I do enjoy shooting people – I’ve said it many times, and that enjoyment was greatly curtailed with Covid. There is a wood across the road from my house and I enjoy walking in there – at all times of the year – and I always carry a camera.
I’ve been walking in this wood for many years ever since my children were very young and would willingly accompany my wife and I. I walk alone now, my wife will sometimes come with me, but my walks in the wood usually occur before anyone in the house is awake and up. I must also tell you that walking and shooting in the wood is best done alone, with a few exceptions – which I’ll tell you about another day.
When Covid struck, my trips into the wood became a daily excursion, one I would look forward to and on a single occasion I took my Walkman, not a camera and regretted it. Not because I missed a good photographic opportunity, but I never took my Walkman into the woods again.
I love music, and have been listening to and playing music before photography, however, on that day I realized that I was missing the sounds and feel of the wood. I felt disconnected, the music was blotting it out. Taking my Walkman with me when I pound the streets of my neighbourhood was one thing, but here in the wood it was totally killing my enjoyment of nature. On another occasion, I will tell you more about my experiences in the wood, but for now, let’s get back to this story…
The rock in questions here is really the place I plant my feel – for a particular series of images (seen here in this posting) I have created over time. Like so many things I have done, it was started subconsciously, before becoming a “thing”, I’m not sure “mini-project” is applicable here – perhaps... As I have said, I love shooting people, but here in the wood I am usually alone, I do meet people and this will be a story to be told on another day. Most of my time in there is spent alone. Very early, after the onset of Covid, out in the woods armed with a camera, I found that I was asking myself, “how can I make what I see in here and shoot interesting to people looking at my photographs”. Remember the “imaginary” audience I always have in-tow! To anyone walking in the wood it’s a beautiful place, and I and so many others, are very fortunate to have it on our doorsteps. However, it’s not noteworthy of anything – indeed there is nothing of interest in there…but there is plenty so see and photograph and over the time I have been shooting, since Covid, I have found that I have turned it into a whole project, with many subplots or projects – if-you-will. I think it’s fair to say that I have invested a great deal of time into this project – one that started simply from going out for a walk in the mornings, with nothing in mind other than enjoying nature.
So, the rock on which I have placed my feet so many times, is the spot where I have shot all these images you see here. All the images are hand held and often in this post I have used intentional camera movement to create the desired effect, using a variety of lenses and remember, I do like to experiment. Shooting with different focal lengths, different (natural) lighting, angles, direction, seasons, produces differing results and has all been part of the experience, a simple exercise – shot over time – very enjoyable time.
See more photographs of my time in the woods here: Iroquois Shoreline Woods