It’s that time of year again – the end of one year and the dawn of another. Time to reflect on another year of blogging. The statistics are the bare facts: 163 Posts and 479 images. Not forgetting an hour or two of work spent preparing, writing, viewing, sharing and thanking. What I do would not be worth the time or the energy without the support, encouragement and bonhomie of the blogging community. My sincere thanks to all of you who have inspired me through your work, and who have engaged with mine. I wish you all a Happy New Year and I Iook forward to seeing more from all your own individual visual journeys in 2014.
Picking twelve images from those I have posted during the past twelve months has been no easy task. So I made life a little easier by deciding that any image captured before the beginning of 2013 was disqualified.
My selection is based really on one criterion: inquisitiveness. In one way or another that trait lies behind every image shown today. One of the characteristics of the Art of Seeing is an inquisitive eye that searches out images.
The first is a classic example of that word. I was passing a church in London and said to myself: ‘I wonder what’s behind that door?’ I stepped through that door and the words ‘Oh. My. God.’ Seemed the only appropriate words for what I saw. ‘And I saw a Great Light’. Click on the link to read the post.
No 2 comes from Zermatt, of course. Most of you might think that riding uphill on a chairlift, some distance off the ground, would be a foolish place to get out your camera and shoot a few images. But it gives you the bird’s eye view and on days like this could you really resist the urge to shoot? Go to ‘Cabins and Chairs’.
No 3 was a new departure for me. Candid photography. Visual eavesdropping requires a bit of nerve. But this ‘discussion’ was too good to miss. The image was covertly taken. Read more at ‘The Conversation’.
No 4 is the most local image of the twelve – taken about a mile from where I live. Strange how after 37 years of living here I had never seen the possibility of this shot, nor tried an Infrared preset in Topaz. See ‘Fence Line’.
No 5 brings us to Spring. The season of regeneration. The beauty lies not just in Trees and Blossom and Flowers but also in the simple leaves of weeds. And what could be more unpleasant than Stinging Nettle. Grasp this in a few weeks and you will be well and truly stung. But hiding in the hedgerow, where the fresh new leaves are just unfolding it is a thing of beauty. More in ‘Luminance’.
No 6 is the one image in this set that is a bit of a ‘cheat’. This image was ‘captured’ in 2013 but it is actually a photograph of one of my old 20×16 inch exhibition prints from decades ago. To read more about this idea go to ‘Skiffs’ or click on the Print Archive category in the right sidebar.
No 7 brings us to the Bluebell Season. So easily a hackneyed subject. Each year I try something different and this, I think, is my best approach yet. Click on ‘Re-interpreting Bluebells’ to read more about this image.
No 8 takes us to the top of a Swiss Mountain. Where else would I go on holiday! To stand on the top of a high mountain is to see to the other side and beyond. Inquisitiveness personified. And what a day it was when I stood here and gazed into the far distance across range after range of hills and peaks. This shot comes from ‘The Allalinhorn re-visited’. A B&W conversion can be seen at ‘For the View’.
No 9. One of our regular visits to Ivinghoe Beacon yielded this very simple, minimalist landscape. It was inquisitiveness that drove me there to see how this field had changed from earlier in the year. For the background read ‘Ploughed Up’.
No 10. There is always a little dead time in the year as one season draws to a close and another one is yet to start. A time when I re-visit images shot earlier in the year with the idea of seeing what I can do with them. And so we are back to the Allalinhorn for a B&W conversion – ‘Descending’. How very helpful people can be without knowing it when they walk neatly down the horizon!
No 11. The year wouldn’t be complete without a visit to an urban environment. An opportunity to look everywhere particularly Up (getting a crick in the neck in the process), and delight in the interplay of light on the geometric lines of modern architecture. And this proved to be a superb site for Photography. For the full gallery go to ‘Interplay’.
And so to No 12 – the last shot has to be from Autumn. I chose something very simple and fiery in colour ‘Virginia Creeper‘. The fire is very evident, soon to die out into the greys of winter.
There are so many images I could have chosen instead. But these are some of my favourites. I hope you enjoy them. Some of you reading this may remember some of them from earlier in the year. For newer readers with time to spare do follow the links back to the original posts. And remember – click on any image to see a higher quality enlargement.
And come back on Friday (Jan 3) for an important announcement. And now I’ve said that and published it I’d better get on and put the finishing touches to what you will see on Friday!
Wonderful set, Andy. I especially like the first one in the church and the Ploughed Up landscape. Best wishes for 2014.
