Being 42

Please note: I have stopped keeping this page current, largely because of storage on the blogging space. But these were photos that I liked but because of the strict one-photo-per-day rule, did not make it.

Morecambe Bay turbine, 28/12/17

Less and less inclined to make additions to this page so when something does make it, you know I genuinely regret not being able to include more than one photo per day. The middle portion of this day spent by Morecambe Bay was excellent for photography — but this shot couldn’t beat the one of the detectorists on the day.

Mother robin, 25/7/17

It was better to pick a photo representing the walk I did today, as I’d done a bird a couple of days previously, but I do like this shot of the female robin, with the focus just right and a mild grimace about the eventual fate of the centipede.

View from Kvaløy, 8/3/17

Not only was it difficult to pick a single shot from my tour of Kvaløy for the blog but even the ‘Best of the Rest’ choice could have been different. Let’s go with this one though — looking over to the mainland from the south coast of the island. The whole day was blue and white, shot through with dazzling light.

Oxford Road, 5/1/17

2017’s first entry in the ‘Best of the Rest’ file. I really liked the shadows on this shot and the neat divisions and perspective of the lamp posts, but on a good winter’s morning I can often get something like this on Oxford Road, which is why I went today with the more unusual shot.

Crinkle Crags and the Band, 25/11/16

Another Lake District shot, but hey, it’s a nice place — particularly on a stellar winter’s day like this one was, with plenty of other photo opportunities, like the shot higher up this same slope, which did make it today.

Mosedale at dawn, 8/9/16

Seeing as I put myself through 2016’s most significant physical effort — a two-day, baggage-laden hike over moor and fell — to get into a position to take these, it was good that this particular Thursday morning dawned photogenically. There were a few candidates for pic of the day and now I wonder whether I might prefer this one to the one I did pick (taken about 10 minutes later).

Great Chamber, Plas Mawr, 8/8/16

Plas Mawr is a superbly-preserved Elizabethan manor house in the centre of Conwy, a town that was a rich seam for pictures. I changed my mind about this one at the last minute, and went instead for the shot of Conwy castle, but it really was almost a dead heat.

Cais do Sodre ferry terminal, 30/7/16

This was the most successful day, photographically, of the ones spent in Portugal. There were other candidates for photo of the day as well as the boat on the Tagus, which did make it. I like this shot of the waiting room at Cais do Sodre: just the random, but natural arrangement of people along the bench.

Dostoevsky, 10/5/16

This statue, of one of Russia’s most famous novelists (and rightly so), sits pondering outside the Lenin Library near Red Square. I regretted the presence of the second head on this shot, but all the same, with hindsight, probably would have chosen it over the shot of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which did make it.

St. Giles’ Church, Barbican, London, 23/3/16

After my visit to the Barbican I wanted a photo that captured the housing estate but I did probably prefer this one of this family at St. Giles’ Church, which sits in the middle of it all.

Starlings over Aberystwyth pier, 13/2/16

The starlings made an amazing display over Aberystwyth’s little pier every evening we stayed there, but the phenomenon did not make it to the main blog: this particular evening it was because there was definitely going to be a photo from Portmeirion that day.

Upper Brook Street, Manchester, 10/2/16

With hindsight I prefer this one to the photo of Exchange Square that did make it today; there were several to choose from on this, the first sunny morning in weeks.

Turbines off the coast of Denmark, 28/9/15

Avoided specifically because I had taken a picture of wind turbines two days previously.

Devoke Water, 17/9/15

More sunny blue skies…. but I went for the picture of Seascale station instead.

Frosty morning, Shira Camp, 30/7/15

Kilimanjaro was a rich seam for photography and there were a few days where it was difficult to pick just one picture. I liked how this shot pictured the frost that rimed the ground this morning, the third day of my hike, despite that we were 3º south of the Equator. But I went with the shot of the porters instead.

In Moshi, 27/7/15

I like the way this shot is both depicting something that in the UK you would never see, yet here looks utterly natural. Might as well, anyway — no trains have run along this line for a while. The shot of the girl at the orphanage won today, however.

Cribbage school, Aberystwyth, 14/5/15

In this group portrait the gentleman second right is my friend Roger, with whom (with partner Hannah) I stayed in Aberystwyth. I went with the shot of the red kites instead, but like this one, partly because it is one of the few pictures I’m fully satisfied with without having done any digital manipulation at all, not even to the contrast.

