I suppose that after nearly 60 years of photography, it was inevitable that I would lose interest for a while, and not feel there was anything I wanted to write about.
Quite a surprise today when I opened up my blog, to find it has been 4 YEARS since I last wrote anything! Even more so, the last post, from 22nd July 2020 was of a visit to Plas Power Woods near Wrexham- the exact same place I went to earlier this week to try and ‘connect’ again with my photography!
It’s not that I haven’t taken any photos at all – my smartphone is a constant companion and I’ll often spot a suitable subject for a quick ‘snap’, but there’s been no real photographic ‘intent’ in what I’ve shot, more a record of where I’ve been or things done…
As well as a general apathy towards photography, I’ve also had something of a hiatus in terms of my photo equipment – in seeking ‘perfection’ (a measure of my OCD tendencies) gear had become more involved and heavier to the point where this aging body was struggling to carry it, especially when any distance from the car.
So as well as acknowledging that I needed to scale back from some of the more remote and tricky locations I liked to shoot, I’ve dramatically reduced what I carry – from a Sony full frame camera with pro zoom lenses, to a Fujifilm X-T5 and just two very modest Sigma zoom lenses. When I do need a tripod, it’s now a much smaller and lighter item.
So, some serious compromises in what I can shoot, and the ultimate quality of the images I can make, but at least I feel I can get out and about again without putting myself at too much risk.
Anyway, here are a few images from this week’s wander around Plas Power – fair to say it hasn’t changed from 4 years ago, but after some heavy rain at the weekend, there was plenty of water in the waterfall.
Till next time…
After weeks of lockdown, with the whole of Wales out of bounds, things have now progressed to the point where a trip to one of my favourite woodland walks was possible. This is Plas Power Woods, an area of ancient woodland just outside Wrexham. With ample parking, well marked paths, and a charming waterfall at the site of an old mill, it’s a great spot for an afternoon out.
Is it just coincidence, or are there more Spring wildflowers around this year as a result of lower traffic pollution caused by Covid-19 lockdown? We’ve had some beautiful weather this Spring – indeed some days it’s felt like mid-summer, and being somewhat restricted from going very far we have had some lovely walks arounds the lanes and fields near home. What we have noticed is a profusion of wildflowers – not just the usual dandelions, buttercups and daisies, but more wildflowers than I’ve ever taken notice of before. Maybe they have indeed flourished as a result of lower pollution, or perhaps it’s just that with our horizons somewhat diminished just now, we are more attuned to what we see?
I’ve been a fan of Michael Kenna’s stark mono images for some time, and my recent trips to Gran Canaria yielded some images that suit this style of photography. To be fair, only a few of them were shot with mono in mind, and I’m pretty sure that composing and shooting for mono would yield better results, but it’s a start anyway! These are all digital images rather than film, and likewise, some were iPhone shots, so the image quality is limited. Expect to see more images from me in this style, although it’s pretty clear I will never be able to match the quality of Michael’s work!
Looking back on 2019 I see that I took roughly the same number of ‘proper’ photos (ie with my actual camera as opposed to my smartphone) as in previous years. What is a little concerning is that apart from a couple of organised events that I went to during the year, most of my photos have been taken during holidays. I haven’t been ‘going out’ very much other times specifically to take photos.
Indeed, the whole issue of how much I can sensibly carry has caused me to slim down my photo gear – the bigger, heavier lenses have all gone, as has the filter system that went with them, and I now just have one camera body, a couple of smaller lenses and a few other bits and pieces in my bag. I’ve reduced the scope of what I can photograph somewhat, and maybe reduced the ultimate image quality marginally, but my backpack now weighs about 50% less, and is definitely more manageable. This hasn’t translated into going out more yet, but I’m sure it will – there have certainly been occasions over the last year or two where I’ve passed up on opportunities to go out shooting because I couldn’t face the prospect of carrying the gear! And that does make good sense – with my 70th birthday looming, and an obvious reduction in my strength, stamina and mobility, I’ve (finally) recognised that I have to adapt to change…
So I guess it remains to be seen whether this slimming down of gear to more manageable proportions does result in me getting out and actually taking more photos. I do think a change of direction is called for anyway – for years I’ve considered myself primarily a landscape photographer, but am less and less interested in the genre. Some of that is the challenge of getting to often out of the way spots either very early in the morning or late in the evening, and I do find so many of the landscape photos I see as somewhat formulaic – sunsets, sunrises and sea, either all misty and ethereal or using very long exposures… After 60 years taking photographs I really want to try something different and more creative rather than replicating the sort of photos I see all over the internet.
No such feature on the 
Nigel Young 