Since my last blog I've spent some time sifting through images which I've filed but not yet edited. It's so easy to be always involved in the present, and forget work already done, yet there are so many gems there, as well as good memories. Images of Cuba are such an example. Havana is one of my favourite cities in the world, and the image here, of an old American Buick, sums up a lot of what the place is about. The people and the place are magical. I've been two or three times, on personal photo trips, and also to do commissioned work, and it remains top of my list for a return journey. I have been printing several new images, and last week exhibited at Harrogate Spring Show. The weather was a bit kinder this year, and there were lots of visitors, so it was a good show all round. My next journey is to Santorini, Greece, so I’m expecting excellent light, and hope to return with some good landscape images to document the trip.
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There’s been quite a lot happening since my last blog; Harrogate Autumn Flower show in September – successful, tremendous show, and good to meet with friends again; an exhibition of my ‘Moving Pictures’ at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle – great, fun, opening night, and on until 8th March 2013; a trip to New York to share Thanksgiving with family and friends on that side of the pond; commissioned photography of Northumberland Lights event at Alnwick Castle Gardens, and of course, Christmas & New Year with family and friends at home.
When in the US, I spent some time on Long Island, and it was soon after Hurricane Sandy had swept through, causing so much destruction. It was staggering to see the damage it had caused, with the defences of beach houses smashed and lawns strewn with rocks and boulders - but just as impressive was how the people were coping so well in restoring everything to normality. As always, New York City was incredible, and brought about a return to my addiction – for street life photography, that is! It’s one of the world’s greatest cities, and the people and place are amazing.
Northumberland Lights took the form more of an event than a display this year, with families turning up despite the adverse weather, and being rewarded with a wonderful time. You can see pictures of it, and of previous years, in my gallery here as well as on the Northumberland Lights web site.
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I got back a couple of weeks ago from L'Isle sur la Sorgue, (Island in the Sorgue), in Provence, France, which proved to be very relaxing. I'd been in the area a couple of times before on photo trips, and had photographed the sunflowers and lavender fields in the surrounding countryside. This time however, was meant to be a complete holiday, and that's (mainly) how it turned out. The River Sorgue flows through and around the town, and there are many ancient waterwheels to be seen, which in the past were powered by the natural fast flow of the Sorgue for milling, textiles, and paper making. It was a good jumping-off point to visit many other places, too; Gordes, where the ancient Abbaye de Senanque nestles in the valley, and the monks grow their own lines of lavender in the grounds; Cassis, an ancient fishing village with its provencal pastel-coloured houses surrounding the harbour, and where a boat trip around the calanques provided me with many images of the massive white limestone rocks towering over the turqoise inlets below; and St Remy de Provence, where la Feria was taking place. I spent a great deal of time capturing images of the Capea, where young boys visiting from the school of bullfighting in Arles demonstrated their amazing skills and bravery against young bulls which seemed to know no limits. All in all, not an out and out photo trip, but really enjoyable - and I did manage to capture quite a number of landscape images, as well as several travel pictures which I'll upload to my website very soon. ]]>
I exhibited at the Gardening Scotland show, at Ingliston, Edinburgh, last week, and met some great people there. There was a lot of interest in my images of Scottish landscapes, as well as some of the fine art photography I had on display. A good time all round! Preparations now underway for Alnmouth Arts Festival, which is always a fun weekend! See you at Northumbria Cottages, venue number 11, on 23 & 24 June.]]>
Just returned this week from a short trip to France, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Though I've had many trips to France, it was the first time in this region, and I stayed in the Têt valley, in the Catalan Pyrenees of southern France . There were snow-capped mountains, and right outside my window was a view of the magnificent Massif Canigou, at almost 2800 meters. The roadsides were banked with poppies, and many of the fields were a blaze of red. It was fantastic to see.
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We were at Harrogate Spring Show for 4 days last week, and crowds of people braved the elements and floods to attend the annual spring show. Met some great people there - thanks to all for making it such a success.]]>