The first little wobble this week in my “sixty-three images, one-a-day in what’s left of 2017” project, also known as the warm up for the picture-a-day challenge in 2018. There is one image here that I am simply very unhappy about, it doesn’t meet my own perceptions of image quality and because it was the best of four poor images, the only ones I actually took that day, it had to entered for the 63-2017. More of that later. On the whole though I am pleased to say I have stayed on track and also pleased to say I haven’t resorted to a phone snap or a last minute random shot of my supper!
63-2017-23 The first of two night-time images from Dean Clough in Halifax, a pre-planned location with the passer-by adding a serendipitous touch to the final image.
63-2017-24 No title, just wandering about in Huddersfield town centre whist the wife was shopping looking for shapes and anything that took my eye really. No pre-planning, no fixed agenda, just me and the camera (Fuji X100t, what else) and a pleasant mosey around keeping my eyes open.
63-2017-25 and back to Dean Clough for another night time shot. My wife was woking a late shift hence my nightly presence in this part of Halifax this week. I took images every evening but have chosen to only use two for the project to avoid it getting “samey”. This was in part prompted by a video I’d watched earlier in the week but in part too because I’ve shot this kind of image at this location many times in the past.
63-2017-26 Friday came all too slowly but it did finally arrive and we escaped in the car for a couple of nights in a favourite B&B in the Forest of Bowland. Only fifty-five miles away from home but a world away from domestic chores and the ever-present kids and grandkids. Neither of us felt 100% so we pottered and I shot a few snaps from the roadside or at least within easy reach of the warmth of the car.
63-2017-27 and still in Lancashire, our first taste of snow this autumn/winter. The snow-scattered scene was spotted as we drove down the hill and the first place I could safely pull over was alongside a high hedge, growing on a bank four feet above the road. I scrambled up the bank, perched precariously on the narrow strip of flattish earth at the top and found the hedge was two foot wide but undeterred I found a way to get the camera and my head through into position to take the image. I did consider live view, but using live view on a Nikon DSLR with a 300mm lens and no tripod support was not something I considered as a very stable platform for photography.
63-2017-28 the final image as we headed away from Lancashire on Sunday morning. We knew that there would be limited time to take photographs as we were heading to Bradford to see number two daughter who’d been admitted on the Friday as we were settling down to our evening meal. With instructions to not break short our weekend break we compromised by coming home early on the Sunday. I saw this view as I crested the hill but before I could safely pull over the best of the light had gone. I still managed a half-decent shot though with the venerable Fuji X-T1 and as it turned out this was my only opportunity for a “proper” photograph so I’m glad I made the effort, something I probably wouldn’t have done without the 63-2017 to motivate me.
63-2017-29 and so we come to “that” photograph.
Poorly framed, poorly exposed and a poor choice of aperture – I’m not going to beat myself up but this is hardly likely to feature in my Top Sixty-two images, let alone a Top Ten!
Enough said, I am moving on.
63-2017-30. I was going to stop at image 29 for this weekly round up but couldn’t bring myself to end on such a low note.
63-2017-31 Determined to end this update on a high, here is an early morning image from the back streets of Halifax.
All in all a challenging week. I stuck to my guns though and despite a couple of below-par efforts (I’m not overly keen on #30 either) it started well and ended on a good note for me.
I’ve developed a heavy cold in the last 24 hours and with below zero temperatures outside I’m not overly keen to charge about outdoors but I have a few ideas for a brief jaunt outside to capture the thirty-second image … will the challenge survive “man-flu”?
Watch this space to find out!
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