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Many thanks for your comment, Mark. My best wishes to you too for 2014
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Your selection is outstanding, Andy. Have a Happy New Year and I’ll be here for your announcement on the 3rd.
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Thanks Ken for those comments. I’m working behind the scenes to be ready for the ‘announcement’. Why does everything takes twice as long as you thought it would!?
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Ah, a nice reminder of why I enjoy following your work. That is a great round up and I enjoyed your selection. Your work continues to inspire and I will look forward to seeing what you bring us in the new year. Have a healthy, happy snappy 2014. Best wishes, N 🙂
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Thanks for those kind words PC. A very Happy New Year to you too. Assuming I get everything sorted, there will be some interesting developments on Friday.
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I’m intrigued by sound of 2014 starting with some interesting developments! I look forward to seeing what you have in store…! 🙂
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I’ve just finished wrestling the new blog’s display problems into submission. I thought I might be forced to have to deliver a grovelling apology for a postponement. But finally it’s sorted – no sympathy from my wife, who would have chucked the computer out the window given half a chance!!
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Superb set of images Andy – all the best for 2014.
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Thanks Paul. Same to you too.
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An excellent set of images here. It was a treat to get to see them again! I am excited about the announcement, too…..
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Thanks so much Melinda. I’m glad you enjoyed the selection. I’m beavering away today – the weather is foul – more wind and rain which means that my presence in my ‘study’ is being better tolerated than it would be if the sun was shining and the ground dry!
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It’s sort of warm here today, and sunny. But also windy: there is a strong wind out of the north. It’s not pleasant to be out at all. Like you, I spent the day working inside – partly at my desk, and partly putting away the remains from our New Year’s Eve party….
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We are, today, blessed with blue skies and a crisp wind-free morning. But…tomorrow we are back to square one with another major Atlantic depression blowing in, and then yet another on Sunday. This is just not fair!
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I’ve spent the last three hours at my desk solving a display issue. My wife wonders why I bother! The sun was shining, it won’t be tomorrow
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It is a difficult exercise going through all your images of the year. These are excellent picks Andy. You’ve had a terrific year. Looking forward to what you have in store for 2014.
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Thank you so much Edith. It really is difficult to distill 12 from all those published. But it’s fun looking back at the highlights of the year. 2014 could be quite interesting. I’ve just spent 3hrs wrestling with a display issue in the dashboard of the new blog I’m launching tomorrow. Finally solved it – no help forthcoming from the guys in Support at WP sadly. Dare not check my BP – probably through the roof!
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A very nice selection Andy. Most I have seen before, and am glad to be reminded of them. One or two I missed on the way by and am glad to find them now. It is always a pleasure to come to your blog and see your photos, and to receive comments and tips from you on mine as well. I hope that 2014 is a very good year for you.
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Thanks Ehpem. I’ve enjoyed your blog particularly, among all those I follow, and I’m sure we will share some conversations in the coming year. Don’t miss the blog tomorrow.
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A fabulous collection of images Andy! A very happy new year to you!
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And a very Happy New Year to you too, Adrian – although from the sound of it, the weather is not in the mood to add to your or my happiness anytime soon.
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A fine collection of images Andy that any photographer would be proud of. Looking forward to seeing what you create in 2014.
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Thank very much Len, and all good wishes to you too for 2014. I’m just about to close down the computer after a rather long and exasperating day.
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Like a sampling platter from a favorite restaurant! I remember, and admire, #s 8, 9, and 10…beautiful images, all, but I do like those especially. Well done, Andy…it was a wonderful year….
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That’s very kind of you, Scott. Many thanks indeed
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You’re most welcome.
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that’s a great year my friend, well done!
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Many thanks Jim
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So many wonderful photos Andy, I remember many of them but I have not seen the church shot until today! What a fabulous capture! It is religious !
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Thanks Kathryn. Yes, the church shot really was quite extraordinary. I walked in and was just frozen to the spot. It was what I might term ‘A Road to Damascus’ scenario as recounted about Saul who became Paul in the NT.
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Thats what I call great timing!
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A very strong collection from -13!
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Thanks Bente – it’s always fun to look back over the year and there’s that element of surprise to see how many images have reached the Blog.
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Your first photo has to be my favorite one, it’s the type of photo where you had to be at the right place at the exact right moment. They make those more unique photo-moment.
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Thanks for your comment. And all because I happened to be curious enough to look beyond the door!
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