12 by 12 Challenge #1 Part Two

Following on from the first part of my 12 by 12 challenge, I made the same journey but in reverse - from Baker Street tube to Marylebone Station. In her challenge Vanessa Winship made the point that taking the same route may well lead to a different experience on another occasion. Walking in the opposite direction perhaps you notice things you missed on the way there - it's certainly always good to have an alternative viewpoint. Other factors will influence the look of the street - time of day, weather, amount of people and traffic etc. On my second trip it had been raining earlier, the pavements were wet and sleek in the sunshine, raindrops glistened on the reflective bonnets of parked cars....

The following month brings a fresh challenge which I will be documenting here later.  In hindsight, I found this challenge a little underwhelming but that was probably because I only engaged with it in a fairly superficial way. It's not too different to the way I normally operate when I go out with my camera in the city so I didn't really feel that I had covered any new ground! Onwards and upwards.....

12 by12 Challenge #1 Part One

12 by 12 is a year-long series of photo-challenges set by renowned photographers. Every month a new challenge is issued and group members are invited to interpret it by submitting their responses on Flickr or Instagram. The idea is to encourage creativity and experimentation, in terms of approach as well as aesthetics. The challenge is a continuation of previous tasks 52 by 52 and 26 by 26 examples of which are on the website. 

The first challenge was set by photographer Vanessa Winship and urged us to take a route you’re familiar with but have never photographed along and photograph someone or something every 100 or so steps. It's all about looking at a familiar environment with fresh eyes and working within a set of rules and a restricted framework. I really like the idea of imposing limitations on yourself - some may see it as a restriction but sticking to a set of rules can actually free you up. It's a bit like having too much choice in a shop - when you go into a shop which has a limited selection of goods on offer, it actually becomes easier to make a decision! 

Initially I struggled to think of a route to choose as most of my familiar routes are already well-documented. I realised though, that one route I have never photographed is the short walk on my arrival in London between Marylebone Station and Baker Street tube. I take this route on a regular basis but have never felt the need to photograph it as I'm usually focused on getting somewhere else. These are the results, all taken with my phone......

The Gathering of the Hunt

New Year's Eve saw the traditional gathering of the Warwickshire Hunt at the manor house in our village. Invited along to 'enjoy a glass of port' I couldn't resist bringing my camera with me. I realise that the photographs in this post will probably confirm many peoples' prejudices about country life - I'm not a supporter of hunting myself and the last time I was on a horse was about 30 years ago. But I have to admit to a secret thrill when I see people dressed for the hunt - the horses look so noble and the fine collection of florid faces, upright postures and refined vowels remind me that this has been part of country life for centuries. Just don't get at the wrong end of the whip!

On a more serious note, one thing that is obvious at this sort of gathering is that the people, whether riders perched on their horses in their finery or more prosaicly hunt followers kitted out in green barbour, flat cap and wellies, all seem to be perfectly at ease in their setting. This is their milieu - country dwellers and conservative with a small 'c' (probably with a large one as well!), rich and poor, gentry and farmers, old and young, they all have that easy way of behaving with each other that comes from belonging to a clan and knowing your place within your community. After nearly 30 years of living in the country, I still don't feel that way, and probably never will!