April: month in review
Each month I aim to pick an image that, in my mind at least, captures the flavour of that month. It might not be the best image from the month, or the most spectacular of subjects; it just needs to illustrate something about the month.
Portencross Pier. Sea, sun and Arran in the background; what’s not to like…
Fujifilm X-T3 | 16mm f/8.0 1/250s ISO160
What’s this month’s image? It’s Portencross Pier on the Ayrshire coast, taken in the week after travel restrictions were lifted.
Did you do anything to it? Scotland did most of the heavy lifting for this image, providing sea, sun and a stunning backdrop. The colours are pretty much how they came out of camera (perhaps boosted a little) and the contrast on Arran has been lifted to remove some of the haze.
What’s it doing here? The Scottish travel restrictions, which had limited travel to within the local authority area, was lifted in the second half of April. Our first trip for non-essential purposes was a trip down to the Ayrshire coast and a walk along the shoreline by Portencross. Happily the sun shone, the clouds lifted and we were blessed with glorious views across to Cumbrae and Arran. Portencross is only about 45 minutes drive from home, but after nearly five months of travel restrictions it felt like a different country.
This pier at Portencross is a well photographed landmark and works in a variety of weather conditions. When the seas are up, the waves can come crashing through the gap in the pier which provides a dramatic shot. The day that we went was beautiful, with calm seas and idyllic views. All I needed to do for this image was go wide and use the pier as a strong foreground element. Nature does the rest…
The picture, I hope, is a positive image; the weather and colours convey a vibrant, optimistic feel which reflects the relief that we felt at actually being able to range a little more widely. Hopefully an indicator for the coming year…
Have you been up to much else? Very much a month of two halves… the first half, while restrictions were in place, felt like a more of the Winter’s Groundhog Day; the second half has been much more productive. We have managed trips up to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and I’m looking forward to travelling further afield in May.
Finally, we also managed another walk along the Clyde; infrared images below…
Any recommendations? A couple…
Reading: My concentration levels have dipped a little, so I’ve not done much reading. However, if you want to depress yourself you could try David Michaels’ The Triumph of Doubt. It’s a pretty well structured and disheartening exploration of the erosion of trust in scientific research and opinion over a number of decades, dealing with the debate on the climate change , tobacco and opioids amongst the catalogue of uplifting topics. I’m not sure there are too many answers, but being aware of the problem and the tactics of those wanting to erode trust in the science is important.
Listening: Trawling through the back catalogue I’ve had Laura Cantrell’s Not the Tremblin’ Kind, an album John Peel reputedly described as “… my favourite record of the last ten years and possibly my life”. It covers an extraordinary emotional range in a simple, understated style. Well worth a listen…
Viewing: Having never watching a single episode of Line of Duty, I managed to binge watch all six seasons in time to avoid any spoilers about the much-hyped finale. To be honest, I’m not sure that it’s been the best investment of time…
Lastly, any final words? Actually yes - let’s get out and enjoy our new-found freedoms.
