Busy Week

So the new year has started how the last ended, in short busy. I am on week two of my 52 week project and already finding it hard to find time to balance everything. Still I managed to get a couple of photos sorted for the two weeks. First one was quite disappointing but proved an excellent learning experience. The second weeks effort (seen above) was really a bit of a rush job. I got one of the lads from work to spare me 30 minutes after work and got him to dress up for the occasion :-)

On an unreleated topic I spent yesterday doing my first proper winter walk in the lakes district, on a mountain called Skiddaw. To elaborate this means the going was so difficult that I had to wear crampons (spikes on my boots) and carry an ice axe for safety purposes, in other words stop me sliding down the mountain to my death if I slipped :-)

It turned out to be one of the best walks/ climbs we have done, The snow was well in excess of 4ft deep at parts and the going was pretty damn tough. This was later coupled with my first ever experience of a white out. Something that is incrediably disorientating and when you are near the edge of a mountain ridge, pretty damn scary. In short it happens when there is no contract to tell land from sky and you are just completely surrounded by white. This came into effect due to the snow and heavy cloud. Luckily I had a compass and map, which I knew how to use well enough to get us to the summit and back to our route of ascent.

All that being said it was an awesome day and very exhilirating. I was definately glad to be back at the base of the mountain at the end. Pic below is the summit trig pillar with me attempting to chip some ice off it! The cloud had eased up a little at this point.

52 project

So those who know me will no doubt know that I love my photography. It started March 2009 when I was asked through work to attend a dedicated photography/ imaging show called focus on imaging. During my time working on the company stand I came into contact with a number of photographer, both amateurs and pros. Now I am not one to be easily inspired as I can become quite disillusioned at times, but I have to say that some of the photos I saw where exceptionally inspirational. So much so that I wanted to have a go.

With this in mind, I set about the learning process and justifying the considerable outlay needed to get my first DSLR. I also was fortunate to get a photography course paid for by my company as the alot of the technical aspects were applicable to my job. So 9 months later and I have a much more solid understanding of the principles and practices of photography. Which leads me on to my new challenge. I have decided to partake is a 52 a year project. For those who don't understand the principle it is simple. I take one photo every week for a year on a subject that is chosen at random by a member of a photography forum that I visit. It is apparently a fantastic way in which to improve your photography skills and at this point (week one) I am really up for.

So I will be posting my photos on this very blog as a means of centralising the whole project. The first weeks subject is "Curved" which sounds easy but already I am umming and arhing about a creative way of interpreting the word. Hopefully the project really will help me create some images to be proud of, time will tell. Wish me luck :-)

And so it begins....

So here i am, thinking to myself, Do I have anything of value worth writing about and more importantly why chronicle day to day (more likely week to week) going ons in my life? In an age where most people have become self infatuated with a bloated sense of self importance, demonstrated by their minute by minute status updates on facebook, I feel that anything that is going to move me down that path is best avoided.

However, I see a blog as potentially quite different. It is an easy way to let friends who live further afield know what is going on in my life (always been rubish at phone conversations :-), it can help me reflect on my journey through life (kinda like a diary) and it can also give me an outlet for my views on world.

So now I have decided to take the step and enter the world of blogging, what can any reader expect from this page? Well along with the usual mutterings of a madman in the making, a little bit of info on my interests in life, this means movie reviews (i luv ma movies) views on the world as a whole and any info I feel is of value to share.

Short sweet and too the point, lets see if I can get past more than one post. Only time will tell :-)