Each year photographers share their top photographs and I am no exception in doing this. I wrote a blog about my personal favourites for 2021. Now it is the turn of 2022 and I have limited to my top 4. Why four? Well the arrangement works well for Instagram and I am not such a fan of the Top 9 where the pictures are even smaller. The four pictures that I have selected all have a story to tell. The picture may have done well in national or local competitions. There may have been some nice comments about the style and composition that were pleasing to hear. I hope you enjoy the selections.
Regency Wharf This picture received a commendation in Landscape Photographer of the Year in 2022 and was featured in the published book. This was quite an achievement for me as this is a very competitive competition and a place in the book is very much sought after. I wrote a blog about this picture and it explains how and why it was taken.
Regency Wharf, Birmingham, My picture of Regency Wharf, Birmingham that was Commended in LPOTY2022
Westside BID winner Last year I failed to get shortlisted for the inaugural Westside Business District Calendar competition. So this year, I entered in again and I came first which was I was so pleased about. The prize was £175 voucher to an exclusive restaurant next to the ICC Birmingham. The winning picture is below and a description of how it was done in covered in my blog.
My winning photograph for Westside BID calendar.
Broken Life I am not very good at Still Life photography and it was one of my assignments in a 52 week photography group that I belong to on Flickr. I am not sure why I went for this picture approach and it was well received on the Weeklies. It was my only shortlisting last year for #wexmondays. I am going to do more photography like this for 2023 so watch this space. Also read my blog about how it came about.
A place setting with broken plates and cups. What has taken place?
I was fortunate that I was in London during Christmas week. My reason for being there was to undertake a photographic assignment for the British Dental Association Museum. Once I had completed my task then I set off for the Christmas lights. I walked from Wimpole Street along Oxford Circus taking in Bond Street, New Bond Street and Piccadilly. Whilst I took many photographs on this journey, my main destination was Regent Street. The Angels were strung across the street and were a beautiful feature of the Christmas lights. The theme was the ‘The Spirit of Christmas’and covered both Regent Street and St James’s neighbourhoods.
Under the arch leading to Regent Street.Angels, London Buses and shoppers.
The place was very busy with people on both sides of the road and in the central reservation taking pictures of the Angels. My x100v was set up with a high ISO3200 and an aperture of f/4. The shutter speed was set at 1/125. I brought along my travel tripod to help me. However I did forget that the ISO was on high for some of the motion shots. It was difficult to think with being in such a dangerous position in the middle of the road and so many people around you. Whilst the pictures do look pretty, there are many obstacles around the area such as the shoppers and traffic. I kept my wits about me and did not look for pictures that may have put me in danger.
An Angel of Regent StreetTake the bus to see the lights.Oxford Circus
I came away with a story as there were a few couples in the pictures and the story looks as if I have followed one couple up from Piccadilly to Oxford Circus. I enjoyed seeing the lights and experiencing the atmosphere of Christmas Shopping.
Making your way back home on the tube.
London is a wonderful city to photograph and you may wish to see my other Blog entries on photographing the UK capitol.
I loved Washington State and there were many memorable moments. Here are a few photographs which summarise my visit and I hope at the same time that you may find them amazing.
Firstly, on clear nights we had so many stars to view. The area was light pollution free and as these pictures show there are starry skies. A wonderful place for stargazing.
Looking up to the stars on the road outside our log cabin.
Second, the reservoirs around Mount Rainier were very low. A low water mark is normal at this time of year as they generally fill up in the spring when the snow melts and runs down the mountain. However this year, the levels were very low. In the Alder reservoir, the remains of the towns that were submerged were becoming visible again. However, this one of the tree stumps was quite sensational and almost alien like in its appearance.
The low levels of Alder lake reservoir reveal an ancient forest.
Thirdly, there was smoke around the mountains, some of it from log burning cabins. Smoke clouds from smouldering fires that were still burning from the summer months lingered over the landscape.
The harsh beauty of Riffe LakeDeadwood overlooks the lake.
My first view of Mount Rainier which is to the far left of the following picture, was exciting. What caught my attention is the amazing cloud fornatiion as shown here. I had never seen lenticular cloud formation before and this is caused by the heat of the mountains. They are dormant volcanoes and so the thermal currents produce interesting cloud formations.
Lenticular cloud formation over the mountains.
The final pictures show the warmth of the log cabin both outside and inside. The cabins were warm and cosy. The bright lights contrast with the dark of the forest. Inside the cabins are ready for a long time of celebration, starting with Thanksgiving and moving onto Christmas.
The warmth of the log cabin during the blue hour.
Thanksgiving is all about family and we had a lot of fun during our week in Ashford near to Mount Rainier National Park as this picture shows!!
