Here we are the start of the 4th week of lockdown in England. I must admit that it is so tempting to get out into the Lake District with the camera as the conditions have been superb over the last two weeks, several falls of snow, freezing weather conditions and some stunning sun rises and sunsets.
Unfortunately the only outdoor experiences we are having are our regular (but not) daily walks around the local town.
It is difficult to become positive in these circumstances, we see the same views day in, day out, which does not instil any enthusiasm to take the camera with me.
I have the film 120 medium format camera that I recently acquired and have used this on a couple of occasions.
I purchased a batch of 5 black and white films with the intention of using these to become familiar with the camera and gain confidence in my technique of using the camera to take decent images.
I am waiting for one set of images to be returned form the developers, and have nearly used a second film. I have been concentrating on shots which I think would look better in black and white, we will have to wait and see how these turn out.
What I am really looking forward too, it to get out into the landscape and put this camera through its paces to see what the quality of the photos will be like, but even this desire is creating further frustration within me.
Yesterday (Sunday) was a lovely cold, crisp day in Maryport, so we set off for a walk around the town taking in several historical buildings and monuments, from there we headed along the promenade taking in the lovely views across the Solway Firth towards Scotland, as we were retuning home, the sun began to get low in the sky which produced a lovely golden glow, so I took a couple of photographs using my phone.
So that is the sum total of my photography for the past 3 weeks or so, frustrating and disappointing to say the least, but under the current conditions we have to put up with it, after all there are many people in a far worst predicament than this.
As I have not been gathering a fresh stock of images, my enthusiasm to keep my social media site current and updated as also waned, I uploaded regular information for 10 days or so, but this level of interaction has fallen away sharply over the last week or so. I know I need to change this, but it is becoming harder as lockdown continues. Working from home probably does not help, as I am on the laptop all day in the house then when the evening or weekend arrives, I do not have the desire to log back on to the computer where I have been sat for most of the working day.
Still, we have to remain has up-beat as we can, sometime soon this has to end. What will be after the lockdown remains to be seen, the virus infection figures and deaths continue to be at extraordinary high levels it beggars belief, what has to be done to drive this virus down?
As I said earlier, many people are in a far worse position than me and we have to feel for them.
The NHS staff, doctors, nurses, porters, admin staff, health care workers, shop keepers, lorry drivers, delivery drivers, the list grows and grows, but without these fantastic people working their socks off, we would be in a far worse position than what we are now.
Stay safe and look after each other, things will improve sometime in the future.