On Lamb Pasture, 10/3/15

Lamb Pasture is one of the 330 Wainwright fells. This was a good day for photography, several which I took could have made it — this one did.

View from Blawith Knott, 29/12/14

Another day of stunning views. This sheep is definitely admiring the vista, and why on earth wouldn’t it? But four of its fellows and a wind farm surpassed even this shot in the end.

Photographer in Kennington Park, 20/12/14

The shelter behind him featured on the shot I did choose from a pleasant morning in this park. What his shot turned out like, I do not know — he seemed to be taking it of a friend planking on a nearby fountain.

Rook and bread, 6/11/14

Why I chose a poor shot for today and not this I don’t remember, probably I was still on my brief ‘social realism’ kick…

Stonemason’s yard, Dubrovnik, 20/10/14

The old city of Dubrovnik provides many opportunities to the photographer. Close run thing between this one and the one from the city walls which did make it.

Spider’s web, 20/9/14

Found down the steps to our sheds — prime territory for arachnids. A close contender with the cat shot that did make it on this day.

In Ostia, 24/7/14

Ostia was the port city of Ancient Rome and there remain substantial ruins there. It was a hot, sunny day when we visited and I loved the way the light caught this woman’s parasol. But in the end I used the shot of the Tiber at night on this day, thus depriving Ostia of the chance to be another location for the blog.

Butterfly, 6/5/14

A good day for nature shots, and this cutie was usurped on the day by the picture of the goldfinch taken on the same walk.

6.50am, Hebden Bridge station, 26/3/14

This is as good a picture of Hebden Bridge station that I have ever managed, and the only reason I did not use it was that I had committed to doing five pictures of Manchester all that week.

Back alley, Manchester, 3/3/14

This shot from Manchester city centre was all set to be the photo of the day before Jupiter usurped it.

Sheep on Binsey, 4/2/14

The Lake District walks are always good for more than one very pleasing shot on a day. It was a tough choice between this and the one I did use today, of Bewaldeth Farm. This shot is taken looking south from the slopes of the fell of Binsey. The snow-dusted dome in middle distance is Lord’s Seat, and the white peak at the back is Grisedale Pike.

Lancaster railway bridge, 24/12/13

Taken as I returned back to the in-laws’ from my walk up Scout Scar, which did produce the shot for this Christmas Eve.

Late autumn leaves, 30/11/13

Captured in our garden, against a late afternoon sky. A close-run thing on the day between this and the dust-shrouded shot of St George’s Bridge which did make it today.

Loughrigg Fell, from Latterbarrow, 29/10/13

The view from this little hill was good enough to capture four or five really good shots. This wasn’t used because it was far too similar to the picture posted the previous day, though the one that made it today was no inferior choice.

Cartmel Sands, 11/10/13

A very good day for photography. I love this shot, especially as it’s taken from a moving train, crossing the viaduct that takes the Cumbrian Coast rail line into Ulverston. But the shot of the Duddon Estuary, the next river west, that made it today is better still.

The cave spider again, 5/10/13

This is so nearly a very good shot indeed but it’s just not quite sharp enough. Damn shame. The blue is the door of the shed in which this beast lives, the white the adjacent wall.

Clare getting ready in the studio, 6/9/13

One shot of Clare’s photo shoot was getting in today, but only one could make it. It was a close thing between this one and the one which did get in. I like this shot because of the lines of colour up the left side, and how because of the blank white background a lot of it looks like a shot made up of separate pieces cut up and stuck on.

Georgian bath house, 25/8/13

The bath house sits right by the point from which I took the shot of the River Wharfe which did make it today. But, again, it was very close.

Butterfly, 10/8/13

Taken in Planten un Blomen, the very nice park in Hamburg in which we walked each day while there — and in which I took the photo of the girl and her dog which did make it today. This butterfly is cute, but not as distinctive as the other shot.

Handmade Parade, 22/6/13

I wasn’t sure at the time that my chosen shot of the Handmade Parade really captured the event. Then again I’m not sure this one does either. What was I looking for? Who knows? But I like this guy’s smile.

Fiji sunset, 16/5/13

There were too many sunset shots in Fiji to keep using them on the blog; but at least one of them was always going to get on this page.

