January newsletter: ice and cyanotypes

At last! I got to make images of ice!

We have had a lot of weather this month. I have never seen flooding as bad round where I live before. This time normal walks were impassable because of the flow of flood water. I saw rugby grounds where the cross bars were submerged.

In contrast, we also had snow and some of those gloriously sunny, frosty days which make one gad to be alive. And I made images of frozen puddles. When I was making the images, I disappointed one person who thought I was there from the council to do something about the potholes!

What I’ve been up to this month

It feels like I have made good progress this month. I have nearly completed a black and white landscape project entitled “One November Afternoon”. I will be releasing this soon: watch this space!

Photographing the ice puddles has felt like play time! I have been pushing my editing a bit and I have been experimenting with lots of ideas. I’m not quite sure where my images are going to take me this year. But I have a few ideas that I am playing with, one of which I do not think I have ever seen done before.

Finally, I have been sending out copies of 1Point4 Miles – Heat and Intensity. I have had really positive feedback from those who have purchased it. There are still some copies available at just £11.50 including P&P to the UK (although I will deliver to anywhere in the world!). Purchase your copy here.

What I learned this month

This month I learned how to create cyanotypes. My wife very kindly gave me a one-day workshop as a Christmas present. I really enjoyed the physical, analogue process and am looking forward to creating more once there is some sun!

I also learned the value of writing about images one is playing with. It can really help one understand what the images are about and what the final goal of the work might be.

What are my plans for next month?

Next month I plan to release One November Afternoon. I also plan to publish more ice images. It is also getting busy in my day job and it will be half term. So I have to realise that I may not be able to create as many images as I hope.

What I’ve been writing about this month

This month I wrote about how all the different senses can affect us in our photography. I concentrated particularly on sound. Please click and read my thoughts here.

What have I been reading this month?

My wife recommended that I read Now We Shall Be Entirely Free by Andrew Miller. As always, it was an excellent choice by her. It is an other-worldly novel that transports me to another age and another setting (Scotland in the early 1800s) with ease. It also has a great plot that keeps you wanting to turn the next page.

What have I seen this month

This has been a month of the screen. I thoroughly recommend the film Tár and not just because it inspired my latest blog! It is a very long film and this means that scenes can be explored in much greater depth than in the average film. I think there is a lesson for photographers here: we should take our time and explore our subjects more deeply.

We are also enjoying the BBC TV series of Tokyo Vice. I am particularly impressed at how the cinematography conveys the impressions of each location so vividly. For instance, in the first episode it felt like I was actually in a Japanese bar, surrounded by others with the noise of everyone talking drowning out my thoughts.

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!