February: 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.
East Sands, St Andrews. In spite of, or probably because of, the simplicity I like this…
Fujifilm X-Pro2 | 35mm f/8.0 1/250s ISO250
What’s this month’s image? It’s the East Sands beach at St Andrews on the Fife Coast on a cold, slightly melancholy February day (posted on Instagram in February).
Did you do anything to it? Not much really, set the black and white points and tweaked the contrast and saturation.
What’s it doing here? As the Scottish lockdown continued in February, with no real sign of respite, St Andrews University (where daughter #2 is studying) declared that there would be no return to face to face teaching this semester for the majority of students and that where possible they should study from home. Given that she’s in private accommodation, rather than continue to pay rent on a flat that wasn’t going to use, notice was given. The university had agreed with the Scottish Government that a single trip could be to collect items essential for study. Like a laptop, which said daughter didn’t seem to think would be needed over the winter break!
So, on this basis we planned our trip to the East Coast. We were, I confess, a little excited… a day out, a change of scenery and a chance for a bracing walk down the beach, something that we’ve sorely missed. It was completely predictable then that the day we chose was wet, blowing a gale and absolutely baltic. Daughter and I managed about 10 minutes along the front before giving in; Helen didn’t even get out of the car.
I got this shot on that short walk; it’s looking out to sea from the seafront at East Sands and I like it for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I like the layers within the shot, from the soft sky at the top, the sea and waves and the reflections from the water on the beach contrasting with the vibrance of the sand. Secondly, while it’s a shot that will win no competitions (no focal point, no clearly defined subject filling the frame) it’s an example of a minimalist style that I admire and I do think it conveys the mood of the scene: quiet, tranquil and, yes, isolated. You may, of course, have a different view…
Have you been up to much else? Again, not really, no. National lockdown is still the only gig in town. I did manage a follow-up trip to Lochwinnoch RSPB, which proved to be a little more successful. That aside, I’ve largely been keeping local and embracing indolence…
Any recommendations? Happy to oblige:
Reading: Thomas Harris is usually quite reliable and his latest, V2, doesn’t disappoint. It’s not going to change your world view, but it will keep you entertained and turning the pages.
Listening: This is more my demographic… I’m not sure why I didn’t pay this more attention at the time, but I’ve been absorbed by this for the last month or so and think that Steven Wilson’s Hand. Cannot. Erase may well be one of the finest albums I’ve heard in a long time.
Viewing: I invested in Greg Benz’s Dodge and Burn Masterclass, which is really well done: clear, informative with plenty of good examples. Not cheap, but if you think your processing needs a lift, this could be a solution.
Lastly, any final words? Bye.
