February newsletter: a tough month and One November Afternoon

February feels like it was a tough month

The weather seems to have been constantly cold and damp, without many of the hard frosts that make winter a delight. I have been suffering from some kind of a winter bug which has laid me low. As I recovered, my wife asked me to do some pond clearance. I have always joked that I am allergic to gardening, but this time it was true! I ended up with a seriously swollen arm and on antibiotics.

So I am looking forward to Spring. There are signs that it is on the way with warmer temperatures, daffodils and snowdrops and a lightening of my mood. I am also planning a bright palette of fountain pen inks in comparison to my current dark blue, dark grey and purple.

What I’ve been up to this month

Despite not being in the best head space for photography, I have still kept busy. I have created a final pdf for my One November Afternoon project. I have had some positive feedback from the readers that I have submitted it to. I just need to decide if and how to share this wider. I will update more next month. In the meantime, you can see one of the images at the top of this blog.

I have also been creating some more images of ice and puddles and experimenting more in Lightroom. Some results were better than others! As a result I have created some new portfolios for my website. My Mountain Days and Deconstructed portfolios have been removed. But I have created three new portfolios: Ice, Staring At The Ground and Urban Abstracts. Please do pop over to the website and have a look and tell me what you think.

What I learned this month

This month I learned the value of play when editing. I have been creating several different versions of many of the images that I have been editing. I haven’t been afraid to push ideas a little further than I would normally.

I have also learned the value of living with images for a while. When I return to them there are one that I was really excited about that no longer resonate with me. Whereas others that I first ignored prove to have a quiet longevity.

What are my plans for next month?

Next month I head to Ardnamurchan in Scotland. I will be on a week-long photography retreat with Rob Knight. I have worked with him before and am really excited to see how he gets our group to work with the landscape. I am deliberately going with no preconceptions and am looking forward to seeing where the workshop takes me.

I think I am also ready to start creating some handmade books again, so I plan to start some sequencing for these.

What I’ve been writing about this month

My latest blog is titled Why you should spend more time on a single photography theme. I have a rant about the world of instant gratification and how it applies to some photographers. And I talk about the value of spending time on projects. I would love to hear your thoughts.

What have I been reading this month?

I have been enjoying revisiting a number of books from my photography collection. I am not going to single out any volumes, particularly because most of them are zines that have long since sold out. But I would encourage you to set aside an evening to relax with some of your photography books.

And, if you want a new set of work to peruse, why not get a copy of 1Point4 Miles – Heat and Intensity. It is just £11.50 including P&P to the UK (although I will deliver to anywhere in the world!). Purchase your copy here.

What have I seen this month

This month I went to the RWA Open Photography Exhibition. This is a wonderfully curated set of submissions with huge variety. You will not like everything! But you will be inspired and filled with new ideas. I thoroughly recommend it, although with the caveat that, if you want a selection of classic styles of photography, this is probably not for you. But that is precisely why I liked it so much and took so much from it.

What I listened to this month

This month I got to see Mogwai, a band best described as art noise. Their set was a really good example of changing mood throughout the time they were performing. I think of it as sonic sequencing. And, at times, they were very, very loud! Do give their latest album a listen.

Make sure you keep in touch!

You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Vero. But please also e-mail directly: I really enjoy the conversations I have with those of you who have contacted me. And I love to see image and projects that you are proud of. And do send me recommendations for reading, listening, exhibitions, blog articles and more!