Welcome to Simons Wood published

Welcome to Simons Wood is a photographic project from 2010-2011. As many of you will know it follows on from the previous years project Perambulation and attempts to explore the idea of creating a reality of a place through photography.

This year long project was subject to a number of blog posts and discussions. The idea of reflecting reality was one I explored first with Perambulation, however that while that project proved interesting I didn't feel it truly managed to find any kind of objective reality.

I continue to debate if a true and objective representation of a place is possible. However Welcome to Simons Wood I feel may have come as close as I can with photography alone. Narrow in focus, it shows the same view of the same place over the space of a year. This was controlled through a series of rules that can be found below.

Rules

 1. As from the previous project, there will be no post production editing of the photographs. With the exception of cropping and resizing for the internet.  

2. The camera will be set to scenery mode, and the only setting on it I can change will be the white balance to the appropriate weather conditions (either cloudy or sunny)  

3. I will go out when I should, no matter the weather at the time.  

4. I will go to the same place and take a photo of the same view  

5. I will go out weekly, Saturday at 12pm.  

6. I may change the day (but not the time) if life conspires to make Saturday impossible. The day should be as close to Saturday as I can make it and I should make every effort to do it on a Saturday.  

7. I will attempt to do this for a year.

After the projects completion I always intended to do something with it beyond a record of the images on Flickr. As I have previously discussed I always fancied doing a photobook.

So here I present Welcome to Simons Wood published!

It is paperback, full colour, 109 pages and 18 x 23cm. It has a large page count to allow each of the 53 images to stand entirely on their own. Plus it also does that flipbook thing so you can watch the year change at speed.

If thats enough to tempt you, you can purchase it here.

If not click on the image of the cover to learn more about the book.

I still fancy producing one on Perambulation I'm just unsure how I'm ever going to fit 366 images into a book that won't be huge, while doing justice to the imagery.

Welcome to Simons Wood Reflected

So it's that time again where I try to reflect on the years photographic project.

So if you missed it, some background. I was attempting to work on a follow up to the previous years project Perambulation, looking at the reality of a place and trying to recreate it through photography. Using a strict set of rules, I tried to capture a specific view throughout the year with an aim that while it might not be possible to create a truly objectively real and complete view of a place it was possible to be more objective than the Perambulation project.

Week 1 - 20th November 2010

Rules
 1. As from the previous project, there will be no post production editing of the photographs. With the exception of cropping and resizing for the internet.  
2. The camera will be set to scenery mode, and the only setting on it I can change will be the white balance to the appropriate weather conditions (either cloudy or sunny)  
3. I will go out when I should, no matter the weather at the time.  
4. I will go to the same place and take a photo of the same view  
5. I will go out weekly, Saturday at 12pm.  
6. I may change the day (but not the time) if life conspires to make Saturday impossible. The day should be as close to Saturday as I can make it and I should make every effort to do it on a Saturday.  
7. I will attempt to do this for a year.

Week 5 - 18th December 2010

It's been an interesting year. When I started I thought the lack of creative input would damage the project. It was very strict, almost verging on the scientific, and while that lent focus to what I was trying to achieve, it became routine and required little thought.

Routine tasks are part of life, and while my photography may have suffered from a lack of constant creative input, it did become familiar and comforting in a strange way. I would look forward to my weekly walks with intrigue as to how I would find the pond and take interest in all the smallest changes. 

 

Week 20 - Saturday 2nd April 2011

Practically it was easier to deal with than the Perambulation project, which was good as I have been far more busy this year than last. I didn't cheat once, although I did have to change my day far more often than I would have liked.

As a realistic view of the place? Certainly it is a realistic view of that years worth of Saturdays. Any years worth of Saturdays? Maybe. As a realistic view of that place throughout the year? Probably not. I seemed to get a high proportion of grey days which, I promise you it is not indicative of where I am. The rules I set in place certainly helped to make it a more realistic view of the place it did not create an utterly realistic view. But I went into this knowing the restrictions.

Week 21 - Saturday 9th April 2011

So what to do now with the project?

This is something I will have to think on, but much like the Perambulation project I think film or a book would be the best way to show them. Obviously 53 images are easier to deal with in a gallery setting but I like better the idea of a more fluid image progression either through an AV (which you can already get through Flickr slideshow) or a book. Of course a book is still planned for the Perambulation project so hopefully I will get around to it. I'm not entirely sure who would want to buy it though, but as a record and exercise it's a good idea.

Week 32 - Sunday 26th June 2011

I'm looking potentially at two photographic based projects next year now. One will be short term if it is accepted, but I will talk more on that at a later date if it is to be realised.