Girls on bench, Brisbane, 4/5/13

I like the relaxed nature of this candid shot, the symmetry of their legs and their general and obvious comfort with one another. A good one, but this was a good day for photography and the photo of the Buddha’s birthday lanterns still trumped it.

Butterfly, the Blue Mountains, 12/3/13

These are beautiful creatures, but tough little buggers to capture on film. That this shot came out so well is more lucky chance than any skill on my part. In the end though, it had to yield with the impressive shot of the helicopter and Three Sisters – which was also mainly lucky chance.

Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney, 9/3/13

This place is one of the remaining pieces of convict infrastructure in Sydney. This wall shows the names of many young orphan girls from Ireland who were transported out here in the early 19th century. I like this photo, and worked fairly hard to get it, but in the end I liked the couple in the park more.

Sharon on Torquay beach, 15/2/13

Visited this beach two days in a row, in fact; but this shot, from the first day, was then usurped by the picture of the heron in Geelong. This is my friend Sharon and, in the distance, dog Lily, enjoying just one of the thousands of largely unoccupied and spectacular beaches of her adopted home country, Australia.

Kangaroo, 6/2/13

It was always a close-run thing as to what particular example of Australian wildlife would make the blog following my trip round Kangaroo Island. As with the picture of the emu, I like the intimacy of this shot.

Mirka and Moeni at the Rift Valley lookout, 13/1/13

There was always going to be at least one more photo from this spectacular day in Kenya that made the blog. I haven’t even included the ones of the wildlife (giraffes, zebras etc). But I do like this shot, of my colleague Mirka, and Moeni, daughter of my student (and our guide/hostess) Alessandra, looking out over the Rift Valley from the lookout at 8,000 feet above sea level (2,660 metres). Not pictured: very persistent sellers of souvenirs.

Clare at the Monkey Paw night, 15/12/12

Would have used this one had the one of the microphone not turned out so satisfyingly. This is a good photo of Clare in her alter ego form, however.

Canal reflections, 29/11/12

Unused because the Valley of Lights parade usurped it but also because there had been a lot of waterfowl on the site at that time. I like the way this one works, though.

Girl seen through flywheel, MOSI, 16/11/12

A nice picture, with her face being the only really sharp thing in view; the way the guy’s face has also been half-captured through the machinery also makes it. All in all a nice sense of movement. But the picture that did make it today was good too.

Firework, 3/11/12

Bonfire Night provided a pleasing shot of the bonfire itself; I spend a long while trying to get shots of the fireworks as well, but this was the only real candidate. I like it, though; different from the usual ‘explosion’ theme.

Frankfurt, 21/10/12

Germany has yet to feature on the blog proper, but let’s give it a shot at ‘best of the rest’ status at least. I said on the day that I probably would have used this shot and given the blog its eighth country had the shot of the Pennines in the mist not gazumped it.

Heavy shower, Hebden Bridge station, 11/9/12

As you’ve noticed, we’ve had a lot of weather this year. This morning saw bright sunshine and an intense cloudburst simultaneously. I also like the way the woman seems to share my feelings about it. I liked this photo, but I liked the one of the BBC building too.

Joe by Hurst Road, 8/9/12

Joe gets on this blog a lot and I wanted a photo today that showed the warm and sunny weather. But this is a nice shot of him, it’s not hard to capture him looking natural these days.

Sheep in Mosedale, 31/8/12

These three sheep have arranged themselves very fetchingly, but were then trumped by the novelty of a photo taken while sitting on a three-piece suite in the middle of the vast moor they lived in. Good models, though.

Love tokens, 9/8/12

Taken in Tampere, where it is apparently the done thing for young lovers to declare their affections by locking an inscribed padlock to the fences of the bridge across the rapids. I went with a different shot from the same evening because I fancied putting a portrait on the blog for the first time in a few days, but I do like this shot which seems to capture the phenomenon quite well.

Bull, New Orleans, 14/7/12

I said on this day’s post that it had been very difficult to pick between two sets of pictures: the afternoon trip to the swamp, which provided the close-up of the alligator that did make it, and this pastiche of the ‘Running of the Bulls’ event in which the bulls were roller derby girls dressed, well, as you see here. I promised that one from the other event would make it to the ‘Best of the Rest’ – so here you are.

