For the foreseeable future there will no longer be an “image of day”, “one from the archive “or an “alternate choice”. 

For many, this will come as a great relief. For everybody else who has liked or commented on the images I have posted here, thank you and thank you all for your support, it really is appreciated.

As I wrote in my blog, “Musings from a small room”, I had intended, amongst other things to publish an image a day, visit somewhere new each week, etc. etc. But one of the chief reasons I decided to cease this endeavour is the limited number of areas I can successfully and safely visit without repeating myself too much. This is, in part due to the restrictions I have placed upon myself, or those imposed by the authorities with the current lockdown restrictions.

There are other reasons but if I were to get into those this could turn into a “rant” and I do not want to diminish what I have achieved so far. Other than that, it sometimes feels that success is not always obtained by hard work, skill or perseverance but by your face fitting in or it is achieved by buying false friends, followers and likes.

In this break, I will be still be out there photographing. I will still be experimenting, creating new images, trying to learn new photographic skills and exploring my photographic world. But it will not be published on my social media sites, it will take place on my website, www.kwoodlandphotography.com. There will be regular updates to my ‘portfolio pages’ as well as the ‘recent work’ page. My blog, for those interested in what I’ve been up to or am going to do, will still be updated monthly. The print sales page will also be updated each month. A chance to purchase a print or two, to help out one of the many business’s at the moment.

As things return to “a different normal” (things can never be the same again) as places reopen activities and events return, I too will return to these pages but in the meantime, thank you for your support and keep safe everybody.

For the past month, nearly everyday, I have attempted to produce an “Image of the day”. Travelling locally, I have always sought out areas that were not crowded or where I could easily maintain my distance. I have travelled no further than Hill Head, Hampshire to the west, Butser Hill near Petersfield, Hampshire to the North and Goodwood, Sussex to the East. Some might consider this not staying local, government advice is to keep your exercise or outings local. I see the isolation and reduced lack of contact in these spaces I visited as good practice. Better to be alone and in the open than in a crowded area where there is little chance of avoiding others. Where I have stopped and got into conversation with people, I believe they have been grateful for the interaction. On one occasion we spent twenty minutes watching a Kingfisher sitting preening itself on a branch.

The areas and places that I have visited have been limiting in some respects, apart for the reasons I have already mentioned. These choices limited my approach to mainly landscapes or seascapes. It will be nice to travel further afield, photograph different things and be with people without fear. Some days have been more successful than others. On the good days five or six images have been good enough to process from each shoot. Out in all weathers, I have challenged myself to meet my goal. Returning home, I download the files via Photo Mechanic where the files are captioned and keywords added. The images are then exported and processed through Adobe Lightroom. Images that I feel will work better as black & white versions are processed using Nik Software, Silver Efex 2.

My final choice of image is then posted to my social media accounts, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook. More recently, I have been posting an alternative choice to my Facebook business page. The images, I believe have been well received. All the social media accounts bar Twitter have had a healthy responses to the images. I will persevere with Twitter and hope to raise my profile further there.

As part my plan, I will be creating a portfolio of images on the recent work page of this website, it will feature some of the alternative choices and unpublished images. Also, I am also going to refresh my shop page, again here with twenty of the best images from January and offer them up for sale. Prices will start at £24.87 including P&P for an A4 print. I have some other ideas to promote my work but I will see what the response to the shop is.

As for February, I will be out there, trying to maintain my “image of the day” regime and hopefully not repeating myself too much. Working the area I have chosen for that day, harder and in more detail and perhaps finding new things and places to photograph along the way.

As with anybody else at this time of the year, we like to set out a list of goals for the coming year. Especially when so many peoples plans were put on hold last year.

Yes there are the usual new year resolutions, get fit, eat healthily, drink less, travel more, etc. etc.. But the only way I see of achieving these worthwhile endeavours is to replace the causes with distractions. Hopefully, this list will help. Though we’re off to a stuttering start. Another lockdown. I am going to put these goals into practice.

• I plan to publish to my social media accounts one image a day. If I can’t get out to take new images, I will find an image from archive and publish that.

• Publish a collection, again to my social media accounts, eight to ten images taken from those shot during the week.

• Keep this website up to date.

• Publish a new blog each month.

• Visit somewhere new every month, with a weekend away every 3 months, again out of this area.

• Find new photographic challenges and projects. New ways to photograph the familiar.

If I can make some money and see my work published, that would be nice too.

Yes, this is a tall order, especially at the moment but I need to push myself away from my comfort zones. After all we’re not getting any younger and in some respects we don’t know what the future will bring. So positive thought and onwards.