Solstice - a photographic journey along the Blackwater

One of the big challenges for a photographer is to capture at least one photograph every day for a year, normally referred to as a Photo 365 project. I attempted to do this in 2013, the year we moved to Tollesbury, and managed to capture images on my iPhone all the way from 1st January to the day we moved house in April at which point it fell by the wayside.

It's been on my mind since then, nagging at me, I'm a completest and I don't like leaving something unfinished. I had originally intended to start again on the 1st January; the day traditionally when most photo 365 projects commence. Then it hit me that I struggle in the depths of winter and feel more like hibernating than engaging in a full on photo project. So why not start it in the summer, a time when energy levels and optimism are at their peak and when life is so very vibrant. There you have it, my photo year will run from 21st June 2016 through to 21st June 2017, midsummer to midsummer.

But what to photograph? A photo 365 project will reflect life for that year whether that be daily routine, trips away or significant family events. For me though I would like take the opportunity put more emphasis on where I live. I was born in Maldon and now live a little further up the River Blackwater in Tollesbury. I work in Chelmsford, travelling through the Chelmer Valley each day, following path of the river that connects my home to my work. I have lived elsewhere in the intervening years but this land feels like home and I am extremely lucky to live in such a beautiful area and such an amazing little village. Nationally Essex doesn't havea great reputation, but my Essex is a world away from that stereotype and I'd like to take the opportunity to show why. My home and garden are also extremely important to me and I'm sure they will also feature heavily too as will our quirky village.

So the next decision is photographic equipment. Last time around I used my iPhone as I carry it with me everywhere. iPhone photos are great fun, but the quality just doesn't hit the mark and I have some other ambitions for this year.

I never really stopped using film and this year I'd like to explore some film stocks that I haven't used previously, getting to know them through daily use. That does mean that some of my pictures might be a bit variable as I become more familiar with a films strengths. Primarily I want to experiment with Fuji 400H, Kodak Portra 400, Kodak Tri-X and reacquaint myself with Ilford HP-5 Plus. I had originally intended to only use film but I enjoy the level of control that digital photography offers and there are times when I'm engaged in an event where digital is the medium of choice.

My other ambition this year is to simplify the photos. I won't be using any wide angle or telephoto lenses to provide exciting, exaggerated images. It's back to basics, with a fixed normal lens (50mm or equivalent). There's no where to hide, if the image is not up to scratch it just won't look great. I'm also planning on using the lens wide-open at f1.8 to lend character to the images.

So it's a mix of film and digital and a 50mm but what about camera formats? Well I'll primarily use Nikon 35mm film and full-frame digital SLRs. For film it will be an F100 and on the digital side a mix of a D700 and D750. I'm also lucky enough to own a Pentax 67II, a camera which I get a great deal of joy from working with. Due to the physical properties of the Pentax, images shot wide open have even more character than those shot on 35mm equipment.

Because I'm using film, I can't capture a picture and blog it on the same day; I need to get the film developed and scanned. So I've decided to start the blog 2 months after the start of the project, with the first post tomorrow, 21st August.

I love to get feedback on my work, so please do let me know what you think via my website or on facebook. 

If you've enjoyed this post, why not follow Paul Aldred Photography on Facebook and Instagram.

All images Copyright Paul Aldred 2016