , tick , tock , tock tick I knew the dreaded curse of inspiration was on its way , these misty morning pics were too safe & quiet for me , I needed a bit more something or other , a little less subtlety , I really wanted a landscape that shouted , not one that whispered …

Inspired by sunshine , a recently fertilized field and some hard cut hedges a Abstract Expressionist Vibe landed , I trusted the unreliable Intentional Camera Movement technique to deliver some unintentinional serendipitous results and it did not let me down , no whispers or computer shenanigans here , this shoot shouted !

The pic below put the first “photo-smile” on my face of 2022 , ICM always surprises …

As the UK Government fell apart I was beginning to find my photographic feet and a sense of purpose …

I don’t need to be asked twice to embrace techniques that involve visual risks and uncertainty …

April is the month of World Pinhole Day , pinhole photography is a great opportunity to walk on the wild side and play photographically !

Not sure where the inspiration for my 2022 World Pinhole Day Entry came from but I did feel as if it possessed a 1980’s album cover vibe , yes that is me jumping up and down during a L - O - N - G exposure…

I love playing with photography , pushing & pulling the boundaries , rolling the dice and embracing the serendipitous elements , April is as good time as any to play the photographic fool , photography can still surprise me and make me feel like a student …

Give this anti-technique , technique a try , set yourself free from “Good Technique” , its good fun to go “bad” !!!!

The month of May saw me maintaining my Abstract Landscape interest , I didn’t realise how much of this stuff I had shot this year until I started to write this review , looking back it looks as if this photographer was definitely “Playing” at it rather than working at it , street photography was thin on the ground for various practical reasons , so I explored my local landscape and creative mindset for fun , the square format was really making a come back into my life too …

What was going on ?

The picture below was made during low tide on the tidal river Severn , I enjoy the process of looking and photographing in a more considered way , photography does not have to be “Bish Bash Bosh” , its not all about the rive and tear , its how you get there …

Take time to look , more importantly , take time to see …

As my fascination with landscape abstraction continued the country was becoming all nationalist , monarchist and optimistic , at last the population had something to cheer and they were not going to miss their chance to celebrate , Covid was perceived to be less of a threat than it had been , Johnsons chickens were coming home to roost and the nation was ready for a party !

The country got behind the queens platinum jubilee and I reopened The State Of Britain project photo files …

At last I found a subject that I “needed” to photograph , all this flag waving and jingoism is not my thing but I knew as a photographer that this event was significant and had to be photographed , this was my first opportunity to create a post Covid portrait of my bit of the nation …

The real significance of this celebration became clearer later in the year …

I made a lot of pictures around the Platinum Jubilee theme , it represented a important moment in the nations social history , the government were still fighting among themselves like rats in a sack and law makers were being fined as law breakers , the wheels were falling off the Johnson administration.

As the nation displayed its genuine affection for HM Queen Elisabeth II , the demise of the worst Prime Minister and government ever accelerated , Bojo was on his last legs and no amount of flag waving was going to save him this time …

As Johnsons 3 years of chaos came to an end , my attraction to all things abstraction returned and overlapped with one last flag pic , this pic felt like a gift to me and a real symbol of the decay of Britain during the Johnson years , a frenzy of flag waving could not hide the cracks & divisions …

Letters of “No Confidence” in Johnson reached the threshold in June , Johnson won the confidence vote that followed as the hypocrisy continued but he was now damaged goods , this was the beginning of the end …

Despite the distractions and chaos within the UK Government , signs of support for Ukraine were appearing in public spaces as the war continued , life was hard photographically I wasn’t seeing it but I was still managing to grow my State Of Britain project as and when the pics appeared …

I revisited a number of “Street” locations that had delivered for me before in the hope that lightning might strike twice to no avail , lower footfall and lower mojo continued to get between me and meaningful Street moments …

I managed a few “nearly” pictures but it wasn’t happening for me during the summer months , this “Street” thing is not as easy as it used to be , it feels as if half of the cast have walked off the stage and those that remain have forgotten their lines , to make things worse most of the “discerning audience” remain in the theatre bar , talking the talk unable to “walk” !

