January: 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.
This bear looks like lockdown feels….
Fujifilm X-T3 | 115mm f/4.6. 1/150s ISO3200
What’s this month’s image? It’s an abandoned teddy bear sat on a bench looking decidedly like it’s seen better days. The shot was taken at Lochwinnoch RSPB in late January (posted on Instagram in February).
Did you do anything to it? Yes, a little bit of selective dodging and burning, applied a fairly heavy vignette and an earthy colour wash to enhance the mood.
What’s it doing here? I think we all knew that January would be tough as the new, tighter national lockdown came into effect. (We live in Scotland, so, by definition, the rules were designed to make the experience that little bit more miserable). Fortunately, we do live in a reasonably rural part of Renfrewshire and, a few miles down the road, we have an RSPB nature reserve. (As an aside, we joined the RSPB a few years back to assuage our guilt at the fact that our cat, Watson, went through a phase of exacting vengeance on the avian community for crimes unspecified).
The purpose of the trip was twofold; to get a change of scenery from the village and for me to try my hand at some bird shots. The change of scenery part worked well despite the damp and the cold, but the bird photography part was, euphemistically, less successful. We chose one of those days where it simply doesn’t get light with the result that there was very little activity and shooting what birds there were wasn’t helped by the fact that it was practically dark. (Check the ISO on the above for a ‘daylight’ shot!)
We paused around halfway round the loch and Helen spotted this abandoned bear just sat on a bench, making the comment that ‘that bear looks like lockdown feels’. It did - lost, forlorn, fraying around the edges and generally carrying an air of slight desperation.
It’s a grab shot, but having shown it to a few folk I think it conveys the prevailing mood very well. While January was a bit ‘meh’, I’m quite pleased with this as an image. Which just goes to show, if life gives you lemons, throw them back. Hard.
Have you been up to much else? Not really, no. National lockdown and all that. What has kept me busy is sorting through my back catalogue, re-editing a few older shots and generally tidying up my Lightroom database. Apart from that, there’s been the regular walks around the village (rhubarb field, trees, repeat), a couple of Zoom calls and fair bit of catching up on viewing, listening and reading.
Any recommendations? Now you mention it, I do have a couple:
Reading: How to Make the World Add Up by Tim Harford is highly recommended. The quality of statistical analysis in the media and elsewhere is woefully bad; Tim Harford (presenter of Radio 4’s excellent More or Less) provides a sensible, non-technical framework for constructively examining the plethora of data that we are presented with every day.
Listening: I accept that I’m probably not the target demographic, but I have been playing Asian Dub Foundation’s More Signal More Noise quite heavily over the month; it’s a proper positive vibe, which is very welcome right now.
Viewing: There’s generally something in Thomas Heaton’s YouTube videos for photographers and non-photographers alike; entertaining, inspirational and straightforward videos on the beauty of the landscape and landscape photography.
Lastly, any final words? Nope. February next…