The rain falls a lot in Washington so when such a day is a washout the locals head to the museums. A popular venue is the Museum of Flight just south of Seattle. The museum is claims to be the largest independent air and space museum in the world and has its beginnings with a group of enthusiasts who began to collect and preserve the planes and other memorabilia of historical importance. The site is impressive with over 175 aircraft housed in several large hangers. There are some of the earliest known airplanes including a very well-illustrated WWI and II display. Not only was the Battle of Britain covered but there is much more detail on the pacific war as befits an American Flight Museum. The impressive Great Gallery included early manned space craft and a wide range of iconic aircraft.
The distinctive Lockheed Model 10-E ElectraLockheed Blackbird M-21 (Blackbird). The fastest plane ever built.Two excited visitors at the Museum.Space the final frontier.Selfie in the Lockheed Model 10-E Electra metal work.Racing to see the McDonnell F-4C (F-110A) Phantom II.Canadair CL-13B Sabre Mk. 6 lining up against its opposite number the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis A few pictures from the Great Gallery at the MuseumReproduction of how the first aircraft were manufactured at the Boeing factory in the Red Barn area.
An overhead walkway leads onto the Aviation Pavilion which is covered but open on the sides. Here there is a British Airways Concorde in pristine condition, the Air Force One Boeing, and the prototype Jumbo Jet.
Concorde is a glamorous looking supersonic jet. The inside offered luxurious comforts with a journey of a few hours giving a fast trip across the Atlantic. The Concorde in the museum was known as Alpha Golf due to its registration code G-BOAG.
All aboard Concorde.Concorde rear view.The cramped conditions of the flight deck on Concorde.
The Air force one was a specially built Boeing 707-153, and is known as SAM (Special Air Mission) 970. Four presidents flew on the plane including Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. Johnson was sworn into office on board the plane immediately after the assignation of JFK.
Boeing VC-137B “Air Force One” with other exhibits in the Aviation Pavilion.In the President’s Chair, Boeing VC-137B “Air Force One”President Nixon meeting Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai with Air Force One in the background.Pictures from the Air Force One display
The Jumbo Jet in the Museum is the first 747 ever built, known as RA001. The inside is cavernous as there are no seats. This was a test plane and it includes all the necessary surveillance equipment that were used during testing. The instrument stations do not take up that much space so you can appreciate the interior size of the aircraft.
Boeing 747-121, the first Jumbo Jet.The impressive inside of the Jumbo Jet without any seats.
Other highlights included visiting the space shuttle and walking down the payload cargo area. There are so many other aircraft to see and remember there are 175 of them! So much to see, so little time and definitely a wonderful place to bring your camera for a day out. I took many pictures and I have attempted to label the aircraft correctly. However, enthusiasts my wish to contact me to add further details and let me know and I will correct appropriately. The Museum of Flight web site is well organised and takes you through the online museum step by step although seeing the aircraft up close is a never to be forgotten experience.
Inside the Cargo bay of the Space Shuttle TrainerSupermarine Spitfire Mk.IX built in Castle Bromwich Birmingham!Sopwith F.1 Camel (reproduction) with an original Aviatik (Berg) D.I WW1.This North American P-51D Mustang overlooks the WW2 gallery.Close up of the North American P-51D Mustang in the WW2 gallery.Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fought in the Asian Pacific War during WW2. The same type of aircraft dropped the Atomic Bomb.Boeing 809A-1, one of the first commercial airline models.The figure of a pilot looks towards a Boeing WB-47E Stratojet with a Douglas DC-2 just to the right.Mark and Jim watching a plane come in outside the Museum entrance.
If you enjoyed this blog then please read about my visit to the East Midlands Aeroparc. Not on the scale of the Museum of Flight but there are some iconic aircraft to see there as well.
Thanksgiving is about expressing gratitude and has its origins in the original settlers and the native Americans giving thanks for the harvest. Now it is an important national holiday where friends and families gather. For Thanksgiving 2022, we went to stay with Sandy’s sister in Washington State, USA. She lives in Ashford which is only a few miles from the entrance to Mount Rainier National Park.
Nisqually entrance to Mount Rainier National Park.
The area has stunning landscapes and the dense trees that surround the area are tall and majestic. The surrounding forest on the approach to Mount Rainier and then from the entrance into the park is comprised of old growth trees. Including Douglas fir, hemlock, and cedar. The trees reach for the sky and block out most of light.
The road into the Mount Rainier Park.
