What I’ve been up to this month

The first big thing for me was to attend the Tripod Travel Photography event. It was two excellent days of learning, creating and socialising. Photography and image making is often a solitary pursuit so it was nice to be able to talk to like-minded people and learn from them. The thing that struck me most was how many beautiful handmade books are being created. I must get back to this: watch this space!

The other major milestone for me was that volume 1 of 1point4 miles came back from the printer. I am delighted with how it looks! I have been very busy signing and packing books and prints and sending them to Italy, Germany, Greece, America, Canada, India and Australia. A big thank you to those of you who have purchased a copy. I really am grateful for your support. The book has sold well and there are just a few copies left. It is a limited, signed edition of 48 pages plus cover and features 30 images. The price is £8 + post and packing and you can purchase a print for just £5 more. Here’s the link if you would like to purchase a copy. 

I have also been experimenting with subjects, edits and prints as well as writing. This means that I seem to have another four projects on the go! More about these soon.

What I learned this month

Firstly, I learned the value of making prints of images. I am lucky to have my own inkjet printer, but if I didn’t I would definitely get prints made elsewhere. The images are so much more alive when they are physical. I get to live with them much longer. And I have a much better sense of whether the images are worthwhile or not. 

I also learned the benefit of just making images for the fun of it. Sometimes I get too project focused. That can hamper my creativity. Remembering to go and play and see what happens has been a valuable lesson.

What are my plans for next month?

I am looking forward to making another handmade book. This one will be a short series of flower images that I have been making. There is no great meaning behind the project: I just like the images. I may also think about creating some greetings cards of them. 

I also want to progress volume 2 of 1Point4 Miles! I didn’t work on this as much as I hoped during February.  I also plan to spend time on the why and how of my two abstract project and think about what form I want them to take.

What I’ve been writing about this month

My February blog was about mindful photography. I have really wanted to slow my photography down. However, it appears I might be more mindful that I realised. Read the blog here: I wrote down some practical steps that you take to become more mindful with your photography.

What books have caught my attention this month?

I have really enjoyed swapping some copies of 1Point4 Miles for other photographers’ books and zines. Sadly, there are too many to mention here. However, I do update my Twitter and Instagram feeds regularly with what I have added to my collection.

One book that I thoroughly recommend is The Fisher King by my friend Ian Hill. It also comes with a beautiful hand folded concertina card of his series Westering. You can find out more here.

If you like abstract images and words, it is also well worth having a look at Sea Pictures by Mary Frances. Mary photographs old stones from church walls and graveyards and combines her images with poetry to great effect. Here is more information about this book. 

What I have been listening to this month

This month I was introduced to some Swedish music. Singer Annika Norlin creates intriguing stories that sometimes go where you don’t expect them to! I was particularly struck by some of the songs in her Hello Saferide project. Find out more here.

Please let me know what you are up to

I’d be delighted to see what other people in this community have been producing. And I’d love to hear your recommendations as well.

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