As to a year long project, I feel a more creative approach is needed, to explore my photographic skills more if nothing else. So this one will probably reflect Perambulation more than this one. I might also lift all geographical restrictions, but keep a date/time one. All in all, I'm still too deeply thinking about this current one and all the other artwork I have going on to have found time to focus my thoughts, but over Christmas I will be.

Week 50 - Saturday 29th October 2011

Photos: A selection of images from Welcome to Simons Wood

Spring has sprung

Or at least I think it has. Where I go for my weekly walks I see very few signs that spring has arrived. The largest is probably the return of the geese and while I've seen the crocuses come and go the pond seems slow to become green. However the sun is feeling stronger and the smell of spring was almost in the air the last Saturday I went out.

Week 13 - 12th February 2011

Spring may come slow to the pond but I know it well enough to know that while I don't see the snowdrops and daffs that festoon other places (places I walked around last year), there will be hordes of bluebells soon enough.

Also the biggest change, while I can't say shows for sure the return of spring, is a welcome return of sunny days. After weeks of winter and Saturdays full of dull cloud, now I have had many Saturdays with at least partial sunshine.

Week 14 - 18th Feb 2011

This is proving to be an issue currently, however. I love the sun but it seems that it is making taking my photos difficult, since for the time being I have to take my images directly into the sun. Either I get blue sky and silhouetted landscape or I get bright white sky and slightly darker than it should be landscape.

Week 15 - 25th February 2011

I knew when I started that I might have this issue but hopefully when full spring/summer comes along the sun will be overhead enough not to intrude as much. I'm afraid that I picked one of my favourite views rather than one that will always photograph fairly accurately. Maybe this just shows that to attempt to get an objective truth of a place you have to be completely objective picking your subject. But surely this would negate the other aspects of a place/view, your love of it and the emotion that it inspires, without this does it cease to be art?

Week 16 - 5th March 2011

Meanwhile enjoy a selection of the latest few weeks photos. 

Week 17 -  12th March 2011

 

Happy New Year - New Photo Project update

It seemed appropriate to post this update on the new perambulation project in New Year.

Well, first of all I have recently made a decision about its name. Maybe predictably I have chosen a variation on “Welcome to....”. In this case the currently “Unnamed Project (perambulation v.2)” will now be known as Welcome to Simons Wood.

Week 1 - 20th November 2010

Since starting the project I've been glad there has been as much change between weeks as I've had. The snow and ice so far has subtly altered the view, which is welcome to a project that I expected might show unnoticeable change between some weeks, especially in the winter.

I still worry that later in the winter, when the ice goes and is replaced with grey damp February days, it will start to look very similar week to week. However this is part of the experience and just as important with regards to the “truth” of the place.

Week 2 - 27th November 2010

While I think so far it has been successful, considering it has so far followed the rules I set, it is missing things that the previous project had. It makes my walks almost more of a chore doing it once a week than doing it everyday and this is not because so far all my Saturday's have been grey.

Week 3 - 4th December 2010

The main issue seems to be motivation and enjoyment of the process. With the new project all the creativity of finding the photo was over in the first week. Going out with the prime purpose of getting the same view as the week before has it's own challenges but they are nothing compared to the challenges of finding a new one everyday in a variety of places.

Week 4 - 11th December 2010

While I go on a walk after getting that photo and look for other images, I don't have that pressure of finding a shot to put up everyday. As such I find it harder to see photos or find the enthusiasm to do something like find an unusual angle or go off the beaten track. As such this current project is not helping me to improve my photography either.

Granted I do enjoy seeing how the view has changed week to week, but it's like I want instant gratification. Maybe this is because I know exactly where that days photo will come from, rather than having no idea. As such the walk down to the view is not as enjoyable.

Week 5- 18th December 2010

I am also going on less walks than before (walks in addition to Saturdays expeditions), especially now it is greyer and colder than before. I am also generally really busy and since I need not upload a photo everyday.... well there is a distinct lack of motivation.

Week 6 - 25th December 2010

All in all I don't think this will impinge too much on the current project but there is a loss of enjoyment around the whole process which I miss and in the New Year may have to try to get back somehow.

Week 7 - 1st January 2011

Perambulating my thoughts on Perambulation

It has been a couple of weeks since my final photograph for my Perambulation Project and I have been reflecting on a years worth of imagery.

6th October 2010

Looking back through the blog posts I made about this project and the goals I set myself way back in my first post on this project (http://noblueskies.blogspot.com/2009/12/well-since-cardiff-i-have-hardly-gone.html). I have come to a number of conclusions.

