Well that’s it.
Twelve months in the making and the final set of 17 photographs are in
the bag. The wheel of the Year once more comes to rest in December.
It seems funny coming to the end of what was a short Project
really, but one I have found fascinating for reasons I cannot explain. Though I shall try.
The reason behind this Project was two fold. Firstly I
wanted to mark my time here in North Somerset over the twelvemonth period. One
day, and it may be far closer than I think, my time in this lovely area will
stop. Nothing lasts forever. Hopefully that ending will not be for any serious
or medical reasons, more that I may just move away from this area and what is
now the familiar will recede into the memory.
Secondly I have long held an ambition to photograph a view
on a regular basis as an endeavour to record that subtle change that occurs day
by day but without record is often missed until like the first storm of winter,
we realise the seasons have changed. Until now I had not managed to do this. But
now, I have succeeded.
What this Project did also allow me to do was fine tune what
works as an image, and maybe more importantly what doesn’t work. A couple of obvious learning points here was
to plan the direction (and time) of an image carefully – evening photographs
into sun often resulted in silhouettes at best. The scene is also important. A
few images such as the barn and road don’t really change that much. My village
view likewise apart from a few rogue waste and recycling bins didn’t change
much either. It is a learning curve. Work in progress. 7/10 must do better.
Looking through these images across the year, these 17
unremarkable images in a way, the subtle change over the winter and high summer
were almost indiscernible. The
astonishing changes in the spring and autumn show how these Equinoxial moods
change the landscape with abandon.
For the moment I shall simply post these images as before in
a haphazard way for December; if time allows over Christmas I shall post each location
on one posting, something like the twelve images of Christmas…. Observing the images en masse is a great way
to see in an instance what had happened.
For these final images however what struck me more than
anything was that it was so warm, not like the beginning of winter at all –
photographing in short sleeves in December is quite unusual.
Merry Christmas (when it comes)
Two ducks on the river
The last view of Puxton church
For once a dramatic sky over the lane
No more sheep in the orchard
The silent river
Strawberry Line puddles
Apples have all been picked - tomorrow's cider
I included the car passing as a sign of life in the village
Quiet corners.
Maize now harvested the fields left to recover
Cold looking river
Bare hedges
The dairy cows will stay - for a while at least
Late afternoon on the bridleway
That pink trug never moves
Wet, wet, wet.
Windblown sand in the foreground