Burlesque performer, 6/7/12

Not used mainly because it’s slightly out of focus, but that nevertheless gives it an other-worldly quality which I like. (The one which did make it.)

Ducks taking off, 2/6/12

Taken in Nygårdsparken, Bergen. I didn’t use it partly because I liked the picture of Joe in Vilvite, but also because there have been quite a few ‘bird’ pictures lately. Good shot though.

Jetty, Nyborg, 9/5/12

I now think this is a better, and more representative, picture of Nyborg beach, Denmark, than the one I did use: but never mind.

Mick Taylor, 10/4/12

Actually, I would have picked this for photo of the day had I applied the black & white effect earlier, but by the time I did I had already chosen a different pic. In its original form it was a bit yellow. But the monochrome version, I really like.

Sign at Burnley FC, 6/4/12

And this one only didn’t make it because it is out of focus. Shame, because this really amuses me with its straightforwardness. All signs should be like this. (The one that made it today: Joe at Burnley FC)

View of Moscow, 27/3/12

View from the Golden Ring hotel, near Smolenskaya metro, looking east, towards the rebuilt Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Not picked mainly because it doesn’t really show the snow I wanted to display, unlike the picture which did make it today. (This at a point when the temperature in the UK was about 20 degrees C. How distant that currently seems.)

Approaching the Amex stadium, 10/3/12

The picture I chose for today got in for parochial reasons I admit. This was the other good one of the day: these guys look like they’re auditioning for the remake of Reservoir Dogs, almost.

The Øresund bridge, 23/2/12

The only reason this one didn’t make it is technical – it’s ever so slightly blurred. Damn shame, really. Still, the one that did make it today was pretty good, and more or less the same theme.

Joseph Whitworth, 17/2/12

Joe – deliberately, I would add – shares his name with Sir Joseph Whitworth, a Victorian engineer who was the first man to invent the techniques that really made precision engineering possible: e.g. micro-measurement, the standardisation of threads, etc. I don’t know whether he’s a relation, but I saw a photo of him as a youngish man once and he does look like me (and Joe). The picture that did make it today: the Baby.

The Amstel River, 25/1/12

It was a beautiful morning as I and my colleague Anne (that’s her) walked down the Amstel river to the conference. This picture didn’t make it in the end as the ‘Not a Librarian’ pic tickled my funny bone, but I knew this one was always then destined for the ‘Best of the Rest’ page.

Sheep on Doddick Fell at sunrise, 14/1/12

There were lots of photos from our weekend away that could have been chosen: for this particular day the one that made it was of Clare & Joe on Blencathra, a couple of thousand feet above where this photo was taken early in the same morning. I like this one even though there is a bit of flare in the lens, but it still works.

Clare & Joe at the Stubbings Wharf pub, 12.30am, New Year’s Day (1/1/12)

I think I must still have been drunk when I picked the representative photo of New Year’s Day: what an atrocity, the choice so far that I most regret, I think. This one is much better, don’t know why I didn’t pick it. It also encapsulates the fact that it was so mild that night we could sit outside on our way home from the party. (That’s my beer in front of Joe, in case you were wondering.)

Black Combe and the Ashton Memorial, 27/12/11

Got a few good photos on our scenic drive home from Morecambe (the one that did make it: Clare at the centre of Britain). This one has an added relevance however: the building you see here, in Lancaster, was the place Clare & I got married in 1999.

View from Mount Fløyen, Bergen, 28/11/11

It’s no great hardship to the photographer to be up somewhere like this as the sun is going down. Several from that hour or two could have made it: this is the one that did.

Sunset storm, Hebden Bridge, 13/9/11

Of all the unused pics so far, this is the one I most regretted omitting. It’s an amazing shot – and this is natural light, no filters applied either at the time, no manipulation afterwards – but it was just too similar to the picture already used the day before. This vicious little storm suddenly came in as the sun was going down and I just poked the camera out of the skylight at the top of my house and snapped a couple. This one really works. (Picture that did make it: King Street, Manchester)

Café in the Science Museum, 27/8/11

A difficult choice to be faced with on the blog’s second day! I like this pic, but the Science Museum was a rich vein, and I am pleased with the one that did make it (Science Museum, London).

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