One of my great Street Photography frustrations is the disappointment of not making the most of the quirky offbeat moments that still turn up , the sight of a dinosaur ferociously trying to escape from a carrier bag got my attention on one of my rare Street Shoots but I failed to make the most of this visual gift , in short the monster escaped , my dinosaur picture lacked bite , another “NEARLY” picture for the nearly pics pile …

Newsflash (added 05 /12/22) - The dinosaur picture might be a “grower” , it is starting to look better than it did earlier in the year , is that dinosaur laughing ?

The quote below is from my 2021 annual review it still rings true today but maybe less true than it was this time last year , thankfully …

“Sadly Street Photography feels like a bendable thing that does not want bend at the moment , a square peg , round hole dilemma. The new normal is not creating the pre-pandemic “Street” vibe I once enjoyed , I hope its not lost forever” ?

“Street Photography is dependent on the hustle n bustle , light and shade of life , when life stands still , Street Photography stops” !

September brought the first misty shoot of autumn , on this special morning I was in my local landscape early and back home within two hours , drinking coffee and writing my blog , I love working these misty morning shoots , not least because almost everything becomes photographable . The right place , time and light makes photography so much easier !

This old horse box with red string caught my eye and became much more when photographed , beauty turns up in strange places …

Make the most of misty mornings , they are very special and almost always deliver …

The 8th September brought with it , sad news of the queens death and a period of national mourning , I responnded by making pictures that recognised & recorded this historic event ,

Truss met with the queen 2 days before her death and was asked to form a new government , Lettuce Liz become the new PM …

Johnson had resigned earlier in the year but hung on in desperation ‘ at last he was gone , taxi for Johnson …

I felt compelled to make a number of “Queen” pictures , the death of the Queen and Johnsons political demise signaled the end of a era and a fitting end to my State Of Britain project …

Unsurprisingly The State Of Britain series lacked a happy ending , the political chaos continued and the uncertainty remained …

The Queen was dead , long live the king ….

Frequent readers of my ramblings will be aware of my “pictures find me” theory , the picture below is from a bass guitar practice session ?

I was playing Stormy Monday Blues just as the UK economy tanked …

Tuesday was just as bad , Wednesday was worse and inevitably Thursday was oh so sad , you know the rest …

The “Strong & Stable” , “fiscal” Tories were looking incompetent as pension funds lost billions of pounds in value , the budget that was not a budget had created chaos and fuelled the cost of living crisis further !

The removal men were at No 11 , Kwarteng was sacked and replaced by Hunt …

After only 44 days “Liz the Lettuce” was gone too ! Taxi for Truss …

The lettuce had lasted longer than Liz …

As the political chaos of 2022 continued industrial disputes began to appear , the railway workers and Royal Mail workers began industrial action as the cost of living crisis worsened , another Tory leadership selection shambles was initiated and the search for the third “Tory Leader” of 2022 began , the fourth Chancellor Of The Exchequer in 2022 was already in place amongst the chaos !

October began and ended with only my annual self portrait shoot completed , I had lost my “ Lockdown Look “ thankfully , other than that it was all a bit “as you were” …

November blew in with the word Permacrisis being selected as the word of 2022 by Collins English Dictionary , a word describing the feeling of living through a period of war, inflation, and political instability , sounds about right …

I was gutted to discover that when the clocks went back at the end of British Summertime I had been gifted an extra hour in 2022 , truth be told a extra hour of 2022 was unwanted , not needed and unwelcome , 2022 was a “Shit Show” !

Sunak became the new PM as the “Permacrisis” continued , embarrassed by my lack of photo-activity in October I was determined to do better in November , my “Street” belief was waning , the essential positivity , optimism and inner smile was hiding …

I needed to find it , fast …

Sometimes as you go about your day to day special moments just turn up , the view below turned up as I drove back from the local supermarket , The first day of November had given me a warm welcome and reminded me that you have to buy a ticket to win the prize , carrying a full camera kit with you 24 / 7 is a burden that does pay off eventually …

No digital manipulation here , just light , life , the universe & everything aligning and doing their thing …

Thirteen days later I was driving to a shoot when my emergency stop skills were tested , another “Decent Pic” turned up , sadly the drive to the location proved to be more fruitful than the planned “Street” shoot , once again I was living on photographic scraps !

