2008 - My Year In Pictures

Title: Sunday Morning On The Thames
Location: Richmond
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: After an evening containing beer, plenty of Werewolf and lots of silliness, the happy Campers finally flaked out around 3am last night. I managed to grab some sleep but woke before 8am. After a spot of breakfast, I went to look at the Thames and was rewarded with a wonderfully atmospheric view of the bridge at Richmond. There was lots of mist floating on the water, the birds were wheeling and then a team of rowers hove into view under the arches. Magic atmosphere. I knew I was unlikely to better it later in the day, so although it’s an early one, it’s going to be Picture Of The Day.

Title: Is It Dinnertime Yet?
Location: At a friend’s house, Stock
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: This is Simba, a British Blue who belongs to my friend. I visited for lunch today, and as we were making sandwiches, Simba was cruising round the kitchen with this imploring look on his face. Anyone would think he’d never seen a good meal. Nothing could be further from the truth! Trouble is, he’s beautiful, and he knows it…

Title: Bottoms Up!
Location: Hanningfield Reservoir
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 100-400mm EF f/4-5.6 L IS USM
Notes: After all the time I’ve had to spend in front of the PC this weekend, restoring numerous websites after the server crash, I thought I’d get out for a bit of fresh air this afternoon. So I went to Hanningfield Reservoir, armed with my longest lens, to see what I could find. Generally the birds were quite a long way off, but this Coot swam nearby and I caught it just as it dived under the surface. Perfect for this week’s 366 Theme, “A Phrase or Saying”. So this is “Bottoms Up”. Cheers…

Title: Early Bird
Location: At home
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 75-300mm EF f/4-5.6 IS USM
Notes: I hate early mornings, but had to get up just before five today to answer a call of nature. Whilst looking blearily out of the bathroom window, I noticed a soft, orange glow in the sky to the east. “Could this be what they call dawn?”, I thought to myself. So in a state of half-consciousness, I managed to find the camera, fit my long zoom and take this image out of the back bedroom window. It’s not quite as dramatic as the other dawn I photographed (there have been only two!), but the silhouette of the wood pidgeon sitting on the neighbours’ TV aerial is still quite nice.

Title: The Pollinator
Location: Wivenhoe
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 50mm EF f/1.8 + 12mm extension tube
Notes: I stayed at my parents’ overnight, and had a quick wander around their garden this morning before heading home. I found this big, fat bee buzzing around their Arum lily under the kitchen window. It very quickly got covered in pollen - just a bee doing it’s job!

Title: An Evening Swim
Location: Ardleigh Reservoir
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: After an evening meeting in Colchester, I managed to find a tranquil spot to watch some ducks have a swim on Ardleigh Reservior on the way home.

Title: Project 366 Breeds Success!
Location: Ingatestone
Camera: Canon EOS 30D / 24-105mm EF f/4 L IS USM
Notes: My Camera Club’s season finished this evening with the annual Print Of the Year competition. During the regular season, we have six competitions and any print which has been placed 1st-4th in any of these previous competitions is eligible to enter Print Of The Year. All the prints are put out on display and the club members are asked to judge the pictures via a ballot - the one with the most points wins Mono Print, Colour Print or Slide Of The Year. Since I joined in 1992, I’ve won the Jack Oswell Memorial Trophy for Mono Print of the Year three times - 1994, 2006 and tonight! The print was a black and white version of Day #71, called “Boredom”, and was previously placed 3rd in a set subject competition “Emotions”. So if I hadn’t been taking a photo a day for 366, I wouldn’t have been in Thaxted to see the cat and get this picture!