I’m now 15 days into the 63-2017 project and have created a Flickr album to house the growing collection of images in the 63-2017 series at https://flic.kr/s/aHskr3ELaY
With a lot of domestic and club responsibilities this week I can honestly say that without the focus of the picture-a-day challenge the cameras may well have stayed in the bag this week. Instead, I have awoken each day with the thought in my head that I need to find my image. I am determined not to snap the garden at 11pm or grab a quick shot of baby eating tea just to fulfil the brief. It’s very satisfying therefore to note that most of this weeks images were pre-planned to a greater or lesser extent.
63-2017-9 is a case in point. I had this in mind from the start of the day and kept a close eye on the light as tea time drew near knowing I wanted a little bit of the blue hour to complement the orangey tinges to the night time streets.
63-2017-10 was the result of checking the weather apps the night before. It is shot from 190 feet above Marsden Moor as the sun rises and was a pre-planned image which saw me setting the alarm for an early start to drive to the moors. I was not expecting any frost based on the forecast but there was just a hint of the white stuff which reflected the first rays of the day. With the temperature down to 1°C and a bit of a breeze I soon lost all feeling in my ungloved fingers. Once the drone got above 200 feet (ie more than 1500 feet above sea-level at this location) the wind turbulence was too high for successful photography so with real pain in my finger tips I was probably grateful to bring the drone home and land it just a couple of feet from the car.
63-2017-11 – the River Calder from Elland Bridge is a favourite spot for images that I have visited countless times over the years. It involves a short but steep ascent of Got Hill one of the oldest streets in the town which is mostly cobbled and therefore lethal on wet autumn days with decaying leaves added to the mix.
I had originally intended taking a shot over the weir looking in the opposite direction but in the event decided to leave that shot for another day and to make a mental note to take a small tripod and neutral density filter with me to slow the shutter speed down. I also decided on the square composition to use so that is another 63-2017 image opportunity stored away for the right conditions. Despite having shot in these locations many many times in recent years it’s amazing what opportunities are still available with some thought.
63-2017-12 “A Warm Reception?” The windows were glowing warmly but the heavy front door was firmly shut and the sign says visitors must have a prior appointment. Number 12 in my 63/2017 series is one where I simply went for a wander to see what I could see and is the first in this series where the title came first and the image was made second. It’s a simple image but perhaps it tells us something about our society whereby a reception can look both warm and yet uninviting at the same time. I won’t ponder too much in case it gets pretentious!
63-2017-13 This is quite simply an homage to one of my favourite photographers although when he was here in 1937 he was shooting the scene in B&W. I’ve written about this part of Halifax dozens of times over the years and it was inevitable that I’d be drawn to create another image for the 63-2017 project. I have a different composition in mind that calls for some snow so we will see if 365-2018 provides the opportunity.
63-2017-14 was something I’d had in the back of my mind for a while. Amanda and I always observe the two-minutes silence on the 11th November and also on Remembrance Sunday when the two do not coincide. We also stand to watch the parade pass our front door on their way to the war memorial for the laying of wreathes and poppies before marching back to the church for the Sunday service. I have often wanted to create a photograph from the event but wanted something other than the usual images with poppies or veterans with rows of medals gleaming in the autumn sun. Inspiration came when I saw Amanda looking out of the bedroom window as they marched past on their way to the memorial and thus when they returned I was at said window watching and hoping that I would get a large enough gap in the procession to highlight some long shadows. This was the result and hopefully it is a poignant image especially on Remembrance Sunday and particularly when linked to its title of “The past casts long shadows”.
63-2017-15 So to number 15 in the series, todays image as I type this. I set off this morning with an image in mind but this was not it. A slight misunderstanding over timings meant I was not able to get to my chosen location after dropping my wife at work so I decided to make the best of the situation and shoot at the planned time but in a totally different location.
The biggest part of the challenge for me is not necessarily to take an image a day, although that will be tough I suspect, but to find something new to photograph every day when I am unavoidably confined to the house and therefore my shooting opportunities of necessity will be restricted to Elland. There are a few indoor projects on the cards for the winter months and on those days it will be easier but I don’t want to post an image of a water splash for seven consecutive days now do I?
I enter the third week of the 63-2017 Challenge in a good frame of mind and already have tomorrows image in the back of my mind. It won’t be long though until 365-2018 starts and I suspect that will be an even bigger challenge – or opportunity if you prefer.
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