When the going gets tough my Abstract Expressionist persona appears …

I began to realise that I was taking creative refuge in the abstraction of my everyday , this might of been a subconscious avoidance of the realities of 2022 or maybe I was just making the most of the very thin photo opportunities around me ?

November saw lay offs at Twitter following Elon Musk’s take over , another layer of uncertainty entered life and made me reconsider all things on-line , social media was losing its shine and even more of it’s integrity , was it time to re-evaluate life online , this question had been living rent free inside my head for a while ?

I failed to find the surprising “Street” pictures I crave this year but this “Everyday Masterpiece” did manage to find me …

The first winter World Cup kicked off with a whisper , the football like everything else in 2022 felt flat , chaotic and divisive , I’m a big footy fan but this edition of the greatest show on earth was underwhelming me !

As November came to an end one of my photographic wishes was granted , a dull , misty , murky morning arrived , it was just what I and my Limboland project needed , The Limboland project relies on “A Certain Slant Of Light “ to quote Emily Dickenson !

The morning of the 29th Nov was very special and productive , this was my favorite shoot of the year , mornings like this one remind me of why I do what I do …

The end of 2022 was in sight , December arrived with more mistiness , dinginess and griminess , the UK remained in “Limboland” , more strikes were announced in more sectors as the effects of high inflation and the cost of living crisis esculated …

Despite freezing temperatures December served up a warm welcome for me photographically , the classic shot below turned up before 11.00am on the first day , there is something timeless about black & white photographs that feature large cased musical instruments …

I didn’t expect to find a picture in the village, as I rarely find pictures close to home , December was up and running , game on !

“Classic Street” , I have added large cased musical instrument’s to my list of Street photography triggers …

Once the “perfect” winter conditions appeared my photographic activity became prolific and productive , I realised why I wasn’t seeing it , I had a head full of mistiness , my photographic aspirations , belief and enthusiasm had not deserted me they had just taken a summer holiday , leaving me to photograph flags and uncertainty through gritted teeth on horribly hot sunny days , alone …

Although my head was fixed in a monochromatic Limboland aesthetic I could not walk past this softly lit full colour micro-landscape , it was just a TV aerial , a roof top and a tree but it added up to so much more to me ?

The square format makes simple pictures stronger …

As the year drew to a end I craved a Christmas Street photograph , I wanted just one last “hurrah” before “Auld Lang Syne” was sung ,

News of a strike at the advice charity Shelter was reported by the Guardian 05/12/22 following a offer of 3% , Unite the Union reported that Shelter have financial reserves of 12.5 million , strikes within the NHS began as the Government declared that pay negotiations were not on the table !

The foodbank charity https://www.trusselltrust.org are giving out food parcels every 13 seconds in the run up to Christmas , think about that …

Snowy winter weather contributed to the farcical chaos that has become the “new normal” , preparations for Christmas were at a advanced stage nationally and personally , the Christmas Street Photograph annual challenge looked like a challenge too far for me but I remained hopeful , everyday practicalities were getting between me and the elusive Street pic , life was challenging on both sides of my camera !

Sadly Football did not come home but the World Cup Final delivered a great game …

“THE WORLD IS FULL OF MAGIC THINGS, PATIENTLY WAITING FOR OUR SENSES TO GROW SHARPER.”

― W.B. Yeats

Magic was hard to find in 2022 although traces of it still existed for those who looked beyond , my photographic output reflected my input this year as it always does , I managed a few memorable pictures towards the end of the year but I never really got going , I believe that serendipitous elements gift me the images I deserve , the harder I work the luckier I get , the opposite is also true…

Once again just being here at the end of the annual “UK Shit-Show” feels like a major achievement , I normally write a positive optimistic paragraph towards the end of my annual review but can’t find the words this year , as the Limbland tag line says “uncertainty is the only certainty” …

As I write the final lines of this annual review D: Ream are being played on the radio , the irony is not wasted on me …

“Things can only get better” , I’ve heard that one somewhere before , lets not go there …

Merry Christmas …

Wishing you a safe , peaceful and warm New Year , enjoy good light , good pictures and good health …