Photos of the Year: 2014
I certainly manage to get about for someone reliant on public transport. With the heavyweight Canon 500mm and 300mm lenses on my back, I certainly have no need for a gym subscription. Trains to Crawley, Horsham and Arundel and buses along to coast road to Friston Forest and Beachy Head mean I am well served with opportunities to visit beautiful and interesting locations. 2014 began mild, wet and windy. We enjoyed good weather in spring and high temperatures over July, peaking at about 28°C. Autumn lasted from September to early December, with one day in late October reaching 23°C. Climate change and increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide mean that trees can remain in leaf far longer than they could in the past. Some parts of Friston Forest were still nearly 100% green on 20th November.
A friend recently commented that my work is more focussed and settled than it was a few years ago. Creative blocks are a thing of the past, because I've learned to accept the mood I am in, rather than attempt to change it. Consequently, any creative blocks are like the passing weather and only last a day or two. Acceptance has not only helped me to stop taking photography too seriously, but it's made me a happier person.
I'd like to pick out the leaping Roe deer as my favourite photo of the year. It was the hardest shot to take, because the subject was very quick and elusive. I would pick out the first shot of Beachy Head as my second favourite. The bluebell woodland in April was like being surrounded by a 360° IMAX screen. My favourite occasion was on November 1st, when I left my camera at home and took two friends for a pub lunch and a walk in the forest. I felt proud to be sharing a special part of the world with them. And I now have two witnesses to prove that deer really do exist in Sussex!
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