The sky can be seen as you drive into the park and the road weaves through the forest with occasional stopping places. During the winter months access to the park can prove difficult not only due to the changeable weather conditions but with staffing shortages preventing many roads from being properly manned. Therefore the road to Longmire was open but the gate to Paradise was shut. This was disappointing but in photography you always work with what you have and therefore I looked for other opportunities. The Nisqually River Entrance is your first stop as you encounter the rangers who let you into the park. All cars need snow chains before they are allowed to drive through the park. Before you get to Longmire there is a stop at Kautz Creek Viewpoint. This gives your first glimpse of the mountain in the park. It is a fun shot to take as you can get a good group picture and take a bit of time viewing the mountain.
Mount Rainier from the Kautz Creek Viewpoint.Family group photo against the backdrop of Mount Rainier
Longmire is dominated by the National Park Inn that sits looking at the mountain. It was as far as we could travel but I was determined to make the most of the opportunity to be in the park. There are photographs to be taken of the mountain and the Inn. Luckily there was clear visibility of the mountain as my pictures show. The area houses the living quarters of the park rangers and if you drive to the rear of Longmire you arrive at an impressive suspension bridge crossing the Nisqually river. This hidden gem provided several good photographs.
The Inn at Longmire, Mount Rainier National ParkTake a seat, have a drink and admire the view.Mark looking over the Suspension Bridge, Longmire, Mount Rainier Jim looking up on the Longmire side of the suspension bridge.Classic view of the Longmire Suspension View.
In January 2022, I spent the morning walking around Gas Street Basin. The area was bathed in beautiful sunshine and I took several photographs with my Fujifilm x100v. Several of the photographs came out really well. I was lucky with the light and the weather. Plus there were several people walking along the canal tow path. There were two stand out pictures that I took that day. The first was from outside the Tap and Spile public house on the west side of the basin looking towards Regency Wharf. This picture was highly commended in the urban view category of UK Landscape Photographer of the Year. I also took pictures on the other side of the basin. One part of the basin that used to be difficult to access is The Wharf which has access to various offices including the Pakistani Consulate. On that morning I found that the barriers had gone and there is now public access to the area where you can access the canal bank. This gives you a great view of the Bistrot Pierre restaurant building. The morning was still and quiet providing excellent conditions for reflections of the restaurant. As luck would have it, a passerby came into the picture and looked backwards. I snapped him and found that he was centred perfectly. The picture turned out well and did not need much adjustment post processing. There was a good reaction on social media when I posted the picture. Therefore when the Westside BID calendar competition came up then I entered this one along with several others. I was pleased to learn that I was the overall winner for the competition with my Bistrot Pierre picture and my prize was £175 vouchers for the Craft restaurant in Brindley Place next to the ICC. There was also a cheesy write up of my win which I include here. The title was “Dentist ‘reflects’ on top prize in Westside BID’s 2023 calendar competition”.
I love Luke Jerram’s work and have been fortunate to meet the artist as well. His work is often on a grand scale and aims to provoke discussion. I have covered his art work before and his work In Memoriam covered death and reflecting on its consequences. Luke has also created Gaia, which is a large scale replica of the earth. This was recently housed at Millennium Point, Birmingham. Having seen Gaia, I was excited to learn that “Museum of the Moon” was visiting Lichfield Cathedral for the month of October 2022.
An idea of the size of the moon. This picture featured on BBC Midlands Instagram account.Lying on the floor looking up.
Lichfield Cathedral is set in a picturesque courtyard and the front facade has many statues making up the West door. Once inside, the Nave of the Cathedral is dominated by the moon. The white globe contrasts with the brown masonary of the pillars and is enhanced by the associated lighting, both artificial and natural. The Moon is seven metres in diameter and is made up of 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. The globe does not rotate but there is an imperceptible movement caused by the flow of air through the cathedral. The detail of the moon is possible from the high resolution pictures and 1 centimetre represents 5km of the moon’s surface. The internal illumination provides the white glow one normally associates with the moon.
The surreal view of the moon in the Cathedral.The surface detail of the Moon
I used my iPhone13 exclusively for the pictures and one of my photographs was featured on the BBC Midlands Instagram account. Whilst in the Cathedral, we also took the opportunity of exploring the interior and it is a beautiful place to visit.
On a dark evening in October, the rain did not damp the lights of Diwali. The Festival of Lights is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world. Birmingham had a unique take on the Festival with the use of light puppets and dancers. The rain prevented the outside show but inside the Bull Ring the event still took place. As in all good performances there was a story to be told. First four beautiful dancers graced the upper shopping alley near to the Bull entrance. Their dancing was mesmorizing and the rhythmic moves were enhanced by a four piece Indian drum group. When the dancing ceased, a globe of light appeared followed by a light puppet. The “child” interacted with the dancers and was inquisitive about the globe of light.