1. Doing this as a way to improve my fitness.
   Well yes, I would say that was a success. While I won't be running any marathons I did extend the length of my walks on occasion to over 2 hours (walking from Crowthorne to Wokingham) and while on my recent holiday to Southwold walked almost non stop for many of the days, covering over 6 miles a day, 4 days in a row with no worse symptoms than stiff and achy muscles. You might say that's not much, but for me it is what I wanted and what I expected from 9 months of nothing more than short relaxed walks each day.
   
   
2. Exploring my local area.
   Well I've certainly done that, I know more about the fields and woods and other nature spots and footpaths around my area than I ever did before. I've learnt more about flora and fauna, especially with regards to butterflies and dragonflies so I can identify them for posting to Flickr. I have however left out a huge chunk with regards to the urban and suburban areas, with the simple reason being that nature interested me more and I found more things to photograph.
   
   
3. Creating a truthful representation of a place
   Now that is a tricky one. To answer that question I have to go back to my blog post of (http://noblueskies.blogspot.com/2010/02/truth-is-out-thereunder-bush-or.html). I came to the conclusion that it was impossible to give a entirely truthful representation of a place because the photographs taken and chosen are taken and chosen through the lens of my own personal experiences, knowledge and interests. They can only create my truth of an area or subject. Many of the rules I set myself were useful to maintain a truthful representation but they were still too broad, leaving me a huge range of places to visit and images to capture. I didn't realise that this broadness would harm the initial idea at first, in fact it was really only after I had spent all autumn and winter doing it and started moving to new areas because I was finding it hard and a little boring to make the same few walks every week. I also didn't want to photograph the same things day after day, the change would not be obvious and the photos become monotonous.
   
   
   On one hand I am right with that last statement and on the other I am wrong. I do think that the same image day after day would have been monotonous but as a project trying to show the truth to a place I think it would have been well, more truthful.
   
   I think what I have done is create a representation of a place. I don't think photography can ever give a truthful representation of a place no matter how many rules and restrictions you set yourself. I think the next project as I have outlined below will give a representation of a view, I think it will be more truthful of that view than the Perambulation project was of it's place and it seems right to push the idea in that direction and see what conclusions I make from this experience.

4th October 2010

Other things I've learnt are that it is really difficult to keep these things going and find the time to go for a walk everyday. Especially when I was really busy with the elephant and most recently with my internship. Being busy has led me to have to taken walks outside of my directly local (to my home) area and have taken them nearer to work. I have also often had to shorten them to save time.

22nd October 2010

So what about the future of this and the next project.

Well I would like to create a book with the original series. I need to investigate more and see when it would cost me money to do so. But if it happens I'll let you know. Even with it's flaws in the end the Perambulation Project is still showing MY truth of the place and I do want to share that with people.

21st October 2010

I will also not be entirely giving up with my walks. I will still take them when I feel like and when I have time and I will still be taking my camera with me. One thing I have learnt is that it's really improved my photography skills just doing this project and I want to continue to get better and better. What will happen is that photographs will go up when I have them to show you, it will no longer be regular and I may not mention it. You will need to follow me on Flickr to be sure to see new ones :). I also have a few ideas for further alternative photographic and otherwise projects that will require a few walks of testing before I reveal all.

17th October 2010

Finally, as I was saying, I don't think that the idea of trying to find the truth of a place has entirely run it's course yet, as such I propose a new photographic journey!
But this time with more rules.

1. As before I will not edit the photographs in post production apart to crop and resize them for the internet.
   
2. I will have the camera set to Scenery Mode every time. I will use either cloudy or sunny white balance settings, whichever is appropriate for the weather conditions.
   
3. I will go out no matter the weather.
   
4. I will go to the same place every week and take a photograph of the same view.
   
5. I will go out weekly. I decided to make it weekly as daily seemed just unfeasible from a life point of view, especially with the increased restrictions. I also don't feel that the area I am thinking of using will change too much over the course of a week. There would certainly be things I would miss but that is still true if I went out daily.
   
6. I will go out on Saturdays at 12pm. I can bend this rule only if life conspires to upset me. If so then I must go on a walk as near to Saturday as I can and It must be at 12pm.
   
7. I will attempt to do this for a year

Additionally I may take extra midweek photos, as I can foresee interesting weather and events may occur but not hang around long enough to catch on a Saturday. But they might not end up in the project officially, at best they may act as added extra, appendix or special feature or something.

10th October 2010

Well that's it really, last thing to mention is that the photographs in this entry all come from the last few weeks of Perambulation. Including a very fluky shot of a double rainbow with caught lightning bolt.

Anyone got any questions?

19th October 2010