Dear Reader (2022-01-15),
Since my last post, I’ve continued to bumble along through these strange times. So here is a bit of an update.
From a health perspective, both April and I continue to be well for the most part. Omicron, has touched us but it has it so far has been a light touch (being fully vaccinated is obviously a good thing). I somehow managed to damage my right knee and am currently undergoing physiotherapy to build some strength back into the knee. Strength is slowly returning.
I continue to like the look and feel of this site. You may notice that the structure has changed. This is in response to my new thinking about this website’s purpose. Posts will continue to be written at random intervals, and will continue to reflect works-in-progress and whims of the moment. There is now a new menu item called “Of Note”, which as the name suggests is a collection of images of which I am particularly proud. This collection will evolve over time. Currently there are 2 sections:
~ Not From Around Here
~ From The Lab
I will no longer be presenting half-thought ideas outside of posts. Instead, bodies of work, both complete and in progress, are now presented as monographs and ebooks under the menu item, “Books and Monographs”. This menu item leads to single page that has had considerable changes. I have now learnt Affinity Publisher well enough to create the following publications.
30 in 30
The various posts and comments that comprise the 30 Photographic Experiments in 30 days from 2020 has been assembled into a single coherent package, that I believe is a fitting record of those days.
Thin Line
The Roadside Attractions umbrella project still exists. This monograph replaces what was previously a labeled set of images on web page. This new publication presents images in which I reflect on the wide open prairie that is defined and confined by a grid of evenly spaced roads, symbols of ownership, and signs of control. The idea is still alive in my mind. New additions to this collection are infrequent, as I have become more demanding of what is acceptable to be included in this set.
Sentinels replaces what was previously a labeled set of images on web page. This collection of grain bins, is also under the Roadside Attractions umbrella. Additions to this set have been more frequent than additions to the “Thin Line”. I find there are subtle refinements to my vision occurring, and that these images continue to grow stronger.
Rills is a collection of B&W images exploring how time, wind, and water has sculpted the Badlands of Alberta.
Meanwhile in Abingdon is a short ebook that was an outcome from a trip to England in 2021.
30 New Walks In December of 2020 I had Blurb print a single copy of this book. I was not happy with the results (the problems were with me and not Blurb). At the time, I didn’t have the heart, skills, or energy to re-do the book. In October and November of 2021, I did a complete revision, which resulted in 2 Versions. The second printed version was also a single copy. Though it was a vast improvement over the first, it was still unsatisfactory. Version 3.0 had a print run of less than 10 copies and was successful. A digital version of this 3rd version is the one presented here.
In keeping with my earlier comments about random posts on random topics, here is a trio of images from the first week of January when the temperature was minus god knows what. Oddly enough the parking lot at Fish Creek -> Mallard Point was, except for me, empty. Scenes were cloaked in waves of mist from the flowing parts of the Bow. As I look forward to 2022, the outcome is certainly ambiguous. April has at times commented on the rosiness of my glasses. I am keeping them and remain optimistic.
You are welcome to share a link to this page with others.
As always, all comments are welcome and sought.
Cheers, Sean
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All rights for all material on any media reserved – © Sean P Drysdale 2020-2024
Hi Sean,
Thanks for posting recent photos.
1 and 2 lack enough contrast to have much impact on a monitor. They might look good as large prints in a contrasting frame. Being so monochrome they puzzle the viewer to move in and look at the detail.
3 is well-seen. I would remove the distracting dark bits upper right and crop a bit off the left. Can you recover some detail in the highlights?
Thank you Roy for visiting and commenting. It is always a treat to read how my images are perceived. Regarding number 3, I had wondered if the dark bits added character to the water or were distracting. I’ll try an experiment or two and let you know. Cheers, Sean