2022 - A Review
So it’s that time again, my favorite blog post of the year, and a chance to take stock, look back and enjoy some of my favorite photos from the year that was 2022. Thankfully, unlike the past two years, I have been able to take my camera on a few more adventures further afield this time, with trips to Poland, Slovenia, Portugal and Albania as travel opened back up. So without further ado, let’s get it started.
PEOPLE
I hate people….let’s put that out there right away, horrible things with a very limited number making my time of day list. An odd start to a section dedicated to people you might say, but in general I do - can’t stand them. Taking photos of total strangers without them noticing me, or just noticing as I take the shot however has become a bit of an addiction for me this year. Below are a few of my favorites from across the year which have made up a big part of my street photography both when i’m travelling or just out and about taking photos.
DRONE
The Drone really had a very quiet year in 2022 which doesn’t bode well for its future, with only a couple of stand out moments for it to really shine. The first being during a trip to the eden project and the second of course being its flight over Lake Bled in Slovenia to capture some images of the iconic Lake Bled Island. Other than that the Drone has taken a real back seat. I can count on 2 hands the amount of actual flights which is disappointing to see. I do find getting it out and becoming the main focus of people’s attention an issue that I struggle with a lot so more often than not I keep it in my bag. Maybe in 2023 I can overcome this issue and will see a renaissance in its use who knows…
TRAVEL
We said see you later to Covid right at the start of 2022 so I was out of the country the first chance I got and did not look back. I think I could have included another 50 or so images in this section with the sheer volume of shots I have taken but below are a few of my favorites.
WILDLIFE
Just like the drone, my wildlife work has taken a bit of a backseat in 2022 with many of the places I have visited suiting the smaller Fujifilm X100V with its fixed lens over a large, bulky and heavy lens/body combo. The selling of all my Canon equipment at the start of the year did however gave me the opportunity to experience what Fujifilm had to offer with its newer 100-400mm lens which I have been pleasantly surprised with overall. The F5.6 aperture was always going to be an issue, but the in built image stabilization plus the XT-4 stabilization did compensate for this somewhat, giving me some pleasing results overall. The debate rages on over the use of the 1x4 teleconverter which may be settled when I possibly upgrade to the Fujifilm XT-5 with its 50mp sensor that will allow for more cropping without loss of resolution. In the meantime however, I have been able to get some lovely useable images from the new lens and Fujifilm XT-4 combination throughout the year when I could get good light.
Photo Of The Year
I took a lot of images I was really pleased with this year which made picking out just one as my ‘Photo of the year’ was hard work, but this shot (below), taken inside a fort in the town of Gjirokaster in Albania of a lone woman surrounded by world war two cannons kept on coming back in my mind. I think the image sums up to me what I have come to enjoy most when out with my camera on a day to day basis by both capturing the subject of the photos emotion as well as showing them in interesting surroundings. I love the pensive look on the girls face as she stands alone in the gloom of the cavernous arch, illuminated by the light above her. Taken on the Fujifilm X100V using the ACROS film simulation, I loved the overall feel and look of the image, and the questions it conjure’s in the viewers mind like who is she waiting for? and why such a nervous, nail biting pose in the gloom? The dark canons looming throughout the background just add to the drama and interest of the image and just make it a memorable photo for me.
So with that I can conclude 2022 is officially done and dusted. I have loved every second I picked up my camera this year so the switch to fujifilm has paid off thank goodness. 2023 has a lot to live up to already!
FIN
