One camera one lens, the last quarter

My one camera, one lens project is now approaching its final quarter, when it began in January, I had doubts that I would still be on course by autumn but I am as keen as ever to complete the full year.

During the last nine months, I have learned to be more creative with a single camera set up, rather than relying on a bag of kit that may or may not be used, by travelling light, I am happy to shoot for longer, a win, win scenario.

This project has also made me more open minded in my photography too, before this year, I would only ever shoot RAW images, (it’s the law isn’t it?) but I will happily shoot both Raw and Jpeg, or even just Jpeg’s on occasions!

For my occasional paid shoots, I will always shoot RAW, just for peace of mind but for my photo walks, I do not always want to spend too long at the PC editing, especially since the Fuji Jpeg engine is so good.

Yesterday was one such day, where I wanted to get out for a few hours before the next rainy spell arrived later in the day, so a trip to the seaside town of Teignmouth was decided upon, a spot of lunch and a few photos.

Earlier in the week, I had taken some photos using the square format aspect ratio and since I had enjoyed doing so, set the camera to do so again today.
It is not everyone’s cup of tea but I actually enjoy composing shots in the square format, I quite like the polaroid camera feel of the square format, it also makes you think a different way in terms of shot composition.

Just for the record, I set the camera to shoot Raw and Jpeg, but all the shots above were the Jpeg’s with very minor, if any post processing.

Teignmouth is one of my favourite local beaches to go for a brisk Sunday stroll, with plenty of photo opportunities.
A big thank you to the two very generous people who allowed me to take their photos while sat on the sea wall, I told them about my ‘shooting square’ theme and they were very happy to oblige.

I am looking forward to the next 3 months, watching the seasons change, while reluctantly accepting the shorter hours of daylight.

Shooting squares

This morning I had hoped to make a reasonably early start for one of my weekly trips out with the camera but as I listened to the rain against the windows, I had plenty of time to make a decision on where to go.

With the rain set to clear around 10am, I thought a trip to the seaside would be the perfect way to spend a few hours before the wet weather made another appearance later in the day.
I arrived at Sidmouth just after 11am, many of the day trippers had already found their way to the sea front cafes and were enjoying their chosen refreshments before exploring the town.

With the tide well up, the strong winds were whipping up some decent waves, the sound of the sea crashing against the pebbles, then that prolonged sound of the smaller stones being dragged back towards the shoreline.

There is a less frenetic pace about seaside towns post summer season that I really enjoy, people are more inclined to talk, rather than stare at a phone screen, today being no exception as I chat with Janet and Les from Rotherham, on their yearly trip to Sidmouth, along with Pip, their Jack Russel, they have been coming to Sidmouth for 12 years.

As this appears to be something of a spontaneous day, I decide to delve into one of the less used  optional features of my camera, the 1×1 aspect ratio.
The square image will be saved as a JPEG only image but the JPEG engine on Fujifilm cameras is one of the best, so I have no issues here.

Adding something different to camera my days out is something I have done a lot this year and will continue to do when it is this much fun.

A walk in the woods

September has always been one of my favourite times of year, the turning of the season from summer to autumn, nature’s changing of the guard.

Watching the leaves turn from green to hues of orange and gold has always held a fascination, photographing them is a pleasure I will always enjoy, yet it is always tinged with that bittersweet taste of knowing dark winter nights are not that far away.

One of my favourite haunts to observe the rite of passage from summer to autumn is Hembury woods near Buckfastleigh, just on the edge of Dartmoor, the woodland lies alongside the River Dart.

With the summer holidays just a fading memory, I have the woods and river pretty much to myself, one of the advantages of having weekdays off from work.

With just the whisper of wind through the leaves and the occasional birdsong, it is so peaceful, a place to reflect or gather ones thoughts after a busy week, as I sit on a rock watching the river flow past.

As usual, my eye is drawn to those small patches of light that seep through to the woodland floor, also to the long since fallen trees with various species of fungi that will be prevalent at this time of year, along with the many fallen acorns.

I tried so hard not to take the usual long exposure of the water, but those orange leaves that had already fallen on to the rocks were just too good to miss, it also gave me the excuse to stay by the river for just a few minutes longer.

After a four mile stroll, it is time to head back for a little light refreshment and something to eat before the next best part of the day, reviewing the days photos.

Going light

Since embarking upon my one focal length project this year, my faithful Fuji has been the perfect take anywhere camera, with no lenses to consider packing, my camera bag is considerably lighter than it ever has been, yet I still like to take a selection of filters and a tripod for my planned trips to Dartmoor and the coast, where I like to experiment with long exposures with the skies and water but I am beginning to wonder if I always need to carry the extra gear, just in case.

To elaborate further, I have found myself with just the camera and a spare battery when I am on errands in town, where I have really enjoyed having just the camera and no extras, minimalist photography.

A few shots from today’s foray into town, no contrasty shadows today with the overcast skies but I managed to find a few little gems.

 

 

Has this, maybe sown the seed for next years project, going light on all trips, just my chosen camera, no tripod and no extras, other than a spare battery or two?

If I am being honest, I am not sure I could do that for a whole year, I really enjoy all aspects of photography, the tripod and filters are part of what I enjoy about going on my outings, yet, it could be another steep learning curve

I am open to ideas on any future camera projects for next year, feel free to add any thoughts in the comments.

Dusk in the city

With the evenings slowly pulling in, it is a sure sign that autumn is just beyond the horizon, making more opportunities for some low light forays in the coming months.
This in mind, yesterday evening, I decided to get out for an evening outing to hone the skills ready for the coming seasons.

After being used to walking through the town in darkness for my early morning outings, it seemed weird to hear the cacophony of party goers on their way to their Saturday evening revelry, for once I have to share the city streets.

My initial plan is to head to the quayside, a favourite venue of mine during the day, hoping for some light trails across the bridges but decide this is a little formulaic and look to find other opportunities.

From the quay, I make way my back up to the city centre, taking a few shots on the way,
I am being very selective in my choice of shot, just looking for something other than the usual night time city shots.

Tonight’s outing was very much a scouting mission, looking for ideas for night time compositions I may use at a later date, honing the skills for a more thorough shoot, during the longer hours of darkness.

The shots above are the pick of my 60 minute foray, all taken with my trusty X100F, all hand held with an aperture of f2-2.8, iso  adjusted as needed.