Diwali DancersThe light ballThe Child goes on a journey
The procession of light moved through the bullring down to the lower level. Here the child puppet discovered a large puppet sleeping under a white sheet. Upon touching the large puppet, light was transferred waking up the giant figure. The adult light puppet enthusiastically moved around the large crowd that had gathered and watched the dancers move around him. Then it was time to say goodbye as the giant light puppet moved away. However the assembled crowd were in no mood to stop and the dancing carried on with the beat of the drums for a while longer. The event was entertaining and captured the spirit of Diwali as the photographs show.
Light is transferred from the Globe to the large puppet by the “Child”Performance on the stage with the audience around them.Beautiful dancing
A recent visit to London allowed me to take my x100v on a walkabout after my meeting at the Amazon offices just off Bishopsgate Road. I went to Spitalfields market where there was much activity going on. My visit to London involved passing through Baker Street station which is always good for a photograph. Enjoy this selection of pictures. All photographs taken with iPhone13 or Fujifilm x100v. The selective colour picture of Baker Street was made in camera with further processing in Lightroom.
Interested in Street Photography? Here are some other examples of my pictures.
Silhouette in Berkeley Arcade off Baker StreetScooter in BishopsgateSpitalfields MarketThe Elephant in Spitalfields marketLiverpool Street StationA view of Liverpool Street and the city skyscrapersAnticipation by James Burke outside the Amazon Offices
The picture is available to purchase from my website. I include an account below how the picture was taken, the camera used and the post production notes.
On a cold but very bright January morning, I went into Birmingham with my camera. I planned to walk around the City, with a focus on Brindley Place and Gas street Basin. The sun was low and there was an intensity about the light. By mid-morning, I found myself in Gas Street basin outside the Tap and Spile pub. I looked across to the imposing red-bricked building displaying the large stencilled letters, Regency Wharf. The scene looked as if someone had suddenly turned on a bright spotlight. The basin was lit up and the building was radiating the light. The water was perfectly still, allowing mirror like reflections. A person was walking on the tow path towards the canal bridge. I could see that his route would take him in front of the Regency Wharf sign. I lifted my camera, looked through the viewfinder and took several shots of the lone person moving along the path. I was thinking how these pictures would turn out but then quickly moved on as more interesting scenes were developing around me. I took more pictures in and around the area all of which did very well when posted on my social media channels.
Regency Wharf – Damien Walmsley
Camera settings for the picture
The picture was taken on 11th January 2022 at 11.06 The camera was the Fujifilm x100v Focal length – 23mm Exposure was 1/10000, f/4, ISO160
Postproduction notes
The RAW file (Fuji – RAF) was opened in Lightroom and the light was so good that there was not much that that needed to be done to the image. I brought out the shadows and reduced the highlights. There was a small amount of saturation added. Once these basic adjustments were done, I took the image into Photoshop and made the decision to crop the picture to highlight the centre of the image. It may be argued that in the original the background to the Regency Wharf building, highlights the new buildings of Birmingham. However, my crop aims to highlight the legacy of Birmingham with a hint of what the future holds.
As I wanted to quickly upload the picture onto Instagram, I used an unsharp mask and then levels on the picture, but it was minimal editing. The light was so strong that the reflections in the water were excellent.
The original view of Regency Wharf prior to cropping.
My personal reflections of LPOTY
I submitted 5 photographs for the LPOTY competition. in early summer, I was taken aback when several people on social media shouted out that they were no longer progressing in the competition. I had not received such a notification and on the website, it was asking for submission of a high resolution picture of one of my pictures. There was a mixture of anticipation but confusion. Eventually, I found my email informing me that I had been shortlisted. It was in my spam filter! The RAW files and more detailed explanation of the processing of the picture were submitted to the LPOTY team. There was another long wait. The FAQ on the website said that if I had not heard anything by October then my entry was unsuccessful. As there were no emails in the first 2 weeks of October, I was just happy that I had been shortlisted. It was on a train journey on the Tuesday afternoon prior to the Sunday announcement that I got the email saying that my picture was Commended in the Urban View category. I was so pleased but the rub was that I had to keep it confidential until now. My family are pleased for me and my friends who have been on my photographic journey were happy as well.
People reading this blog will want to know what it takes to be successful in the competition. Several things spring to mind. Always believe in your picture taking and be content with your own work. Social media is not necessarily a good barometer of a successful picture. Be resilient, this was my fourth attempt since my first entry back in 2018. Listen to constructive criticism and research into how others take their photographs. Always be ready to learn and never take rejection of your pictures personally. Pick yourself up and take the camera on a walk. I will be entering again in 2023 and I know it will be just as competitive as ever. However, I will see what happens and happy to enjoy the experience of entering again.
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